Chapter 3: Who's Coming to See Director Li? Wan Zhenzhen, frantic with urgency, grabbed Qian Qing and tried to pull her away. Qian Qing turned back briefly to inform the clerk at the Household Registration Office before the two stepped outside together. It was mid-August, the tail end of high summer, and the cicadas outside were crying themselves hoarse. Wan Zhenzhen wished she could drag Qian Qing into a jog, but Qian Qing tugged her along at a leisurely pace.

"…Qian Qing, let's hurry up; it's already past three."

Wan Zhenzhen was so anxious she felt like climbing the walls in frustration. The Women's Federation of the oilfield had only one office, located in the administrative building of Oil Extraction Plant No. 1. Except when out on field duties, the women's directors and officers from all the various plants worked there. Wan Zhenzhen worried they might not find anyone upon arrival, and even more feared running into Zhou Hao on the way; her heart pounded as if it might leap from her chest. Qian Qing, delicate and particular, pulled a hat from her small handbag, showing not the slightest understanding of Wan Zhenzhen's agitation.

"It's too hot," she complained.

Fortunately, Zhou Hao had been thoughtful enough to insist she bring a hat before leaving home. Just as Wan Zhenzhen grew more urgent, a cyclist passed by nearby, a large iron box hanging from the rear rack, with the characters "Ice Pops"

pasted on it in red paper.

"Hey! Ice pop vendor!" Qian Qing called out immediately.

Wan Zhenzhen stared at her as if she'd seen a ghost. At a time like this! She still wanted to buy ice pops! The vendor swiftly dismounted and came trotting over, pushing his bicycle.

"How much are they?"

There was an ice pop factory here in the oilfield, situated next to Oil Extraction Plant No. 3, not very close to their current location. Although reform and opening-up had begun several years ago, life in the oilfield remained stable, and few people engaged in business here. Even ice pop vendors were fewer than elsewhere.

"Red bean and mung bean flavors are twenty fen each; salted ones are fifteen fen; and there's also a milk flavor at fifty fen."

Qian Qing was somewhat surprised. In her hometown, salted ice pops sold for only ten fen, while red bean and mung bean cost fifteen fen each. Seems this vendor is making quite a profit? Wan Zhenzhen, watching Qian Qing dawdle over buying an ice pop, had long since cursed her silently countless times. As Qian Qing fumbled through her pockets, Wan Zhenzhen, unable to bear the delay any longer, simply reached into her own trouser pocket and pulled out twenty fen.

"Alright, Qian Qing, I'll treat you!"

Let's not waste any more time here! Qian Qing beamed happily: "Great! I'll have two mung bean ice pops!"

She even extended her slender, fair fingers and waved them playfully before Wan Zhenzhen. Wan Zhenzhen was nearly driven mad with anger but could do nothing about it; gritting her teeth, she dug out another twenty fen from her pocket.

"Two mung bean ones!"

After purchasing the ice pops, Qian Qing happily enjoyed hers while holding the other in her hand.

Meanwhile, Wan Zhenzhen wiped sweat from her brow, torn between fury and anxiety. Fortunately, after eating the ice pop, Qian Qing quickened her pace. The two hurried all the way to the administrative building of Plant No. 1. Wan Zhenzhen walked ahead and knocked on the Women's Federation door. Upon hearing a "Come in"

from inside, they entered. As soon as Qian Qing stepped through the doorway, she saw Li Hongmei, the Women's Director of Oil Extraction Plant No. 2, just as she had appeared in her dream. Li Hongmei possessed the quintessential look of a cadre: a round face, open and clear features, hair tucked neatly behind her ears, dressed in a Lenin suit with a pen clipped to her jacket. Though no longer young and slightly plump, she showed none of the bulkiness often associated with aging. Only Li Hongmei was present in the Women's Federation office. She found the two visitors familiar but couldn't recall their names. Wan Zhenzhen quickly introduced herself: "Hello, Director Li. I'm Wan Zhenzhen, wife of Wang Hua from the Maintenance Team of Oil Extraction Plant No. 2."

Then, pulling Qian Qing forward, she added, "She's similar to me; also married into the Maintenance Team of Plant No. 2. Her husband is Zhou Hao." Qian Qing politely stated,

"My name is Qian Qing."

Now Li Hongmei remembered: weren't these the young couples who had held their wedding just yesterday? Newlyweds visiting the Women's Director on their second day of marriage? Suppressing her curiosity, she greeted them warmly with a smile: "We met yesterday. I even remarked then, 'Which family has such a talented daughter? Marrying into our oilfield brings honor to us all.'"

She poured a glass of water for each of them and carefully began, "Is there something specific you've come here about?"

It was no wonder she asked with such apprehension. In earlier years, conditions at the oilfield were modest, and higher authorities had urged doing everything possible to resolve employment issues for dual-income couples. Typically, when someone married within the oilfield community, a job would also be arranged for the spouse. After all, with tens of thousands residing in the oilfield, there were numerous gaps in support services. However, recent years had seen changes; as oil extraction equipment improved generation after generation, fewer workers were needed, naturally leading to reduced hiring even for后勤 (support) positions. Over the past few years, complaints hadn't been isolated incidents but rather came mostly from women newly married into the oilfield community. They had expected employment upon marriage, only to be told upon arrival that no jobs were available, which understandably caused frustration. What could Li Hongmei, as the Women's Director, do? She could only patiently persuade them, promising priority consideration once positions became available, which eventually calmed them down.

Wan Zhenzhen nudged Qian Qing; since they had already come here, it was time for Qian Qing to take the lead. If Wan Zhenzhen continued pushing forward, she risked earning a negative mark from the Women's Director herself. Qian Qing's eyes darted around until they landed on a street map hanging in the office. An idea struck her: "Director Li, as I was coming over, I noticed the building opposite our No. 1 Primary School for Staff Children has been cleared out?"

Hearing that Qian Qing hadn't immediately brought up the issue of employment, Li Hongmei felt relieved.

"Yes, that was decided by the factory leadership. They said the office building over there needs to be relocated; otherwise, the constant noise and traffic disrupt the students' studies."

Qian Qing's eyes lit up.

"Did the factory leadership mention what they plan to do with the vacated office building?" Li Hongmei thought for a moment, deciding it wasn't confidential information, and replied,

"They plan to demolish and rebuild it. After all, it's an old structure that has stood for many years, and leaving it as is poses safety risks."

Qian Qing's eyes sparkled even brighter.

"Will the guardhouse next to it be demolished too?"

"Probably not. It's just a small room and doesn't take up much space."

The mentioned guardhouse was merely a small, bare bungalow. Previously, a gatekeeper lived there, but once the office building was demolished, the gatekeeper would certainly be reassigned, leaving the house vacant. Feeling a surge of excitement, Qian Qing asked, "In that case, do you think I could rent that room from the factory?"

Li Hongmei looked slightly puzzled.

"That so-called 'room' is actually less than ten square meters—more like six or seven at most. What would you use it for?" Qian Qing responded confidently,

"It's getting quite hot lately. I've noticed people from the factory usually go all the way to Plant No. 3 to buy popsicles. By the time they return, the popsicles have often melted. Moreover, those vendors pushing carts don't come around frequently. I was thinking of setting up a small popsicle stall there so everyone wouldn't have to travel so far."

Li Hongmei seemed surprised.

"You've just gotten married, and you're already planning to do this? Is there some difficulty at home?"

"No, not at all," Qian Qing quickly replied.

"I simply find myself with nothing to do at home. I thought I could provide some convenience for everyone while finding something to occupy my time."

Li Hongmei nodded.

"That makes sense. I'll inquire about it later; it shouldn't be too complicated."

After all, leaving the guardhouse unused served no purpose, and renting it out, even if it didn't generate significant income, could at least help resolve one family member's employment issue, preventing them from coming back demanding a job.

Meanwhile, Wan Zhenzhen beside her was growing increasingly anxious. Qian Qing remained unhurried, never addressing the real matter at hand. A popsicle stall? What kind of popsicle stall! The profits would amount to mere coins. Not to mention long-term prospects—even now, in August, how many days could such a business possibly last? Get to the point already! Seeing Wan Zhenzhen's mounting impatience, Qian Qing finally seemed to remember something important and turned to Director Li.

"Oh, speaking of which, I almost forgot! Today I actually accompanied Zhenzhen here. She has a matter she'd like your help resolving!"

Wan Zhenzhen was stunned. What matter did she need resolved? Wasn't Qian Qing the one who came to raise an issue? Immediately adopting a serious demeanor, Li Hongmei turned to Wan Zhenzhen and asked, "Comrade Wan, is there something you need assistance with?"

At this point, Wan Zhenzhen abandoned any plan to stay hidden behind Qian Qing and blurted out in agitation, "Qian Qing, what are you saying? Weren't you the one who wanted to see Director Li?"

Qian Qing looked utterly shocked.

"Huh? Didn't you just tell me your mother-in-law treats you badly? That she left the banquet early yesterday, dragged Wang Hua out of bed at dawn today, and left you alone at home? And that your mother-in-law is withholding your father-in-law's work-related martyrdom allowance from both you and Wang Hua…"

Qian Qing rattled on, repeating everything Wan Zhenzhen had said earlier. As Li Hongmei listened, her temper began to rise. Over the years, she'd mediated countless similar cases: young brides marrying into the oilfield community who immediately clashed with their mothers-in-law. As a mother-in-law herself, Li naturally disapproved of such newlywed daughters-in-law.

"Comrade Wan, it's not that I want to criticize you," Li Hongmei said firmly.

"But it's only your second day married; minor family conflicts are normal. New family members always need time to adjust. I can speak with your mother-in-law to help facilitate communication between you. However, regarding this work-related martyrdom allowance, there's nothing I can do. Your father-in-law was Wang Hongxing, correct? When he passed away, your husband Wang Hua was only eight or nine years old. Your mother-in-law raised him entirely on her own since then; those years were incredibly difficult for her. That allowance was granted by the factory specifically to support her. It's her right to decide how it's distributed. Not only you, but even your husband couldn't expect the factory to interfere in this matter. On a small scale, this is a private family issue. On a larger scale, it represents the factory's respect for all martyrs' families."

Wan Zhenzhen, suddenly burdened with such a heavy accusation, panicked instantly.

"I didn't! I… I never asked for it! It was Qian Qing! She wanted to come see you! Her husband was assigned an urgent business trip today, which she opposed, so she came looking for you to ask you to speak with leadership about reassigning him!" Li Hongmei sighed helplessly.

"Ask me? I'm just the Women's Director; I don't handle business trip assignments."

Wan Zhenzhen never imagined that her extra scheming would only leave her unable to defend herself now. Seizing the moment, Qian Qing chimed in from the side: "Exactly. Although the place Zhou Hao is going to is dangerous, since I married into this community, I naturally prepared myself mentally for this."

She then feigned deep concern, adding, "This is Zhou Hao's responsibility, and I trust him."

Li Hongmei felt completely bewildered. Wasn't this just a routine business trip? How dangerous could it possibly be? She assumed the new bride was simply overly frightened, mistaking routine maintenance tasks for some terrifying catastrophe. Having experienced the same phase herself when newly married—her own husband, a maintenance team leader, used to get called out mid-night to repair machinery, which had terrified her back then—Li immediately shifted her attention away from Wan Zhenzhen to comfort Qian Qing instead.

"The oil well equipment has been significantly improved in recent years. Rest assured, no accidents have occurred in our oilfield over the past few years. Even the neighboring oilfield, where we've dispatched our personnel, is under close supervision by many people. Nothing will go wrong."

Qian Qing put on an expression of innocent confusion.

"Really? But wasn't it said that three people died at that neighboring oilfield last month?"

Li Hongmei immediately grew tense.

"Who told you that? Although the neighboring province's oilfield is newly established, its technology and staffing are fully adequate. How could something like that possibly happen? Let alone three deaths—even a single casualty would constitute a major accident requiring notification across the entire oilfield. If I haven't heard about it, then who exactly spread such baseless rumors to you?"

No wonder this new bride looked so worried; clearly, she'd heard some unfounded gossip from who-knows-where. Standing nearby, Wan Zhenzhen's face had turned deathly pale, filled with panic and uncertainty. Who could have anticipated that Qian Qing would escalate matters directly to Director Li? What should she do now? At that very moment, Qian Qing widened her eyes and stared pointedly at Wan Zhenzhen.

"Zhenzhen! Wasn't it you who told me…"

She deliberately trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished so Director Li could draw her own conclusions. Now, Li Hongmei finally sensed something distinctly amiss. Her expression stiffened as she turned sharply toward Wan Zhenzhen.

"Comrade Wan, what exactly did you say to Comrade Qian?"