blueteamnovel Chapter 120: Who's laughing at whom is still uncertain.
Chapter 120: Who's laughing at whom is still uncertain.
Lin Shuyao realized that Cheng Zheng had actually liked her all along, and all her doubts were completely dispelled. She no longer needed to guess or live in fear for a while.
But this won't work in the long run.
She impersonated the female lead, and the original owner of the body refused to help the female lead, causing her to fall off a cliff. No matter how you look at it, she was deeply sinful.
Most importantly, this is a novel world, and the female lead is the protagonist of this world. She has successfully won over the male lead and started dating him, but who knows if the plot will take a turn after the female lead returns?
No, it should be said that things are back on track.
The male lead might still fall in love with the female lead.
But she still couldn't escape the fate of being shot.
Therefore, she cannot relax now and still needs to save money quickly so that she can escape smoothly when the truth comes out.
It would be best to prepare letters of introduction in advance.
If we calculate the time, the female lead will return in six months, so there's still time.
……
Zhang Mei and Cheng Hao carried some things to the sanatorium to visit the old man.
The old man had just finished playing chess and was packing up the chess set to go back to his room.
"Grandpa!" Cheng Hao eagerly stepped forward and helped the old man put the chess pieces on the stone table into the box.
"Dad," Zhang Mei called out from behind with a smile, carrying a gift bag.
Grandpa Cheng nodded to the two of them, then his gaze fell on Cheng Hao, who was tidying up. "When did you get back?"
"Yesterday," Zhang Mei answered for her son.
Grandpa Cheng looked his grandson up and down: "Hmm, not bad. After two years of training, he seems more mature."
Zhang Mei chimed in, "That's right, they've suffered a lot outside. I heard their schedules are packed, they study day and night, only sleeping four or five hours a day, and they're not used to the food..."
Zhang Mei began to complain incessantly. After she finished, the old man chimed in, "It's good for a boy to suffer a little; it helps him temper his character."
One sentence shut Zhang Mei down.
"Yes, yes, Dad, you're right," Zhang Mei replied, then changed the subject, "Dad, how have you been lately? If you need anything, just let me know, and I'll prepare it and bring it over for you."
The old man waved his hand: "My health is still the same as before. If you need anything, I'll have my eldest son and his wife take care of it. You don't need to worry about it."
Zhang Mei's original intention was not to trouble her youngest son and his wife, but she felt that the old man was being distant and did not treat her as family, which made her feel a little resentful.
"Grandpa, I'm done tidying up. I'll take you back to your room."
Cheng Hao closed the chess box, held it to his side, and went forward to help the old man.
The old man was still in relatively good health, but he didn't refuse when his grandson offered to help him upstairs. Zhang Mei followed behind.
Upon entering the room, Zhang Mei placed the things she was carrying on the table, turned to the old man with a smile, and said, "Dad, these are specialties Haozi brought back for you from the Soviet Union, like chocolate-covered liqueurs and butter biscuits... His father and I wanted to try some, but he wouldn't let us, saying they were only for you. Look at this child, he only thinks of you; his father and I have to take a backseat."
Cheng Hao said to Zhang Mei, "Our living expenses are limited, and things are expensive abroad. I'll buy them for you and Dad when I start working and earning money."
"Then I'll wait. Anyway, you'll be going to work soon." Zhang Mei smiled and picked up the thermos to make tea for the old man.
Cheng Hao said with distress, "Speaking of work, the organization hasn't assigned me anything yet, and I don't know which unit I'll be assigned to."
Zhang Mei placed the teacup in front of the old man and took the opportunity to say, "Dad, why don't you help Haozi see which company would be better for him?"
The old man glanced at the two of them unhurriedly, took the teacup, blew on it twice, and asked, "Haozi, how have you been doing these past two years in the Soviet Union?"
Cheng Hao's face stiffened, and he stammered, "It's...it's alright."
"What do you mean by 'not bad'? Where would you rank among the 12 students who went abroad together?" The old man took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and his expression was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Ranked at number one, of course, it's at the bottom.
Cheng Hao glanced guiltily at his mother, Zhang Mei, who chimed in, "Oh, Dad, it's already quite an achievement to have managed to stay abroad for two years. Besides, the students who went with Haozi were all top students in school. Haozi wasn't even on the same starting line as them, so he's naturally at a disadvantage."
The old man nodded: "Just know your own limitations."
Zhang Mei and Chen Hao were both speechless for a moment after hearing this.
The old man continued, "So, when it comes to work, don't aim too high; just follow the organization's arrangements."
"Dad!" Zhang Mei protested. "We only have Haozi as our son. He's only been separated from us for two years. What if the organization sends him to another province?"
"Yes, Grandpa, if I go to another province, I won't be able to visit you as often," Cheng Hao said anxiously.
The old man glanced at his daughter-in-law: "It was you who insisted on sending Chenghao abroad. Since he has enjoyed the country's resources, he should serve his country when he returns. Wherever the organization sends him, he should go."
The implication was that he would not interfere, much less smooth things over for his grandson.
Zhang Mei understood what the old man meant, and her face immediately turned ugly. Naturally, she didn't have a chance to mention the work of the Foreign Affairs Department afterwards.
Cheng Hao wasn't very happy either, and his smile was forced.
Just then, a smiling voice came from the doorway: "Is everyone here?"
Gao Jie walked in carrying a bag of fruit, a polite smile on her face. She greeted the old man first, then nodded to Zhang Mei, and finally looked at Cheng Hao. "He came to see Grandpa as soon as he got home. He's very filial, unlike A-Zheng who's always busy with work and we never see him."
"Auntie," Cheng Hao greeted.
"What a coincidence, my sister-in-law is here too." Zhang Mei forced a smile.
Gao Jie put down the fruit, sat down in the chair next to the old man, and casually asked, "What are you talking about? It sounds quite lively from the doorway."
Zhang Mei sighed: "It's all about Haozi's job. He's worried the organization will assign him to another province, so he wanted Dad to put in a good word for him."
"Oh, so that's what it was about," Gao Jie said, glancing at Cheng Hao's face before feigning understanding. "Why don't you go to your cousin's workplace? I heard they're short of Russian translators. You studied in the Soviet Union, so your Russian should be pretty fluent. You could really put your skills to good use there. Plus, the factory is close to home, so the two brothers can look out for each other. Wouldn't that be great?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Mei almost lost her smile.
Should we have her son Haozi act as a translator?
Her son is going to be a diplomat!
He's the kind of person who wears a Zhongshan suit and chats amiably with foreigners! He's not someone who goes to the factory to act as a mouthpiece for those roughnecks!
Not to mention having to work under Cheng Zheng.
Cheng Zheng has always been superior to Hao Zi in everything since childhood. When they were young, they compared grades; when they grew up, they compared jobs; and now, he's making Hao Zi his subordinate.
How will she ever be able to hold her head high in front of Gao Jie again?
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the old man had already nodded in agreement, "I think it's a good idea. Factory 306 is a key national unit, and it needs technical personnel with overseas study experience. It's better for them to work hard there than to go to another province and mess around."
The old man looked at Cheng Hao, whose face was stiff. Cheng Hao forced a smile and said, "Grandpa, but... I want to pursue a career in diplomacy. Is it really appropriate for me to work as a translator in a factory...?"
"Where do you want to go?" The old man raised an eyebrow, as if he hadn't heard him clearly. Cheng Hao forced himself to repeat, "Diplomacy. I want to be a diplomat."
"Heh, heh heh..." The old man chuckled dryly, curled his lip, slowly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "I'm not trying to discourage you, but what kind of person is a diplomat? They need to be knowledgeable, quick-witted, adept at dealing with people, and able to remain calm in the face of adversity. Look at yourself, you came back after two years abroad, and let's not even talk about how good your Russian is, you stammer when asked about your grades, and you get nervous and sweaty after a few words of criticism. What you're thinking is written all over your face. And you want to be a diplomat? Don't embarrass yourself internationally!"
Cheng Hao's face flushed red after hearing the old man's words. He wanted to lose his temper, but he also felt he couldn't hold back.
But if I don't refute it, I'll feel resentful.
His expression instantly turned as if he'd been constipated for half a month; it was incredibly unpleasant.
Zhang Mei, fiercely protective of her son and unwilling to lose face in front of her sister-in-law, said, "Dad, diplomats aren't made in a day. Everyone starts from the bottom. Haozi wants to go to the Foreign Affairs Department to bring honor to the family. He studied abroad for two years, properly learning diplomacy courses, international affairs, negotiation skills, and dealing with Soviet diplomats every day. If he just works as a translator, relaying messages in the factory every day, wouldn't all that hard work have been for nothing? The country has trained him so that he can play a greater role, hasn't it?"
"Alright, then I underestimated him." After hearing this, the old man slowly put down his teacup, looked up at Cheng Hao with a scrutinizing gaze, and said, "Grandpa will give you a chance to test you. If you can answer the question, I will find someone to ask about the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for you."
Cheng Hao didn't expect the old man to test him on the spot. However, the old man was a veteran of the battlefield and hadn't read many books, so he figured he wouldn't be able to ask any insightful questions.
Cheng Hao became confident: "Grandpa, take the test as you like."
Seeing her son so confident, Zhang Mei felt reassured and straightened her back with a touch of pride. She secretly glanced at Gao Jie out of the corner of her eye, already feeling triumphant.
The old man took a sip of tea and said to Cheng Hao, "Your mother said you studied international affairs, so let me ask you, in the Korean War armistice negotiations, what were the main points we discussed? Who was the American representative? Which point was the longest deadlocked?"
What is that?
Cheng Hao opened his eyes wide and stared blankly at the old man.
It's like listening to gibberish.
He only knew about the Korean War, but he never paid attention to any armistice negotiations; that wasn't his concern.
We discussed a few more points, but how would he know?
Cheng Hao's face gradually turned pale, then slowly flushed red.
The old man waited a few seconds, but didn't receive an answer, so he changed the subject: "Alright, let's not talk about distant things. You were there last year at the Soviet Party Congress, you must know about it, right? What was discussed at the congress? What was the central idea of Khrushchev's report?"
Cheng Hao was dumbfounded by the question.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.
The old man's lips twitched slightly, and he continued, "At the very least, let me ask you, in diplomatic language, what's the difference between 'expressing concern' and 'expressing serious concern'? In what situations is the former used, and in what situations is the latter?"
That's a very technical question.
Cheng Hao still couldn't answer, his face flushing red and then turning pale, and he lowered his head as if he wanted to bury his head in his chest.
The room was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the wall clock.
The old man slammed his teacup on the table and scoffed, "Is this what you've accomplished after two years of study? You can't even fool an old man like me, and you think you can fool those cunning foreigners?"
"No, not Grandpa, I, I mainly study Russian..." Cheng Hao stammered.
"Russian?" The old man nodded. "Alright, then say a few words in Russian for me. Just tell me about what you saw and heard on your way to see me today, just a few words."
Cheng Hao opened his mouth, stammering out a few words, his grammar a mess, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Even the old man couldn't stand it anymore. "Alright, shut up. I may not have eaten pork, but I've seen pigs run. Even I, a layman, can tell what kind of person you are. How dare you embarrass yourself at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
"I...I..." Cheng Hao's face turned red, and he subconsciously looked at his mother with pleading eyes.
Zhang Mei's smile had long since faded, her nails almost digging into her palms, but her son was a disappointment, unable to answer even a single question from his father.
She couldn't say a word and could only stand awkwardly to the side.
Gao Jie was secretly pleased, but remained outwardly calm. "Sister-in-law, don't be too anxious. You're young, take it slow. First, hone your skills at the factory and build a solid foundation. There will be plenty of opportunities later."
From now on, everything is under Cheng Zheng's feet, so what future is there?
Zhang Mei gritted her teeth and forced a stiff smile.
The old man pretended not to see it and made the final decision: "Your sister-in-law is right. Let Cheng Hao stay in the factory obediently and not be too ambitious. It's not easy for ordinary people to get into Factory 306. It's lucky that Cheng Zheng is the representative there, otherwise you would have to rely on connections to get in."
"I'm a little tired, you can all go back."
After the old man finished speaking, he immediately told people to leave.
Gao Jie smiled and said, "Dad, we'll be going now. Please get some rest, and we'll come to see you again another day."
"Alright, let's go." The old man sat down on the edge of the bed and waved his hand.
Gao Jie went out first, followed dejectedly by Zhang Mei and Cheng Hao.
As they walked downstairs, Gao Jie turned around and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. I'll talk to A-Zheng when I get back today and get Haozi's job sorted out as soon as possible. I helped Haozi go abroad back then, and now that he's back, I'll definitely help him find a job so you two won't have to worry."
The way she said that made it sound like her son was useless and she and her husband were incompetent, and that they had to rely on others for everything.
For the strong-willed Zhang Mei, that feeling was simply unbearable.
She was practically grinding her teeth to powder, but she still forced a grateful smile and said, "Then, thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law."
"It's nothing, no trouble at all. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now." Gao Jie smiled nonchalantly and turned away gracefully.
After turning around, Gao Jie's smile faded.
Hmph, daring to laugh at her, Gao Jie will make sure she turns the other person into a laughing stock!