Chapter 68: Second Update

Gao Yingzi is a woman who is industrious, diligent, and resilient, possessing many admirable qualities. Despite having little education and not having read many books, she has her own logic for living.

When she said she didn’t like Xiao Pan, she truly forgot about him, as if he didn’t exist, never mentioning him again.

It seems she never truly liked Xiao Pan; she was just infatuated with her own fantasies.

Since Xiao Pan wasn’t the man she wanted, Gao Yingzi decisively gave up on him.

"Why don’t you cook some meat for me?" Xiao Pan, who had become very close with Jiang Xiaomiao, gradually felt something was off without Gao Yingzi’s relentless pursuit.

Gao Yingzi liked Xiao Pan and often gave him steamed buns, especially "meat buns." Although she couldn’t afford pork, she was good at making steamed buns and catching fish and shrimp, preparing fish, shrimp, and crab roe buns for Xiao Pan, making him eat until his mouth was full of oil.

Xiao Pan, who had previously been arrogant and disdained what Gao Yingzi gave him, now suddenly found these offerings gone, and his quality of life quickly deteriorated.

"I don’t know how to do that," Jiang Xiaomiao, who was fair and tender, was an extremely lazy person who did nothing at home. Xiao Pan had many sisters and was the only son in his family, which deeply attracted Jiang Xiaomiao.

If Xiao Pan had a hardworking sister-in-law like Gao Yingzi, wouldn’t she be able to serve her in the future?

Jiang Xiaomiao played her cards well and was determined not to miss Xiao Pan.

"If you don’t know, learn."

Jiang Xiaomiao rolled her eyes. "Why don’t you learn? Make buns for me to eat."

Xiao Pan was so furious that he shouted, "I’m not the same kind of person as you. We’re done."

"Pfft, let me tell you, if you dare to walk out that door, I’ll accuse you of being a pervert, and I’ll make a scene at your workplace every day. You’re heartless, you’re not a decent person, you were the one who pursued me first."

Jiang Xiaomiao clung to Xiao Pan like a leech, while the original protagonist, Bai Qiuling, was delighted to see this, eager to marry off this lazy and unreliable sister-in-law.

Xiao Pan’s sisters were also happy about this. Though Jiang Xiaomiao was lazy, she had a strong family background. She was also fair and had a big butt, which was seen as a sign of giving birth to boys.

Once Jiang Xiaomiao bore several sons, Xiao Pan’s presence would be irrelevant to the continuation of the Pan family lineage.

It was only then that Xiao Pan realized Gao Yingzi’s virtues, but it was too late. The engagement between the Pan and Jiang families was set, and he couldn’t refuse. Xiao Pan regretted deeply.

Jiang Xiaomiao also demanded that Xiao Pan hand over all his wages to support her lifestyle. She even told Xiao Pan’s sisters, "After we’re married, I’ll stay home and have children, many boys. I’ll give them to you to raise, as long as you keep me well-fed."

The Pan sisters were pleased and agreed.

Jiang Xiaomiao secretly laughed, planning to play tricks from a young age, knowing she was the best at it.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but sigh, "A scoundrel is tamed by another scoundrel."

It was possible that Gao Yingzi and Xiao Pan might have been together, but Gao Yingzi couldn’t control Xiao Pan and would have been ruthlessly exploited. As for Jiang Xiaomiao and Xiao Pan, it was hard to say who was worse off.

"Xiao Qin, your article is excellent!" The vice president came to the publicity office, catching Director Huang and praising Xiao Qin for her outstanding recent publicity work. "Not only is the article well-written, but the photos are also outstanding!"

At that time, few people owned cameras, and even fewer knew how to take good photos. Many photos were taken carelessly, lacking aesthetic appeal or attention to detail.

Previously, Xiao Pan took publicity photos at meetings. He was better than the average person but not exceptional, and he was quite proud of it.

After Qin Yao arrived, her photography skills were far superior to Xiao Pan’s. She was very good at selecting shots and composing them, and everyone who saw her work praised it.

"There will be an exchange meeting in a few days. Go along and help take photos."

"You don’t need to do anything else, just be responsible for the photography."

Qin Yao nodded with delight. "Okay."

Taking photos was an easy job, though carrying the camera could be a bit heavy. It was a pleasant side job to take some photos, relax, and get free food and drinks.

When on business trips for exchanges and learning, whether staying in guesthouses or having meals on the trip, everything was provided for free by the unit. Meals at restaurants could also be reimbursed.

The food at the restaurants wasn’t top-notch, but it was good, with both meat and vegetables. Even Qin Yao, who was just the photographer, could join the table and grab a seat.

In the past, Xiao Pan loved this good gig. He would take photos on the side and mix in a few meals, saving a lot of expenses.

Now, this "good job" of taking photos was taken by Qin Yao, which made Xiao Pan so angry he felt like he was spitting blood. Director Huang only gave him some fragmented photo tasks, and the opportunities to eat for free were fewer.

"Xiao Qin, your articles are so well-written. Have you ever thought about participating in the literary journal submissions?"

Qin Yao smiled. She had thought about writing magazine articles, but this period was sensitive. Before, when she wrote stories for Head Nurse Ge, Qin Yao had carefully chosen her words, fearing there might be issues. But because she wrote medical stories that were positive and had no inappropriate content, she completed the draft smoothly.

These days, following Director Huang and listening to her guidance, she had gained a deeper understanding of literary promotion and creation. Trying to draft articles now would not be impossible.

Qin Yao preferred happy comedies. If she were to write a book, she would rather write light-hearted stories. She didn’t like writing overly tragic stories. If she were to write magazine articles, she preferred lifestyle magazines, focusing on fashion, reading, humanities, geography, and scenic tourism.

"I don’t have a foundation, so I don’t know what to write."

"Then take a look at the submissions above."

There were monthly submissions in the military literary journal. The vice president handed Qin Yao a literary journal. "You need to read this carefully."

After giving her the journal, the vice president left with a meaningful look.

Qin Yao opened the table of contents and looked down the titles one by one. Suddenly, she saw a familiar name in the author column… Gu Cheng?

On the ship, Qin Yao knew that Gu Cheng had published many articles, which was no surprise. But this one in her hand was a literary journal? Was this Gu Cheng writing poetry, or was it just a namesake?

Gu Cheng’s poem "Stars at Sea" was published, expressing the longing for family while at sea…

After reading it, Qin Yao felt both familiar and unfamiliar. In any case, it was a strange feeling that left her embarrassed and flustered.

The poem was quite well-written, but many of the images and sentences reminded her of things she had written, bringing back memories that made her scalp tingle.

Gu Cheng had written hundreds of poems for her, and he was very confident in his work, with a thick skin that was infuriating.

Qin Yao patted her face and turned to the submission page. There were some submissions on coastal defense. If an article was selected, there would be a small royalty fee, and every year, many outstanding works would be selected, with the highest prize being 200 yuan, which was a significant amount.

Although she found Gu Cheng’s awkward poetry mediocre, it was still accepted for publication. Qin Yao felt a sense of shared glory, disdaining the broken poems he had written before. This was his "above average" performance.

There was an unexplained sense of pride, like "a child in the family has finally grown up."

After reading so many of your broken poems, you’ve finally achieved something.

"Xiao Gu! Our Xiao Gu, you’ve achieved something!" In the evening, when Gu Cheng came home, Qin Yao walked downstairs with the monthly journal and greeted him enthusiastically. "Xiao Gu, your masterpiece has been published."

Hearing this "Xiao Gu," Gu Cheng raised an eyebrow in displeasure, glared at Qin Yao, and said nothing.

Xiao Gu was okay; it was better than being called Xiao Cheng all the time.

"Have I not published many masterpieces? Qin Yao, you know so little about your husband. I sentence you to copying the articles I’ve published in the study."

Qin Yao made an "x" gesture.

"But this is your first published poem, and it’s pretty well-written."

"I share the same opinion as Comrade Qin," said Comrade Gu with no humility, standing with his arms crossed, his right fingers fluttering up and down as if he were playing the piano.

Qin Yao pulled a face. "Shameless."

Even more shameless, Gu Cheng stepped forward, embracing Qin Yao and whispering into her ear, "In a few days, invite Xiao Gao and Xiao Chen and their couple over for dinner at our place. By then, I'm going to carefully select a dozen or so poems..."

"Recite them?"

Gu Cheng stroked her nose. "Exactly."

Qin Yao's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Comrade Xiao Gu, can you not be so flamboyant?"

Gu Cheng stayed calm and composed. "Wealth and honor, if not shown off, are like fine clothes worn in the dark."

"You're amazing, you're cultured, your wife will help promote it."

Promoting his own work felt shameless, but promoting someone else's "work," Comrade Qin Yao was "happy to do so."

It's great having a cultured person at home.

When Neighbor Auntie Zaohua chatted with her, Qin Yao subtly mentioned that her Xiao Gu had published a poem. "He's written many articles, and this is his first published poem, which is quite well-written."

"Wow, writing poetry, how amazing!"

When Neighbor Auntie Zaohua returned home, she scolded her own husband, "Look at you, calling yourself a cultured person, how come I've never seen you publish a poem."

"Comrade Gu Team can write poetry and even get it published."

Political Commissar Zhou was speechless.

Gu Cheng, Gu Cheng... Where did Gu Cheng get his literary flair from?

Sharing the same sentiment as Political Commissar Zhou was Gao Jianguo. Where did Gu Cheng get his literary flair from?

Chen Baozhen said, "Actually, Captain Gu is truly excellent. I used to think he was much older than Yaoyao, but now it seems these aren't issues. He looks young, is skilled, and is cultured and romantic, able to write poetry. Old Gao, you should really learn from him."

"He's a good match for Yaoyao; I accept this son-in-law."

Gao Jianguo cursed inwardly. Listening to Chen Baozhen praise Gu Cheng, it didn't sit well with him.

Isn't writing poetry just doggerel? Anyone can do that!

Qin Yao contacted the female militia captain, Miao Cuiye. She had read the submission requirements and was preparing to write a story about a female militia member or a female soldier, and invited Miao Cuiye over to chat and gather material for her writing.

Miao Cuiye gladly agreed.

A letter arrived for Qin Yao, written by her third brother, Qin San, who was currently working in the countryside. He had learned that his sister had married someone far away on a sea island and knew about her living situation from family members. This year, he had the opportunity and also signed up to support the construction of the border farm on the sea island.

Qin San had been in the countryside for many years. His family encouraged him to join the army, but Qin San hesitated. He was a nice guy and had opportunities and quotas to join, but he always gave them away to others. At this point, there were still things he couldn't let go of.

After spending some time at home, Qin San traveled south to the sea island. Before leaving, his mother, Shen Guixiang, earnestly told him to take good care of his younger sister when he arrived on the island and not let her go too far since her husband was gentle and easy to push around.