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墨書 Inktalez
When Song Pearl arrived at the village chief's house, the chief's family was gathered around the table, just about to eat. The Daughter-in-law of the Village Chief happened to be bending down to place a fragrant egg soup on the table.
She had just married into the family this year and did not know Song Pearl. However, this new bride was not shy; instead, she was friendly and approachable, smiling before she even spoke. She set down the soup and greeted Song Pearl, "Have you eaten? Come join us for a meal."
There were many people with the surname Song in Song Family Village, and the hierarchy was quite mixed up. Since they looked to be of similar ages, no one dared to address each other casually. You might think you should call someone younger "sister," but they could be an aunt or even a great-aunt. Conversely, someone you thought should be called "grandmother" might not actually be older than you and could require you to call them "aunt." Therefore, when the Daughter-in-law of the Village Chief addressed Song Pearl, she did not use any titles.
"I’m looking for Uncle Jianguo," Song Pearl smiled at the Daughter-in-law of the Village Chief.
Since she lived outside the village, she had not spoken much with the village chief before.
Song Pearl was unsure how to address Song Jianguo; she referred to older people in comparison to Song Shiting as "Uncle."
Seeing Song Pearl smile made the village chief's Daughter-in-law even more enthusiastic. She quickly moved a chair for Song Pearl and insisted that she sit down. Meanwhile, the village chief's expression darkened slightly.
"I'll just wait here," Song Pearl said with a smile, standing at the entrance of their living room.
Her standing there made it difficult for them to eat, prompting the village chief to put down his chopsticks.
In fact, when Song Jianguo saw Song Pearl coming over, he initially intended to act aloof and ignore her. However, seeing her standing at the door without moving while they were eating made him uncomfortable.
Song Jianguo stood up and said to his family, "You all go ahead and eat; I need to talk to Pearl about something."
So that’s who she is—Song Pearl! The Daughter-in-law of the Village Chief looked up and glanced at Song Pearl a few more times.
Hearing that this girl had upset her father-in-law earlier, she wondered if she had been too enthusiastic just now.
She lowered her head and sat next to her husband, picking up her chopsticks to grab some food when the Village Chief's Son nudged her arm and said, "Wait until Dad comes back before we eat."
"Do we have to wait? It'll get cold soon." The village chief's daughter-in-law pouted and put down her chopsticks.
Beside her, Aunt looked up and chuckled. Aunt's bowl of egg soup was nearly empty, and she was still holding two pieces of pig liver.
"Wait until your father comes before eating. You're already part of the family, yet you act like a child!" To help her daughter feel better, the mother-in-law hurriedly scolded her.
The village chief smiled warmly, trying to appear amiable as he led Song Pearl into the adjacent room. This room seemed to be the village chief's study, filled with old books and newspapers on the shelves.
"You arrived just in time; I have something to inform you." Song Jianguo smiled broadly, thinking to himself that this Song Pearl had always wanted to rise above her station and become someone important in the city. He wondered how she would plead with him if he told her she couldn't go work in the Provincial Capital! In fact, going to Hongqing Group would be a favor for her; a girl who didn't know her place should stay in the village and live as a peasant for life...
"Uncle Village Chief, please go ahead," Song Pearl said politely, showing no signs of restraint.
Hmph, girl, just wait until I finish speaking; let's see how you react!
The smile on the village chief's face deepened. "It's like this, Pearl. Yesterday we went to the town and signed a contract with Hongqing Group. They agreed to recruit some workers from our village. The leaders of the group think highly of you and specifically asked me to let you know. I know you've found a good job in the Provincial Capital, but it's important for our village that you stay..."
The village chief tried to sound earnest and gentle. He watched Song Pearl's expression closely, eager to see her look disappointed or beg him for sympathy.
Song Pearl pressed her lips together and wiped away some impending tears with her sleeve—a rather ungraceful gesture that made Song Jianguo think she was about to cry.
In the end, Song Pearl merely sniffed, lowered her gaze to the floor, and said, "Thank you, Village Chief. My dad isn't well; I was actually hoping you could help me register for something. I didn't expect Uncle to have already taken care of it; that's wonderful! I have one more thing I'd like to ask for your help with..."
As she spoke, she raised her eyes and met the village chief's face, which still bore a hint of schadenfreude that he hadn't managed to hide. "I've heard about the incident where the village officials caused a scene at my house. My parents are honest people and plan to let it blow over. However, my dad got injured during this incident and is now hospitalized. Could you please sign off on his medical expenses so we can get reimbursed from the village?"
While speaking, Song Pearl pulled out a sheet of white paper from the village chief's desk and began leisurely sticking receipts onto it with glue from the edge of the table.
Her voice was calm, and her movements were composed.
Song Jianguo had been waiting to see the Girl's joke but was so infuriated that his eyebrows nearly shot up. This Girl, surprisingly, was neither angry nor pleading with him; she seemed intent on staying, which actually helped her!
Hmph! Just wait and see. Do you think the Hongqing Group is a charity? It's a factory, a place where one earns a living through hard work. With your pampered upbringing, you haven't faced any real hardships; you'll be crying back in no time.
With this thought, Song Jianguo felt somewhat relieved.
He looked at the list in Song Pearl's hands. This Girl actually wanted the village to reimburse her father's medical expenses—what a joke! When has the village ever done such a thing? Reimbursement? That was a term he had never heard before.
"Village Chief, could you please sign here? It won't take much effort; just a signature will do!" Song Pearl forced a smile as she looked at the village chief, who was bowing his head.
She suddenly realized that she couldn't smile in every situation, and it wasn't enough for her to smile at others for them to smile back at her.
Not everyone deserved her friendly demeanor.
"Hmph," the village chief slammed the table and swept away the neatly arranged documents, glaring at Song Pearl, who had managed to muster a priceless smile.
The village chief's facial expression softened immediately; his anger dissipated, and his tone became more amicable.
He picked up the documents that he had knocked far away and said with a smile, "It's fine; it's just a signature. It's not a big deal."
Then he took up the pen and signed his name with a flourish.
"You also need to add a few words—'agree to reimburse,'" Song Pearl reminded him. She didn't want to waste more breath on Song Jianguo; as long as he signed it, there was no reason to take it back. She wasn't afraid of going to court.
Song Jianguo obediently signed the document and, after expressing gratitude with a nod, left the village chief's house.
Song Jianguo returned to the main room for dinner. The family heard the sound of the table being slammed earlier but no one dared to ask; they all lowered their heads and picked up their chopsticks.
After finishing the meal, Village Chief's Son curiously asked, "Dad, what did Song Pearl want from you?"
"What did she want?" The village chief took the tea that Daughter-in-law handed him and thought for a moment. "She wanted me to sign something for her to work at Hongqing Group."
"But didn't you already decide that last night? Why does she need a signature? That Song Pearl is really lucky. Look at others in the village who want to go to Hongqing Group; they have to bring something and come sit at our house. She, on the other hand, gets it without bringing anything."
"What do you mean 'getting it without bringing anything'? Who's the one getting it without effort?" Song Jianguo glared at his son.
"Hey, my mistake, not you!" Village Chief's Son laughed. "By the way, Dad, make sure you arrange a nice office job for me and your Daughter-in-law with Qing Yuansheng."
"And me, and me!" Village Chief's Daughter chimed in while cracking sunflower seeds. "Hmph, marrying a wife and forgetting about your sister!"
"Look at you two; you've been fine for a long time. Don't forget what your old man does!" Song Jianguo lit a cigarette and relaxed on the sofa with his legs crossed.
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