Chapter 35: Each with Their Own Schemes

Chapter 35: Each with Their Own Schemes

Knowing Old Lady Chen was having a rough time put Lin Zhijin in a good mood, but she wasn't about to let the scheming slide—she needed to find a chance to pay her back.

"Zhijin, you're back?" Chen Qiuqiu saw Lin Zhijin and pointed to the seat across from her desk. "This is our new colleague, Wang Xiaoyao. She'll be shadowing you for now. Xiaoyao, this is Lin Zhijin."

"Hi, Sister Zhijin. I'm Wang Xiaoyao." Wang Xiaoyao heard Chen Qiuqiu's introduction and quickly stood up, extending both hands, speaking with a hint of nervousness.

Lin Zhijin shook her hand and said with a smile, "Just call me Zhijin."

Chen Qiuqiu smacked her own forehead. "Don't call her 'sister'—Zhijin's two years younger than you. She's only seventeen."

Wang Xiaoyao's already-round eyes went even wider. She thought she was young, but she didn't expect someone even younger than her. Only seventeen, and she had no idea how she got into the Women's Federation. Clearly, she had serious connections. Wang Xiaoyao made a mental note never to cross her.

"Did Zhang Caixia's issue get sorted out?" Chen Qiuqiu pressed her hand down, signaling Wang Xiaoyao to sit, then turned to ask Lin Zhijin.

"They made up. Her husband wrote a letter of commitment." Lin Zhijin pursed her lips.

You can't save someone who's hell-bent on ruining themselves. Before Lin Zhijin could get two sentences out, Zhang Caixia was already jumping to defend her husband. What more could she say? So she had him write a letter of commitment and called it a day.

Before she knew it, it was the tail end of 1951, and Lin Zhijin had been at the Women's Federation of Nancheng Street Office for over three months.

With her administrative experience from her past life, plus the mentorship of Secretary Zhang, Director Su, and Sister Li in this one, Lin Zhijin could already hold her own.

"Your Party membership application got approved. Congratulations—you're now a proud member of the Party." Director Qian handed the document to Lin Zhijin, offering her congratulations.

Normally, it wouldn't have happened this fast. Usually, you'd have to be a probationary member for a year or more and pass an evaluation before becoming a full member. But Lin Zhijin's donation of Jinshi Mountain was a major contribution to the country, so the higher-ups fast-tracked it—approved in just over a month.

"Thanks, Sister Qian." Lin Zhijin clutched the little red book, beaming.

As she passed Sister Li's desk, she remembered the message Li Yue had asked her to relay. Lin Zhijin stopped. "Sister Li, Li Yue said her husband won't be back for New Year's. Since we're both on our own, why don't we spend it together?"

Sister Li set down her pen and looked up, her eyes landing on the red booklet in Lin Zhijin's hand. "Congratulations. And sure—I've heard you're a great cook. Looks like I'm in for a treat this year."

"Did Sister Chunhua tell you that? Honestly, my cooking's just so-so. It's only because Sister Chunhua and Sister Li Yue are so bad that I look good by comparison." Lin Zhijin joked.

On her way back to the street office, Lin Zhijin ran into Sheng Huaimin again—the third time today.

Once is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern.

Lin Zhijin did her usual trick of pretending not to see him, but this time Sheng Huaimin called out.

"Fancy running into you, Comrade Lin." Sheng Huaimin quickly walked up to her side.

"Is it, though?" Lin Zhijin called him out without missing a beat. "Comrade Sheng, cut the 'bumping into each other' act. We're not a fit."

Never mind the Sheng family's class background—their tangled family dynamics alone were enough to turn her off.

Working at the street office's Women's Federation—a place where gossip traveled fast—she knew about the Sheng family's dirty laundry. Not all of it, but at least seventy or eighty percent.

The Sheng family had hit rock bottom back in the day. It wasn't until Master Sheng married the current Madam that they clawed their way back up. Word was, Master Sheng treated the Madam like gold, but unfortunately she couldn't get pregnant for years after marrying in. So he took her dowry maid as a concubine, and that maid gave birth to the eldest daughter.

When the eldest was two, the second concubine got pregnant again—and, conveniently, so did the Madam. But the second concubine lost the baby, while the Madam delivered a daughter.

Some folks whispered that the Madam's daughter was actually the second concubine's baby, because the Madam was never really kind to this daughter. She picked a so-so husband for her, gave her a dowry that was all flash and no substance, and when the girl ran into trouble in her in-laws' home, the Madam couldn't have cared less.

Desperate for a son, Master Sheng took a third and then a fourth concubine. The third concubine produced another daughter, but the fourth came through and finally gave him a son—Sheng Huaimin.

From the moment he was born, the Madam whisked him into the main courtyard. Rumor had it she was brutal with him—beating and scolding him over the smallest mistake. Old Lady Sheng and Master Sheng, cowed by the Madam's powerful family, turned a blind eye. So even as the Sheng family's only son, Sheng Huaimin's life was anything but easy.

With a background like that, unless the whole Sheng family croaked, she wouldn't even qualify to be his chambermaid—let alone his wife. The Shengs would turn their noses up at her. She'd have to be out of her mind to go for Sheng Huaimin, handsome or not.

Sheng Huaimin clenched his fist, held back Liu Yuan, who looked ready to confront her, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I've caused you trouble."

Lin Zhijin didn't give it another thought. She had bigger fish to fry. With the new year around the corner, various departments were organizing a mixer to help singles sort out their love lives, co-hosted by the Women's Federation and the workers' union.

"Xiao Lin, this one's a catch. Why don't you snag him for yourself?" Chen Qiuqiu teased.

Lin Zhijin leaned in for a peek. Well, well—a twenty-five-year-old battalion commander, six-foot-one, healthy parents back in the countryside, and he'd be willing to live separately from his family after marriage...

"Not bad at all." Lin Zhijin nodded.

Su Jianhong glanced their way, then ducked her head and got back to work. That evening, as she shrugged off her coat at home, she said to Mayor Yang, who was at the dining table going over paperwork, "Isn't Xiao Su into Xiao Lin from my office? If he doesn't make a move soon, someone else is gonna snatch her up."

Mayor Yang looked up. "Oh? Has Comrade Xiao Lin taken a shine to someone?"

"Not yet. But Xiao Lin's pretty and has a great personality—I've already had several people come asking about her. What's Xiao Su so busy with that he can't even take a day off?" When Mayor Yang stayed quiet, Su Jianhong figured it was classified work. "Xiao Su's not getting any younger. Now that he's finally found someone he likes, we should do what we can to help things along."

"Got it." Mayor Yang took off his glasses. "I'll have a word with Old Zhang and get Xiao Su some leave."

Lin Zhijin was getting fed up too. Ever since she'd joined the street Women's Federation, more and more people kept trying to fix her up, and plenty of men approached her on their own—but none of them did it for her.

For one thing, tastes differed. People back then went for square-jawed, sun-kissed types, but she liked men with refined features, clean-cut looks, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a tall, straight posture.

For another, values were different. Folks in this era believed in strength in numbers—the more kids in a family, the better. But Lin Zhijin, a 21st-century woman at heart, preferred a small, simple family—ideally, she and her husband would set up their own household right after tying the knot. As for kids, they believed in "the more, the merrier," while she'd cap it at two, max.

Actually, Yang Su would've been a great fit—looks, height, character, all top-notch. And most importantly, he'd seemed into her too. But after he shipped off on a mission, she never heard from him again. As time dragged on, whatever spark she'd felt for him fizzled out.

This mixer was different from the last ones—it was a dance. Everyone had clearly made an effort with their outfits, and Lin Zhijin had changed into a skirt, coat, and boots too.

"Zhijin, you look stunning in that outfit." Li Yue gave Lin Zhijin the once-over, ran a hand over her coat, and said, "So pretty. Where'd you get it?"

She was wearing the coat she'd swiped from the Chen family back then. Noticing people glancing over at Li Yue's comment, she smiled at them, pulled Li Yue aside, and lowered her voice, "I had it made at Boss Sun's tailor shop. If you like it, we can get you one made too."

"This fabric, this stitching—this must've cost a fortune, right?" Li Yue asked, hesitating.

She'd spent years moving around with the troops, and now that they'd finally settled down, she and He Yang weren't exactly spring chickens anymore. They needed to start a family soon, and expenses were only going to pile up. She couldn't keep spending like she used to.

"It's been a while—I honestly don't remember. How about we swing by tomorrow after lunch and check it out?" She genuinely had no idea what the fabric on her back had cost.

Li Yue pressed a hand to her belly, sighed, and shook her head. "Just between us—I'm planning to have a baby. I can't go throwing money around like I used to. If all goes well, my belly'll start showing soon, and I won't get much wear out of it anyway. And I might pack on some pounds after the baby comes. We'll see then."

Lin Zhijin nodded, understanding. By this era's standards, Li Yue wasn't exactly young anymore. Now that they'd finally put down roots, it made sense she was thinking about kids.

"If you get pregnant now, the baby'll come next September or October—mild weather, perfect for the lying-in month." Lin Zhijin ticked off the months on her fingers, then elbowed her. "Tell your hubby to step it up. Wait too long and you'll be doing your confinement in the dead of winter—miserable for both you and the baby."

Li Yue shot her a dirty look. "Oh, get out of here. A young thing like you shouldn't be picking up bad habits from those loudmouths at the office."

"I work in the same office—can't exactly plug my ears." Lin Zhijin shrugged. Especially the married moms—they loved teasing young girls like them who hadn't been through the wringer yet.

Li Yue clearly knew the drill. She shook her head in resignation and dragged Lin Zhijin off to scope out the prospects.

She had another mission today: playing matchmaker for Lin Zhijin.

"You're a hot commodity now. Plenty of folks have their eyes on you. Zhijin, take it from me—just find someone to date first. It's not like you gotta marry him tomorrow. If it doesn't work, you break it off." Li Yue whispered in Lin Zhijin's ear.

Lin Zhijin was gorgeous—not just your run-of-the-mill pretty. She had a real job, was well-regarded by her superiors, owned a house, and even though she'd once been a concubine, everyone knew she was still a virgin. So of course, she was the prize everyone was after.

Secretary Zhang, worried she might be taken advantage of, had Li Yue help vet potential matches. If someone suitable came along, she could get engaged first—once she was taken, those eyeing Lin Zhijin would back off.

Before coming, Li Yue had already picked out a candidate—a local from Nancheng whose parents ran a teahouse. He was a high school graduate and currently worked at the police station.

"He's a fellow Li—Li Bing, twenty-five, seven years older than you. An older man knows how to treat a woman right. I asked around—his folks are easygoing, and he has an older brother and sister, both already married." Li Yue patted Lin Zhijin's arm and pointed at a crew-cut man not far away. "See him? The one in the black cotton jacket. He's the youngest, so the oldest son handles most of the parent care. You two can just live your own lives."

Sounded pretty good, honestly. Lin Zhijin sized up Li Bing—around 5'7", not tall, but not short for the times. Decent-looking, wheat-colored skin, sharp eyes—kinda handsome.

While she was sizing him up, Li Bing was doing the same to her.

Before coming, he'd asked around about Lin Zhijin's background: a country girl with no schooling, bought as a bride to cure Master Chen. Her downsides were obvious; her upsides were youth, looks, and a steady job.

Seeing her in person now, she really was beautiful—almost too beautiful. And after being a rich old master's concubine, used to being waited on hand and foot—could she really settle into an ordinary life?

As he got closer and checked out her outfit, Li Bing felt more sure of his read.

He didn't know fabrics, but Lin Zhijin's clothes and boots were clearly pricey—let alone the hairpin, the pearl studs, and the watch that peeked out when they shook hands. All that together cost more than a regular person made in a year.

Lin Zhijin gave Li Bing's hand a quick shake and pulled away. His stare was too sharp, too judgmental—she didn't like it.

"Zhijin, Sister Wang's calling me—gotta go. You two talk." As Li Yue passed Li Bing, she patted his shoulder. "Zhijin's our pride and joy at the Women's Federation. You treat her right."

"Director Li, don't worry about me. I've got Comrade Lin." Once Li Yue left, Li Bing gave Lin Zhijin a faint smile. "Comrade Lin, shall we head over there?"

She followed his gesture and nodded.

"Comrade Lin's seventeen?" When she nodded, Li Bing frowned. "I'm twenty-five—eight years older. And..." He glanced at her outfit. "I'm just a small-time cop with a thin paycheck. I'm afraid I can't give Comrade Lin the life she's used to."

Lin Zhijin nodded, getting it—he wasn't interested.

"Got it. I'll tell Sister Li Yue we're not a fit."

She thought it was totally normal. She wasn't cash—not everyone had to like her. Li Bing's bluntness was actually refreshing—no time wasted.

A bit later, Li Yue strolled back, looking around. "Where's Li Bing? No spark?"

"He's twenty-five and in a rush to settle down and have kids—I can't hold him up." Lin Zhijin pushed Li Yue along. "Good things come to those who wait. Marriage is serious—we gotta be careful."

After they left, a man hurried over, flustered. "Director Gu, what are you doing here? Secretary Ding's looking for you!"

Gu Yan looked away and walked over. "What does Secretary Ding want?"

Meanwhile, Lin Zhijin blinked in surprise at Chen Waner nearby. What was she doing here?

"Who's that?" Li Yue followed her gaze.

"Chen Waner," Lin Zhijin said in a low voice.

Today was an internal social—so Chen Waner had to work somewhere to be here.

"Chen Waner? How's she here?" Li Yue was equally puzzled.

Lin Zhijin shook her head. "No idea. Who's that with her?"

"No clue. I'll ask around later." Li Yue didn't know everyone either.

The next day, Lin Zhijin spotted Chen Waner again. She showed up with the machinery factory's union director, in a Lenin suit and carrying a briefcase—looking the part, sort of.

"Sister Su, hope I'm not bothering you at work." Union Director Meng shook Su Jianhong's hand and smiled, gesturing at Chen Waner behind him. "My assistant, Xiao Chen. She'll handle the female workers the Women's Federation is sending to the factory."

Su Jianhong glanced at Chen Waner. "Not busy—I actually need to talk to you."

As they left, Chen Waner turned to Lin Zhijin, beaming like she was thrilled. "Ninth Aunt... I mean, Comrade Lin, long time no see! So you moved here!"

Lin Zhijin gave her a sideways look. Playing games?

"Miss Chen, it's been a while." Lin Zhijin looked her over, faking surprise. "I can't believe the young miss would stoop to working at a machinery factory."

"The Chen family's young miss?" Chen Qiuqiu's eyes darted between Lin Zhijin and Chen Waner, catching the tension. Naturally, she backed her own. "A spoiled young miss used to being waited on hand and foot—Director Meng made you his assistant? What a burden for you, miss."

Chen Waner's heart lurched, regret flashing in her eyes. She'd forgotten how sharp Lin Zhijin was—she shouldn't have run her mouth.

"Miss this, miss that—I'm just a regular person now. Before, my grandma was sick and my parents were away, so I stayed home to take care of her. Now that she's better, of course I need to work." Chen Waner said with a bright smile.

"Oh, is that so? Assistant Chen's so devoted." A hint of mockery curled at the corner of Lin Zhijin's mouth. If Secretary Zhang hadn't said not to tip their hand, she wouldn't have let this go so easily.

Chen Waner wasn't dumb—it was just that seeing Lin Zhijin reminded her of getting a gun pointed at her last time. She'd never been humiliated like that, so she couldn't help herself.

She smiled and pulled out a list. "These are the women the Women's Federation is sending to the factory? Most jobs there need heavy lifting... these female comrades might be hard to place."

"Our director already settled it with your factory director. What, Miss Chen has a problem?" Lin Zhijin took the list and skimmed it—some were orphans, some were moms whose families had lost their main earner. These were people desperate for income to feed themselves and their families.

Hearing Lin Zhijin call her "Miss Chen" again, Chen Waner knew she'd pissed her off. Remembering what her fourth uncle said, she took a deep breath and kept her sweet smile.

"That's not what I meant. It's just that there are only so many office positions at the factory, and most of these women can't read—they really are hard to place." Chen Waner looked at Lin Zhijin with a troubled expression.

"I recall the director's exact words were to find positions suitable for female workers where possible—not necessarily office jobs. I've spoken with them; they're fine with bench work. Two of them have health issues and need special arrangements, but your factory director already approved that. You can confirm with him if you'd like." Lin Zhijin checked off two names.

Chen Waner's eyes widened. "Oh, I see. Sorry, I haven't been at the factory long—I'm not familiar with the details."

"Then ask instead of saying it can't be done. If you can't do it, step aside and let someone who can." Chen Qiuqiu didn't care whether she was a miss of the Chen family or anyone else—if they had a problem, they could take it up with her.

Chen Waner's eyes reddened slightly. Just then, Director Meng came out of his office. Seeing him, she quickly wiped her eyes, putting on a look of being wronged but not wanting her superior to notice.

She expected him to ask what was wrong, but he acted as if he'd seen nothing, cheerfully asking Chen Qiuqiu, "All sorted? If there's no problem, we'll go ahead and arrange things?"

"Old Meng, your assistant here says it can't be done. You promised before, and now you're backtracking. What, are you messing with us?" Chen Qiuqiu's expression darkened as she looked at Director Meng.

Director Meng glanced at Chen Waner, his smile unchanged. "Of course not—Assistant Chen must have misspoken. She's new to the job; we have to allow young people to make mistakes. Let me see—these two with checkmarks can't do physical labor? How about assigning them to the cafeteria? You know as well as I do that the vast majority of positions at the machinery factory aren't suited for female workers."

Seeing Director Meng's troubled look, Lin Zhijin suddenly understood—she might have misjudged Chen Waner. This wasn't her being difficult; it was likely Director Meng's scheme all along.

Sure enough, once they left, Su Jianhong came out of her office with a grim face and a snort. "That old fox Meng Jianguo—he's afraid we'll keep sending people to the factory, so he staged this little act."

The Women's Federation needed to find jobs for orphans and women without household support, while the machinery factory preferred strong laborers—a conflict of interest. From each side's perspective, neither was wrong.

The real problem was too few jobs. Once more state-owned factories opened up, there would be more positions to fill.

"Xiao Lin, notify them to report to the machinery factory as soon as possible, before the slots get taken." Chen Qiuqiu paused. "Have them come to the Women's Federation in three days—we'll escort them to the factory."

Lin Zhijin nodded. "I'll go notify them right away."

Finding a job that could support a family wasn't easy—especially for women in this era, it was incredibly difficult. Lin Zhijin didn't dare delegate the notification to the street office, afraid someone might impersonate them and take their spots. Better to make the rounds herself.

Fortunately, she had her bicycle. Taking advantage of the sun and the slightly warmer weather, Lin Zhijin bundled up in her thick cotton coat, wrapped on her scarf and gloves, and set out to find the first one.

Following the address, she arrived at a run-down single-story house. The yard was cluttered with odds and ends, a few bundles of firewood neatly stacked against the wall. A gaunt little girl sat on the doorstep picking wild greens. Seeing Lin Zhijin, she stared wide-eyed, then shouted, "Mom, someone's here!"

"Who is it?" A frail woman called out as she stepped outside.

Lin Zhijin walked to the door of the house and smiled at the little girl. "Hello, I'm Lin Zhijin from the Women's Federation. We've met before."

"Cadre Lin?" Seeing her, Liu Guihua's face lit up with surprise. She nudged the little girl hiding behind her. "Go quickly and call your grandmother back. Tell her Cadre Lin from the Women's Federation is here."

Liu Guihua's father-in-law and husband had both been forcibly conscripted into the army and never returned. The family was now just the mother-in-law, Liu Guihua, and three kids, with the eldest only nine years old—too young to support the household. They were barely scraping by, so she'd worked up the nerve to ask the Women's Federation for help. She never thought they'd actually help her find a way out.

Lin Zhijin stopped the child and pulled a letter of introduction from her bag. "Don't bother sending the kid to get your grandma—I'm heading out soon. Liu, the Women's Federation has found you a job at the machinery factory. Since you can't read, you'll most likely be assigned as a fitter. The work might be a bit tough—can you handle it?"

Liu Guihua froze for a moment, then tears welled up in her eyes. Her hands trembling slightly, she took the letter of introduction and stammered, "Yes, I can. I can do it, Cadre Lin. I'm not afraid of hard work. I... thank you, thank the Women's Federation."

Her family had already run out of food. As long as she could earn money to buy grain, she was willing to do any dirty or tiring job.

"Fitting is a skilled trade. Work hard at it, and once your skills improve, your wages will go up too." Lin Zhijin offered Liu Guihua a few words of encouragement, then took three candies from her bag and handed them to the little girl who was peeking at her shyly. She ran a hand through the girl's dry, brittle hair. "Well then, you get busy—I still need to notify the others."

As long as Liu Guihua worked hard and passed the grading exam to become a first-class worker in the future, her whole family would be able to get by.

Author's note:

None