1979: My fiancée is a goddess

July 28th, 6:00 AM, Wutong Courtyard.

Is Comrade Cheng Kaiyan here?

While Cheng Kaiyan was still sleeping in bed, an uninvited guest arrived in the courtyard.

A middle-aged woman's voice came from outside, separated by two doors.

"Bang bang bang-"

Then someone knocked on the main room door. The rusty metal lock ring and the old, rustic wooden door vibrated in the door frame, producing a crisp sound mixed with a dull one.

"Hmm...who is it?"

Liu Xiaoli rubbed her sleepy eyes and nudged Cheng Kaiyan awake beside her: "Kaiyan, wake up... someone is looking for you outside."

The voice seemed to be humming from the throat, carrying the dazed and soft feeling of someone just waking up.

After saying that, she turned over with a thud, closed her eyes again, and continued to sleep.

"coming!"

Cheng Kaiyan slowly sat up, propping herself up on her arms, and called out to the outside.

I looked to the side.

The girl, who had just been woken up, is now quietly sleeping again, clutching a small piece of blanket.

Looks like you're still hungover from yesterday?
"Heh, this guy knows he can't drink, but he still insists on trying it. He only had two beers, and he went straight to sleep when he got home that night."

Cheng Kaiyan chuckled and picked up the shirt from the chair next to the bed and put it on.

Last night, everyone was in a good mood. Even Xiaoli, who can't drink, had a few drinks, not to mention the others.

After getting dressed and putting on my shoes and socks, I went into the main room and found no one there. My mother also seemed a little unable to get up today.

"Who?"

Cheng Kaiyan pulled out the two bolts and opened the door. On this bright, clear summer morning, the sunlight streamed through the crack in the door and into his eyes, turning them golden.

A middle-aged woman wearing a polyester shirt, a leather belt, and a badge on her chest paced back and forth in front of the door, looking rather impatient.

The moment Cheng Kaiyan appeared before her, the middle-aged woman's eyes lit up. The displeasure on her face vanished, replaced by an involuntary, kind smile. Her voice carried the characteristic boldness and competence of someone from the capital.

"Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, I am Secretary Li from the Women's Federation. Elder Xie asked me to come and find you."

She has already spoken with Mr. Kang, and they plan to have you host tonight's charity gala.

"While there's still some time during the day, I want you to go over and familiarize yourself with the procedures and work."

"Huh? You want me to be the host? You never mentioned this before!"

A look of surprise flashed across Cheng Kaiyan's eyes as she asked, puzzled.

"Didn't I say that? It's alright. Being a host isn't a difficult job. Just familiarize yourself with the process and speak according to the script. Don't worry too much."

Sister Li waved her hand, offering words of comfort with a relaxed expression.

She didn't think that someone as outstanding as Cheng Kaiyan couldn't even handle a job like hosting a gala.

"alright."

It was probably an impromptu idea from the late Bing Xin that left Cheng Kaiyan with no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Then let's hurry up and go. We can still have breakfast there. It's breakfast prepared by a chef who's served at state banquets!"

Sister Li was a decisive person; as soon as Cheng Kaiyan nodded, she tried to pull him away.

"Okay, I'll go wash my face and leave a message before I go."

"Then I'll go first. After I get there, just go straight to the restaurant to find Mr. Xie."

Sister Li gave a few words of advice and then left first.

"Xiaoli, Mom, I'll be going now. I'll take you there this afternoon."

Cheng Kaiyan went back to the kitchen to brush her teeth and wash her face with water.

After going inside to talk to Liu Xiaoli, the two mothers informed each other and then rode away on their bicycles.

In about ten minutes, we arrived at the entrance of the Great Hall of the People.

Sunlight falls on the marble exterior, reflecting a golden halo that adds a touch of sanctity to this significant building.

A bright red carpet stretched from the inside of the wide entrance to the outside.

Looking through the stone pillars into the hall.

The area was decorated with lanterns and brightly lit.

Early in the morning, there were already many staff members, hurrying in and out carrying things.

Among them were banners, fresh flowers, brand names, vases, as well as various drinks and snacks.

These are obviously used for setting up the venue.

"Wow, quite the grand affair. Let's go have breakfast first."

Cheng Kaiyan stood and watched for a while before taking the invitation inside.

He had been here several times before, and quickly found his way to the restaurant.

There weren't many people in the restaurant, maybe thirty or forty.

Cheng Kaiyan didn't queue for long; she just grabbed a few plates of classic seafood dim sum from the Cantonese food window, along with a bowl of vegetable porridge and fried dough sticks.

As I turned to look for my spot, my gaze swept quickly across the room and I spotted a familiar figure.

"Mr. Xie, you're here."

Cheng Kaiyan carried the tray over.

Ms. Bing Xin was dressed simply in a white shirt and loose trousers.

As she was eating breakfast alone, she heard a somewhat unfamiliar young voice coming from ahead. She subconsciously looked up and said, "Kaiyan? You're here. Please have a seat."

Why are you here all alone?

Cheng Kaiyan readily agreed and sat down, leaving an empty seat in the middle to maintain an appropriate and polite distance.

"It's peaceful being alone."

Old Xie smiled faintly, as if he knew what he wanted to ask, and spoke first: "I asked for this host of the party from my eldest sister at the last minute, consider it a little reward for you."

After all, your influence among young people is indispensable for this charity gala fundraising.

"My joining the editorial board of your 'Ark' magazine alone isn't enough; adding this host would be about right."

"They're coming over? Oh, I see."

Cheng Kaiyan nodded slightly; it was indeed a spur-of-the-moment decision.

As for the eldest sister, she is a leader in the Women's Federation.

"In short, make sure you handle this well and don't make any mistakes. Tonight's charity gala is attended by many prominent figures from Beijing, including the family of an elder statesman, Rong Yiren of China Trust, and even the second daughter of the Hong Kong shipping magnate..."

Old Xie looked at the young man in front of him and thought he was indeed quite young. Feeling a little uneasy, he gave him some earnest advice.

Rong Yiren? The shipping magnate's daughter is here?

Hearing these names, which are familiar even to people of later generations, Cheng Kaiyan became particularly solemn and serious. "Don't worry, but... as the host, it shouldn't affect my ability to do charity and donate a sum of money, right?"

"Haha, I almost forgot you're a rich guy! If you want to do charity, do you think I'd stop you?"
However, as the host at the fundraising ceremony, you will be responsible for calling out names.

There are quite a few reporters at tonight's event, not only from domestic news media, but also from overseas and Hong Kong.

If you're going to donate, don't donate too little; it would be incredibly embarrassing if word got out.

Upon hearing this, Old Xie laughed heartily and jokingly remarked.

His eyes were full of relief as he looked at Cheng Kaiyan.

For this gala, Cheng Kaiyan was meant to contribute his time and effort, serving as the host and fully leveraging his influence among young people.

He's now planning to contribute money.

Although it certainly can't compare to the donations from these established families and capitalists—at most a few hundred or a few thousand dollars—it's still a token of his goodwill.

No wonder Old Ye values ​​this last disciple so much, treating him like his own grandson.

Even Mao Zedong regarded him as a leading figure among young writers and a future leader of the literary world.

"In short, it won't be much less."

Cheng Kaiyan took a sip of porridge and answered with a smile.

He's not afraid of others thinking he donated too little; he's afraid of others thinking he donated too much.

One example serves as a stark warning: during the 2008 earthquake, many celebrities in the entertainment industry donated money and showed their love and care. Sissi donated one million yuan, ranking among the top celebrities, while some others donated only a few hundred yuan.

The result was obvious: Sisi was attacked online.

Sometimes donating too much isn't a good thing.

Cheng Kaiyan only hoped that these established families, patriotic overseas Chinese, and patriotic capitalists could donate more.

Surely you can donate hundreds of thousands of US dollars?

Don't let him take the lead.

"Oh?"

Old Xie raised an eyebrow, catching a glimpse of the confidence and nonchalance in his eyes. In the morning sunlight, it gave one the feeling that he regarded money as dirt.

Then he laughed and said, "Then I'll wait and see, young and great writer Comrade Cheng Kaiyan!!"

"Ha ha!"

After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.

An old man and a young man ate their meal and chatted at the same time.

They talked about the people attending the party, the schedule, and things to note. Before she knew it, Cheng Kaiyan had a clear understanding of the situation and had a good grasp of it.

After they had eaten most of their food, the two sat down to digest.

Cheng Kaiyan suddenly remembered the charity project proposal she had written yesterday. She took the manuscript out of her briefcase and handed it over. "Mr. Xie, wait a moment. I've done a few charity projects for the foundation these past two days. I hope you can take a look."

"oh oh?"

A look of surprise flashed in Xie Lao's eyes as he took the manuscript.

What came into view were five or six sheets of beige checkered paper bound together. The paper was very rough and differed greatly in size and format from the official documents in the office.

“I’ll take a look for you later, but this isn’t something I’m in charge of. I’ll pass it on to Sister Kang for you in a bit.”

After thinking it over, and considering that Cheng Kaiyan meant well, Old Xie agreed.

"Excuse me."

Cheng Kaiyan bowed slightly. In fact, the people from the foundation thought his actions were a bit of meddling.

"It's alright, go ahead and familiarize yourself with the process draft. See you tonight."

Mr. Xie nodded in agreement, picked up the manuscript, and turned to leave decisively.

A few minutes later, Ms. Xie returned to the temporary rest room that had been requisitioned, walking slowly. She had been working here these past few days preparing for the gala.

He had his secretary pour him a cup of hot tea. With nothing else to do, he sipped his tea and opened Cheng Kaiyan's proposal.

"Wow~"

He ran his fingertips across his lips, picked up the rough letter paper, and opened the plan.

The elegant and timeless blue penmanship that appeared before my eyes added a lot of luster to the rough paper and simple plan.

Even after so many years of writing, Ms. Bing Xin was still somewhat amazed.

It's rare to find someone with such beautiful and distinctive handwriting.

However, as she focused her attention on the specific details of the charity project proposal, her expression gradually became solemn and serious.

"The Spring Bud Project aims to build Spring Bud Primary Schools and provide financial assistance to out-of-school children..."

"The Hope Project...funds welfare homes, improves the environment, provides funding, education and medical care..."

As Ms. Bing Xin eagerly flipped through the pages, she excitedly muttered to herself.

Fifteen minutes later, she let out a long sigh of relief.

At this moment, she suddenly remembered something.

I heard him say this before he passed away.

When Cheng Kaiyan visited him once, she sponsored a young girl at the hospital. If they hadn't learned about it from a doctor, they probably wouldn't have known anything about it.

"This child truly possesses a pure and innocent heart."

With a gentle and gratified smile on her aged face, Ms. Bing Xin quietly looked at the project proposal in front of her and sighed inwardly.

"We need to show this plan to Sister Kang right away!"

As she spoke, she packed up her manuscript, got up, and went out.

……

A few minutes later, we arrived at the temporary office of the Women's Federation and the Children and Teenagers' Foundation.

She pushed open the door and entered the house. Sister Kang was sitting on the sofa eating breakfast, accompanied by a young man in his mid-twenties.

"Grandma Bing Xin, you've arrived."

Upon seeing Xie Bingxin enter the room, the fair-skinned, elegant, and even somewhat reserved young man immediately stood up and greeted her with a smile.

She has a sweet tongue and is very polite.

"Yes, Guohua, why are you being so filial today, accompanying your grandma while she works?"

Xie Bingxin nodded with a light smile.

The young man in front of me is Zhu Guohua, the eldest sister's grandson.

Although he wasn't her eldest sister's biological son, she raised him from a young age and treated him like her own grandson.

Because of her young age, she was pampered at home.

As a result, he developed an extremely spoiled and arrogant personality, and was a well-known young master in the entire capital.

He came from a prominent family, and no one dared to interfere with him.

Fortunately, he wasn't a troublemaker, so we let him be.

"That's right. My grandma and Grandma Bing Xin are so old, yet they still worry about the country. Wouldn't it be great to have someone to keep them company, tell them jokes, and help them relax?"

Zhu Guohua smiled subtly.

"You little bootlicker! You've always been this shameless!"

Old Kang patted the table, gave him a reproachful glare, and then looked at Bing Xin: "Have you eaten? Come and have some."

"I just ate. Cheng Kaiyan ate with me."

Ms. Bing Xin shook her head and sat down beside her.

"Cheng Kaiyan? That famous talented scholar? You two seem to have a good relationship."

Kang Lao said with some surprise.

Zhu Guohua, who was sitting quietly flipping through a book, had a cold glint in his eyes when he heard Cheng Kaiyan's name. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, he was full of contempt and indifference.

"This kid is a very nice person, just my type."

Old Xie smiled and said excitedly, "By the way, this young man just handed me a charity project proposal. You must take a look! It's very well written. In my opinion, it can definitely be our foundation's top priority for future development!"

"Charitable projects? The primary development goal."

Looking at his old friend, whose tone was somewhat agitated, Kang Lao frowned. Then, noticing the simple, beige manuscript paper handed to him, he thought for a moment and said, "Put it aside for now. I'll take a look at it when I have time."

This was just her excuse; with such a rough project proposal and so little content, what could possibly be written?
Is it still the primary construction goal?
Cheng Kaiyan was simply trying to take this opportunity to curry favor and gain fame. I wonder what kind of spell she cast on Lao Xie to make her deliver the message.

Young people these days are really something...

Old Mrs. Kang shook her head; she was already used to such things.

However, it's inevitable that the first impression of that young, great writer, whom we've only heard of but never met, is quite poor.

"Then you go ahead with your work, I'll go keep an eye on things outside."

Old Xie frowned, feeling that Sister Kang might have misunderstood something, but in the end he didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

The lounge quieted down.

"Grandma, why don't you let me take a look at this project? I'd like to admire the great talent of this scholar."

Zhu Guohua asked Kang Lao a question, and before he could finish speaking, he had already taken the project proposal into his hands.

"Okay, feel free to look around."

Old Kang nodded casually, not caring about these trivial matters, and continued eating and processing documents.

About fifteen minutes later, Zhu Guohua got up and went out.

As he casually passed a trash can, he tossed the rough project proposal inside without a trace of emotion on his fair and elegant face.

It was like actually dealing with a piece of garbage.

……

……

On the other hand, Cheng Kaiyan spent the whole morning participating in the various preparations for the charity gala.

I finally have a full understanding.

I got home at 11:30, had a simple meal, and took my usual afternoon nap.

By 3 p.m., the sun over Beijing was already shrouded in layers of dark clouds.

It's estimated that the first wave of widespread heavy rainfall this summer will hit tonight.

Cheng Kaiyan went to pick up his aunt, but Ning Wanjia, being the proud and aloof girl she was, refused to go with him and insisted on going back to find her mother.

Cheng Kaiyan had no choice but to let her go.

It was almost five o'clock, but the rain still hadn't started.

Before leaving home, Cheng Kaiyan still brought an umbrella and raincoat, and drove her mother.

Liu Xiaoli, with her aunt in tow, and the family of four slowly made their way towards Tiananmen Square.

The main square has not yet been blocked off.

In the summer evenings, it is an excellent place for nearby residents to take a walk, digest their food, and cool off.

As soon as you arrive nearby, you can see a very lively scene in Tiananmen Square.

A quick glance reveals a group of children laughing and playing hopscotch on the platform.

There were also young people playing basketball, old men playing chess, and people playing ring toss...

The four did not linger and headed towards the Great Hall of the People.

In the open space in front of the gate, there were suddenly some cars and neatly arranged bicycles.

Many invited comrades, dressed in their finest attire, also brought their families to the party.

Cheng Kaiyan and Liu Xiaoli parked the car and entered the venue with their mother and aunt.

……

Enter the Golden Hall.

The crystal chandelier was dazzling, and soft music echoed gently in the hall.

The lobby was spacious, with cool air from a large air conditioner blowing through the ventilation ducts.

The moment you step inside, you feel a refreshing coolness that is incredibly comfortable in the sweltering summer heat.

At first glance, a number of leading cadres dressed in suits and Zhongshan suits, and female comrades dressed in evening gowns, dresses and white shirts, were gathered together chatting with smiles on their faces.

"The party officially starts at seven o'clock. It's still early. Let's find a place to sit and have something to eat."

Cheng Kaiyan had attended many such large gatherings, so she remained calm. Her aunt, on the other hand, still had that expressionless, indifferent look.

Liu Xiaoli and her mother looked around curiously.

"Ah."

Liu Xiaoli nodded gently.

The four of them found a spot near the entrance and sat down.

There was a table next to me, on which were placed various alcoholic beverages, snacks, desserts, fruits, and even ice cream.

About fifteen minutes later, Ning Wanjia, dressed in a black evening gown, appeared at the door.

Beside her were three dignified and elegant women: Tang Minghua, Ning Qiuyue, and another woman, Cheng Kaiyan, whom she did not recognize, probably Ning's second daughter-in-law.

In addition, there were several imposing young men, none other than Ning Yuan, Ning Yuzhuo, and others whom Cheng Kaiyan had met last year.

"Where! Auntie is over there!"

Soon, Ning Wanjia noticed someone's gaze and turned to glare at him sharply before speaking to her mother and the others.

Tang Minghua, Ning Qiuyue, and the others turned to look.

"Ah Ting is here too?"

"And that kid Cheng Kaiyan, and that gentle and virtuous woman, isn't she Liu Xiaoli, the one Jiajia was competing with?"

"Sister-in-law, since we're here to have some fun, let's go sit over there."

Ning Qiuyue smiled jokingly.

Apart from one or two boys who had been beaten up by Cheng Kaiyan and were unhappy, no one else had any objections.

After all, compared to last year, Cheng Kaiyan is now fully capable of engaging in dialogue with them on an equal footing.

They couldn't do anything about Cheng Kaiyan either. (End of Chapter)