People in the alley: A woman dressed as a man shouldn't be foolishly filial, Zhuang Chaoying

Zhuang Chaoying then reached out her hand, and the two clasped hands together, shaking them briefly and forcefully a few times.

"President Wang, please have a seat! And who are these two gentlemen?"

Wang Yougui turned to the side and introduced the two people behind him: "This is my assistant, Xiao Liu, and this is my secretary, Xiao Zhao!"

At this moment, Song Ying came over with a cup of tea and said to Huang Ling, "Sister Ling, the tea is ready!"

Huang Ling nodded slightly and said softly, "I'll take it over."

Then she walked steadily to the three people and said, "Gentlemen, it's hot, please have some tea."

Zhuang Chaoying then introduced the three of them: "This is my wife, Huang Ling."

Huang Ling smiled and nodded, greeting politely, "Hello!"

Then, she turned around and walked to the two children, lowering her voice slightly as she instructed them, "You two go to Aunt Song's house first!"

He accepted the tea from Zhuang Chaoying and said, "Thank you!"

Wang Yougui picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and slowly placed it on the table, a kind smile on his face: "I am older than you, so I will call you Xiao Zhuang. As expected, you are a young talent who can write such a forward-thinking work."

Zhuang Chaoying humbly shook his head: "I just like writing novels to earn some royalties; I wouldn't call myself a young prodigy."

"Xiao Zhuang, don't be modest. I'm here to inform you that your work, '2030,' has been selected by Mao Dun Literature. However, we found that you haven't joined any other branches yet, so we'd like you to join our Jiang Province branch."

When Zhuang Chaoying heard that her work had been selected by Mao Dun Literature, she was startled and stared intently at Wang Yougui: "What are the benefits of joining the Writers Association? I'm doing a pretty good job as a teacher right now."

Wang Yougui was clearly taken aback by Zhuang Chaoying's directness. He paused for a moment, then subconsciously wiped the sweat from his brow. If he hadn't wanted to come and take advantage of the situation, this good opportunity would never have come his way.

Xiao Liu, standing to the side, also pouted slightly, thinking to himself, "Others who want to join our branch have to go through interviews, reviews, and several assessments before they can become specialized writers. This person is so nice, asking if there are any benefits."

"Xiao Zhuang, there are many benefits to joining our Writers' Association. First of all, once you join a branch, you'll be a writer, and you'll be issued a work permit. You can even buy sleeper tickets when you travel by train through our association. There's also a monthly stipend, and field trips, writing training, and other educational activities are all paid for by the association. There are so many benefits! It's just a matter of having your name listed in the branch. Xiao Zhuang, this is a rare opportunity, you must think it over carefully!"

Zhuang Chaoying frowned slightly, pondering seriously. He glanced at Huang Ling, who was also looking at him. Their eyes met, and they instantly reached a tacit understanding.

Zhuang Chaoying nodded immediately: "I agree! But we have to make it clear that I have my own job."

Wang Yougui immediately beamed with joy and stood up: "Alright, since you agree, get ready and come with us to Shanghai tomorrow to complete the formalities."

Zhuang Chaoying looked at them, then at Huang Ling: "President Wang, I have a small request. Could you please bring my husband along?"

Wang Yougui was initially worried that Zhuang Chaoying might change her mind at the last minute, but upon hearing this, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, let's meet at Suzhou Railway Station tomorrow. We'll buy the train tickets, and I still have blank letters of introduction here, so I'll just write your name on them for you."

Turning back to look at Xiao Liu, she asked, "What time are the train tickets from Suzhou to Shanghai?"

Xiao Liu flipped through the notebook. "Chairman Wang has a meeting at 10:40 AM."

Wang Yougui nodded. "This trip is fine. Xiao Zhuang, you and your wife, let's meet at Suzhou Railway Station at 9:30 tomorrow."

Zhuang Chaoying. "Okay, Chairman Wang, then see you at the train station!"

Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling escorted the three of them out of the courtyard.

Huang Ling stood quietly to the side, her gaze following the receding figures until they turned the corner and disappeared from sight. Only then did she turn to Zhuang Chaoying, smiling brightly with anticipation: "Chaoying, you're a writer in the Writers' Association now, and you're going to Shanghai? Can I go with you?"

Zhuang Chaoying nodded slightly, her eyes filled with certainty: "Really!"

Huang Ling was so excited she almost jumped for joy: "Great! I'll go to the factory right away to ask for two days off and get a letter of introduction!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiaoting, Tunan, and Lin Dongzhe ran out, with Song Ying following behind with a smile.

Xiaoting's clear voice rang out first: "Dad, you're a writer now!"

Huang Ling laughed and put her arm around Song Ying's: "Your dad has already published several novels; he's been a writer for a long time!"

Tu Nan shook his head and explained seriously, "Mom, that's different. Only those who join the Writers' Association can be considered writers."

What Tu Nan said was indeed the reality of that era. At that time, only by becoming a member of an organization could one be recognized as a formal writer.

Song Ying joked with a smile: "Sister Ling, Teacher Zhuang is really talented. Dong Zhe, tell me, you live with such a great writer as Teacher Zhuang, and you still can't write a proper essay!"

Everyone laughed when they heard that.

Huang Ling lifted Song Ying's hand, glanced at the time on her watch, and said, "It's only a little past three o'clock. The factory leaders haven't left work yet. I'll go get a letter of introduction to ask for leave!"

Zhuang Chaoying's gaze inadvertently fell on Huang Ling's bare wrist. She had been there for so long and hadn't noticed that Sister Ling didn't have a watch.

I must buy Huang Ling a watch this time I go to Shanghai.

He pushed his bicycle and said, "Ah Ling, I'll give you a ride! Then we'll buy some braised food and have a drink with Engineer Lin tonight!"

Song Ying nodded in agreement, saying, "Teacher Zhuang, you two go ahead. I'll stay home and look after the children, and cook a small dish."

The bicycle slowly emerged from the alley, with Huang Ling sitting sideways on the back seat.

Zhuang Chaoying was about to ride her bike when suddenly the old-fashioned way of getting on a bike came to mind—the way of pushing off with one foot a few steps and then stepping on.

His thoughts drifted back to his childhood before he came here. His father used this method to get him into the car, but he was kicked off the back seat and fell heavily to the ground. At that time, his mother was still alive, and the family was very warm and loving. Of course, everything changed after his mother passed away.

Now, when he rides a bicycle, he first sits on it, then fiddles with the pedals, pushes hard, and rides away.

Huang Ling gently put one arm around Chao Ying's waist.

Zhuang Chaoying felt the sensation of her stomach against her shirt.

"Ah Ling, I'll buy you a watch while we're in Shanghai. It'll be convenient for you to tell the time! Otherwise people will say, 'Look at Teacher Zhuang, he's a writer, and his wife doesn't even have a watch!'"

Huang Ling gently pinched Chao Ying's belly: "You just bought a camera last month, and you want to spend money again!"

"Ah Ling, let's buy a watch, okay!"

Huang Ling smiled, her lips curving upwards, the wind whistling into her mouth: "Let's see when we get to Shanghai! Chao Ying, are we going and coming back the same day?"

Zhuang Chaoying thought for a moment: "Ah Ling, since you've finally managed to get away, why don't you stay in Shanghai for an extra day? Take two days off!"

As they passed a small pothole, the bicycle lurched, and Huang Ling unconsciously tightened her grip: "Chao Ying, I'm worried about Tu Nan and Xiao Ting."

“When I went to grade papers, you were on the night shift. The children were home alone, weren’t they? It’s alright. Besides, with Song Ying’s help, let’s leave some living expenses for Song Ying so the children can eat at her house for the next couple of days!”