Chapter 13: Voluntary Public Service Station?

Red Star Lake was vast; the area adjacent to the military factory was merely the shallowest and smallest section.

The deepest parts reached over fifty meters. Even in the reed marshes where the iron boxes were hidden, the water was over thirty meters deep.

Fortunately, embankments had been built, so there would be no trouble here even if the water rose.

But what if the water was seeping up from underground?

It was much like many of the rural villages north of the city near the river; every year when the river ice melted, water would seep into people's cellars.

After weighing her options, Lu Qiaoge said in a low voice, "I heard that the mechanism to open it is located in the original steel billet warehouse. I don't know the exact location, but once it's opened, the lake water will rush in—unless the entire warehouse is demolished."

Lu Qiaoge looked at the stunned Old Lu and added nonchalantly, "Actually, I was a bit confused by what I heard too. Dad, isn't it strange? I was listening from behind the wall, but when I turned around, it was empty. There wasn't a soul in sight."

Old Lu scratched his hair. His mind was a bit muddled by his daughter's words.

"Anything else?"

Lu Qiaoge shook her head. "That's it."

Old Lu stood up. What should he do about this?

Lu Qiaoge, however, let out a yawn. "I feel like it was probably just those retired old men who love telling stories talking nonsense. Maybe I was walking too slowly, and they had already gone home by the time I turned around. Dad, I'm sleepy. I'm going to bed."

Without waiting for his reaction, Lu Qiaoge went straight back to her bedroom.

Nothing else mattered; the Military Representative Office and the Security Section could surely investigate it.

The main issue was the massive storm coming in a week.

But as for that, one could only do their best and leave the rest to fate.

Lu Qiaoge flipped through the books Director He had given her: *100,000 Whys*, *Fun Mathematics*, and *The Beautiful Ocean*.

The *100,000 Whys* of the 1970s was quite different from the versions in the future. This book was incredibly hardcore; it practically taught you how to poke an airplane with a bamboo pole.

Lu Qiaoge flipped through them with great interest, finishing them before she knew it. Her reading speed had always been extremely fast, nearly skimming ten lines at a glance.

The electricity at the military factory was quite stable, but in this era, power outages were frequent in the residential compounds.

By the time the power went out, Lu Qiaoge had almost finished reading. She was contemplating when to make a trip to the research institute.

But shortly after, drowsiness set in. A tabby cat jumped in through the window and curled up beside her. Lu Qiaoge stroked its soft, furry body unconsciously, and soon, both human and cat fell into a deep sleep.

Old Lu, however, tossed and turned. Meng Xia grew increasingly annoyed. "Why aren't you sleeping? Don't you have work tomorrow?"

Old Lu couldn't tell her the truth, so he could only close his eyes and pretend to sleep.

Who exactly did Qiaoge hear this from? How could she have heard the voice but seen no one?

Old Lu was a decisive man; once he couldn't figure something out, he stopped thinking about it. His focus remained on the massive storm in a week.

*Hmm, I should find a way to tell Old Jia.*

As the deputy head of the Security Section, Old Jia could handle such matters.

***

After Old Lu managed to corner Old Jia in the cafeteria, he pulled him into a corner, sat down, and lowered his voice. "I wanted to let you know—it looks like there might be a massive storm in our area in a week. Do you guys need to make any preparations in advance?"

Old Jia froze for a moment. "The weather forecast didn't say anything." Then, remembering that weather forecasts weren't always accurate these days, he asked urgently, "Where did you hear this?"

He then thought of Old Lady Lu. "Did your mother tell you?"

Old Lady Lu had only stayed in the city for half a year; the rest of her time was spent in the countryside, and she was quite skilled at reading the weather.

Old Lu nodded vaguely.

***

Lu Qiaoge was shaken awake by her third sister.

She sat up, looking out the window with a dazed expression. She didn't know what time it was, but the sun was already high in the sky.

*Sigh, my alertness has dropped. Otherwise, I would have noticed Lu Qiaoling coming in.*

As expected, a comfortable environment makes one lose their fighting spirit.

"Second Sister, we've already finished lunch and you're still asleep. You really are lazy."

Then, the girl turned to leave, muttering, "In the countryside, there's often not enough food to eat. Why are you still like this now that we're back? Am I destined to be hungry for life?"

Lu Qiaoge: "..."

The harvests in their hometown had been poor these past few years; every year around late spring and early summer, many families faced food shortages.

But in the Lu family in the city, there were two more mouths to feed. Old Lu and Meng Xia had to go out and borrow grain.

After washing up, Lu Qiaoge wandered into the kitchen.

They weren't short on salt, soy sauce, or vinegar. But as for grain... there was only a bowl of millet and a little less than half a bag of cornmeal.

Although it was a single-story house, the courtyard was too small to grow vegetables; they only grew a bit of green onion in a wooden trough in the corner.

There was half a bowl of lard in the cupboard. No eggs, no meat.

The Lu family always had to tighten their belts during the last few days of the month. In fact, it wasn't just the Lu family; many households were the same.

Lu Qiaoge ate a bowl of cornmeal porridge with some pickled vegetables and a steamed corn bun. Speaking of which, her sister-in-law's cooking was truly excellent.

But this bun was too coarse. It felt scratchy against her throat when she swallowed.

Today, Meng Xia and the others were pasting matchboxes, and Lu Qiaoge was becoming increasingly proficient at it.

Meng Xia hadn't expected her second daughter to be so fast. She said joyfully, "Qiaoge's hands are so nimble, she works so quickly. I'll take on more orders tomorrow."

Lu Qiaoge wasn't sure if she could obediently stay home pasting boxes.

During her two days of wandering, Comrade Meng Xia had long been dissatisfied. If it weren't for her grandmother saying she needed to vent her bad mood after the broken engagement, she probably wouldn't have been allowed out at all.

Thinking of this, Lu Qiaoge put down the paper box and said, "Mom, I'm going to the neighborhood office to get a letter of introduction."

Meng Xia had heard about Lu Qiaoge's plan yesterday and felt it was a thankless task. The women in the residential compound were petty, stingy, and calculative. No matter how you traded, they would feel they were getting the short end of the stick.

Furthermore, if she actually managed to bring things back, would she offend the grocery store?

"Will it work?" Meng Xia asked worriedly.

"I'll try. If it doesn't work, it's no big deal."

***

Lu Qiaoge did indeed go to the neighborhood office.

She asked Director Hu to write it like this: *To the person in charge of the Gucitun Brigade Headquarters: This letter introduces Comrade Lu Qiaoge of the Xiangyang Neighborhood Office Voluntary Convenience Service Station to visit your location to handle the exchange of vegetable supplies.*

Director Hu asked in confusion, "How come I didn't know our neighborhood office had a Voluntary Convenience Service Station?"

Lu Qiaoge's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "This is what I was thinking: no matter what you do, having a title makes things run more smoothly. Besides, it's voluntary. It exists when it's useful and can be set aside when it's not. It doesn't require a formal staff position, employees, or a salary, so it won't affect anything."

At this point, Lu Qiaoge paused, looked at the gray-haired Old Hu, and added obediently, "Of course, Director Hu, if you feel it's inconvenient, you don't have to write it."

Director Hu blinked.

Looking at the energetic Lu Qiaoge, he thought to himself: many people said that after her engagement was broken, Lu Qiaoge would surely be washing her face with tears and wishing she were dead, but doesn't she look quite well?

The letter of introduction was fine; he could issue it.

Director Hu readily wrote the letter, stamped it with the official seal, and handed it to Lu Qiaoge. "Fine, if it works, it works; if not, come back. Don't go making any mistakes."

Lu Qiaoge: "Don't worry, I remember all the regulations regarding this."