Chapter 43: The Turmoil Caused by Recruitment Quotas

The wind picked up on the way back.

Lu Qiaoge squinted her eyes. At some unknown point, massive dark clouds had silently surged toward the horizon.

The afterglow of the setting sun struggled through the gaps in the clouds, casting its final, dim golden rays.

Large willow trees lined both sides of the road, their treetops swaying in the wind.

It looked like a storm was truly coming.

Lu Qiaoge twitched her nose. Old Turtle was incredible—practically a meteorological satellite.

One had to realize that our country's meteorological satellites hadn't even been launched into space yet.

At the intersection, Lu Qiaoge parted ways with Shao Le, and they headed toward their respective homes.

Lu Qiaoge clenched her hands. A bicycle—she absolutely had to buy a bicycle.

Meanwhile, Director Hao and Secretary He wanted to have a drink with Qin Hengzhi, so they didn't go to his office.

The two of them waited for Qin Hengzhi while whispering to one another.

"Representative Qin has very high standards. If he had found a partner here in our factory, he might not have had to leave."

"I've really been thinking about it. I've had talks with the union chairman and the factory women's federation, and there really are a few suitable candidates."

Secretary He's eyes lit up. "Why don't you introduce one to Representative Qin?"

Director Hao asked, "You know Bai Jinxin from the Provincial Women's Federation, right?"

"I know her. Isn't she Representative Qin's aunt?"

"I specifically asked for her opinion. She advised me not to mention it, because even when Old Bai introduced An Leilei from the Provincial Art Troupe, he didn't agree."

The An family was a well-known family in Jiangcheng.

In particular, Old Man An had extensive connections and was an old comrade-in-arms with Old Bai.

Secretary He waved a hand. "It's a good thing you didn't bring it up."

Director Hao narrowed his eyes. "Did you see that girl who was with Shao Le?"

Secretary He nodded. "I saw her. She shouldn't be Shao Le's partner; I remember your nephew's partner doesn't look like that."

Director Hao said, "That girl is so young and came to the Military Representative Office with Shao Le; she must be a new employee from the Sub-district Office. She should be Old Lu's second daughter, Lu Qiaoge, who got into the Sub-district Office with the highest number of votes."

At this point, Director Hao lowered his voice. "Don't you think Lu Qiaoge and Representative Qin are a good match?"

Director Hao had an inexplicable intuition; the two of them had extremely similar auras.

As for why they were similar, he couldn't put it into words.

"Wasn't she previously engaged to Liang Aishu, and then broke it off?"

Director Hao immediately sat up straight and waved his hand dismissively. "I forgot about that. Fine, forget I said anything."

Meanwhile, Lu Qiaoge, unaware that the Director and Secretary were gossiping about her behind her back, entered the courtyard just ahead of the tabby cat.

With just one glance, she sensed something was wrong.

Lu Qiaoge asked the tabby cat in her mind: 【Huahua, what's wrong with the house? Did they have a fight?】

The tabby cat's face was full of innocence: 【I just got back, I don't know.】

At this moment, the Lu family members were all in the courtyard.

Lu Qiaoge closed the main gate.

Old Lu, who usually returned late from overtime, had clearly come home early today. He sat under the big tree, frowning as if lost in thought.

An iron pot sat on a honeycomb coal stove, making popping sounds. This was a stove kept in the courtyard; usually, the food would be ready by this time, but there was no aroma of cooking, and the water boiling in the large pot seemed to have no purpose.

Lu Zhiguo sat on the ground with his head bowed, while Lu Xiao Si stood nervously beside Old Lady Lu.

Old Lady Lu's expression was poor, but Meng Xia's was the worst.

Just now, Lu Qiaoge had heard Meng Xia's voice, which she was trying desperately to keep low.

Lu Qiaoge lifted the curtain and entered the kitchen, only to see her sister-in-law, Su Hui, wiping her tears with her apron.

Where was Lu Qiaoling?

Lu Qiaoge stood by the window of her sister's and grandmother's room and looked inside. Lu Qiaoling was also crying, and she seemed quite heartbroken.

"It's good that you're back, Qiaoge," her eldest brother, Lu Zhiguo, hurriedly stood up. "Hurry and persuade Mom. Su Hui didn't mean it like that."

Meng Xia suddenly threw a half-glued cardboard box to the ground. "Your wife didn't mean it like that? Then what did she mean? She's been pregnant for a while. Why didn't she say anything earlier or later, but chose to say it exactly when your father brought home the recruitment forms? Come on, Lu Zhiguo, tell me, who should this recruitment quota go to? Your wife is pregnant and hasn't even started working yet. Seeing as your family is about to have another mouth to feed and you're still a temporary worker with no job security, this job is most suitable for her. Is that what you mean?"

Lu Zhiguo's face turned red. Although he wasn't the best in personality, he was very filial, and Meng Xia's words left him speechless.

He could only turn his anger on Su Hui: "Why are you so tactless? So what if you're pregnant? Why did you have to say it now? Couldn't you have waited a few days?"

Lu Qiaoling pushed the window open and cried out, "Enough! Stop all this pretending and speaking in metaphors! Aren't you all just talking about me? I wasn't insisting on this quota, but you can't just assume I'm not qualified. You're just being sexist and thinking my eldest brother is the most important. If you want to give it, give it; if not, don't. Why are you all teaming up to put on this act for me?"

Meng Xia grew angry and scolded Lu Qiaoling: "You ungrateful girl! When have your father and I ever been sexist? Both palms are made of flesh. In all honesty, when have we ever mistreated you or your sister? When you went to the countryside, you insisted on taking your grandmother with you. Your father and I lived frugally just to send you money and food coupons. Your second sister broke off her engagement and hasn't even looked for a new partner; she just stays home like this, even hogging a room all to herself. Did your father and I say anything about that?"

Lu Qiaoge:...

How did this involve her?

Su Hui was sobbing uncontrollably.

Lu Zhiguo roared, "Why are you crying? No one is saying anything to you or scolding you!"

Lu Qiaoge frowned slightly and raised her voice. "Stop. Everyone, stop talking."

Although Lu Qiaoge was still the same Lu Qiaoge, with the same sweet voice, Meng Xia inexplicably felt that her second daughter's aura had suddenly become powerful.

Lu Zhiguo also quickly shut his mouth.

Lu Qiaoge glared at Lu Qiaoling, who was about to argue back.

Lu Qiaoling immediately shut her mouth as well.

Old Lu felt his oppressive mood lighten significantly. His second daughter was a natural-born leader.

She really knew how to command a room.

He explained today's events to Lu Qiaoge and then took a form out of his bag.

Lu Qiaoge took it and saw that it was actually a recruitment quota form.

Old Lu actually wanted to say that this quota existed because of Qiaoge.

But clearly, he couldn't say that now.

"I was planning to wait for you to come back so we could have a family meeting to discuss it. In our family, the three of us who don't have jobs..."

Lu Qiaoge interrupted bluntly, "Dad, is there an age limit for the recruitment quota?"

Old Lu froze for a moment, thinking Lu Qiaoge was worried about Lu Zhiguo's age, so he said, "The age range for this recruitment is quite broad. It doesn't matter if you're male or female; anyone between eighteen and forty can apply."

Lu Qiaoge corrected him: "So, in our family, there are four people without jobs."

Meng Xia said crossly, "What nonsense are you talking about? Don't you have a job already?"

Lu Qiaoge blinked. "Mom, the fourth person I'm talking about is you. You could completely take this recruitment quota."

Meng Xia's mind went blank as she stared in shock at her smiling second daughter.

She could be counted as one?

That was something she hadn't even dared to dream of.