Three or Two Things about Rebirth

Director Wu looked at Qiu Luming who came to cancel his leave and sighed, "How about you take a few more days off and hide away?"

"Thank you for your concern. I have already taken leave for twenty consecutive days during this period. After all, I am paid by the government and I feel embarrassed to ask for leave for personal matters." Even if you want to drink tea, read newspapers or play mahjong, you have to spend time at the company.

Qiu Luming was in the same office with Supervisor Lao Bai and Sister Meng. When they saw Qiu Luming coming in, they looked at each other, smiled and greeted him warmly, "Xiao Qiu, you're back!"

"I'm back." Qiu Luming responded indifferently, then found a rag and wiped the desk carefully, found an old newspaper to wrap the cup on the table, and replaced it with a new mug.

Lao Bai and Sister Meng looked at each other again, both feeling a little guilty. Sister Meng picked up the thermos to fetch water, and Lao Bai also shook the tea canister, "I have to borrow some tea from Xiao Wang." After saying that, he took his teacup and went out.

Qiu Luming heard people talking about her in the customs director's office. To be precise, from the moment she parked her bicycle downstairs of the office building, the entire office building, including the armed police at the border inspection station downstairs, had already started talking about her.

This old white man doesn't smoke or drink, and he is always smiling. He occasionally gives Qiu Luming some advice on business and mahjong. However, within his burly body, he has an extremely gossipy heart. There is no one he doesn't know in the county's government agencies, enterprises and institutions, and there is nothing he doesn't know. He wants to know exactly how many kittens a cat has given birth to, and how many are male and female.

The conversation between him and Sister Meng just now is as follows:

"Hey, Sister Meng, look, is that Xiao Qiu coming to work?"

"It's not that bad, it's just Xiao Qiu. Now this girl is really fierce, she doesn't care about anything, she has been abandoned by others, and she still has the mind to go to work!"

"We were just guessing a few days ago, but this time the news is confirmed! Fei Yuanhang's second aunt's younger brother is my elementary school classmate. I've asked around, and the old Fei family said that there is no hope for them!"

"That's for sure! How many young people nowadays listen to their parents? They all fall in love freely. Do you think any parents are more stubborn than their children? Forget about anything else. Xiao Qiu receives a love letter every three to five days, and her pager keeps beeping. I, Ge Jiangbian, have seen them, and Fei Yuanhang can hardly take his eyes off Xiao Qiu!"

"It has to be pulled out even if it can't be pulled out! Life is the most important thing! My classmate said that Fei Yuanhang went to the train station to send Xiao Qiu off, and was hit by a small van as he was leaving. He flew more than ten meters away. Isn't it weird? Qiu Moshi walked with him, and he didn't lose a single hair. There were other people beside him, but he was the only one who was hit. He was almost broken. It's strange, too, that there was not a single scratch on his body, but he was in pain all over. The doctor asked him where the pain was, whether it was in the bones, the flesh, or the tendons. He was a doctor, but he couldn't tell where it hurt! It was so hard that I couldn't sleep all night!"

"Hey, is this true? Didn't you say yesterday that Principal Fei's wife looked down on Xiao Qiu for not having a diploma?"

"Yes!... They shouldn't have been together from the beginning. How can Ge Beijing and Ge Jiayang, who are thousands of miles apart, be together? Besides, Fei Yuanhang is indeed one of the best talents in our county. She is just a junior high school student. What can she do to get along with him? They don't even have a common language."

"Keep your voice down, she's coming up!"

"It's okay. She has to go to the Commissioner to cancel her leave first!"

"That's right. Xiaoqiu is now studying for a self-taught degree. She has enough academic qualifications, and she is a woman!"

"Don't even mention the self-taught exam. Don't you know what the correspondence self-taught exam is like? They all cost money to cheat, and then graduate and get a diploma after a few years! You know that old Wei from the Public Security Bureau. He took the self-taught exam for eight years, and the Japanese were driven away, but he still hasn't got his college diploma! He said he didn't dare to cheat, but you should memorize it well! Hey, and last year, when Qiu Jiashu got married, Fei Yuanhang went to help him and broke his arm! Just when he returned to Beijing, Xiao Qiu was robbed again, so he ran back to see her. As a result, when he returned to Beijing after the Chinese New Year, he was blocked by the once-in-a-century snow on the way, and almost starved to death or froze to death!"

"Well, now that you mention it, it really is a bit evil!"

"Isn't it? Beauty is the root of trouble!"

The other offices also had similar versions of the conversation. The director, deputy director, and secretary each had their own office, and there was no movement. Xiao Wang in the next office said the most unpleasant things. He sneered and said, "After being together for so long, you must have slept with someone before."

Even the cleaners came over to listen, and they shouted, "Stop talking nonsense! You're just a little girl, you can't ruin someone's reputation!"

"What kind of reputation? Is it good to be robbed?"

So everyone sighed with regret.

Xiao Wang's brother-in-law graduated from a junior college and also wanted to join the customs, but Qiu Luming got there first, which made him lose face in front of his father-in-law. So he held a grudge against Qiu Luming and would not let go of the opportunity to vent his hatred.

*

There are only thirteen people in the customs office, including temporary workers, and there is no independent canteen. Usually everyone goes home for lunch, and the meal allowance is paid into their salary. In winter, when it is very cold, no one goes home and eats with the border inspection staff downstairs, so there is no meal allowance.

At noon, Qiu Luming took her tableware and went downstairs to the cafeteria to eat. On the surface, everyone greeted her normally, and the secretary even patted her on the shoulder encouragingly.

Several border inspection officers would glance at her curiously from time to time. Some who claimed to be experienced even discussed in a low voice whether she was still a virgin based on the way she walked.

Everyone exchanged glances and messages mysteriously and quickly. Everyone was more or less excited about having something important to discuss and analyze in this boring winter.

Qiu Luming used the same tableware she used when she was at Harbin Normal University. It consisted of a rice bowl with a handle, a rice plate and a lid. They were of the same diameter and could be stacked together. When opened, it could hold rice and two dishes. When she drank soup, Qiu Luming usually used a bowl from the cafeteria. But today, she held the 10-centimeter-deep rice bowl and signaled the soldier who was serving her food with her eyes to fill it up.

The little soldier smiled widely, "Sister, have you had enough to drink? The spareribs are delicious today. Don't just drink the soup!"

"not enough!"

The little soldier resigned himself to his fate and gave another spoonful.

Qiu Luming held the rice bowl and walked straight towards his colleague who was sitting by the window.

"Hey sister! What do you want to eat?" The young soldier held a spoon and shouted at Qiu Luming's back.

Sister Meng looked at Qiu Luming, smiled, stood up, moved the stool to the side, and pulled another stool over, "Come, Xiao Qiu, sit next to me!"

Qiu Luming raised her right hand and poured the jar of seaweed egg drop soup directly onto the head of Xiao Wang who was sitting with his back to her.

With a cry of “Ouch”, Xiao Wang jumped up, scratching his hair in pain. At the urging of everyone, he hurriedly took off his coat. Fortunately, it was winter clothing, but his head and neck were still burned. He raised his fist and yelled, “Are you crazy? Don’t think I don’t hit women!”

Before everyone could recover from their surprise, Qiu Luming jumped up and hit Xiao Wang hard on the head with the rice bowl.

"Boom!"

It wasn't painful, but embarrassing enough.

Xiao Wang covered his head in frustration and was about to hit Qiu Luming. Qiu Luming took a step back, but Xiao Wang had already been pulled back by everyone. Someone said, "No, no, no, she's just a girl after all!"

"Is there any girl like this? She hits people for no reason. I'm going to be scalded to death!" Xiao Wang hissed and touched his neck, then screamed again.

Qiu Luming still said nothing, stared at Xiao Wang, and did not run away.

Everyone suddenly realized something and looked at each other, feeling guilty.

Finally, Qiu Luming let out a long sigh, "Rinse with cold water first, then go to the county hospital and find Doctor Qiu. Tell him that I scalded you. He will prescribe the best medicine for you, and you will definitely not get a scar!"

"You fucking..."

"Wang Jingqi! What did you say at 8:05 this morning? Don't you know what's going on?"

Xiao Wang's voice suddenly stopped.

At this time, Director Wu walked into the restaurant, "What are you doing? What are you doing?"

"Captain! Qiu Luming threw soup at me! Look at my neck!"

"Oh my god, it's almost cooked, why don't you go to the hospital!"

Xiao Wang panicked and yelled, "Xiao Lu, go drive the car and take me to the hospital."

Director Wu shouted at Xiao Wang's back, "Just go find Doctor Qiu!"

Xiao Wang staggered twice, wailed twice, and ran even faster.

The soldiers had already cleaned up the soup on the ground. Commander Wu said, "Let's go eat! What are you looking at?"

Everyone sat down and ate quickly and silently.

Qiu Luming took her rice bowl, cleaned it at the sink, and went to get some rice. The little soldier looked at her in awe, "Uh, sister, what are you eating?"

"Pork ribs, didn't you say pork ribs are delicious?"