Nan Sheng looked at Lin Han teasingly, making him blush all the way to his neck. It took him several minutes to recover, only for the opposite door to suddenly swing open, revealing a child wailing loudly in the hallway.
Lin Han was utterly defeated!
He hugged Nan Sheng pitifully. "Darling, what do you think of Commander Ye’s courtyard house? I’ll work hard so we can live in a place like that soon."
Then we won’t have to worry about being disturbed…
Nan Sheng chuckled softly. "Who lives across from us? The kid sounds pretty young—how could they just shut them out like that?"
Though she said this, she made no move to check.
It was already past seven in the evening, a time when most families were winding down for the night. Whether the child was genuinely misbehaving or the neighbors were trying to assert dominance was unclear.
Lin Han’s tone turned sour. "That’s Battalion Commander Li Gongliang’s family. His wife doesn’t much care for their daughter."
Nan Sheng understood. In this era, sons were valued for their ability to labor in the fields and provide for their parents in old age. Many families favored boys over girls—not just fathers, but mothers too, who, despite resenting their own parents’ neglect, perpetuated the same mindset.
"How many daughters do they have?"
"Three!"
Good grief. Desperate for a son but unable to have one—no wonder they took their frustration out on the kids.
Nan Sheng could only sigh. "Being a child in that family must be miserable."
She then asked, "If we had two daughters, would you also be desperate for a son?"
Lin Han shook his head. He didn’t particularly favor sons or daughters—whatever they had, he’d cherish. Even if they somehow had an egg, he’d still treat it like treasure.
After about half an hour, the noise from across the hall finally subsided, though not before the door was slammed shut, rattling the walls and drawing annoyed grumbles from the other residents. Still, since their husbands all knew each other, no one dared to complain outright.
The next day, Lin Han took half a day off.
First, he sent their two children to school, then borrowed a bicycle to escort Nan Sheng to the town government office for her official onboarding.
The Sanwei Town government building was far more impressive than Huaishan Town’s. There was no mayor here—only Party Secretary Cai Rongguang, a man well past fifty who had spent years being suppressed by the former Revolutionary Committee Director. The moment he saw Nan Sheng, however, he straightened his posture.
Cai Rongguang thought to himself, If I couldn’t outmaneuver that bastard Ou Yaosheng, how could I possibly lose to some delicate woman?
"Director Nan, welcome. I’m Party Secretary Cai Rongguang. It’s an honor to work with you. Unfortunately, the deputy director of the Materials Department isn’t in today. Perhaps you could return tomorrow to complete your onboarding?"
The Revolutionary Committee operated as its own faction within the government, while the rest aligned under the Party Secretary. If he said someone wasn’t available, they weren’t—Nan Sheng wouldn’t know the difference anyway.
Lin Han immediately sensed the hostility and frowned. "Are you saying the Materials Department has no clerks, only a deputy director?"
Cai Rongguang cleared his throat. "Of course not. But Director Nan holds a high-ranking position. Having a lowly clerk handle her onboarding would be improper and prone to oversights."
Nan Sheng, however, appeared unbothered. "Secretary Cai, you’re too kind. We all serve the people—what does ‘proper’ matter? Bureaucratic airs have no place here. Seems I’ll have my work cut out for me after joining."
Cai Rongguang’s lip twitched. This is why I hate the Revolutionary Committee—always nitpicking.
He quickly changed tactics, afraid she’d latch onto his earlier slip. "If Director Nan doesn’t mind, I’ll have someone assist you right away."
Nan Sheng smiled. "Much obliged, Secretary Cai. Though I am curious—since today isn’t a holiday, why is the deputy director absent? A comrade who can’t stay at their post isn’t much of a comrade, don’t you think?"
Her tone was pleasant, but the message was clear: I know you’re messing with me. Watch your step.
She was the Revolutionary Committee Director now—no need to play meek. Nan Sheng intended to be the most formidable figure in Sanwei Town, someone who commanded fear.
While the two sparred, Lin Han caught an unintended stray shot—he’d taken leave today too.
After Nan Sheng left, Cai Rongguang smacked his forehead. Losing ground in the first encounter… Am I doomed to be overshadowed for years to come?
She looked unassuming, but her words packed a punch.
Maybe I shouldn’t have tried such a cheap trick.
Nan Sheng’s onboarding proceeded swiftly. The clerk, having received orders, didn’t dare delay.
"Director Nan, your rank entitles you to a monthly salary of 77 yuan, plus a 10-yuan director’s allowance, totaling 87 yuan. Additional benefits are also included.
"Also, former Director Ou had previously requested a bicycle for official use. It’s still here in the government. If you’d like, you may complete the paperwork to claim it."
What luck!
The former director was a saint.
"Perfect. Process the paperwork for me."
Before leaving, Nan Sheng took a quick tour of the Revolutionary Committee office. Sanwei Town was twice the size of Huaishan, and its government staff reflected that. Under her were one section officer and three clerks.
She pushed open the office door. The staff, already aware of the new director’s arrival, stood to greet her—though their expressions betrayed some skepticism at her being a woman.
"Director Nan, I’m Section Officer Yu Gan. These are Clerks Chen Tian, Deng Jun, and Liu Song."
Yu Gan?
With a surname like that and an unremarkable face, his prospects were bleak.
Nan Sheng remained impassive. "Noted. I’ll officially start tomorrow, so I’ll keep this brief.
"You have one day to compile a report on all work completed between Director Ou’s departure and my arrival. I’ll review it first thing tomorrow.
"Also, Revolutionary Committee work is honorable and efficient. I demand absolute obedience from my team—no slackers. Understood?"
"Yes, Director!"
After she left, the group huddled together.
"That woman seems tough…"
Yu Gan smirked. "We’ll see how tough she really is tomorrow."
A loyal lackey of the former director, he’d been left behind when Director Ou departed. Still, he held sway over the team. If the new director wanted things to run smoothly, she’d have to rely on him—otherwise, good luck getting anything done.
Nan Sheng took the bicycle home that same day. It was nearly new, and free things always smelled sweeter.
Lin Han insisted on escorting her back to the residential building before returning the borrowed bike. The compound had a shed, but bikes still needed locking—otherwise, mischievous kids would sneak them out for joyrides.
Nan Sheng went upstairs alone. As she reached her door, the woman from across the hall stepped out. Nan Sheng offered a polite smile. "Hello, I’m Battalion Commander Lin’s wife. Looks like we’re neighbors now."
Yuying knew Lin Han had remarried. She’d assumed any woman willing to be a stepmother must’ve been desperate, but Nan Sheng was surprisingly attractive.
What a shame. If only the Lins hadn’t applied for housing here—her family had long wanted to move into that larger unit. Five people crammed into two rooms was suffocating.
"Hello, sister-in-law. My name is Yuying. If you ever need anything, just let me know—I’ll help however I can. Where have you been?"
Nan Sheng didn’t want to resort to violence like she had back in the countryside, so she simply smiled and said, "I went to report for work."
Yuying’s expression instantly changed. "Report for work? Sister-in-law, you just arrived, and the leadership already assigned you a job?"
Her voice carried clearly, reaching Hua Fen downstairs, who had just stepped out to deliver some fresh greens to Nan Sheng.
