Chapter 89: It Is All the Ways of the World

The next day, Tang Banxia went with Team Leader Hu to the commune.

They met with Secretary Yu and the propaganda officer.

Secretary Yu extended his hand. “Comrade Tang, we meet again.”

Tang Banxia gave a gentle smile. “Secretary Yu, we meet again.”

Secretary Yu studied her seriously. “Comrade Tang really was not boasting. You have done all the things you promised me back then. It seems I was the one who had been biased.”

Tang Banxia replied with polite tact. “You are being too modest, Secretary Yu. You were only looking out for my husband. There was simply a misunderstanding between us.”

Team Leader Hu listened from the side. “Comrade Tang, you and Secretary Yu have met before?”

Before Tang Banxia could answer, Secretary Yu spoke first. “It was about that barefoot doctor last time. This young woman came straight to me herself. I remember her very clearly.”

Tang Banxia said a little embarrassedly, “I was reckless then. It was fortunate that Secretary Yu did not hold it against me.”

“Not at all. I was the one whose vision was clouded by a single leaf.” Secretary Yu was not a petty man. “Thinking about it now, it was thanks to Comrade Tang’s boldness, otherwise a talent would have been buried.”

“You flatter me, Secretary Yu.” Tang Banxia remained modest. “What talent could I possibly be? I only happened to find a clever way.”

“No, no, you are being too humble.” Secretary Yu had water brought over for them. “I have read that little booklet you wrote. Much of it is about things ordinary people encounter in daily life.”

“I also had a doctor look it over. Your booklet has very high practical value. Once it is widely circulated, the people will be able to suffer a little less.”

At last Team Leader Hu found a chance to speak. “Exactly. If Comrade Tang hadn’t said it, who would have thought spinach and tofu couldn’t be eaten together—what was that thing called?”

“Stones,” Tang Banxia gently corrected.

Team Leader Hu slapped his thigh. “Right, stones.”

Secretary Yu listened with a smile.

Team Leader Hu said, “Comrade Tang’s booklet really helped us a great deal.”

Secretary Yu nodded. “Comrade Hu is right. The common people have it hard. They have no concept of these things at all. It is all thanks to Comrade Tang for thinking of it. That shows she truly keeps the people in her heart.”

Tang Banxia lowered her head shyly, though in truth she was hoping this pleasantry would pass quickly. When would they get to the real business?

Fortunately, everyone there was practical. After a round of mutual praise, they got to the point.

“This is Comrade Lin from the propaganda office.” Secretary Yu introduced the woman beside him, pointing at the propaganda officer. “She works in the propaganda department. For everything related to this common-knowledge booklet, you can discuss it with her.”

“Hello, Comrade Tang.” Comrade Lin extended her hand.

Tang Banxia shook it politely. “Hello, Comrade Lin.”

“Then shall we begin?” Tang Banxia asked.

Comrade Lin was a bespectacled young woman. Because of the booklet, she already had a very good impression of Tang Banxia, and seeing her so straightforward only improved it. “Yes.”

The two of them did not avoid Secretary Yu or Team Leader Hu. They pulled over two stools, sat down, and began discussing the matter at once.

Comrade Lin said, “There’s no problem with the booklet itself. My suggestion is that it would be better with some pictures. That way even people who cannot read would understand it.”

Tang Banxia agreed readily. “But if we add pictures, the cost will go up. Will ordinary people still be able to afford it?”

Comrade Lin wanted to make everything perfect, but she had forgotten to consider the current national situation. Now that Tang Banxia had pointed it out, she accepted it quickly. “You’re right. I didn’t think it through.”

Still, she said, “Text alone will not only look dull, but most people in the countryside do not know many characters. The effect will be greatly reduced.”

Tang Banxia had long since considered this problem. “We can make two editions. One would be the illustrated version you mentioned, and one would be pure text. Then people can choose freely.”

“That won’t do.” Comrade Lin refused. “If we do that, everyone will definitely buy the text version, and no one will buy the illustrated one.”

Tang Banxia froze. Right—she had forgotten that times were hard. With two versions of the same thing, everyone would certainly buy the cheaper one. Even if the cheaper one was not as refined, the effect would be the same, and no one would want to spend extra money for nothing.

She had automatically brought over a marketing strategy from her previous life.

She gathered herself. “That’s true. I didn’t think of that.”

The two of them went back and forth, their discussion lively and intense.

Secretary Yu and Team Leader Hu sat to the side listening, watching the two young women’s minds collide. The admiration in their eyes only deepened.

By noon, Tang Banxia and Comrade Lin’s debate was nearly over.

Comrade Lin pushed up her glasses and turned a page. “Then let’s do it this way.”

“Print all of it as a text edition, with pinyin. Then print a few sheets that are pictures only. Those don’t need to be bound into a booklet—just print them as a large single sheet. That should make the cost about the same.”

Tang Banxia said, “Then I’ll leave the rest to you, Comrade Lin.”

Comrade Lin shut her notebook with a snap. “It’s no trouble. It’s what I should do.”

Then she stood up and extended her hand. “Let’s introduce ourselves properly. My name is Lin Yu.”

Tang Banxia smiled as well. “My name is Tang Banxia.”

The two smiled at each other, both carrying admiration for the other.

Seeing this, Secretary Yu asked, “Have you finished discussing things?”

Comrade Lin answered with formal precision, “The general outline has been decided. The rest are only minor details.”

Secretary Yu looked at his watch. “Then shall we have lunch and continue?”

“Good.”

Secretary Yu then took the three of them to the commune canteen for lunch.

Coincidentally, it was Friday, the day the canteen served meat dishes. Tang Banxia did not stand on ceremony and got herself a serving of pork belly stewed with pickled cabbage, along with two corn cakes.

When they returned with their trays, a glance around showed that everyone had meat dishes in their bowls. Secretary Yu smiled and explained, “It’s only once a week. We can’t miss it.”

Team Leader Hu was eating with a face full of delight too. The commune really did have good treatment.

After lunch, Tang Banxia discussed the smaller details with Lin Yu again.

They were truly tiny details—how the pages should be laid out, the size of the paper for the booklet, the spacing between characters, and so on.

None of it was hard to decide. As long as it was comfortable, that was enough.

Even so, by the time they finished discussing everything, the sun had already begun to sink westward.

Tang Banxia and Team Leader Hu then returned to the village.

Before leaving the village, however, Tang Banxia made an appointment with Lin Yu to come find her again next time she visited the commune.

After a full day of discussion, Comrade Lin’s impression of Tang Banxia had improved even more, to the point that she was almost ready to regard her as a confidante on the spot.

Tang Banxia did not dislike her either. Making such a friend would be a fine thing.

On the road back to the village, Team Leader Hu hummed a little tune the entire way. “Comrade Tang, I really have to thank you.”

With Tang Banxia around, their village was visibly improving, and as the team leader he had more face as well.

Moreover, Secretary Yu had quietly told him today that once the matter of the common-knowledge booklet was settled, his position might also shift a little. In the future, Old Hu would be one of the people eating the commune’s rice.

All of that was thanks to Comrade Tang.

Tang Banxia said, “You’re making too much of it. This is only what I should do.”

It was a win-win matter. She would provide benefits to the village, and the village would protect her.

Besides, her work on the common-knowledge booklet was also partly to build her reputation. In this era, a good name weighed more than heaven itself. With a good reputation, many things would go more smoothly.

After the booklet matter was settled, Tang Banxia turned her attention to the two patients at home. But those two spent all day bickering, leaving her emotionally and physically exhausted. It would be better to find something for them to do.