Chapter 1460 - Hidden Agendas (Part 10)
"Don't get so excited, my uncrowned monarch." Cheng Yongxin turned her face aside and gently pushed Panpan away to escape her intense body odor mixed with perfume. "I still have other things I need your help with."
"No problem, Cheng-Cheng darling."
"I'd like you to help train maidservants for the transmigrators."
Panpan was immediately taken aback.
"What did you say? Forget training—how could they possibly let me anywhere near their maidservants?"
"Of course it's not the kind of training you're imagining. Didn't Ding Ding also mention it? Many transmigrators complain that their maidservants don't understand sensibility—simply put, they don't understand what they're saying. Actually, it's just a generation gap, except this one isn't measured in decades but in centuries. So this is your breakthrough point. The transmigrators will be overjoyed to have someone provide a subtle form of 'interpretation' for their maidservants—giving them a qualitative leap."
"I think I understand. You mean a magazine for maidservants?"
"Exactly." Cheng Yongxin patted Panpan's head and handed her a pastry.
"I made this myself. Try it. Although the Senate is terrified of a Catherine the Great type emerging among the maidservants, a maidservant approximating a modern young woman is something those transmigrators couldn't possibly resist—even the Executive Committee wouldn't dare openly antagonize the mass of transmigrators."
Panpan chewed the pastry while nodding continuously.
"Culture isn't really such a dogmatic thing. Just like many people don't know the true meaning behind certain folk customs, yet they enjoy them and are willing to follow them. Whether they truly understand or not, we can still get the response we want—that's enough."
"That should work. I remember that although Chinese people don't necessarily believe in religion, many girls like having church weddings. They have a romantic fondness for Christianity even though they don't understand it."
"I'll drink to your analogy."
After taking a sip of Kvass, Panpan said: "I think I understand why you dislike Du Wen so much now: she's pushed most of the transmigrators to the opposite side from us."
"Exactly. Women's rights isn't really such an aggressive thing. I'm not asking chauvinist men to change their beliefs—that's their freedom. Insisting on having some sort of label in this difficult initial stage often gets you nothing. So the first step is to instill a belief in the maidservants."
Cheng Yongxin smiled at Panpan: "We'll tell them: save your gentleness for the Chief, save your shrewdness for the Chief's enemies. Those men want maidservants that match their fantasies, so we'll give them that. When they discover that their maidservants have grown into perfect helpmates, what do you think they'll feel? And if someday other men harm the interests of their maidservants, whose side do you think they'll take?"
Panpan laughed openly. "I'll look forward to that day, Cheng-Cheng darling."
"Before that, I have a personal favor to ask."
"Just say the word, Cheng-Cheng darling. I'll definitely help."
"My maidservant—I'd like you to take her to your editorial department and let her intern on how to be a media person. More importantly, how to be a good girl."
"That's not difficult. But speaking of being a 'good girl' or 'good wife,' I know nothing about housework and don't understand Chinese arts like qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Wouldn't you be the most suitable person for such things?"
"No, no, no. She's already very good at housework—you don't need to teach her that. I'm too literary, too quiet—this era doesn't lack women like that. But you're an American girl—I've always admired your independent, free-spirited style—and you've been influenced by Chinese culture. I want her to learn from you how a lively, spirited modern woman should properly handle men—or rather, how to tame them." Cheng Yongxin giggled. "This is also part of what I'm asking you to help 'train' the maidservants in. Starting a magazine is a big undertaking that can't happen quickly. Let's start with my maidservant first."
Ji Xin got off the small train at Gaoshan Ridge Station. The tidy platform had few pedestrians. Gaoshan Ridge was a key controlled area; any naturalized citizen entering had to carry a special pass.
The place he was going was the most heavily secured "Red Alert Zone." In all the lands under Senate rule, only two locations enjoyed such treatment: "STC and Level-One Controlled Materials Storage" and the "Grand Library."
The Grand Library was a term that appeared most frequently in transmigrators' work and daily life. In conversations and documents, they mentioned or saw this term almost every day. "Apply to the Grand Library for materials," "The Grand Library definitely has relevant information"—yet most transmigrators didn't even know the exact locations of these two facilities.
The Grand Library was located at the foot of a hill on Gaoshan Ridge. The site faced the sun and was sheltered from the wind, on relatively high and dry ground. Along the mountainside was a row of reinforced concrete bunker buildings; tunnels had been excavated into the mountain to store books and documents.
Beyond the bunkers were rows of two-story brick-and-wood buildings forming multiple tightly secured courtyards. High walls, hedges, and moats surrounded them in layers. Soldiers from the Lingao Garrison Battalion patrolled day and night. There was even a permanent fire brigade stationed here, equipped with artesian wells, water pumps, and hoses salvaged from the Holy Ship.
Ji Xin was quite familiar with the Grand Library. Fragrant Fields' teaching activities required large quantities of textbooks, and the Publishing Working Group located in the Grand Library was constantly selecting and editing various teaching materials—a routine task. As a liaison, Ji Xin came here frequently.
He presented his ID card and passed through three checkpoints without difficulty, entering the Grand Library's office area. Here, thick shade blocked the sun. Looking around, he saw tall red brick walls and building after building. The courtyards were lush with flowers and trees, the environment quiet. Apart from birdsong, the surroundings were silent. It made one forget where one was.
Following the route Cheng Yongxin had described on the phone, Ji Xin walked quite a distance, passed through a narrow lane, and found a hidden small garden within the Grand Library. The little garden had been decorated with considerable petit bourgeois flair: small potted plants, handmade decorations, rattan European-style tables and chairs under the shade—it made Ji Xin feel as if he had returned to the old timeline.
"Welcome to my secret garden."
Hearing the voice, Ji Xin turned around and immediately froze.
Before meeting, he had imagined their encounter. Following his usual cautious habit, he had informed Yu Eshui of his meeting and also inquired about her specific situation. The Director had described a quintessential petit bourgeois white-collar woman straight out of the old world who, relying on her sharp tongue, seized on colleagues' mistakes and never let go—just short of saying she was a conceited brainless Jinjiang female protagonist who thought she could charm a crowd of princes and lords.
But the Cheng Yongxin who appeared before Ji Xin was nothing like that at all.
Not that she was ordinary—quite the opposite, she was dressed to the nines.
A modified-style Hanfu of obviously fine silk, short in front and long in back, the silhouette alluring while showing off shapely legs. Though the weather was too hot for most female transmigrators to keep long hair, she had styled a thick chignon and slanted through it a silver hairpin from Purple Pearl Studio. The understated silver wasn't ostentatious, but the craftsmanship was quietly luxurious.
Of course, Ji Xin wouldn't admit that for a moment he had been stunned—it was rare to see a female transmigrator dressed like something out of a fashion magazine's classical feature; anyone would be momentarily dazed.
"This outfit looks good, doesn't it? My maidservant altered it. The Lingao tailors simply couldn't understand the effect I wanted. Shangxiang is so much more clever and deft."
Ji Xin recovered and awkwardly cleared his throat, his gaze drifting to Cheng Yongxin's chignon.
"With hair this long, isn't it hot in Lingao?"
Cheng Yongxin blinked.
"Oh, you mean this? It's fake."
With that, she pulled out the silver hairpin and casually removed the thick coiled hair—Ji Xin immediately noticed it was something like a giant rubber band.
"This is a little trick for city women. Very convenient, right? But I don't have many of these left. I hope I can move somewhere further north in the future. Lingao is really killing me with this heat."
Cheng Yongxin deftly slipped the false chignon into a small bag and pinned it with the silver hairpin—her movements so quick Ji Xin felt somewhat disoriented.
"Please sit. Red tea or Kvass? Kombucha or salt soda are also available."
"Red tea will be fine."
Cheng Yongxin gestured behind her, and a maidservant also wearing modified Hanfu came over carrying a tray. A complete peach-blossom-on-water fine porcelain tea set, a plate piled high with beautiful pastries, plus the maidservant standing quietly at a discreet distance—such elaborate hospitality made Ji Xin momentarily uncomfortable.
Cheng Yongxin was satisfied with the result. She had inquired about Ji Xin through various channels beforehand and knew he lived alone for extended periods, had no maidservant, and was definitely not gay. She also knew he avoided all opportunities to stand out and had rejected offers of important positions back in the day, content to fade into obscurity teaching at Fragrant Fields. A man with no ambition. Without a woman in his daily life, lacking intimate relations, he apparently didn't think much of the hastily trained maidservants from the Administrative Office either—it seemed his heart still preferred women who fit modern aesthetic standards.
Such a man with refined taste yet living like a loser was easily bewitched by a dazzling woman, easily manipulated—just like Yang Xinwu before, whom she had persuaded with almost no effort.
A pity! she thought bitterly. It was Xiao Zishan who had ruined her plan. Though she didn't know what Director Xiao had said to Yang Xinwu, she had learned through Shangxiang that the change had occurred after Transmigrator Yang had gone to see him. This seemingly mediocre Administrative Office Director actually wielded such influence among the transmigrators. Even someone as indecisive as Yang Xinwu would seek his opinion first.
(End of Chapter)