Volume 1, Chapter 62: Sneaking into the Haystack with a Man

Having suffered such a humiliating defeat at the mixer, Fang Yu's top priority was to find a partner and get married as quickly as possible.

She needed to prevent word from spreading about her disgraceful behavior at the gathering, lest people find out she was a teacher at Inspiration High School.

Therefore, she was here today to go on a blind date with the editor-in-chief's son, and at the same time, to add some prestigious credentials to her resume.

During her school years, she had excelled in foreign languages, and applying to be a temporary translator was meant to enrich her resume, help her qualify for professional titles, and fast-track her promotion as an exemplary teacher.

Although Fang Yu was still harboring resentment over the incident at the mixer, she still wore an arrogant expression, affectionately hooking her arm around Li Aiqing's, terrified that anyone might not know that Editor Li from the publishing house's editorial department was her relative.

Seeing another applicant for the translator position arriving behind them, Fang Yu cast a disdainful glance in that direction.

Feeling a vague sense of familiarity, she instinctively turned back to take a closer look, studying the person for a long time before she finally dared to confirm her identity.

"Su Wan? Are you Su Wan?" Fang Yu's eyes were filled with astonishment and hatred.

She saw Su Wan wearing a white cotton dress with her hair styled in a princess half-up, half-down do. Her long hair drifted gracefully, and her delicate, luminous face radiated a gentle, intellectual charm, imbued with the quiet elegance of someone deeply read in literature.

Even standing at the very back, wearing a slightly worn white dress that revealed only half of her face, she was extraordinarily captivating.

There was not a single trace of rural rusticness about her; she looked just like a young lady from a fallen aristocratic family who had recently returned from studying abroad.

Fang Yu walked directly to the back of the line to confirm her suspicions. When she saw that the person before her truly was Su Wan, and verified that there was indeed a cinnabar mole just beneath her earlobe, a wave of intense fury surged straight to Fang Yu's head.

It was just as Su Xiaohui had said—the person at the mixer was none other than this cheap slut!

"Su Wan, are you here to apply for the restroom cleaning job? This is the place for hiring translators; you are standing in the wrong line," Fang Yu said, hurling insults and mockery, her gaze locked onto Su Wan with a venomous and vicious intensity.

She had been wondering how to deal with this bitch, and here the wretch was, delivering herself right to her doorstep.

Once she got herself hired as a cleaner, Fang Yu would make sure to repay the humiliation and grievances she had suffered twofold—no, tenfold.

She would force Su Wan to kneel on the ground, strip off her clothes to scrub the floors, and clear out the cesspool with her bare hands.

Cheap sluts belonged in such lowly jobs.

"So it is Su Wan. Even if you're applying to clean toilets, there's no need to specially borrow clothes from someone else. You should have just come in your usual patched rough-cloth garments. For the sake of our acquaintance, I'll put in a word with personnel and get you hired," Li Aiqing chimed in as she walked over. Seeing that it was Su Wan, her anger flared up as well, and she offered a tight-lipped, sarcastic sneer.

The other applicants waiting for the translator position all turned their heads to watch the spectacle.

"I'm terribly sorry to disappoint you, but I am also here to apply as a translator," Su Wan said calmly, the corners of her lips curved upward slightly as she looked at the overbearing Fang Yu.

"You... Hahaha..." Fang Yu burst out laughing at Su Wan's declaration. "You're someone who only scored three points on your foreign language exam, yet you're coming to apply as a translator? Who are you trying to crack up?"

With a cold, sarcastic sneer, Fang Yu turned to the other translator applicants and announced, "She's that Su Wan who lost her grade transcript—the very same Su Wan who scored a pathetic three points in foreign language, and whose highest score in Chinese didn't even pass!"

Even if the people present hadn't seen that newspaper article, most of them had heard whispers of it. Upon hearing this, they looked at Su Wan with expressions of deepening amusement.

For someone who scored a mere three points to actually dare apply for a translator position required an astonishing level of audacity.

She looked pretty enough, but she completely lacked any self-awareness.

"Su Wan, applying for a translator position requires genuine talent and substance. You can't even recite all twenty-six English letters, yet you want to be a translator? Do you think this is like school, where as long as the Huo family pulls some strings for you, you'll automatically get hired?" Li Aiqing crossed her arms, mocking her in an exceptionally loud voice.

She wanted to make sure everyone in the second-floor office knew that Su Wan, who had scored three points in foreign language, was trying to use connections to land the translation job.

"Exactly. Su Wan, you really are indulging in wild fantasies. I don't know where you heard that the publishing house needed translators, but you came scurrying right over. Do you even have a letter of recommendation?"

Fang Yu lifted her chin, her arrogant demeanor laced with malice. "Coming from the countryside, you specially borrowed clothes and dressed yourself up like a vixen. Could it be that you're trying to bring your vulgar rural habits into the city, attempting to secure this translation job through some improper, filthy means?"

"I've heard that some country women, just to eat a mouthful of fine grain or when their fields lack farmhands, will tumble into haystacks and crawl through cornfields with men. They truly have no shame."

Fang Yu genuinely hated Su Wan enough to wish her ground to dust, especially since Su Wan could wear such a simple white cotton dress and still look so gentle and moving, with a complexion as pure and breathtakingly gorgeous as hers. Once classes started, she would undoubtedly become the campus belle adored by the entire school.

Fang Yu was consumed by a blinding jealousy.

Unable to contain herself, she hurled dirty water onto Su Wan, attempting to ruin her reputation. Only by reducing Su Wan into a universally despised, reviled, and disgraced tramp could Fang Yu feel a sliver of relief.

"Looking back three generations, who among us isn't descended from farmers? You know these details so clearly—could it be that you witnessed plenty of such things when you returned to your rural hometown, and now you want to emulate them? Perhaps the customs and local folkways differ from region to region, but in our village, such things have never happened; we've never even heard of them."

Su Wan retorted sharply.

"You... you wretched bitch..." Seething with rage, Fang Yu lunged forward, attempting to scratch Su Wan's face, but Li Aiqing held her back. After all, Fang Yu still had to go on a blind date after the application process, and making a scene would look bad.

"Are you this angry because I hit a raw nerve?" Su Wan chuckled coldly as she reached into her pocket, pulling out a letter of recommendation and holding it high. "This is a letter of recommendation given to me by Professor Xie of North China University. May I ask what university professor gave a letter of recommendation to a vocational normal school graduate like you? Could it be that you were recommended by the editor-in-chief from the editorial department standing right beside you?

"May I ask what Editor Li's educational background is, how her foreign language proficiency is, or whether she has ever been sent abroad for overseas studies and published outstanding papers domestically?"

This rapid-fire string of questions left both Fang Yu and Editor Li staring at each other in speechless embarrassment.

The applicants for the translator positions were mostly professors, teachers, or individuals recommended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who had backgrounds in language translation.

Even if they weren't all graduates of elite institutions, they had at least majored in foreign languages at university.

While a graduate of a vocational normal school was certainly commendable, their foreign language proficiency naturally could not compare to those who had majored in the subject.

Being recommended purely by a newspaper editor made it glaringly obvious that she was relying through the back door.

Moreover, a letter of recommendation from a North China University professor carried far more weight and credibility than scoring three points in a foreign language.

"Su Wan, you have a lot of nerve, daring to forge a letter of recommendation! North China University is one of the premier institutions of higher learning; how could they possibly write a recommendation letter for someone who scored three points?" Li Aiqing immediately pointed an accusing finger.

Earlier, Su Wan had put up big-character posters claiming she had lost thirty yuan of tuition money to win public sympathy; Li Aiqing hadn't expected her to pull the exact same trick again.

"True or false? We'll find out as soon as Director Miao arrives," Su Wan said smoothly.

Just as her voice trailed off, Director Miao walked in from his morning meeting, folders tucked under his arm.

Li Aiqing hurried forward, pointing at Su Wan to report the situation. "Director Miao, this Comrade Su Wan's behavior is simply appalling. I don't know where she stole a letter of recommendation from a North China University professor, or perhaps she forged it entirely. We must report this to the police immediately; such conduct cannot be tolerated."

"That's right, Director Miao, we must investigate this thoroughly. This letter of recommendation is most likely stolen, and she's trying to impersonate the person named on it to secure the translator position. Fortunately, we discovered it in time," Fang Yu chimed in hastily, reigning in her arrogance slightly.

Both of them were entirely convinced that the letter was either fabricated or stolen. How could Su Wan, a student who hadn't even finished high school, possibly be recommended by a North China University professor?

Director Miao, however, looked directly at Su Wan. "You must be Su Wan? Professor Xie mentioned you in a phone call yesterday, saying your foreign language proficiency is quite impressive."

Fang Yu and Editor Li were struck dumb. It really *was* a letter of recommendation written by Professor Xie of North China University!

Then it clicked—Commander Huo's mother was also a university professor. It was entirely possible that the Huo family had pulled strings to have this recommendation letter written.

"Hello, Director Miao. I am Su Wan." Su Wan was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected Professor Xie to actually make a phone call on her behalf, which touched her deeply.

"Director Miao, this Comrade Su Wan is the very same Su Wan who only scored three points on her foreign language exam previously. How could someone with such terrible grades possibly serve as a translator?" Li Aiqing interjected anxiously.

Sensing that Li Aiqing was implying he was accommodating someone through the back door, Director Miao's face tightened with severity. "A translator must certainly pass an evaluation before being accepted. How could anyone be hired simply because they were recommended by someone?"

This final remark was clearly intended as a veiled jab at Li Aiqing and Fang Yu.

The two of them wore deeply unpleasant expressions.

Yet, they were also eager to see how Su Wan, who had scored a mere three points in foreign languages, intended to pass the evaluation.

After reviewing everyone's letters of recommendation and previous translation samples one by one, Director Miao led the applicants into an office and instructed his secretary to bring out translation documents of varying difficulty levels.

The applicants were told to choose their translation difficulty based on their own proficiency, with the pay per thousand words varying according to the difficulty.

Generally, foreign literary works and personal autobiographies carried a relatively high degree of translation difficulty.

Foreign novels were comparatively simpler.

Fang Yu was the first to pick up a tier-one difficulty translation document. Having scored near-perfect marks in foreign languages throughout her school years, she was brimming with confidence.

Yet, upon opening the first page, she encountered an English vocabulary word in the opening paragraph that she didn't recognize, let alone understand the meaning of. With no other choice, she put it down and selected a lower tier, only to find after scanning through that she could barely manage a tier-three translation document.

Su Wan, meanwhile, examined the texts one by one from easiest to hardest before ultimately selecting the tier-one difficulty document.

Most of the other applicants chose tier-two difficulty, while a few opted for tier-one.

Seeing this, Fang Yu sneered softly. She assumed all these texts would be equally difficult for Su Wan since the girl simply couldn't understand the English vocabulary on the pages.

Once selections were finalized, everyone sat down to begin translating.

There were a thousand English words in total. Su Wan first read through the entire piece once, her mind automatically converting the text into Chinese. But she knew that the pinnacle of translation was not translating "I love you" as "Wo ai ni," but rather rendering it with deeper poetic resonance and words that could touch the human heart.

Only after deeply comprehending the essay did Su Wan begin to write. Within twenty minutes, while everyone else was still hunched over their desks frantically translating, Su Wan stood up, holding her translated manuscript, and walked straight over to Director Miao.

Director Miao had studied abroad in his earlier years. Seeing the manuscript Su Wan had translated, he rose directly from his chair, his face beaming with admiration as if he had just struck gold. He couldn't stop praising her: "Splendid, splendid, splendid! The way you've translated this passage is simply marvelous. It brings the imagery vividly to life for Chinese readers, and your choice of vocabulary is exceptionally precise."

Standing nearby, Li Aiqing wore a look of utter disbelief. She craned her neck to peek at the paper; though she couldn't read English, the translated Chinese prose possessed a natural elegance simply from its literary style alone—surpassing even the standard of her own editorial department.

Fang Yu had been stuck on several vocabulary words. Seeing that Su Wan had not only finished translating so quickly but also won continuous praise from Director Miao, she found it impossible to believe.

How could a high school sophomore's foreign language proficiency possibly surpass her own? It had to be that the Huo family had leaked the translation content to her in advance, and she had simply memorized it before coming here.

Fang Yu immediately looked toward her aunt.

Understanding the cue instantly, Li Aiqing chimed in to Director Miao, "Director Miao, as far as I know, Comrade Su Wan is merely a high school sophomore who transferred to Beiping from a county town. Even foreign language teachers from elite universities haven't managed to translate such a difficult piece, yet she translated it both quickly and well. I suspect she must have seen this article long ago and learned the translation beforehand..."

Director Miao looked displeased. These translation documents had been compiled by his secretary; was she implying that he had leaked the translation materials in advance?

Even if it had been leaked, anyone capable of translating this piece demonstrated an exceptionally high level of foreign language proficiency.

"Director Miao, could you please lend me this newspaper?"

The original owner's academic record was indeed abysmal, so Su Wan had to prove herself on the spot. Otherwise, Fang Yu and Li Aiqing would undoubtedly spread rumors afterward claiming that Professor Xie had tipped her off about the content beforehand.

Looking slightly puzzled, Director Miao handed Su Wan the newspaper that had just been published that very day.

Su Wan scanned an article reflecting people's daily lives and instantly translated it aloud into fluent English.

Her standard, fluid pronunciation stunned Director Miao and everyone else in the room.

Fang Yu was so shocked that her pen slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor as her jaw dropped wide open.

Just moments earlier, she had claimed that Su Wan couldn't even recite the twenty-six English letters, but now her face was stinging from the metaphorical slaps.

Although Li Aiqing didn't understand foreign language, hearing Su Wan translate without a single pause made it clear that her English proficiency was extraordinary.

"Editor Li, this newspaper was just published today. There shouldn't be any possibility of someone translating it beforehand and me simply memorizing it, right?" Su Wan finished translating, smoothly switched back to Chinese, and asked with a gentle smile.

"Editor Li, do you still have any questions? A person's knowledge cannot be measured solely by their educational background. The fact that Professor Xie of North China University personally recommended Su Wan demonstrates absolute confidence in her abilities," Director Miao added, turning his gaze toward Li Aiqing.

Li Aiqing was struck entirely speechless, left completely dumbfounded. Aside from shock, the look she cast Su Wan was akin to seeing a ghost.

She simply couldn't understand it: Su Wan's grade transcripts clearly showed her academic standing, and her head teacher's evaluation had explicitly labeled her as an incorrigible underachiever and problematic student.

As for Fang Yu, her complexion looked as unsightly and furious as if she had swallowed feces.

It was already unacceptable to her that Su Wan was prettier and had a better figure than she did.

Now, with Su Wan possessing such formidable foreign language proficiency and fluent spoken English, any school she applied to would fight over themselves to recruit her.

The extreme imbalance in her heart, coupled with her shattered pride and ego, made Fang Yu want to shred the manuscript in her hands to pieces.

Delighted and eager to cherish such talent, Director Miao led Su Wan to his private office, leaving his secretary behind to handle the rest.

Then, unable to contain his excitement, he immediately dialed a phone number to reach Xie Bailing: "Professor Xie, the Comrade Su Wan you recommended to me is simply outstanding! High-level translators like her are precisely what we urgently lack right now. I am truly grateful to you. Whenever you have free time, I must invite you out for a meal."

On the other end of the line, Xie Bailing was equally surprised and delighted. Hearing that Su Wan had translated a top-tier literary work, she felt deeply validated in her judgment.

Translating a tier-one literary piece paid fifteen yuan per thousand words, meaning translating ten thousand words would yield one hundred and fifty yuan. If Su Wan worked efficiently, she could earn a month's salary of Xie Bailing's son in roughly two days.

At this rate, with proper cultivation and nurturing, Su Wan would undoubtedly become a prominent translator in the future.

Such an exceptional young woman was someone she simply had to introduce to her son.

She refused to let such talent go to waste merely because of Su Wan's rural origins.

With her heart racing with excitement, Xie Bailing hurriedly wrapped up the work at hand and set off toward the military district hospital.