QTIMP -Chapter 76 Character Persona – Lazy (Part 24)

“I can understand the review,” she said. “Brother, since you specifically reminded me about it, does that mean more translation work will be needed afterward?”

Hearing this, the old man gave her an approving look and took a satisfied sip of tea.

“They reported to me that although Comrade Si Qiu only translated a very small portion, thanks to her English foundation, her wording was precise and rigorous. It even faintly shows that her ability isn’t inferior to that of professional translators.”

A smile appeared at the corner of Lu Xianzhong’s mouth. “Xiao Hong has already said that girl is sweet-tongued and knows how to handle people, she just enjoys life a bit too much. I didn’t expect the child to have this kind of ability. Looks like my eldest really has good fortune and sharp judgment—he picked the very best right away.”

The old man also smiled. “She’s still a young girl, after all—eight or nine years younger than the eldest. It’s perfectly normal for someone her age to like playing around and making noise. I’ve also saved up some ration tickets here. Later you can take them and mail them to them. Your mother and I both have security after retirement. What else are we saving these things for if not for the younger generation to spend?”

“Then I’ll thank you on their behalf. Did you and Mom use the ginseng we brought back last time? The eldest already wrote to the Northeast asking them to continue collecting some. You and Mom mustn’t be reluctant to use it. My elder brother and my father-in-law aren’t in great health either. When the next batch comes back, just give them some. You don’t need to worry too much.”

“Alright, alright. Hongjun really does things carefully—he takes after me in that respect, unlike you, always so rash. Oh right, how many months pregnant is the second son’s wife now?”

“Almost seven months.”

The two of them chatted all the way until it was time to eat before finally finishing their conversation.

When they were leaving, the old lady handed Wang Hong an envelope. “Take this back and give it to your two daughters-in-law to nourish themselves a bit. Life is better now—unlike in our time. Don’t treat yourselves poorly.”

The two of them didn’t refuse. After taking the things, they got back into the car and left. When they returned home, Lu Xianzhong briefly explained the situation to his wife.

After listening, Wang Hong looked a little excited. “See? I told you the eldest daughter-in-law is a good one.”

“Alright, alright. I never said she wasn’t!”

Five days later, just as Si Qiu thought her life had returned to normal, she was taken to the research institute again. This time, besides the original staff, there was also an additional old man present.

The old man was thin, with completely white hair and thick glasses. Yet he didn’t appear stiff at all—when he smiled, he even carried a trace of cultured wisdom.

“Oh? So this is Comrade Si Qiu, the one who did the translation before? You look quite spirited—and rather well-fed.”

Si Qiu’s good impression of him vanished the moment she heard the words well-fed. “My appearance belongs to a time of national peace and prosperity. It absolutely cannot be called fat.”

Hearing her defense, the old man froze for a moment and then burst out laughing.

“Yes, yes, a look of national peace and prosperity. Not fat, not fat—this old fellow just doesn’t know how to speak properly.”

With him answering so straightforwardly, Si Qiu instead felt a little embarrassed. Tugging at the strap of her bag, she said, “Well… it’s not that either. I know calling me well-fed is meant as a compliment. But I still think ‘national peace and prosperity’ sounds nicer.”

The old man laughed again. “Old Wang is such a serious person—how did his grandson’s wife end up so… flexible?”

He paused for a moment before saying the last two words.

Director Shen on the other side was already getting anxious, but he didn’t dare urge them.

Si Qiu could only bring the conversation back to the main matter. “You brought me here today mainly to translate documents again, right? What exactly needs to be translated this time?”

Finally getting to the main point, Director Shen let out a sigh of relief. Seeing that aside from himself and Comrade Yu from security, only the two translators remained in the room, he spoke directly.

“This time we’re still focusing on translating that document. Elder Yu also tried translating it and compared it with the section you translated earlier.”

“Elder Yu said your translation is actually a bit more accurate than his.”

“At least when it comes to the technical terminology related to that subject, my usage isn’t as precise as yours.” As he spoke, he removed his glasses and carefully wiped them with a handkerchief.

“I’m an old diplomat,” he continued. “I understand foreign languages, but I know far less about specialized terminology.”

“But after hearing both your and Director Shen’s judgments, I support your conclusion. A few old friends of mine and I also studied it. The person who wrote these materials probably recorded them secretly, which is why they used another language. However, their habitual wording makes the translation very troublesome. We had a few experts in the field verify parts of it, and they all said that your translation is more accurate.”

“So, young lady, you don’t need to have any worries. Just continue translating according to your own abilities. Of course, I’ll also follow along and help with the revisions.”

Si Qiu quickly reached out and held Elder Yu’s hand. “You’ve worked hard, sir. I’m young and inexperienced, so I hope you’ll guide me more.”

Right now, she wasn’t hoping to earn merit—only to avoid mistakes. With someone helping revise the work, there was also someone to share the responsibility. After all, this document carried a very heavy burden, and with her small frame, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to carry it alone.

After this coordination meeting, more than an hour had already passed. Si Qiu returned to her seat and continued translating. She had assumed that after she finished translating each page, Elder Yu would take it and revise it.

But instead, the two of them translated at the same time, then compared the differences in their translations, discussed them, and re-examined the context to redefine the meaning.

This method was slow and sometimes led to disputes, but Elder Yu was actually very easy to communicate with. He wasn’t the rigid, old-fashioned type Si Qiu had imagined before.

On the contrary, the old man was quite humorous, very willing to listen to suggestions, and even humbly asked for advice. When Si Qiu sought guidance, he never hesitated to teach her.

He also frequently quoted classics and historical examples, making the discussion deeply engaging.

“You need to think from the perspective of the person who wrote these materials. So this word should be interpreted like this.”

“Elder Yu, your experience is far beyond ours,” Si Qiu said as she recorded the translated word.

“You little girl really have a sweet tongue,” the old man chuckled.

“Right now my tongue isn’t just sweet—it’s also greedy. Let’s hurry and go eat. My stomach is already growling.”

Si Qiu also discovered something: this old man was a workaholic. That didn’t fit her carefully crafted persona at all—she had no intention of working herself to exhaustion.

The old man glanced at his watch. “It is getting late. But you’ve been talking nonstop all morning—how are you hungry so quickly? Your generation really has it easy!” he muttered, though he still picked up his lunchbox.

“Elder Yu, those were just little snacks. Without them, with such intense mental work, I would’ve fainted long ago.”

As soon as the two of them stepped outside, they saw someone waiting at the door—probably the old man’s assistant or something. The young man looked quite shocked at first, but quickly recovered and followed as the three of them headed toward the cafeteria.

Other people in the research institute smiled and nodded when they saw them, but none approached to talk. They had probably been warned beforehand.

After getting their food and sitting down, it wasn’t suitable to talk about work. So Elder Yu asked about Si Qiu’s personal background.

“Comrade Xiao Qiu, where did you work before this?”

“At the supply and marketing cooperative in our military district,” Si Qiu replied.