An 80s female translator was spoiled rotten by a rough and jealous man.

Chapter 246 Selfishness and Greatness

Autumn turned to winter, plunging the entire capital into a biting cold. The city was covered in silver, the moat was frozen, the bare branches were covered in frost, and even the golden tiles of the Forbidden City were weighed down by the snow.

On the eve of Chinese New Year's Eve, Meng Youyou and her father Meng Zhengping had the biggest argument in their history.

The father and daughter refused to give in to each other and argued incessantly.

"I don't care! I can let you do whatever you want with anything else, but not this." Meng Zhengping took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress his rising emotions, and said in an unquestionable tone: "I will call your department director first thing tomorrow morning."

Meng Zhengping, unusually, displayed the authoritative demeanor of a father, arbitrarily making a decision on the matter.

"Dad, please don't do this!" Meng Youyou protested vehemently. "This transfer order wasn't arranged by our superiors. I applied for it myself. I wanted to go."

"You want to go yourself?" Meng Zhengping's temples bulged with veins, and his voice suddenly rose: "Do you know what kind of place that is? What have you thought through before you say you want to go? Just because you served half a year in the border troops, you think you're fearless and dare to go anywhere?"

As Meng Zhengping tapped the table repeatedly with his bent fingers, he stood up from his chair and spoke in a forceful, rhythmic voice: "People die there every day; it's a place where you could lose your head at any moment!" He seemed afraid of not emphasizing it enough.

“Last month, when your colleague came back from there, you went to the train station with your department head to pick him up.”

"Didn't you see what that person looked like? He went there perfectly healthy, a vibrant young man, and came back with only one leg!" Meng Zhengping was so angry he almost stammered, his Adam's apple bobbing as his voice became hoarse and heavy: "And this... he's lucky to have survived."

"I saw it!" Meng Youyou's voice was firm and resolute: "Of course I saw it! That's why I wanted to go!"

“You…” Meng Zhengping pointed at her, his body trembling with anger, unable to catch his breath, and even the hand hanging in the air was shaking slightly, “You are our only daughter, your mother and I, do you want us to…” The man’s eyes were already red before he could finish speaking.

Meng Youyou looked directly into her father's eyes, which were burning brightly. She had never seen her father like this before. Although she felt a pang of pity, she still spoke righteously and firmly: "Aren't those soldiers who go to the front lines to carry guns and fight precious lives at home? Don't they have parents and relatives?"

She tried to reason with him: "Dad, didn't you also serve in wartime countries when you were young? Grandpa even went to the battlefield to fight when he was young, so why can't I go?"

"Meng Youyou, you..." Before he could finish speaking, the man braced his hands on the edge of the table, his back hunched, and began to cough violently.

Seeing this, Meng Youyou's momentum finally weakened, and she stopped arguing fiercely.

She lowered her head and waited until her father had calmed down after coughing for a while before saying softly, "Dad, I'll go out first. Please don't be angry."

Finally, he insisted on adding, "But I still hope you won't call our director tomorrow."

Having received no response from the man, Meng Youyou had no expectations for it either. Clearly, such a tense stalemate could not be resolved overnight.

As I came out of the study, I bumped into Ms. Hu Shulan, who was waiting at the door.

Meng's father intended to hide this from his wife. Today, he went to a meeting at the Foreign Affairs Office with his colleagues. After the meeting, they came out of the building together and saw that the snow on the road was thicker than it had been a few hours earlier.

My colleague joked that the car skidded on the way here and almost crashed into the roadside guardrail. Luckily, he wasn't going fast and the driver was very experienced, otherwise he would probably be in the hospital now.

The roads were slippery due to the snow, so Meng's father had already installed snow chains on his car as soon as winter arrived, thanks to Hu Shulan's careful instructions.

So, Meng Zhengping casually invited his colleagues to hitch a ride back, since they all lived in the same compound.

This colleague was one level below Meng Zhengping, but happened to be the head of the department to which Meng Youyou belonged.

The organization has numerous departments and a large number of employees, and very few people knew about the relationship between Meng Zhengping and Meng Youyou; both deliberately concealed it. After graduating from a prestigious university abroad, Meng Youyou returned to China and independently searched for and submitted her application forms, going through written tests and interviews before finally telling her father that she had been accepted.

Even if he didn't do that, she knew Meng Zhengping would never pull strings or give her preferential treatment. Father and daughter were alike in this respect; both were principled, one unwilling to help, the other indifferent. This was a stark contrast to Meng Weiguang, who was adept at forming cliques and cultivating nepotism.

However, the colleague sitting in the car was one of the few who knew the inside story. Half casually and half sincerely, he said, "Like father, like son. Xiao Meng is really good. Last week, she volunteered to go to the front line of the southern border. Many male comrades in the army hesitated and gave up on this transfer order, but she volunteered to the section chief without saying a word."

When Meng Zhengping heard the news, it was like a bolt from the blue. He subconsciously thought that his daughter was just ignorant and had not understood the dangers involved, so she signed up without thinking.

As soon as he got home, he called his daughter, who was munching on dried fruit on the sofa, upstairs to the study. Although Mr. Meng's expression wasn't exactly pleasant, he didn't show any anger and seemed quite composed.

The main reason was that I didn't want my wife to worry, and secondly, I thought that if I called my daughter into the room and talked to her properly, the matter would be dropped.

At this moment, her mother stood before her, her eyes brimming with anxiety and worry, those eyes that always held a gentle smile. She used to sweetly praise Ms. Hu Shulan for her exceptionally good skin, how well she took care of herself, and how she looked only a few years older than her.

But... the fine lines at the corners of the other person's eyes appeared even deeper due to their current tense emotions, which Meng Youyou could not ignore.

It was obvious that Ms. Hu Shulan had overheard her conversation with her father.

To be honest, at that moment, Meng Youyou's heart was not unmoved.

Is it selfish to insist on doing what you want to do, no matter how meaningful or valuable it may be, without considering the fear and anxiety of your loved ones?
They gave her her precious life, but she said she would risk it all alone.

Meng Youyou saw Ms. Hu Shulan's lips move slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but after waiting for a few seconds, she did not hear her speak.

Meng Youyou simply raised her hand and gently patted her mother's right upper arm without saying a word, then turned and went back to her room.

……

At night, the room was dark with the lights off. Meng Youyou sat on the headboard with her knees drawn up to her chest, her mind filled with a thousand thoughts, without a clear direction, yet it seemed as if she had thought through everything.

Unconsciously, her fingers twisted the hem of her fluffy pajamas, the fabric crumpling and unfolding between her fingers.

That day, not only were the section chiefs and department heads present in the meeting room, but even the director-general attended the meeting. When you encounter such a large number of attendees, it is highly likely that there is something important to discuss.

As expected, Director Guan adjusted his tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sharp and focused. When he spoke, his voice carried the characteristic composure and restraint of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, each word seemingly carefully weighed: "The recent escalation of the border situation necessitates the urgent formation of a new frontline translation team due to the needs of the war."

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the old-fashioned steel windows, casting a golden sheen on the world map on the wall directly in front of the conference room. Several red thumbtacks were pinned at the border between our country and country Y.

Director Ji, sitting to the side, cleared his throat, his face solemn, and announced to everyone: "There are three requirements. First, you must be proficient in the language of Y country or its northern dialect, especially military terminology. Second, you must have experience in translating diplomatic notes. Third..." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of everyone present, "...able to adapt to the working environment of the war zone."

The first two points are basically met by everyone sitting at this conference table today; the key point is the last one.

Director Li of the personnel department silently flipped through the neatly organized register and added an explanation as appropriate: "One-third of the translators sent to conflict areas last year were withdrawn due to injuries."

He ran his fingertips along the edge of the page and said, "Two of them... sacrificed their lives in the line of duty."

As the last four words were spoken, the air in the conference room seemed to be sucked out, the steam from the teacups on the table condensed in mid-air, and only the radiator made a soft humming sound.