Chapter 20: Running Oneself Ragged (Part 7)

Chapter 20: Running Oneself Ragged (Part 7)

“Just as we were young, in the prime of our youth; full of scholarly spirit, commanding with vigor.” These few lines captured the mindset of young people perfectly. However, only a minority would become great figures. Most students, once entering society, would be quickly tamed by reality, becoming the very types they had mocked during their university days. Hou Weidong had once been full of such豪情 (heroic spirit) at the college. But now, standing on the ground floor of the county government building, watching the officials hurrying past, he felt none of his former confidence.

No one glanced in his direction. He turned his back to the wall, pretending to study the propaganda photos hanging there. Einstein’s theory of relativity was truly powerful; in those few minutes, Hou Weidong felt as though an hour had passed.

Suddenly, a series of long honks echoed from outside the door. Vehicles within the county government compound rarely honked; even when they did, it was usually just a short beep. These prolonged honks signaled the arrival of an unusual vehicle.

Curious, Hou Weidong turned his head to look.

A black sedan drove into the government courtyard and stopped steadily at the building entrance. A man quickly stepped out of the front passenger seat, carrying a black briefcase. He opened the rear door and waited respectfully for the passenger to exit.

A middle-aged man in his forties stepped out. He was slightly overweight, wearing a navy blue suit and polished leather shoes. He walked forward with considerable dignity. Several people on the corridor stopped, leaning against the wall with smiles on their faces, respectfully greeting, “Good morning, County Mayor Ma.” County Mayor Ma merely nodded slightly and strode toward the corridor entrance.

By the time Hou Weidong realized the visitor was Ma Youcai, the County Mayor of Yiyang County, Ma’s figure had already disappeared around the corner. Having been rebuffed by Section Chief Zhu, Hou Weidong had been brought back to reality. He truly felt that a county mayor was a significant figure, while his classmates, who spoke of commanding with vigor, were truly naive and inexperienced.

County Mayor Ma Youcai’s demeanor was far more imposing than what appeared on television. Looking down at his own mud-caked leather shoes, a sense of inferiority rose within Hou Weidong. He suddenly felt hollow inside: In front of a county mayor, what was he, a university graduate, really?

A few minutes later, Liu Kun appeared at the stairwell entrance. He walked over to Hou Weidong and said, “Hou Weidong, I asked Section Chief Zhu. He said Secretary Zhao, who is in charge of organization and personnel, is on a business trip. The assignment plan cannot be finalized yet.” Hearing that Section Chief Zhu had not lied, Hou Weidong’s agitation subsided slightly. He asked, “Do you know when Secretary Zhao will return?”

Liu Kun shook his head. “Secretary Zhao belongs to the County Party Committee. I am not clear on his schedule. I will find time to ask Secretary Zhou.” He took out his pager and glanced at it. “I have matters to attend to. Later, I need to accompany County Mayor Li to receive guests from Linjiang County. I won’t invite you to the office today. Let’s have a proper chat as classmates another day.” Hou Weidong replied calmly, “Go ahead and handle your business. We can talk another day.”

Leaving the county government compound, it was already twelve o’clock. Hou Weidong had no desire to linger in Yiyang County town. He went to the station and bought a ticket back to Wu Hai. The bus departed at two-thirty, so he still had some time to wait. Last time, outside the Shazhou station, he had nearly gotten into trouble. This time, he was smarter. He turned away from the station and walked along the street to a small noodle shop where he often accompanied Xiaojia. He ordered two liang of hand-cut noodles and held his chopsticks, watching the noodles tumble in the boiling pot.

After taking a couple of bites, he heard a crisp female voice call out, “Hou Weidong.”

“Duan Ying.”

Duan Ying was a close friend from Zhang Xiaojia’s dormitory. Her boyfriend was on the Accounting Department’s soccer team. The four of them often went out together and were quite familiar with each other. At that moment, Duan Ying was wearing a light-colored long dress that accentuated her voluptuous figure. According to Hou Weidong’s aesthetic standards, Xiaojia belonged to the pure and innocent type, while Duan Ying was the sexy type. Liu Kun, from the same dormitory, had not once indulged in explicit sexual fantasies about Duan Ying during the late-night hours.

Seeing an old classmate, Hou Weidong proactively told the boss, “Another two liang of hand-cut noodles.”

The small noodle shop had only five tables. It was lunchtime, and every table was occupied by people sweating profusely. The shop was filled with the sound of heavy breathing as they slurped their noodles.

Duan Ying seemed to have recovered from the blow of her breakup. With a faint smile, she said, “On July 1st, you went to Shazhou with Xiaojia. Did her parents agree to your relationship?”

“Women are so gossipy. Your own matters haven’t even cooled down, yet you start caring about others’ gossip,” Hou Weidong said with self-deprecation. “We encountered a white terror. The two of us have gone underground. These days, Xiaojia’s family is keeping a tight watch on her. For now, we can only communicate through love letters. After she starts working, I will find a way to meet with her.”

The two chatted while eating.

Duan Ying raised her fingers in a delicate gesture, using her chopsticks to pick up an extremely long strand of noodle. She slowly slurped it in. Her lips were quite full, and the noodle slid smoothly into her mouth like a long snake. After eating a few bites, Duan Ying put down her chopsticks and said softly, “Former seniors used to say that graduation is the grave of love. I didn’t quite believe it. Now that it has happened to me, I finally believe it.”

The small noodle shop was filled with all sorts of people. Hou Weidong was unwilling to discuss emotional matters in such a place. He responded vaguely with a couple of sounds, finished his hand-cut noodles in a few bites, and interrupted the topic. “Duan Ying, has your work unit been finalized?”

“I was assigned to the Silk Weaving Factory.”

The climate in the Shazhou region was suitable for mulberry tree growth. Several counties, including Wu Hai, Yiyang, Linjiang, and Chengjin, regarded the sericulture industry as a pillar industry. Each county had a silk weaving factory or a silk mill, and their performance was quite good. Hou Weidong’s second sister, Hou Xiaoying, worked in finance at the Wu Hai County Silk Mill.

“My second sister, Hou Xiaoying, works at the Wu Hai County Silk Mill. She said the Yiyang County Silk Weaving Factory has the best performance. Which department are you in specifically?”

Duan Ying’s expression became somewhat distant. She said, “I studied biology, so I was assigned to the technical office. I went there for two days, but there was really nothing to do. Today is my day off.” Seeing Hou Weidong covered in sweat, she added, “Where are you going?”

Hou Weidong briefly explained his assignment situation. Duan Ying looked at her watch and said, “It’s only twelve-thirty. The sun is so fierce, and the street is too hot. Come sit in my room for a while.”

“Your room?” According to Hou Weidong’s understanding, female workers at the Silk Weaving Factory all lived in collective dormitories within the factory area. Only factory-level leaders and key mid-level cadres were eligible to live in the family quarters built in the county town. Hearing Duan Ying mention her room, he felt quite strange.

Duan Ying explained, “I have an older cousin who used to work in Yiyang. She has now been transferred to Shazhou. She has a small room in the building just ahead, and she has lent it to me.”

Leaving the small noodle shop, Hou Weidong helped Duan Ying carry a handbag containing hangers and other miscellaneous items. Upon entering the room, Duan Ying first turned on the electric fan. It was an old-fashioned pedestal fan with many stains. As Duan Ying bent over, through her collar, Hou Weidong clearly saw a glimpse of her full breasts and a bra with lace trim. He couldn’t help but recall Liu Kun’s drooling comment from the dormitory: “If I could sleep holding Duan Ying’s breasts at night, it would be a pleasure of life.”

Hou Weidong shifted his gaze away from Duan Ying and looked around the room for a while. It was an old one-bedroom apartment with walls that had turned somewhat gray. It seemed Duan Ying had put heart and soul into this small space. The walls were adorned with several stills from the TV series The Legend of White Snake, along with some decorations girls liked. Combined with the colorful clothes hanging on the wall, the room instantly gave off the warm feeling of a girl’s boudoir. There was also a small balcony. Through the bright glass of the window, one could clearly see a pair of white panties swaying gently in the wind on the balcony. Hou Weidong had excellent eyesight; he could even see that the bottom of the panties was slightly darker in color.

Duan Ying poured some juice into a glass and said, “I just moved in, so the conditions are a bit poor. I plan to buy a refrigerator next year. Then we can drink iced juice.”

Hou Weidong slowly took a sip of the juice. It was sweet and sour, with a very authentic taste. He smiled and said, “Duan Ying, you really know how to enjoy life.”

Duan Ying sighed and said, “Leaving the college, we can only rely on ourselves. I am not like you. Your father is in the police force, and your mother is a teacher. You have someone to rely on. My parents are both workers at the Linjiang County Ceramic Factory. In recent years, the factory’s performance has been poor, and it is about to close down. Their combined income is only a little over four hundred yuan. They also have to support my grandmother. My younger brother’s grades were poor. After graduating from high school, he has never had a job. He has taken the civil service exam several times but failed. He spends his days hanging out with petty hooligans from society.”

As she sighed, she walked into the inner room. When Duan Ying came out, she had changed into a casual thin silk shirt. This type of thin silk shirt was commonly worn at home and was also a welfare benefit for silk and silk weaving factories. Hou Xiaoying sometimes wore this kind of thin silk shirt at home.