Chapter 63: The Road-Building Madman (Part 17)

*Chapter 63 The Road-Building Madman (17)*

Counting from the day he left school on July 1st, Hou Weidong and Xiaojia had been apart for three months. Three months is a span of time that feels both long and short. Xiaojia had permed her hair into small curls. She wore a pink short-sleeved top and grey-white jeans, looking both casual and fashionable. This fresh appearance gave Hou Weidong, who had been living in the remote Shangqinglin, a sense of novelty.

However, from another perspective, this sense of novelty also implied a certain distance.

Seeing Hou Weidong’s face, which had turned a dark reddish-brown from the sun, Xiaojia’s eyes grew moist. “How did you get so tan? Has the road construction started?”

Hou Weidong smiled. “We’ve resolved the external issues, but now the three villages are fighting amongst themselves. It’s a mess.”

Hearing his rough language, Xiaojia burst out laughing. “Weidong, you’ve started using coarse words.”

Hou Weidong took Xiaojia’s handbag. She naturally linked her arm through his, and they walked toward the parking area for the Shangqinglin bus.

With twenty minutes left until departure, they stood in the shade outside the station waiting for the bus. Hou Weidong glanced at the large clock at the station. “The bus leaves at five. After we arrive in Qinglin Town, we still have to climb the mountain. It might be dark by the time we reach the top.”

Xiaojia looked worried. “Is Qinglin Mountain really that big? Last time you mentioned catching some highway robbers, it sounded terrifying.”

Hou Weidong reassured her. “Last time we acted together with the police station and caught several people. Safety isn’t an issue now.” He added proudly, “I had a hand in that, too.”

After chatting for a while, the initial politeness of their reunion began to fade.

Hou Weidong leaned close to Xiaojia’s ear and whispered, “Did you miss me?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you miss me?”

Seeing Hou Weidong’s ambiguous smile, Xiaojia knew exactly what he was thinking. Her face flushed red instantly. She raised her fist and lightly punched his shoulder. “You bad guy.”

Once on the bus, the cabin was filled with dust and trash. The aisle was cluttered with miscellaneous items, and the seats were old and dirty. Xiaojia leaned close to Hou Weidong’s ear and whispered, “This bus reminds me of the one Fang Hongjian rode in Fortress Besieged.”

Hou Weidong was in high spirits. “We’re so lucky. We’re riding in an antique.”

With a loud roar, the bus shuddered and pulled away from the station. The journey was slow as a snail. After leaving the city, the bus stopped at an intersection. A female ticket seller with a rough complexion stepped off the vehicle and shouted hoarsely, “Qinglin! This is the last bus! Get on if you want to go!”

Her voice was coarse, but she had great stamina. Her shouting was effective. After twenty minutes of hawking, she managed to get five more passengers on board. The people already on the bus grew impatient.

“If you keep stopping like this, it will be pitch black when we reach the town. How am I supposed to climb the mountain?”

“She’s already picked up five people. How many more does she want? Just drive.”

“Damn it, her conscience is black.”

The ticket seller, standing below the bus, couldn’t hear the curses. The driver, clearly a veteran of these routes, treated these complaints like a light drizzle and ignored them completely. Hou Weidong and Xiaojia were lost in their tender affection. As long as they were together, it didn’t matter if the bus was fast or slow.

Rocking back and forth, the bus finally arrived in Qinglin Town. The sunset had already been obscured by Qinglin Mountain. The sky was a dim white, appearing exceptionally vast and magnificent.

At the foot of the mountain, the peaks had already deepened into the night. Gusts of wind blew through, and the sound of the trees rustling resembled the waves of the sea.

Xiaojia had never seen such scenery. She was both amazed and slightly afraid. She asked Hou Weidong, “Did you bring your self-defense weapon?”

Hou Weidong nodded. “I bought a switchblade. It’s easier to carry in my pocket than the old one.”

Hou Weidong held Xiaojia’s hand with one hand and gripped the switchblade with the other. Fortunately, the moon was bright enough to illuminate the mountain path clearly. With a mix of excitement and fear, they climbed Qinglin Mountain under the moonlight. Standing at the summit, they looked back down at the valley below. The forest looked like an ocean, deep and unfathomable. They couldn’t help but feel a chill, wondering how many bandits, wild beasts, or ghosts might be hiding within.

Amidst the此起彼伏 (rising and falling) barking of dogs, Hou Weidong led Xiaojia, stepping unevenly, to the small courtyard. After climbing the mountain, Xiaojia had felt as if she had returned to primitive society. Seeing the small building, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness there’s a building. Otherwise, I really thought I had gone back to the days before liberation.”

“I wasn’t used to it when I first arrived either. But after living here for a while, I realized this quiet place is perfect for cultivating one’s character.”

Just as they reached the office door, Yang Xinchun walked out from the postal agency. Because Hou Weidong had taken over sweeping duties for her, giving her more time to run her small shop and manage the postal agency, she was grateful to him. Seeing Hou Weidong standing under the dim streetlight with a young woman, she called out loudly, “Hou Weidong, is this your girlfriend? Why are you back so late?”

Hou Weidong stopped and introduced them. “Sister Yang, this is Zhang Xiaojia, my girlfriend. Xiaojia, this is Sister Yang.”

Yang Xinchun walked closer and smiled at Xiaojia. “The conditions here aren’t great. I wonder if you’ll get used to it?” She then praised, “Hou Weidong, your girlfriend is very pretty. Do you work in Yiyang?”

Xiaojia replied, “I work in Shazhou.”

“Hou Weidong is so lucky to have found a girl from Shazhou.” Yang Xinchun said warmly, “You just climbed the mountain, right? Have you eaten? I cooked a big pot of porridge. Hou Weidong, come get a basin.”

Hou Weidong didn’t hesitate. “Thank you. I’ll come get it in a moment.”

After Yang Xinchun left, they went up to the second floor. Hou Weidong had originally wanted to introduce Xiaojia to the neighbors on the same floor, but Township Head Gao’s door was closed, and the faint sound of a television could be heard inside. So, he decided against it.

Once inside the room, Hou Weidong closed the door. He deliberately turned on the light in the front room and then led Xiaojia into the back room, leaving the lights off there.

In Hou Weidong’s embrace, Xiaojia murmured, “I missed you.”

After a long kiss, Hou Weidong and Xiaojia collapsed onto the bed. Xiaojia lay quietly. Soon, her clothes were removed. Hearing the sound of his belt unbuckling, she suddenly felt her mouth go dry.

“Keep your voice down. Someone might hear.”

Xiaojia’s slightly high-pitched moans intoxicated Hou Weidong. However, the nights in Shangqinglin were truly quiet. He urged her to lower her voice while continuing their intimacy.

Although they had not made love many times, they were extremely harmonious. When Hou Weidong felt an uncontrollable wave of pleasure approaching, Xiaojia’s body twisted rapidly. They reached their climax almost simultaneously.

After their intimate moment, Hou Weidong lay flat on the bed. Xiaojia lay on her side, like a well-behaved Persian cat.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound echoed in the room.

Xiaojia was startled. “What was that noise?”

Hou Weidong placed one hand on Xiaojia’s waist and rubbed his stomach with the other. “Climbing up and down the mountain used up too much energy. I’m hungry.”

“I’m hungry too. Did you buy anything? Get up and make something to eat.”

“We have vegetables, fish, an electric wok, and a rice cooker.”

Xiaojia acted like a virtuous little wife. She put on her clothes, went to the outer room, and started busy work. Hou Weidong wanted to help, but Xiaojia said, “Forget it. You’ll only make a mess. Just stand aside and keep me company.”

“Wow, I never expected Weidong to have pickled vegetables.”

“Don’t call me Weidong. Call me Husband.”

“Okay, okay. Husband, Husband.”

“Hey.” Hou Weidong said proudly, “I bought a jar and got some old brine from Township Head Gao’s house. I pickled ginger and chili peppers. The taste is quite good.”

Xiaojia grabbed a piece of pickled ginger and slowly chopped it. Suddenly, she turned around, her eyes shimmering. “Husband, you’ve suffered so much.”

Hou Weidong felt a bit sour in his heart, too. To lighten the mood, he joked, “Is it bitter? Think of the Red Army’s Long March of twenty-five thousand li. Are you tired? Think of the revolutionary elders. What is my suffering compared to that?”

Then, he remembered something. “I’ll go find Tian Xiuying for the keys. You can stay here tonight, and I’ll sleep at the guesthouse. This place is conservative, so we must be mindful of appearances.”

Passing through the rockery and garden in the backyard, Hou Weidong went to the mess hall and found Tian Xiuying next to Chi Ming’s room.

After explaining his purpose, Tian Xiuying raised her voice loudly. “What era is this? Your girlfriend is here, and you’re staying at the guesthouse? Can you even think of such a thing?”

Hou Weidong explained, “We aren’t married yet.”

Chi Ming heard the commotion and came out. “Yang Xinchun said your girlfriend arrived earlier. Tomorrow I’ll make steamed buns and save a few for the two of you.”

After getting the guesthouse key, Hou Weidong realized the guesthouse was on the fourth floor. He thought to himself, This is like taking off your pants to fart—unnecessary trouble. But with gossips watching, there’s no other way.

He happily carried a basin of mung bean porridge from Yang Xinchun’s house back to his room. Xiaojia looked like a proper little wife. The home-style fish was already cooked, steaming with a rich aroma. The entire room was filled with a mellow, intoxicating warmth.

*Life in Qinglin*