Chapter 235: Leave (Part 2)

A few minutes later, Old Liu drove the car over from the Shazhou Hotel.

Zhu Yan climbed into the vehicle, leaning his head back against the seat with his eyes half-closed, projecting an air of profound exhaustion.

After seeing Zhu Yan into his room, Hou Weidong was just about to wish him goodnight when Zhu Yan spoke up. "My luck has been terrible tonight; I’ve lost a fortune. Do you have any cash on you? Three or four thousand would do. I need to make a trip back to Lingxi."

Hou Weidong had twenty thousand yuan of public funds on his person, having already handed over ten thousand. He withdrew the remaining cash, separated a stack, and handed it to Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan casually tossed the money aside and said with concern, "It’s hard work being my secretary. You have endless tasks every day." He had originally intended to add, "Sometimes even legitimate official business has to be handled through back channels." But since Hou Weidong was still new to the role, he swallowed those complaints.

Hou Weidong couldn’t think of a clever response. Unwilling to appear overly sycophantic in front of Zhu Yan, he answered honestly, "I’ve learned a great deal following Secretary Zhu. This is experience that textbooks simply cannot replace."

Zhu Yan didn’t pursue the topic further. "I’m returning to Lingxi tomorrow. You stay here in Shazhou to keep your wife company. I’ll be back around six o’clock on Sunday afternoon."

Downstairs, Old Liu was sitting on the bed watching TV. Hou Weidong, bursting with joy, tossed a pack of cigarettes to him. "Secretary Zhu is heading back to Lingxi tomorrow and will return on Sunday. I’ll be waiting for you both here in Shazhou."

Seeing Hou Weidong’s enthusiastic demeanor, Old Liu joked, "I can drive you back. A short separation makes the heart grow fonder, but take it easy. Don’t break the bed." Hou Weidong and Old Liu were quite close. He replied, "My bed has been reinforced. It’s incredibly sturdy. No matter how we toss and turn, it won’t break."

After exchanging a few more playful remarks, Old Liu followed Hou Weidong downstairs. Old Liu was a veteran of the Chengdu Auto Transport Corps, possessing excellent driving skills and a sincere personality. Two years prior, his son had been granted special approval to enlist and had since passed the entrance exams for a military academy. Old Liu was deeply grateful to Zhu Yan and drove for him with great dedication. Noticing that Zhu Yan always brought Hou Weidong along, he knew Hou Weidong was destined for officialdom and thus made every effort to build a good relationship with him. Although his son was attending military school, he would eventually return, and who knew if he might one day need to seek assistance from Hou Weidong?

Looking at the neat, bright streetlights, Hou Weidong remarked, "Shazhou is brighter at night than Yiyang. That’s also a sign of whether a city is developed."

Old Liu, a realist, considered the practical side. "With so many lights burning so brightly, I wonder how much electricity that costs. Yiyang’s economic strength isn’t comparable to Shazhou’s."

When they arrived at the entrance of the Xinyue Building, Hou Weidong could barely contain his excitement. Standing at the door, he suppressed his joy and called Xiaojia in a tone of exaggerated regret.

"Sigh, I probably won’t be able to come back this week either."

Xiaojia was busy playing mahjong, holding the phone against her cheek with her face. She complained, "I knew you wouldn’t be back. Next month, I’m going to Shanghai for training. No matter what, you must take a few days off to make up for the lost time." Hearing her complaints and the clatter of mahjong tiles filling the room, Hou Weidong’s face lit up with a smile. He continued in a regretful voice, "There’s too much work at the unit these days. It’s very difficult to get leave approved."

Xiaojia’s voice rose. "If you won’t take leave, fine. Just don’t come to Shanghai in the future."

Several of her mahjong partners looked up at Xiaojia.

Hou Weidong spoke firmly, "Don’t be so unreasonable. Why shouldn’t I be allowed to come to Shanghai? Is Shanghai your private property?" With that, he hung up the phone.

Xiaojia had been joking, but this time she was genuinely annoyed. She carelessly threw a tile onto the table, which happened to complete her opponent Sister Zhao’s winning hand.

Director Xie advised, "Xiao Hou is serving as the secretary to the County Party Secretary; he must be very busy. You need to understand."

Hou Weidong listened at the door for a moment, then quietly opened it. The mahjong room Xiaojia had set up had air conditioning, so the main door was closed. He changed his shoes and knocked formally.

Xiaojia had been pouting, but upon hearing the knock, she immediately connected it to Hou Weidong’s bold attitude on the phone and realized he had returned. Holding a towel in her hand, she swung it hard at him as he walked in with a mischievous grin.

The women playing mahjong were all acquaintances: one was Sister Zhao, the wife of Su Mingjun; another was Deputy Director Xie from the Garden Management Bureau; and the third was an older colleague from Xiaojia’s office at the Construction Commission. As soon as Sister Zhao saw Hou Weidong, she laughed, "Hou Weidong is back. It seems our all-night plan has been ruined."

Director Xie pushed the tiles on the table aside. "We should go. We don’t want to disturb the newlyweds’ intimacy." She drew out her words, "Xiaojia, turn down the air conditioning temperature. Don’t catch a cold." This was a common joke in Shazhou, implying that newlyweds tossing and turning in bed might kick off their blankets and catch a chill. Director Xie, in her forties, was always open with her speech. Seeing Xiaojia’s youthful face, she offered this gentle tease.

Xiaojia’s face flushed slightly. "Director Xie, Sister Zhao, Sister Zhang, I’m really sorry. Hou Weidong didn’t say he was coming back."

The women, having seen their share of life’s ups and downs, laughed and chatted as they left the room.

Hou Weidong hurriedly said, "Hou Weidong will drive everyone home."

"I didn’t drive back today. I came back in Old Liu’s car."

Director Xie waved her hand. "No need. We’ll take taxis. It’s very convenient."

Hou Weidong and Xiaojia still insisted on seeing Director Xie and Sister Zhang downstairs, then rushed to pay for their taxis. Once the taxis left, Xiaojia was already linking her arm through Hou Weidong’s as they entered the building lobby, avoiding the gaze of the security guard. Xiaojia pinched Hou Weidong hard. "Who told you to trick me?"

Inside the apartment, Hou Weidong lifted Xiaojia into his arms. "Let me feel you. Have you gained any weight?" Xiaojia winced at the sting of his stubble. "Go take a shower. How long has it been since you shaved?" Hou Weidong touched his hard beard stubble. "I shaved yesterday morning, but it’s already grown back. There’s no help for it; my body is just too healthy."

"Ah, be gentle. You’re just showing off."

"You relax too."

The night was filled with boundless spring colors.

The next day, sunlight shone directly onto the windowsill, making a money tree in the corner of the room sparkle. Xiaojia opened her eyes, resting her head on Hou Weidong’s arm. "Husband, while I’m in Shanghai for the next two years, you must behave yourself."

Since marrying Xiaojia, Hou Weidong had had no relations with other women outside, except for Duan Ying. However, the incident with Duan Ying remained a thorn in his heart, preventing him from making absolute promises. "You must believe me. Men like me are hard to find these days. Look at the increasing number of red-light districts everywhere; it shows how many men are cheating."

As he spoke, Hou Weidong warned himself internally: "Previously, as a low-level township cadre, I was more like a businessman than an official. Occasional indiscretions outside wouldn’t have been a major issue. But now, following Zhu Yan, my future looks bright. I must be careful about my reputation and absolutely cannot stumble on personal matters."

Thinking of Duan Ying’s devilish figure, he felt a pang of reluctance. Eventually, he gritted his teeth and decided, "I must cut the Gordian knot and sever the threads of affection. I can’t let Duan Ying become a ticking time bomb."

Xiaojia had no idea how many thoughts were racing through Hou Weidong’s mind. She turned to her side, feeling the strong, steady beat of his heart. She felt that this harbor was so warm and secure, and said contentedly, "When I return from Shanghai, we’ll have a baby. By then, my mother can take early retirement, and the child won’t hold us back."

Hou Weidong got out of bed. "It’s rare to have both Saturday and Sunday off. How shall we spend the day? Being the masters of our own time is truly pleasant."

Xiaojia rolled over, propping her chin on her elbow, forming a complete arc from the back of her neck, along her back, to her hips. "Actually, given our financial situation, we could live much more comfortably. Why did you have to become a low-level secretary? Minister Su had long promised to transfer you to the Organization Department. If you went to the Shazhou Organization Department, your prospects would be just as bright."

She had thought about this question many times and wanted to ask Hou Weidong for his true feelings today.

Hou Weidong, wearing only athletic shorts, began doing push-ups by the bedside. He moved quickly, completing over thirty reps before springing up from the floor. "Although I’ve been staying up late recently, my physical condition is still fine. Every time Secretary Zhu stays up late, he takes a short nap in the car."

After saying this, he answered Xiaojia’s question seriously. "From my perspective, entrepreneurs will eventually become the mainstream of society, but that process may take a long time. Currently, society is still government-led, especially in inland areas like ours. Government officials who hold power have a more direct role in driving social progress. I am currently the secretary to the County Party Secretary, and the opportunities are good. I want to climb higher."

He added with self-deprecation, "If the path to officialdom doesn’t work out, I can always retreat to business. After all, we are already part of the bourgeoisie."

Xiaojia said with a hint of jealousy, "Apart from the quarry, you only have shares in Jinggong Group. Are you really that confident in Li Jing?"

Hou Weidong replied, "What’s wrong with you today? You’re so jealous. I’m not as fickle as you think. My relationship with Li Jing is purely business."

Xiaojia said softly, "Why am I jealous? Because I’m going to Shanghai for two years. You are the kite. No matter how high you fly, the string must remain in my hands."

The couple chatted about trivial matters, then went to the bathroom together to brush their teeth and wash their faces. Xiaojia fried some eggs, fetched milk and Ling pickled mustard greens, and the two ate heartily in the living room. Looking at the pickled mustard greens, Hou Weidong thought of the main product of the Yiyang Local Products Company, "Copper Bacteria," and asked, "How are the sales of Shazhou’s Copper Bacteria canned goods and pickles?" Xiaojia curled her lip. "Who eats that stuff nowadays? The quality is too poor. It’s long been eliminated."

Thinking of the博弈 (game of strategy) between Zhu and Ma regarding the Yiyang Local Products Company, he became lost in thought.

"Where are we going this morning?"

"I was planning to go to my parents’ house for a meal."

"Did you call to let them know?"

"No."

Hou Weidong said, "In that case, we’ll go early tomorrow morning, buy some groceries, and have lunch there. For lunch today, let’s go to my brother’s house."