Chapter 57 The Road-Building Madman (Part 10)
The damp banknotes were spread out on the table to dry. To prevent the wind from scattering them, the door remained closed, and the fan was turned off, making the room stiflingly hot.
Hou Weidong drank cool water, but large beads of sweat still rolled down his face, soaking his hair.
Duan Ying picked up a clean towel, intending to hand it to him. As she approached, the scent of his masculine sweat hit her. Suddenly, she remembered the tent she had seen that morning. A flush of panic rose in her chest, and a blush spread across her cheeks.
After wiping his sweat, Hou Weidong prepared to go to the bathroom to wash the towel. Duan Ying reached out to take it, saying gently, "Let me do it."
Hou Weidong pulled the towel back slightly. "I'll do it myself. No need to be polite."
He walked into the bathroom and saw a basin under the faucet, filled with bras and panties. He hesitated for a moment, then lifted the basin and placed it under the sink. Turning on the tap, he felt the cool tap water on his hands. Glancing back, he saw Duan Ying sitting in the small hall. He took off his short-sleeved shirt, then his undershirt, and used the towel to wipe the sweat from his body.
After Hou Weidong entered the bathroom, Duan Ying sat for a while before suddenly remembering her underwear was still soaking in the basin. She hurried into the bathroom and caught sight of Hou Weidong wiping his bare back. His muscles were well-defined, broad at the shoulders and tapering down, radiating a rugged masculinity.
Her heart beat faster, and an inexplicable tenderness filled her. Her ex-boyfriend had been a handsome young man, even more good-looking than Hou Weidong, but he lacked this raw, masculine aura.
Hou Weidong turned around and saw Duan Ying standing at the door. He smiled. "It feels so much better without the undershirt. I’ll never wear one of these again, even if you beat me to death."
Duan Ying’s lips curved into a smile, which then shifted into an indescribable expression. Suddenly, she lunged forward and hugged Hou Weidong tightly.
Hou Weidong was a young man in the prime of his life. Deep down, he knew this was wrong, but his subconscious and body craved Duan Ying’s softness. After a brief internal struggle, he hugged her back with force.
The softness against his chest made him hard.
Duan Ying closed her eyes slightly, tilted her face up, and whispered, "Kiss me."
Hou Weidong’s body completely betrayed his mind. He kissed Duan Ying deeply.
After a passionate kiss, both eagerly reached out, their hands roaming over each other’s bodies. Duan Ying’s shirt buttons were all undone, her bra pulled up, exposing her full breasts.
The moment they fell onto the bed, Hou Weidong suddenly snapped back to reality. It seemed as if Xiaojia was standing in some corner of the roof, her eyes clouded with sorrow. Hou Weidong released Duan Ying, whose clothes were in disarray. He bit his lip hard and said with difficulty, "Duan Ying, I’m sorry."
Half of Duan Ying’s chest was exposed. Her nipples, stimulated by the previous moments, were particularly red and erect. From Hou Weidong’s eyes and actions, she sensitively guessed his thoughts. She pulled her clothes up, covered her face with her hands, and several tears, mixed with sweat, slid down her palms.
Hou Weidong dared not look at Duan Ying again. He feared that if his willpower wavered, he might commit to something even more intense.
After a while, Duan Ying regained her composure. She sat up, adjusted her clothes at the head of the bed, and looked at the embarrassed Hou Weidong. She proactively changed the subject. "Have you made an appointment with that engineer?"
"Yes. He’s waiting for me at the bureau."
Duan Ying sighed inwardly. Her gaze lingered on Hou Weidong’s broad shoulders for a few seconds before she said, "Let’s collect the money. It’s hot, so it should be dry by now."
They walked to the table. Duan Ying carefully collected the money note by note and handed it to Hou Weidong.
As he was about to leave, Hou Weidong summoned his courage. "Duan Ying, I’m sorry."
Duan Ying said self-deprecatingly, "It’s not your fault." She paused and added, "I have a small request."
Seeing Duan Ying’s serious expression, Hou Weidong’s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly asked, "What request?"
"Neither of us is from Yiyang, yet we stayed here. We are destined to be connected," Duan Ying said softly. "If, I mean if there is a possibility, please give me a chance."
Women in society, due to their gender, often see reality more clearly than men. Duan Ying did not have high hopes for Hou Weidong and Zhang Xiaojia’s marriage. The distance between Shazhou and Yiyang was an obstacle they would find hard to overcome. Therefore, she boldly expressed her feelings to Hou Weidong.
Carrying Duan Ying’s passion and resentment, Hou Weidong left the small house. He forced himself not to look back. Even after walking far, he could still feel Duan Ying’s gaze following him.
At the Transportation Bureau, Hou Weidong pushed aside his indescribable emotions. Like underground workers, he and Liu Wei met in a corner of the bureau courtyard, surrounded by green trees. Liu Wei took the thick stack of RMB, counted it carefully, and showed a hint of embarrassment. He rubbed his hands and said enthusiastically, "Hou Weidong, you keep your word. From now on, whenever you need me for road construction, I’m at your call. I can discuss the organization of construction with the work teams."
He tucked the money into his chest pocket, squatted by the wall, picked up a stone, and casually drew a few lines. "The terrain of Qinglin Mountain is steep, and the road is not easy to build. There are three places with high construction difficulty. Before starting work, give me a call, and I’ll come over to discuss the construction organization in detail."
When talking about engineering, Liu Wei, usually a plain man, suddenly came alive. From the route from Lower Qinglin to Upper Qinglin, he knew exactly where the hidden water was, where the hard rock layers were, and where retaining walls were needed. He listed them all like the back of his hand. As the saying goes, a man focused on his work is the most charming. At this moment, Liu Wei spoke with confidence, sweeping away his usual ordinariness, which made Hou Weidong look at him with new respect.
After giving a general overview, Liu Wei said, "The drawings are under someone else’s name and are not in the office. Come home with me to get them."
Following Liu Wei, they walked down a few streets. Liu Wei instructed, "This is the Transportation Bureau staff quarters. I left the drawings at home. Wait a moment, I’ll be down shortly."
Hou Weidong waited below the staff quarters. After a while, he saw a familiar figure walking out of the Transportation Bureau courtyard.
"Hou Weidong, what are you doing here?" Liu Kun walked out of the courtyard, his hair messy, eyes bloodshot, and smelling of alcohol.
"Waiting for someone?"
Hou Weidong felt strange. "Liu Kun looks like he’s been drinking. Why is he sleeping in the Transportation Bureau courtyard? Does he have a girlfriend?"
Just as he was about to make a joke, Liu Kun spoke up. "I’ve been running around with County Mayor Ma on transportation matters recently. Mayor Ma cares about his subordinates. Knowing I still live at home, he arranged a two-bedroom apartment for me in the Transportation Bureau staff quarters. Ah, the apartment is big, but there’s no furniture." There was unmistakable pride in his expression. He added, "Hou Weidong, when you come to Qingzhou in the future, stay at my place. It’s spacious enough; having a few more people won’t be a problem."
Thinking of his own situation, Hou Weidong felt a twinge of sourness. Why show off in front of me? Without a father who is a department head, you might be doing even worse than me.
Liu Kun continued, "Today, the leaders from Linjiang County came to our county. I toasted with them and drank too much. Mayor Ma personally approved my leave for today to sleep." He looked worried. "There are so many things in the section. How can I sleep soundly?" He shook his watch and shouted, "I’m leaving first."
After walking a few steps, Liu Kun turned back, a mysterious look on his face. He whispered, "I ran into Duan Ying on the street a few days ago. I heard she broke up with her boyfriend. This is my chance."
During their time at Shazhou College, Liu Kun had always coveted the voluptuous Duan Ying. As he said this, his face wore a lustful expression, which made Hou Weidong very uncomfortable. He wanted to punch him in the face, but Liu Kun and Duan Ying were both free agents. Hou Weidong had no reason to stop Liu Kun from pursuing Duan Ying, let alone beat him up.
Fortunately, Liu Kun did not elaborate on the topic. After a few more casual remarks, he jumped into a taxi and disappeared from Hou Weidong’s sight.
Liu Kun was Hou Weidong’s roommate. During their four years in college, their relationship was neither good nor bad, neither salty nor bland. Liu Kun had always been overshadowed by Hou Weidong’s brilliance. However, after graduation, Liu Kun’s life became increasingly comfortable, while Hou Weidong struggled and fought at the grassroots level.
After Liu Kun left, Liu Wei came down carrying a roll of drawings. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I just called a friend who does geological surveys at home to verify the geological conditions again. Here are the complete materials, stamped officially. You can use them with confidence."
Holding the hard-won drawings, Hou Weidong did not linger in Yiyang City. He went directly to the bus station.
A few minutes past five, he arrived in Shangqinglin Town. Thinking that Mayor Su was the head of the Road Construction Leading Group and that it was thanks to his intervention that the payment was processed, Hou Weidong first went to the Qinglin Town Government to report his work.
It was near the end of the workday. Except for the Party and Government Office, the government compound was empty.
***
Chapter 57 The Road-Building Madman (Part 11)
On the first floor, in the Party and Government Office, only Yang Feng was present. Seeing her, Hou Weidong smiled inwardly. Since working in Qinglin Town, every time he came to the office, Yang Feng was eating sunflower seeds. This time was no exception; the pile of discarded seed shells was full.
Seeing Hou Weidong peeking from the doorway, Yang Feng smiled and waved. "University Student Hou, come eat some sunflower seeds."
Hou Weidong was far away in Shangqinglin and was not familiar with the government offices. Therefore, he wanted to get close to Yang Feng, who worked in the office, to glean some information from her. Following the custom of Qinglin Town, in the absence of outsiders, he affectionately said, "Sister Yang, I see the building is empty, yet you are still sticking to your post."
A mouthful of sunflower seed shells flew out of Yang Feng’s mouth, tracing a beautiful curve before landing on the table. "Office work is bitter. We have to stick around until the end of the day. Last month, the county government conducted a spot check on duty shifts, and several units were criticized. That day, I was lucky; I was in the office."
Hou Weidong placed the drawings on the table. Without being polite, he took a paper cup, poured some water, and sat opposite Yang Feng, next to Director Tang Shugang’s desk. "Sister Yang, guarding the office every day is not free at all. It’s harder than the comrades in the work group." This was a genuine feeling. On Shangqinglin Mountain, Li Yong, Duan Pangwa, and others only worked half-days. When not going to the villages, they handled their own duties. When going to the villages, they solved practical problems with village cadres. At noon, they drank. If they weren’t drunk, they played cards or went home early. If they were drunk, they slept.
Although Yang Feng in the office did not have specific tasks and did not suffer from sun and rain, everything has its pros and cons. Office work required punctuality for both starting and ending work.
Yang Feng was a typical fast-talker. She had a good impression of Hou Weidong and said mysteriously, "University Student Hou is a man who gets things done. Some people do nothing but talk nonsense. Someone from the work group came to the office to badmouth you."
Hou Weidong was startled. He had been low-key on Shangqinglin Mountain, had not fought for power or profit, and had kept the office and meeting room clean. Who would badmouth him?
Yang Feng snorted. "Some say you are showing off. You haven’t even settled in Qinglin Mountain yet, and you want to build a road. It’s overambitious. You just want to make a name for yourself. They also say you are dating Chi Ming."
Although Yang Feng did not mention specific names, Hou Weidong immediately thought of Tian Xiuying. She was an office worker who had once eaten with him in the mess hall. Intuitively, Hou Weidong felt that Tian Xiuying was the kind of person who was sharp-tongued and mean. He looked at Yang Feng and said, "Who is talking nonsense? I have a girlfriend. She just fetches water in the mess hall, and it’s the office water."
"Hearts are separated by bellies. University Student Hou, you need to be careful in the future. Some people don’t do their jobs but specialize in stirring up trouble, fearing nothing but chaos."
The person Yang Feng referred to was indeed Tian Xiuying, who was stationed in the Shangqinglin work group. Tian Xiuying and Yang Feng had always had conflicts. A few days ago, when Tian Xiuying came to the office, Tang Shugang asked about the road construction. Tian Xiuying made a few sarcastic remarks and said some bad things about Chi Ming. After hearing this, Yang Feng repeated Tian Xiuying’s words verbatim, effectively betraying Tian Xiuying to Hou Weidong.
Hou Weidong said in a low voice, "Sister Yang, who is so annoying? Tell me, so I can be prepared." Based on his observation, Yang Feng was someone who couldn’t keep secrets. Since she had brought it up proactively, she likely wouldn’t keep the "badmouthers" secret.
Sure enough, Yang Feng looked left and right and whispered, "University Student Hou is an honest person, so I’ll tell you. But you must keep it a secret. If Tian Xiuying finds out, she’ll curse me behind my back."
Confirming it was Tian Xiuying, Hou Weidong was furious. He had only met Tian Xiuying three times on Qinglin Mountain, and they had exchanged fewer than twenty sentences. Yet she was badmouthing him in the office. He didn’t know what she was thinking.
Hou Weidong wanted to curse Tian Xiuying, but seeing Yang Feng’s chubby face and remembering her fast mouth, he swallowed all his curses. He changed the subject. "I got the road drawings today and want to report to Mayor Su. How can I find him?"
Yang Feng was in the mood and was waiting for Hou Weidong to join her in cursing Tian Xiuying. Seeing him suddenly change the topic, it was like a car running happily suddenly hitting the brakes. It was unsatisfying. She said, "Mayor Su entertained guests from the County Agricultural Office at noon. He probably drank too much and is resting at home. It’s best to find him tomorrow."
Hou Weidong wanted the road construction to start as soon as possible. If he came down tomorrow, it would delay another day. He said, "Mayor Su is the head of the Road Construction Leading Group. I got the drawings today, and I must report to him."
Yang Feng stood up, led Hou Weidong to the door, and pointed to a small red brick building. "Mayor Su lives in Room 2 on the third floor. His name is posted at the door for utility payments."
Hou Weidong gratefully said, "Thank you, Sister Yang. Another day, I’ll bring you a bag of authentic Wuhai fried sunflower seeds from Wuhai. They are fragrant and good for your beauty."
Yang Feng’s love for sunflower seeds was famous throughout the government office. Even Secretary Zhao Yongsheng had criticized her for it. But just like men smoking, she was addicted to eating sunflower seeds. If she was idle and not cracking seeds, she felt anxious. Although Wuhai fried sunflower seeds were not rare, Hou Weidong’s gesture made her, a low-level clerk, quite happy.
Happy in her heart, Yang Feng couldn’t control her mouth and said a few more things. "There was a joint Party and Government meeting this afternoon. Secretary Zhao and Mayor Qin slammed the table and argued fiercely. You are new here, so be careful."
This time, Hou Weidong was truly grateful to Yang Feng. He secretly resolved to treat Yang Feng as his insider. Of course, this insider did not need to infiltrate the enemy; she just needed small gifts and nice words. Yang Feng’s mouth would naturally spill everything.
Walking to the small red building, Hou Weidong hesitated. Secretary Zhao Yongsheng and Mayor Qin Feiyue had argued this afternoon. It would be best to return to Shangqinglin to avoid becoming a rat in the cracks again—unwelcome by both sides.
Hou Weidong was about to retreat when someone walked out of the small shop at the bottom of the small red building. It was Mayor Su. Mayor Su immediately saw Hou Weidong, holding the drawings and shrinking his neck. He smiled. "Hou Weidong, who are you looking for here?"
Hou Weidong was startled. His original plan to avoid the situation had to be abandoned. He said, "I just returned from Yiyang. I got the drawings from Liu Wei at the Transportation Bureau and prepared to report to Mayor Su."
Mayor Su