Chapter 95: At the End of One’s Rope, Yet Doubting There Is No Way (Part 3)
On the second morning back in Shangqinglin, Hou Weidong went to Goubewan with a heavy heart. Although he was broke, the quarry had to start operations immediately because the Shayi Road construction site was waiting for materials.
Beneath the topsoil lay thick layers of stone. These were non-renewable resources that had lain dormant for thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years. To Hou Weidong, each block was essentially a lying-down banknote.
Hou Weidong sat at the highest peak of the quarry, looking down at the massive stones while watching the villagers labor. He was supposed to buy explosives the next day, but his pockets were empty. He couldn’t even afford a single day’s supply. With nothing else to do, he sat on the peak, staring blankly into space.
Several villagers working on the highest tier were prying loose a large rock that had been loosened by previous blasts. A young man gave a sudden, forceful heave, and a small stone beside him tumbled off the edge. It fell from the ten-meter-high quarry platform, hitting the ground with a loud boom. Less than five meters away, several villagers were loading crushed stone onto a truck.
Hou Weidong broke out in a cold sweat. Although the stone was only the size of a fist, a fall from ten meters could be fatal if it hit someone on the head. His attention shifted instantly from his financial worries to safety concerns.
He rushed down the high platform in a few strides and pulled He Hongfu aside. “Get everyone off the ground below. We need to go back and discuss safety regulations.”
After the Goubewan quarry was established, Hou Weidong had invited He Hongfu to serve as deputy manager. In Hou Weidong’s absence, He Hongfu had full authority. He Hongfu was currently calculating the day’s stone output. Seeing Hou Weidong’s anxious expression, he replied casually, “Madman, if we don’t hurry today, we won’t meet the quota.”
Hou Weidong shook his head. “Previously, the quarry platforms were low, so there weren’t major issues. Now the platforms are getting higher—we’re over ten meters up. If we don’t pay attention to safety, accidents are inevitable. When working on high platforms, no one should stand below. No matter how tight the schedule is, we won’t make money at the cost of safety.”
He Hongfu still didn’t seem to care much. “Just be careful down below when we’re working up top. There’s no need for so many rules.”
Because Hou Weidong had championed the construction of the Shangqinglin road, he had gained considerable prestige among the villagers. He Hongfu, one of the few villagers who had attended high school, was known for his sharp tongue. After arguing for a while, Hou Weidong saw that He Hongfu remained indifferent, so his expression turned serious.
Suddenly, the pager on Hou Weidong’s waist beeped. He took it out and glanced at the message. “Who is looking for me at Yang Xinchun’s place?” Preoccupied with his thoughts, he ignored it and continued instructing He Hongfu. “Follow the regulations and avoid risks. You must explain this clearly to the workers. They are here to earn money, not to lose their lives. If that happens, our guilt would be immense.”
The pager beeped again. Hou Weidong’s was a Chinese-language pager. This time, the message read: “Xiaojia has arrived at the mountain.” Hou Weidong paused, then understood immediately. He said urgently, “He Hongfu, keep an eye on things. My wife is here.”
After giving a few more instructions, he sprinted toward the small courtyard. He hadn’t gone far when he saw a car on the road—Zhao Yongsheng’s vehicle. His mind was entirely occupied with Xiaojia, so he barely noticed the secretary’s car, glancing at it briefly before continuing on his way.
As the car pulled up beside him, it honked twice and then stopped. Hou Weidong felt a bit puzzled. “What does Zhao Yongsheng want with me?”
The car door opened, but it wasn’t Zhao Yongsheng who stepped out. It was Xiaojia and another young man. Xiaojia wore light makeup, her short curls now straightened. Her professional attire accentuated her graceful figure, and her face lit up with a radiant smile.
“Xiaojia, why are you here?” With an outsider present, Hou Weidong behaved with restraint. Xiaojia introduced them gracefully. “This is my colleague, Zhao Xiaojun. And this is my boyfriend, Hou Weidong. There happened to be a car going to Qinglin Town today, so I took leave and came over.”
Zhao Xiaojun bore an eighty percent resemblance to Zhao Yongsheng. He warmly shook Hou Weidong’s hand. “The Shangqinglin highway was a dream for generations, and now it’s finally open. I’ve heard stories about the road construction, and Hou Ge played a key role. You’re truly impressive, Hou Ge.”
Hou Weidong thought to himself, Zhao Xiaojun is quite the自来熟 (natural socializer) and knows how to talk. He didn’t respond to the topic of road construction. Instead, he asked, “When did you leave? You didn’t even call beforehand.”
Xiaojia’s eyes were full of amusement. “Zhao Xiaojun said Secretary Zhao’s car was returning to Qinglin. He mentioned it on the spur of the moment, and we just left.”
The three got into the car. Zhao Xiaojun sat in the front, while Hou Weidong and Zhang Xiaojia sat in the back. With an outsider present, Hou Weidong and Xiaojia were too embarrassed to be overly affectionate, so they merely held hands secretly.
The driver, Xiao Zhang, turned around. “University Student Hou, the Shangqinglin road is built quite well. Especially after going up the mountain, there are few curves, and it’s very comfortable to drive. It’s better built than the Xiaqinglin road.”
Although Hou Weidong had reconciled with Zhao Yongsheng, the impression Driver Xiao Zhang had left him was too negative. He responded to Xiao Zhang’s attempt at small talk with coldness, replying only out of politeness. “The road was designed by the Traffic Design Institute, so of course it’s professional. The construction team just followed the blueprints.”
The car returned to the small courtyard in Shangqinglin Town. The three got out, and Zhao Xiaojun said to Xiaojia, “Director Zhang, I’ll come pick you up at seven tomorrow morning. It’s rare for you two to meet, so I won’t be the third wheel.”
After the car left, Hou Weidong and Zhang Xiaojia exchanged a glance. Sparks of affection flickered in their eyes. Once inside, Hou Weidong casually closed the door. Xiaojia had just said, “This little house is still the same as before,” when Hou Weidong covered her mouth with his.
They kissed hungrily for a while. Suddenly, Xiaojia touched Hou Weidong’s hair and exclaimed, “Hubby, why is there so much dust in your hair?”
Hou Weidong had come directly from the quarry, where the dust was thick. Naturally, a layer of stone powder coated his hair. He pulled away from Xiaojia, patted his hair, and a cloud of white dust rose up.
Xiaojia pinched Hou Weidong hard several times. “Go boil some water and take a bath. You’re filthy.”
The previous embrace had ignited Hou Weidong’s desire like gunpowder. However, covered in stone powder, he felt uncomfortable, and he knew Xiaojia would too. So, he hurried off to boil water.
After showering, Hou Weidong returned to the bedroom and impatiently lifted Xiaojia into his arms.
Xiaojia’s vibrant buds, delicate skin, slender waist, long legs, and familiar scent and voice all made Hou Weidong linger with deep affection.
After their passion subsided, they lay embraced in bed. Xiaojia rested her head in the crook of Hou Weidong’s arm, quiet as a kitten. She loved the blocky muscles on Hou Weidong’s abdomen, so she traced squares on them with her fingers and said casually, “Zhao Xiaojun said his father agreed to transfer you to the town, but you didn’t want to go.”
Xiaojia’s hair brushed against Hou Weidong’s nose. The faint feminine scent of her hair was his favorite. His hands didn’t stop moving, wandering continuously over Xiaojia’s body.
“Xiaojia, I’ve opened a quarry. There’s too much to handle. If I go to Xiaqinglin Town, I probably won’t be able to manage it.”
Xiaojia worked at the Shazhou Construction Committee, where she often interacted with real estate developers—wealthy bosses with deep pockets. Therefore, she didn’t pay much attention to small businesses like quarrying. Since she wasn’t from a technical background, she wasn’t sensitive to the building materials sector. In Xiaojia’s mind, pursuing an official career was the right path for Hou Weidong. Opening a quarry might bring in some money, but if it jeopardized his future, the loss would outweigh the gain.
Precisely because Xiaojia had reservations about the quarry business, Hou Weidong had never discussed it in detail with her. This trip up the mountain was a good opportunity for mutual communication.
To save face and consider Hou Weidong’s feelings, Xiaojia softened her tone. “Hubby, if you still want to develop your career in officialdom, you need to go down the mountain. Being closer to the leaders allows them to discover your talents. If you’ve decided to go into business, staying up here doesn’t matter. But if you truly want to do business, Qinglin Town isn’t interesting enough. You might as well come to Shazhou, find something suitable, and start small.”
“Secretary Zhao Yongsheng and Mayor Qin Feiyue have deep conflicts. In this situation, it’s best for me to stay away and avoid getting involved in leadership disputes. Recently, because of the road construction, I got relatively close to Qin Feiyue. Zhao Yongsheng didn’t even look for an excuse; he simply dismissed me from my position as deputy head of the working group.”
Hou Weidong had been in Shangqinglin for a year. He had told Chen Qingrong that he would be transferred to Shazhou in three years, but realistically, the hope of transfer was slim.
A few months ago, when the Construction Committee hosted a dinner for Mayor Bu, Xiaojia had taken advantage of Mayor Bu’s good mood to half-jokingly, half-seriously propose transferring her boyfriend, Hou Weidong, to Shazhou. Mayor Bu had laughed and agreed, but there was no follow-up. After Bu Gao rejected the idea, he didn’t bring it up again, but he hadn’t given up. He continued to seek opportunities to get close to her, and his intentions were obvious to everyone in the Construction Committee office.
Hou Weidong remembered something. “Zhao Xiaojun was transferred to the Construction Committee through the connections of Gao Zhiyuan, the Director of the Shazhou Municipal People’s Congress. The neighboring Township Head Gao is Gao Zhiyuan’s relative. I wonder if I can get transferred to Shazhou through Gao Zhiyuan.”
Xiaojia was delighted. “Gao Zhiyuan has great prestige in Shazhou. If he intervenes, there should be no problem.”
With a glimmer of hope, their moods improved, and they shared another passionate moment.
The next morning, after waking up, Hou Weidong went to the Goubewan quarry. With no food at home, he took Xiaojia to Yao Shouzi’s tofu pudding restaurant. As they were leaving, Hou Weidong took out his wallet and looked inside. “Xiaojia, I’m so poor I have no pants to wear. I only have sixty yuan left.”
Xiaojia was shocked. “What’s going on? Running a quarry might not make huge profits, but it certainly won’t lose money. How did you get so poor?”
Hou Weidong lowered his voice. “Shazhou has been building roads these years, so running a quarry is quite profitable. Last time the Transportation Bureau subsidized the Shangqinglin highway, Yinggang Quarry’s net profit was nearly 300,000 yuan. I received over 100,000 yuan.”
Xiaojia’s eyes widened in surprise. “You earned over 100,000 yuan, and you didn’t tell me? Where did the money go?”
Hou Weidong chuckled. “I wanted to wait until we secured the Shayi Road project to give you a big surprise, to let you taste what it’s like to be a rich woman.” He自嘲 (mocked himself), “Who knew I’d become a pauper now? I need to buy explosives tomorrow, and I only have sixty yuan. I’m so anxious I want to jump off a building.”
Xiaojia rolled her eyes. “I’m your wife, and you didn’t tell me you earned over 100,000 yuan. It shows you don’t have me in your heart at all. I’m angry.”
Hou Weidong coaxed her for a long time before Xiaojia finally smiled. After eating their tofu pudding set meal, they went to inspect the quarry.