Chapter 123: Divergence (Part 4)
Lin Du entered the house with a calm demeanor, sitting comfortably on the sofa in Professor Guo’s living room. He noticed the professor still holding a fountain pen and, sensing a moment of hesitation, proactively poured a glass of water. "Professor Guo, please have some water," he said warmly. His movements were skilled and natural, neither forced nor awkward.
Seeing that Ren Lindu did not treat him as an outsider, Professor Guo found the situation amusing. He smiled and said, "Thank you." Having matters to attend to, he suggested, "Young man, Guo Lan might not be back for a while. If you have no urgent business, perhaps you could visit her at her unit tomorrow."
Realizing he had received a polite dismissal, Ren Lindu replied, "I won’t disturb you further, Professor. Please let Guo Lan know I stopped by when she returns."
Professor Guo asked, "And who might you be?"
Ren Lindu smiled. "I am Ren Lindu from the County Youth League Committee." As he spoke, he observed the room. His eyes landed on a table in the corner holding ink, brushes, paper, and an inkstone. Delighted, he said, "Professor Guo, I don’t have a business card. How about I write one for you?" Seeing no objection, he approached the table, picked up the brush, and wrote: County Youth League Committee, Ren Lindu.
Professor Guo’s eyes lit up. "Beautiful Liu Gongquan style," he remarked. He admired the calligraphy for a moment, nodding frequently. "It is rare to find a young man with such fine handwriting. Little Ren, when did you start learning?"
Pleased to have sparked the professor’s interest, Ren Lindu was secretly proud of his own observation skills. "I have loved calligraphy since childhood. My father is a member of the Lingxi Provincial Calligraphers Association."
"Excellent. Your style suits the lyrics of Yan Shu. Write a few lines for me to see."
Both the elder and the younger were calligraphy enthusiasts. Professor Guo set aside his work and began chatting with him about the art. Just as they were getting into the spirit of it, Guo Lan returned home. Seeing his daughter, the professor said happily, "Little Ren has beautiful handwriting—it’s quite rare. You two chat; I have serious matters to attend to."
Once her father retreated to his study, Guo Lan placed her small坤 bag on the table and asked in surprise, "Ren Lindu, coming over so late? Is there an emergency?"
Ren Lindu smiled. "Guo Lan, have you forgotten? Didn’t you invite me over tonight? I am here as promised."
Guo Lan paused, then laughed. "I’m surprised you remembered that." Earlier that morning, during a joint activity between the Youth League and the Organization Department, Ren Lindu had encountered Guo Lan. He had invited her to lunch, and she had casually deflected, saying, "How about tonight?" With those words, Ren Lindu had tracked her down to her home.
Guo Lan did not dislike Ren Lindu, but she had little interest in his overt romantic advances. She inherently disliked people who were overly clever. She took a large gulp of plain water and said, "How did you know I lived here? It must have been Hou Weidong who told you."
Ren Lindu smiled but remained silent.
"I am here as promised. You must grace me with your company tonight. I know a place with a nice atmosphere, serving very authentic spicy Qiaoke fish."
Seeing Ren Lindu’s enthusiasm, Guo Lan could not bear to reject him outright. "Are you talking about Lin’s Qiaoke Fish?"
"Yes."
Guo Lan sat by the phone and dialed a number. "Big Foodie, are you free? A handsome guy is treating us to Lin’s Qiaoke Fish. Coming? Good, meet us at the entrance." After sending the pager message, she said, "I’ve invited a guest for you."
After making the call, Guo Lan went to the balcony to fetch a pair of clean socks. Walking along the balcony, she noticed the rare sight of a light on in Hou Weidong’s balcony. She called out to the adjacent balcony, "Hou Weidong."
Ren Lindu had entered the Guo residence with great ease, a psychological resilience that made Hou Weidong feel inferior. The two families had been neighbors for some time, yet Hou Weidong had only exchanged greetings with Professor Guo on the balcony, never crossing the threshold of the Guo home.
"This Ren Lindu is truly free-spirited. With such temperament and social skills, he would be a talent anywhere," Hou Weidong thought. Sitting under his desk lamp, he casually opened Ordinary World, a book given to him by Ji Lindao. He had already read it twice; during the hardest days in Shangqinglin, the book had provided him with much comfort and inspiration.
Hearing Guo Lan’s call from the balcony, he put down his book and walked to the railing. Guo Lan called from the opposite balcony, "Ren Lindu is at my place. He wants to treat us to spicy Qiaoke fish. Let’s go together."
While changing clothes, Hou Weidong felt a smile in his heart. "Ren Lindu’s romantic advance doesn’t seem to be going smoothly. Guo Lan’s move clearly shows she doesn’t want to be alone with him."
As Ren Lindu and Guo Lan were leaving, Hou Weidong, wearing a black trench coat, stood elegantly at the door. He and Guo Lan exchanged a quick glance, both eyes hinting at a shared amusement and tacit understanding.
Lin’s Spicy Qiaoke Fish was a "jianghu" restaurant—a term for small eateries with poor decor and service but booming business.
When Hou Weidong’s group arrived, there were no seats available, so the three waited outside. A taxi pulled up nearby, and a quiet young woman stepped out. Guo Lan waved, and the woman walked over gracefully.
"This is Li Jun, my good friend."
Ren Lindu, being a government official, extended his hand. "I’ve heard the name Li Jun. You’re the beautiful reporter from the newspaper, right? I’ve seen you before, but today I finally connect the person with the name. I’m Ren Lindu, from the County Youth League Committee."
Li Jun smiled lightly. "I know you. I saw you preside over a meeting last time; your eloquence is impressive." Her features were not particularly delicate, but when she smiled, her single-eyelid eyes curved into lines, giving her a charming, fox-like allure.
Guo Lan formally introduced her: "Li Jun is a photojournalist for the Yiyang Newspaper."
The four waited outside for a while before a table became available. Ren Lindu ordered five jin of spicy Qiaoke fish, and everyone waited eagerly for the food, searching for topics of conversation. Although Guo Lan and Hou Weidong were neighbors, they were usually busy with their own affairs and had met only a few times. Li Jun was meeting everyone for the first time, so the atmosphere was slightly cool when they sat down.
To liven things up, Ren Lindu had a clever idea and recalled a joke he had read. "When I was in college, I had a roommate who stayed up late playing mahjong every night, so he often slept in class. One day, during a higher mathematics lecture, the teacher asked, 'Calculus is a very useful discipline. What is our goal in studying calculus?' That guy woke up from his dream, only catching the last part of the question. Without thinking, he shouted loudly, 'No cavities!'"
Everyone laughed. Li Jun laughed so hard she had to lean on the table for support.
Straightening up, Li Jun said, "Guo Lan has a famous embarrassing story." Guo Lan blushed. "Junjun, don’t say it." Ren Lindu and Hou Weidong egged her on. Ren Lindu said, "Li Jun, tell us about Guo Lan’s embarrassing moment."
Li Jun cast a flirtatious glance at Ren Lindu and said, "When we were in high school, students took turns on duty each week, responsible for school hygiene and discipline. One day, Guo Lan was on duty, and I was accompanying her around the school. At the school wall, we saw a boy climbing it, probably trying to skip class. Without thinking, Guo Lan rushed over to pull him down. But when she grabbed him, she accidentally pulled down most of his sweatpants, exposing his bare bottom."
Guo Lan pinched Li Jun hard. "Junjun, if you keep going, I’ll tell your jokes too."
With this commotion, the atmosphere among the four became lively. A large basin of spicy Qiaoke fish was served. Hou Weidong had drunk too much at lunch and hadn’t eaten, so his stomach was rumbling. Once the fish arrived, he ate silently. By the time Ren Lindu told another joke, Hou Weidong had already consumed three Qiaoke fish.
Ren Lindu realized that a pile of fish bones had accumulated in front of Hou Weidong, whose mouth was greasy.
After the meal, Ren Lindu invited everyone to go singing. Guo Lan shook her head. "Forget it. I need to go home and review a manuscript. Next time, I’ll treat everyone to singing." She added, "Ren Lindu, you take Junjun home. Hou Weidong will take me."
Guo Lan used this natural and clever method to politely decline Ren Lindu.
Ren Lindu didn’t mind in the slightest. He smiled and said, "Guo Lan, let’s just set a time. Next Wednesday, I’ll invite you to sing." Guo Lan had learned her lesson this time and didn’t make an easy commitment. "Next time, I’ll set the time. It’s best if all four of us are there."
Hou Weidong and Guo Lan took a taxi back to Shazhou College. They got off at the college gate and walked back.
The landscaping at Shazhou College was excellent. The streetlights were hidden by lush green trees, with light filtering through the gaps in the foliage, creating white spots that moved with the wind, like leopards lurking in the darkness.
Leather shoes stepped on fallen leaves, making occasional "sha, sha" sounds.
Guo Lan knew about the election in Qinglin Town. The fact that the organization’s internally designated candidate had been voted out was a serious incident. A township term was three years, and the outcome after three years was hard to predict. She felt an inexplicable concern for Hou Weidong, wanting to warn him but not knowing how to phrase it. She asked vaguely, "Is work going smoothly?"
"It’s okay. The main task recently is funeral reform. It’s difficult, but also challenging."
Guo Lan added, seemingly casually, "Recently, the Lingxi Provincial Government has issued several documents regarding the phenomenon of government officials engaging in business and running enterprises. Qinglin Town has many township enterprises, and it seems this phenomenon exists there too. You should be mindful of the impact."
Hou Weidong immediately understood the implication. He didn’t ask further but explained honestly, "I was the first to open the quarry in Shangqinglin. However, the business registration was not in my name. I am not involved in the specific management now. To say I am running a business is unreasonable."
Guo Lan hadn’t expected Hou Weidong to be so candid. She smiled and said, "I remember now. You studied law, so you should think things through carefully. There are some things I can’t say much about, but you must pay attention to your image. Open attacks are easy to avoid, but hidden arrows are hard to defend against."
Hou Weidong felt Guo Lan’s sincere concern. Under the dim light of the streetlamp, he stole a glance at Guo Lan from the corner of his eye and was startled. "Why does Guo Lan look so familiar? It seems I have seen her a long time ago."
This "long time ago" was, of course, before he attended the Young Cadres Class at the Party School.
With some confusion, the two arrived at the housing area in the West District. The Music Department was also in the West District, about a hundred meters from the small building. At this moment, faint piano music drifted from the darkness, elegant and clean. Guo Lan stood under the gatehouse, tilting her head to listen for a while. "Teacher Yin is playing Moonlight Sonata. It’s beautiful." As she spoke, Guo Lan’s expression was soft and serene.
Neither spoke as they went upstairs. They each arrived at their respective doorways. Only after Guo Lan opened her door did Hou Weidong insert his key.
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
The next morning, Hou Weidong visited Director Zhang Qingdong of the Civil Affairs Bureau, briefly reporting on the funeral reform work in Qinglin Town. He also met with Deputy Director Xu Bin. At noon, the deputy town mayor in charge from Lishan Town happened to arrive. Xu Bin hosted a meal. Since it was lunch, they only drank lightly and remained sober.
At three in the afternoon, Hou Weidong headed straight to the County Government. At the bottom of the government office building, he called Zeng Zhaoqiang. "County Mayor Zeng, this is Hou Weidong. Do you have time? I’d like to come up and report on my work."
At the Yiyang County People’s Congress, Zeng Zhaoqiang had been successfully elected as Deputy County Mayor. Upon receiving Hou Weidong’s call, he laughed. "Weidong, come up quickly. Why are you being so polite with me?"
Hou Weidong went up to the third floor of the County Government. At the entrance of the third-floor corridor, a security guard on duty saw Hou Weidong walking inside and said bluntly, "Hey, who are you looking for? Come register." At that moment, a young man in his early twenties walked over. "Excuse me, are you Town Mayor Hou?" Upon receiving a affirmative answer, the young man proactively extended his hand. "I’m Xiao Zhu. County Mayor Zeng is asking for you."
When Hou Weidong entered the room, Zeng Zhaoqiang was on the phone. He made a gesture for Hou Weidong to sit opposite him. Xiao Zhu quickly poured a cup of tea for Hou Weidong. This was Hou Weidong’s first time entering the Deputy County Mayor’s office. The County Government office building was an old structure, listed in the county government’s renovation plan for 1996. Although it was the Deputy County Mayor’s office, it was not as spacious as the Director of the Transportation Bureau’s office.
Hanging up the phone, Zeng Zhaoqiang smiled. "I was just looking for you. The appointment document for Director Zhu has been issued. Today, we’ll give him a good squeeze and make him bleed." He then dialed Zhu Bing’s number. "Old Zhu, the official document is out. Today, you need to bleed well. See you at the usual place."
After hanging up, Hou Weidong followed Zeng Zhaoqiang downstairs. Xiao Zhu called the driver from upstairs. As soon as they reached the bottom, a Bluebird King slid up to the entrance.
The driver was an experienced driver brought over from the Transportation Bureau and was acquainted with Hou Weidong. After settling in, he didn’t ask any questions, simply started the engine and drove out of the city. In less than an hour, they entered Shazhou territory. As they were about to enter the city, the car turned onto a slightly narrower cement road and drove for another twenty minutes before arriving at Quanhu.
Li Jing had been waiting in the parking lot for a long time. The warm sun shone on the tender green leaves and on her face, giving her skin an ivory-like luster.
Li Jing stepped forward to open the car door for Zeng Zhaoqiang. "County Mayor Zeng, Director Zhu has already arrived and is waiting for you in the front hall." As Zeng Zhaoqiang got out of the car, Li Jing whispered in his ear, "The water is particularly good today. Let’s soak in the hot springs first." Zeng Zhaoqiang casually patted her buttocks. "I’ll only soak if you accompany me." Li Jing’s face turned red, and she scolded playfully, "Who’s afraid of whom?"
Hou Weidong glanced back and saw Li Jing and Zeng Zhaoqiang whispering. Being tactful, he walked inside. As he stepped onto the stairs, Zhu Bing laughed. "Madman, you’ve been Town Mayor for a while and haven’t treated us yet. When will you make it up to us?" Hou Weidong replied politely, "I was pushed into this Town Mayor position by Qin Dajiang and the others. I’ve already offended quite a few people. Who knows when I might be dismissed?" Zhu Bing said, "Report to County Mayor Zeng more often. Let him introduce you to some people. Then, you’ll be able to handle things anytime."
Li Jing’s voice came from behind. "Weidong is also a Town Mayor now. We really need to celebrate properly today."
Entering the front hall, Zeng Zhaoqiang arranged, "Everyone take a bath first. After relieving your fatigue, we’ll play mahjong today." Then, waitresses came up and led the three men away separately.
After soaking for more than two hours, drinking red wine while beautiful women attended to them, Hou Weidong felt it was enjoyable, luxurious, and corrupt. After satisfying himself, he dressed and walked into the lobby.
Zhu Bing, flushed from the bath, was sitting outside in the sun, reading a newspaper. Seeing Hou Weidong come out, he patted the chair beside him. "Madman, come sit."
"Director Zhu, congratulations. Please look after me in the future."
Zhu Bing was dissatisfied. "Madman, we are brothers. Why are you saying these things to me? By the way, the Transportation Bureau is going to buy a batch of pickup trucks soon. I suggest you buy one too. It will be convenient for you to return from Qinglin."
Hou Weidong was moved. "How much is one?"
"I’m not sure of the exact amount, maybe around a hundred thousand. After buying the car, I’ll have Principal He arrange for an experienced teacher to teach you specifically. You can get your license and hit the road in a week."
"Also, the highway construction is about to start. The production at Dawan Quarry has been irregular recently. Send someone to sort it out properly. If you see any problems, and if the situation is bad, go manage it yourself."
Hou Weidong knew the real situation. Zhu Fugui was managing the site at Daw