Chapter 193: Section Member (Part 2)
It was only the third day since the transfer to the Organization Department. The Section Chief of the Cadre Section, Yang Hongrui, had been appointed as Deputy Director of the Agricultural Machinery and Water Conservancy Bureau. To mark the occasion, the department organized a farewell banquet, which conveniently doubled as a welcome dinner for the new arrival.
The head of the Organization Department, Minister Liu, attended the banquet. He sat at the head of the table, with Minister Yang on his left and Minister Xiao on his right. The other attendees were seated according to their rank. Although there were no name cards, everyone knew exactly where they belonged. These seasoned officials had an intuitive understanding of the hierarchy.
Since Yang Hongrui was leaving, he sat at the same table as Minister Liu. Hou Weidong sat at a separate table, which consisted entirely of junior staff. Because Old詹 (Zhan) was the eldest, he naturally became the table leader.
Minister Xiao, the Executive Deputy Minister, delivered a few remarks on behalf of Minister Liu. Minister Liu sat as steady as Mount Tai, offering only a single sentence: "Today we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Everyone should be proactive."
Under Minister Liu’s encouragement, Yang Hongrui and Hou Weidong became the center of attention at the dinner. Yang Hongrui was the focal point of the focal point. Minister Liu clinked glasses with him, and following suit, Deputy Ministers Xiao and Yang also raised their glasses. Then, the Office Director, the Research Office Director, the Cadre Section Chief, and other members of the leadership team came up one by one to offer toasts.
By the end of the first round of toasts, Yang Hongrui’s face was flushed red, and his head was resting on the table. No matter how his colleagues urged him, he refused to drink any more. However, after Minister Xiao persuaded him from both sides, he managed to down one more glass. He then rushed to the restroom and vomited violently. He returned with tears in his eyes. Knowing that Yang Hongrui had a low tolerance for alcohol, Minister Liu announced on the spot, "Let Director Yang rest for a while."
In government agencies, whenever someone new arrived or someone left, colleagues were generally eager to employ a "group assault" tactic. Whether to express heartfelt blessings or to vent hidden grievances, the goal was always clear: concentrate fire to get the target drunk.
After Minister Liu spoke, Yang Hongrui got a breather, and Hou Weidong began to bear the brunt of the colleagues' toasts. He knew this hurdle had to be crossed. Summoning the bold spirit he had displayed during his time in Shangqinglin, he refused no one, drinking glass after glass.
Minister Liu’s impression of Hou Weidong largely came from Liu Kun. Additionally, Hou Weidong’s failure to deliver on promises during the election had left a mark. Combined, these factors made Minister Liu hold a negative view of Hou Weidong. In front of the head of the Organization Department, such a "view" was a significant matter. If Su Mingjun had not personally called to intervene, Minister Liu would not have agreed to transfer Hou Weidong into the Organization Department. At this moment, Minister Liu observed Hou Weidong secretly. Seeing that Hou Weidong had survived two rounds of toasts, approaching forty glasses of liquor, he thought to himself: "Hou Weidong has a good capacity for alcohol. His relationship with Su Mingjun must be special; otherwise, Su Mingjun wouldn’t have called twice in a row."
When the colleagues had finished their rounds, Hou Weidong picked up a glass of wine and walked over to Minister Liu, who sat as steady as a Maitreya Buddha. He said respectfully, "Minister Liu, I, Xiao Hou, would like to offer you a toast." Minister Liu was tall and sturdy, with a dark complexion. When Hou Weidong offered the toast, he pretended not to hear, turning his head to speak with Xiao Bing, deliberately ignoring Hou Weidong.
Hou Weidong did not rush. He stood by for a while, and during a pause in Minister Liu’s conversation, he said again, "Minister Liu, I, Xiao Hou, would like to offer you a toast."
Only then did Minister Liu turn his head, raise his glass, and clink it with Hou Weidong’s. He did not say a word.
Xiao Bing was Minister Liu’s confidant and knew the ins and outs of Hou Weidong’s transfer. To prevent Hou Weidong from becoming too embarrassed, he said, "Hou Weidong has been tempered at the grassroots level. He has drunk at least forty or fifty glasses today without changing color or losing his wits. He should be the second-best drinker in the Organization Department. In the future, we will have another strong hand for our drinking battles."
He then encouraged the section chiefs nearby, saying, "Hou Weidong is a new comrade. Why don’t you go offer him a few more toasts?" The section chiefs happily accepted the order, picked up their glasses, and approached Hou Weidong.
A one-sided massacre began.
After eating and drinking their fill, Hou Weidong’s steps were slightly unsteady. However, he did not flush when drinking; instead, his face turned paler and paler. When it turned bluish, he was drunk. His face already had a bluish tint. As he followed the crowd to the door, he saw the streetlights swaying violently.
Yang Hongrui was completely drunk and was dragged into Minister Liu’s car. Once Minister Liu’s car left, the remaining people dispersed.
Hou Weidong’s stomach was full of alcohol, and he had hardly eaten anything. Standing by the street, watching the flow of people and car headlights, he felt a wave of dizziness. Having experienced the incident of the two trees and one car in Shangqinglin, Hou Weidong dared not drive after drinking. He had locked his pickup truck in Liang Bifa’s courtyard and was standing by the road waiting for a taxi.
Guo Lan and Deputy Office Director Yang Na were the last to leave the restaurant. Guo Lan saw that Hou Weidong was quite drunk, standing by the road and making gestures to hail a taxi. Several cars passed him by, which looked extremely dangerous. The driver of one car stuck his head out and cursed, "Do you want to die?"
Guo Lan hurried over, pulled Hou Weidong onto the sidewalk, and scolded him, "Stand on the sidewalk. It’s too dangerous." Yang Na laughed beside them, "Hou Weidong drank quite a bit tonight. His capacity ranks second in the department."
Guo Lan came from a scholarly family. None of her relatives or friends were alcoholics. Her father only drank a small cup during the New Year. Because of the strict family education, although she had participated in many drinking battles with Minister Liu, she still had no fondness for drunkards. However, Hou Weidong’s drunkenness was understandable, so she did not find it讨厌 (disgusting).
She stood by the street and helped Hou Weidong hail a taxi. After the taxi left, Yang Na joked, "This Hou Weidong is quite handsome. Is he married? I think he would match well with you. Shall I play matchmaker?"
"Go away," Guo Lan said, reaching out to hit Yang Na. Yang Na laughed, "I mean well. Lanlan is getting older. Being an old maid is no fun."
Guo Lan said seriously, "Hou Weidong has a girlfriend. She is the Deputy Director of the Office of the Shazhou Construction Committee. She is very pretty." Hearing this, Yang Na said thoughtfully, "No wonder Hou Weidong could be transferred to the Organization Department. Someone in Shazhou must have put in a good word for him, and that person is no ordinary individual. Otherwise, given Minister Liu’s temper, he would never allow a deputy town mayor who failed to deliver to be transferred to the Organization Department."
Guo Lan and Yang Na went shopping, bought a bag of fragrant melon seeds, and took the bus back to Shazhou College under the slightly melancholy glow of the streetlights.
The streetlights at the college were hidden among tall trees. The light filtered through the leaves, dappled and flickering with the wind, creating a sound and light symphony of rustling and swishing.
As they climbed the stairs, a strong smell of alcohol hit them. It was the smell of alcohol rising from the stomach, pungent and sour. Guo Lan had grown up in a clean and tidy environment. Flowers, music, blue skies, and white clouds were her favorites. This pungent smell made her nauseous.
Covering her mouth and tiptoeing, she carefully climbed the stairs. Looking up, she saw a pile of yellow and white vomit at Hou Weidong’s door. Several green-headed flies, startled by the footsteps, flew up into the air, scouting the situation. Guo Lan fled into her own home. Professor Guo and Mrs. Guo were rarely seen sitting together in the living room watching TV.
"Lanlan, I heard Hou Weidong was transferred to your section. Why is he so drunk?" Professor Guo shook his head constantly. "Young people do not cherish their health. They only realize when they are old that wealth, official positions, and fame are external things. Only health belongs to oneself."
Thinking of the pile of yellow and white vomit outside the door, Guo Lan’s throat began to itch. Mrs. Guo added, "That pile he vomited outside the door, if a dog ate it, the dog would die of drunkenness."
"Stop talking," Guo Lan said, covering her mouth and rushing into the bathroom. She faced the toilet and dry-heaved for a while. After coming out of the bathroom, Guo Lan sat for a long time before calming down. She opened the piano lid and unconsciously began to play the Moonlight Sonata. The melody seemed to carry a faint smell of alcohol.
The next morning, before seven o’clock, Hou Weidong woke up. He felt as if he had forgotten something. He searched the room but found nothing missing. In the bathroom, he turned the cold water to the maximum and showered for five minutes. After coming out, he felt refreshed, and the alcohol from the previous day was completely gone.
Hou Weidong began to miss the two tofu pudding shops in Shangqinglin and Xiaqinglin. The pure stone-ground tofu pudding, the cool well water, and the simple condiments created a delicious taste that danced on the tongue. In Yiyang County, apart from the noodle shop he went to with Li Jing, he did not have a fixed breakfast place.
"Ah, women, women. A home is not complete without a woman."
He stood by the window, facing the morning sun’s radiant glow, and called Xiaojia. Xiaojia had gone to bed late the previous night. With crusty eyes, she stared at the ceiling and scolded, "Hubby, I’m not even awake yet. Why are you harassing me so early?"
"Yesterday, the Organization Department sent Yang Hongrui to take up his post at the Agricultural Machinery and Water Conservancy Bureau. They also held a welcome dinner for me. I drank too much and got completely drunk."
Xiaojia sobered up and said, "Did you drive? Let me tell you, even if you drink one sip, you cannot drive. This is a strict order that must be obeyed."
"I was playing mahjong at Sister Zhao’s house last night. Brother Su instructed me to work hard during this period. Your Minister Liu is from the North. He is straightforward, but this personality has two sides. If he dislikes someone, he will show no mercy. You must be careful."
He then laughed, "He has one major characteristic: he has a good capacity for alcohol and likes people who can drink. In this regard, you are at no disadvantage."
Hou Weidong sighed, "In Qinglin Town, I was at least a deputy town mayor, a member of the leadership team. Now that I have been transferred to the Organization Department, I have returned to the pre-liberation era, becoming an ordinary section member. This落差 (gap) is very uncomfortable."
Xiaojia did some ideological work, saying, "He who cannot endure small setbacks will ruin great plans. Stay patient for a few months, and strive to be transferred to Shazhou City by the end of the year."
Hou Weidong finally added, "August 6th is our auspicious day. Don’t forget. I will take leave to come over and register our marriage. You must push aside all other matters and focus on getting married."
"Yes, rest assured. This is our big event. How could I forget?"
The date for registering the marriage was chosen by Liu Guangfen, who had asked a fortune teller. Hou Weidong did not believe in such things, but to make his mother happy, he prepared to register on the auspicious day calculated by his mother.
After hanging up the phone, dressed neatly, Hou Weidong opened the front door. At a glance, he saw a mess of yellow, black, white, and blue at the door, still emitting a distorted smell of alcohol. He suddenly realized, "No wonder I felt like I had forgotten something. I left a landmine at the door last night."
While urgently cleaning up the battlefield, Guo Lan opened her door and came out. Like a young maiden seeing an enemy soldier, she covered her nose and fled, calling back from a distance, "Hou Weidong, don’t drink so much next time. It smells terrible."
Losing face in front of the beautiful section chief made Hou Weidong very depressed.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Hou Weidong went out. He bought ten small steamed buns on the roadside, eating as he walked. At 8:27, he arrived at the Organization Department office.
Hou Weidong had just put down his briefcase and his buttocks had not yet touched the chair when Old Zhan walked in. He greeted him, then busied himself making tea, and then darted out, leaving Hou Weidong alone in the office.
Seeing that the office was a bit dirty, Hou Weidong picked up the broom from behind the door and swept the room. Seeing dust on the four desks, he picked up a cloth and wiped them clean.
While washing the cloth, Yang Na happened to pass by. She said, "Hou Weidong, the cleaning of each section is done in rotation. Why are you always cleaning your section every day?"
Her tone was quite high, and her voice echoed in the office area. Hou Weidong quickly looked around. Seeing that no one was nearby, he felt slightly relieved and smiled, "These are minor matters. It doesn’t matter who does them." He had just arrived at the Organization Department and had not yet figured out the personnel relationships within the department. Therefore, he avoided all sensitive issues, large or small, striving to be a law-abiding good section member.
He sat idly in the office until ten o’clock when Guo Lan returned with her bag. She said, "This morning, there was a meeting at the main conference hall of the government organs. All departments of the County Party Committee and County Government are to implement competitive selection for posts. The department needs to send several groups to participate in the competitive selection of various units."
This matter had been brewing for some time, and Hou Weidong knew about it. He asked casually, "Is the department implementing competitive selection for posts?"