Chapter 256: The Lingxi Trip (Part 2)
"I must be a kapok tree standing beside you, rooted together with you underground, leaves touching in the clouds."
This was an excerpt from To the Oak Tree, a poem that had swept the nation. During their university days, it was a staple for poetry recitals. Hou Weidong was familiar with the verses and had memorized a few lines, but the reality before him stood in stark contrast to the poem’s imagery. At this moment, Li Jing was like a thirsty morning glory, clinging to Hou Weidong without any hesitation or reserve.
"Weidong, you eat and drink every day, yet you still have such handsome abs," Li Jing said, her fingers tracing every inch of his skin like a greedy child.
Hou Weidong was exhausted. He simply smiled and offered no reply.
Li Jing murmured to herself, "Now I understand why it’s called love and passion. First comes the affection, then the physical act. That is true enjoyment."
Hou Weidong remarked, "You have quite a grip. You’ve bruised my arm."
Li Jing buried her face in Hou Weidong’s chest. "Thank you. You might not believe it, but last night was my first time reaching climax. It was truly wonderful."
During their intimacy, Li Jing had suddenly begun to tremble violently under Hou Weidong’s increasingly intense rhythm. It was an involuntary shudder of her muscles, starting in her lower abdomen and spreading through her body like an electric current. She had drifted into a trance-like state, wildly matching Hou Weidong’s pace.
When it was all over, Li Jing’s pale skin had flushed a deep crimson. She held onto one of Hou Weidong’s arms, seeming half-asleep. It took more than ten minutes for her to fully regain her senses, after which she clung to him once more, like a vine wrapping around a tree.
That intense encounter had drained both of their energy. Now, they simply embraced, the emotional connection outweighing the physical desire.
After holding each other for about half an hour, Li Jing climbed out of bed. She put on a semi-transparent robe, her hair falling smoothly over her shoulders. "Should we go back to sleep, or have something to drink?"
"Tea."
Li Jing knew Hou Weidong enjoyed tea. This time, she had not only bought underwear and pajamas but also specially purchased top-grade Yiyang Maojian tea, along with a set of Jingdezhen porcelain tea ware.
She set up a small glass table by the floor-to-ceiling window. As the water steamed, the fresh, rustic aroma slowly filled the entire balcony.
Sitting in a rattan chair, Hou Weidong looked out at the streetlights through the glass. He felt a sense of unreality, yet he objectively praised, "Lingxi is magnificent. It’s much better than Shazhou."
Li Jing’s expression softened slightly. "Lingxi is the provincial capital, after all. Its information channels are not comparable to Shazhou’s. I want to move the headquarters of Jinggong Group here. We will establish our base in Lingxi and look out over the entire province." As she spoke of this topic, she regained some of her usual demeanor—elegant and confident, presenting a different side of her personality.
"You are the chairman. I have no objections. I fully trust you."
Li Jing smiled brightly. "I have some connections in the province. Would you like to transfer here? It would be a higher level."
Li Jing’s social circle was complex, and her background involved many secrets. Deep down, Hou Weidong was only willing to engage with her economically. Politically, due to the traditional emphasis on morality in official circles, he did not want to become entangled with Li Jing. Moreover, as a young man whose career was going smoothly, he possessed a certain pride. If he used Li Jing’s special relationships to climb the ladder, he would lose his confidence in front of her.
Therefore, regarding Li Jing’s suggestion, he pondered for a moment. "Zhu Yan has a high chance of moving up. That is an opportunity for me as well. Changing course now is not a good thing." To save face for Li Jing, he added with a smile, "If I can’t make it in Shazhou, I’ll transfer to the province."
Seeing that Hou Weidong was not enthusiastic about this, Li Jing did not probe deeper into the reasons. "Judging by Zhu Yan’s age, he can probably only reach the level of Shazhou City. Moving up further will be difficult."
"Shazhou governs four counties and two districts, with a population of over five million. How many people can become city-level leaders? Contentment brings happiness."
Li Jing had known and interacted with Hou Weidong for some time. She was usually accurate in judging people and situations. She knew he had great ambitions, but there was no need to say more in this context. She simply said, "It is good to keep a low profile."
The next day, they arrived at the temporary conference room Jinggong Group had rented in Lingxi. Li Jing, looking radiant, reported the group’s achievements in 1996 to the shareholders. Everyone acknowledged and praised her performance. They also discussed the group’s future development. Finally, the shareholders agreed to inject additional capital proportional to their shares to strengthen Jinggong Group, laying the foundation for business expansion in 1997.
Hou Weidong invested another 100 yuan according to his share ratio. This was the entire year’s pure profit from the Dog’s Back Bend Quarry. He invested it all without hesitation. Of course, the profits from the Yinggang Quarry and the slab quarry at the foot of the mountain were already enough to allow Hou Weidong to live a happy and wealthy life.
From this perspective, Qinglin Town had treated him well.
After the major issues of Jinggong Group were settled, the group’s model team put on a special performance for the major shareholders and the management team. The model team had been formed for some time and had performed in Lingxi, Shazhou, and other places. Compared to their early days in Shazhou, their performance was now spectacular, impressing the major shareholders.
The banquet began. The management team of Jinggong Group was all present, celebrating the New Year early with the major shareholders. Some Western-style staff members were even celebrating Christmas. Li Jing noticed that everyone had been drinking quite a bit. She unconsciously drifted to Hou Weidong’s side and whispered, "Drink less. I have arrangements for this afternoon."
After saying this, she held her glass and gracefully went around to toast others, leaving a trace of warmth in Hou Weidong’s ear. Looking at Li Jing’s curvaceous waist, Hou Weidong’s gaze seemed to have penetrating power, seeing directly through to her jade-like, exquisite body.
All banquets must end, let alone a cocktail party. The management team and shareholders of Jinggong Group began to leave. A large bus was parked at the entrance, with the four characters "Jinggong Group" written on it. The management team boarded the bus one by one.
The major shareholders each had their own cars. Except for Hou Weidong, who drove a pickup truck, the other three were high-end sedans. The management team opened their windows to watch the major shareholders leave. Many were surprised to see that Hou Weidong was driving only a pickup truck. Hou Weidong, seeing the gathering of luxury cars at the hotel entrance, also felt that driving a pickup to Lingxi was somewhat undignified. He began to consider changing to a high-end car. As the saying goes, "A person is like a post; it all depends on the clothes." In this era of progress, the car one drove indicated one’s status.
When Li Jing got into her car, she gave Hou Weidong a wink. Then she said goodbye to the other shareholders, and everyone drove off in different directions. Hou Weidong understood the meaning of that glance. He followed Li Jing’s car, turned a few streets, and returned to the residential compound where Li Jing lived.
After parking and going upstairs, Hou Weidong clearly saw the passion in Li Jing’s eyes. He whispered in her ear, "White Bone Demon, let’s return to the cave." Li Jing’s heart fluttered. She linked her arm with Hou Weidong’s and said, "You are my nemesis. You’ve made me distracted even during meetings."
Taking advantage of the privacy, Hou Weidong pinched Li Jing’s perky buttocks and joked, "This meeting was very effective. It was a meeting of unity and victory,凝聚ing hearts and boosting morale. Chairman Li Jing’s glorious image has illuminated Jinggong Group."
Although it was teasing, Li Jing was still pleased. "Let’s go home and rest for a while. In the afternoon, I’ll take you to Yehu Ridge. We’ll stay there for the night and return to Lingxi after lunch tomorrow."
As they reached the door, Hou Weidong’s mobile phone rang. It was a number from Qinglin Town.
"Mayor Hou, this is Tian Xiuying."
Hou Weidong had not expected Tian Xiuying to call. Hearing the slight cry in her voice, he asked, "Sister Tian, is something wrong?"
"Mayor Hou, we both came from Shangqinglin. You must help me with this matter. The county is cleaning up the 'Eight Major Staff' positions. They are dismissing us with just a few thousand yuan. I have worked at the Qinglin Town Government for over twenty years. Even if I have no merit, I have suffered hardships. Now they are dismissing me, saying I’m fired. How will my family survive?"
Although Tian Xiuying was someone who liked to stir up trouble and had once falsely accused Hou Weidong during his time in Shangqinglin, time had passed, and Hou Weidong’s resentment toward her had faded. He patiently listened to her crying for a while and then asked, "Didn’t your brother-in-law buy a truck for transportation?"
"He had a car accident last month. Your brother-in-law is still in the hospital. To save money, he didn’t buy insurance at the time. Now we have to pay for everything ourselves."
The "Eight Major Staff" were temporary employees in township agricultural technology stations, agricultural economic stations, and similar departments. This was a historically formed employment method that had played an important role in the early 1980s. Due to financial difficulties and the fact that the existence of these staff members was inconsistent with the current cadre system, the county had begun to clean up this issue. Hou Weidong was very clear about this. Tian Xiuying’s situation fell exactly within the scope of this cleanup.
After rambling for more than half an hour, Tian Xiuying hung up the phone with hope.
Hou Weidong felt a buzzing in his ears. Li Jing, standing nearby, had heard the gist of it. "If a person has no long-term planning, they will have immediate worries. The government is being too ruthless, driving people away so easily."
Hou Weidong said, "Although Tian Xiuying is not a good person, I still feel sympathy for her situation. But it is only sympathy. Under such a major policy, who dares to open a back door for one person?"
"From another perspective, pitiful people must have something hateful about them. Her husband bought a truck to transport gravel for the quarry, which could have earned money. I told him he must buy insurance, but he turned a deaf ear. Now that an accident has happened, not only has all the money he earned been paid out in compensation, but he also has to borrow money to pay for medical expenses."
Li Jing could only sigh for their family. "Let’s not talk about other people’s matters. Now we are in the Spider Cave. The Monkey King should also deal with the White Bone Demon." She laughed, "It’s just that there is no Tang Monk. You, the monkey, can do as you please."
"Sun Wukong had to strike the White Bone Demon three times."
"Come then. Who is afraid of whom? Ah, you’re hurting me."