Chapter 263: A New Landscape (Middle)

Upon arriving at the VIP building of the County Committee’s small guesthouse, Hou Weidong felt a sense of unease. Since he had joined the office, Zhu Yan and Ma Youcai had never dined alone together. For Ma Youcai to actively invite Zhu Yan to dinner today was truly an unprecedented occurrence.

This gathering was a continuation of the recent political landscape. Both men had wisely chosen peace, recognizing that this was a sensitive period. Conflict would result in mutual defeat, while cooperation offered a win-win scenario.

Since Ma Youcai was hosting, the County Government Office took charge of the arrangements. Hou Weidong was happy to relax and play the role of a hands-off supervisor. By the time Zhu Yan and Ma Youcai began their "revolutionary small drinks"—a modest toast to camaraderie—the staff members from the County Committee and County Government had already opened their own rooms for dinner.

Without alcohol to liven the mood, the dinner atmosphere was subdued. Everyone finished their dry rice quickly.

Putting down his bowl, Hou Weidong noticed the group sitting in silence. He suggested, "Director Sheng, let’s not just stare at each other. Let’s play Shuangkou."

Sheng Kui was the Comprehensive Section Chief of the County Government Office. At thirty-seven, he was significantly more senior than Hou Weidong and was a trusted confidant of Ma Youcai. He had a heavy smoking habit; his right index and middle fingers were stained yellow. Clipping a cigarette, he slowly walked to the door, waved to a nearby waitress, and whispered a few instructions.

Shortly after, the waitress entered with tea and tangerines, efficiently clearing the table. Once she had finished tidying up, Sheng Kui adjusted his glasses and said, "Director Hou, you set the rules for Shuangkou. Do we use the Southern style or the Northern style?"

In this small room, Hou Weidong, as the Deputy Director of the Committee Office in charge of daily work, held the highest status. Naturally, the decision was his. Old Liu and the other driver were seasoned veterans who understood social nuances well; they sat around the table, waiting for Hou Weidong to speak. Hou Weidong did not hesitate. "Let’s use the Northern style. It’s simpler. The Southern rules are too complicated."

Everyone agreed with Hou Weidong’s proposal.

During the Spring Festival, rumors had circulated that Zhu Yan was set to be promoted to Vice Mayor of Shazhou City. Sheng Kui, having worked in the Government Office for several years, was well-informed. He had heard various versions of Zhu Yan’s potential transfer out of Shazhou. As everyone shuffled the cards, he smiled and joked, "Director Hou, I heard your wife works in Shazhou. She was the campus beauty of Shazhou University back in the day."

When Hou Weidong had transferred to the County Committee Office, it was during the height of the rivalry between Zhu Yan and Ma Youcai. Against this backdrop, there had always been a distance and barrier between the County Committee Office and the County Government Office. Knowing that Sheng Kui was close to Ma Youcai, Hou Weidong remained cautious. He smiled and replied, "With my looks, how could I ever win over a campus beauty? Besides, the cost of marrying and supporting a woman of that caliber is much higher than an ordinary woman. I’m not willing to do something so foolish."

Sheng Kui’s eyes flickered with calculation. He then turned to Old Tang, the government driver, and said, "Old Tang, you were separated from your wife for over ten years, right? His wife was only transferred from Linjiang County to Xicheng Primary School the year before last. Those days of separation are hard to bear. Director Hou is in his prime. Why don’t you find a way to transfer your wife to Yiyang?"

Old Tang, unaware of Sheng Kui’s ulterior motive, replied casually, "Transferring from Shazhou to Yiyang isn’t worth it. Just the Shazhou household registration alone is worth over ten thousand yuan."

Sheng Kui followed up on the topic, "Director Hou is young and promising. If you transferred to Shazhou, you could become a county-level leader in a few years. If Secretary Zhu transfers to Shazhou to take a leadership role, you could go with him. Why worry about trivial matters like household registration?"

Hou Weidong did not want to engage and offered a perfunctory response. In his mind, he thought: Sheng Kui is close to Ma Youcai, yet he hasn’t even secured a deputy director position. There must be a reason. Working in an office requires some depth. Probing for information in such a clumsy way shows a lack of sophistication.

At 9:30 PM, Zhu Yan and Ma Youcai finally finished dinner. They had only consumed half a bottle of Wuliangye. Both men walked out of the room with smiles. Ma Youcai took the initiative to extend his hand, shaking Zhu Yan’s hand firmly. "The day after tomorrow, we will hold the county-wide 'Refocus' meeting, which will also serve as the mobilization assembly for the construction of New Yiyang. After the meeting, Yiyang will roll up its sleeves and work hard. The government firmly supports the decisions of the Party Committee."

In the car, Zhu Yan fell silent. He said nothing throughout the journey, and Hou Weidong, out of habit, also chose silence.

During this period following Zhu Yan, Hou Weidong had met many people and learned a great deal. More importantly, he was gradually mastering the rhythm of officialdom. This rhythm was invisible and intangible, something that could not be taught but only understood through experience. In Yiyang County, following the County Party Secretary, the top leader, was clearly the best way to be influenced by this rhythm.

Hou Weidong realized that Sheng Kui’s restlessness was actually a sign of his own progress.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the residential building, Zhu Yan took his briefcase and suddenly said, "You sent a laptop to Zhu Mei. It cost over ten thousand, didn’t it?" Hou Weidong nodded, neither denying nor confirming, simply saying, "I heard Zhu Mei has a talent for painting. A computer is a useful tool for that."

Zhu Yan glanced at Hou Weidong. His sharp gaze seemed to pierce through Hou Weidong’s very soul. Yet, Hou Weidong remained calm, offering no further explanation. He knew in his heart: Zhu Yan is a man of understanding. Such people do not need unnecessary words. Indeed, Zhu Yan’s gaze soon softened. Rarely, he patted Hou Weidong on the shoulder before turning to go upstairs.

On Sunday, Xiaojia was also returning to Shanghai. Hou Weidong took leave from Zhu Yan and drove his Bluebird back to Shazhou. They had already booked tickets for a 6:00 PM flight, so there was no rush.

Returning to Xiaojia’s parents’ home, Chen Qingrong, who came from a working-class background and was accustomed to dealing with hard, tangible objects, was not skilled at expressing inner emotions. She was preparing to go out to buy groceries when Xiaojia said, "Mom, we won’t be eating at home. We have things to do at noon."

Chen Qingrong’s mood dimmed. "Take care of your health when you’re alone in Shanghai. Don’t stay up late at night."

Hou Weidong suggested, "When spring comes next year, Dad and Mom can come to Shanghai for a visit. I remember you haven’t been there. The city has changed rapidly in recent years." Xiaojia curled her lip, disdainful of Hou Weidong’s suggestion. In her mind, she thought: If you dare not come to Shanghai to see me this year, we’re not finished.

The group chatted idly in the living room for a while. Xiaojia called Chen Qingrong into the inner room. She took two stacks of RMB from her handbag and said, "Mom, don’t save money for us. Buy more chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Eat less pork. Make sure Dad goes out for walks every day; don’t keep him cooped up at home. The apartment you bought at Xinyue Building is also renovated. Open the windows and let it air out for two months, then you can move in."

Chen Qingrong was used to living in the factory residential quarters, where neighbors upstairs and downstairs were all from the same unit. Once out the door, everyone could stand on the stairs and chat for half a day. "I don’t have any acquaintances at Xinyue Building. I won’t find anyone to talk to."

Xiaojia advised, "You’ll get used to it after living there for a while. Xinyue Building has complete facilities and is much better than this old building."

Chen Qingrong added, "It’s far from the market. It’s simply inconvenient."

Seeing that her mother was attached to the old house, Xiaojia stopped persuading. "Anyway, the apartment is ready. You can live wherever you want."

At 11:00 AM, the two went downstairs and drove straight to Xinyue Building. However, they did not enter the main gate but parked outside a restaurant near the entrance.

In the private room, they ordered several large dishes representing water, land, and air, along with a bottle of premium Wuliangye. Soon, Su Mingjun, Sister Zhao, and Su Tang’er walked in.

Before Xiaojia went to Shanghai for her studies, Sister Zhao liked to bring Su Tang’er over on weekends. Often, they would play mahjong in the inner room while Su Tang’er watched TV alone outside. Su Tang’er greeted Xiaojia affectionately and plopped down between Xiaojia and Hou Weidong.

Sister Zhao and Xiaojia were already close confidantes. Looking at the young couple, she smiled with deep meaning. "Su Tang’er, you child, why are you so不懂事 (ignorant of propriety)? Sit over here quickly." Su Tang’er, however, clung to Xiaojia and refused to move, so Sister Zhao let it go.

Hou Weidong had taken the time to pay New Year’s greetings to Su Mingjun before the Spring Festival, so there was no need for excessive formality. "We’ll drink a bottle of wine today."

Su Mingjun was wearing a leather jacket with a long fur collar, resembling men from northern countries. This was the most popular men’s fashion in Shazhou. Since the room was air-conditioned, he took off the jacket, revealing a sweater underneath with a neatly tied tie. He picked up the wine bottle and said, "Xiaojia’s flight is at 4:00 PM, and you’ll need to drive to Lingxi afterward. For safety’s sake, let’s skip the alcohol."

Sister Zhao added from the side, "This Spring Festival, your Brother Su got drunk several times. I imagine Xiao Hou hasn’t had it easy either. Let’s skip the wine and have a bottle of fruit juice instead. It’s better for the stomach."

Xiaojia and Su Tang’er clapped their hands in approval.

Su Mingjun was the Executive Deputy Director of the Municipal Organization Department. He possessed the typical traits of an organization cadre: his speech was watertight, leaving everything to be understood implicitly. "This time, the Municipal Party Committee Office, Government Office, Organization Department, and Propaganda Department have transferred some people in from various counties and bureaus. The Organization Department transferred two people, one of whom is Guo Lan from the Yiyang Organization Department."

He added with significant meaning, "Some departments took the opportunity to exceed their staffing quotas. Secretary Jiang mentioned this issue twice at the meeting. He said that regardless of connections, no one will be transferred to Shazhou this year."

Sister Zhao remarked from the side, "Xiao Hou, it’s a pity you didn’t transfer up. With so many people transferring up this year, it will be difficult to move around in the future."

Hou Weidong raised his juice glass and said, "Thank you, Minister Su, for your concern. Last year, Standing Committee Member Ji was promoted to Deputy Secretary, and the Committee Office was short-staffed. At such a time, I really felt awkward raising the issue of a transfer."

Su Mingjun said, "Xiao Hou is a man of true feelings. However,世事难料 (the world is unpredictable). Who knows when new changes might arise?"

After lunch, Hou Weidong and Xiaojia returned to Xinyue Building to pack their belongings. As soon as they closed the door, Xiaojia tightly hugged Hou Weidong. "Let’s go take a shower." Hou Weidong raised his wrist to check his watch, but Xiaojia whispered in his ear, "It’s only half an hour until 1:00 PM. We still have time."

"Quick battle, quick victory."

Xiaojia pinched Hou Weidong hard. "Ensure quality. No cutting corners."

In the bathroom, the two quickly entered the mood. Hou Weidong, worried about the time, exerted all his strength from the start, holding nothing back. The soft sounds echoed clearly in the enclosed space. Xiaojia propped her hands on the washstand, unable to suppress her moans. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, while Hou Weidong behind her wore an expression that was even somewhat fierce.