Chapter 418: Family Life (Part 2)

Hou Weidong had spent a long time by Zhou Changquan’s side, so he knew the secretary’s explicit and implicit preferences quite well. After reviewing the footage twice, he said, "The shots of Secretary Zhou are indeed a bit rough. However, since the program is already produced, it must be broadcast, and it must be the lead story."

The head of the television station was present as well. He smiled and said, "That is the basic rule. The station would never make a mistake on that. It is just that Secretary Zhou’s footage is slightly inferior, so we invited Director Hou to oversee the final cut."

In truth, the footage wasn’t inherently poor; it was only inferior when compared to Liu Bing’s. Hou Weidong pondered for a moment, a plan forming in his mind. He suggested, "Secretary Zhou repeatedly emphasized that affordable housing is a project of public sentiment and must prioritize quality. We can make this the core theme of the report. We should use more shots of Secretary Zhou wearing a safety helmet and inspecting the construction quality."

Hou Weidong’s logic was simple: Since Zhou Changquan appeared with fewer people and the visuals were less polished, they should highlight his hands-on approach to the front lines. In contrast, Liu Bing, surrounded by a large entourage, merely made a superficial tour, which would appear perfunctory and detached.

Zhu Jielin and the television staff had considered this angle, but since it involved Zhou Changquan, they were hesitant, fearing they might overstep and cause trouble. Now that Hou Weidong’s thinking aligned with theirs, Zhu Jielin was pleased. "With Director Hou’s guidance, we know exactly what to do. We will send reporters to capture a few supplementary shots, re-edit the sequence, and present it as a positive news story about going deep into the front lines, strictly controlling quality, and caring for people’s livelihoods."

Back at the conference venue, Zhou Changquan was still speaking. According to the long-standing convention in Shazhou’s political circles, the higher one’s rank, the later one spoke. As the Party Secretary of Shazhou, Zhou Changquan invariably spoke last. The host would always follow the same formula: "Now, let us welcome Secretary Zhou to deliver an important speech."

Hou Weidong, accompanying Zhou Changquan across various venues, was thoroughly familiar with these procedures. He had recently purchased a ten-volume set of General History of China and carried one volume with him at all times. Whenever there was a long meeting, he would retreat to the rest room to read.

After reading for a while, he would look up and listen to Zhou Changquan’s speech.

The draft Zhou Changquan was using today had been initially prepared by the Agricultural Commission. Although called a "draft," it was actually a formal manuscript that had passed through multiple layers of review.

Regarding speechwriting, Hou Weidong knew his own writing skills were not his strongest suit. Therefore, whenever he assigned tasks, he would first ask Zhou Changquan for the key points of the speech, then discuss the central theme and outline with the drafting department. Once the department produced the initial draft, unless there were fundamental issues, he rarely made major adjustments. He would simply add some of Zhou Changquan’s habitual phrases.

This approach made life much easier for the secretaries handling written work in various agencies. Writing speeches was a grueling task. If a leader was reasonable—discussing outlines beforehand and respecting the hard work of the staff afterward—the secretaries would feel much more at ease. Otherwise, the experience would be nothing short of torture.

Department secretaries had three main fears. First, they feared sudden tasks, such as receiving a notice in the afternoon with a deadline for the next morning, which meant working through the night with little time for thought. Second, they feared leaders who would casually toss out a topic without providing key points, ideas, or an outline, leaving the secretaries to rely entirely on their own experience and imagination. Third, they feared leaders who were half-educated, unmodest, and fond of making smart-aleck edits. Serving such a leader was exhausting beyond measure.

Hou Weidong’s method earned him high praise from secretaries in various departments, and compliments were frequent.

Of course, Hou Weidong’s reluctance to heavily edit drafts was not just out of respect for the departments’ labor. Another reason was that Zhou Changquan was an eloquent speaker with clear thinking. He was well-informed, stood at a high vantage point, and analyzed issues deeply. Therefore, although he prepared drafts for major speeches, he would often just glance at the headings. Once he started speaking, the written draft became merely a prop.

As the clock approached twelve, Zhou Changquan had only reached his second point. Hou Weidong checked his watch; Zhou had been speaking for over forty minutes. Based on his habit, Zhou usually structured his speeches into three main points, each divided into three sub-issues. Being on the second point meant there were still about forty minutes to go.

Hou Weidong opened his General History of China and slowly immersed himself in the imagery of horse hooves and smoke of war described in the book.

Several department heads took a break to smoke outside. They did not notice Hou Weidong sitting in the rest room, puffing on a cigarette and chatting casually.

One man said, "Secretary Zhou’s speeches are getting more and more verbose. I remember when he first arrived in Shazhou as Party Secretary, his speeches rarely exceeded twenty minutes."

Another replied, "Let’s finish this cigarette and go back. If Secretary Zhou sees people coming and going, he’ll lose his temper and enforce discipline again."

A third added, "We’ve been in meetings for four hours. Going out to relieve oneself is always considered a mistake. But surely, a living person shouldn’t be憋 (held up) by urine."

Hearing these remarks, Hou Weidong reflected and thought to himself, "By 1999, Secretary Zhou’s speeches really have gotten longer."

Before the meeting concluded, Hou Weidong joined Zhou Changquan. The meeting was hosted by Vice Mayor Liu Chuanda, who invited Zhou to lunch before returning. Zhou shook his head. "Old Liu, forget it. I’ll just grab something simple to eat, take a nap, and get back to work. There are still many things to do this afternoon."

In the car, Hou Weidong briefly mentioned the television station matter. Zhou Changquan dismissed it lightly. "Shazhou has so many major and difficult issues. Even if you worked twenty-four hours a day without sleep, you couldn’t finish them all. Why fuss over such trivial matters? Xiao Hou, in the future, focus your energy on big issues. Don’t waste time arguing over nonsense with others."

The afternoon passed in a blur of activity. Zhou Changquan had originally planned to go home for dinner, but just before leaving, a phone call came in. It was from the heads of the Shazhou Entrepreneurs Association, inviting him over. Zhou agreed to drop by.

They lingered in the office until half past six, and then Zhou Changquan took Hou Weidong to the Shazhou Hotel. He kept his word: "drop by" meant just that. He poured a small cup of Maotai liquor, about one liang, toasted with the entrepreneurs present in turn, and then said, "I have other matters and cannot drink much. Please enjoy yourselves."

The fact that the Party Secretary attended the dinner was already a great honor for those present. They escorted Zhou Changquan to the elevator, and then Yao Qiang, the president of the Entrepreneurs Association, saw him down to the ground floor.

Yao Qiang was the chairman of Lingxi Construction Group. In recent years, Yao’s main business had gradually shifted from Lingxi to Shazhou. He had connections at both the provincial and municipal levels and was close to Zhou Changquan, which led to his recommendation as the new president of the Shazhou Entrepreneurs Association.

Hou Weidong got into the car. Through the rearview mirror, Yao Qiang appeared increasingly thin and tall. He waved from below, and even after the car had driven away, he continued to wave.

Hou Weidong had met Yao Qiang before when he worked in Yiyang. Recalling the situation at that time, he thought to himself, "Yao Qiang was once close to Ma Youcai, and Ma Youcai had a close relationship with Liu Bing. It seems the people and affairs in Shazhou are indeed deeply intertwined and complicated."

After leaving the Shazhou Hotel, Zhou Changquan went directly home. As the top leader of Shazhou, he had countless social engagements, which he found tedious. Going home, even if it meant eating pickled vegetables with a bowl of thin porridge, was better than feasting on delicacies.

Hou Weidong returned home before seven o’clock, feeling quite happy. When he arrived at his home in Xinyue Building, the News Broadcast was just starting. In the living room sat his father, Hou Yonggui, and his mother, Liu Guangfen, along with an unfamiliar middle-aged woman. This surprised Hou Weidong.

Hou Weidong greeted them, "Dad, Mom, when did you arrive?"

The middle-aged woman was warm and hospitable. She poured a glass of water for Hou Weidong and said, "You must be Hou Weidong’s nephew. I am your second aunt by marriage. I’ve come to help take care of the baby."

Hou Weidong was somewhat surprised but did not show it. He took the water, drank a sip, and said, "Thank you, Second Aunt."

Chen Qingrong called from the inner room, "Second Sister, bring the baby’s underwear over." She was bathing the baby in the inner room. Although she had raised children before, many years had passed, and she had mostly forgotten the details. The baby was still soft and fragile, so she felt tense and struggled a bit.

After greeting Hou Weidong, Liu Guangfen could not resist going to the bathroom. She stood at the door for a while. Having raised more children, she had more experience. Seeing Chen Qingrong’s tension, she said, "Mother-in-law, lay the baby flat and put a towel under her bottom so she doesn’t slip."

Chen Qingrong’s hands were full, so she smiled at Liu Guangfen and called out to her second cousin, "Second Sister, bring a towel and put it under the baby."

Seeing that her mother-in-law did not intend to ask for help, Liu Guangfen stood at the door for a while longer. When Chen Qingrong began dressing the baby, Liu Guangfen returned to the living room.

Hou Weidong exchanged a few words with his father and said, "You sit here for a moment. I’ll go change." Back in the inner room, Xiaojia was looking at him. "Are you angry?" she asked.

Hou Weidong replied, "Why would I be angry?"

Xiaojia said, "My mother didn’t consult either of us before inviting your second aunt. I’m a bit upset."

Hou Weidong advised, "Dad is working, and Mom is doing housework and taking care of the baby alone. It’s truly hard work. We should hire someone."

"My confinement period is almost over. I can get up and do things. There’s really no need to hire a nanny for two people to care for one baby."

Hou Weidong smiled. "You’re such a miser." Xiaojia reached out to pinch him, tried a few times without success, and said sternly, "I don’t care about the money. But hiring a nanny shouldn’t be so hasty. At the very least, she should have a medical checkup to ensure she has no diseases."

"Don’t you know your second aunt’s family situation?"

"I haven’t seen her in years. Here’s my thinking: although she is a relative, taking care of a child is a major matter. She must have a checkup to rule out any contagious diseases. Otherwise, it’s irresponsible to the baby."

Whenever the child was mentioned, Xiaojia became particularly stubborn, and her reasoning was sound. Hou Weidong felt a bit awkward. "Your second aunt is your family’s relative. It might not be appropriate for me to bring it up." Xiaojia thought for a moment and said, "I’ll handle it. After your parents leave, I will formally raise the issue. This is a big matter and cannot be vague."

When Hou Weidong went out, Zhang Yuanzheng happened to return. Seeing the in-laws had arrived, he was quite happy and habitually took out cigarettes. As they lit up, Chen Qingrong said to Zhang Yuanzheng, "You really are something. You come home and immediately start smoking. The baby is so small; how can she be exposed to this smoke?"

Liu Guangfen joined in, smiling and joking, "You two men should go to the balcony to smoke. Don’t pollute the air here." The two men awkwardly moved to the balcony to smoke.

At this moment, the Shazhou News began on TV. Hou Weidong sat in the living room to watch. Chen Qingrong called out, "Hou Weidong, your father hasn’t eaten yet. Please help heat up his food." Hou Weidong waited for the first few news items to finish before heading to the kitchen.

The first two news items were about Zhou Changquan and Liu Bing. In the footage, Zhou Changquan appeared plain and honest, wearing a safety helmet, going deep into the construction site, personally inspecting the building quality, and making clear demands. The television station cleverly inserted clauses regarding construction safety and quality. This news segment felt very substantial. In contrast, Liu Bing’s news showed a large conference first, then a group of people standing in the courtyard of the affordable housing project. It was a very ordinary news item without much focus.

As soon as these two news items finished, Liu Jielin, the Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department, called. Hou Weidong said, "I watched it. It’s very good. There should be no problems."

After the baby was bathed, Chen Qingrong put her to sleep. The second cousin went to wash clothes. Zhang Yuanzheng, after eating, sat in the living room chatting with Hou Yonggui and Liu Guangfen. At nine o’clock, Hou Yonggui and Liu Guangfen stood up to leave. Hou Weidong drove his parents to his eldest brother’s house.

On the way, Liu Guangfen said, "Your mother-in-law is not someone to be trifled with. You need to be careful."

Hou Weidong laughed. "I don’t mind. I’m mostly out, and when I come home, I just sleep." Liu Guangfen shook her head. "I’m afraid it won’t be that simple. From my observation, she has a strong personality and is not easy to get along with. If you live under the same roof for a long time, you need to prepare yourself mentally."

When Hou Weidong returned, he found the air in the house as if frozen. Chen Qingrong, Zhang Yuanzheng, and the second aunt were all sitting in the living room, staring silently at Hou Weidong.