Chapter 1300

Zhao Da and Xia Jian said in unison, "Told them."

Comrade Xiao Zhao said "Oh." At the thought of Zheng Jie's round face and those affectionate eyes, he couldn't wait, hoping to get off work quickly and see Zheng Jie again. In the time before getting off work, Comrade Xiao Zhao's mind was entirely occupied with fantasies of getting things done with Zheng Jie. Comrade Xiao Zhao, who had conquered countless women, also understood that even the most charming beauty, once stripped of her clothes and lying naked in front of you, once the mystery of wearing clothes was lost, all fantasies would vanish. Perhaps getting things done with her wouldn't be as exciting as in his fantasies, but he still longed for the day he could get his hands on Zhao Da's beautiful, plump, and not greasy wife to taste something fresh.

Perhaps it was because Comrade Xiao Zhao was too eager to see Zheng Jie, but the afternoon seemed to have become much longer. He was anxious, fantasizing while checking his watch from time to time. Finally, after checking his watch who knows how many times, he made it to the end of the workday. Once off work, not only was he anxious, but Xia Jian was even more anxious to go home and pick up his wife. He packed his bag and told Zhao Da to choose a place and call him, while he went home to pick up A-Fang.

Zhao Da was too stingy. Although he had agreed to treat them to dinner, once Xia Jian left, he didn't show any initiative at all, dawdling while packing his things, looking as if it pained him like cutting his own flesh. Comrade Xiao Zhao, who had already packed his bag and was ready to go, saw him dawdling and said anxiously, "Brother Zhao, look at you. Making you treat us to a meal is like cutting your flesh. Let me treat you to this meal, let's go quickly."

Zhao Da smiled awkwardly and said, "I originally said I would treat you after your sister-in-law was officially transferred here, but Xia Jian insisted I treat you tonight."

Comrade Xiao Zhao was already impatient to see Zheng Jie and joked, pointing at him, "Brother Zhao, look at you. A real man keeps his word. You said you'd treat us, so treat us. Being so reluctant, you have no masculine spirit!"

As a man, although Zhao Da's style was a bit unmanly, he certainly didn't like others saying he wasn't a man, so he laughed and said, "No, no, it's not that I'm not treating you. Since I promised, I have to treat you. Let's go." Under the stimulation of Comrade Xiao Zhao's few words, Zhao Da finally packed his things and went downstairs with Comrade Xiao Zhao, walking out of the Construction Committee.

At the entrance of the Construction Committee, Comrade Xiao Zhao asked him, "Brother Zhao, where are we eating?"

"I'm not too sure either. I rarely eat out. You decide," Zhao Da said.

Fine, then I'll slaughter you! Let you taste the feeling of having your flesh cut! Comrade Xiao Zhao thought to himself. He feigned thought and said, "Then let's go to Tianrenyi. The food at that restaurant is not bad."

"Okay," Zhao Da agreed without hesitation.

So Comrade Xiao Zhao smiled cunningly, hailed a taxi, climbed in, and ordered the driver to drive to the "Tianrenyi" restaurant.

While in the car, Zhao Da's phone rang. Comrade Xiao Zhao quieted down and heard Zheng Jie's sweet and pleasant voice coming from the phone after Zhao Da answered: "Where are you planning to eat?"

"At some Tianrenyi, a place Xiao Zhao chose," Zhao Da said to his wife in a gentle voice, glancing at Comrade Xiao Zhao.

Zheng Jie asked, "Where is Tianrenyi?"

Comrade Xiao Zhao was already impatient to see Zheng Jie, so he snatched the phone from Zhao Da's hand and said, "I'll tell my sister-in-law." As he spoke, he put the phone to his ear and called out "Sister-in-law" in a loud voice.

There was a second of silence on the phone, and then Zheng Jie's smiling voice came through: "Is... is that Xiao Zhao?" Zheng Jie heard this "Sister-in-law" full of masculine spirit and wasn't quite sure if it was Comrade Xiao Zhao calling her with such a magnetic voice.

"It's me, sister-in-law," Comrade Xiao Zhao said gently, smiling as he glanced at Zhao Da sitting next to him.

When Zheng Jie heard it was Comrade Xiao Zhao, her voice sounded a bit joyful, and she said sweetly, "Then where are you eating? I'll take a taxi over now."

"Right on Jiefang Road, the sign is very big. Sister-in-law, just tell the driver when you get in the car, the driver will know," Comrade Xiao Zhao said with a smile.

"Alright then, I'll take a taxi now," Zheng Jie's voice was also gentle and lingering, making Comrade Xiao Zhao feel wonderful inside.

He glanced at Zhao Da and saw him looking at himself, so Comrade Xiao Zhao smiled into the phone and said, "Alright, sister-in-law, you can talk to Brother Zhao now," and handed the phone to Zhao Da beside him.

Zhao Da took the phone and said to Zheng Jie, "Xiao Zhao has made it clear to you, so just take a taxi over."

When Zheng Jie heard that the person had changed, her voice was clearly not as gentle as when she was talking to Comrade Xiao Zhao. She said, "Got it, no more talking, we'll talk when I get there," and hung up the phone.

Zhao Da heard the beeping sound from the phone, put it away while muttering, "Hung up pretty fast." After putting the phone away, he suddenly remembered something and said, "Right, call Xia Jian and tell him the place," and dialed Xia Jian's number to tell him where they were eating.

In the car on the way to Tianrenyi restaurant, Comrade Xiao Zhao wanted to find out more about Zheng Jie's personality and gradually shifted the topic to her. "Brother Zhao, how long have you and sister-in-law been married?" Comrade Xiao Zhao asked casually.

Zhao Da said, "Seven years."

"Seven-year itch," Comrade Xiao Zhao joked. "I heard people say that after six years of marriage, the feelings between husband and wife fade. Is that so?"

Zhao Da nodded and said, "Pretty much. My wife and I work far away, and every day when we come back, we have to cook, take care of the child, and help the child with homework. There's no private space, and work is tiring, so we don't want to do anything when we get back."

Comrade Xiao Zhao asked with a devilish smile, "Then how often do you do that now?"

This sensitive question made Zhao Da a bit embarrassed. He stammered, "Every ten days or half a month. Work is too tiring, I don't have the heart for it."

Comrade Xiao Zhao continued to smile wickedly, "Brother Zhao, that won't do. You and sister-in-law are both in your thirties, the time when that is most vigorous. This easily leads to discord between husband and wife."

"Work is too busy, too tiring, I don't have the heart for it," Zhao Da said, avoiding Comrade Xiao Zhao's eyes and focusing on the trivial.

Comrade Xiao Zhao smiled devilishly and expressed regret, "Brother Zhao, a woman as good as sister-in-law is hard to find even with a lantern. You'd better cherish her."

Zhao Da immediately turned his face and said anxiously, "Who says I don't cherish her? I cherish her very much."

Comrade Xiao Zhao chuckled, leaned into his ear, and whispered, "If you really want to cherish sister-in-law, then think more for her. Although I'm not married yet, I know a bit about this. Brother Zhao, haven't you heard the saying that a woman is like a wolf at thirty and a tiger at forty? Sister-in-law is at the age where her physiological needs are very vigorous. You only do it with her once every ten days or half a month, aren't you making sister-in-law suffer?"

Zhao Da understood everything Comrade Xiao Zhao said, but he didn't know that the reason Zhao Da only did it with Zheng Jie once every ten days or half a month was because he had an unspeakable male ailment: impotence. Perhaps it was because of too much work pressure, or perhaps his masculine spirit had declined too early. Starting two years ago, Zhao Da's male nature had clearly weakened. Originally, having marital life three times a week was just right, and every time he could reach the peak of happiness with Zheng Jie. Later, for some reason, he gradually felt that his heart was willing but his strength was lacking, turning into twice a week, then once a week, then once every ten days or half a month. This obvious change also caught Zheng Jie's attention. Moreover, as the receiving party in marital life, Zheng Jie could clearly feel that Zhao Da's thing was becoming less and less useful. Although sometimes he looked very high-spirited, that thing was still in a half-hard, half-soft state and couldn't reach the hardest state in Zheng Jie's body, making her gradually unable to experience the joy of being a woman. But after all, the two had been married for several years and had children. Facing Zhao Da, whose masculine spirit was no longer there, Zheng Jie didn't say anything. But there was still some resentment in her heart. The reason she had always wanted to come to the Provincial Construction Committee to work with him was that she wanted to be with Zhao Da day and night, inseparable, to cultivate feelings and see if she could help him regain his masculine spirit. Zhao Da, however, never understood his wife Zheng Jie's intentions. He always felt that if two people worked in the same unit, he was afraid of people gossiping, and considering his wife Zheng Jie's good looks, he was afraid that once she came to the Construction Committee, she would be targeted by that old lecher Zheng Tulu, so he repeatedly obstructed her from coming. But Zheng Jie had been urging him endlessly about this matter recently, and every time she got home at night, she would quarrel with Zhao Da about it, threatening Zhao Da that if he didn't find a way to transfer her over, she wouldn't go to work and would let Zhao Da support this family alone. Zhao Da had worked for several years but had always been at the very grassroots level, and his salary was not high. If it weren't for Zheng Jie earning more salary working at the District Construction Committee, his monthly salary would be almost gone after paying the mortgage. Their daughter Nini was still in school, and his salary alone couldn't cover the family's expenses. In addition, Zheng Jie always complained that her commute was too far. Every day after work, she would take the bus for nearly two hours to get home, already exhausted, and still had to cook and do laundry. Facing Zheng Jie's complaints and practical problems, Zhao Da also figured it out. Just in time for Zheng Ru's position to become vacant, he wanted to let his wife Zheng Jie come over.