Chapter 609

Su Qing and Zhao Desan both felt somewhat strange at the same time. When they had eaten with Ma Debang last time, he had been in a rush to get home; why had he suddenly changed his tune this time?

Su Qing's willow-leaf brows arched slightly, and she said with a light laugh, "Is it that the hospitality toward Deputy Director Ma tonight hasn't been attentive enough?"

Ma Debang hurriedly said, "No, no, Minister Su, please don't misunderstand. The meal tonight was excellent, and I've eaten and drunk my fill. It's just… my stomach is feeling a bit uncomfortable… I'll sit for a little while longer before I go… Minister Su doesn't have anything urgent to attend to, right?" In his desperation, Ma Debang found this excuse to stall for time.

Zhao Desan, even more so, assumed that since Ma Debang had already eaten and drunk his fill but wasn't in a hurry to leave, he must be waiting for him to offer some sort of token of appreciation. But before Su Qing had arrived, she had told him not to be in a rush regarding the matter of showing appreciation to Ma Debang, so he hadn't prepared anything. This left him in a difficult position, and he cast a helpless glance at Su Qing, waiting for her to resolve the situation.

Su Qing sensed Zhao Desan's anxiety. Based on her many years of experience as an official, she figured that an official of a much lower rank than her own wouldn't dare to openly demand bribes or favors in front of her from someone close to her—unless that person had lost their mind. However, Ma Debang's behavior today left her momentarily unable to fathom his intentions. She followed Zhao Desan's lead, smiled nonchalantly, and said straightforwardly, "Old Ma, tonight I just brought my cousin to meet you, to confirm his work arrangements and give him some peace of mind. If there's been any lack of hospitality, I'm sure he will thank you in person once he starts his job."

Su Qing's blunt words made Ma Debang feel as though his reaction had inadvertently offended this big shot, as her tone was very direct and her expression didn't look good. He immediately put on a fawning smile and said, "Minister Su, you've misunderstood. That's not what I meant; my stomach really is a bit uncomfortable." After speaking, he smiled sheepishly to make Su Qing believe his excuse.

Seeing his anxious reaction, Su Qing thought to herself that he wouldn't dare ask Zhao Desan for anything in front of her. It seemed she, like Zhao Desan, had been overthinking it. She smiled and said, "Deputy Director Ma, I'm just afraid that if you go back too late, your wife might give you a hard time. I've heard that Deputy Director Ma is a model husband who is a bit afraid of his wife."

Indeed, Ma Debang's fear of his wife was common knowledge at the Construction Committee. Usually, if there was a dinner party in the evening, he would notify the tigress at home in advance. Sometimes, if she wasn't at ease, the tigress would even accompany him. But he never expected that his reputation as a "henpecked husband" had spread so far that even the Minister of the Provincial Organization Department, whom he rarely interacted with, knew about it. Ma Debang blushed and smiled awkwardly, saying, "Minister Su, please don't make fun of me."

"It's fine. How many men listen to their wives these days? Having a good man like Deputy Director Ma in the world is a blessing for us women." Su Qing had drunk some alcohol, and her face was slightly flushed. She began to joke more, and the atmosphere became relaxed and pleasant.

While using his stomach discomfort as an excuse to rest and stall for time, Ma Debang never forgot to listen carefully to the movements in the lobby outside. After a while, he heard that there didn't seem to be any noise outside, and just a moment ago, his wife had called him three times; explaining himself over the phone had made him feel like he had lost face. Since there was no commotion outside, he assumed the group from the Construction Committee led by Director Zheng must have left. Anxious to go home and report to his wife, Ma Debang said, "Minister Su, shall we go?"

"That works," Su Qing nodded.

Seeing this, Zhao Desan hurriedly stood up, opened the door, and went out to the cashier to pay the bill.

When he reached the cashier, a woman in her late twenties was paying, while a balding old man of about fifty stood to the side, smoking with a flushed face, occasionally instructing the young woman to get the receipt. From his behavior, Zhao Desan judged that this guy was surely some unit leader bringing his mistress here to eat and drink on the public tab. Thinking of this, a sneer of disdain curled the corners of his mouth.

In order to get more receipts, the "brilliant" man kept arguing with the cashier. Finally, after getting an extra thousand yuan in receipts, he turned and left, satisfied, with the young woman who still had some looks, and they were still scratching the receipts as they walked.

"Damn it! Waited so long!" Zhao Desan cursed under his breath and walked up to settle the bill. The cashier pressed the calculator and reported a number: "Sir, your total consumption is three thousand three hundred and fifty."

He secretly thought, *Oh no! I only have three thousand yuan on me! * Concerned about his pride, he used his silver tongue to haggle with the cashier, but despite his best efforts, the cashier refused to budge on the three hundred yuan. "I really can't discount three hundred and fifty yuan for you," the cashier insisted.

"Beauty, why are you so unreasonable? It's just three hundred and fifty yuan. If you waive it this time, I'll come back to eat here next time," Zhao Desan teased her with a cheeky grin, attempting to win her favor so she would reduce the bill, at least saving him from losing face due to lack of funds.

Just as he was haggling with the cashier, a man suddenly came over, shouting and pushing him aside. While pushing, he yelled at the cashier, "Why did you give me the scratched receipt? Change it! Change it for me!" He slammed several hundred-yuan receipts onto the counter, glaring at the cashier aggressively.

This crude and rude behavior made Zhao Desan very angry. He turned around and questioned him, "Is there no such thing as first-come, first-served? What are you pushing for! Can't you see I haven't finished paying yet!"

"What did you say, kid?" The man immediately looked up aggressively and asked, his fierce expression making it seem as if he wanted to eat him alive.

At this moment, the young woman who had followed him said to Zhao Desan, "Let us go first. Change the receipt, and then you can pay."

He had been hoping this "mistress" would pull the drunken, balding man aside, but who knew they were two of a kind, both lacking any class. Zhao Desan refused to be outdone: "Why should I! Can't you see I'm paying! Wait on the side! Waiter, settle the bill!" After speaking, he turned his back on them.

"Sir, I'm sorry, we really can't reduce the price for you. If I deduct these three hundred and fifty yuan, I have to pay it out of my own pocket." The cashier insisted on collecting the three thousand three hundred and fifty with a troubled expression.