Chapter 603

Su Yang said: "Isn't the view I expressed to my grandfather already clear? And you also expressed approval and acceptance on the spot—are you going to backtrack? If I don't go then, I'll lose so much face; people will say I'm afraid of my wife, and that label of living off my wife will be welded onto me."

Zhou Ruohan gave Su Yang a sideways glance and said: "What nonsense are you talking? Who would dare say you live off your wife? If I hadn't acted quickly, you might already have become someone else's son-in-law by now; these people are just sour grapes because they can't have the grapes."

Let's not talk about anything else—your sudden departure probably ruined Fang Jingwen's plans, right? She originally wanted to really get something done in her career while also taking advantage of you being alone over there to make a move on you, but now she has no hope at all.

Don't tell me here that you've already laid your cards on the table and cleared things up; I'm telling you, a woman's thoughts differ from a man's, especially someone like Fang Jingwen—she may seem indifferent to many things on the surface, but deep down she actually cares a lot.

At first, she thought confronting me head-on would give her no chance; but after Secretary Fang was transferred to Jingcheng, look at her words and deeds—they've completely changed, as if she became a different person.

Alright, that's enough—just keep this in mind yourself, because you're now a married man, and countless people are watching you! Any mistake you make will be blown out of proportion; this incident is the best example.

Although you were used as cannon fodder this time, as long as you don't want to be, they can't force you. Besides, I suspect your heart isn't entirely pure either—don't men all like especially beautiful women?

Su Yang immediately interrupted: "Enough, enough—don't delve into this issue; you still don't know what kind of person I am? I'm swamped with work all day, where would I get such thoughts? As for Lieshan Xian, the matter is already settled; once I go there, I will definitely overcome all difficulties and root out Geng Miao completely."

Zhou Ruohan shook her head and said: "The basic idea is correct, but in fact, it's not that simple for this person to bring down all the local officials."

Do you think those who went to serve as the County Magistrate's secretary had no political ambition? Didn't they want to earn that dazzling political achievement? So why did some people succeed while others failed? Isn't that enough to prove Geng Miao's methods?

After you go there, don't rush for quick results; now you're also a leading cadre of the County Party Committee, you should unite those comrades you can unite with, first solidify your own foundation, and avoid confronting him head-on.

Let me say something unpleasant: after you go there, you won't even know whether those people are human or ghost? Even the superiors have been roped in and corrupted, so those mid-level cadres below might very well be listening to his every word—you must be cautious in every word and deed.

You should know that in Lieshan Xian you'll be fighting alone, unlike when you went to Huatian Zhen or Xiushui Xiang, where no matter what, there were people in the county supporting and watching over you, able to protect you completely no matter what happened.

But Lieshan Xian is different—the secretary, county magistrate, vice secretary, and standing vice county magistrate all outrank you, their authority outweighs yours, and this is your first time entering the county leadership team; I'm afraid you might not gauge the situation well. My advice is that after you go there, you should speak less, observe more, listen more, and only after you've grasped certain facts should you slowly plan.

Su Yang, who had been serious, burst out laughing at this: "Slowly plan? Can they wait that long?"

Zhou Ruohan was momentarily stunned: "It's not about whether they can wait anxiously; it's that you must not act too hastily." As she spoke, she also realized: "You really can't string three sentences together without going off-topic; when I talk serious business with you, what are you thinking? Moreover, our situation now absolutely doesn't allow you to act recklessly; if you just hold on a bit longer, three months will pass, and then you'll have free rein."

Su Yang teased: "Come on, I bet you're the one who can't wait, even though you won't admit it. As for the situation in Lieshan Xian, Lao Ge gave me a rough heads-up—the former county magistrate, Tong Guohua, who once supported Geng Miao, should hold a lot of key information."

When the time comes, I'll talk with him more to see if I can gain some insight or help. If that works out, even better. So rest assured on this point—I will definitely not act rashly.

Moreover, besides the large number of cadres who willingly serve as Geng Miao's lackeys, I believe there are certainly some people dissatisfied with them—this is also a breakthrough. In short, I will proceed slowly and not launch a fierce attack right away.

Zhou Ruohan then nodded, indeed feeling somewhat worried, but as long as one side holds power and it's not a lone fight, she wouldn't be so anxious. "By the way, what did Zhou Tong take you out to do? Given his personality, he definitely has something he wants from you—I love gossip, I want to know what it is."

Su Yang then recounted everything Zhou Tong had entrusted him with, especially emphasizing: "Zhou Tong said this is a secret and must not be disclosed to anyone."

Zhou Ruohan laughed and said: "I never expected my honest, simple-minded younger brother to have this side; he could have told me about this too, yet he sneaked off to find you."

But since you've promised him, you'll have to find a way to make it happen; as for getting his family's approval, you'll really have to work hard—probably wait for a suitable moment to chat with your second uncle and them. Tomorrow evening we'll all eat together with Grandpa and Grandma, then after the meal we'll go to your great-grandparents' place—they also want to see you and chat. Speaking of which, it hasn't been that long, and everyone still likes you quite a bit.

Su Yang immediately started bragging: "Don't you see who I am? A five-good youth who is humorous in temperament, brave and kind, sunny and handsome, and outstanding and enduring."

Zhou Ruohan pinched Su Yang's waist hard: "Stop spouting nonsense, babbling about endurance or not—what if your careless words affect the baby? By the way, didn't we agree to hold the wedding before the end of the year?"

Otherwise, let's take the wedding photos these days; otherwise, once you start work there won't be time. Besides, if we drag it out a few months, my figure will get out of shape and the photos won't look good.

Su Yang said: "Sure, you can schedule the shoot whenever you like, and I can cooperate with any pose."

Zhou Ruohan pinched Su Yang's waist again: "How can you talk like that and be so cheap? Such a romantic thing, and you say it with no atmosphere. I'll have someone contact me tomorrow—we'll do Chinese-style photos. Of course, I don't want to take too many, because having a bunch lying around at home is useless except for the wedding day when relatives and friends glance at them; otherwise they just gather dust. A few thousand yuan worth would be enough, but you'll have to pay for it."

Su Yang said: "Of course, this is all deserved, and besides, we're not short of money. If we really were tight on cash, we could squeeze a bit out of those few suckers—people only get married once in a lifetime, we can't let you be wronged. Also, don't go for a cheap few-thousand-yuan shoot; if word gets out people will laugh, and you should do a full set in Chinese style just like anyone else."

Zhou Ruohan said this, but isn't that too extravagant? A full set would cost over ten thousand yuan, yet she felt delighted inside.

Applying that timeless saying, it's not that my demands are many; it's mainly to see whether you have this attitude.

It's not extravagant, not at all; we're using legitimate income, not ill-gotten gains from corruption or bribery—what's there to fear?

Besides, although you always say you shouldn't be compared to those young masters and misses from Jingcheng, you are ultimately in this circle, and I can't let you be too shabby, can I?