Chapter 485

The group of people surrounding Yue Bai—men and women, old and young, tall and short, fat and thin—were all spirited and glowing.

Looking closely, they were all villagers from Laoyingzui, their eyes fixed on Yue Bai, revealing infinite admiration.

When they saw my car, they swarmed over, chattering and shouting, "County Magistrate Chen is here, County Magistrate Chen is here."

I was just about to get out of the car when I heard a shout, and then I saw Zhao Dequan, wearing a suit that looked slightly too small, a bright red tie around his neck, and a pair of black leather shoes covered in mud. His hair was disheveled, his eyes were red, and his face faintly revealed exhaustion as he loudly drove away the villagers who were crowding around.

"What are you doing, what are you doing?" His voice was hoarse as he waved his hands, pulling away the people who were crowding around one by one. Under his pushing, the crowd moved away a bit, leaving me space to open the door.

I was just about to open the door when it was opened from the outside by Zhao Dequan. He bent his waist, wearing a fawning smile, made a gesture of respectful invitation, and shouted loudly, "The County Magistrate has arrived."

The crowd burst into laughter. I got out of the car amidst the laughter, and as soon as I stood steady, I raised a foot and kicked Zhao Dequan in the butt, laughing and scolding, "You son of a bitch, get lost."

Zhao Dequan staggered from my kick; he was clearly pretending. I knew exactly how much force I had used in that kick; it was nothing more than posturing, but what I got in return was his own grandstanding.

"My new clothes." He said, clutching his butt in pain.

"Zhao Dequan, you son of a bitch, you're wearing new clothes and you're not treating us?" I said with a smile. Zhao Dequan is the type who has a masochistic streak; if you talk to him nicely, he'll definitely be oily and glib. If you don't treat him like a person, he'll instead act like a pug, wagging his tail and begging for pity, looking quite comical.

"You're already the County Magistrate, and you're still scolding people." He rolled his eyes at me in dissatisfaction, leaned in, and said, "Magistrate, coming over in the middle of the night, are you worried?"

I beckoned for Yue Bai to come over, and the crowd cleared a path. Yue Bai walked over gracefully, her eyes smiling, and reached out to shake my hand.

I hesitated for a moment but still reached out. Feeling that Yue Bai's hand was ice-cold, my heart stirred, and a trace of guilt welled up.

In Suxi Town, I am the Secretary in name, but in reality, all the work is pressed onto her frail shoulders. For Yue Bai, a farm woman, to transform into the capable person she is today has a great deal to do with the platform I gave her.

In Suxi Town, everything Yue Bai does naturally represents me. This is what I publicly announced at the Town Party Committee meeting. I once said that the overall work of Suxi Town is the responsibility of Comrade Liu Yuebai.

"You've worked hard." I said, holding her hand, reluctant to let go.

Yue Bai's hand was smooth and greasy, like lard. These hands once held hoes and dug in the mud; they should have been as thick and short as garlic cloves. But her hands, no matter what kind of toil she experienced, remained as tender and white as scallions.

I held her hand and didn't let go. She pulled it back calmly, and this pull reminded me. I hurriedly let go, looked up at her, and discovered a faint blush rising on her face.

"Why did you come?" She asked me softly.

"I came to take a look first." I said, looking at the circle of people around us, and asked suspiciously, "With so many of you, so late at night, what are you going to do?"

Yue Bai smiled charmingly, pointed to the colorful flags on the side of the road, and said, "This rain knocked them all down; it looks too ugly. I want to make them flutter again."

"They're all wet, how can they flutter?"

"I have a way." Yue Bai laughed, "That's why I called Dequan over; it's for this matter."

Zhao Dequan, standing to the side, patted his chest and said, "Magistrate, don't worry, by the time dawn breaks, I guarantee every flag will be fluttering."

I made a gesture to kick him again, and Zhao Dequan jumped away, laughing and shouting, "Can't kick me, can't kick me."

His comical posture caused another burst of laughter.

It's a long story; I really do have too many ties with Laoyingzui. From the mountain-opening and road-building back then to the land acquisition and construction, every single thing is inseparable from them.

They are all simple-minded villagers. No matter what dirty methods I use, they always move every one of us with their kindness, as they have always done.

Of course, I didn't let them down. The people of Laoyingzui now all wear the hat of urban residents. I suddenly took off the farmer's hat that they had worn for generations, which seemed to make their spines much straighter. The farmer's hat, in any dynasty or generation, is synonymous with the lowest class.

Now that this hat has been taken off, allowing their generations to no longer bear the title of "farmer," they are grateful to me from the bottom of their hearts, as if I were their savior, the god who changed their destiny.

Of course, taking off a hat alone wouldn't make them so deeply grateful; I want them to live the lives of city people for generations to come. Therefore, the agreement I reached with Qian Youyu through both soft and hard tactics allowed them to have a home on the main street of Suxi New Town. Moreover, they have a place on the Suxi agricultural trade street to support their families and get rich.

"Zhao Dequan, if you call me Magistrate again, go die yourself." I scolded, "How can you bring out things from feudal society and call them out randomly?"

Zhao Dequan said aggrievedly, "You are our Magistrate after all."

"Still calling me that!" I pretended to be angry and extended my leg.

This time, the villagers didn't let him escape; they swarmed around him, grabbed his arms and legs, twisted him, and exposed a huge butt completely in front of me.

I laughed loudly, extended my leg, and kicked his butt solidly.

Zhao Dequan started shouting and screaming like a slaughtered pig.

The villagers let him go, laughing, and said, "If this were in the past, after a round of boards, your butt, Zhao Dequan, would have been rotten."

Yue Bai watched us fooling around, her face full of smiles. When we all stopped talking, she waved her hand to gather everyone and said, "Everyone go get busy; you must ensure that by dawn, every colorful flag is fluttering."

The villagers dispersed with a roar, each taking a colorful flag, carefully taking it down, wringing it hard with both hands to squeeze out every last bit of remaining moisture, then carefully smoothing it out and hanging it back on the flagpole.

The colorful flags themselves were made of silk, which didn't hold much water, and after being squeezed like this, they truly began to flutter in the wind.

The crowd squeezing the water out of the flags gradually moved away, and Yue Bai looked at me and said, "Let's go back first."

I nodded in agreement. I opened the car door and signaled for her to get in.

Yue Bai hesitated and said, "It's just a few steps, I'll just walk over."

"Get in the car." I commanded her, not allowing her to hesitate.

Yue Bai had no choice but to sit in. I followed her into the car and said to Yu Wei, "Go to the government."

As soon as the car started, I quietly reached out and squeezed her hand.

Yue Bai blushed, hooked her hand over, and inserted it into the gaps between my fingers. Her fingertips gently pinched the back of my hand, giving me a tingling sensation.

A group of people gathered at the gate of the Town Government, and the two large lights at the entrance illuminated the area brightly.

These were all town cadres. They were discussing something, and when they saw my car coming, they cheered and swarmed over.

I smiled and opened the car door to get out, shaking hands with them one by one.

"The Secretary is back." They cheered and shouted, "The Secretary is back, we are all relieved now."

I thanked them sincerely, saying, "You've all worked hard, it's so late and you're still working."

The cadres laughed, "Secretary, aren't you also working?"

"How about we all go to the conference room and sit for a while?" I asked Yue Bai.

The cadres shouted, "Secretary, we all still have work on hand; after we finish, we'll come and report to you."

I was still hesitating when Yue Bai said softly, "This heavy rain messed up the venue we had originally prepared; now it needs to be reorganized, which will take some time."

I said "Oh" and asked worriedly, "Won't there be too much trouble?"

"It's fine, with them here, you can rest assured ten thousand times." Yue Bai said seriously, "These cadres of ours, when they are truly needed, can still accomplish things."

I happily took out a pack of cigarettes and handed one to each of them.

The cadres laughed and took them, and whether they smoked or not, they all borrowed a light to ignite them.

"Everyone go get busy." Yue Bai waved for them to leave.

After the cadres dispersed, Yue Bai tilted her head and asked me, "Are you going to the office to rest and listen to my report, or are you going to the site to take a look?"

"What do you think?" I asked, feeling indecisive.

"I'll follow up on the site; besides, that group of people from the province is also on-site. There shouldn't be any problems. You, you should go rest; there are so many activities tomorrow, all of which require you to appear."

"Since you've arranged it all, what else can I do?" I said, "I can't sleep either."

Yue Bai seemed to have misunderstood my meaning; she smiled shyly, bowed her head, and said, "I'll keep you company for a while."

I turned back to tell Yu Wei to go to the hotel, and Yue Bai and I went upstairs one after the other.

The Town Government office building was empty, and not a single person could be seen; all the cadres had gone to the site after the heavy rain stopped.

I opened the door, and there was still a small bouquet of flowers on the desk, with a faint fragrance drifting in the air.

I turned around, reached out to embrace Yue Bai, and looked quietly at her face, which was as white as porcelain.

She didn't struggle at all, closed her eyes slightly, and breathed quietly, her orchid-like breath circulating around us.

My heart stirred with excitement; I lowered my head and kissed her lips.

She let out a soft moan, opened her mouth, and her soft tongue reached in.

"Go lie down, I'll give you a massage." She whispered in my ear.

I picked her up, walked into the inner room, placed her gently on the bed, and said softly, "You've worked hard, let me massage you."

She giggled, turned over, pressed me under her, and said, "You men are the ones who are tired."

As she spoke, she brushed a small hand lightly across my face, like a gentle breeze.

"Sleep quietly." She murmured, "I know your pressure is too great."

I was moved, caught her small hand, and said with infinite affection, "How can I sleep?"

Yue Bai smiled, her charm instantly emerging. She said, "What crooked ideas are you thinking of again?"

"You know." I smirked, pulled her over, pressed her against my chest, and said, "Yue Bai, you really are my little treasure."

She broke free from me and said with a laugh, "Shameless, I'm older than you, how could I be your little treasure?"

I laughed, "Whoever I like is who it is."

Yue Bai's expression suddenly froze, and she asked, "Don't you also like Xuelai? Is she your little treasure?"

I was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "No."

"Liar!"

"I'm really not lying to you."

"Have you slept together?" She stared straight at me.

"No!" I shook my head firmly.

"The ghost believes you." She put on a faint smile again and said, "Why don't you sleep together?"

"Why should we sleep together?" My heart was in a mess.

"Because you both like each other."

"Who said that?"

"I can tell." She withdrew her hand and pointed to her own chest, saying, "A woman's heart is sensitive."

I was speechless, tongue-tied.

"I said so, you don't dare to admit it?" Yue Bai said with a smile, placing a hand gently on my chest and rubbing it.

I deliberately pretended to be comfortable and groaned. She withdrew her hand, tapped my face lightly, and said, "Still groaning, shameless."

I grabbed her hand and kissed it affectionately.

She trembled slightly and said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "How about I call Xuelai over, and the two of us will serve you?"

I hurriedly waved my hand to refuse and said seriously, "I really have nothing with her."

Yue Bai smiled charmingly and said, "Whether you do or not, what does it have to do with me? I'm not your wife. Actually, for me, being able to steal a bite is already a very happy thing."

Such provocative language, even if I had the conviction of a diamond, I could not resist such temptation.