Chapter 27

Chen Hongfu smiled and said: "Little Su, then you take them up to see, eat at Fatty Zhang's restaurant at noon, I will accompany you."

Su Xinghui stood up helplessly, promised, and took Zhang Cheng and the others upstairs to his dormitory. Fortunately, it was Sunday today, Wan Xing'an went home and took his bedding back to wash, so his dormitory was quite clean.

Xue Qin sat on Su Xinghui's bed without giving way. She looked at the dormitory and said: "This condition is too bad, right? The wall skin on the wall is almost falling off, and there is a musty smell. How can people live here? Xinghui, why don't I talk to Secretary Chen and change you to a better dormitory?"

Su Xinghui said: "No, thank you for your kindness, but the single employees here live like this, and there is no dormitory with good conditions. If I tell Secretary Chen, he will be embarrassed."

Xue Qin frowned: "But this condition is too bad!"

Su Xinghui said: "It's okay, I'm used to living here."

Zhang Cheng and the others found chairs to sit down. Zhang Cheng said to Su Xinghui: "Your condition is a bit worse. Why don't you transfer back to the county town after staying here for a few months."

Su Xinghui shook his head: "I really don't want to transfer back to the county town now, talk about it later."

Xu Xiaoguang said: "If the township government doesn't have a house with good conditions, just rent a house outside by yourself. How convenient is it to live alone? You are still living with others, it's too inconvenient."

Su Xinghui said: "How can that be? Isn't that engaging in special treatment? You don't have to worry about my living problems, okay?"

Only Wu Jun said nothing. His family has three brothers, and the house at home is not spacious. The three brothers have been squeezed into a room for more than ten years. Therefore, he thinks the conditions here are quite good.

While the few were talking, someone knocked on the door outside. Su Xinghui went to open the door. Outside the door was Cheng Taoxian.

Cheng Taoxian held a fruit plate in her hand, which contained a few washed apples. She walked in and put them on Su Xinghui's desk, smiling and saying: "This is your classmate, right? Let them eat apples, they are all washed."

Su Xinghui naturally could not refuse Cheng Taoxian’s good intentions. He often helped her with heavy labor, and he felt that mutual assistance among colleagues was only right. Therefore, he nodded and said, "Thank you!"

Cheng Taoxian smiled sweetly, nodded at Zhang Cheng and the others, and then went out. As her gaze swept over Xue Qin, it seemed to linger on her face for a few seconds longer.

Once Cheng Taoxian left, Zhang Cheng jumped up from his chair, ran to the door to close it, and then asked, "Su Xinghui, is this the reason you refuse to transfer to the county seat?"

Xu Xiao and Wu Jun also looked at Su Xinghui with gossip-filled expressions, while the look in Xue Qin’s eyes toward Su Xinghui was filled with even more resentment.

Su Xinghui was left between laughter and tears: "I say, Zhang Cheng, what on earth are you thinking about all day? She is a married woman, and her son is already two years old."

Xue Qin’s expression relaxed a little: "Is what you said true?"

Su Xinghui said: "Why wouldn't it be true? Her husband is a soldier and is away from home for long periods. We young, single staff members sometimes help her with heavy chores she can't manage. It’s perfectly normal for her to bring some apples when she sees I have guests here!"

Only then did Xue Qin happily pick up an apple and start eating. Watching her, Su Xinghui felt a bit awkward; why did I explain it to her so clearly?

Zhang Cheng asked: "Are there any fun places around here? Where are you planning to take us?"

Su Xinghui said: "We have a Wild Boar Gully here, which I mentioned to you before. Let’s go there in a while."

Upon hearing the name Wild Boar Gully, Xu Xiao immediately became interested: "Wild Boar Gully, are there wild boars there? Shall we go hunt wild boars?"

Su Xinghui said: "There really are wild boars there, and we are currently building a specialty breeding farm to raise wild boars, pheasants, and the like. We’ve already caught a few, so we can see them when we go later."

Zhang Cheng said: "Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go now!"

Su Xinghui shook his head and said: "No rush. A manager from an arts and crafts store in Jiangcheng said she would come here today. We are planning to set up a bamboo weaving factory in Wild Boar Gully to produce some bamboo crafts, and she is coming to inspect it. Let’s wait until

she arrives before we all go together."

Zhang Cheng had heard Su Xinghui talk about setting up the breeding farm and the bamboo weaving factory before, but he hadn't expected Su Xinghui to move so quickly. He nodded and said: "You’re quite efficient."

Su Xinghui said: "This place is too poor; it can't afford to wait!"

Xue Qin asked: "Is this bamboo weaving factory your idea too?"

Su Xinghui nodded: "Yes, that’s why I have to wait here."

Xue Qin said: "You really are capable!"

Xu Xiao said: "What’s so strange about that? Xinghui is a great talent; isn't it simple for him to come up with such ideas?"

Su Xinghui gave a bitter smile internally. In his previous life, he hadn't possessed such ability. Back then, he had come to Menghuling and spent several months before even going down to the village for the first time, let alone being able to come up with good ideas for them based on the village's situation.

The few classmates chatted in the room for a while before they heard Cheng Taoxian calling out in the courtyard: "Little Su, someone is looking for you!"

Su Xinghui quickly went out the door and looked down from the corridor. It was indeed Song Qiao who had come, but there were two other people with her whom Su Xinghui hadn't expected: Lu Zheng and Lu Xiaoya. Su Xinghui was startled; why had their whole family come?

Su Xinghui hurried downstairs, stepped forward, and shook Song Qiao’s hand: "Auntie Song, hello!"

Lu Zheng was talking to Chen Hongfu in the courtyard. Su Xinghui walked toward him. Lu Zheng glanced at Su Xinghui, gave him a look, and waved his hand slightly. Su Xinghui immediately understood that he did not want to reveal his identity.

It made sense; a director of the Provincial Party Committee’s Party History Office, though a quiet department, was still a proper bureau-level official. Coming to a tiny township government would be sensational enough, not to mention that he had also served as a mayor. It was normal that he didn't want to reveal his identity.

Therefore, Su Xinghui stepped forward and shook Lu Zheng’s hand: "Uncle Lu, hello!"

Lu Xiaoya said playfully to Su Xinghui: "Su Xinghui, aren't you going to greet me?"

Su Xinghui had no choice but to extend his right hand to her: "Comrade Lu Xiaoya, hello!"

Only then did Lu Xiaoya giggle, looking very happy.