Chapter 9

Early Saturday morning, Su Xinghui carried a bulging backpack and got on the bus from Meng Hu Ling to Shangjun County. He didn't bring too many things in his backpack, most of them were bamboo weaving brought back from Yezhugou.

There are very few buses from Meng Hu Ling to the county seat, only two trips a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Precisely because of this, this bus is always crowded. Ding Hongxing carried a large backpack, fearing that the bamboo weaving would be squeezed, so he simply didn't carry it, held the backpack over his head with one hand, struggled to cross the messy items placed there by passengers in the aisle, squeezed to the last row, and sat in the only empty seat there, then breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the climate in Meng Hu Ling is cool, it is already August now, the carriage is very stuffy, many male passengers are still smoking, some passengers also brought live poultry such as chickens and ducks, plus the body odor on the passengers, the smell in the carriage is not to mention, it is also very noisy, people's talking, the sound of chickens and ducks, and the crying of children, Su Xinghui has not experienced such a scene for a long time, but his adaptability is still very strong, and his physical quality is also good, so he soon adapted.

After the bus started, a cool wind rushed into the carriage, which drove away the stuffiness and the strong strange smell, making people feel much more comfortable. However, as soon as the car started, it bumped violently. The road from Meng Hu Ling to the county seat is only a two-lane fourth-class highway, which has been in operation for many years, and there are potholes everywhere. The county does not have so much funds to repair the road. Therefore, to take this bus, you can only endure the extremely slow speed and strong bumps. This bus has to go to the county seat, although it is only about thirty kilometers away, it takes at least more than an hour.

Su Xinghui thought that this road is the biggest bottleneck restricting the development of Meng Hu Ling. If the road is not repaired, Meng Hu Ling will be difficult to develop. I have to think of a way to repair this road, or repair a new road. However, how easy is it to repair a road? Shangjun County's fiscal revenue is not high. Repairing a thirty-kilometer fourth-class highway is not a matter of one day. According to what he knows, the county repaired a new highway from the county seat to Meng Hu Ling ten years later in his previous life.

The bus drove for more than ten minutes and arrived at Wangjiapu. People got on and off, more on than off. Su Xinghui saw a woman holding a child standing there, and no one gave her a seat, so he gave his seat to her and stood in the aisle.

In this way, Su Xinghui stood on the bumpy bus for more than an hour before arriving at the county seat.

As soon as he got off the bus, Su Xinghui felt the weather getting hot. The altitude of the county seat is much lower than that of Meng Hu Ling, and it is backed by the Yangtze River, so it is stuffy and hot in summer. He carried his backpack and went straight to his home. His father Su Wenjun is an internal medicine doctor at the county people's hospital, so his home is in the dormitory building of the people's hospital. The station is only about one kilometer away from his home, and it takes a few minutes to walk fast.

When he was about to arrive at the hospital, Su Xinghui heard someone calling his name, "Xinghui, Xinghui!"

He looked back, it was his high school classmate Zhang Cheng, and he was happy all of a sudden. He wanted to find Zhang Cheng this time.

Zhang Cheng's father Zhang Kaishan is the deputy county head of the county. Zhang Cheng's relationship with Su Xinghui was very good in high school, but his grades were average when he took the college entrance examination, and he only attended the regional finance and tax school, which is a secondary vocational school, a three-year academic system. After graduating last year, he entered the county finance bureau to work.

After Su Xinghui confirmed that he was assigned to Meng Hu Ling, he went directly to report, and he hadn't returned for so many days, so Zhang Cheng was quite happy to see him back.

Zhang Cheng stepped up his pace behind Su Xinghui, walked over in a few steps, affectionately put his arm around Su Xinghui's shoulder, pulled him to the shade of a tree, and said to Su Xinghui, "Xinghui, long time no see. I heard you went to Meng Hu Ling, why did you go to such a ghost place? You, a great talent in the Chinese Department of Jiangcheng University, where can't you work?"

Su Xinghui naturally couldn't tell Zhang Cheng that he was set up by someone. He said to Zhang Cheng, "It's work wherever you go, I think Meng Hu Ling is quite good."

Zhang Cheng winked and said, "Where is it good? I heard that Meng Hu Ling produces beauties, were you hooked by beauties?"

Su Xinghui was dumbfounded, where is this and where is that, he said to Zhang Cheng, "Did you fancy the beauties of Meng Hu Ling? Then you just transfer to Meng Hu Ling? Our brothers happen to be together again."

In the hot weather, Zhang Cheng shivered, "Okay, spare me, I went to Meng Hu Ling once with our section chief last year, and almost broke my butt. Xinghui, it's not that I'm talking about you, it's good to stay in Jiangcheng after graduation, if not, come back and tell me, I'll let my father help you say hello, at least you can stay in the county, which is better than going to Meng Hu Ling! But it's not too late now, I'll go and tell my father, let him help you transfer back to the county."

Su Xinghui was moved in his heart. Zhang Cheng had always been very good to him. In his previous life, he intended to let his father transfer Su Xinghui back from Meng Hu Ling. However, at that time, Su Xinghui was still full of blood and wanted to stay in a hard place to do a career. As a result, when he wanted to transfer back to the county later, Zhang Kaishan had already been transferred to the region to work, and it was a horizontal transfer, only serving as the deputy director of the regional environmental protection bureau, with no real power, and he was unable to help Su Xinghui's affairs.

In this life, Su Xinghui already knew that Zhang Kaishan's life in the county was actually not easy, and he was quite squeezed out. He didn't want to add trouble to Zhang Kaishan. In addition, he already had the trust of Chen Hongfu in Meng Hu Ling and had things to do, so he didn't feel that there was no future in Meng Hu Ling, so he didn't intend to transfer back to the county for the time being.

He smiled and said to Zhang Cheng, "Forget it, don't bother you, I promised to go to Meng Hu Ling, if I ask to transfer back to the county so soon, I will be laughed at by others, I will stay there first."

Zhang Cheng said, "Don't be polite with me, who are we with whom?"

Su Xinghui shook his head, "I'm really not polite."

Zhang Cheng then nodded, "Okay, then tell me when you want to transfer back."

Su Xinghui smiled, "If that day comes, I will definitely tell you. By the way, don't you go to work at this time? Why are you wandering outside?"

Zhang Cheng said, "You are talking about me, I was sent by the bureau to handle things at the county government, why did you return on Saturday?"

Su Xinghui said, "I haven't returned for a long time, this time Secretary Chen sent me to Jiangcheng to handle things, and let me rest at home for a day or two by the way."

"Handle things in Jiangcheng?" Zhang Cheng was a bit puzzled, "What things can you handle in Jiangcheng in your township?"

Su Xinghui told Zhang Cheng the reason for his trip to Jiangcheng in a concise and comprehensive manner. Zhang Cheng nodded, "Your idea sounds good, then I hope you go well."

Su Xinghui said, "Then let's get together tonight?"

Zhang Cheng said, "Okay, or I will call some classmates who work in the county, and get together, just as a class reunion?"

Su Xinghui nodded, "Hmm, I haven't seen my classmates in the county for a long time, then you go and make an appointment, I will treat you tonight."

Zhang Cheng shook his head, "Forget it, your first month's salary hasn't been paid yet, right? Or I will treat you, I have worked for a year anyway, and I am more affluent than you."

Su Xinghui couldn't help but feel embarrassed. His salary is only more than 150 yuan a month. Today is August 1st, and the first month's salary has not been paid yet. He was given 100 yuan by his family before coming to work. He paid for meals at the township government, bought some daily necessities, plus today's bus fare, and only had more than 30 yuan left. However, before coming, Chen Hongfu let him advance 500 yuan from the finance office to use as expenses for going to Jiangcheng, and then reimburse it with tickets after returning. This money is definitely not to be moved, he really has no money to treat, can't ask his family for money, right?

Thinking of this, Su Xinghui said to Zhang Cheng, "Okay, then you treat today, I will treat you next time when I get my salary."

Zhang Cheng looked at his watch, "Okay, then I will find you at your home after work in the afternoon. It's not early now, I have to go to handle things."

Su Xinghui agreed, and Zhang Cheng walked towards the county government. The county government compound is located on Wenmiao Mountain. The county party committee and the county government are in this compound. The area of the compound is quite large, almost including the entire Wenmiao Mountain, and the environment is quite good. The buildings in the compound are surrounded by green trees, birds and flowers, so the county leaders also live in this compound. This is indeed a good place to live.

The county people's hospital is at the foot of Wenmiao Mountain, separated from the county government compound by only one street. Su Xinghui first went to the internal medicine department of the hospital. His father Su Wenjun was working, holding a stethoscope to listen to a patient's chest sound. Seeing Su Xinghui, he nodded, signaling Su Xinghui to wait a moment. He finished listening to the chest sound, looked at the patient's tongue coating, opened an examination sheet, let the patient go for an examination, and then asked Su Xinghui, "Are you back to rest?"

Su Xinghui nodded, "Yes, back to rest, in addition, the unit sent me to do something."

Su Wenjun said, "Then you go back first."

Su Xinghui said, "Then I will go back and make the meal, and you will go home to eat directly after work at noon."

Because Su Xinghui's father and mother are people who have to go to work, and their work is relatively busy, Su Xinghui learned to cook since he was a child. Su Wenjun didn't feel strange at all when he heard it, he nodded to show he knew.

After Su Xinghui returned home, he looked at the refrigerator. There were some ready-made dishes. His mother Guo Suhua was a financial section chief in a factory. She was busy with work and had no time to buy vegetables every day, so she bought vegetables for a few days at a time and put them in the refrigerator. Su Xinghui rested for a while, then started to cook skillfully. By twelve o'clock, he had already made four dishes and one soup, waiting for his parents to return home.