Chapter 46

In the evening, Hou Jianjun dragged Hong Tao over to freeload a meal. When they knocked on the door, Lu Zheng was reading a letter from Tong Susu.

Du Xiaohu was an impatient person. Hearing that Lu Zheng had a letter at the hands of Liu Xiaohui, a junior high school teacher at No. 1 Middle School, he ran to No. 1 Middle School in the afternoon, found Liu Xiaohui in the dormitory building, and brought the letter back.

The words in Tong Susu's letter were very intimate, jokingly reporting her recent life to the "Commander-in-Chief." She wrote that according to the production team's rules, she and all the team members lived and ate together on the set, and her mother had also been brought to Beijing. In short, everything was fine, and she asked the Commander-in-Chief to rest assured, and so on.

While Lu Zheng was reading the letter, Hou Jianjun and Hong Tao arrived.

Hou Jianjun had moved to a new building; he now lived in 201, right below Lu Zheng. Hong Tao, who didn't get a new housing allocation this time, still lived in the old family compound of the county bureau.

Lu Zheng put away the letter, smiled, and invited Hou Jianjun and Hong Tao to sit down. He wanted to get them some water, but Hou Jianjun quickly grabbed the kettle and said with a smile, "We're not outsiders, you don't need to be so formal. In the plays, they say that would be too much, wouldn't it?"

Hong Tao actually found Hou Jianjun's sycophantic manner quite distasteful. In his heart, Lu Zheng was his savior, a hero he admired and respected, and a mentor who had recognized and promoted him. He would be willing to give his life to Lu Zheng, but these thoughts were hidden in his heart and not as overtly and sycophantically expressed as Hou Jianjun's.

On the screen, the central TV station was broadcasting the news. Even Lu Zheng, Hou Jianjun, and Hong Tao couldn't help but comment and discuss it.

As they were talking, Hou Jianjun suddenly said, "I heard that Mayor Zhang is going to be transferred?"

Lu Zheng smiled, "There seems to be some news about that."

Hong Tao couldn't join in the conversation at this point. Unlike Hou Jianjun, he wasn't as well-informed.

Hou Jianjun pursed his lips and said, "Ma Weiguo is not coming with good intentions. It looks like this time, Jiu Dahe is in trouble. I thought he was aiming for the position of county magistrate, but now it seems the party secretary might also be his." Among the upper-level cadres in the county, there had always been rumors that Mayor Zhang was Secretary Jiu's patron. This time, the party rectification had caused significant changes in the power structure of Wushan City, and it would inevitably affect the county. If Mayor Zhang's patron in the city really fell or was transferred, then Jiu Dahe's days would be tough.

Lu Zheng smiled, "Who knows?" The transfer of Mayor Zhang was likely a result of the aftermath of the incident involving Tong Susu's father, a compromise and struggle from above.

Hong Tao suddenly exclaimed, "Mayor Zhang? Is it the Mayor Zhang who came to Guangning for inspection on National Day?" He was always slow to react.

Hou Jianjun said helplessly, "That's the one."

Hong Tao shook his head and said, "He was just speaking in Guangning, promising to lead the city's people to a new level of living standards. I didn't expect..."

Hou Jianjun sighed, picked up his teacup, and felt a sense of melancholy, even though his rank was far below Mayor Zhang's. In the political arena, the rise and fall were sudden and dramatic, making one feel a deep sense of sorrow.

Lu Zheng lit a cigarette, took a slow puff, and said, "Let's not talk about him. It's not our concern. We should just do our own jobs."

Hou Jianjun nodded slightly, feeling reassured by Lu Zheng's calmness. Even if Ma Weiguo became the county party secretary, the public security system was now more vertically managed. Moreover, Lu Zheng, after his military transfer, had entered the public security system, a cadre managed by the city bureau and registered with the provincial department, so the county party committee wouldn't have much say.

But thinking about it, if Ma Weiguo really became the county party secretary, the work of the Guangning County Public Security Bureau would be difficult, especially for Lu Zheng. Ma Weiguo would likely try to transfer him, as the city bureau and provincial department wouldn't ignore the county party committee's opinion if the county party secretary was dissatisfied with the bureau chief.

Hou Jianjun felt a headache. If Lu Zheng was transferred and Ma Weiguo became the county party secretary, then the position of bureau chief would surely go to Gao Zhikai, and he would likely be marginalized and persecuted.

Lost in thought, he heard Lu Zheng ask, "By the way, Jianjun, I have a question. Wasn't there a teacher from No. 1 Middle School named Lei Dajun who was arrested a few days ago? Verify it again, and tell me what the situation is. Also, the first phase of the crackdown is about to end, and the city bureau has issued a notice, asking us to gradually shift our focus to protecting the achievements of socialist economic construction. In terms of public security, the criteria for identifying and sentencing various crimes can be relaxed a bit."

Hou Jianjun nodded repeatedly and said, "Lei Dajun, right? I have a vague memory. Sun Xing's people arrested him. I'll check it out later." Sun Xing was Lu Zheng's deputy when he was the head of the public security department and was now promoted to the head of the department, making him part of Lu Zheng's inner circle and on good terms with Hou Jianjun.

At that moment, the door opened, and Du Xiaohu came in with a few plastic bags of small dishes. Behind him, two little boys were making airplane sounds and rushing in, but they immediately quieted down and hid behind Du Xiaohu when they saw Lu Zheng and Hou Jianjun.

These were Wei Xiangxiu's younger brother Qiangtou and Xiaodong. Qiangtou was in the fifth grade of elementary school, and Xiaodong was in the second grade. Du Xiaohu liked these two little rascals and often called them over when he had some snacks. They especially loved coming here to watch TV, especially when Lu Zheng wasn't home, the living room of this big house became their paradise.

The two little rascals were particularly afraid of Lu Zheng, especially Xiaodong, who had been caught stealing buns by Lu Zheng and Hou Jianjun. In his young mind, Lu Zheng and Hou Jianjun were like fierce demons. Seeing Hou Jianjun there today made him even more obedient, even tugging at his brother's sleeve, wanting to go home.

Hou Jianjun, however, walked over with a smile, grabbed Xiaodong by the collar, and lifted him onto the sofa, saying, "Little brat, you don't even greet your uncle. That's impolite, you know? I'll make you copy big characters as punishment!"

Xiaodong was too scared to speak. Qiangtou was also afraid of Lu Zheng, but because his sister had repeatedly instructed him, he didn't know who Hou Jianjun was. Seeing his brother being bullied, he naturally felt a sense of solidarity and said, "Let him go! You're so big, bullying a little kid! I'll tell my sister! She's a police officer! She catches bad guys!"

Hou Jianjun was amused and said, "I know your sister, she can't catch me, and I'm not afraid of her."

Qiangtou's face turned red, thought for a moment, and said defiantly, "And my second sister, who has been practicing martial arts since elementary school and is going to apply to the police academy. She's even more capable than my big sister! Everyone in our area is afraid of her! You can't beat her either!"

Hou Jianjun laughed and said, "Wow, your second sister is that awesome? What's her name?"

Mentioning his second sister, Qiangtou seemed to gain courage and said loudly, "My second sister is called Wei Yingzi. Even the hooligans ten years older than her can't beat her!"

Hou Jianjun laughed and said, "Is that so?" He then grabbed a few candies from the coffee table and gave them to Xiaodong, saying, "This little monkey is well-behaved, so he gets candy!"

Lu Zheng waved his hand, "Alright, stop teasing the kids. Let's go have a drink." Since he felt a special connection with Wei Xiangxiu, he had a different feeling towards her, a mix of pity and possessiveness. He also felt a sense of protection towards her younger brothers.

Hou Jianjun, being very perceptive, saw that Lu Zheng seemed to like the two little rascals and stopped teasing them, following Lu Zheng into the dining room with a smile.

...

While Lu Zheng, Hou Jianjun, and Hong Tao were drinking, Wei Xiangxiu came to pick up her two younger brothers. By the time Hou Jianjun and Hong Tao, with red faces, said their goodbyes, Wei Xiangxiu was still in the living room, eating sunflower seeds and watching TV, so engrossed that she didn't even notice Lu Zheng come in.

"Blood Stains," a Japanese TV drama introduced to China, had caused a sensation, drawing crowds to watch. In government offices, both men and women enjoyed discussing this TV drama, a result of the sudden liberation of a previously deprived spiritual life. Even at a county-wide cadre meeting, Jiu Dahe had mentioned the heroine's resilience and called on all cadres to learn from her.

Today, it was the 13th episode, showing a warm scene of the heroine, Sachiko, and her family and friends celebrating Christmas. Even Qiangtou and Xiaodong were captivated.

Wei Xiangxiu, who didn't have a TV at home, had become addicted to the drama just by listening to her colleague, Ms. Liu, discuss it. She would listen to Ms. Liu's vivid descriptions of the previous night's episode every day, unable to stop.

Today, she came to pick up her two younger brothers and saw that the TV was showing "Blood Stains." The men were drinking outside, so she decided to sit down and watch for a while. But once she sat down, she was completely engrossed and lost track of time.

She was wearing a light white home dress, looking elegant and charming, with slightly curly hair that made her face look delicate. Her hair, which she had permed to keep up with the trend, was usually tied up in a bun when she wore her police uniform, making it hard to notice.

The sound of Du Xiaohu moving a table outside startled Wei Xiangxiu, and she turned to see Lu Zheng trying to sneak out quietly.

Wei Xiangxiu hurriedly stood up and called her brothers, "Let's go, go home! I've been calling you, but you wouldn't leave!" She felt extremely embarrassed and tried to shift the blame to her brothers.

Lu Zheng smiled and gestured for her to sit down, saying, "It's fine, keep watching. Xiao Wei, I wanted to chat with you. Sit down, we can talk while we watch."

As he spoke, Lu Zheng walked over and sat down, gesturing for Wei Xiangxiu and her brothers to sit as well.

Qiangtou and Xiaodong happily sat down to continue watching TV, while Wei Xiangxiu felt a bit uneasy but couldn't just leave. After all, she had something to hide. If the "living bandit" in front of her found out the truth, he might skin her alive.

Wei Xiangxiu sat down hesitantly. She had already decided not to have any private contact with the man in front of her, but her brothers kept coming here to watch TV. Today, all three of them were caught.

Wei Xiangxiu was even more annoyed with herself. It was just a TV drama, why did she have to sit down and watch it?

Lu Zheng looked at Wei Xiangxiu a few times, noticing her sweet and sexy demeanor in the light white home dress, which stirred a strange feeling in him. His gaze on her, now his woman, was different from before.

Wei Xiangxiu noticed Lu Zheng's intense gaze and regretted it. If she had known that her housing and job issues would be resolved, why did she put on that act? How could she resolve this now?

Then, Wei Xiangxiu felt Lu Zheng's gaze on her bare, snow-white feet in her pink slippers. She quickly pulled her feet back, almost hiding them under the sofa.

Lu Zheng coughed, feeling like he was acting like a bully harassing a virtuous young woman. In his previous life, he was impulsive and awkward with women, but he wasn't stupid. He had often doubted whether he had really been with Wei Xiangxiu. But with the nightmares from his past life and the battlefield gradually fading, he began to believe that what happened with Wei Xiangxiu was real, as he vaguely remembered opening his eyes during that intimate moment and seeing her.

Where this memory came from, he didn't know, perhaps it was a symptom of his rebirth trauma.

"Xiao Wei, is everything okay at home recently?" Lu Zheng asked.

Wei Xiangxiu looked at the floor and shook her head lightly.

Lu Zheng coughed and said, "Wait a moment." He got up and came back a short while later with a paper bag.

He handed the paper bag to Wei Xiangxiu and said, "Take a look, do you like it?" Then he remembered the two little rascals were still there and called out, "Xiaohu, take Qiangtou and Xiaodong to your room to play. I need to talk to Xiao Wei for a bit." He didn't need to hide anything from Du Xiaohu.

Seeing her brothers being taken away by Du Xiaohu, Wei Xiangxiu felt even more guilty and didn't dare to take the paper bag Lu Zheng offered.

Lu Zheng took out a black wool coat from the paper bag and said, "I bought this for you in Beijing. Take a look, do you like it?"

Wei Xiangxiu just shook her head.

Lu Zheng put the coat down and sighed, "I know you had no choice, but since it happened, we need to face it and solve it. This is what I think: if you're willing, we can get a divorce first. Don't worry, I'll still take care of Biaozi and his parents. You can decide how to treat your in-laws. After you've been divorced for a while, maybe next year or the year after, we can get married."

Lu Zheng was sincere. He didn't believe in love and had no high expectations for romantic relationships. His most unforgettable love from his past life was destined not to appear, so he was fine with marrying anyone. Wei Xiangxiu, though seemingly promiscuous, was actually a good woman with deep feelings, and could be a capable wife in the future.

However, Lu Zheng was also aware of the consequences. If he married Wei Xiangxiu right after her divorce, it would cause a scandal and become a stain on his reputation, so he needed to wait.

Lu Zheng spoke sincerely, but Wei Xiangxiu was terrified and said instinctively, "No, no, I won't get a divorce."

Lu Zheng was taken aback, nodded lightly, and said, "You still like Biaozi. I was too hasty."

Wei Xiangxiu quickly said, "No, it's not that. How could I possibly match you?" She knew the damage a direct refusal could do to a man's ego, especially to the "living bandit" in front of her. If she angered him, her future would be bleak, and even now, if he got angry, he might skin her alive.

Moreover, she was telling the truth. She didn't understand what Lu Zheng was thinking. With a promising career and being the youngest public security bureau chief in the province, why would he want to marry a divorced woman? Was he mentally ill or had some hidden illness?

Lu Zheng said, "There's no such thing as matching. Are you afraid of the social stigma of divorce? Afraid of public condemnation?"

Wei Xiangxiu smiled bitterly, "What reputation do I have left? What do I have to fear? In short, it's a long story..." She felt a bit bitter. The man in front of her made her long-dry heart feel a bit of warmth. Who wouldn't want to marry such a promising young man? But this was clearly impossible, and it was surprising that he would propose so seriously.

However, it was also a bit scary to be proposed to by a temperamental "living bandit." It was a terrifying thought.

Not this, not that. Lu Zheng scratched his head, women were indeed troublesome. He coughed and said, "Let's talk about it later."

Wei Xiangxiu felt relieved and hurriedly stood up, "Okay, Chief, I'll go now?"

Lu Zheng pointed to the paper bag on the table, "Take the coat! It's for you!" He was a novice in matters of marriage and proposals, but when it came to other things, he reverted to his "living bandit" persona, speaking in a commanding tone.

Wei Xiangxiu didn't dare to disobey, fearing complications, and hurriedly took the paper bag and left.

Watching Wei Xiangxiu's beautiful figure with her slender waist and hips, Lu Zheng felt a surge of desire. He shook his head. Although he had never been a good person and had done many deceitful things in his past life, he wasn't a lecher who lusted after every beautiful woman. Why was he so unable to control himself now, just because they had shared an intimate moment?

Thinking about her charming expressions and movements, Lu Zheng felt his heart race. He stood up, decided to take a cold shower, and walked away.