On January 22, Jiangbei University officially began its holiday. Early in the morning, Lao Si took the packed luggage and took a bus to the long-distance bus station. As agreed, Hu Ruoyun was also heading to Jiangbei Postal and Telecommunications School to meet Mao Na, and they would return to Annan together with Jiang Qiuying, who was waiting for them there.
Cui Shuigen had adjusted his emotions and carried Hu Ruoyun's travel bag to the bus stop. Watching Hu Ruoyun board the No. 9 bus, he waved his hand and said, "Brother San, bring back some good snacks for the New Year!"
Upon arriving at Jiangbei Postal and Telecommunications School, Mao Na was already waiting at the entrance. After meeting up with Hu Ruoyun, she led him to the girls' dormitory and greeted the dormitory supervisor at the entrance, saying, "Auntie, I'm leaving today too. Wishing you a Happy New Year in advance!"
Turning back to Hu Ruoyun, she added, "You wait here for a moment; I'll be right down." The kind-eyed aunt smiled and replied, "Go ahead, Happy New Year." She glanced at Hu Ruoyun and continued, "There are only Xiao Na and her friend left upstairs; you can go up too!"
Hu Ruoyun quickly thanked her and followed Mao Na upstairs. Mao Na mentioned that Jiang Qiuying had gone to the Provincial Police Academy this morning to see Zhang Meina and would be returning with Zhang Meina's brother, so there was no need to wait for her.
With a hint of jealousy in her voice, she added, "Also, a girl from Annan Eight Middle School said she wanted to come with her to see you..." That must be Tong Caiying.
Mao Na wasn't genuinely upset; since they established their relationship at the end of last Lunar Calendar year, it would soon be a year. Especially during these past few months studying together in Jiangcheng, they had built a strong mutual trust.
When they arrived at Mao Na's dormitory, Lu Meixin was surprisingly there as well.
Hu Ruoyun greeted her quickly, "Sister Lu, you haven't gone home yet?" Usually lively and carefree Lu Meixin seemed like a different person; she stole a glance at Mao Na, her face flushed with embarrassment as she replied awkwardly, "I had some matters to attend to; it delayed me for a couple of days..."
This left Hu Ruoyun confused and feeling uneasy.
Mao Na had already packed most of her things for going home. In no time at all, she finished packing up her belongings. She slung her small bag over her shoulder and pointed at the larger bag saying to Hu Ruoyun, "You take this one!"
After exchanging farewells with Lu Meixin, they headed downstairs with their things and took a bus to the long-distance station. It wasn't until they settled into their seats on the long-distance bus that Mao Na leaned over to Hu Ruoyun's ear and whispered a shocking piece of news: Lu Meixin had cheated!
Lu Meixin was from Huyang County in Huyang City; her father was the director of the county's diesel engine factory while her mother was the deputy director of the county's broadcasting bureau. She had been introduced to Zhao Gang, an officer in the county's Planning Commission, and they had been married for less than a year.
When Lu Meixin first started school, Zhao Gang would visit almost every week. They would spend two days together in blissful harmony.
About a month ago, for some unknown reason, they had a small argument. Out of spite, Lu Meixin told Zhao Gang, "Don't come here anymore!" Zhao Gang also held onto his pride and didn't visit for two weeks after that.
Regretting her impulsiveness, Lu Meixin found it hard to swallow her pride and reach out to Zhao Gang for reconciliation... When he finally came after three weeks of absence, he tried everything—pleading and comforting—but Lu Meixin stubbornly refused to give him any soft words or kind looks!
Heartbroken, Zhao Gang returned home with red eyes and asked everyone to help persuade Lu Meixin!
Zhao Gang left, and Lu Meixin regretted it again, but she still couldn't bring herself to initiate a reconciliation. As time dragged on, her frustration grew, and somehow she ended up discussing matters that she shouldn't have shared with outsiders, especially with an unrelated man from Class Two.
This boy was local to Jiangcheng and had been married. Seeing Lu Meixin looking like a wronged woman, he began to shower her with attention—inviting her to dinner and movies, flattering her with sweet words. Eventually, one night, Lu Meixin went out with him and ended up spending the night away. The next day, she admitted to having slept with him!
Mao Na's words left Hu Ruoyun speechless.
Seeing Hu Ruoyun's mouth agape, Mao Na continued heavily, "Now everyone in our two classes knows about it; it's just that no one is openly discussing it. Later, Meixin's husband Zhao Gang somehow caught wind of it...
Now that school is on break and everyone has gone home, that boy from Class Two has also returned, leaving Meixin in a difficult position! Just yesterday, she cried in front of me for a while, saying she didn't know what to do. She even said she was being foolish—knowing full well that the boy from Class Two was married yet still indulging in his sweet talk!"
Seeing that Hu Ruoyun was silent, Mao Na tugged at his hand. "If you were Zhao Gang and I were Lu Meixin, what would you do?"
Hu Ruoyun squeezed Mao Na's hand tightly and said in a low voice, somewhat angrily, "Don't use such comparisons! You've heard the saying 'a single misstep leads to eternal regret,' right? I can say that no normal man could accept this situation—whether it's emotional infidelity or physical infidelity, both are unforgivable! It's not just women; men feel the same way! Lu Meixin doesn't deserve sympathy; you shouldn't associate with her so much in the future!"
Mao Na had never seen Hu Ruoyun with such an expression before; he had never spoken to her in such a tone. She was somewhat taken aback and finally whispered back after a while, "I understand!"
Hu Ruoyun pulled her closer. "Don't blame me for speaking to you this way; you don't understand men! Do you know how I felt when I first saw that guy Qi come to your school guesthouse with you? It was sadness, grievance, anger, and humiliation! I wanted nothing more than to knock him down with one punch and then kick him to death!"
Mao Na nestled even closer to him. "Don't worry; we'll always be good together!"
By noon, the two had returned to Mao Na's home in Guanzhen, Annan County City.
In the evening, Zhang Xiuzhen came home from work and prepared a long noodle dish for the two of them as a welcome meal.
Perhaps it was because Mao Jie truly excelled at her job or due to the influence of her father, County Chief Mao Weiguo; at the end of the year, she was recognized as an outstanding employee by the county's Electric Power Bureau.
County Chief Mao personally led a delegation from the county's Planning Commission and Business Bureau on a trip to Hohhot. The cooperative cattle-raising group in the Hui district had successfully completed its restructuring and established "Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd," which became the largest dairy enterprise in the country with the most comprehensive product range.
County Chief Mao stayed there for over a week. Many details remained unclear to most people, but both parties ultimately confirmed that Yili Industrial would be visiting Annan County for an inspection in the first half of 1994!
Rumors circulated widely: some said if Yili could establish itself in Annan, the county's investment attraction plan for the next three years would be completed ahead of schedule!
There are rumors that the leaders of Jiangbei Province want to relocate the project to other cities and are considering transferring Mao Weiguo to serve as Vice Mayor in that city. This has infuriated Meng Xiangjun, the Mayor of Jinan City, and Secretary Zheng Kaixuan, who jointly reported the matter to Secretary Cheng and Vice Governor Wang Chongyuan at the provincial committee.
Negative reports have also surfaced, claiming that Mao Weiguo, in pursuit of political achievements, signed "unequal terms" with Yi Li's side, making significant concessions in areas such as taxation and land acquisition. This not only severely harmed the interests of over a million people in Annan County but also deeply hurt the feelings of the general populace, leading to calls for strict investigations into officials who prioritize appearances over substance.
Various opinions circulated widely until just before the Spring Festival when Deputy Governor Wang Hong Bin led a team to Annan for research. Facing the media's scrutiny, he gave full recognition to Annan's work, causing those negative reports to dissipate like mist under the sun.
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