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墨書 Inktalez
I have already had someone prepare your meal, and it’s being brought over now.
Lin Xiao opened the door to the county chief's office and waited for Meng Kai to hand her two takeout boxes. She took the old newspaper from Meng Kai's hands and spread it out on the table, placing the boxes on Qian Zengmin's desk. "County Chief, I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just ordered a couple of dishes."
Qian Zengmin looked at the food: stir-fried beef with green peppers, sautéed zucchini, bean sprouts with fine noodles, and lamb with pickled vegetables, along with a bowl of vegetable and egg soup. The dishes were exquisite, clearly not from the cafeteria.
The meal was tailored to his taste, which eased some of the tension he felt towards Lin Xiao. Lin Xiao also opened her own lunch box, shamelessly lingering in the county chief's office.
"I heard Secretary Li is accompanying you," Qian Zengmin noted. During their meal, he didn’t bring up any work-related matters.
"Yes, the child is still young; he worries that I miss him," Lin Xiao replied.
She had the audacity to stay because she understood Qian Zengmin wasn’t the type of county chief who ruled with an iron fist. Moreover, she was Li Hao's wife; he wouldn’t dare lose face in front of her.
They had encountered each other during meetings before; he was a capable leader. It puzzled many why someone so young would consider resigning.
This was something many found hard to understand. People thought if anyone were to resign, it should be someone like Lin Xiao who seemed to have no bright future ahead.
"Indeed, I’ve asked him about it," Lin Xiao continued. "You know, those with greater abilities often have bigger ambitions and enjoy challenging themselves." Her response felt like an answer yet also seemed evasive, indirectly praising Li Hao.
After finishing their meals, Lin Xiao neatly packed up the lunch boxes and handed them back to Meng Kai waiting at the door. She turned around to refill Qian Zengmin's cup with water.
"If I disagree, you won't leave," Qian Zengmin thought initially that Lin Xiao was a delicate woman; now she seemed no different from those town chiefs demanding money.
This was thanks to Lin Xiao’s knack for summarizing situations; she had dealt with numerous people coming to ask Li Hao for money over the years and knew exactly how to handle such matters effectively.
Qian Zengmin felt embarrassed to scold her or say anything harsh.
"I certainly won’t disturb your rest; however, having just eaten, you shouldn’t rest immediately—it’s not good for your health."
"Too much—at most ten thousand," Qian Zengmin said after looking over Lin Xiao's budget proposal. Ten thousand wasn’t a lot, but unfortunately, he was financially constrained.
"County Chief, ten thousand is fine; if you agree, I can make it happen immediately." Perhaps due to spending too much time with Li Hao, Lin Xiao no longer felt much reverence for the position of county chief; getting funds was what truly mattered.
Qian Zengmin glanced at Lin Xiao again; no matter how he looked at her now, she didn’t seem appealing—she resembled a debt collector.
It was surprising that despite his age, he had once been stunned by her appearance.
Qian Zengmin pulled out his phone and dialed Luo Qianwei's number. "Transfer ten thousand to Gengxu Town this afternoon."
Lin Xiao received Qian Zengmin's approval and happily picked up her bag. "County Head Qian, please take care of yourself. I promise to follow through on what we discussed today."
Qian Zengmin waved his hand, signaling her to hurry along.
As Lin Xiao stepped outside, she saw Meng Kai standing at the door of the secretary's office. "Town Head Lin, are you done?" Meng Kai approached her.
"Yes," Lin Xiao replied in a low voice.
"Really? Town Head Lin, you are impressive! Our previous village head only managed to secure ten thousand last year during the Duanwu Festival," Meng Kai whispered as he leaned closer.
"Let's find a place to wait for a bit. We need to go to the finance bureau this afternoon and ensure the funds are released," Lin Xiao said, wary of potential delays, recalling similar situations from the past.
"I'm meeting a friend for lunch; you can find somewhere to rest," she added.
It had been a long time since she had seen Shang Wenjuan, who had invited her out during Yu Rao's time.
"I'll just find an office on the fifth floor and wait for you," Meng Kai said.
In the Green Café, Shang Wenjuan looked at Lin Xiao, dressed in a light beige suit with a dark brown silk top underneath. "Xiao Xiao, you’re becoming more elegant by the day."
"You’re looking more beautiful too," Lin Xiao smiled as she pushed a cup of cappuccino toward her. "I know you don’t like bitter flavors; this one suits you."
The two began chatting about their recent lives. Shang Wenjuan started asking about Li Hao and her situation. Noticing that Lin Xiao was reluctant to share much, she quickly changed the subject.
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