Wen Liang coughed dryly. This thought had indeed crossed his mind, but he knew that he had not asked this question for the sake of this answer. He said, "Director Tang, you misunderstood!"
Tang Ye ignored him and fell into a brief silence. Just as Wen Liang was thinking about whether to say something to ease the awkward situation, she suddenly asked, "Do you still want to ask me what my relationship with Secretary Yu is?"
Wen Liang's mouth twitched. He was indeed curious and had guessed before, but that didn't mean he would ask so bluntly. He hurriedly said, "You really misunderstood..."
Tang Ye stopped Wen Liang from explaining, sighed slightly, looked lost, and said: "Zhuang Shaoxuan and I have indeed known each other for many years..."
Her voice was lost in distant memories, as if it came slowly from the clouds on the mountains. She said, "Six or seven years ago, he was already the mayor of Danhua, a county-level city under Chixia City in Huanghuai Province. He was the youngest director-level cadre in Huanghuai at the time. He was not only handsome and charming, but also good at governing and tough. He was the dream lover of many young girls. As for me, I was just a little reporter for Chixia Evening News. I had just started working and was full of longing and enthusiasm for the future. I was also full of little girl fantasies about society. I always thought that as long as I worked hard, I would become a nationally renowned reporter one day. So no matter what kind of interview I would rush to do, no matter how hard, tiring, remote, offensive, unprofitable, or what others were unwilling to take, I would do my best without complaint."
"Later, I found out that this society is very realistic. You can't get as much as you put in. You can't flatter or curry favor with others, and you can even turn a blind eye to the sexual innuendos of a certain leader. You can imagine the situation you had in the newspaper. I remember that year, oh, it was probably 1988, when a large-scale human trafficking case occurred in Danhua. The official case had been closed, but the leaders of the evening newspaper thought that a follow-up report would be a good news point and prepared to send someone over. But the village was in the mountains, the roads were blocked, the conditions were bad, and it rained for half a month. It took dozens of miles of muddy roads to walk there in knee-high rain boots. No one was willing to take the job, so it fell to me without any suspense."
"A colleague I knew well advised me to ask my leader for help, saying that the people there were bad and vulgar, and it was hard for male reporters to go there. It was not safe for a girl like me to go there alone, and the roads were not easy to travel on. I might get stuck on the way at night, and that would be a waste of time. I was a silly girl, and I thought that since the leader had spoken, I should overcome the difficulties and try my best to complete the task. Before dawn the next day, I packed two days' worth of dry food and set out alone."
There was a hint of smile in Tang Ye's eyes towards her past self, as if she saw the girl of that time again, smart, motivated, simple, but unable to fit into this cruel society.
"The road ahead was easy to walk on. I took a bus first, then a tricycle, and arrived smoothly. But when I got to the dozens of miles of muddy road, no car could enter, so I had to walk step by step on my own. More than ten days of heavy rain had turned the dirt road into a swamp. Every step required a lot of effort. I was so tired that I sat down in the mud on the side of the road before I was halfway there. I felt so sore and painful all over. It was getting dark, and there was no one around. I felt anxious and sad, and couldn't help but shed tears..."
"I have never cried so loudly like that. I cried so hard that I didn't even know when seven or eight people came to me. I only heard a voice saying to me: 'Comrade, don't worry, there is nothing that can't be solved', and then handed me a gray square handkerchief..."
Tang Ye looked at Wen Liang and whispered, "That was the first time I met Zhuang Shaoxuan!"
Wen Liang said softly: "I am really happy for you to meet him at that time!"
When you are in despair, you may not need much help. Just a warm word or a simple action can help a person get out of the trough and be reborn.
For Tang Ye, at that moment, it didn't matter whether this person was Zhuang Shaoxuan or not! Wen Liang understood this point, so he would not blacken him to the end without asking right or wrong just because he didn't get along with Zhuang Shaoxuan!
Tang Ye smiled, a smile so beautiful that it was beyond description. She said, "Wen Liang, you may not be a gentleman, but at least you are open-minded, much better than most men I know. It must be a very happy thing to be your friend."
Wen Liang smiled and said, "I don't deserve it!"
"Let me continue. Zhuang Shaoxuan and his team came here to investigate the dangerous buildings in various villages and towns because of the heavy rains. Knowing that I was a reporter for the evening paper, they invited me to go with them. After so many years, when I think of that night, I often ask myself whether it was right or wrong to meet him. If I hadn't met him by chance, I wouldn't have been able to predict what would have happened that night. But if I hadn't met him that same night, my life might have been completely different from what it is now..."
Tang Ye's words revealed struggle and confusion. Wen Liang said quietly, "But there are no ifs in life, right? No matter what happened later, at least you felt at ease at that time."
"Yes, you are right!" Tang Ye smiled and continued, "This is our first encounter. In one day and one night, I saw the image of a young cadre who is conscientious, works hard, is not afraid of difficulties, and takes care of everything himself. His three years in Danhua are also the three years when Danhua has developed the fastest and the people have the best morals."
"After that, because of work, I met him four or five times, and we gradually became familiar with each other. Occasionally, when I went to Danhua and he came to Chixia, we would take time to have a meal together. He was interesting, elegant, attentive, and considerate, which made you feel close to him easily. As time went by, rumors began to spread outside. I was worried that it would have a bad impact on him, but he laughed and told me not to worry about it, saying that rumors stop at wise people and there is no need to pay attention to them. And my situation in the newspaper began to improve inexplicably, and the newspaper leader who had been pestering me was also transferred to another position. But I never complained to him about these things, not a word, but he helped me deal with them silently. It's hard for a girl not to be moved by such a person, isn't it?"
Tang Ye laughed at himself and said, "How nice it would be if time could stop at that moment..."
So far, all of Wen Liang's knowledge of Zhuang Shaoxuan came from different descriptions of different people, but he perhaps understood Zhuang Shaoxuan better than any of them, because in some ways, he and he had many similarities.
Zhuang Shaoxuan could spend so much time and effort on Tang Ye, but it was not for venting his own desires, so he must have a bigger plan.
"And then, what happened?"
"This went on for almost a year. He talked to me about local customs, human relationships, work, and ideals, but never touched on love between men and women. The initial attraction had not yet turned into love, so it gradually faded. Just when I thought we would always be friends, one day he came to Chixia to treat me to a meal. During the meal, he mentioned that he was about to leave Danhua and return to Beijing to work in the Development Planning Department of the State Planning Commission, as a deputy department-level inspector. It was then that I found out who his father was, and that this man I had known for a year was actually a real big shot."
"But that's all. Those high-ranking people are too far away from my life. I sincerely wish him a smooth career from now on, and I just regard this meal as the last farewell party for the two of us. But he suddenly asked me if I was willing to leave Huanghuai and work in Jiangdong, and said that he had offended some people in Danhua in the past few years. If he left, I would have no one to protect me and would inevitably be deliberately made difficult by others. Although I had already established myself in the Evening News at that time, I understood that, as Zhuang Shaoxuan said, if I left him, I would have no one to rely on, and my situation would never be much better than when I first started. On the other hand, Jiangdong is my hometown, and my parents and friends are all there. Chixia's work experience in the past few years has been more painful than happy for me. If it weren't for Zhuang Shaoxuan, I might have given up long ago, so after a brief consideration, I agreed to him."
"Not long after, my work was transferred to Guanshan Daily, and he took over the work of Danhua and returned to Beijing. After working at Guanshan Daily for two months, one day after work, I walked out of the building with my colleagues and suddenly saw him standing outside. He said he would take me to an event. I followed him without knowing what was going on. When I got there, I found out that it was a banquet hosted by the Provincial Planning Commission to thank the provincial and municipal leaders for attracting investment. It was also there that Zhuang Shaoxuan introduced me to Yu Peidong."
"Maybe it's because women are sensitive. Although this is the first time we met, I feel that Secretary Yu's eyes look at me a little differently. Wen Liang, I never underestimate myself. I am confident in my own conditions, and there is no shortage of men pursuing me..."
Wen Liang smiled and said, "I can prove this!"
Tang Ye did not laugh, and his voice became indifferent and cold, saying: "But I also know myself. Even Zhuang Shaoxuan has known me for such a long time, and he has never made any unreasonable demands, not to mention Yu Peidong, a senior official of the province. If people like them are really eager for sex, how could they lack beautiful women? So I thought I was overthinking, but Zhuang Shaoxuan explained my personal situation to Yu Peidong intentionally or unintentionally. Yu Peidong listened with a smile, encouraged me a few words, and then left with an excuse."
"After leaving the banquet, Zhuang Shaoxuan seemed very excited. He told me that my work in the Development Planning Department was just a transition and that he would soon come to Jiangdong Provincial Planning Commission to be the deputy director. He also said that he didn't really have to come to Jiangdong Province to take up the post, but he missed the time he spent with me. However, Yu Peidong didn't seem to be in the same faction as the forces behind him, so it would be very difficult for him to work here. He hoped that I could help him..."
Wen Liang reached out and gently patted the back of Tang Ye's already cold hand, saying: "How can you help him? Besides, if he really wants to use women, there are many people in Dandelion Mile who are more suitable than you. Why should he spend so much time on you?"
"How could I have thought of these things at that time," Tang Ye's eyes flashed with sneer, "It was only after a long time that I realized that the only reason Zhuang Shaoxuan chose me was not because I was prettier than others, but because my appearance, temperament and conversation were 60% similar to Yu Peidong's late wife!"
Wen Liang suddenly realized that Zhuang Shaoxuan's move was extremely clever. It could be said that the right time, right place and right people were all essential. He really had good intentions and far-sighted plans. One could not help but admire him!
Yu Peidong's family affairs have always been a big gossip in Jiangdong officialdom. He lost his wife more than ten years ago when he was in his prime. It is said that he and his wife were childhood sweethearts and were very affectionate. They had never quarreled in their many years of marriage and respected each other like guests. However, they were separated by a car accident. In the following ten years, Yu Peidong did not remarry until four or five years ago when his grief gradually faded. Considering his health and career prospects, he married a widowed university professor under the care of his leader, but the feelings between them should be very weak.
And Tang Ye’s words just now, “Yu Peidong doesn’t seem to be in the same faction as them” contained a huge amount of information. People who are not well versed in the domestic situation and the background of the characters might not understand it. Fortunately, Wen Liang has been a human being in two lives and has been more or less involved in this life, so he knows much more than ordinary people!
Yu Peidong went to Beijing to attend the 5th Plenary Session of the 14th Central Committee last September. After the meeting, he stayed in Beijing for half a month without returning, which caused unrest in Jiangdong. Many people had other thoughts. The domineering and tyrannical behavior of Zhou Yuanting of Qingzhou and Xu Fuyan's forbearance were actually related to this.
The root cause was the shocking political reshuffle at the top level in early 1995, which uprooted the two pillars of the Jing clique, and the aftermath involved countless people. However, Yu Peidong, as a capable local figure of the old Jing clique, was able to stay in the vortex and remain unscathed, which completely shattered the expectations of those who were ready to make a move in Jiangdong.
If I'm not mistaken, several years before the attack on the Jing clique, Zhuang Maoxun, the military strategist and brain center, had begun a comprehensive attack on the Jing clique's local forces. And as his only son, Zhuang Shaoxuan, who had always been highly expected and had performed amazingly, was apparently given the most difficult mission - Yu Peidong was not an easy bone to chew.
From ancient times to the present, all power struggles are nothing more than this. If you want to get rid of the main trunk, you must first cut off its branches. Zhuang Maoxun was called an old fox by his opponents. He was good at strategizing, and these methods were his specialty. The Jing faction had been so arrogant and powerful in the past ten years, but it was swept away overnight. No one would believe that there was no preparation for several years.
As for Tang Ye, he was just Zhuang Shaoxuan's attempt to test Yu Peidong's abilities, to show his attitude and intentions, which actually had little to do with Tang Ye himself!
But just this stepping stone was enough for Zhuang Shaoxuan to spend a year laying the groundwork and making plans. It's really chilling to think about it.
"I agreed, but I didn't know how to do it. He told me casually that I just needed to find more time to report to Secretary Yu. I was confused. How could a small reporter like me be qualified to report to Secretary Yu? But a few days later, a leader of the Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department specifically asked Guanshan Daily to send me to an important meeting... I realized that many things were beyond my control and beyond my knowledge."
(For the timeline of Zhuang Shaoxuan’s personal experience, please review Chapter 118 of Volume 4)
(This pit was dug at the beginning of the book. Friends who don’t remember it can look for it. But for me, I feel very accomplished to be able to achieve a seamless connection between the beginning and the end after two million words.)
(However, according to convention, all the chapters that I think are good have tragic endings, so I'd better be careful with what I say) (To be continued)