Chapter 42: The Petty Man Shows His True Colors—Just as Expected, He Finds Fault with Everything

The two were just eating when Qiao Yina’s call came through.

She started in immediately with a sharp interrogation: "Shi-nian, didn't you say you'd be home right after work? Why aren't you back yet?"

"Something came up today; I'll be back later," He Shinian replied calmly.

"Something came up, something came up—you have something coming up every single day! Is there anything more important than our wedding?" Qiao Yina roared the moment she heard his answer.

He Shinian, having no desire to argue with her, said, "I still have things to attend to here, I’m hanging up." With that, he hung up decisively, not waiting for her to say another word.

"Was that your girlfriend?" Tian Mi asked as she took a bite of her food.

He Shinian nodded.

"Your girlfriend is truly beautiful, with great skin and a perfect figure. Section Chief, you’re a lucky man."

A faint bitterness welled up in He Shinian’s heart, but he remained silent regarding Qiao Yina.

After dinner, he dropped Tian Mi off at home and then took a long ride along the Ning River before heading back himself. When he arrived home, Qiao Yina was sitting alone on the sofa, fuming. She held a cushion to her chest, pressing her ample bosom firmly against it.

"Have you eaten?" He Shinian asked with concern.

"If I don't eat now, am I supposed to just starve to death?" Qiao Yina was clearly still angry, her response dripping with hostility.

He Shinian glanced at her, said nothing more, and turned to head into the bathroom for a shower. Seeing him act as if nothing were wrong only fueled her rage further. She went to the bathroom door and pounded on it hard. "He Shinian, what exactly is your game? Say something!"

He Shinian made no response.

"Do you think acting like nothing happened makes the problem go away? What exactly are your thoughts on our wedding?"

At that moment, Qiao Yina’s gaze fell upon the clothes He Shinian had taken off. Instinctively, she picked them up and took a sniff. There was a faint scent of crabapple blossoms. Her anger flared even more intensely.

"He Shinian, tell me the truth! Why is there perfume on your clothes? Which little vixen is this from?"

"Is that why you came home so late? Were you off hooking up with that vixen?"

The sound of the water stopped. A moment later, the door opened, and He Shinian walked out, bare-chested. "What vixen? Stop spouting nonsense."

"Spouting nonsense? Then explain the perfume on your clothes!"

He Shinian paused slightly. He had ridden his bike to take Tian Mi home. Could it be that the scent had transferred to his clothes when she grabbed onto his back? Qiao Yina’s nose was incredibly sensitive; she could detect even the slightest fragrance.

Seeing him stay silent, Qiao Yina’s fury grew. "Don't tell me you really have someone else on the side?"

"Stop being paranoid. There’s nothing going on." Ignoring her, he went into the bedroom to find clothes to put on.

"Shi-nian, have you thought this through? Give me a clear answer today so I can tell my parents something."

He Shinian rarely smoked, but today he couldn't help but light a cigarette, sitting on the sofa and inhaling deeply.

"Didn't I already say? I agreed to the dowry and the 'three golds and one jade.' As for the house and the car, I don't have the money for that right now. I can promise you that once we have the money in the future, we will definitely buy them."

"As for the banquet, if you insist on five thousand per table, then so be it. It’s your family hosting it anyway."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yina’s face changed, and she snapped, "He Shinian, what kind of attitude is this? Do you even want to get married?"

He Shinian desperately wanted to say that he didn't want to get married anymore. But the words stopped at his lips, and he said instead, "My career is just getting started. I don't want to become a slave to a car or a house because of money, and I certainly don't want to carry such a heavy burden as I start out."

"Fine, He Shinian. If that's how it is, then live your life alone!" Qiao Yina finished, stormed into the bedroom, packed her suitcase, and slammed the door as she left.

In the living room, blue smoke drifted through the air, and He Shinian’s heart drifted and dissipated along with it.

The next day, when He Shinian handed the manuscript to Ou Huasheng, it was exactly as Tian Mi had predicted: Ou Huasheng was not satisfied. It was hard to tell if he was genuinely dissatisfied or just making a point—a point of expressing his displeasure with He Shinian.

He slashed red ink all over He Shinian’s neat and tidy manuscript.

"Have you discussed this draft with the other comrades in the section?"

Procedurally, it was necessary for the County Party Secretary’s speech to be vetted within the First Section. He Shinian had indeed checked with Tian Mi, but naturally, he wouldn't tell Ou Huasheng that.

"This is just a first draft; I haven't had a chance to show it to the others in the office yet."

Unexpectedly, this simple reply stirred Ou Huasheng’s annoyance.

"Comrade," he said, "this is the County Party Committee Office, not a school or a local bureau. Everything must follow proper procedure and methodology. You cannot work in isolation. This attitude of yours is quite questionable!"

"You are currently both the Section Chief of the First Comprehensive Section and Secretary to Party Secretary Wu. You must hold yourself to the highest standards and the strictest requirements in every aspect... Do you understand?"

He Shinian’s face darkened as he listened. It was just an article, wasn't it? Where did all these grand principles come from? You might think you're some big shot as the Director of the County Party Committee Office, but in my eyes, you’re nothing.

Though displeased, he replied, "Thank you for the reminder and the instruction, Director Ou. Please point out the specific shortcomings in the article so I can go back and revise it."

He Shinian’s attitude was sincere yet neither humble nor pushy. Ou Huasheng, having vented his frustration, had no choice but to stop.

"I have circled the parts that need changing and added my comments. Take it back and revise it!"

Leaving Ou Huasheng’s office, He Shinian cursed under his breath. Looking at the changes Ou Huasheng had made—the result of that flurry of slashing—they were essentially meaningless.

"The theme needs to be clearer."
"The key points need to be highlighted."
"The flow needs to be smoother."

It seemed Tian Mi was right: no matter how the first draft was written, Ou Huasheng would never be satisfied. Not only would he not be satisfied, he would go out of his way to nitpick.

There was no rush; he still had two days. He Shinian planned to let it sit for a bit and only bring it back to Ou Huasheng tomorrow. What he didn't expect was that while he wanted to let it cool off, Ou Huasheng took the matter straight to Wu Yunqiu.

He claimed that He Shinian’s attitude lacked seriousness and that he was deficient in work initiative. He also suggested that his writing skills needed improvement and recommended he be given more pressure to "build character."

When Wu Yunqiu heard this, he called He Shinian into his office.

"Director Ou says your writing skills need improvement. Bring me the article you wrote so I can take a look."

He Shinian immediately produced the article that Ou Huasheng had "approved." He had woven in the themes from the speeches Wu Yunqiu had given since taking office in Ninghai, incorporating aspects of public livelihood, stability, and the land and farmland issues that had been a focus recently.

Wu Yunqiu frowned as he read. After finishing it once, he flipped it over and read it again. Finally, his eyes settled on Ou Huasheng’s handwritten notes.

"This is absolute nonsense."

He Shinian’s heart gave a violent jolt.