Volume 3 Chapter 24: Co-habiting with My Little Ex-wife

  In the office, Lu Zhong quietly flipped through a small notebook that Tang Gen had given him yesterday with great fanfare, involving some matters related to the county's leading cadres and recruitment. When Lu Zhong reached the end, he slightly furrowed his brow.

  Then Lu Zhong picked up the lighter and ignited the notebook, then placed it in the flower pot of the tiger skin banana, watching as the notebook slowly burned to ashes.

  The office door was knocked gently, and Wang Jiabin walked in, "County magistrate, the car is ready." Behind him followed Zhou Fangzheng, director of the county audit bureau.

  Zhou Fangzheng was forty years old, with a square and upright appearance, giving off a somewhat bookish air.

  The audit system has just been separated from the accounting system in the entire Wushan area. Compared to inland areas, the audit system in Wushan is relatively early and fast in development, but the Audit Bureau is still a small agency.

  But Lu Zhongfu, as soon as he took office, took charge of auditing, supervision and finance in the party group division of labor in the political and legal affairs committee, which was really unbelievable since auditing and supervision had just been established.

  And Zhou Fangzheng had more and more opportunities to see Lu Zhong.

  Seeing the two coming in, Lu Zhong stood up and made a gesture, "Leave."

  Today, a county-wide auditing work conference will be held in the Workers' Club auditorium, presided over by Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission Wang Baogang and reported by Director of the Auditing Bureau Zhou Fangzheng.

  The meeting will convey the spirit of the city's audit work conference and issue the "Qinglong County 1985 Audit Project Work Plan". Heads of towns, finance directors, audit station heads, main responsible persons of county-level departments, provincial and municipal units stationed in Qing, and financial and internal audit personnel with a total of about 15 people will attend the meeting.

  County head Lu Zhong personally attended the meeting and will take this audit work conference to an unprecedented height.

  Zhou Fangzheng looked slightly uncomfortable, after all, the audit work had always been done under the leadership of the planned economy department, doing some dispensable work. Now that the economy has opened up and the market has opened up, it seems that the audit work has suddenly become very important, and County Magistrate Lu is particularly serious about it, making Zhou Fangzheng suddenly rise from a dispensable role to a key member of the county government, which makes him feel a lot of pressure.

  When walking out, Lu Zhong said sideways: "Fang Zheng, you just follow the rules, I've got everything."

  Lu Zhong's tone was very calm, but in just a few short months, this newly appointed young county magistrate had already shown the cadres of Qinglong that he was a hard-nosed leader.

  "Everything has me," Zhou Fangzheng heard in his ears, and he couldn't help but lift his spirits, nodding his head, and said with a double meaning: "County Magistrate, don't worry, the work you entrusted to me, I will definitely do it with all my heart and make it clear."

  Obviously, Zhou Fangzheng, although he is a scholar-official, has been immersed in the officialdom for many years and is also a bright and intelligent person.

  Lu Zhong looked at him and smiled slightly, stretched out his hand, and threw a cigarette to him, saying: "I know you like this too."

  Zhou Fangzheng caught it and his heart was slightly excited. He had heard that the throwing cigarette butt action of Lu Xianchang represented something.

  Three people went downstairs, but saw the county committee office building stairs, among the green pines and cypresses, Qu Yang was sternly reprimanding the director of the Supervision Bureau, Yang Nan. The cadres who passed by his side didn't dare to look at him, and they all hurried past.

  Qu Yueyi always kept his emotions in check, and almost no cadre had ever seen him lose his temper. Such a severe reprimand was completely different from the image of Qu Lao in the past. Who dared to look at him again?

  Yang Nan was a short and stout man in his early forties, who was currently being coerced by Qu Yangyue's powerful aura, his face red with anger but not daring to refute anything.

  The Supervision Department was re-established in January this year, and soon after, various provinces, cities and counties set up supervision halls (offices), with the Qinglong County Supervision Bureau being established ten days ago.

  Director Yang Nan was one of the original four major golden men under Wang Baogang in the discipline inspection system, and he had already been marginalized. Taking advantage of the opportunity to establish the Supervision Bureau, Lu Zhong fought for it and promoted him again, and also promoted him from deputy department to full department, serving as the county's Supervision Bureau Director and Deputy Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission.

  Lu Zhong walked over slowly and asked with a smile: "Old Qu, what's wrong? You're getting angry so early in the morning."

  Yang Nan is also one of the cadres who need to attend this audit meeting.

  Qu Yue hummed coldly and pointed at Yang Nan: "If you continue like this, it will be very dangerous and the fall will be heavier than last time. Think about it yourself." After finishing speaking, she turned around and left, not even looking at Lu Zhen.

  Yang Nan's face turned pale, and she leaned in close to Lu Zhen: "County Magistrate Lu, he..."

  Lu Zhong waved his hand, "Alright, I understand."

  Wang Jiabin looked at Qu Xue's back and thoughtfully said, "County Magistrate, I seem to have heard some rumors that Old Qu is secretly forming an alliance."

  Lu Zhong nodded silently.

  In the evening when I returned home, unexpectedly Ai Fang had come, and she came alone.

  Exquisite green woolen coat, khaki blue trousers, white socks and small black leather shoes, the whole person looks elegant and beautiful, a fashionable beauty with a county town style, with a unique flavor.

  Lu Zhong came back when Ai Fang was helping Bai Xiaoxue clean his house.

  "Eating outside?" Aifang turned back, smiled warmly, but her hands didn't stop.

  Lu Zhong nodded and asked: "Where's big brother?"

  "Ah, he didn't come. Your thing, I also didn't tell him." Aifang's black leather shoes curled up with a nice arc, wiping the TV cabinet.

  Lu Zhong smiled: "It's not a secret or anything, Xiaoping at home knows about it, and Cuihong Auntie and Guobin Uncle have also heard about it, they just don't believe it?"

  "Alright, I've almost finished with the chores. Anything else? Come, sit." Lu Zhong sat down on the sofa.

  Ai Fang persisted in wiping the TV cabinet, TV, and VCR clean, then went out to wash the cloth, washed her hands, and brewed a pot of tea before walking over to sit beside Lu Zhong, the scent of perfume wafting into his nostrils.

  "There's nothing much, I just wanted to tell you that my contract issue has been resolved." Aifang said with a strange smile, "This matter had been torturing me, making me unable to eat or sleep well. Tang Genhua talked to me and helped me get a spot, even bringing the contract for me to sign on the spot, I was overjoyed. But when I got home and told your older brother, he didn't take it seriously at all, I really don't know how to explain him."

  Lu Zhong smiled and said, "Big brother is a sincere person. If you don't tell him, how would he know that this matter is a huge surprise to you?" Seeing his sister-in-law coming alone to find him, obviously dressing up deliberately, and suddenly pointing out the mistakes of big brother, Lu Zhong couldn't help but feel strange in his heart.

  It turns out that maybe Aifang is really happy and needs to confide in someone, but big brother doesn't understand romance, so she can only come to share her joy with someone who understands the beginning and end of things and how hard it is for a contract worker like herself.

  Lu Zhong felt relieved when he thought about it, but it seemed that his brother Lu Xueyou and sister-in-law Ai Fang definitely had some communication problems.

  "Next time I'll be the host, and have dinner with my brother and sister-in-law. It's also a celebration for my sister-in-law. As for me, I should also take care of my elder brother. After all, as a couple, we need to understand each other and pay attention to our emotions." Lu Zhong said this, but couldn't help feeling embarrassed about himself. He had big principles, but when it came to his own actions, he was worse than any other man.

  Let's just talk about Wei Xiangxiu, after that year, I never went to look for her again.

  "Alright, it's settled then. You give the office a call whenever you're free and I'll prepare ahead of time. We can just eat at home and you can try my cooking skills again. The last time doesn't count."

  Lu Zhong nodded and looked at the sky outside, saying: "It's dark now, how did you get here?"

  "Ai Fang stood up: 'Riding a bike, huh? I should also go. Originally, I wanted to come and cook a meal for you as a thank you, but then I heard from Xiao Feng that you ate outside today.'"

  Lu Zhong also stood up: "I'll see you home, it's getting dark, don't run into any bad people."

  "Ai Fang hurriedly declined: 'No need, it's just a short distance, only about 10 minutes by bike, don't bother.'"

  Bai Xiaofeng said beside him, "Brother, I'll send sister off. My courage is big enough, I'm not afraid of bad people." Her clear and tender eyes were filled with expectation. Since Zhenzi Ge was so good to her, she helped him clean the house and cook every day, feeling like a freeloader, and naturally wanted to help Zhenzi Ge with some small tasks.

  Lu Zhong looked at him and said: "Aren't you afraid of bad people? What would you do if you encountered a bad person?"

  "I kicked him," said Bai Xiaoxue, clenching her small fist.

  Ai Fang laughed so hard that her body shook, and Lu Zhong couldn't help but laugh too. However, soon after, a bright and beautiful girl appeared in his mind, seriously saying to him: "If you dare to be reckless and irresponsible again, I'll kick you to death."

  But in the end, when he proposed breaking up, he didn't even give her a chance to meet, and did it so resolutely.

  And these memories, originally thought they had already been forgotten.

  Lu Zheng remained silent for a moment, then patted Bai Xiaofeng's little head and said, "Let's go, the two of us will take you to see Ai Fang. You haven't taken a car ride in a long time, do you want to?"

  Her smooth hair brought a warm feeling, and she was stared at by Lu Zhen's piercing eyes. Bai Xiaoxue's elegant small face suddenly flushed with two red clouds, and she lowered her head and said softly: "Nothing to think about, you take me there, I'll go." In her mind, of course, it wasn't right to make any demands.

  "Alright, let's go." Lu Zhong said to Ai Fang again: "The car can be left here for now, you can come back tomorrow during the day to pick it up. It seems that I should also change to a three-box sedan."

  Ai Fang smiled slightly and nodded lightly, thinking to herself: "You want to change? Change then. Who can stop you?"