246: Chapter 246 Complaining Again

When County Mayor Bai Weijun arrived home, it was already dark.

The living room lights were on, the sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen, and the roar of the range hood drowned out the sound of him closing the door.

He changed his shoes, threw his briefcase on the sofa, leaned back against the sofa cushions, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh.

The scenes from the Standing Committee meeting during the day were still spinning in his mind: Secretary Wei Kuan's composed face as he sat in the main seat, and the impatience with which Vice County Magistrate Mi Baizuo had clearly expressed his support for Secretary Wei Kuan during the meeting.

The certainty with which Minister of Organization Huang Xuan and Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Zhou Zhenglians had spoken up one after another for Xu Weidong, and the indifference Deputy Secretary Qian Taifeng displayed when he abstained, as if it had nothing to do with him.

He was the County Mayor, the head of the County Government, and the fatherly official for all the people in the county.

Yet, at the Standing Committee meeting, he couldn't even organize a decent counterattack.

It wasn't that he didn't want to; it was that he couldn't.

He had too few people on his side, so few that he felt it was superfluous even to speak.

His wife's voice drifted from the kitchen, carrying a kind of laziness that made one's heart itch.

"You're back? Dinner will be ready soon. Go rest for a moment."

She was wearing a wine-red spaghetti-strap miniskirt, the hem of which barely covered the tops of her thighs. Two thin straps hung from her rounded shoulders, revealing a large expanse of snow-white back and delicate butterfly bones.

Her long hair was casually tied behind her head, with a few stray strands hanging by her ears, swaying gently with her movements.

County Mayor Bai Weijun watched her back as she bent over to chop vegetables, the wine-red skirt hem swaying gently with her movements, revealing glimpses of the fairness of her inner thighs.

His Adam's apple bobbed; he stood up, strode into the kitchen, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

She was startled, and the kitchen knife in her hand almost dropped.

"Oh my, what are you doing? You scared me to death!"

County Mayor Bai Weijun didn't speak; he buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath.

She smelled of the fresh scent of body wash, with a faint trace of perfume.

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy today?"

She tried to turn around, but County Mayor Bai Weijun didn't let go. He pressed her against the edge of the stove, his hands sliding down her waistline and resting on her thighs.

Through the thin pantyhose, he could feel the warmth and softness of her skin.

She was wearing a pair of flesh-colored pantyhose, very thin—so thin they were almost invisible—but they felt smooth and slippery to the touch, like fine silk.

His hand slid from her thigh to the edge of the skirt, his fingers hooking onto the edge of the pantyhose and pulling them down gently.

"Weijun, stop messing around, I'm cooking."

Her voice softened, carrying a tremor of feigned resistance.

He ignored her, pushed her skirt up, and pulled the pantyhose down to her knees...

Her body went limp, her hands braced against the stove, biting her lip.

The fire on the stove hadn't been turned off, the vegetables in the pan were sizzling, and the range hood was humming, covering all other sounds in the kitchen.

Watching his wife biting her lip and trying to hold back, the fire in his heart burned brighter.

He turned her around to face him.

Her eyes were moist, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and her face was flushed with a rosy hue.

He lowered his head and kissed her lips, tasting the faint sweetness in her mouth.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, responding to his kiss.

The fire on the stove was still burning, and the vegetables in the pan were burnt.

From the kitchen to the dining room, from the dining room to the living room, from the living room to the balcony, and from the balcony to the bathroom.

The tablecloth on the dining table was crumpled into a ball, the cushions on the sofa were scattered all over the floor, half of the balcony curtain had been torn down, and the shower in the bathroom was still running, water flooding the floor.

Finally, the flames of war between the two settled on the large bed in the bedroom...

The bed sheets were crumpled into a ball, and the quilt had been kicked under the bed.

She lay in his arms, her fingers tracing circles on his chest, her body still holding the warmth from just moments ago.

Her figure was already excellent, and after giving birth, her breasts were even fuller than before, yet her waist remained slender.

She lay on her side, one hand propping up her head, the other tracing circles on his chest. Her long hair was scattered on the pillow, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes swirling with emotion, like a flower that had just bloomed.

"What's wrong today? Like a hungry wolf."

Her voice was as soft and sticky as freshly steamed rice cake, carrying the unique hoarseness that follows intimacy.

County Mayor Bai Weijun didn't speak; he hugged her even tighter.

Resting his chin on top of her head, he stared at the ceiling, silent for a long time.

"I'm feeling frustrated."

She looked up at him; there was a layer of light stubble on his chin that pricked her forehead, hurting a little.

She didn't pull away, instead raising her hand to touch his face.

"Is it about work?"

County Mayor Bai Weijun nodded, his fingers gently rubbing her shoulder.

"At the Standing Committee meeting today, Secretary Wei Kuan proposed making Li Dakui from Pingyuan Township the Deputy Director of the Development and Reform Commission. Xu Weidong recommended Xie Lei from the Archives Bureau, and the Organization Department, the Discipline Inspection Commission, and the Political and Legal Affairs Commission all supported him."

"I didn't even have a chance to speak before he already had plenty of votes."

"I'm such a pathetic County Mayor."

She listened without speaking. She didn't understand officialdom, but she understood County Mayor Bai Weijun and knew he wasn't someone who complained easily.

If County Mayor Bai Weijun could say it out loud, it meant he was truly suffering.

"Isn't County Magistrate Xu on good terms with you? He isn't trying to suppress you on purpose, is he?"

County Mayor Bai Weijun shook his head and said, "It's not his problem; it's the problem of those Standing Committee members. They see that Xu Weidong has a strong background, so they lean toward him."

"I've been the County Mayor in Changyuan County for quite a while now, yet I don't even have a single staunch supporter. How much of a failure would you say I am as a County Mayor?"

She was silent for a moment, then lowered her head and kissed his chest.

"You aren't a failure, don't say that. The projects you ran have been praised by the province and the city. The things you've done are all seen by the common people."

"It's not that you aren't excellent; it's that those people are blind."

County Mayor Bai Weijun smiled, then sat up, picked up the cigarette pack from the nightstand, pulled one out, lit it, took a drag, and exhaled slowly.

"You don't understand officialdom. Those people aren't blind; they are too shrewd. They know who is worth investing in and who isn't."

"In their eyes, I am the one who isn't worth investing in right now."

"As for Xu Weidong, he has a strong background, broad connections, and a limitless future; he is worth their bet."

She leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder, her fingers tracing circles on his thigh.

"Then you invest too. Invest in yourself."

"What are you lacking compared to him? Our dad is also a Provincial Party Committee secretary; our family is no worse than theirs."

County Mayor Bai Weijun didn't respond. His dad was a Provincial Party Committee secretary, but so what?

He took a drag of his cigarette, stubbed it out in the ashtray on the nightstand, picked up his phone, scrolled to Secretary Bai's number, and dialed.

The phone rang twice before being answered. The voice on the other end carried a father's characteristic steadiness, mixed with a hint of exhaustion.

"It's so late, not asleep yet?"

County Mayor Bai Weijun leaned against the headboard, his wife leaning on his shoulder.

"Dad, not yet. I couldn't sleep and wanted to talk to you."

Secretary Bai was silent for two seconds, then said, "Go ahead."

County Mayor Bai Weijun took a deep breath and recounted the events of the Standing Committee meeting during the day.

He didn't embellish or exaggerate; his tone was as calm as if he were giving a normal work report.

Secretary Bai listened without interrupting him.

"Dad, I don't have any issue with Xu Weidong. We've always had a good relationship, and we've cooperated well at work."

"But today's incident makes me feel like I'm a failure as a County Mayor. At the Standing Committee meeting, I didn't even have a single staunch supporter."

"And those people leaning toward Xu Weidong isn't because he does better work than me, but simply because his background is stronger than mine."

"I just don't understand. I've been working in Changyuan County for quite some time now—running projects, fighting for funds, grasping industries, promoting development—what haven't I given my all for? Why can't those people see it?"

Secretary Bai was silent for a long time; there was only the sound of faint breathing on the other end of the line.

County Mayor Bai Weijun thought he had hung up and checked the screen; it was still on the call.

Secretary Bai was just thinking of some unpleasant things, which was why the silence lasted a bit longer.

"Weijun, are you telling me this because you want me to help you? Or do you want me to comfort you?"

County Mayor Bai Weijun was stunned for a moment, then said, "Dad, that's not what I meant. I'm just feeling frustrated and wanted to talk to you about it."

Secretary Bai sighed. The sigh was very light, so light it was almost soundless, but County Mayor Bai Weijun heard it.

He didn't know why his father sighed, but he knew his father must have remembered something he didn't want to recall.

"Weijun, let me tell you something. When I was the mayor, the Municipal Party Committee secretary was Xu Tianhua. He was on the front lines charging into battle, and I was responsible for the implementation in the back."

"He spearheaded everything, and I cooperated. He made the final decisions on major issues, and I executed them."

"The praise from the province was his, the credit from the city was his, and the media's lens was on him."

"And me? I was nothing."

County Mayor Bai Weijun's fingers gripping the phone tightened slightly; he had never heard his father talk about this.

He had always thought his father's career had been smooth sailing, rising through the ranks easily.

He had no idea his father had days of being suppressed, and even less that Secretary Bai had had years of playing a supporting role.

But once he thought that person was Xu Tianhua, for some reason, he felt a sense of relief in his heart.

After all... that was Xu Tianhua...

Being a background prop for Xu Tianhua... was an opportunity that many people would break their heads begging for!

Secretary Bai's voice remained calm, but County Mayor Bai Weijun could hear what was hidden beneath that calmness.

"Weijun, have you ever thought about why Xu Tianhua had to suppress me? It wasn't because he wanted to suppress me, but because he sat in that position, and he had to suppress me."

"He was the secretary, and I was the mayor. The secretary is the head, and the mayor is the deputy head."

"If the secretary can't suppress the mayor, who makes the calls at the Standing Committee meeting? The mayor? Then what is the secretary for?"

"So you don't need to feel aggrieved, and you don't need to feel frustrated. Your current situation wasn't given to you by me, nor by Xu Weidong; it was given by that position."

County Mayor Bai Weijun fell silent. His father's words spun in his mind over and over again. He felt his situation was very different from his dad's...

Secretary Xu suppressing his dad was because Secretary Xu had a higher rank...

What did it matter that Xu Weidong was suppressing him?

Was it because Xu Weidong had a higher rank?

No... Xu Weidong did have a higher rank...

"Dad, I know you're right. But I still feel uncomfortable."

"I am the County Mayor, and he is the Executive Vice County Magistrate. Why does he have more influence than me? Those people leaning toward him, isn't it just because his dad is Xu Tianhua?"

Secretary Bai laughed on the other end of the line and said, "Weijun, you're still hung up on this. Let me ask you, if there were no Xu Tianhua, could Xu Weidong have achieved those results in Changyuan County?"

"No."

"But are those results fake?"

"The Crackdown on Organized Crime was his work, the investment attraction was his running around, the work safety was his grasping, those projects were solidly implemented, and the common people's income has genuinely increased."

"Regardless of who he relies on, he did the work, and the results are his. If you have the ability, you do it too. If you achieve results, those people will lean toward you too."

"Don't always stare at what's behind others; look more at the road in front of you. If you walk well, you don't need to rely on anyone, and people will follow you."

"If you don't walk well, relying on anyone is useless."

Secretary Bai felt a small sense of accomplishment at this moment; the mayor who was once scolded by Xu Tianhua had now become a figure who could preach profound truths.

County Mayor Bai Weijun took a deep breath and let it out long.

"Dad, am I being too petty?"

Secretary Bai didn't answer directly: "You aren't being petty; you're unwilling to accept it. But Weijun, you must learn to be magnanimous. Magnanimity isn't something you pretend to have; it's when you truly figure things out."

"Xu Weidong is not your opponent; he is your comrade-in-arms. You are in the same team; if he does well, you also look good."

"If you do well, he will also be happy for you. Don't waste your energy on these meaningless comparisons; think more about how to do your job well."

"You are in Changyuan County, and he is in Changyuan County; you are people on the same boat."

"If the boat capsizes, no one can escape."

"If the boat is steady, everyone has a share."

County Mayor Bai Weijun nodded and said, "Dad, I understand."

"If you understand, go to sleep early; you have to go to work tomorrow."

"Mm. Dad, you sleep early too."

The call ended. County Mayor Bai Weijun put his phone on the nightstand, leaned against the headboard, and stared at the ceiling.

His wife had been leaning on his shoulder the whole time, not speaking, her fingers tracing circles on his chest.

"Your dad is right, you are just too petty."

County Mayor Bai Weijun lowered his head to look at her, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"You think I'm petty too?"

"Of course you're petty; when you get frustrated, you only know how to bully me..."

She mimicked Secretary Bai's tone, laughed first after finishing, and then reached out to touch his face.

"Don't think so much, go to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day."

County Mayor Bai Weijun looked at her bright, sparkling eyes, her face flushed from intimacy, and the gentle smile at the corners of her mouth, and suddenly felt that the blockage in his heart had dissipated a little.

He turned off the lights and pulled his wife into his arms.

The moonlight from outside the window shone through the gap in the curtains, falling onto the floor like a thin silver thread.

He closed his eyes, listened to her even breathing, and slowly drifted into dreamland.

On the other side, Secretary Bai let out a long sigh.

"Is our Bai Family destined to be suppressed by the Xu Family?"

"Perhaps this is the fate of our Bai Family."

The father couldn't escape it, and unexpectedly, the son hadn't managed to avoid it either...

A whole lot of nonsense was spoken above, but in reality, it didn't change the fact that the father and son were being suppressed by Xu Tianhua and his son.

It could only be considered some self-consolation...

What else could they do?

He couldn't stand up to them back then, and now that they had all joined their camp, did he still want to fight against the flourishing Xu Tianhua?

It wasn't like his brain was filled with dirty water...