56: Chapter 56 The Rise of Niu Panlong (Part 2)

However, as Niu Panlong's position grew higher and his power greater, he had more and more evening engagements. The number of times he returned home steadily decreased, and conjugal life became scarce. Furthermore, the quality was poor; he was distracted and merely going through the motions.

She naturally suspected he had other women outside, but she didn't want to confirm it, as that would only make her sad. As long as he could steadily hold his official position, care for his family, and come home, and she could continuously receive gifts and be a respectable Mayor's wife, that was enough.

Yes, she had accepted quite a few gifts behind the Mayor's back.

A few years prior, she had sternly warned her husband to have grand political ambitions, stay away from young women, and refuse bribes.

Women, in fact, change the fastest and most dramatically.

In 1961, Niu Panlong was born in a small fishing village in Jiangpu County. Although very poor, he was lucky; due to his age, he missed the 'Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside' movement but caught the first year of the resumption of the National College Entrance Examination.

He was admitted to Haizhou Normal College (now Haizhou Normal University). Three years later, he graduated from technical secondary school, but because his family had no money or influence, and he didn't understand how to give gifts or pull strings, and also because he offended a powerful class monitor by standing up for injustice, he was assigned to be a teacher at Yannan Primary School in Sanhe Town, Jiangpu County.

That was almost the poorest and most chaotic place in Haizhou City.

Niu Panlong taught at Yannan Primary School for four years, never seeing a glimmer of hope to change his fate. Feeling very depressed, he began to drift along, eating, drinking, and gambling with some teachers, and also befriended Luo Jiefang, an unemployed youth from the village.

Just then, Huang Limin appeared.

She was from Haizhou City and came to Yannan Primary School to teach for half a year, instructing English, music, and art.

She was slender, fair-skinned, with delicate features, fresh and refined, elegant in speech, and multi-talented. Her arrival at the school caused a sensation, with several bachelor and married male teachers eager to try their luck. Of course, most merely talked big.

The girl was so noble and beautiful; they felt inferior and couldn't hope to reach her.

Niu Panlong secretly inquired and found out that Huang Limin was the daughter of Huang Zhongxiang, the Executive Deputy Director of the Haizhou City Education Bureau.

He determined that his time to change his fate had come, but he was not a rash man; instead, he was cunning. While everyone else treated Huang Limin with utmost respect, even awe, he alone treated her as an ordinary colleague, never initiative greeting her, even ignoring her.

In his eyes, she saw none of the awe that other men displayed.

This, instead, piqued her interest, and she began to initiate conversations and interactions with him.

Niu Panlong adopted the posture of a melancholic prince, treating her with great politeness and formality, then coolly departing after speaking.

This made Huang Limin feel very indignant. 'Is he serious? I'm a beautiful, high-born little princess, and he doesn't take me seriously?'

His drinking buddy, Luo Jiefang, was an old bachelor in the village, thirty years old and still unmarried.

A month later, Luo Jiefang invited Niu Panlong for a drink and revealed his plan to abduct Huang Limin and then force her into submission, which was essentially rape.

He didn't dare to do it alone, so he persuaded Niu Panlong to join him. The two would work together, inside and out, and then share her beauty.

Niu Panlong readily agreed.

That night, Luo Jiefang used a large patterned snake to frighten Huang Limin, who then let the wolf into the house. Then, Luo Jiefang tackled her to the ground, and just as he was tearing at her skirt, Niu Panlong descended from the sky, knocking Luo Jiefang to the ground with three punches and two kicks, completing the heroic feat of saving the beauty, and called the police.

A frightened Huang Limin cried and threw herself into Niu Panlong's arms. He did not take advantage of the situation but remained proper and righteous, like a true gentleman, gently comforting her.

From then on, Huang Limin regarded Niu Panlong with even greater admiration.

And what about Luo Jiefang? He angered Huang Limin's mother, Lian Xuejuan, a section-level cadre in the Haizhou City Public Security Bureau's Supervision Detachment. She secretly instructed the local Public Security Bureau to dispose of Luo Jiefang.

Secretary She Xionghan, then the Executive Deputy Director of the Jiangpu County Public Security Bureau, was a former colleague and lover of Huang Limin's mother, Lian Xuejuan. After a pleasant time, he agreed to Lian Xuejuan's illegal request.

Soon, Secretary She Xionghan pinned all three unsolved rape cases in the surrounding area on Luo Jiefang.

Luo Jiefang confessed under torture and was heavily sentenced to 17 years.

The Huang family, deeply grateful to Niu Panlong, invited him to their home as a guest.

Niu Panlong behaved politely, calmly, and steadily, yet without losing his honest demeanor. He discussed national affairs and educational policies with them, speaking eloquently and answering fluently. He was a mature, steady, idealistic, ambitious, and thoughtful young man.

He earned Huang Zhongxiang's appreciation. However, Lian Xuejuan adamantly disagreed with her daughter dating him because his family was too poor, with many poor relatives who would be a burden in the future.

She was determined to marry her daughter to the child of an official.

'Even emperors have three poor relatives! You must look at people in the long term; this young man will be extraordinary in the future!' Huang Zhongxiang supported his daughter's free love with Niu Panlong.

Half a year later, Huang Limin finished her teaching assignment and returned to Haizhou City.

Niu Panlong was determined to climb the social ladder; how could he let her leave untouched? During her teaching assignment at the primary school, Niu Panlong, through coaxing and persuasion, took her virginity in the leaky, drafty dormitory.

Thereafter, they created wild and beautiful memories in the dormitory, classrooms, mountain forests, and cornfields.

Seeing her daughter deeply in love with Niu Panlong, her mother Lian Xuejuan had no choice but to accept it.

Huang Zhongxiang then transferred him to the City Education Bureau as a civil servant, and two years later, he was promoted to Deputy Section Chief.

Then, Niu Panlong and Huang Limin got married.

Thereafter, Niu Panlong, with the help of his father-in-law and his own intelligence, was promoted all the way. By the time Huang Zhongxiang retired as Deputy Mayor, Niu Panlong was already the County Party Secretary of Jiangpu County.

He was energetic, daring, innovative, and achieved outstanding work results, deeply appreciated by his superiors.

At the same time, he had an astonishing alcohol tolerance and was very loyal, gathering many brothers who would die for him. These people later became 'The Four Heavenly Kings' and The Eight Vajras.

Crucially, he also managed to remain incorruptible in politics, earning a good reputation among both superior leaders and the masses.

Eight more years passed, and Niu Panlong was successively promoted to Deputy Mayor, Standing Committee Deputy Mayor, Executive Deputy Mayor, and then to Mayor today.

During this period, Huang Limin accompanied him through more than twenty years of ups and downs, without complaint or regret, with deep affection and loyalty. But ultimately, she could not withstand the corrosion of power and the ravages of time; she lost to the younger women.

Shen Meizhu was just Niu Panlong's current mistress; he had two others before her, with whom he basically lost contact after leaving Wanghai County.

When Shen Meizhu was 22, she gave her most precious self to Niu Panlong. At that time, he was the County Party Secretary of Jiangpu County, and she was merely the Deputy Manageress of the County Party Committee Guesthouse.

Just as Niu Panlong was determined to climb Huang Limin's social ladder, Shen Meizhu, through careful planning, subtly and gradually, over several months, enticed Niu Panlong into her bed.

Afterward, she was so shy and scared, crying and weeping, yet she wouldn't let him take responsibility.

Niu Panlong genuinely liked this clever, capable, gentle, and kind woman, so he promised to treat her well for life.