Afternoon.
Five o’clock.
After wrapping up a series of tasks at Qing'e Mountain, Dong Xuebing didn’t go ho to change clothes but returned to the county committee compound still drenched. He could have done it if he were a lower-ranking leader, especially since soone higher up was covering for him; taking a few days off wouldn’t have been an issue. But that wasn’t the case now. Dong Xuebing was the top leader of the entire Jiaolin County; he couldn’t afford to take ti off, especially with the significant incident at Qing'e Mountain, which involved the safety of nearly a hundred people. anwhile, there were many ongoing matters in Jiaolin County. The county mayor, Zhang Dongfang, was already hospitalized and receiving IV treatnt, and if Dong Xuebing were absent again, it would surely create chaos. He had to return to address other pressing issues.
Funding allocations.
Reward amounts.
Personnel arrangents.
Upon returning to his office, Dong Xuebing changed into clothes that Su Yan brought him, which he didn’t even know whose they were, and then quickly began to tackle the remaining work.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Finally, he completed everything.
Dong Xuebing let out a sigh of relief, glanced at the ti, and instructed Su Yan before grabbing his bag to prepare to leave work. After a long day, he was utterly exhausted.
In the corridor.
The county committee office director, ng Hanbing, approached him. “Secretary.”
“Director ng, still not off work?” Dong Xuebing glanced at her.
ng Hani replied, “I’m about to leave, too. I just need to finish these few docunts before I go back.”
Dong Xuebing nodded. “By the way, I need to discuss sothing with you. Please notify a few Party Committee mbers tonight; let’s have dinner together.” Although he didn’t specify who to invite, the implication was clear. ng Hani couldn’t misunderstand that he referred to the Party Committee mbers who supported Dong Xuebing today. Since they had expressed their position, Dong Xuebing had to reciprocate.
ng Hani nodded slightly. “Okay, I understand.”
Dong Xuebing pondered for a mont. “How about at my place?”
His ho was now a duplex, spacious enough to accommodate ten people.
“Sure.” ng Hani glanced at him with concern. “Are you feeling alright? You should take care of yourself; otherwise, tomorrow…”
“I’m fine; just today will do. Let’s say seven-thirty tonight.” Dong Xuebing smiled. “I just got a little wet in the rain; a hot shower will do the trick.” He wasn’t soone who liked to procrastinate. If sothing was to be done, he preferred to take care of it imdiately rather than wait until the next day. After speaking, Dong Xuebing ran his hand through his hair, which felt a bit long. “Is there a place near the compound to get a haircut? It doesn’t have to be fancy; just any place will do. My hair is getting a bit long.” He naturally wanted to maintain a respectable appearance as a county committee secretary.
ng Hani blinked and suddenly smiled. “You go ho first; I’ll find a place for you.”
“Okay, a haircut tomorrow is fine; it’s not urgent.” After saying this, Dong Xuebing headed ho.
Before six o’clock.
Dong Xuebing returned ho carrying groceries, tossed them into the fridge, and entered the bathroom for a thorough hot shower. Ah, it felt so refreshing, a complete comfort from head to toe, making Dong Xuebing unconsciously squint his eyes. This was the most enjoyable mont after a long day of hard work. Reflecting on his accomplishnts throughout the day, he felt fulfilled and thought it was all worth the effort.
After finishing his shower,
Dong Xuebing erged from the bathroom in his pajamas. He didn’t plan to change into anything else. While pajamas might seem less formal, it was precisely because of this that when the Party Committee mbers arrived later, they would feel sothing special—that Dong Xuebing didn’t regard them as outsiders, which is why he dressed so casually.
Ding-dong.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Dong Xuebing was taken aback. He had planned to go to the kitchen to wash the vegetables but didn’t expect soone to arrive so soon. As Sister ng had notified, wasn’t it supposed to be at seven-thirty? He suspiciously walked over and opened the door, revealing ng Hani standing outside. She had changed clothes; although she had worn a raincoat today, she still got wet. Now she was dressed in new clothes—won’s dress pants and a thick white sweater—indicating she had gone ho. However, the bag she held puzzled Dong Xuebing; it looked pretty heavy, but he couldn’t tell what it was.
“Director ng.”
“Secretary, I’ll co in first.”
“Of course, please do. Why did you co so early? I haven’t even washed the vegetables yet.”
“You shouldn’t have to wash the vegetables; we won can handle that. Hehe, the real reason I ca early was for sothing else. You ntioned needing a haircut, right?”
“Yes, I did. What about it?”
“I can cut your hair.”
“Ah, you know how to cut hair?”
“Did you underestimate ? Hehe, my grandfather was a hairdresser, an old craft. Later, he passed that skill on to . After I learned this, I cut my parents' hair at ho. You can try my skills if you don’t mind, but I can’t guarantee trendy styles. I can cut any hair, but I lack the taste and aesthetic sense, so even if I cut it, I wouldn’t know if it suits you. I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself; I can only cut it my way.”
Dong Xuebing laughed heartily. “Alright then, I’ll trouble you, Sister ng. I don’t need a trendy hairstyle; sothing simple and decent will do.” As a county committee secretary, why would he want a flashy haircut? That would invite criticism. In China, moderation is valued, especially within the system; being ordinary is more than enough.
ng Hani smiled and took out the tools she had been carrying. “Let’s go to the bathroom; we don’t want hair everywhere that’s hard to clean up.”
“Alright.” Dong Xuebing moved a chair into the bathroom.
ng Hani stood behind him very professionally, wrapped a cloth around him, and used a comb to tidy his hair. After looking in the mirror and nodding, she began using the electric clippers to cut Dong Xuebing’s hair. Watching her movents, it was evident that she was quite skilled; she was efficient and precise, with each cut clean and neat. When a professional takes action, you can tell imdiately; it doesn’t matter how well it’s done, but confidence and clarity in their movents can put anyone at ease.
It was clear that ng Hani's skills were up to par.
Dong Xuebing squinted his eyes, feeling very comfortable. He was nearly dozing off, his head leaning back slightly—this was a natural response to drowsiness. As he leaned back, he suddenly felt a soft sensation on the back of his head, as if his entire head had sunk into sothing soft and fragrant.
Dong Xuebing imdiately woke up. “Uh.”
He glanced at the mirror and realized he had accidentally leaned against ng Hani’s chest.
ng Hani, however, was unfazed and continued to cut his hair expertly. “Don’t move.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)