From then on, he put his whole mind into running around with Vice Mayor Luo, busying back and forth.
After these days together, he had e to admire this young deputy mayor a few years younger than himself from the bottom of his heart.
In the twelfth lunar month in Qin Mountain Town, water froze the moment it dripped, and the wind on one’s face felt like knives; most of the local villagers holed up at home for the winter.
But this young deputy mayor from the city had, for more than half a month, ridden a bicycle every day to conduct field visits in every village.
He was a hot-blooded young man as well, and this was his hometown on top of that, so during this period he stayed glued to the deputy mayor’s side, doing his job as an assistant conscientiously.
Even if he got mocked and sneered at by colleagues every night when he went back, he still persevered in doing his duty.
No matter what work state others were in, he was determined not to muddle along like before; just as Mayor Luo had said, whatever the future turned out to be, as long as he worked hard and fulfilled his responsibilities, he’d have a clear conscience!
The two of them rode in silence, one in front and one behind, until they reached the entrance of the village. Li Zejun pedaled hard a few times and pulled half a bike’s length ahead of Luo Feng. "Mayor, my house is at the very back of the village. I’ll lead the way."
His breath billowed out, quickly frosting into a layer of white around his mouth. Looking at him like an old man with a white beard, Luo Feng couldn’t help but chuckle softly. "Let’s go, stop talking."
"Huh?" Li Zejun froze for a second, then reacted at once. Scratching his head with a goofy grin, he said, "I grew up here, I’m not afraid of ling (cold)."
"Your mouth’s so frozen it can’t even work and you say you’re not cold. I told you to wrap that thick scarf around yourself, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you regret it, don’t you?"
"Hehe, once we’re in the village it’s not that cold." Li Zejun said with a silly smile.
One look at him and Luo Feng knew what he was thinking, so he explained, "The scarf was something my younger sister brought because she knew it’d be cold here and prepared a few more. It really isn’t some girl’s scarf."
Li Zejun cupped his hands over his mouth to block the wind. "Mayor, in all these years I’ve only worn black, blue, or gray clothes, never any other colors, let alone a scarf."
"What era are you from, really? It’s just a green scarf; how does that make it unfit to wear outside?" Luo Feng pointed to the purplish-red scarf around his own neck as he spoke. "Look at me, I’m even wearing a red one."
"Any color looks good on you, Mayor."
Luo Feng shook his head with a laugh. "Dark ink-green and purplish-red really don’t count as bright colors. How different are they from black and gray anyway?"
"Hehe..."
Luo Feng looked at the dry, forced grin on Li Zejun’s face with a puzzled expression. "So, you’re not telling the whole truth, are you?"
"Mayor, hehe..." Cornered, Li Zejun looked utterly embarrassed. "That day when you took a call, I heard it. That scarf was a gift from your girlfriend. Mayor, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on purpose, please don’t..."
"Alright, stop explaining. I didn’t go somewhere private to make that call, so it’s normal you heard it. But that scarf really doesn’t have any special meaning. What I said before was the truth.
My younger sister knew it was cold over here, but she left in a hurry and didn’t have time, so she reminded my fiancée to buy a few thick scarves for me to bring.
Tell me, I’m a grown man—am I supposed to be changing scarves every day? Buying extra was obviously so I could give them to colleagues around me.
It’s my fault too. I had things on my mind when I left and didn’t explain it clearly to you. How about this, I still have a few in my suitcase. When we get back, pick one for yourself."
"Alright, I’ll just pick one." Smacking his lips in envy, Li Zejun said, "Mayor, you’re really blessed—your fiancée dotes on you so much, and your younger sister does too."
"That much I’ll admit." Luo Feng patted him with a smile. "If you’re jealous, then hurry up. I’m guessing your parents are anxious for you too, right?"
"Yeah, around here the boys all get married at twenty-one or twenty-two. My parents are pretty anxious. But they care a lot about face—they say since I managed to get a job out of here, they can’t go troubling matchmakers for a wife and let people laugh at me for being useless.
Actually, when I see them worry, I get worried too. With the social circle I’ve got now, it really is hard to meet someone suitable."
In town there were a dozen grassroots cadres, five of them women; three were already married, one had a boyfriend, and only one was single. Though Li Zejun had decent looks, given how he was stuck on a cold bench, you could tell from the expression on that remaining single woman’s face that she didn’t have the slightest interest in him.
So what he said was right; it really was hard to find someone suitable within his current social circle. Thinking about it, Luo Feng asked, "You never met anyone suitable when you were in school?"
"When I was in school, all I thought about was studying hard. I had no mind to look for a girlfriend. But..." Li Zejun smiled shyly. "When we were about to graduate, seeing everyone paired off, I was pretty envious too."
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