On the afternoon before New Year's Day, when Jiang Zhihan was waiting bitterly at the small restaurant in Wangjiang while Ni Shang was trapped in the middle of the bridge in the winter by a car accident, Ni Jianguo was lying on the bed in a one-bedroom apartment on the second floor of an old apartment building in Nan 'an District. The furniture in the room was half new, and the owner of the house should be quite poor.
Ni Jianguo sat up and took out a cigarette from the bedside table. The woman beside him sat up silently as well. She took out a lighter from somewhere and gently lit it for him. The blanket slid down. The woman's upper body was naked, revealing her fair skin and voluptuous body. Her areola was very large, and two purple grapes were still standing proudly.
Ni Jianguo took a deep breath and slowly blew out a smoke ring. He half-closed his eyes and enjoyed this moment. For the first time in Ni Jianguo's forty-six-year-old life, he felt that a woman relied on him wholeheartedly, admired him, and obeyed him. This feeling was even more wonderful than the cigarette in his hand.
The woman's name was Ru Yun. Ni Jianguo's story with her started more than half a year ago. Ni Jianguo was just an ordinary civil servant. He did not have a family background. He had to rely on his experience to become a deputy section chief for more than ten years. It was difficult for him to advance any further. He did not know how long he would have to wait.
However, before he became a mediocre civil servant, Ni Jianguo used to be a high-spirited and talented student. When Ni Jianguo graduated from Zhongzhou Normal University, he was also full of ambition and wanted to make a name for himself. Although he wasn't a college student of the right age, having a college degree was still something to be proud of in the early 1980s. The title 'Son of Heaven's Chosen One' wasn't entirely exaggerated. When Ni Jianguo was young, he had fair skin and a square face. He was the model that was respected by the aesthetic standards of that era. Of course, it was inevitable that he would be suspected of being a gigolo later on.
Ni Jianguo had been working in the organization for more than ten years. He was now middle-aged and knew how cruel the world could be. His dreams had long disappeared. He was only thinking about how to please his superiors and how to make friends with his colleagues. He would be able to get rid of the vice title of section chief in the future so that he could spend his days in the organization in peace.
Ni Jianguo's wife was called Bai Bingyan. She used to be a dancer and later worked as a clerk in the Cultural Affairs Bureau. When she was young, Bai Bingyan could be considered a beauty. She had good facial features and a slender figure. Using the fashionable words of that era to describe her, she was very "delicate". The two of them were introduced to each other on a blind date and then married. Others said that they were a match made in heaven.
Ni Jianguo had always been a serious person. He was even a little reserved. Bai Bingyan was quite cheerful and generous when she was young, but after spending a long time with Ni Jianguo and his wife, she seemed to have assimilated with him and became less talkative. Bai Bingyan was considered a very virtuous wife and mother. While working, she also had to take care of most of the household chores. Although the couple occasionally argued, they had never made a big fuss, let alone fight.
Ni Jianguo's career had not been smooth in the past few years. Although both of them worked in government agencies, their jobs were stable, their benefits were good, and their family conditions were not bad. However, Ni Jianguo began to feel a little unbalanced when he saw that many of his classmates and friends were climbing up the social ladder faster than him and earning more money than him. He even suspected that his wife was dissatisfied with him. Back then, there was a long line of people who wanted to pursue Bai Bingyan. There were quite a few who came from families that were much better off than Ni Jianguo. Last year, when Second Brother Bai Bingyan married his daughter-in-law, Ni Jianguo had asked someone to give him a 30% discount at the place where the banquet was held. However, that was not the case. Bai Bingyan's family members were discussing the matter in a strange manner. They were basically saying that Bai Bingyan had chosen a bad husband. Ni Jianguo's face darkened at that time, and he had a cold war with his wife for a week. This kind of story was just like thousands of ordinary families. It was not unusual for them to repeat it every day in the city of Zhongzhou.
Ni Jianguo attended a dinner party in May this year. As it was nearing the end of the semester, many students from the General Education Department were patrolling the middle and primary schools, so there were many meals. On this day, at Zhongzhou Normal University's affiliated middle school, which was considered one of the top five schools in Zhongzhou High School, there were a few people from the school who came out to receive them. The vice-principal came to offer a toast and left, accompanied by two directors. A school like The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China was rather arrogant. The people sent by the Education Bureau did not have any real power above the deputy director level. The principal and vice principal rarely came out to receive them personally. The night before, Bai Bingyan received a call from a relative of her family, asking Ni Jianguo to help a distant nephew transfer schools. Ni Jianguo complained about Bai Bingyan's relatives, and the two of them started arguing. In short, the argument was very unpleasant, so Ni Jianguo was very depressed.
While they were eating, there were a few leaders of Zhongzhou Normal University, a deputy secretary, and two department heads in the private room next door. Probably because their children were studying at The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, they came over for a toast. These people were all of higher rank than those present, so Ni Jianguo, the leader of the Education Bureau, became the main target of toasts. Ni Jianguo could not put on airs in front of these people. He could only drink cup after cup obediently. After drinking two more glasses and feeling depressed, she soon got drunk. Later on, a junior from Zhongzhou Normal University who was in the Higher Education Department of the Education Bureau and had met Ni Jianguo a few times also came to propose a toast. He also mentioned that he had a distant cousin whose child wanted to go to the No. 18 Middle School on the south bank, but she was stuck, so she asked Ni Jianguo for help. Ni Jianguo must have drunk too much. He said that the leader of No. 18 High School was his old classmate in front of so many people. Wasn't that just a matter of a few words? He promised.
A few days later, that junior called and mentioned this matter again. Ni Jianguo recalled how he had patted his chest and boasted in front of the Education Bureau and The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China. He felt that he had lost his composure. However, he was a person who cared about his reputation. In addition, he was indeed familiar with the principal of No. 18 High School, so he agreed to ask.
Two days later, a woman came to the office. The woman looked to be in her early thirties. Her skin was very fair and her body was plump. It was as if she could squeeze out water. She was Ru Yun. Ru Yun spoke very softly. Although she was the child's mother, she still looked shy from time to time. Ru Yun sincerely thanked Ni Jianguo for his help and left a wrapped bag behind before she left. Ni Jianguo opened it when he got home and saw that it was a Yinli necktie, a Hong Kong brand. At that time, its advertisement was being broadcasted on television. A silver litchi tie was the symbol of a successful man. Ru Yun had left a good first impression on Ni Jianguo, and it made his chauvinistic vanity inexplicably satisfied. Ni Jianguo and Bai Bingyan were in a cold war during that period of time. He always felt that Bai Bingyan despised his current career development.
Due to this reason, Ni Jianguo did not brush it off. Instead, he personally went to talk to the principal of No. 18 High School and invited two principals of the affiliated primary school to have a meal together. At that time, the primary schools in Zhongzhou were basically divided into districts. Wherever one lived, one would go to a designated primary school in the district. However, there were actually many tricks involved. For example, in the area of No. 18 High School, there was a primary school called Yingjun Primary School, which was famous for its poor quality. If one didn't have any connections, it would be quite difficult to enter the No. 18 High School Affiliated Primary School (the key primary school in the district), although it might not be as difficult as ten years later. Although Ni Jianguo was only a section chief, the general education department was directly related to the primary and secondary schools, so the headmasters still had to give him some face. In addition, Ni Jianguo was not a person who often asked for help, so the elementary school quickly gave him a spot. After a brief interview, Ruyun's child was accepted.
One morning during the summer break, Ni Jianguo was on duty at the police station. Ru Yun came over again and thanked him in person. Ni Jianguo did not take credit for it, but said that he had only treated the principals to a meal and did not do much. Ru Yun looked at Ni Jianguo and said that she should have treated him to a meal at a restaurant outside, but she thought that Ni Jianguo must have been to all the good restaurants. In order to show her sincerity, she still wanted to cook at home and invite him to the banquet to express her gratitude. Of course, Ni Jianguo said no. Ru Yun looked into his eyes and gently insisted that she had nothing else to thank him for. She just wanted to cook and entertain him. She also said that the child's father was dead and that her son was all her hope. Whether he could enter a good primary school would affect his future development. She had to thank him for this kindness. As she spoke, something sparkled in her eyes. Ni Jianguo did not know why, but he felt a little flustered and quickly agreed.
(Ni Jianguo was the first person to occupy a chapter on his own, other than the main character, because he was very important in this volume.
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