In the compound.
A lot of people started talking.
"What did she say?"
"Did I hear that wrong?"
"No, I think she said she's staying at County Chief Dong's house."
"Uh, then the deputy mayor must have misspoken."
Everyone looked baffledly at the female mayor from Fenzhou City. They simply could not understand why she would say, in front of so many people, that she was going to stay at County Chief Dong's house that night. That was far too indiscreet. Was it a slip of the tongue? But having reached her position, she surely paid close attention to every word and action on occasions like this. It seemed unlikely that she would make such a mistake. Yet Liao Yimin and the other officials from Fenzhou City showed no change in expression, as though it were perfectly natural. The people from Zhenshui County became even more confused.
Lu Zhi hesitated. "County Chief Dong's place?"
Xie Huilan said, "Yes. Is he not home tonight?"
"It's not that." Lu Zhi blinked. "But County Chief Dong's home..."
Ma Bin, the director of the county government office, quickly cut in, "I'll arrange a hotel right away. The environment over there is decent. Mayor Xie, how about you..."
A hotel?
What would she be going to a hotel for?
The people from Fenzhou City realized they had misunderstood.
An official from Fenzhou City's education system at the back immediately explained, "Mayor Xie and County Chief Dong are family." But that explanation was somewhat vague as well.
Upon hearing that, the people of Zhenshui County finally understood.
No wonder she wanted to stay at County Chief Dong's house. They were relatives.
Family? Were they immediate relatives? Was Mayor Xie County Chief Dong's older sister?
But everyone was puzzled. Why did they not share the same surname?