What Little Dong Was Really Like

The next morning.

It was Saturday, a day off.

Dong Xuebin slept in, not crawling out of bed until the sun was already high. When he stepped into the living room, Hui Lan was holding a cup of hot tea and reading the newspaper.

"You're awake?" Xie Huilan shook out the newspaper without looking up.

"It's already ten? Why didn't you wake me?" Dong Xuebin asked with a yawn.

"You weren't working anyway. You've been run ragged these past few days, so get some proper rest."

"Whew, that was a comfortable sleep." Dong Xuebin went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up.

Xie Huilan suddenly called in from outside, "Oh, right. Dress properly later and come with me to Mayor Zhong's home. Mayor Zhong and his wife invited us over for dinner. We didn't visit them to offer New Year's greetings during the holiday, so we should bring some gifts this time. I only made it onto the Standing Committee thanks to Mayor Zhong's full support. Otherwise, considering how you offended the Municipal Party Secretary, my nomination wouldn't even have been submitted from the city."

"Mayor Zhong helped? Is he trying to win you over?"

"Just be smart later and don't talk nonsense."

"I get it. If you ask me, it was because we spent three million buying his calligraphy that Old Zhong changed his attitude. So really, it was my contribution."

"Old Zhong? You've really got some nerve calling him that."

"Heh, there's no one else around."

There was no such thing as money spent in vain. Dong Xuebin had always understood that clearly. Although Uncle Yang and Mayor Zhong had eaten together alone before and seemed to have a decent relationship, Hui Lan had taken office long ago, and Zhong Zhengwei had most likely known