Chapter 20 Chapter Sixteen Like Fog Like Cloud And Like Wind

When he arrived in Shijiazhuang, Li Zhen's political career really kicked off.What he didn't expect was that a woman who had left him fond memories once again played an important role in his life. Shijiazhuang, due to serious pollution, the sky has been gray.Southerners jokingly call it the "Glorious (Grey) City", but the people in Zhuangli gave it a very romantic name - the fog is vast. For Li Chen, the love in Wudu, the love in Wudu, is also lingering, like fog, like cloud, like wind. On New Year's Day in 1990, the province held two sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. During the meeting, an entrepreneur association in a certain city in Hebei Province organized a social gathering in Hebei VIP Building, and invited Secretary Li Zhen and others to attend.

That night, during the feasting, singing and dancing, Li Zhen was extremely excited. He took a sip of the wine beside him, and couldn't help but think of his failure in the college entrance examination, being discriminated against, and wandering in Beijing... His experience was too rough , and now, at the age of 27, he has stepped up from the grassroots to the provincial government office. The young and promising man has not only experienced the hardships of official career, but also tasted the joy of hard work. On the edge, there is neither warmth, no arrogance, nor naivety. The soothing dance music sounded again. Li Zhen stood up and decided to dance with a lady, but those ladies turned a blind eye to him and dismissed him. This surprised him. How many women have been attracted by this energetic and courageous man? Heartbeat, his shrewdness, his wit and cunning, how many women's hearts he has won!What's more, he is now the deputy governor's secretary, and there is no lady to dance with him.Careful, he quickly discovered the reason: those ladies were scrambling to accompany those big money, because those big money spent generously, and the tips for those girls ranged from tens to hundreds of dollars.A strong sense of loss hit him, which made him irresistible. This world is a paradise for the rich, and he is just a poor secretary. The common saying of grinding drilled into his mind, and everything seemed pale and powerless amidst the colorful lights.

Li Zhen was drinking alone helplessly, when he raised his head inadvertently, he saw two figures of a man and a woman walking towards him and sitting opposite him.These two people are very familiar, isn't this Li Guoting, the director of Zhangjiakou Cigarette Factory, and Ji Lingjie!At the same time, Li Guoting and Ji Ling also recognized this talented Li Zhen who had been an intern in a cigarette factory.So, they chatted naturally, and Li Zhen briefly described the situation in the past few years to Li Guoting.Li Guoting asked Li Zhen about his plans, and Li Zhen said without hesitation: "My ideal is to be a good secretary first, and then develop to the top in the future. However, it is the first time for me to participate in such an event today, and I feel very embarrassed. All the people here are factory directors, managers, entrepreneurs, and big money. I am just a little secretary. I am very envious to see them spend money like water and spend a lot of money. My monthly salary is less than 200 yuan. How can I Come to this high-end hotel to spend money, and I don’t have money to find a lady, do you think I’m too poor?” Li Guoting comforted and said: “If you have power, you will have money. Do your best, and you will have money in the future.” After a while , Li Guoting found it strange that Li Zhen didn't dance, and Li Zhen smiled wryly: "Those ladies ask for tips, I can't afford it."

Li Guoting laughed loudly after hearing this: "That's just right, let Sister Ji Ling dance with you." Li Zhen took Ji Ling's hand and stepped onto the dance floor.He was only talking to Li Guoting just now, and only then did he look at Ji Ling carefully: Although Ji Ling has reached middle age, he still has a charm, and the clothes are made of very good heavy silk skirts. On her fair complexion, the elegant scent of perfume surrounds her. Facing Ji Ling, you can't read the vicissitudes of the years from her eyes. Under her simple appearance, there is a kind of mature female beauty. This kind of beauty is firm but without edges and corners, confident but not ostentatious. It will fade with the passage of time, on the contrary, after the baptism of time, she exudes a mellow fragrance with a rich charm, which is the ultimate charm of a woman - a gentle smell like velvet.Just like a young and beautiful woman would not be jealous of Ji Ling's appearance, men see her more as a symbol of life quality and a synonym for gentleness. Although beautiful appearance is not available to everyone, gentleness is a woman. Just like Ji Ling, whether you are a young man or a middle-aged woman, as long as you are proactive, gentleness will accompany a woman's life.Li Zhen appreciates Ji Ling because she is attracted by her tenderness: the mature woman in a man's heart is a woman who is gentle from the inside out.For a woman, what should be maintained for a lifetime is not appearance, but the gentleness that every woman should achieve!

Beautiful women always make people's hearts flutter. Li Zhen and Ji Ling immerse themselves in the elegant dance with the music, as if they have returned to the past. The days we used to be together are like a dream before dawn. Forgotten in the back of the mind, today's dance makes the previous scenes reappear in front of the eyes. Li Zhen held Ji Ling's waist and whispered in her ear: "Sister Ji Ling, you are still so beautiful, so charming, and young. Now you are noble and holy, just like a flower under the moonlight." Ji Ling smiled bitterly: "Li Zhen, you forgot about me, you forgot a person who dedicated her youth to you, she has been thinking about you, waiting for you, when will you be able to return to her side What? She's forty now, she's fat. She thinks you've got gray hair, and she's divorced now, living a single life."

Li Zhen said: "That's good, it's easier to be single." Ji Ling said: "What's so relaxing? What's the point of living alone. Please leave a contact number." Ji Ling returned to her seat, took out a business card from the exquisite small satchel she carried with her, and handed it to Li Zhen, who carefully put it in her coat pocket. Impressively printed on that business card: Zhangjiakou Cigarette Factory Party Committee Deputy Secretary and Chief Accountant - Ji Ling. It should be said that this woman Ji Ling is indeed not simple.After her husband died of cancer, she wanted to resume her lover relationship with Li Zhen, but Li Zhen got married, so she had to be Li Guoting's lover wholeheartedly.Before her husband died, she had been appreciated by Li Guoting for her beauty and shrewdness. After her husband died, their relationship became more open.Li Guoting promoted her from an ordinary worker to the financial department, and then sent her to Langfang Light Industry Management College. Their common desires and interests made them tightly combined politically, economically and emotionally.

The web of love is weaved by two people and drilled together.But love is not the focus of men's lives, they only think of their lovers when they are lonely, and, a man can be close to one woman, but this does not affect him being close to another woman at the same time, especially like Li Guoting in the "smoke" King".But Ji Ling has a desire to dominate him. She monitors, resents, suspects, and jealous of Li Guoting. Li Guoting doesn't take it to heart. What he worries about is her career ambitions.Since Ji Ling became the deputy director of the factory, her power has grown and her desires have grown deeper and deeper. Relying on her intelligence, quick-wittedness, and decisiveness in handling things, she has stepped into the abyss of crime and cannot extricate herself. He made a lot of tricks, behind Li Guoting's plan to produce and sell cigarettes, with an income of 460 million yuan.

Yes, Ji Ling became the deputy director of the factory, lived a luxurious life, and became Li Guoting's lover at the same time, but deep down in her heart, the one she really loved was the man she had been with for a short time. Li Zhen, who is 12 years younger than her.A woman can only have one favorite in her life. Ji Ling deeply realized this in countless sleepless nights. In some nights, she would even cry when she missed him, but she couldn't get in touch with him, so she could only listen to him. That sad song called his name: Where are you now——Li Zhen, Li Zhen, I miss you every day, and every sleepless night is because I think of you in the past... Although, she belongs to Li Guoting The lover satisfies her material vanity and physical needs, but they only torture each other physically, and her soul is still lonely...

Destiny always loves to joke with people. When the days passed quietly like a kitten walking lightly along the ridge of the roof, Ji Ling never thought that she would meet that person again at an entrepreneur association. A thousand times she had called upon the figure that appeared in her dreams. In the evening two days later, Ji Ling received a call that made her long for it. "Hi, hello, is this Miss Ji Ling? I'm Li Zhen." "Well, it's me, why, what's the matter?" Ji Ling's slightly trembling voice showed unconcealable excitement. "Do you have time tonight, shall we go for a walk?" "Well, okay."

"Then I'll wait for you at the door of your hotel in half an hour." Half an hour later, Li Zhen came to the hotel where Ji Ling lived, and after a while, Ji Ling walked out.The beige blouse and plain skirt show the elegance of a woman of this age to the fullest. They walked side by side on the road, night has fallen, the city continues the day in its unique way, lights are flashing along the way, colorful neon lights tell unknown stories, behind the prosperity and glory reveals loneliness and helplessness. "How have you been these years?" Li Zhen was the first to break the silence, even though he didn't know where to start.

"It's pretty good. The factory is developing day by day, and the benefits are good..." Ji Ling said lightly. "No, Sister Ji Ling, I don't mean this." Li Zhen interrupted Ji Ling, preventing her from taking the topic further. In an instant, the four eyes met, and Ji Ling quickly fled away. A certain frozen corner of his heart began to melt, and his sharp eyes were full of tenderness at the moment, with a hint of helplessness. "I don't like the current life, but I don't hate it. Not everyone can have the life they really want. Everyone around them is busy. The years are like ruthless maggots, draining my youthful blood Sucked up." Li Zhen turned around suddenly and hugged Ji Ling.Ji Ling struggled slightly, then fell into his arms acquiescingly, sobbing softly.Li Zhen held her face in his hands, and pressed his lips to Ji Ling's with a guilty heart. This time, Ji Ling didn't struggle, but responded tacitly. She broke free suddenly.This kiss made her look sad, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes became more obvious. "Sister Ji Ling, what's the matter with you, don't you like being with me?" Li Zhen was a little surprised. "I like it, I really hope to be with you forever." Ji Ling's depression and sadness, all the indescribable pain, gathered together. "However," she paused, "It's not easy for me to be a single woman these years. I have to grit my teeth and endure everything. It's a hard struggle to survive. Your uncle Li Guoting has been very kind to me and has given me a lot. Help and care, me and him..." At this point, Ji Ling couldn't continue, and became more and more sad. When Li Guoting was mentioned, she thought of him messing with many women at the same time outside, not only showing The pain on her face was full of anger, and a kind of resentment and resistance of being insulted and deceived also crossed her mind. She pressed her hands on her chest, barely supporting the heavy shock in her chest. "Sometimes it feels like a dream, I can't believe this is happening to me." Li Zhen already knew the fact that Ji Ling was Li Guoting's lover.He took out a cigarette, lit it, took a few deep breaths, bent down and extinguished the cigarette butt, pursed his lips, hugged Ji Ling into his arms again, stroked her hair, stared into her eyes, and raised his face , Said: "Sister Ji, I can't blame you, and don't be so sad. When you cry, you tear my heart to pieces. People are not grass, and no one can be ruthless. How can I be so sincere to me? I don't know, I'm sorry for you." He kissed her tenderly, touching the hot tears on her cheek. Ji Ling tried her best to calm herself down and face the reality. She saw that Li Zhen's expression was neither happy nor depressed. She understood: Our relationship has hit the rocks. They continued to walk, Li Zhen gently embraced Ji Ling, but neither of them spoke.Looking up inadvertently, Li Zhen found that they had arrived at a small restaurant. "Sister Ji Ling, let's go eat something." "Okay." Still immersed in sadness, Ji Ling replied blankly. Li Zhen ordered some of Ji Ling's favorite dishes, and ordered a few more bottles of wine, Ji Ling smiled wryly: "I didn't expect that after all these years, you can still remember what I like to eat, you are really careful. " Li Zhen poured the wine for Ji Ling and filled it up for himself again, full of guilt towards Ji Ling, and said with infinite emotion: "Sister Ji, I would like to toast you, for your bitterness over the years and our meeting again, We did it!" After saying that, he drank it down.Seeing this, Ji Ling didn't say anything, and swallowed the whole wine in one gulp. Li Chen filled up the wine again, held the wine glass in his hand, and looked at the brightly lit night scene outside the window and the people walking leisurely. The peaceful and gentle beauty of the world made him feel independent, and he pretended Tsukuru lowered his head again with a dazzling look, and put the wine in his hand into his mouth again. The two didn't talk much anymore, only occasionally they looked at each other wordlessly, and sometimes, when the language seemed pale and weak, it was better to simply carry on the silence to the end.Because this silence often preserves the tacit understanding in the hearts of the two, but it is difficult for each other to speak, or there is no need to speak. Ji Ling held his chin with his hands all the time, and his gaze fell on Li Zhen's face from time to time, as if there were many stories written on his face.Li Chen kept drinking. At this moment, he seemed like a down and out poet. It seemed that the world had nothing to do with him. He just drank wine on his own to anesthetize his nerves.Ji Ling couldn't help feeling anxious, Li Zhen picked up the wine glass and brought it to her mouth, she grabbed Li Zhen's hand distressedly: "Really, don't do this!" Hearing this familiar yet unfamiliar voice, Li Zhen raised his head reflexively. Perhaps it was the anesthesia effect of alcohol. He stared at the woman sitting opposite him in amazement. She looked like a woman in the moonlight. A red lotus, elegant and charming.He was simply fascinated, like a silently burning statue. "Sister Ji, I..." Before he finished speaking, Li Zhen vomited on the ground overwhelmed with alcohol. "Really, Li Zhen! Are you okay?" Ji Ling quickly stood up, patted Li Zhen's back lightly, and kept handing him tissues. "Waiter, waiter! Come here quickly and help me!" The waiter rushed over and cleaned up the dirt he vomited. Seeing that Li Zhen was so drunk, Ji Ling planned to send him back, but he didn't know where Li Zhen lived. Where, I had to take a taxi to take him to the hotel where I lived. In the car, Li Zhen smelled of alcohol, leaning his head on Ji Ling's shoulder, muttering to himself from time to time, Ji Ling felt very uncomfortable, she understood why Li Zhen was so drunk, she knew Li Zhen, he He is the kind of person who is very loyal. He understands everything he has paid for him. He has an inescapable responsibility for his hardships, misfortunes, loneliness and helplessness.I have invested too much emotion in him, but he has cut off the correspondence with me so cruelly. This is undoubtedly a great harm to a woman who is caught in the river of emotion, and Li Zhen can't do it. What else to do, I have to use alcohol to torture myself, which can be regarded as a helpless apology and expression to Ji Ling. After a while, the car arrived at the hotel where Ji Ling lived. Ji Ling ordered the waiter to help him to his room, and asked them to find a set of clean and suitable clothes to replace Li Zhen's filthy clothes. A hot towel wiped Li Zhen's face and covered him with a quilt. This night, the moon was so bright, and the stars blinked their tired eyelids, but at this moment, Ji Ling was sitting on the sofa, not feeling sleepy.She came to the bedside and stared blankly at Li Zhen. The man who had made her obsessed, burned, trembled, and returned to her youth was not at the end of the world at the moment, but close at hand. She could really feel his existence, his presence. The breath made her feel extremely warm, and the scenes of the past jumped to her eyes again. That time she and Li Zhen collaborated to perform Spanish dance. Li Zhen followed the enthusiastic music and her romantic and lively dance steps, which complemented each other so well. Even the smile made her heart move, which her husband could not give.Li Zhen aroused her yearning and longing for love.The suspicion of her husband even yelled at Li Zhen in public, and the pointing and criticism of people around her in person or behind her gave her great pressure. She did not want to be a woman who betrayed her husband, which plunged her into deep conflict and pain. At the same time, the love for Li Zhen is as hot as a burning fire.After separating from Li Zhen, the silent longing for him gave her a stronger and deeper torment. It was easy for the two to separate, but the relationship was constantly being cut and the reasoning was still chaotic.The deeper her love for Li Zhen, the deeper her sense of grief.Her time has passed, and her beauty is old. Although she still has some good looks, she is not good enough for this handsome, smart, witty, and promising Li Zhen. Ji Lingming was about to leave for Zhangjiakou early, and she decided to leave a letter for Li Chen. She found paper and a pen, but before she could start writing, the infinite emotion in her chest suddenly surged up, making her hand that held the pen tremble. After writing this, she couldn't help coming to the bed again, staring at the familiar face, she hesitated for a while, but finally leaned down and kissed Li Zhen's forehead lightly, "Oh," she sighed. She took a deep breath, "I'm leaving tomorrow." She said to herself. Ji Ling put down her pen, but couldn't calm down for a long time. She put the paper on Li Zhen's bedside, and said softly: "Really, I don't know when we will meet again." She packed her luggage quickly and lightly. , closed the door, and told the waiter to take good care of Li Zhen.Although there was only a hint of paleness in the sky and most people were still sleeping soundly, Ji Ling took the ticket that the waiter bought for her and boarded the train bound for Zhangjiakou. The rumbling of the train crushed Ji Ling's memories into pieces, and they drifted away with the wind. Li Zhen woke up when the sun was high and felt a severe headache. He suddenly looked around, not knowing where he was, and tried to recall what happened yesterday. He vaguely remembered drinking with Ji Ling, and after drinking too much, he couldn’t remember clearly after that. up.He sat up and found a letter lying quietly beside his pillow, and a line of familiar characters came into view: From Li Zhen personally.He opened the letter, read it as fast as he could, and made sure he was awake. An indescribable feeling came to his heart. Li Zhen knew: at this moment, Ji Ling had already boarded the train and left him... Ji Ling just left without hesitation, even though she said she still loved Li Zhen deeply, even though she said she would come back.Who will accompany him through the rest of his life?The relationship between him and his wife Xiao Yang is not very good.He suddenly felt that he and Xiao Yang got married too hastily. Is she really his favorite?What's more, Li Zhen feels that in today's society, officials will raise a "canary" outside, and even some governors and secretaries of the provincial party committee have a little lover behind their backs. ?Of course I am no exception. A month later, Ji Ling went to the south for a meeting and stayed in the provincial capital for a short time. She quietly came to Li Zhen's dormitory, put down 5,000 yuan and said, "Really, you have a lot of contacts and spend a lot of money. I will give it to you." Five thousand yuan, please accept it." Li Zhen was shocked when he saw the money: five thousand yuan is equivalent to his salary of two and a half years!Li Zhen didn't dare to ask for it, so Ji Ling put down the money and quickly found an excuse to slip away.Li Zhen spent the night anxiously, and the next day, he took 5,000 yuan to ask the leader he worked for, and the leader told him to return the money to others, because it is not easy for enterprises to make money.Afterwards, Li Zhen returned the money to Ji Ling through others.Not long after, Ji Ling saw Li Zhen again in the provincial capital, and she almost shed tears and said, "Li Zhen, you look down on people, you look down on the people from Zhangjiakou's hometown, and you even look down on the people who love you deeply." After finishing speaking, he left without looking back...