The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Chen Shi and Jiang Yiqiu went to see a midnight movie, but they didn't watch a horror movie. It wasn't that they didn't want to watch one; it was just that horror movies weren't showing yet.

The two watched a romantic movie, and Chen Shi fell asleep during it.

Jiang Yiqiu gently nudged Chen Shi, who sat up straight. Jiang Yiqiu said, "The movie's over, let's go."

Chen Shi and Jiang Yiqiu left the movie theater. The mall was deserted. Chen Shi checked the time; it was one o'clock in the morning.

Back at the No. 1 Middle School teachers' apartment, Chen Shi was no longer sleepy and was full of energy, keeping Jiang Yiqiu occupied all night.

The next day was the weekend, and Chen Shi didn't get up until noon. He had exhausted himself the night before and was listless and weak.

After getting dressed, I came out and saw Jiang Yiqiu cooking in the kitchen.

Chen Shi walked over, and Jiang Yiqiu said, "Wait a moment, there's one more dish."

Chen Shi sat in the living room, lit a cigarette, and took a puff.

A moment later, Jiang Yiqiu brought out the dishes: four dishes and a soup. "Come and eat."

Chen Shi sat down, but he had no appetite, felt no hunger, and had no energy or spirit.

In matters between men and women, it is often said that women suffer losses, but in reality, it is men who expend their energy and spirit. There are only oxen that die from exhaustion, not land that is over-plowed.

Chen Shi drank a bowl of soup, and only then did he regain his appetite, eventually eating two bowls of rice.

Jiang Yiqiu asked, "Next week is National Day, what are your plans?"

Chen Shi put down his chopsticks: "You make the arrangements. Find a place to relax in nature for a few days. We won't go back for National Day. Going back would actually prevent us from getting a proper rest, as too many people come to visit."

Jiang Yiqiu thought for a moment and said, "How about we go to Dali?"

"Can"

Chen Shi's phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was his older sister, Chen Ai, calling.

"sister"

"Xiao Shi, are you coming back for National Day?"

"I'm not coming back, I'm too busy with work."

"The house is built and the renovation is finished. We're moving in in October, so you'll need to come back."

Chen Shi asked, "Are you planning to hold a banquet?"

"I want to hold a banquet to celebrate."

"Don't hold a banquet. Just invite your relatives and have a meal together. There are regulations now that civil servants can't hold extravagant banquets. I'm a leader now, so I can't hold one. If I do, everyone will come to the banquet, and I can't control the number of people. If someone with ulterior motives reports me, I'll be punished."

Chen Ai originally planned to hold a banquet, hoping to receive a lot of gifts by leveraging her brother's connections. She built the house herself and arranged the banquet herself; Chen Shi wouldn't concern himself with such trivial matters.

The coal market is bad this year, and coal mines haven't made much money. Holding a banquet can at least recoup some of that.

Hearing her brother say that hosting a banquet would result in punishment, Chen Ai gave up the idea. She knew very well that as long as her brother became a leader, there would be many opportunities to make money.

"Xiao Shi, we'll do as you say. We won't do it. We'll just invite our relatives over for a meal. You absolutely have to come back."

"We'll see then. I'll come back when I have time."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shi knew very well that he couldn't go back. If he did, the relevant leaders and teachers from Fushan Town Central School would come, and there would be no difference between not holding a banquet and holding one.

Jiang Yiqiu looked at Chen Shi: "Is there anything wrong at home?"

"It's nothing serious. My sister bought a coal mine last year, made some money, and used it to build a house for my parents. It's finished now, and they're moving next month. She asked me to go back home."

I can't go back. If I go back, the people below will find out and come, and then it will be difficult to handle.

"When we move, my parents will come over for a visit." Jiang Yiqiu took out his phone and called Zhang Qingrong to tell his mother that he wouldn't be coming back for National Day, but would come over for a visit next month when Chen Shi's parents moved.

Chen Shi spent the weekend at Jiang Yiqiu's place. It felt like the year had passed quickly, and before he knew it, it was National Day. With the National Day holiday over, the year was also coming to an end.

The weekend is over, and I'm back to work at the Education Bureau. This week I only work three days, followed by a seven-day holiday.

After get off work on Wednesday, Chen Shi went to the No. 1 Middle School teachers' apartment. Jiang Yiqiu had moved into a larger house but hadn't moved in yet, so he took Chen Shi to see the new place.

The house is spacious and bright, with three bedrooms and one living room, covering 130 square meters, and also has a large balcony where you can grow flowers and plants.

Jiang Yiqiu said, "Isn't it a waste for me to live in such a big house all by myself?"

She looked at Chen Shi and said, "Why don't you move here? We can be together more often."

"Never mind, it's not far. I can come anytime I want."

"I plan to move here after the National Day holiday."

Chen Shi hummed in agreement. Jiang Yiqiu looked out the window. She was 27 this year, and her mother often called to urge her to get married, asking when she was going to get married. She knew that Chen Shi didn't want to get married yet. Before, she really wanted to get married, but after becoming the executive vice principal, she didn't want to get married as much anymore.

Marriage would restrict me; having children would mean no more opportunities for promotion.

She planned to get married and have children after becoming the principal. She didn't tell anyone about this idea.

Jiang Yiqiu buried his head in Chen Shi's arms, and the two stood quietly without saying a word.

The next morning, Chen Shi drove Jiang Yiqiu's car for a road trip.

We encountered a traffic jam as soon as we left Minnesota, and it lasted for more than an hour.

Jiang Yiqiu said, "It's best not to drive during holidays, as traffic jams are very likely. If you take a plane, you might already be in Dali."

"I'm driving, I don't know when we'll arrive."

"Without traffic jams, it's fast. Driving has its advantages. When going on a road trip, you should think about the benefits and not the drawbacks, because you can't change the facts."

Jiang Yiqiu doesn't want to drive on a road trip. Driving during holidays is prone to traffic jams and is very tiring.

When you travel, you just want to relax. If you make yourself this tired, you might as well stay home and sleep.

Chen Shi wanted to go on a road trip, and although she verbally supported it, she didn't really want to.

There were so many people traveling during the National Day holiday that we encountered traffic jams all the way. It took us two days to travel a distance of over a thousand kilometers.

Chen Shi got tired of driving and let Jiang Yiqiu drive. I really wanted to scold Chen Shi. Who told you to go on a road trip? Wouldn't it have been better to take a plane? You made him so tired, and we were stuck in traffic the whole way.

Even though I wanted to get angry, I could only hold it in and put on a smiling face.

They arrived in Dali on the evening of October 2nd, found a place to stay, and were so exhausted that they didn't go anywhere the next day and slept all day.

Driving a long distance and getting stuck in traffic was exhausting.

On October 4th, Jiang Yiqiu got up early and pulled Chen Shi out of bed: "Honey, don't sleep anymore. Today we're going to Erhai Lake, and tomorrow we're going to Cangshan Mountain. The planned trip has been delayed."

You can skip other places, but you absolutely must visit these two; otherwise, you won't be able to go to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Chen Shi stretched and said, "We shouldn't have driven on this road trip; it's too tiring. Since we're in Dali, we have to go to Lijiang, and we absolutely must visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain."

Jiang Yiqiu thought to himself, "I know you're tired from the road trip. Let's see if you dare to mention road trips again next time."

But he had a smile on his face: "Let's make the most of today, Erhai Lake in the morning and Cangshan Mountain in the afternoon."

Chen Shi looked at Jiang Yiqiu: "When you come out to play, you can't just rush around. That won't be interesting at all. Let's take our time and go back after the National Day holiday, then there won't be any traffic jams."

After returning from her leave, Jiang Yiqiu still had many things to handle at the school, and she didn't want to delegate any of her authority to her subordinates.

Seeing that Chen Shi wanted to take his time, they could only patiently accompany him on his leisurely tour.