A Young Woman's Heart

Zuo Ziya skillfully climbed into the passenger seat of the small truck, pulling her long purple hair, which was draped over her shoulders, forward slightly: "When are you going to buy your own car?"

"Can you sponsor me, Miss?" Huang Zhengyang joked.

"Sponsoring you is possible, but you have to satisfy me first."

"Haha, forget it then. I'm not in a hurry. The policies for buying a house are getting more and more relaxed, and the requirements are getting lower and lower. I plan to buy a house first, so that I will have a place to settle down in the city. As for a car, I can just buy a used one if I want to drive myself."

What kind of car do you want to buy?

"Santana, I guess..."

"Such a common answer," Zuo Ziya said with a light laugh, resting her chin on her hand.

"Haha, after all, I'm just an ordinary person." Huang Zhengyang put the key into the lock, turned the starter, and asked, "Where should we eat?"

"In the city, perhaps."

"What to eat?"

"The Western restaurant I frequent is on Wen'er Road."

"Alright, buckle up, Miss, we're about to set off."

"Okay." Zuo Ziya tossed her hair and leaned her head against the window, letting the breeze caress her face.

……

(three)

"Little Yu." Sitting in front of Yu Liang was a kind-looking middle-aged man, who was even more obese than Yu Liang.

"Director, please speak."

"You've always handled things well in your department, and you've done a great job. You should have heard that the previous deputy director has been promoted to the city level. There's actually a position available for us deputy director, and although you're young, I think you're a very suitable candidate..."

Yu Liang's forehead was covered in sweat: "No, no, I haven't even gotten to know this section chief position yet, thinking about anything else would be too unrealistic."

"You're just too modest," the bureau chief said with a smile, leaning back in his leather chair. "The position of section chief is too small; you have a much brighter future ahead of you."

“I think I need to work hard at the grassroots level for a few more years. I think Section Chief Yang from the next department is pretty good. He is kind and approachable to his subordinates. He has been a section chief for longer than me and is more capable than me. There are many things I don’t understand, and he is the one who taught me.”

"Sigh, Section Chief Yang is good, but I can't recommend him. You know, we have to avoid suspicion."

“Director, that’s not right of you. If someone is capable, they shouldn’t deliberately avoid suspicion, which prevents them from fully utilizing their abilities.” Yu Liang’s face regained its smile. “I’m willing to recommend Section Chief Yang and write him a letter of recommendation…”

"Hehe, Yu Liang, you're a diligent and honest man." The bureau chief squinted and nodded. "How are your wife and daughter doing lately?"

"Everything is fine. My daughter's grades aren't very good, so I hired a tutor for her, hoping it will help."

"Haha, so you'll be going to junior high then, right? Getting into a good junior high is really important. It's about your future; even a small change can have a big impact." The director stood up, stretched out his arm, and patted Yu Liang on the shoulder. "Don't worry, your daughter will definitely get into a good junior high."

"Lend your blessings."

He glanced at his watch and said, "Well, it's getting late. I'll come to your house for dinner another day. I have some things to take care of."

"Okay, then I'll be going, Director."

"Well, let's go."

Yu Liang walked out of the room, slowly closed the door, and then breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

A contemptuous sneer appeared on his lips, which he quickly suppressed, returning to his usual indifferent demeanor.

"Hello, Section Chief Yu." The junior employee who came over bowed slightly as he held up the documents.

"Aren't you off work yet?"

"Just hand this in and leave."

"Okay, it's time to go home. Don't stay out too late and worry your family." Yu Liang laughed heartily, turned a few corners, and walked into his office.

……

(four)

"Hey? Ah Liang? What's up? Not going home for dinner today? Are you coming to my shop to eat? Just you alone?" Mo Wenli answered the phone while pruning the flower branches. "Sure, come on over. When will there be no food for you? Want a couple of beers? If you want them cold, I'll put them in the fridge first. Okay, okay, take your time driving."

"Is Ah Liang coming over for dinner?"

"Yes, I'm coming alone."

Why are you all alone?

"He's probably just looking for a place to eat and relax." Mo Wenli put his phone back in his pocket. "Why ask so many questions? He must have his own troubles."

"Alas, every family has its own troubles."

"It's alright, at least it's much better now than during the wave of layoffs. Life always gets better, it can't go backwards, right?" Mo Wenli laughed, picked up a Liqun cigarette and took a satisfying drag.

……

(Fives)

On the gateball court, the elderly men and women cheered.

"Oh my, it's inside?"

"Sister Jin, that was a beautiful shot!" An elderly woman with a similarly wrinkled face gave Grandma Jin a thumbs up.

"Is that alright?" Grandma Jin didn't mince words, just smiled smugly.

As the sun set, its orange-red rays shone on the elderly people.

An old man raised his hand and waved: "Alright, that's enough for today. It's getting late, we should head back."

"Let's go, let's go home and cook."

"Old Qian, do you still go home and cook? My daughter always cooks for me."

"Oh, you're so lucky." The old man with a slight Tieling accent gave a thumbs up, not in a sarcastic way, but out of genuine admiration.

"Sister Jin, why don't you come to my house for a meal? It'll be lonely for you to go back alone."

"No, I'll eat at Ali's." Grandma Jin squatted down and patted the husky, who had been playing all day and was now exhausted, panting with its tongue hanging out.

"Haha, he's practically your godson now."

"Hehe...I guess so."

"Let's go, let's go. I'll come back to feed you after we finish eating." An old man patted the heads of several stray cats squatting by the wall in turn before standing up and walking out with the others.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the elderly people as they chatted and laughed, appearing remarkably relaxed on this street where pedestrians and vehicles hurried by.

Time seemed to slow down for them.

……

(six)

"Alas, the older people get, the more hypocritical they become."

"Haha, you little rascal, tired of being in officialdom?"

"Sigh, a little, isn't it? Life is so hypocritical!"

"Stop sighing, come on, drink!"

……

(seven)

"squeak--!!"

"ah!"

"boom!"

That's the sound of a car crashing.

Although the speed had already slowed down considerably, the collision still produced a loud bang.

"Are you alright?" Huang Zhengyang looked at Zuo Ziya beside him.

"Hmm, it's nothing. What happened? Did you bump into something?"

"Uh...the other party hit me." Huang Zhengyang turned off the car, opened the car door, and jumped out.

Then, a fat man stepped out of the black Santana sedan.

He stood at the spot where the two cars had collided and looked around.

When Huang Zhengyang approached him, he noticed that he reeked of alcohol.

"Are you alright?" he asked instinctively.

"It's okay... I'm sorry, I bumped into you."

"Uh, I'm fine." Huang Zhengyang glanced at it and saw that the truck's front only had some scratches, but the other car's headlights were broken, and the scratches and dents made it look terrible.

"Sorry, is two hundred yuan enough for you?"

"……Need not."

"Here, I'm sorry." The man continued to apologize, insisting on stuffing the money into Huang Zhengyang's hand before he was satisfied. Then he reversed the car and drove away silently.

"It'll cost a lot to repair," Huang Zhengyang muttered to himself.

"What's wrong?" Zuo Ziya peeked out.

He paid me back and left; he looked drunk.

"Drinking and driving is dangerous."

"When drunk driving is criminalized, maybe fewer people will drink." Huang Zhengyang got back into the driver's seat. "Shall we go, or back to my place?"

"Okay, let's do it again today."

"...How about I take you home instead..."

"Mmm—what are you doing!" Zuo Ziya, who is usually very dignified, shook her head vigorously and twisted her body coquettishly.

……

Chapter 271 The Period of Weakness