Rebirth of Bloody Romance

In the government staff quarters in Jinqiu County, which is filled with a strong atmosphere of life, a blood-red setting sun gradually sets in the west. Its soft and dim afterglow, like a veil, gently drapes over the small and exquisite red brick buildings, casting mottled shadows of various shapes and alternating light and dark.

In this beautiful light and shadow, Zhou Xiaobai walked slowly with heavy steps. Her originally upright figure now looked a little hunched, and her whole body was shrouded in deep fatigue.

Zhou Xiaobai was seen staggering through the old iron gate, his frown seemed to reveal the great pressure and troubles brought by a day's work. Every step seemed to be heavy, which made people feel pity.

The quiet and peaceful evening was suddenly broken by the crisp sound of high heels coming from far away. The sound echoed in the empty yard like a unique symphony, injecting a special vitality into this quiet moment.

When the brother and sister Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen, who were playing in the house, heard the familiar footsteps, they immediately rushed out of the house like two extremely excited and cheerful little birds. Their laughter was as clear and melodious as silver bells, and instantly spread throughout the family compound.

"Mom, you're finally back!" Xiao Shihua shouted as she opened her arms and rushed towards Zhou Xiaobai. Her pink face flushed with excitement, like a blooming peach blossom, so beautiful that it was tempting to shed tears.

"Mom, let me help you with the bag." Little Haichen stretched out his little hand seriously, trying to take the heavy briefcase from Zhou Xiaobai's hand.

Zhou Xiaobai looked at the two innocent, lively and lovely children in front of her, and all the fatigue and worries in her heart disappeared instantly. An indescribable warm feeling surged into her heart and surrounded her tightly.

Zhou Xiaobai smiled and shook his head gently, then lovingly handed the briefcase to Xiao Haichen, then bent down and hugged Xiao Shihua in his arms, and kissed her tender cheek affectionately. At this moment, Zhou Xiaobai felt that he was the happiest person in the world.

"My daughter and son, where did you go to play today?" Zhou Xiaobai asked softly with a loving face.

Little Shihua was seen jumping around and saying happily, "Mom, I'm so happy today! I played a lot of interesting games with my friends! I have never played these games in Beijing before... It's so fun!" The little girl was talking excitedly while shaking Zhou Xiaobai's clothes.

At this time, Xiao Haichen on the side couldn't wait to interrupt and said, "Mom, today we not only played games, but also went fishing! I caught a big fish!" Xiao Haichen was so excited that he danced with joy, as if the big fish was right in front of him.

As the family was laughing and talking, Chen Yijun walked out of the house with a smile. She was holding a plate of steaming, fragrant dishes steadily in her hands. When she saw Zhou Xiaobai coming back, Chen Yijun's kind face immediately broke into a friendly smile. "Xiaobai, go wash your hands quickly, the food is ready. I made your favorite braised pork today. If you don't eat it now, it will get cold."

Zhou Xiaobai heard this, gently put down the small poem, turned around and walked quickly into the house, washing her hands carefully. When she returned to the restaurant again, she found that the table was already filled with a sumptuous dinner.

The tempting braised pork exudes a rich aroma that makes people salivate; the tender and delicious steamed fish lies quietly on the plate, as if waiting for people to taste its deliciousness; and the green stir-fried seasonal vegetables look refreshing and healthy... Every dish is Zhou Xiaobai's favorite.

At the same time, Zhong Yuemin also walked out of the study slowly. He first glanced at his beautiful wife Zhou Xiaobai, then smiled and said to Chen Yijun nonchalantly, "Mom, don't worry. The weather is so hot, the food will taste better if it is a little cooler." After that, he sat down at the dining table carelessly.

After hearing this, Chen Yijun couldn't help but laugh. He glared at him and snorted in pretend anger. "Yuemin, you are so careless. The food won't taste good if it gets cold."

"Okay, let's start eating."

The family sat around the dining table. The braised pork made by Chen Yijun was bright red in color and fragrant. Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen ate with their mouths full of oil, and did not forget to praise their grandmother's cooking skills.

Zhong Yuemin looked at Zhou Xiaobai and asked with concern, "Wife, why did you come back with a frown today? Did you encounter any troubles?"

Chen Yijun also saw Zhou Xiaobai frowning, but now was not the time to talk about it. "Let's eat first, and we can talk after dinner if there's anything else."

Zhong Yuemin quickly agreed, "Yes, yes, the most important thing in the world is eating."

They had just finished dinner, and the air was still filled with the lingering aroma of food. Zhou Xiaobai took out a few newspapers from his bag, with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yuemin, take a look at this newspaper." She handed the newspaper to Zhong Yuemin, frowning slightly, "Why do I feel something is wrong?"

Zhong Yuemin picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and a nonchalant smile appeared on his face: "Wife, what's wrong? This newspaper writes about you so well, you are simply a celebrity."

Zhou Xiaobai frowned slightly, pointed at a line of large characters on the newspaper and said, "It's right here. It's written so well that it makes me feel uneasy. When did I ever say that I would 'build a 10,000 yuan county within three years'? This newspaper is so irresponsible. How can they report it blindly?"

Zhong Yuemin was drinking tea, and when he heard Zhou Xiaobai's words, he almost choked. He put down the teacup, coughed a few times, and an embarrassed expression appeared on his face. "Cough, cough, cough, cough, wife, that... I think I said this."

"You said it? Yuemin, when did you say that? Why don't I have any recollection of it at all?" Zhou Xiaobai widened his eyes and looked at Zhong Yuemin in disbelief.

Zhong Yuemin scratched his head. "Well, wife, I first mentioned it about a year ago when I was chatting with our dad. At that time, our dad was very happy to hear it and said that my idea was good and courageous."

Zhou Xiaobai suddenly realized that it was her father and father-in-law who arranged all this behind the scenes. "I understand, these things were arranged by Dad, right? In order to make my political achievements more prominent, they specially asked the newspaper to report it this way." She said, with a hint of helplessness in her tone.

Zhong Yuemin nodded in agreement. "That's about right. Wife, don't take it too seriously. Dad and his family are doing this for your own good. After all, they hope that you can go further in your career."

Zhou Xiaobai sighed and put the newspaper back into her bag. "Forget it, since it has come to this, I can only do my best." She said with a bitter smile on her face.

"Wife, you just need to do your part, and I'll take care of the rest!"

Zhou Xiaobai nodded, as if he suddenly remembered something, and said to Zhong Yuemin, "By the way, Yuemin, the pickled garlic you mentioned is almost done. Can you go and take a look tomorrow?"

"Okay, I'll take Li Wenbo and Yu Guodong to take a look tomorrow."

The night falls quietly, a bright moon hangs high in the sky, emitting a soft and cool light like a silver plate. The moonlight is like water, gently sprinkled on the earth, covering the whole world with a dreamlike veil.

In this quiet night, Zhong Yuemin and Zhou Xiaobai were immersed in the ocean of love. They hugged each other tightly, their bodies intertwined, inseparable.

The light at the bedside was dim and warm, illuminating the intoxicated faces of the two. Their breathing gradually became rapid, accompanied by low gasps and murmurs, which were the confession and response of love. Every movement and every touch was full of passion and desire, as if they wanted to integrate the other person into the depths of their souls and let this love be engraved in their hearts forever.

Time passed unnoticed, and when the light of dawn quietly penetrated the curtains and gently fell on the floor of the bedroom, Zhong Yuemin woke up from his sleep. He squinted his eyes, adjusted to the light of the morning, and then subconsciously reached out to feel the position beside him.

However, he did not feel anything. Zhou Xiaobai, who was supposed to be lying there, had left the bed at some point. Zhong Yuemin's heart tightened, and he sat up suddenly and looked around. He saw that he was the only one left in the empty room, with the quilt piled messily on the side, and Zhou Xiaobai's remaining body temperature had already been lost.

Zhong Yuemin shook his head helplessly, smiled bitterly and said to himself: "The ancients were right! There are only cows that die of exhaustion, but no land that is damaged by plowing."

Recalling the madness and sweetness of last night, Zhong Yuemin couldn't help but feel a wave of fatigue, but at the same time his heart was filled with happiness and satisfaction. He glanced at the clock on the wall, and the hour hand pointed to more than nine o'clock. He didn't expect that he slept so deeply that he didn't even notice when Zhou Xiaobai got up and left.

Zhong Yuemin slowly opened the bedroom door and walked out with light steps. He quickly glanced around, but surprisingly, there was no one in the huge room.

It goes without saying that it must be Chen Yijun who took the lovely little Shihua and little Haichen out to play.

Zhong Yuemin shook his head helplessly and walked to the faucet. A slightly tired face was reflected in the mirror. His originally heroic face was now a little more tired, but even so, his eyes still flashed with satisfaction and happiness.

Zhong Yuemin picked up the toothbrush, squeezed toothpaste on it, and then gently brushed his teeth. As he brushed his teeth, his thoughts gradually drifted away...

After washing up, Zhong Yuemin shook off the water droplets on his hands and turned to walk towards the kitchen. Before he even stepped into the kitchen, an alluring aroma hit his nose. He walked quickly into the kitchen and saw the steaming food in the pot.

Zhong Yuemin brought the food to the table one by one, and then sat down to enjoy this loving meal. At this moment, the scene of his passionate love affair with Zhou Xiaobai last night involuntarily emerged in his mind.

Recalling those passionate moments, Zhong Yuemin's mouth corners unconsciously rose, outlining a sweet and happy smile.

After breakfast, Zhong Yuemin walked out of the house in high spirits. He walked through the busy streets and went straight to the garlic market. The market was bustling with people and the garlic trading was in full swing.

Zhong Yuemin glanced at the busy crowd and soon found Li Wenbo, Yu Guodong and Li Kuiyong. They were discussing something together, and when they saw Zhong Yuemin coming, they all stopped what they were doing.

"Wenbo, Guodong, Kuiyong, the three of you come with me to a place." Zhong Yuemin said directly.

"Okay, Mr. Zhong." Li Wenbo and Yu Guodong answered almost at the same time, their tone full of respect. The two of them always obeyed Zhong Yuemin's orders, and would do it without hesitation no matter what he ordered.

Li Kuiyong was a little curious. He scratched his head and asked, "Yuemin, where are we going? Is there something important?"

Zhong Yuemin smiled. "Have you forgotten what I told you about pickling sugar garlic? Now the time is almost right. Let's go and try how it tastes and see how the finished product looks like."

"Oh! So that's what it is!" Li Kuiyong suddenly realized, and an expectant expression appeared on his face. "Then let's go quickly, bro, I can't wait to try it."

Zhong Yuemin led the three of them through the county government compound and went straight to Zhou Xiaobai's office. When Zhou Xiaobai's secretary saw them, he immediately came up to them warmly. "Brother Zhong, are you here to see County Magistrate Zhou?"

"Yes, isn't she here?" Zhong Yuemin looked around and found that Zhou Xiaobai was not in the office.

"Brother Zhong, County Magistrate Zhou has gone to inspect the road construction. Why don't you wait here for a while? I expect she will be back soon."

Zhong Yuemin waved his hand. "No, let's go find her directly. Is the road construction site far from here?"

"Not far, just on the edge of the county town. If you set out now, you should be able to catch up with her soon." The secretary pointed out the direction for them in detail.

Zhong Yuemin nodded to express his gratitude, and then quickly left the office with the three of them. They decided to go to the road construction site to find Zhou Xiaobai and also check the progress of the road construction.

Zhong Yuemin walked through the dusty road construction site with deep feelings. He saw young men sweating profusely, carrying heavy stones on their shoulders and hands; he saw the elderly people, though staggering, still insisting on leveling the road surface bit by bit with shovels; he saw women busy mixing sand and gravel, and even children were carrying small pieces of stones, contributing their own efforts to the road construction.

There are no modern mixers here, and everything is done manually, shovel by shovel, and basket by basket. However, despite such heavy work, Zhong Yuemin has never heard a single complaint.

On the contrary, everyone's face was filled with smiles of satisfaction and pride, as if they were engaged in a great cause.

Finally, Zhong Yuemin found Zhou Xiaobai in the crowd. He walked up to her and asked curiously, "Wife, why are there old people and children here?"

Zhou Xiaobai looked up at him and explained, "They all volunteered and couldn't be driven away. At the beginning, they brought their own steamed buns, and they were cold when they ate them at noon. Later, I arranged for them to have meals, so that at least they could have hot meals."

As he spoke, Zhou Xiaobai pointed to a makeshift stove not far away, which was emitting steam, apparently preparing lunch for the people who were building the road.

After hearing this, Zhong Yuemin was even more impressed. Although the living conditions of people in this era were difficult, their souls were so rich.