Wang Qiang drank at Liu Lan's place until midnight. The two of them drank two jin of loose liquor. Although Liu Lan claimed to have a high alcohol tolerance, she also got flushed and red-faced.
Liu Lan looked at Wang Qiang, and as she looked, she couldn't help but start crying.
"Brother Wang Qiang, my life is so hard. The men in my family are useless. They don't even earn enough to eat, and we go hungry every day."
"I work at a steel rolling mill and earn a meager salary each month. It all goes towards paying off my family's debts, and it's not enough."
"I know what people say about me behind my back. They call me despicable and shameless. But what can I do? If I want to save face, I'll starve."
"When Li Huaide was alive, I could manage to live off him. Now that he's gone, what am I supposed to do if I don't find someone else?"
Listening to Liu Lan's rambling account, Wang Qiang sighed. He couldn't really make a judgment on this matter.
From Liu Lan's perspective, she may indeed have some unsatisfactory aspects, but what about from her husband's perspective?
From her coworkers' perspective, she was simply neglecting her duties, using her body to climb the ranks, and taking more than her share of the factory's profits. When Li Huaide was around, they dared not speak out against her, but now that Li Huaide is gone...
Liu Lan lost her backer, and the grievances people had been holding against her finally erupted.
This intensified Liu Lan's desire to quickly find another powerful backer.
Looking at Liu Lan, Wang Qiang couldn't help but recall a passage from The Deer and the Cauldron.
Ake was raised by the One-Armed Nun and sent to assassinate Wu Sangui, but she was captured by Wu Sangui. Chen Yuanyuan wanted to save her daughter and asked Wei Xiaobao for help.
Chen Yuanyuan said, "How can a wife be involved in grand plans? A hero is helpless because of his affections, and a beautiful woman is a source of trouble..."
Wei Xiaobao shook his head and said, "I've heard the saying 'beautiful women bring disaster' before... Everyone says that Prince Pingxi surrendered to the Qing Dynasty for Chen Yuanyuan, but in my opinion, Wu Sangui would not have surrendered even if he had eighteen Chen Yuanyuans if he were truly loyal to the Ming Dynasty..."
Although Wei Xiaobao said that he did this entirely out of selfishness, there is some truth to it.
However, Liu Lan's situation was different; she actively sought out such a man as her protector...
Seeing that she had drunk quite a bit, Wang Qiang wanted to help her to bed to rest.
Liu Lan really knows how to enjoy life; just look at her bed, it's quite extraordinary, with a touch of bourgeois taste!
After drinking the wine, Liu Lan's cheeks became flushed and warm, making her appear even more alluring and captivating.
She asked Wang Qiang, "Brother Wang Qiang, do you think I'm a bad woman?"
Taking the opportunity, Wang Qiang said, "People often say that men become bad when they have money, and women get money when they become bad. Whether you are a bad woman or not, you can judge for yourself."
Liu Lan tilted her head: "Now you regret agreeing to help me?"
Wang Qiang smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if I regret it or not. It's not too late for me to back out now. But whether I help you or not, you'll find a way to get into that circle. And even if you, Liu Lan, aren't in that circle, there will be Zhang Lan, Li Lan..."
As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Liu Lan.
Liu Lan smiled and raised her hand...
It was very dark; there weren't even any stars outside.
Wang Qiang was also a little drunk. He propped himself up on the edge of the bed with his left hand and waved his right hand in front of him, saying, "Sister Liu, the wine you bought is really strong. I can't even walk anymore."
Liu Lan's eyes lit up: "Brother Wang Qiang is drunk?"
Wang Qiang decided to stop hiding his feelings: "The wine itself isn't the main thing; it's you too. What a beautiful time. 'Leaving home to follow you into the night, why should I hesitate to offer my beauty as wine?' The ancients were so romantic."
Liu Lan looked at him and smiled, "Wang Qiang, I don't understand what you're saying, but today will be a brilliant memory for me, one that I will never forget."
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiang sobered up somewhat. "Is that so? I should go. If this continues, I might find it hard to refuse Liu Lan..."
Liu Lan wanted to help Wang Qiang up, but he stood up on his own.
Liu Lan smiled and said, "You're just saying what's on your mind because you're drunk."
Wang Qiang looked down at Liu Lan, who was leaning against the bed: "Everything is just a matter of taking things as they come."
Liu Lan took Wang Qiang's hand and helped him lean against the bed. They leaned against each other, and she, emboldened by the alcohol, rested her head on Wang Qiang's shoulder. With her eyes closed, she asked, "Can you kiss me?"
Wang Qiang looked down at Liu Lan. At that moment, Liu Lan turned around, hugged Wang Qiang, and the two slowly fell down...
The next day, around 6 a.m.
Wang Qiang was washing up, preparing to go to Qin Jingru's house looking refreshed. He was washing his face while Liu Lan held a towel and served him.
Wang Qiang, his face still wet, turned his head to the side and said, "No wonder you were able to do so well back then. Look at that drive, it's something not every woman can do."
Liu Lan lowered her head and said, "What's this? Don't you men like women to serve you like this, all meek and submissive?"
Wang Qiang smiled and said, "What you said is right, but also wrong. Some women always want to compete with men, yet they also want to be surrounded and served by men. It's ridiculous; they want power on one hand, but don't want to bear any obligations on the other."
"In fact, men and women are two different things. A woman's greatest weapon is not being sharp-tongued or mean. A woman's greatest weapon is being gentle."
"Men conquer women by conquering the world, and women conquer the world by conquering men."
Liu Lan was a little confused. Although she couldn't understand it, she was deeply shocked. Even though this era had already advocated gender equality and said that women could hold up half the sky.
However, in the minds of many men, their wives are their private property, and they can beat or scold them as they please.
Hearing Wang Qiang's point of view, she found it quite novel and couldn't help but feel even more favorably disposed towards him: "Are you coming again tonight?"
Wang Qiang shook his head: "I have a lot of things to take care of. I definitely won't be coming tonight." Wang Qiang took the towel to wipe his face. The moment he took the towel, he thought to himself, Liu Lan would be a good maid, just like Xi Ren.
Liu Lan handed Wang Qiang the clothes and then said, "Wang Qiang, when are you going to tell Director Fan about me? I need to prepare a gift. It's getting closer to the end of the year, and it's getting harder and harder to buy things!"
After Wang Qiang finished dressing, he placed his hands on Liu Lan's shoulders. Liu Lan leaned against his chest and said, "Promise me you won't forget me."
Liu Lan said in his arms, "If I can be with you, it doesn't matter if I don't go through Director Fan's connections. Your charm has captivated me!"
Taking advantage of the moment he put his arm around her, Wang Qiang raised his hand to check his watch. "I've been a bit busy with this lately, let's talk about it later."
Liu Lan placed her hand on Wang Qiang's: "No matter how you arrange things, I thank you! You gave me a completely new experience!"
Wang Qiang's eyes darted around, and he said casually, "Yes, I'll make the arrangements, I'll make sure you're all taken care of!"
Fearing that things might escalate and lead to a second round of pursuit, Wang Qiang glanced at his watch and feigned surprise: "Oh, I have to go!"
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