Chapter 129 Aftermath of the Social Gathering Dong Chunling at the social gathering…
It was big news when Dong Chunling left the social gathering with a male friend.
Although not many people present recognized Dong Chunling, with so many comrades attending the gathering, there were bound to be one or two people in the crowd who recognized her.
Everyone was incredibly surprised to see Dong Chunling at the social gathering, let alone seeing her leave with other men. Inevitably, some people started whispering about Dong Chunling.
Aside from this minor incident, the social gathering proceeded smoothly without any other unexpected issues, following the original schedule.
It went much more smoothly than the Women's Federation had originally imagined.
We also have to thank Dong Chunling for this.
Normally, most of the women attending the social gatherings are a little shy and embarrassed. Even if they are interested in a certain man, they don't dare to go up and chat with him directly.
But Dong Chunling set a good example; as soon as she appeared, she rushed up to Captain Li and struck up a conversation with him.
Those who didn't know her thought this woman was really brave and daring. They thought that since she was also a woman, she could be brave too, so they mustered up their courage and went up to strike up a conversation with the men they were interested in.
Those who knew Dong Chunling thought that if someone like her dared to chat up someone like Captain Li, then what were they afraid of and hesitating about when they were so much better off than her? So they also went up and talked to the men they were interested in.
These days, most people are rather reserved and introverted. When a gay man meets a woman who takes the initiative, he generally won't refuse.
Just like Dong Chunling, Li Yan didn't directly refuse her at first.
Furthermore, most of the women who came to the social gathering today were there with the normal mindset of looking for a partner, unlike Dong Chunling who immediately asked if the other person was interested in her.
When people come forward, they first introduce themselves, including their qualifications, family situation, and work situation. Although talking about these things is a bit boring and old-fashioned, it is the fastest and most effective way to get to know each other.
After a while, quite a few people actually hit it off and got along well.
Mingxi scratched his head, feeling that Dong Chunling had done a good deed.
However, while some things catch your eye, others don't.
The social gathering was almost over, and Li Yan, the "eligible bachelor" well-known in the city's public security bureau, was still standing alone in a corner.
Mingxi scratched her head, genuinely puzzled. She remembered that quite a few women had made advances towards Li Yan earlier. Could it be that Li Yan hadn't taken a liking to any of them and had rejected them all?
Just how high are Li Yan's standards?
Yu Xiaomin also noticed Li Yan standing alone to the side. She touched her nose, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Yu Xiaomin dawdled over to Li Yan and said apologetically, "Comrade Li, I'm so sorry. I didn't even say hello to you before pulling Dong Chunling away, which caused you trouble."
Li Yan waved his hand: "No, no."
He touched his nose: "Speaking of which, I should thank you. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to deal with her."
Yu Xiaomin couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips: "You also find her annoying?"
Li Yan's upbringing did not allow him to speak ill of female comrades behind their backs, but Dong Chunling was truly an eye-opener for him, so he couldn't help but nod.
This prompted Yu Xiaomin to launch into a long explanation: "You have no idea, Dong Chunling has done even more outrageous things before. Xiaoming from our workplace is her neighbor in the same alley, and he suffered terribly at her hands..."
She started gossiping to Li Yan. Actually, Li Yan wasn't usually interested in this kind of trivial family gossip, but for some reason, seeing how excited Yu Xiaomin was, he didn't want to interrupt her.
Yu Xiaomin didn't notice the way Li Yan was looking at her and continued talking non-stop, but Mingxi, who was not far away, keenly noticed Li Yan's gaze.
Tsk tsk tsk, this guy probably has his eye on Yu Xiaomin, right?
Mingxi stroked his chin, staring intently in the direction of Yu Xiaomin and Li Yan.
The more I look at it, the more I feel that Li Yan has feelings for Yu Xiaomin.
Otherwise, why would he keep staring at Yu Xiaomin's face?
If it were anyone else, Mingxi would definitely have crossed her arms and watched the show, but Yu Xiaomin is different.
Yu Xiaomin was the first friend Mingxi made after she transmigrated. During the long time they worked together, Yu Xiaomin always took good care of Mingxi. Mingxi cherished Yu Xiaomin as a good friend.
Mingxi naturally had to observe her best friend's boyfriend carefully.
To be honest, Li Yan is a good person in every way. His character is beyond reproach; he's a top-notch national talent. His looks are also excellent; he has handsome features and the currently popular tough-guy look. As for his personal qualities, they're certainly outstanding; a young criminal investigation team captain is a rare find anywhere.
There is one thing: his family situation is quite complicated.
I overheard Xiao Li from the office mention that Captain Li is her half-brother, and judging from Xiao Li's words, Captain Li doesn't seem to have a close relationship with his family.
Although she didn't know exactly what was going on, just hearing this made Mingxi feel that the Li family's situation must be complicated.
Furthermore, there's Xiao Li involved. Yu Xiaomin has a good relationship with Xiao Li at work, and she often refers to him as "Sister Li." If Xiao Li finds out that her brother and Xiao Li are interested in each other, it's hard to know if their relationship will become awkward.
However, no matter how much Mingxi considered, it couldn't stop Yu Xiaomin and Captain Li from having a very pleasant conversation.
Mingxi overheard Li Yan say, "Comrade Yu, I wonder if you have time tonight? How about we go out for dinner together?"
Yu Xiaomin wasn't stupid; she understood that Li Yan's invitation to dinner meant he was interested in her. A blush rose to her cheeks, and she lowered her head, saying, "I have time."
have to.
Since Yu Xiaomin doesn't seem to be indifferent to Li Yan, she'd better not say anything that might spoil the mood.
In any case, this social gathering was very successful. At the end, many people left shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand with their partners.
The way the police chiefs looked at Mingxi changed.
He smiled and said to Director Shen, "Old Shen, I didn't expect your social event to be so successful."
Director Shen smiled but remained silent; she hadn't expected the staff get-together to be even more successful than the last one.
"To be honest, the two hosts you chose are quite good. Standing together, they look just like people on TV—a perfect match, both talented and beautiful. Especially the woman; she has great stage presence, speaks crisply, and although she looks young, she has a lot of presence. I heard her introduce herself as Mingxi at the beginning."
“Yes, Mingxi.” Director Shen answered, his eyes suddenly becoming wary.
Why is this person suddenly asking about Mingxi? Is he eyeing the darling of their workplace?
Director Shen suddenly straightened his face: "Why are you suddenly asking about Xiaoming? Don't tell me you're thinking of borrowing Xiaoming? You wish! We won't borrow Xiaoming from anyone else."
The smile on the face of the municipal bureau leader froze instantly. It was true that he had come with the intention of temporarily transferring Mingxi.
After all, Mingxi is capable at work, quick-witted, and always has new ideas. In addition, she also has a special connection with their Public Security Bureau!
Putting everything else aside, just look at how much business Comrade Xiaoming has brought to their Public Security Bureau in the last six months.
Moreover, he heard that Comrade Xiaoming was quite skilled in martial arts.
This makes him even more suitable to work at their Public Security Bureau!
The municipal bureau leaders were also flexible and adaptable. Even after being so bluntly rejected by Director Shen, they still smiled and said, "Hey, Lao Shen, don't be so absolute. Think about it, Comrade Xiaoming is so skilled, isn't he more suitable to work in our municipal bureau? In your Women's Federation..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but Director Shen understood what he meant: Xiaoming was wasting his time at the Women's Federation.
Director Shen had worked in the Women's Federation her whole life, so she was naturally unhappy to hear this.
However, she wasn't angry at all. Instead, she calmly said, "Did you ask Mingxi what she thought?"
Director Shen had already inquired about Mingxi's intentions, both openly and secretly, and found that Mingxi had no intention of transferring to another unit.
Sure enough, as soon as Director Shen said that, the smile on the face of the leader from the opposite municipal bureau instantly disappeared.
Why didn't he ask anyone what Mingxi thought?
But Mingxi just wants to stay with the Women's Federation!
He had no other choice but to try and get to Director Shen, but he didn't expect Director Shen to be such a pushover.
The city bureau leader could no longer smile; he left with a sullen face.
Mingxi, on the other hand, had no idea that the municipal bureau leaders and Director Shen had such a thing going on. If she had known, she would have been strutting around with pride.
The social gathering ended successfully. Mingxi watched Yu Xiaomin and Li Yan leave, then turned around and got on Wei Ning's bicycle to go home.
On the last day of hitchhiking, Mingxi was a little reluctant to leave.
Wei Ning was seconded to the Women's Federation for this social gathering. Now that the gathering is over, Wei Ning has to go back to work at the steel rolling mill. From now on, the two of them will no longer be going to work on the same route, and she can no longer hitch a ride with Wei Ning.
Mingxi sat on the back of the bicycle, pondering whether she should buy a bicycle another day.
In fact, Mingxi doesn't lack the money to buy a bicycle, but she always felt it was unnecessary. Her home isn't far from her workplace, and walking to work wouldn't take long.
However, after using Wei Ning's bicycle for a while, she found it quite convenient and thought that buying one herself wouldn't be a bad idea.
Mingxi had already made up her mind. Since tomorrow was Sunday and she had the day off, she planned to go to the department store tomorrow.
"Mingxi, are you free tomorrow?"
Wei Ning, who was in front, suddenly spoke up and asked. Ming Xi subconsciously replied, "I'm busy, I have something to do."
Wei Ning paused, then asked with a pitiful look, "Did you make plans with anyone tomorrow?"
Mingxi frowned. What do you mean, "made an appointment with whom"?
She simply said, "I'm going to buy a bicycle tomorrow."
Wei Ning breathed a sigh of relief. Oh, so they were going to buy a bicycle. Buying a bicycle is good, buying a bicycle is good.
Wei Ning: "Do you have anything else to do after you buy the bicycle?" Afraid that Ming Xi would refuse him again, he didn't hesitate this time and said directly: "I bought movie tickets for tomorrow night. I wonder if you would like to go to the movies with me?"
Mingxi: "What movie?"
Wei Ning: "The Passenger in Handcuffs".
"A suspense movie?" Mingxi raised her eyebrows. She thought Wei Ning would choose a romance movie when he invited her to the movies, but she didn't expect it to be a suspense movie.
Wei Ning pursed his lips. He also wanted to choose a romance film, but unfortunately, the tickets for "Romance on Lushan Mountain" sold out too quickly, and he couldn't get one.
Mingxi: "Okay."
Mingxi agreed so readily that Wei Ning hadn't even had time to react before he let out a stunned "Ah."
Mingxi: "I said I agreed. Anyway, I don't have any plans for tomorrow night. Since you've already bought the movie tickets, it's not impossible for me to go with you."
The surprise came so suddenly that even Wei Ning couldn't help but get excited. He wasn't paying attention and the bicycle lurched, almost throwing Ming Xi off. She had a dark expression on her face.
No, buying a bicycle is absolutely necessary!
When Mingxi got home, she jumped out of the car, waved to Wei Ning, said "See you tomorrow" and ran into the yard, but was stopped by Aunt He as soon as she entered the yard.
"Hey Xiaoming, I heard that Dong Chunling went to that social event your Women's Federation organized today? And she left with a man? Is that true?"
That's why Aunt He is so well-informed; she knew about what happened at the social gathering as soon as it ended.
However, this was no secret. Everyone at the meeting saw Dong Chunling leave with a man, so Mingxi didn't hide it from Aunt He and nodded directly: "That's right."
"Oh my god, it's really true?"
Aunt He swallowed hard, her eyes wide with shock. Could someone really be interested in Dong Chunling?
She grabbed Mingxi: "Xiaoming, tell me, what exactly happened? Didn't you say that only people working in government agencies could attend this social gathering? Dong Chunling doesn't work in government agencies, so how could she attend? Also, who is the man she was with? Do you know him?"
Mingxi shrugged: "Dong Chunling was filling in for someone, not signing up for the matchmaking event. As for the man who followed her, I don't know him. I only heard that his name is Hu Mingyi and that he's a leader at the Housing Management Bureau."
"hiss-"
Aunt He took a deep breath. "The leaders of the Housing Management Bureau, these conditions are quite good. How come they took a liking to Dong Chunling?"
Aunt He couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Ming, is there something wrong with that guy surnamed Hu?"
Mingxi snorted and said, "Aunt He, look at what you're saying. If others hear this, they'll think you don't want Dong Chunling to be well. Comrade Hu Mingyi isn't a bad person either. If we really have to say something, there's one thing: he's divorced."
Aunt He gaped in embarrassment. It wasn't that she didn't want Dong Chunling to do well, nor did she have any complaints about Dong Chunling; she just hadn't expected this...
She really didn't expect that Dong Chunling could fall for a man with such good qualities.
You have to understand, the Housing Management Bureau is currently the most sought-after workplace. Everyone needs housing, everyone wants to be allocated housing, and which unit is qualified to build staff housing complexes and allocate housing is all decided by the Housing Management Bureau. Even the gatekeeper at the Housing Management Bureau has a highly desirable job, let alone Hu Mingyi, who is a leader in the Housing Management Bureau.
As for the fact that Hu Mingyi is divorced, that's really not a big deal, since Dong Chunling is also divorced.
Aunt He clicked her tongue, still incredibly surprised.
Just then, Dong Chunling walked past Mingxi's courtyard gate side by side with a man pushing a bicycle.
As soon as Aunt He saw Dong Chunling, she darted to the door. Feigning nonchalance but actually quite deliberately, she said, "Oh, Chunling, you're back from get off work? Is this...your new colleague? I've never seen her before."
While Aunt He appeared to be asking Dong Chunling a question, her eyes were actually constantly scanning Hu Mingyi, who was standing next to Dong Chunling. Mingxi couldn't help but want to complain that Aunt He's map of Yan was far too short.
However, she couldn't help herself and, like Aunt He, stared at Hu Mingyi and sized him up.
Hu Mingyi wasn't particularly good-looking; he was just average-looking. He wasn't very tall either; when he stood next to Dong Chunling, he seemed to be about the same height.
At first glance, he looks like an ordinary, unremarkable face; you wouldn't recognize him in a crowd.
However, with the added prestige of being a leader in the housing management bureau, Hu Mingyi's image suddenly became much more impressive in Aunt He's mind.
When Dong Chunling saw that Aunt He was staring at Hu Mingyi, she wasn't unhappy at all. Instead, she raised her head and said with a smile, "Aunt He, this is Hu Mingyi, the deputy section chief of the Housing Management Bureau, and my friend."
She didn't explicitly state what her relationship with Hu Mingyi was, but in this situation, everyone understood that "friend" was just an excuse.
Sure enough, when Aunt He heard the word "friend," she smiled knowingly.
Hu Mingyi didn't explain, but instead nodded to Aunt He in agreement, then turned to Dong Chunling and said, "Then I'll go back first. I'll pick you up from get off work tomorrow."
Dong Chunling nodded reservedly.
As soon as Hu Mingyi left, Aunt He couldn't help but ask, "Oh, Chunling, what's Hu going to do with you tomorrow?"
Dong Chunling glanced at the corner of her mouth, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes, and boasted, "We're going to have Western food. When Hu Mingyi took me for afternoon tea today, he said a new Western restaurant opened in our area, and the food is really good. He wants to take me to try it. Aunt He, have you ever had Western food? Steak and red wine?"
Aunt He: "Oh my, I've never eaten this before. What's the difference between Western food and our local cuisine? Does steak taste different from braised beef?"
Dong Chunling: "Of course it's different! Western restaurants use ribeye steak, which is the most tender part of the cow. And the Western restaurants we're going to use imported Australian beef, which is different from the beef we have here. You can't eat steak well-done, because you can't taste the original flavor of the beef when it's well-done."
"What? You want to eat the most original taste of beef?" Aunt He frowned and waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, that's too gamey."
"Pfft, hahaha—"
Mingxi couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Dong Chunling's face changed, turning ashen.
She yelled, "Don't talk nonsense if you don't know! Steak doesn't have any gamey smell at all. The cattle raised abroad are different from the cattle here!"
Aunt He pursed her lips and whispered, "What, are foreign cows not cows?"
Dong Chunling's face turned pale with anger. She stomped her foot and said indignantly, "If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. Western steak just tastes different. Forget it, you don't understand anything, what am I supposed to say to you!"
She glanced at Aunt He, moved her lips in disgust, uttered the words "country bumpkin," and then stormed off.
Watching her leave, Aunt He curled her lip and joked with Mingxi: "Tsk tsk tsk, do you think I don't know? I know, steak is just beef cut into chunks and pan-fried. Is it really necessary to show off like this when eating steak? You even brought up the fact that foreign beef doesn't have a gamey smell. How can it not have a gamey smell? People put spices and black pepper in their steaks."
Mingxi raised an eyebrow: "Oh, Aunt He, you know quite a lot!"
Aunt He: "Hey, what's this? When our factory had foreign technical assistance before, what didn't our factory canteen cook?"
Forget steak, the cafeteria has made everything from British fish and chips, German pork knuckle, and Russian red sausage.
Of course, these were meals provided for the experts; the ordinary employees in the factory definitely didn't get any.
Aunt He curled her lip: "I just can't stand Dong Chunling showing off like that. She makes such a fuss about having a Western meal and afternoon tea."
"Hey, it's not worth getting angry with her," Mingxi advised, though she also felt that Dong Chunling was showing off too much, and it hurt her eyes to watch.
Little did she know that Dong Chunling felt she hadn't shown off enough.
Dong Chunling had been trying her best to find a good partner, making everyone in the alley envious. Now she had finally met Hu Mingyi.
Although she didn't think much of Hu Mingyi at first, thinking that he was average-looking and not highly educated, only a regular high school graduate and not a college student, Hu Mingyi was well-off and generous!
Today, Hu Mingyi treated her to afternoon tea and coffee. Although she doesn't know much about coffee, she heard it was made with imported coffee beans, and that one cup of coffee cost eight yuan!
Not to mention, Hu Mingyi is going to treat her to Western food tomorrow!
The afternoon spent with Hu Mingyi successfully persuaded Dong Chunling to change her target.
She thought Hu Mingyi was a good person; he had a good job, a good family background, was generous and willing to spend money on her, and was someone she could take out and be proud of.
Li Yan is no match for him.
Although Dong Chunling hasn't officially started a relationship with Hu Mingyi yet, she can tell that Hu Mingyi is interested in her, so she can't wait to bring him back to show off.
In her original plan, people would be extremely envious when they heard that she had made such a good "friend" as Hu Mingyi, and they would all fawn over her and try to curry favor with her.
Who would have thought that things would start so badly? They had just come out to show off when they ran into Aunt He, who wouldn't even listen to them!
How awful!
Dong Chunling stormed home in a rage. As soon as she entered the house, she heard her mother ask, "Daughter, where did you go today? Your colleagues said you didn't go to work."
Dong's mother was extremely worried about her daughter, Dong Chunling. Her daughter was never peaceful; if she wasn't watching her closely for a moment, she was afraid Dong Chunling would get into trouble. Last time Dong Chunling skipped work, she met that swindler, Li Xiangdong. Now that Dong Chunling had skipped work again, she was afraid Dong Chunling had met some shady characters outside.
Dong Chunling frowned impatiently: "I didn't go anywhere. I just went to cover for a friend of mine who had something to do today."
Mrs. Dong didn't believe it. How could she not know what kind of person her daughter was?
Her daughter isn't the kind person who would take a day off from work and instead cover for someone else!
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