Lu Yumei blew up , and Zhang Hongyang, his wife Zhao Han, along with some relatives, all felt a secret thrill.
With the mother-in-law going off , Liu Zhizhong could only take it in this situation. He wouldn't dare even let out a fart, huh?
But unexpectedly, Ma Xudong chuckled, "Hey, big sister, don't get so worked up! It's not easy for Zhizhong down at the grassroots level, and I've heard he's been working pretty hard. We're a family gathering tonight, let's focus on having a good time! Come on, Zhizhong..."
With that, he beckoned Liu Zhizhong over with a gesture, indicating an empty seat to the right of Lu Yuqing, "Come sit here, hehe..."
Suddenly, everyone was taken aback.
Because that seat was originally Zhang Hongyang's. He'd gone out to meet Liu Zhizhong, and now he came back to find that Ma Xudong had offered Liu Zhizhong his seat.
Zhang Hongyang couldn't very well blow his top, so he just suffered in silence—so uncomfortable!
Fortunately, Ma Xudong had Zhang Hongyang switch seats with one of the Lu family nephews to his left, which made Zhang Hongyang feel a bit better.
But Zhang Hongyang's wife Zhao Han wasn't happy. Wasn't she and her sister-in-law Lu Yuqing now sandwiching Liu Zhizhong? How pleased this loser must be?
Lu Yumei and the other relatives weren't fools either; they sensed something was off and felt uncomfortable.
Could it be that Secretary Ma was hinting at favoring Liu Zhizhong with his visit to his wife's family today?
Liu Zhizhong didn't waste a moment thanking Secretary Ma and promptly took his seat between Lu Yuqing and his aunt Zhao Han.
However, he didn't sit down immediately; he just placed his briefcase on the chair and then pulled out a pack of sixteen yuan Liqun cigarettes, starting with Ma Xudong to distribute them.
Right then, Zhang Hongyang saw an opportunity and quickly offered two packs of smokes, "Hey, Brother Zhizhong, what are you doing? The secretary is our uncle by marriage, and you offer him your cigarettes? Doesn't that go against the family's customs?"
Lu Yumei also huffed coldly, saying, "Disgraceful! Tsk!"
Zhao Han, sitting next to Liu Zhizhong, chimed in, "Exactly! Who asks their uncle by marriage to smoke like that? Could your uncle really smoke something so cheap? Keep it, Zhang Hongyang is saving face for you!"
Liu Zhizhong wished he could stuff something into his pretty aunt's mouth!
But at this point, he'd already taken out his cigarettes and was handing them to Ma Xudong.
Ma Xudong stretched out his hand and accepted them with a smile, "Hehe, it's fine! We're a family, we don't fuss over such things! In Zhizhong, I can see a down-to-earth, steadfast young cadre! I mean, as a standing deputy town chief, his salary and bonuses aren't much. He really can't afford to smoke premium Zhonghua every day!"
Saying so, he lit up one for himself.
Instantly, everyone was shocked.
Zhang Hongyang was so embarrassed that he had to sheepishly take his cigarettes back.
Liu Zhizhong was secretly delighted; having a beautiful aunt-in-law had its perks!
He quickly thanked Secretary Ma again, and began distributing cigarettes, giving one to each male relative at the table, including Zhang Hongyang.
All of these guys normally smoked premium Zhonghua or Nine-Five Supreme, but now, even with their sixteen-yuan pack of Liqun, they had to accept and light up.
If such a big shot as Secretary Ma smoked them, how could they not follow suit?
After distributing the cigarettes, Liu Zhizhong finally took his seat.
Ah, sandwiched between Lu Yuqing and Zhao Han, he enjoyed the sweet scent coming from both sides.
Even more amusingly, under the long tablecloth, Lu Yuqing's foot gently brushed against his calves, a sensation he particularly relished.
Was his aunt thinking of him after a few days apart? But tonight, what could be done about it, alas...
However, with Ma Xudong's support, the Lu family members still gave Liu Zhizhong some face throughout the night.
In the past, when the family gathered all together, others treated Liu Zhizhong with disdain and ridicule, but tonight they held back, and everyone was quite polite to him.
Especially Zhang Hongyang, who was two-faced to begin with; presenting a good front, he kept calling him "Brother Zhizhong."
Not long after the meal started, they began to take turns drinking, and of course, they had to toast Secretary Ma!
During such moments, Liu Zhizhong realized that Lu Yuqing was scribbling letters on his thigh under the table.
"Sweetheart, drink yourself to death tonight, let's get the Ma guy drunk. Once he's drunk, I'll sleep next to him with you!"
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Liu Zhizhong was stunned.
Lu Yuqing's idea seemed a bit too daring, didn't it?
But it sounded quite exciting.
On the surface, he remained poised, pretending he had a pure relationship with his aunt, but when he got a chance, he caressed Lu Yuqing's white thighs and returned a message, "For real? Wouldn't that be too much? And if he wakes up, we're screwed."
Taking a chance, Lu Yuqing scribbled back on his thigh, "Not too much at all, that Ma isn't any good either! Wait until he's drunk later, and I'll slip him another half a pill of sedative. How could he wake up then?"
Liu Zhizhong was filled with admiration, women always knew best!
As the drinks continued, everyone seemed to have a good time.
Ma Xudong was still reciprocating everyone's toast, and when it came to Liu Zhizhong, despite being somewhat intoxicated, he still remembered his wife's instructions.
So, the City Committee Secretary Ma threw down a trump card...