Power and Wealth

Chapter 1395: Mayor Jiang’s father passed away

Morning.

A little past 9:40 AM.

The sun was abundant, casting a warm feeling inside the office.

After dealing with official matters, Dong Xuebing turned his head, squinting at the direction of the sunlight. He looked out the window, stretched lazily, and then his stomach growled again.

He was too hungry.

He couldn't resist not eating.

Normally, if it were another leader, a phone call would have been made by now. The secretary would find the driver, and they would ask a staff member if the driver wasn't available. Eventually, someone would be found to buy food and deliver it. After all, he was a leader, and this kind of thing was trivial. However, Dong Xuebing didn't do that because his approach and mindset differed slightly from that of other leaders. He liked to handle everything himself, even though he knew that sometimes ordering someone below could make them feel closer to him. People might even be happy to help their leader buy a meal to strengthen their relationship. However, Dong Xuebing rarely did this. He was generally amicable, showing respect to anyone without conflicts or contradictions. Regardless of rank or position, Dong Xuebing treated everyone with respect, and his reputation among subordinates was quite good.

Alright.

I'll just go and buy it myself.

Dong Xuebing stood up from behind his desk, holding his stomach, ready to go downstairs.

But then, there was a knock on the door. The door opened, and Dong Xuebing's secretary, Yao Cui, was holding two plastic bags filled with buns.

"Cui'er, why are you here?" Dong Xuebing's eyes lit up. Not because he saw Yao Cui, but because he saw the buns.

Yao Cui smiled, closed the door, and said, "A friend from the County Government Office called me and said Mayor Dong was working overtime. As your secretary, I can't just sleep in, right? So, I came." She walked up, placed the buns on the table, and continued, "I don't know if you had breakfast. When I left home, I grabbed two trays of buns from my dad's breakfast stall. They got a bit cold on the way. If you haven't eaten, just make do with these."

"I'm really hungry."

"Haven't eaten, huh?"

"I was just about to go downstairs to buy."

"Hehe, then I arrived just in time."

Dong Xuebing didn't stand on ceremony with his old classmate. Without further ado, he started eating.

"I haven't eaten either." Yao Cui opened a pair of disposable chopsticks and joined him. "Is your wife okay now? And the child?"

"Both are fine. They're probably going to work today."

Yao Cui sighed and said, "That's good. The incident the day before yesterday was quite dangerous. However, those people in Cheng Gang County brought it on themselves. Look, even the heavens couldn't stand it."

Heavens…

Dong Xuebing remained silent and continued eating.

"By the way, Xuebing, you lack manners." Yao Cui laughed, saying, "You married such a beautiful, high-ranking official, and you didn't even inform your old classmates."

"Oh. We didn't have a big wedding. Just a casual meal with our families. Besides, I didn't invite any classmates. It's not like I intentionally left you out."

"Next time we have a class reunion, you must bring your wife. I want to see the expressions of our classmates when they see your wife." Yao Cui laughed, "It will shock them."

Dong Xuebing felt quite pleased, though he said, "It's not that serious."

"Why not? I was really surprised at the time. I didn't expect someone so beautiful, like she came out of a painting."

"Flatterer."

"I'm telling the truth."

"Only you guys think she's good. She has plenty of flaws."

"Look at you, showing off again. You're just showing off."

"Hehe, I'm not."

Yao Cui sighed, "Anyway, you have to reevaluate after three days. Among our batch of graduates, you're the only one doing well. You have money, a position, a beautiful wife, and a child on the way. You're too much for us. Are you deliberately making us jealous?"

"If you don't eat the buns, they'll get cold."

"They've been cold for a while. Hehe, okay, let's not talk about this." Yao Cui took a bite of the bun, looked up, and asked, "By the way, do we have any tasks today?"

"There's not much to do. You should go home and rest."

"I have nothing to do at home. It's more fulfilling to work overtime."

"I've done everything that needs to be done. I just need to get the location for the Family Quarters project approved by Mayor Jiang. But when I left this morning, I ran into Mayor Jiang. She went to the hospital to see her father. I don't think she'll come today. Let's discuss it tomorrow or the day after." After a pause, Dong Xuebing said, "By the way, what illness does Mayor Jiang's father have?"

Yao Cui sighed, "Cancer."

Dong Xuebing was stunned, "How long has he had cancer?"

"About one or two years. It was diagnosed early, but it's advanced liver cancer. He has been undergoing chemotherapy, and it's not easy that he has held on until now. Mayor Jiang's mother isn't in good health either. She seems to have senile dementia and needs a caregiver every day."

"That's so serious."

"Yes, Chief Jiang's husband passed away a few years ago. She's been through a lot, and her attitude has calmed. It's admirable."

"Is her father in critical condition?" Dong Xuebing recalled Jiang Fangfang's appearance in the morning, which seemed a bit off.

"I don't know. But I heard that this year has been difficult for him."

Jiang Fangfang had never mentioned these things to him. Dong Xuebing felt a heavy heart after hearing this. Now he understood why she couldn't sleep night after night. It wasn't just because of her husband's death. There were also her parents' illnesses. Accumulating one thing after another, even an iron person would be crushed. However, Mayor Jiang hadn't fallen yet, and you couldn't see any worries on her face. Not only did Yao Cui admire her, but Dong Xuebing also admired her.

Help her.

However, Dong Xuebing was powerless. It had been one or two years since the late stage of cancer. Going back further, it was probably four or five years ago. Dong Xuebing couldn't reverse time that far, and he didn't have that much time left. If he could help, he could only use reverse to extend the old man's life for a few more days. However, the significance would be limited because the pain of chemotherapy was quite tormenting.

After lunch, Yao Cui left.

Dong Xuebing continued working.

But around eleven in the morning, the phone on the desk suddenly rang.

It was a call from Ma Bin, the County Government Office director. A single sentence made Dong Xuebing stunned. He only heard Ma Bin saying heavily, "Mayor Dong, Chief Jiang's father, passed away in the hospital."

"When did it happen?"

"Around ten-thirty."

Dong Xuebing hung up the phone, taking a deep sigh. The person was gone, and now it was impossible to use reverse to extend his life.