The Call from the Distant Mountains

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Author: Jingcheng Xiaoxiaosheng,
first published on 1024 Forum on December 25, 2015

(Part 1)

In the west-central part of Colorado, there is an inconspicuous little town, difficult to find even on a map.
Here, the eastern plains rise abruptly, transforming into majestic, towering mountains. The town was originally small,
with only one road, no traffic lights, a gas station, two snack shops, and three general stores.
The people here were tough, simple, and rugged. Hundreds of families lived scattered about, working at sunrise and resting at sunset.
I can't remember which year or which day, but suddenly a group of people arrived from outside the mountains, carrying machines whose names I didn't know, saying they were there to
mine oil shale. The town began to prosper, and waves of outsiders moved in. They dug mines, built factories,
repaired roads, and even constructed a hospital and a community college. The town grew increasingly prosperous, the roads widened,
traffic lights were added, and the population surged to several thousand. Unfortunately, good times don't last forever.
Starting , oil prices plummeted. The shale oil companies stubbornly held on, but by the beginning of this year, they finally succumbed and went bankrupt.
The tide rises and falls quickly; outsiders lost their jobs and left in droves, and the town seemed to return to
its former state .

There were originally no Chinese people in the town. A couple moved in during the peak of the shale oil boom, bringing two children, and
later another. The husband, surnamed Zhao, was a PhD from the University of Calgary in Canada, specializing in oil refining.
For some
North American Free Trade Area visa, not a green card. Dr. Zhao was from Shanghai but married a woman from Beijing. Mrs. Zhao's ancestors
were Manchus; her surname was Tong, her given name Wanru, and her English name Anna. She was a beautiful, gentle, and virtuous woman
with a smile. Wanru was almost forty, but looked only thirty-four or thirty-five. True to her name, she was kind and approachable,
and well-liked in town. However, Wanru wasn't just a housewife; she had a regular job
at the town's credit union, where she helped out-of-towners open accounts and also handled mortgage disbursements. Her clientele consisted mainly of Chinese employees in her husband's company.

Since Dr. Zhao moved to the town, many more Chinese people had come, and without exception, they all
bought houses in Dr. Zhao's new neighborhood. Some said it was because Wanru was popular and attracted people, so everyone wanted to live closer to her
. Others said it was just a coincidence, since there weren't many other options in the town. One thing was certain:
Wanru was indeed popular. The Chinese men
in the neighborhood, married and unmarried, all enjoyed chatting with her. The locals also noticed a Chinese woman named Anna, beautiful, dignified, and charming. Her male colleagues at
the credit union , old and young, white and black, always tried to
strike up a conversation with her. One Valentine's Day, she even received a bouquet of roses. As a mother of three
, Wanru is a traditional virtuous wife and loving mother. She is always gentle and kind to people, and even when men make inappropriate remarks or actions,
she can make them back down gracefully. Wanru doesn't distance herself from anyone, nor does she get too close to anyone, except for her neighbor ,
Mrs. Qian. (Mrs. Zhao was a beautiful woman, gentle and virtuous, calm and serene, always with a smile on her face.) Mrs. Qian, named Wu Li, had no English name. Thirty-four years old, she was also a beautiful woman, and more outgoing than Wanru, even more alluring. She was no ordinary person; reportedly very active in China, and quite resourceful , but unfortunately, she hadn't achieved much success. Wu Li always claimed to be from Shanghai, but she had actually migrated from northern Jiangsu. The Qian family's situation was similar to the Zhao family's, except they had one less child. Mr. Qian was from Beijing , also a petrochemical engineer, a senior postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at Austin. He was recruited by Dr. Zhao to the oil shale company, and after arriving, Mrs. Zhao helped him open an account, get a loan, and buy a house—a complete one-stop service. Mrs. Qian saw that Mrs. Zhao had some ability. They begged her to help them to the end and introduce them to another job. At that time, a large influx of Chinese people entered the small town, and Wanru was indeed overwhelmed. She got Wu Li a job at the credit union, also as an accountant. Thus , the adults from both families were colleagues, and the children played together, naturally growing closer. If it weren't for the economic crisis, they thought they were almost part of mainstream society. At the beginning of the year, the oil shale company couldn't hold on and filed for bankruptcy protection. Dr. Zhao, Dr. Qian, and Dr. Sun and Dr. Li all lost their jobs overnight. There were no other professional jobs in the small town, so the Chinese families moved away one by one, leaving only the Zhao and Qian families alone. These two families insisted on staying for several reasons: firstly, both wives had jobs, and the families weren't starving; secondly , they had no better place to go. Dr. Zhao, already past forty and having spent years as a postdoctoral researcher, had long lost his drive. Whether it was finding another job, changing his major, or even returning to China, he lacked the courage and confidence. Dr. Zhao, a Shanghai man, was relatively realistic. He found a part-time job at a gas station, working the night shift, and spending his days doing laundry, cooking, and tutoring his children—it was manageable. Dr. Qian wasn't so forgiving. In the first few months after being laid off, he clung to a sliver of hope, trying to find a teaching position at a community college. Unfortunately, the community college's enrollment plummeted, and it closed before spring even arrived. Dr. Qian's unemployment benefits ran out, and the job market worsened, with no hope in sight. Being a Beijing native, he couldn't to take a manual labor job like Dr. Zhao. He couldn't accept this, developed depression, and saw himself as a failure, constantly sighing and lamenting. They complained about the unfairness of the world. In modern society, men are usually the breadwinners of the family, while women are the backbone of everything else. If the breadwinner loses their job, the burden on the backbone becomes even are already low. They used to rely on commissions from attracting clients and issuing loans, but now that the out-of-towners have left, where is there much business? Mrs. Qian, Wu Li, faces even greater pressure. During the day, she manages her work, and at night, she has to deal with her unruly children and her idle husband. Mrs. Qian also has another worry: her direct boss, Johnny, the loan manager. Johnny is a local, in his forties, tall and burly, with broad shoulders and a ruddy complexion. He previously ran a motel outside town , made some money, and later invested in the credit union, eventually becoming a minor manager. It should be said that Johnny...

Johnny, this redneck, was a bit rude, but not inherently a bad person. After the oil shale company went bankrupt, he became
arrogant , believing his employees' jobs were a gift from him. Recently, Johnny had been harassing Wu Li, hoping she would be
more sensible and get closer to her boss. He had repeatedly hinted that if she were willing to satisfy his sexual needs, she might receive
some benefits. Wu Li, of course, didn't tell her husband about this, only complaining to her colleague and friend Wanru. Wanru told
Wu Li that Johnny had made similar hints to her, but hadn't forced her to do anything. She didn't know what to do;
the economic situation was so bad, and the children were young, so some things she could only endure and let things slide.

Actually, Johnny was just an employee; Wanru and Wu Li's real boss was named Jerry. Jerry was over fifty,
tall, strong, a black man, the educated and intelligent type. During 9/11, he entered
the stock market to buy at the bottom, earning enough money to buy two containers of goods in the following years. In 2008, the town's credit union was
affected and its cash flow dried up. Jerry once again made a bold move, taking over the credit union along with its employees and debts. Jerry's
gamble paid off again. Three years later, the American housing market recovered, coinciding with the shale oil boom. A large influx of outsiders flocked to the town to open accounts, take out loans,
and buy houses , making him the richest man for miles around. Twenty-one years earlier, Jerry had married
Anna, a white girl from a village outside the town. Anna came from a traditional Puritan family; her parents were old-fashioned farmers—hardworking, honest,
law-abiding, conservative, and somewhat pedantic and slow-witted. A year after their marriage, Mrs. Jerry gave birth to a son, named Sam,
a common name in small towns. Anna was unfortunately injured during childbirth and could not continue having children, so
she focused all her attention on her only son. Not wanting her son to mingle with other unruly children on the streets, she didn't send Sam to the town's public school,
but instead homeschooled him herself. Anna hadn't received much formal education, barely finishing twelfth grade, so
when her son was twelve, she sent him to a private boarding school in the state capital. That winter was particularly cold, and the poor
woman fell ill again, passing away the following spring.

Jerry was devastated. In this remote part of America, racial discrimination was still prevalent, and Anna's
marriage to a Black man required courage. Now, although he was a wealthy man, he remained single and unmarried. Within
a hundred miles, the number of women willing to marry Jerry could easily form a baseball team.
When Jerry was lonely and idle, he would, of course, sleep with one of them, but he never considered a long-term relationship. Firstly, he feared future
disputes over property, and secondly, these modern women simply couldn't compare to his deceased wife. Americans usually keep family
photos on their desks, but Jerry hung his deceased wife's portrait on his office wall, keeping it with him every day.
During this time, the credit union's business was poor, but it didn't significantly affect his personal assets because he had many investments elsewhere
. Jerry's only real worry was his twenty-year-old son. Sam had never lacked food or clothing since childhood and
had already gone to college, Colorado School of Mines. However, he was unhappy and confused about whether he was Black or
White, so he was very self-conscious and introverted, always lost in memories of his mother and unable to interact normally with others.
Jerry saw this and was anxious, but there was nothing he could do. Sometimes Jerry would blame his deceased wife, thinking that if she
hadn't been so overly strict and protective of Sam back then, and had let the child hang out on the streets a bit, there wouldn't be so
many problems now.

There had been a drought for years, and by early summer, distant thunder rumbled. Everyone said that a downpour was coming
soon and they had to quickly find their umbrellas.

(II)

Summer arrived, but the economic situation hadn't improved, and the Zhao and Qian families remained the same. They had already cut their expenses
to a minimum, and even the children hadn't had new clothes in a long time. It was unbearably hot during the day, but they
hadn't turned on the air conditioning because they couldn't bear the electricity bill. Everyone could only hope for an economic recovery. No matter what, they had to
survive tenaciously, even if not for themselves, they had to think about their children.

Lately, Wu Li has become increasingly disappointed in her husband. Dr. Qian is always frowning, neglecting household
chores and no longer actively sending out resumes online. Every day when Wu Li comes home from work, she finds a mournful face
and two preschool children curled up on the sofa watching free TV endlessly. They
haven't had marital relations for a long time; their occasional conversations quickly turn into mutual accusations and end in
a bitter argument . At first, Wu Li could tolerate it, but over time she couldn't help but complain, saying her husband was irresponsible and not like
a man. Dr. Qian retorted that he had sacrificed too much for the family over the years, and now it was Wu Li's turn.
After each argument, Wu Li could only confide in Wanru, and several times she almost cried. Dr. Zhao's situation is
slightly The couple works different shifts, one day and one night, so they don't spend much time together at home, and with three children to care for,
they simply don't have time to argue, but it's essentially a sexless marriage.

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(Mrs. Qian was also a beautiful woman, and hadn't had marital relations for a long time.)

Before eight o'clock that morning, Wu Li arrived at the office with red eyes, because she had argued with her husband again the night before
, almost coming to blows. She sat down listlessly, and had just turned on her computer when her boss, Johnny, rushed over
and leaned down to say to her, "Mrs. Qian, I have some bad news. Last night, Jerry informed me that our
business is declining, we can't hold on any longer, and we have to cut expenses. One-third of the employees will be on extended leave until the situation improves
. I'm really sorry, you and your friend Mrs. Zhao are both on that one-third list. You
know, this is a painful decision, but it's a necessary one." " You'll receive a week's severance pay, and your medical
and dental insurance will expire at the end of the month."

Wu Li looked up, bewildered, at her boss, remaining silent. Although she had been mentally prepared,
she was still somewhat shocked and incredulous when the day actually arrived. Johnny, of course, wasn't dealing with this kind of situation for the first time.
He continued, "Mrs. Qian, believe me, once the situation improves, I'll definitely bring you back first."

"Johnny, Anna hasn't arrived yet. When she comes, when you go to inform her, will you also say that
you'll definitely bring her back first?" Wu Li finally spoke.

Johnny didn't know how to answer, standing there awkwardly, rubbing his hands and blushing.

"Johnny, I've been here for almost three years, have I ever been late? Have I ever left early? I haven't even taken a single day of sick leave!"
"Have I ever delayed anything? Have I ever made a mistake? Have I had less business than others? In the first half of last year alone, I brought
in seventy new clients, sold fifty insurance policies, and signed twenty mortgages!" Wu Li became increasingly agitated. She
stood up abruptly, staring intently at her boss, and angrily asked, "Johnny, tell me, why are you firing me?
Why me?"

"Well, Mrs. Qian, you're only talking about the first half of last year. What about the second half? And this year
? Let me ask you again, have you kept all your clients? Why don't you answer? Fine, I'll answer for you.
They've all run away, left town, and will never come back!" Johnny's tone also rose higher and higher. Fortunately, there
was still an hour before the nine o'clock start time, and no one else was in the office.

Wu Li's eyes drooped; she could no longer be defiant: "But boss, other people lost clients too
. This economic crisis isn't my fault, so why wasn't I among those two-thirds?"

"Li, I know you and Anna have done a good job, but it's not enough." Johnny's tone softened, and
he casually placed one hand on his female subordinate's shoulder: "Everyone complains that you two Chinese
ladies don't communicate enough with everyone, lack team spirit. You go straight home after work, never go to
bars , and rarely participate in company events, including charity events, isn't that right?"

Wu Li remained silent, unable to answer.

Johnny observed Wu Li's expression, his hand slowly caressing the woman's shoulder, his tone
becoming increasingly ambiguous: "Also, Li, you should know that team spirit also includes obeying the boss, supporting the boss, and
accepting the tasks assigned by the boss—I mean all kinds of tasks. You and Anna haven't done this very well. You always
brush , keep your distance from me, and are unwilling to meet my needs—I'm not referring to work-related needs, do you understand?" Wu

Li wasn't a naive newcomer; she understood perfectly well. Her boss had hinted at wanting
a physical relationship with her several times before, but such a blatant threat was unprecedented. Recalling
many couldn't help but sigh. She had gotten married and gone abroad because she was tired of these things, but she never imagined
she wouldn't be able to escape them. The world was truly strange; no matter where you were, there were always people who were overjoyed by every crisis, seeing
it as an opportunity. Wu Li tried her best to calm herself down, quickly going through the cause and effect, but she
couldn't with a solution. This place wasn't like a big city. In the city's legitimate companies, the rednecks are generally uncouth, and sexual harassment is hardly
a big deal. Unless you have solid evidence of rape, it's useless to report it anywhere. Besides,
if blows up, it won't just offend Johnny, but all the locals in town.

Seeing Wu Li remain silent, Johnny assumed things were going well and became bolder. He wrapped his arms around the woman,
leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "Li, you might not know, but I've
slept with many women in town. My skills are excellent, definitely no worse than your husband's. I'll definitely send you to the moon."
Johnny's hands slowly moved down, pressing against his female subordinate's buttocks through her thin wool uniform skirt. Just as he was about to make
a further move, Wu Li turned and pushed his hands away, calmly saying, "Boss, thank you for telling me all this. It's
almost 8:30, and my colleagues will be here soon. How about this, we can discuss this later? I
mean, give me a few days to think about it."

"Okay, no problem. You should probably consult your husband." Johnny released her hand,
shrugged , and answered casually, "Every day after work, I go to the bar at the east end of town for a couple of drinks,
the one with the hotel behind it. Think it over, then come find me there, but don't keep me waiting too long. The official layoff
plan will be announced in ten days, and I still have to talk to your friend Anna later. God, this is a real chore."

Johnny shook his head, didn't look at his female subordinate again, and left with a smug smile. Wu Li silently
endured the clanging of his leather shoes, left the room, and finally disappeared around the corner of the corridor before slowly sitting
down. She disliked this domineering boss who took advantage of her vulnerability, but she couldn't ignore her family's predicament, her terrible
marital relationship, and her two underage children.

Her colleagues arrived one after another.

Wu Li shook her head, sighed inwardly, banished the unpleasant thoughts, and faced the computer to work, but she
could no longer concentrate.

(III)

Wanru and Wu Li both work for Johnny, but they no longer share an office. Usually,
Wanru would come to find Wu Li for lunch around noon, but she didn't come today. Wu Li didn't notice either, as she had been sitting in
front of her computer and had forgotten about lunch.

Eight hours passed like this.

At five o'clock, when it was time to leave work, Wu Li left the office without saying goodbye to anyone. As she walked out
the door, she saw Wanru standing blankly in the parking lot. Wu Li knew Wanru had something to say, and probably
knew what she wanted to say. Wu Li quickly walked over, and Wanru quickly came to meet her. As soon as they met, Wanru
asked directly, "Xiao Li, you got bad news too?"

Wu Li stopped and nodded.

As the saying goes, those in the same boat feel the same way. Wanru seemed to have found a straw, urgently asking, "Why are we so
unlucky? What should we do?"

"What should we do? Pack your bags and leave!" "Wu Li replied helplessly, "We'll go back to Texas,
you go back to Canada. There's always a way out. You won't starve, so
why not just take welfare? Didn't you say the welfare system in Canada is better than here?"

"But what about the house?" Wanru's eyes seemed to be brimming with tears. She grabbed her friend's arm:
"We bought the house with a loan. How are we going to sell it now? The situation is so bad, who would want to buy it? A forced sale
would result in a huge loss, and we don't have any money. Besides, we came here because we couldn't find work there."

"Wanru, don't be like that. I was just saying that out of anger." Wu Li sighed and removed Wanru
's hand: "To be honest, I don't know what to do either. You know our family's situation. What can I
do? Didn't you say the other day that some things can only be endured and let things take their course? I think we shouldn't rush things today. Getting anxious
won't help. Let's go home and think about it tonight." Wanru

knew that Wu Li's family was in even greater difficulty and that her relationship with her husband was not good, so she felt a little more at ease. She
secretly rejoiced that her husband was still responsible enough, and thinking that there was really nothing that could be discussed here, she could only say, "
Okay , let's talk about it tomorrow. I don't even have an appetite for lunch."

The two nearly new Toyota Camrys drove away one after the other.

Wu Li dragged her weary body home. Pushing open the door, she found it cold and empty, the lights off. Her
two children sat on the floor, glued to the adult soap opera on TV. Wu Li put down her bag, kicked off her high heels,
and asked as kindly as possible, "My little darlings, how was your day? Where's Daddy?"

"Um, over there," her eldest daughter replied, looking up and gesturing with her lips.

Wu Li turned to look at her husband, slumped on the sofa, his eyes vacant and lifeless.

"Old Qian, are you sick?"

"No."

"Feeling unwell?"

"No."

"Then why don't you make the children some food? You can't let them watch TV all the time, it'll make them nearsighted,
don't you know that?"

"Of course I know, so what?" Dr. Qian sat up, answering weakly, "Wu Li, please
, let me have some peace and quiet, can't I just rest? I know I'm being disliked right now, but don't keep
talking to me like that."

Wu Li's anger flared up instantly: "Old Qian, am I disliked? You can argue with me, but please take
some responsibility for the children, okay? You're a grown man, always hanging your head, what kind of
influence are you setting on the children? Can't you control your emotions, even if not for me, make a little sacrifice for the children?"

"Are emotions so easy to control?" Dr. Qian retorted angrily, "
Haven't I made enough sacrifices for this family? When we married, I had a huge fight with my family. Later, the Petroleum Institute invited me to be a Yangtze River Scholar, but
you didn't want to return to China, so I gave it up. Then, I finally got a job through the Thousand Talents Program—such a great opportunity!
But you ruined it because the children couldn't come back. Now you're blaming me! Let me tell you, if anyone's going to make sacrifices
, it should be you!"

"Fine, you said it yourself! I'll sacrifice! I'll go sacrifice for you right now!" Wu Li turned and
stormed into the master bedroom, slamming the door shut. She collapsed onto the bed, covering her face with her hands, tears streaming down her face.

Wu Li's hometown was in northern Jiangsu. Poverty taught her early on what struggle and sacrifice meant
. She graduated from Shanghai Media University, formerly known as Shanghai Broadcasting and Television School, a school with a terrible reputation. Wu Li
found a job immediately after graduation—at Shanghai Television, a place everyone envied. No one knows how she won over that
lecherous and sleazy recruitment director, but everyone believes that this pretty young woman fought hard and sacrificed a great deal.
Wu Li continued to strive, and in just a few years, she rose from a lowly handyman to a financial program anchor.
Only she knows how much she sacrificed, both mentally and physically. Ten years ago, on an ordinary morning, Wu Li woke up and turned her
head . The first thing she saw was an ugly, obese old face! It was the director of the TV station,
her direct superior, with filthy saliva dripping from his half-open mouth. The young woman suddenly felt
nauseous and almost vomited. So, Wu Li grew weary. Wu Li went on blind dates, Wu Li got married, Wu Li resigned and
went abroad, Wu Li studied accounting at a community college, Wu Li had her first child, Wu Li had her second child
, Wu Li's husband found a job, Wu Li also found a job, Wu Li's husband lost his job, Wu Li faced
a crisis, Wu Li lay in bed crying.

A series of clanging noises came from the kitchen, then quickly moved to the dining room.

Wu Li's thoughts were interrupted. She looked up; outside the window, the setting sun hung high in the western sky, illuminating the distant
, endless mountain ranges. She gazed intently at the towering peaks, majestic and unyielding, as if calling upon
people to strive and persevere. Wu Li got up, went to the bathroom, washed her face, and looked in the mirror. Thankfully,
the woman in the mirror, though haggard, was still beautiful. Wu Li lightly touched up her makeup, took off her shirt and suit
skirt, took a cloth dress from the wardrobe, hesitated, then put it back. She changed into a low-cut white dress,
put it on, paused for a moment, looked left and right, then sighed softly: everything has changed, only her figure remains the same
.

Wu Li pushed open the bedroom door. In the dining room, her husband and children were eating, pasta with tomato sauce, none of them daring
to look up. There were four plates of noodles on the table, one of which was untouched, clearly left for his wife by Dr. Qian. Wu Li had
no appetite. She silently walked to the door, bent down, picked out a pair of white high heels, and stopped to say, "I
have a few accounts to finish. I'll work overtime. You guys go to sleep first, don't wait for me." Dr. Qian didn't look up. After a while,
he hummed in agreement, "Don't stay up too late, be careful not to get tired." Wu Li put on her shoes, straightened up, and felt a pang of sadness. She
opened the door, facing outside, and added, "Old Qian, take the kids out for a walk tomorrow. Don't always stay cooped up at
home; it's not good for you or the kids. I have a plan, everything will be alright."

After saying this, Wu Li didn't dare turn around and quickly ran out of the house.

It was still early, and the town was bathed in the brilliant sunset.

(IV)

Wu Li walked into the dimly lit bar, stopped, adjusted her posture for a moment, and then looked around. Johnny was sitting
at the bar, with half a glass of whiskey on the rocks in front of him. He saw Wu Li first and waved to her,
a look . Wu Li also saw her boss, walked over, and sat down beside him.

Johnny had thought he'd have to wait a few more days, but he hadn't expected his female subordinate to change so quickly, showing up for the appointment that very day
. He couldn't help but feel excited. He beckoned to the waitress: "Please give this lady a margarita, with extra
juice." "No," Wu Li interrupted him, "whiskey, not iced."

Johnny was somewhat surprised again, but quickly understood: this woman was on her first date with her boss and needed
some alcohol to numb herself. He watched Wu Li sip the strong liquor, a pang of pity rising in his heart, but lust
still far outweighed it. After a while, seeing that the woman had drunk enough, Johnny asked, "Mrs.
Qian, no, dear Li, I didn't expect you to come to the appointment tonight."

Wu Li didn't answer, put down her glass, stared at it for a long time, and finally said, "I didn't expect it either,
Johnny. Listen, I'm asking you to use a condom."

This time, Johnny wasn't surprised. He chuckled, turned, and beckoned to the waitress, "Tell your boss to get
a room. It has to be quiet, like always. But this time, get me a condom—a large, extra-thin one."

In a corner not far away, some colleagues from the credit union—Johnny's so-called team, mostly department
managers and low-level leaders—were also gathered around a table, drinking. They glanced sideways at Johnny and Wu Li
while engaging in a lively and unrestrained discussion.

"Looks like old Johnny's got his cake and eating it again. I bet in fifteen minutes, Mrs. Qian, that
fake respectable woman, will be naked and letting old Johnny fuck her until her soul leaves her body, and then it'll be our turn."

"Yeah, right. But I'd rather make another bet: within ten days, we'll get our hands on Mrs. Zhao,
Anna . She's a real respectable woman. How about it, fifty dollars?"

"I'd rather you win."

A burst of laughter erupted from the group. The local customs were rough, and there wasn't much other entertainment;
petty theft and flirting were commonplace.

Wu Li didn't notice the commotion elsewhere. She was somewhat nervous because what was about to happen could
be a one-way street, but she couldn't find any other way out. Life is truly ironic; ten years had passed, and
unexpectedly , she'd come full circle, back to square one.

Johnny tilted his head back, finished the remaining wine in front of him, took the room key and condoms from the waitress, stood up, and left through
the side door . Wu Li paid the bill and followed him.

Behind the bar, in a hotel room, though simple, it was clean: a lamp, a wardrobe, a
television, and a double bed. The room faced west, the sheer curtains half-drawn, unable to obscure the distant, rolling mountains and the brilliant
sunset . The domineering, lecherous boss and his alluring female subordinate finally
faced each other alone on the soft, white-sheeted double bed. On the bedside table beside them lay a large condom.

Silence. Neither spoke.

Johnny gazed at the woman before him with complex emotions. She was beautiful, of medium build,
with delicate features and fair skin. Her white, casual dress, paired with flesh-colored stockings and white high heels,
exuded the allure of a thrifty housewife. American men, unlike Chinese men, found young girls
uninteresting; women in their thirties and forties were the most attractive because they were mature, full-bodied, understood themselves, and
understood men. Johnny felt a warm sensation in his lower abdomen, and a slow swell began in his groin. He raised his left hand and
tentatively placed it on his female subordinate's shoulder.

No sound, no reaction.

Johnny grew bolder, raising his right hand to hook her chin, lifting it high for a moment to admire it,
then lowering his head to kiss and lick her lips.

The woman began to pant.

Johnny skillfully moved his left hand, through the thin fabric of her dress, slowly caressing, probing, and experiencing her from her shoulder to her back and
waist . He was a seasoned and expert at playing with women, quickly
determining that this female subordinate was not a virgin. A truly respectable woman, facing a man other than her husband for the first time,
would instinctively stiffen, but this woman did not. Johnny decided to stop beating around the bush. He freed his hands, lifted her skirt, and
slipped them inside, inserting them into the edge of her underwear, gripping her buttocks, lifting them, and pulling them towards him. Wu Li was tightly bound
, forced to stand on tiptoe, pressed against her boss from head to toe. The boss's lower body bulged, pressing firmly
against the female subordinate's hips. He continued kissing, his tongue finally parting her lips and slipping
inside.

The woman's breathing quickened.

Johnny smiled smugly; he rarely failed with women. Johnny released the female subordinate, expertly
withdrawing his hand, reaching for her back, unfastening the clasp, grasping the zipper, pulling it all the way down, then parting it wide. With a swift movement
, the white dress silently slid down her body, revealing a lace bra and
panties. What a beautiful woman! Johnny leaned down and kissed the female subordinate again. Wu Li's body began to heat up; she
opened her mouth, extending her tongue, and readily accepted the boss's passionate kiss.

The boss and the female subordinate kissed for a long time, until they were breathless, before reluctantly separating.

"Bra and panties, will you take them off yourself or will the boss take them off for you?" Johnny asked, but didn't touch them.

The bra lay on the floor, pure white.

The underwear lay on the floor, still pure white.

The woman's breathing grew increasingly rapid.

Wu Li was a mature woman, mature in spirit and even more so in body. Since the economic crisis, she
had rarely had spiritual exchanges with her husband, let alone perfect lovemaking. All of this made her tense, frustrated,
and also unusually sensitive. The boss's skillful teasing aroused her own hidden vitality and desire, to the point that she even
discovered that roughness and domineering could also be seen as masculine charm.

The boss and his female subordinate embraced tightly again. They caressed and kissed, like lovers reunited after a long separation.

(V)

The sun was about to set, but the room facing west was still brightly lit.

After a long time, the boss, Johnny, and Mrs. Qian, Wu Li, kissed so passionately that they could hardly breathe before they had to
let go of each other.

"Honey, do you insist on a condom?"

"Yes, Johnny, you know I have a family. A layer of rubber will make me feel a little better."

"Okay, I respect that." Johnny shrugged, pressing down on the woman's bare shoulders, subtly applying pressure while
commanding without room for argument, "Kneel down and give me oral sex first!"

Wu Li understood what her boss wanted. The man's strong hands both oppressed and guided her. After a moment's
hesitation , Dr. Qian's wife, the mother of two children, slowly knelt at
the feet of her boss, a lecherous foreign man.

Wu Li was experienced, well-versed in matters of love and sex, and could only sigh: life is like this. Call it
rape , call it adultery, it doesn't change anything anyway, you can only treat it as a kind of enjoyment. She silently
lowered her eyes, reached out her hands, groped for her boss's genitals, loosened his belt, unbuttoned his pants, grabbed his underwear, and
pulled down hard. With a slap, something hard and sticky hit Wu Li's cheek
. Wu Li was startled. Opening her eyes, she saw a huge penis, emitting a faint, fishy odor, dangling precariously
in front of her. She gasped, "My God, how can a foreigner's thing be so big!" In that
moment of astonishment, the thick, long thing suddenly thrust forward, its rounded glans squeezing into
her open mouth, slowly pumping in and out. It was too big, far too big! The poor
Chinese . The boss had to withdraw his enormous penis
. Afraid the boss would force himself on her again, Wu Li dared not delay, showering the man's genitals with passionate kisses, from his lower abdomen to his penis,
from his groin to his scrotum, his mouth on his penis and testicles, moving up and down, sucking and licking.

Johnny was extremely pleased, almost laughing out loud. He enjoyed himself with complete satisfaction, admiring the snow-white...
Shoulders and neck, full breasts, round buttocks, flesh-colored stockings, and white high-heeled shoes. Who would have thought
this hypocritical bitch could be so seductive! Johnny grew increasingly excited, his penis hardening, almost to its
limit. He turned his head, reached out, took a condom from the bedside table, and handed it to his hardworking female subordinate.
Johnny looked down at Wu Li, who had released her mouth, and used his free hand to tear open the packaging, take out the thin film condom, and stick it to the head of his boss's penis.
He carefully used his mouth to hold it in place, then slowly slid it down until it completely enveloped the thick, long shaft.

So professional, so stimulating!

"Enough, get up and lie down on the bed!" Johnny could no longer restrain himself. He ripped off
the buttons on his shirt and ordered the poor woman, "Hold onto your thighs and lift them up, spread your legs, and wait for the boss to fuck you!"

Johnny threw off his shirt, tossed aside his pants piled on his feet, kicked off his shoes and socks, and followed the woman onto the bed. Having just
savored Mrs. Qian's upper body, it was time to enjoy her lower body. Johnny admired Mrs. Qian's
body , completely unguarded and exposed, her white high heels off, leaving only long stockings on her legs.
He lifted the woman's thighs, carefully rolled the stockings up to her ankles, pulled them down, and tossed them off the bed, first one,
then the other. Johnny bent down, pressing between his female subordinate's legs. Hmm, it looked quite clean; her labia majora and minora
weren't too dark, much better than his Eastern European prostitutes. He began to lick her wet vulva, once,
twice, three times. Wu Li could no longer endure it; she moaned incessantly, writhing, arching her back, pressing her lower body
even closer to her boss. Enough, that's enough. Johnny propped himself up, raised his head, quietly pulled off the condom, tossed it aside, and
quickly crawled two steps, pressing down on the woman. The boss's thick, long penis pressed against the female subordinate's vulva. It pushed in,
slowly pushing in. Okay, the glans went in, stopped, then started moving again, continuing to push in, little by little, inch by
inch , until finally, all the way in!

The boss and the female subordinate's pubic bones were pressed tightly together.

The sun had set, and the last rays of the setting sun slanted across the double bed, also illuminating
the sweaty . Without the barrier of a condom, the boss and the female subordinate were intertwined, so tightly that there was almost
no gap. Johnny thrust in and out skillfully and frantically, more and more violently, faster and faster. He quickly became familiar with
the woman's body, pulling out only half of his glans, and inserting it all the way in,
reaching the cervix. Wu Li gasped and moaned, her hands tightly wrapped around the man's broad back, arching her back to meet
the boss's thrusts, waves of pleasure rising higher and higher. She knew the man had tampered with the condom, but her parched
body, finally receiving its first taste of sweetness, willingly gave up everything. Before her marriage, Wu Li had slept with many men, but
never with a foreigner. Now, it seemed those men, including her husband,
were far inferior to the American rednecks in terms of size, physique, stamina, and skill. This man was truly different; this bastard
on top of her , he must have grown up eating beef. Ah,

he'd hit her G-spot again, it felt so good. The bed creaked and shook; bodies slammed together.

The sky began to darken. (The boss was thrusting into Mrs. Qian frantically, faster and faster.) Johnny and Wu Li were so engrossed that their frenzy didn't last long. A quarter of an hour later, they were locked in a tight embrace, as if trying to become one. With a roar, Johnny suddenly thrust, his burning hot penis plunging to the very bottom. He stopped, his scrotum contracting, his vas deferens swelling, and then, one, two, three streams of thick semen began to spurt out. Wu Li trembled uncontrollably, her uterus spasming, her vagina automatically tightening, firmly gripping the convulsing penis. They bit and entwined... They clung together, ejaculated, inhaled, panted, groaned, both reaching their peak, only to plummet together again. The last rays of sunset faded away helplessly. The storm finally subsided. Wu Li lay exhausted on the bed, her lust released, leaving even more empty. A wave of guilt towards her husband washed over her. Johnny lay on top of Wu Li, his limp penis still inside her vagina after ejaculating. He had satisfied his desire for Wu Li's beautiful body, and was now completely content, even somewhat smug. "Li, my darling, was it good? How do I compare to your husband?" Johnny propped himself up, looking at the woman beneath him with smug satisfaction. "Hmm, it was good. You're about the same size as my husband," Wu Li said, turning her face away from her boss's greedy gaze. "Really? Your Chinese husband is this thick and long?" Johnny was clearly skeptical. "Of course, we're all human, how much difference could there be?" A wave of disgust rose in Wu Li's heart. She changed the subject , asking with a hint of sarcasm, "Johnny, everyone else is unlucky with this round of layoffs, but how much did you benefit from?" "You mean how many women I slept with? Not many. Three in our department: the Czech slut, the Romanian bitch, and you. The two cashier girls at the front desk, and the three big-assed Mexican women in the back office, I fucked them all thoroughly. Oh, and in a few days, your friend Anna will be just like you, obediently letting me pin her down and fuck her hard." "What did the front desk and back office ask you for?" Wu Li felt nauseous listening to the redneck's vulgar language, but she couldn't suppress her curiosity. "Johnny, how far can your influence reach?" "Of course I can't control them, and they don't have anything to ask of me. " "Redneck got excited again, his limp penis trembled a few times, and began to slowly swell. 'But you know, we have a team, all of us in management like me. You saw us at the bar earlier, I don't know if you saw us. We value teamwork the most, everyone always shares their prey.' Wu Li shivered, her body suddenly turning cold, and then a surge of anger began to rise. She turned her head and looked directly at her boss, asking, 'Johnny, so this is what you call teamwork? I'm asking you, am I going to sleep with each member of your team one by one?' 'Of course, I've already told them.' Johnny was still excited, his penis growing harder and harder, completely unaware of the woman's change. 'My darling, once you've slept with each member of my team, of course not...'"

"It must be today, then you'll never have to worry about layoffs again. After I've calmed down,
let's do it again, doggy style, how about it?"

This bastard is practically courting death! Wu Li's anger burned brighter and brighter. Without a word, she slowly
raised her right hand and lashed it out.

With a slap, half of Johnny's face swelled up.

(VI)

When Wu Li left the hotel, it was completely dark. The deep blue mountains in the distance were
faintly visible under the sparse starlight. Apart from the dim streetlights, there were few lights in the town, because
everyone wanted to save on electricity bills during this difficult time. Wu Li drove into the residential area and saw a bright light in the distance,
particularly striking in the deep night. It was her own light, yes, the light in front of her own door. Old Qian must have turned it on specially.
A warm feeling welled up in Wu Li's heart, then turned into a pang of sadness. Modern life is so fragile; a single
oil price crisis can destroy everything. Everything was disrupted. Just hours ago, Wu Li was an ordinary wife and mother, but
now, her body was filled with the semen of another man besides her husband.

Actually, Wu Li and her husband had a good relationship, and if it weren't for this crisis, they would have continued to be happy together.
Ten years ago, Wu Li was introduced to Dr. Qian, who was back in China for a conference. Ms. Wu was immediately
smitten with Dr. Qian. Dr. Qian was from the north, tall, had just received his doctorate, and seemed to have a bright future. More
importantly , because he had gone abroad early, he was relatively naive and obviously not easily controlled by a Shanghai woman. At that time... Just over
thirty, focused solely on studying and experiments, and never having had a girlfriend, he was instantly
captivated by the beauty and charm of a young Shanghai girl. The two quickly became inseparable and agreed that the following summer, Dr. Qian would return to marry Wu Li in
a grand ceremony . When the news reached Beijing, Dr. Qian's parents were furious, firmly opposing their son's
relationship with a Shanghai woman, especially one who worked in media. Miss Wu threw herself into Dr. Qian's arms, weeping uncontrollably
, saying she must listen to her mother, that being a filial son was good, and that remaining unmarried for life was also fine.
Dr. Qian had gone abroad early, and besides seeing... Having never been into striptease, he was a complete novice, utterly unfamiliar with such tricks.
The Shanghai girl had him completely aroused, his body going limp, and he tumbled onto the bed in a daze. Miss Wu,
panting , half-heartedly yielded, and in less than half an hour, everything was done. Dr. Qian, finished, pulled up his pants,
and the stubbornness of a northern man kicked in. Without a word, he grabbed his passport, dragged Wu Li straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau, and made it
a fait accompli . Dr. Qian's father was so angry he almost had a stroke, severing all ties with his son until Wu Li gave
birth to their first child, a boy, after which their relationship slowly began to improve.

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(In less than half an hour, the Shanghai girl had everything sorted out.)

Wu Li parked the car, opened the front door, and casually turned off the light outside. She found the children's room
in the dark listened through the door—there was no sound—and then reached the master bedroom, where she heard snoring. Wu Li carefully opened
the door, tiptoed inside, and, not daring to turn on the light, quietly slipped into the bathroom, took off her clothes, and turned on the shower. Only
then did Wu Li realize that she had forgotten her stockings when she left the hotel in such a hurry. What a pity, such a nice
pair of stockings! Wu Li felt a pang of regret. She took a thorough shower from head to toe, making sure
there were no traces or smells of infidelity left, before quietly slipping out in the dark and carefully climbing into bed, lying down next to her
sleeping husband. On the way home, Wu Li had been deeply remorseful—not for
sleeping with her boss, but for losing control of her emotions and slapping him. Ugh, what a mess! All her efforts
were wasted. That redneck bastard would definitely hold a grudge; she'd gotten herself into his bed for nothing.

Although Wu Li was physically and mentally exhausted, she couldn't fall asleep. When people are sleepless, they often reminisce, and Wu Li
was no exception. She remembered how difficult it was to be alone in Shanghai after graduating from university. Although she got a job
at the TV station , she was only a contract worker, never a permanent employee. She begged and pleaded,
bribing everyone—cameramen, directors, program managers, etc.—but it was all in vain. The anxiety drove Wu Li to the point of premature graying.
A woman from northern Jiangsu, feeling sorry for the young girl, secretly advised her that she shouldn't sleep with just any man,
but only with the big bosses. Everyone else was just a lackey, useless regardless of rank. Wu Li,
a smart girl, understood immediately. A week later, in a large suite at the Jinjiang Hotel, a
satisfied station director made the decision
on the spot: the young girl was promoted, given a special opportunity, and directly assigned to the financial news program as an anchor. Wu Li should have been riding high, but one day, a problem arose.
Several new graduates from Fudan University's journalism department arrived at the station, all young, beautiful, and ambitious. Looking at these competitors, Wu Li
saw a reflection of her former self. She suddenly felt weary, utterly weary. Wu Li began seeking introductions
to potential partners , not caring about age or looks, only about financial stability to support a wife. This led her to Dr. Qian, whom she married, went abroad to have
children, and later came to this small town, looking for work, buying a house, and eventually ending up like this.

In the darkness, Wu Li stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, as if she could see that woman from northern Jiangsu again.
People staying abroad for too long makes you stupid, and that's absolutely true. Johnny was just a henchman, a
slightly bigger henchman, not a boss at all. The real boss was only one person, that black bastard Jerry.
Thinking of this, Wu Li felt another wave of annoyance, but after the annoyance subsided, she gradually formed an idea. "Redneck brat,
dare to mess with me? Let's see who wins in the end." With this idea in mind, the anxiety subsided, and drowsiness crept in
. Wu Li closed her eyes, turned over, and faced away from her husband. She had to fall asleep quickly because there were still
a lot of things to deal with after dawn. Wu Li felt pathetic at times, already a mother of two,
yet having to repeat the shame of ten years ago; at other times, she felt at peace, this was just a simple transaction, a means of survival
, and had nothing to do with love, fidelity, or morality.

She didn't know how much time had passed before Wu Li slowly drifted off to sleep.

For many people, this was destined to be a difficult night. Wanru was even more unfortunate than Wu Li, almost completely...
She hadn't slept. When she got home from work, Dr. Zhao had already cooked dinner and was getting ready to leave for his night shift. Wanru
swallowed her words, unsure how to broach the subject, especially the matter of her boss wanting to sexually harass her. Dr. Zhao was
a good man from Shanghai, but also quite sensitive.
Wanru never discussed the trivialities of work life with her husband, especially anything involving relationships. Unlike Wu Li, Wanru came from a scholarly family and hadn't experienced
any major setbacks. Her parents were teachers at the Beijing Petroleum Institute, and her husband, Lao Zhao, was her father's graduate student.
Their courtship, marriage, and going abroad had all gone smoothly, except for finding work overseas. Wanru
had no problem handling daily affairs, but when faced with a life-or-death decision, she panicked and couldn't make up her mind. She
thought about everything from before to after dinner, not even knowing when her husband had left. The more she thought, the more frightened she became.
Unlike the Qian family, the Zhao family didn't have green cards; they used North American Free Trade Area work permits, which required annual renewals at the US-Canada
border . Dr. Zhao found a job first, and Wanru followed him. Now the tables have turned; her husband is laid off and is now dependent
on her. If both of them lose their employers, the problem becomes serious, and theoretically, they would have to leave the country and return to
Canada . If that happens, they'll likely have to sell their property at a loss, resulting in significant financial losses. Worst of all,
the Canadian economy is also in dire straits, even worse than before. The Canadian dollar has plummeted, and the job market is practically nonexistent.
In that case, it might be better to stay in the US, but staying there isn't as simple as it seems. How can she legally
stay?

Wanru settled her three children, washed herself, and lay in bed continuing to ponder. Around midnight
, she finally came up with a solution. After all, the man is always the pillar of the family, so
everything must prioritize her husband, Lao Zhao. The Canadian job market is terrible; if Lao Zhao goes back, he can only do postdoctoral work.
Since he'll be doing postdoctoral work anyway, why not do it in the US? Old Qian had said that the University of Texas at Austin was quite good,
much better than the University of Calgary. Senior postdocs there could earn over $50,000 a year, and Texas didn't seem to have state taxes, so
housing was cheap, and college was cheaper for kids. Yes, that's it. Tomorrow morning I'll talk to Wu Li and ask Old Qian
to introduce some professors with projects so that Old Zhao can do another postdoc. There are many oil companies in Texas, so maybe he can find a professional job again in
a couple of years . Thinking of this, Wanru couldn't help but laugh out loud, which made it
even harder to fall asleep. She didn't close her eyes until dawn.

(VII)

The sun rose, and a new day began.

Wu Li woke up and turned her head to see that her husband was no longer beside her. She heard a series of clanging
sounds presumably Dr. Qian was preparing breakfast. She quickly got up, took a shower, and felt much better.
Then she put on light makeup and did her hair. Wu Li went to the wardrobe, thought for a moment, took out a black
lace bra and panties, changed into them, then put on black stockings, followed by a white shirt, and finally a
dark gray suit skirt.

Wu Li went into the kitchen, where Dr. Qian and their two children were already eating breakfast. Dr. Qian kept his head down and remained silent, while
the children looked up and greeted their mother. Her son didn't understand fashion, but her younger daughter immediately noticed. She
exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Oh, Mommy, you look so beautiful! Is today a special day?"

"Of course not, today is just ordinary, but children, you must remember," Wu Li sat down, glanced at
her husband, and turned to her children, saying, "Every morning, whether it's a good day or a bad day, we
must give ourselves a good mood, understand?"

The two children sensed that their mother had something planned for them today, but couldn't figure out what it could be, so they could only
nod . Dr. Qian noticed nothing amiss, only instructing his wife, "Hurry up and eat, come back early. I
won't stay home forever; I'll take the kids out soon."

Wu Li felt a surge of warmth, her nose stinging, and she couldn't say anything more.

Wanru was unusually late, half an hour late.

Wanru slipped to her seat, turned on her computer, and pretended to be busy, but her eyes kept darting around.
Finally at ten o'clock, it was time for morning tea. She picked up her coffee cup and went to find Wu Li. Just as she entered the hallway, she saw
Wu Li gracefully walking towards her. Wanru quickly went to greet her, but Wu Li turned and went into the general manager's
office . The general manager's office was a suite; the outer room should have been occupied by the secretary, Susan, but
Susan was on sick leave these past few days, so it was empty. Wanru found it strange. Wu Li never ignored her;
what was wrong today? Was she intentionally avoiding her? Wanru approached the general manager's office, stopped, looked around to make sure
no one was , hesitated for a moment, then gently pushed open the door and went in, closing it behind her. The door to the inner room was ajar, leaving
a small crack. Unable to contain her curiosity, Wanru quietly approached and peered through the crack.

General Manager Jerry was slumped in his chair, his face weary, a phone tucked between his ear and ear. He was flipping through documents in front of him,
struggling to explain something; clearly, he was in trouble. On the wall behind him hung a portrait of his deceased wife.
She was a young white woman, her face serene and calm, silently watching another woman at her desk. That woman was also
quiet, wearing a white blouse, a dark gray skirt, black stockings, and black high
heels. Though it was just ordinary office attire, she was graceful and elegant. After a long while,
Jerry finally put down the phone, rubbing his forehead and asking in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Qian, for keeping you
waiting. Good heavens, another bad debt is out of reach. Looks like you're in trouble too. What is it?"

"Nothing much. Susan's not here, so I came to see if you needed any help." Wu Li deftly went
behind her boss, placing her hands on his shoulders and skillfully massaging them while gently asking, "Jerry, are you alright
? You look so tired."

"Sigh, I'm fine. What can I do?" Jerry looked up, forcing a smile. "Mrs. Qian,
just say what you want to say. I guess you're here about the layoffs, but I can't do anything about it. It's the board's decision. Operating
costs too high, and business volume is too low; we simply can't afford it."

"Oh, Jerry, it seems you're under even more pressure than we are." Wu Li continued massaging, her hair
casually brushing against the old man's cheek. "I understand the board's decision. The problem is, Johnny took the opportunity to make sexual
advances on me. That's obviously unacceptable, isn't it?"

“Mrs. Qian, sexual harassment is certainly displeasing to God.” Jerry sat up straight, shrugged, and removed
the woman’s hands, answering seemingly seriously, “But you must also know that we live in a small town, not like the big ones.”
"In legitimate businesses in the city, colleagues joking around, even physical contact, as long as it doesn't involve sexual violence, nobody
thinks it's a big deal, you understand?"

"Of course I know that. Haven't I been trying to integrate into this society? I mean, Johnny
doesn't have that right. My understanding is that here, there's only one boss, which is you, and everyone else is an employee.
Employees should be equal, right?" Wu Li carefully placed her hand back on her boss's shoulder,
paused for a moment, and continued, "If it were you making the request instead of Johnny, I would still accept it."

"No, Mrs. Qian, I have professional ethics, and I'm a devout Christian. I don't make
any . Anna wouldn't allow me to do that either." Jerry pointed to the portrait on the wall, his tone becoming even more
serious.

"Of course you wouldn't, you're a decent person, aren't you? But if an employee makes a request, you won't refuse, will you?"
Wu Li gently massaged him, "Jerry, are you feeling better now? Let me help you completely forget your troubles!" "

Oh my god, Wu Li, how could she do this?" Wanru, standing outside the door, almost cried out in surprise. She
quickly lowered her head and covered her mouth. The wall clock ticked away, and her heart pounded in her chest. After
a long while , Wanru heard movement inside again. It was her boss, Jerry, whose voice was much gentler: "Mrs. Qian,
nobody likes to lie. Come, sit here and tell me the truth."

"Jerry, it's like this, my husband lost his job, I need your protection, my family needs your
protection." Wu Li's voice was sincere and calm, revealing no sorrow or helplessness.

Silence fell.

Wanru felt as if she were sinking into a quagmire, her chest tight and her breath suffocating. After a long while, she finally raised her head,
pressed her chest, and continued peering through the crack in the door. Her best friend was already sitting on her boss's lap, her shirt open
, passionately kissing him. Wanru didn't want to watch any longer. She leaned against the wall, only halfway to her feet, when she
had to stop again because someone inside spoke.

"When Anna was alive, she was always so helpful. I think if she knew your predicament,
she would definitely agree to help you, wouldn't she? Dear Li, this is the first time I've kissed a Chinese woman, it feels wonderful.
Oh, by the way, I'll tell Johnny, he won't bother you anymore."

"Thank you, dear boss!"

"Don't mention it, it's your due reward. Li, you Chinese women like to wear stockings, very nice,
they feel so smooth to the touch." The boss's large hand slipped inside Wu Li's skirt, slowly caressing it. His tone
suddenly shifted, "But I'm afraid you'll have to say goodbye to your friend, Mrs. Zhao."

Wanru was startled and quickly held her breath, listening intently.

"Why? Can't you keep Anna here too?" Wu Li was clearly surprised as well. "She's a
great employee. She brought in more than half of all our Chinese clients. Besides, you know, she
's my only friend here."

"I know, but I have to be fair. You must have heard about that company up north. The other day,
the boss made money and wanted to share it, so he raised the receptionist's annual salary to 70,000. And what happened?
All the key employees jumped ship. Why? It wasn't fair. What does fairness mean? You reap what you sow, and the more you sow, the more you
reap. If Mrs. Zhao wants to stay, she has to put in the same effort as you, doesn't she?"

"But...but Anna is stubborn. I'm afraid she won't agree." "

Then wish her good luck, but perhaps you could try to persuade her. You're good friends, you should help each other
honestly , right?" The boss continued to stroke her, meticulously and attentively.

"Me? I'm afraid it won't be of any use."

"Alright, that's up to you. Darling, as your protector, I'm going to exercise a
little bit of . Take off your clothes, stick your butt out, and lie on the table!" Jerry finally couldn't hold back any longer, "By the way,
I heard that Chinese women are very tight down there because your men's things are too small, is that true?
Let me verify it now." (Wanru watched as Wu Li stripped naked in front of the boss, piece by piece.) Wanru

held her breath, her eyes wide, her heart pounding like a rabbit's. She watched as Wu Li removed her clothes —shirt, skirt, bra, panties—and then leaned down, supporting herself on the edge of the table. Next, she watched as the boss loosened his belt, pulled down his trousers and shorts, and pressed himself against his friend's back. Although the boss was over fifty, he was still broad-shouldered and muscular, like a black cheetah. My God, the boss's black thing is so big and long, sticking straight up like a club—no, not that hard, not that straight, more like a giant python. What is the boss doing? He lifted Wu Li up, with great strength, and put her down. Now Wu Li's upper body is completely on the table, only her toes are touching the ground. Oh, this way Wu Li is sticking up even higher, her buttocks are so white. The boss then spread Wu Li's right leg open, lifted it, and placed it on the table. My God, Wu Li's lower body is completely naked, her plump buttocks are angled towards the door, clearly visible, that area is bulging like a small steamed bun, the vulva is shiny, as if water is seeping out. Look, what is the boss going to do now? He spat into his palm and smeared it on his glans. Good, smeared it evenly , that glans is really big, smooth, black and shiny, like a mushroom. Then, the big black mushroom pressed against Wu Li, pushing in, pushing in, pushing all the way in. Good heavens, how could Wu Li bear it! Suddenly, Wanru felt as if she'd been electrocuted; her throat went dry, she felt weak all over, and her body trembled uncontrollably. A burning sensation rose within her, starting from her heart, flowing through her blood vessels to every part of her body. Wanru felt a heat in her lower body; oh no, a warm current surged out. She couldn't hold on any longer; her hands loosened, her body went limp, and she slid down to the ground against the wall. (VIII) It was already completely dark, the evening breeze carrying a coolness, gently caressing the treetops. A half-moon quietly climbed into the sky, casting its cool light upon the quiet town, while the shadows of the towering peaks had already merged with the night. In Wanru's house, the children were already asleep, only the master bedroom light was still on. Dr. Zhao leaned against the headboard, flipping through an advertising tabloid. Wanru sat in front of the dressing table, tilting her head, combing her hair, but each time she got stuck...

Her hair was impossible to comb.

A strange tension and unease hung in the air.

"Xiaoru, you don't look well. What important matter is it that requires me to stay home tonight? I even promised
my coworker two packs of cigarettes before he agreed to switch shifts with me," Dr. Zhao said, shaking his newspaper.

Wanru put down her comb, turned to look at her husband, and after a long pause said, "Old Zhao, let's leave."

"Why? Isn't this place quite nice?" Dr. Zhao asked, puzzled.

"Very good? Very good what? Look how hard you're working now. Back in the mining institute, you were
a top student, renowned throughout the entire school. Old Zhao, let's go, let's go back to school. If you don't like Canada, we can look for schools in
America . I like watching you do your research."

"Xiao Ru, doing research is certainly good, but look at my age, I can't achieve anything significant anymore."
Dr. Zhao didn't dare look directly at his wife, lowered his head, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Xiao Ru, I'm sorry, when we got married,
I promised you would be a professor's wife."

"Don't say that," Wan Ru stood up, walked to the bedside, and pulled back the covers, "I've seen a lot over the years abroad.
Whether or not you become a professor is a matter of opportunity, not ability. Old Zhao, isn't this place a bit too small and too remote?"

“Small places have their advantages. Fewer people, fewer opportunities, but less competition. Xiaoru, listen to me. I
’ve been looking into it lately, and self-employment is actually quite profitable. Opening a motel, a gas station, a small restaurant—there are a lot of tricks to
tax filing .” Dr. Zhao pulled his wife onto the bed. “Since the beginning of the year, many small businesses here
have closed down, but I think oil prices will go up sooner or later. Putin and Saudi Arabia can’t hold on, and then the oil sands
companies will call people back. I don’t want to go back. I want to do business with those who go back. They still need to eat,
drink, and stay, right?”

Wanru was speechless for a moment because she didn’t want to bring up things like sexual harassment.

Dr. Zhao hugged his wife and continued, “You know, Xiao Qian came over this afternoon with the two kids
. He had another fight yesterday. Xiao Qian said he couldn’t take it anymore and really wants to go back to China this time. I told him, ‘
Everyone It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Just solve them one by one. Trying to hide won’t work. You can move to another place
and avoid this difficulty, but then you’ll encounter another one. What will you do then? Move again? Xiao Qian, think about it.
You’ve been abroad for so many years. Can you handle things back home now? What will happen to your wife and children? You can’t just abandon them all,
can ?’ In the end, I persuaded him to go back.”

Yes, everyone encounters difficulties wherever they go. Hiding is definitely not the solution. Shanghai men are reliable,
practical, optimistic, adaptable, and responsible. Wanru was moved by her husband and for a moment forgot her
troubles. She leaned on her husband's shoulder and gently echoed, "Yes, I heard there's been some activity at the oil sands company.
Their finance department seems to be calling people back."

Dr. Zhao smiled, looked up, kissed his wife, and continued, "Xiaoru, I'm different from Xiaoqian.
I don't care what I do, as long as I can earn money so you and the children won't have to worry about food and clothing.
Back , the school-allocated apartments didn't even have property rights, but we were still very happy, weren't we? Now we have our own
house. Of course, we still have to pay the mortgage, but who here doesn't have a mortgage? Our three children are all smart.
We're better off than..." "It's more than enough, isn't it?"

Wanru smiled, nestled in her husband's arms, and said happily, "I believe you. If you say leave, we
'll leave; if you say stay, we'll stay. We won't go anywhere."

Dr. Zhao embraced his wife, kissing her lips as he said emotionally, "Junior sister, thank you. I
know this place is small. If you can hold on for another year or two, and if we still can't find an opportunity, we 'll leave
. We'll go wherever you want."

Wanru didn't say anything more, but gently returned her husband's kiss. Then the two embraced, kissing and
caressing each other, slowly undressing.

The early summer night in the mountain village was already completely quiet. The wall lamp emitted a warm glow, and unknown insects
outside the window chirped their songs.

In difficult times, such a warm night was so precious. Dr. Zhao gently stroked
his wife, and soon Wanru became aroused, moaning and writhing, but Dr. Zhao himself
didn't react much. What's going on? Is it because he's been working too hard lately, or is he really getting old and useless?
Dr. Zhao told himself to relax, relax some more, but the more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. His erection, which had just started,
shrank back. Beads of sweat appeared on Dr. Zhao's forehead. Wanru noticed her husband's unusual behavior,
but remained calm, simply holding him tighter, soothing his back as she gently said, "Brother, don't rush, let
me take it slow, it'll be alright." Dr. Zhao couldn't object, so he could only turn over and lie flat, letting his wife hold his
limp penis and slowly stroke it.

There was no improvement.

A sense of disappointment welled up in Wanru's heart. She released his hand, bent down, and began kissing her husband's genitals,
from his lower abdomen to his penis, then from his groin to his scrotum.

Still, there was no improvement.

Wanru reluctantly opened her mouth and took her husband's soft little thing into her mouth, swallowing deeply, spitting it out shallowly, gently hooking and teasing it,
but the little thing still hung limply, like a child caught doing something wrong by an adult. (Wanru reluctantly opened her mouth and took her husband's soft little thing into her mouth.)

" Xiaoru, I don't really want to do it today." Dr. Zhao was sweating profusely, and finally, he decided to give up. "I'm sorry, Xiaoru, I've been having a very irregular sleep schedule lately, it's too tiring." "It's okay, actually I'm very tired today too, I don't want to do it. " Wanru gave up too. She held her husband tightly for a while longer before letting go, sitting up, and turning off the wall lamp. In the darkness, the couple lay naked , lying straight on their backs, neither speaking. It was late; Dr. Zhao was already fast asleep, snoring. He rarely lied to his wife; he had indeed been extremely tired these past few days. Wanru tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She got out of bed, tiptoed to the window, and opened it.

Looking out through the curtain, a half-moon hung high in the sky. Its pale light filtered through the swaying new leaves,
casting dappled shadows through the window. Wanru gazed up at the vast, desolate early summer night.
Scenes replayed in her mind: Wu Li, almost naked, hunched over a large table, her snow-white shoulders and neck,
slender waist, and rounded buttocks barely touching the floor with the tip of her high heel. That dreadful
Jerry, his burly body pressed tightly against his female subordinate, his dark buttocks heaving like a country stallion,
tirelessly thrusting in and out. The wet, squeaking sounds of their bodies rubbing together; the slapping sounds of their hot flesh
colliding! Heavy breathing, wanton moans, mixed with a strong body odor,
wafted .

The bright moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light onto Wanru's fair
face. She leaned quietly against the window frame, her mind wandering: Old Hei's thing was really something else. Unlike the Chinese,
who had to go through the motions of "nine shallow, one deep," he just went for it from the start, at least twenty minutes, no, more than that,
probably half an hour. Slowly, that strange heat returned to her body, from her heart to
her blood vessels, and then to every part of her body. Wanru couldn't help but reach out and explore between her legs. It was fuzzy
and wet labia were subtly swollen, smooth and comfortable to touch. Wanru gently explored
until her fingertips touched a tiny bud. She bit her lip, clamped her legs tightly around his hand, and
began to twist them forcefully.

(IX)

Good days must go by, bad days must go by, and soon it was Friday.

It wasn't a cloudy day, but Wanru sensed something was off as soon as she got to work. Half an hour before opening,
some colleagues were suddenly called to a meeting. Everyone else was extremely nervous, huddled in small groups,
whispering and anxiously waiting. The meeting ended quickly, and everyone who came out had red eyes.

The first round of layoffs had finally arrived.

Like everyone else, Wanru was first relieved, then saddened. She hadn't eaten lunch and sat there listlessly
until a crisp phone rang. Wanru straightened up, picked up the receiver, and glanced at her watch;
it was almost three o'clock. The call was from Johnny, asking her to go to the manager's office. Wanru put down the receiver,
didn't think much of it, and stood up to leave. She knew it couldn't be anything good, but she was curious to see what tricks this country bumpkin
could pull!

A few minutes later, Johnny and Wanru were face to face alone.

"Anna, please sit down!" Johnny rested his head on his hands, leaned back in his chair, and raised his chin.

“Thank you, please call me Mrs. Zhao.” Wanru sat down with composure, adjusted her skirt, and looked directly at the young
boss. “Speak, what is it?”

Johnny sat up straight, avoiding Wanru’s gaze, picked up a document from the table, and handed it to her. “Mrs. Zhao,
this is the layoff list. Your name was originally on it, but I removed it.”

Wanru took it and glanced at it. Indeed, her name was there, marked with a prominent red line. She put
the document back on the table and asked, “Johnny, thank you. You seem to have something else to say, don’t you?”

“You’re quite a smart woman.” Johnny leaned back in his chair, adopting an air of
superiority . He opened a drawer, took out another document, placed it on the table, and pushed it forward. “Here
’s another list, for the next round of layoffs. Here, take a look!”

Wanru reached for the paper, accidentally dropping it to the floor. She composed herself, bent down
to pick it up, unfolded it, and immediately saw her name. Wanru concealed her nervousness and
read . She was indeed listed, but Wu Li's name wasn't.

"I can cross your name out again, but this time, it'll be a bit more difficult."

Wanru stared blankly at the thin piece of paper in her hand, remaining silent.

Johnny smiled smugly. He stood up, walked around the table, and went to his female subordinate's side. Wanru snapped
out of her daze, put the paper back on the table, and also stood up, arms crossed, watching her boss warily. Johnny looked down at
the woman before him. This woman was no longer young, but she was still beautiful and captivating: a white dress,
impeccably tailored, exuding elegance and intellect; a full bust, a firm waist, rounded hips, and
stockings and high heels. What a wonderful woman! She was perfectly mature, definitely no less attractive than that bitch Wu Li. Johnny
slowly raised his hands, seemingly casually supporting Wanru, and whispered as he leaned closer, "Last night, I had
a dream. I dreamt you were in my bed, wearing this white dress, but not flesh-colored stockings. Hmm,
no, I remember they were black, yes, black pantyhose."

Wanru still didn't speak.

Johnny carefully observed the woman, and seeing no strong reaction, he was secretly pleased, thinking that things had gone smoothly again.
His courage grew, and he leaned close to the woman's ear, continuing, "I saw you lying on the edge of the bed, lifting
your skirt, sticking your butt out and smiling at me, like you'd treat an old flame.

"

(Johnny dreamt that Wanru was lying on the edge of the bed, lifting her skirt, sticking out her round buttocks.)

"And then?" Wanru finally spoke.

"And then? Then, of course, it was sex. I pulled down your pantyhose and underwear—no, I ripped them open
—and then I thrust into you from behind, fucking you for a full half hour. It felt so good!" Johnny
squinted , self-absorbed, his words becoming increasingly explicit. "Anna, your pussy is so tight,
tighter than that Czech bitch's asshole in our department."

"Really? That's a nice dream." Wanru, far from being angry, laughed and slowly raised
her right hand. Johnny suddenly remembered Wu Li's mouth, quickly turned his face away, and took a step back. Wanru's smile
became even more natural. With her raised hand, she casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said sincerely, "Manager, go home, go to bed early,
and have that dream again!"

After saying that, Wanru reached out and pushed Johnny aside, walking out of the room without looking back, leaving only the lingering echo of her high heels.

Johnny stared blankly at the door, filled with regret: I never thought there were actually decent women in this world.
How come I didn't meet one before I got married!

(Ten)

Not far behind the credit union, across the parking lot, lay a dense grove of trees. It was a sunny early summer afternoon,
the sun warm. Wanru and Wu Li walked side-by-side into the shade of the trees, following a path, turning a corner,
and a sweet fragrance wafted towards them. The two women stopped and looked up. It was a tall locust tree, its branches spreading wide, its leaves
intertwined, clusters of white locust blossoms hanging from the lush young leaves. Wanru reached out and picked a cluster of blossoms,
putting it in her mouth; a sweet taste slowly spread from the corner of her lips. She then picked another cluster and handed it to Wu
Li.

“Try it, you can eat it. We used to have a locust tree in our yard, similar to this one,
only the blossoms were a bit purplish.”

“You mean your home in Beijing?” Wu Li took it, examined it carefully, plucked a blossom, and put it in
her mouth .

“Of course, that’s my real home.”

“Alright, now tell me, what exactly did you call me out for?”

“Do you know there’s a second round of layoffs?”

“Yes.”

“Are you worried?”

“No.”

“You’re not worried? Why?” Wanru asked, reaching for another flower.

“You know, don’t you? You saw everything clearly through the crack in the door that day, didn’t you?” Wu Li stopped Wanru,
somewhat displeased.

“You knew I was outside?” Wanru asked in surprise, her hand frozen in mid-air.

“Of course I know, you slid down and made such a commotion.” Wu Li complained
nonchalantly , “It should have been over in ten minutes, but that bastard saw you outside and wanted to show you,
but it took half an hour, he almost tore my skin raw, do you know that?”

“I’m in the second round of layoffs.” Wanru didn’t respond, but changed the subject.

“I know,” Wu Li sighed. “So what are you planning to do?”

“What am I going to do? I’ve thought it through. I’ll do it the way you did!”

“The way I did? Are you out of your mind? Your husband, Lao Zhao, is from Shanghai. It’s different. He
can support you. You can go back to Canada, unlike us, who have no way out.” This time, it was Wu Li’s turn to be surprised.

“Old Zhao doesn’t want to go back to Canada, nor does he want to go back to the university for a postdoctoral fellowship. He says he’s too old and academic work
is meaningless . He also says that changing places isn’t a good idea; you’ll encounter difficulties wherever you go, and you can’t avoid them.” Wanru
sighed deeply, then reached out again, but instead of picking a flower, she pinched a tender green leaf. “I
’ve figured it out. It’s just sleeping together, what’s the big deal? I’ve had three kids; I’m not
a virgin .”

“You bastard, ah, no, the boss has actually had his eye on you for a while, and he even asked me to advise you to be more flexible. I just
didn’t know how to tell you.” Wu Li lowered her head, thought for a moment, and said, “If that’s really what you think, then I
don’t need to say anything more. Actually, this is quite good; we’re all in the same boat, so you won’t look down on me later.”

Wanru stroked the leaf; the new leaf was delicate and verdant, glistening in the sunlight. Wu Li looked at her best friend
somewhat uneasily, wondering if she had said something wrong. After a long while, Wanru finally put her hand down and spoke
again , "Wu Li, could you help me make an appointment with Jerry? I can't bring myself to ask him out, so the sooner the better, otherwise
I might change my mind."

"Okay, I'll talk to Jerry. Tomorrow's Saturday, at his house in the morning, we won't run into anyone else."
Wu Li breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Jerry's been single for a long time, he's home alone, and he doesn't have anything important to do on the weekend.
Besides, he's had his eye on you for a long time. In your Northern slang, he's been itching for you."

"Has his eye on me? I'm almost forty, and women at forty are considered past their prime. I think he just wants to play around."
Wanru shook her head with a wry smile.

“What do you mean by ‘rotten tea leaves’? Foreign men don’t see it that way. Women under thirty are too young, and over fifty are too old. Women around
forty the most attractive.” Wu Li interrupted Wanru, taking over the conversation. “Besides, what’s wrong with playing around?
He plays around, you play around too. If you really develop feelings, that’s when things get complicated!”

“Okay, let’s leave it to fate. If he has other things to do tomorrow, then forget it.” Wanru shook her head again,
paused a moment, and continued, “Old Zhao wants to open a small business, a gas station, a motel, a restaurant, or something
. There are many vacant shops in the city center. He said that if he sticks with it for two or three years, he won’t have to put up with other people’s attitudes.
Even a boss, and even the biggest employee is still an employee. Old Zhao likes it here, so I don’t want to say much, but we have
Canadian passports, and one of us needs to have a formal job.”

Wu Li was a little confused at first, but quickly understood. She looked up at the locust tree thoughtfully,
without saying a word.

"Xiao Li, don't look down on me. I'm not trying to betray Lao Zhao. I just have no other choice. For my family
and the children, I can't think of any other way right now." Wanru's eyes were a little moist, and she began to sob.

Wu Li snapped out of her daze and quickly comforted her companion, saying, "Wanru, don't be like that. I've always considered you my older sister.
Besides, what right do I have to look down on others? Actually, I've already come to terms with it. Back then, I was doing just fine in Shanghai, so why
did I come to this rural area? Wasn't it all for the American Dream? What is the American Dream? If you ask me, it's about pursuing
wealth by any means necessary, don't you agree?"

"Yes, you're right. I've been thinking about that a lot these past few days. Once I've come to terms with it, nothing else matters."
Wanru was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Xiao Li, can I ask you, does it hurt when a black man's thing goes in
?"

"It doesn't hurt. It's just a little uncomfortable at first, but it's fine in a few minutes." Wu Li answered without hesitation. "Think about it
, no matter how big it is, it's still not as big as a baby's. And no matter how painful it is, it's not as painful as childbirth, is it?"

Wanru was silent for a moment again, then suddenly grabbed Wu Li's arm as if grasping at a lifeline, and said:
“Xiao Li, can I ask you something? Tomorrow, could you come with me?”

Wu Li thought for a moment, then seemed to understand something. She sighed and said in a very agreeable manner, “Okay,
since I consider you a friend, how about this: we don’t go together. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go talk to someone else first.
If you’re not here by 9:30, then I’ll assume you’ve changed your mind, okay?”

The two of them didn’t speak again.

The sun began to set.

In the azure sky, fluffy white clouds floated, and beneath them, the continuous mountain peaks stood majestically.

(11)

Saturday.

It was another sunny day. Driving west from the town, it took less than fifteen minutes to turn into the mountains.
At dawn, a red sun leaped over the mountaintop, the thick white fog dissipated, and the world was bursting with life. A few solitary clouds dotted
the azure sky, some as white as newly picked cotton, others as red as a beautiful woman's face.
Among the mountain mists and along the paths, the trees were lush and verdant, rustling in the gentle breeze, a tapestry of tender green and new yellow. The fresh
air of early summer was as invigorating as crystal. In the forest clearings, bright sunlight filtered through the branches, casting
dappled patterns. Black soil was revealed among the old, withered leaves; weeds were sprouting, and wildflowers were in full bloom.
Along the riverbank and by the pond, flocks of birds were still foraging, sometimes circling and soaring, sometimes darting into the sky.

Boss Jerry's house sat on a gentle, south-facing slope. The old house, built of bluestone, had stood for many years.
Vines climbed the mottled exterior walls, and two magnolias stood beside the stone steps, their blossoms faded, but a faint fragrance
lingered. The driveway in front was long, with a powerful Jeep Grand Cherokee followed by two used Toyota Camrys.
Stepping inside, the house was well-maintained and much more impressive than the exterior. The living room naturally faced the sun; the morning glow
streamed through the wide French windows, casting bright dappled shadows on the walls,
bathing everything in a soft light. A scarlet Persian rug covered the deep yellow birch floor. Two
leather . A bouquet of vibrant
carnations in an antique-style porcelain vase on the coffee table emitted a delightful fragrance. The owner, Jerry, sat on the single sofa, talking
animatedly , while Wu Li and Wanru sat side-by-side on the double sofa. Wu Li kept glancing around
absentmindedly while Wanru listened intently, her head tilted to the side.

Actually, Wu Li had arrived earlier and had already been talking with the boss for a while, while Wanru had only just sat down when the boss
launched into a long, rambling monologue, leaving her bewildered and only now coming to her senses. It turned out that yesterday she had mentioned Dr. Zhao's desire to
be self-employed; though the speaker hadn't meant it, the listener had taken it to heart
,
and Wu Li had immediately taken notice. Back in her office, Wu Li immediately went to find her boss, Jerry. She first boasted about how she had painstakingly persuaded Wanru to sleep with the boss, then seized the opportunity to propose taking out a loan from the credit union to partner with Wanru in opening a buffet
restaurant in the town center. Jerry, surprised at how easily he had won Wanru over, was overjoyed. After a quick calculation, he realized
that any shop in the town center had a good location, and there were no other Chinese restaurants nearby, so he readily agreed.
Early , Wu Li rushed over, and the two of them haggled over the details, clarifying everything before Wanru arrived
to make the final decision.

Wanru initially sighed inwardly, thinking how capable Shanghai women were—quick-witted and efficient. This matter, neither too big
nor something's not right.
Why didn't they discuss it first? Now, she felt like an outsider.

Wanru's face darkened.

Jerry, finally tired of talking, waved his hand and gave a concluding speech: "Basically, that's the situation. You
two will mortgage your houses to the credit union. I'll lend you 80% of last year's peak housing prices,
minus payments. That should be enough for you to buy a shop in the town center. As for the interest, it'll
be the overnight lending rate plus 2.5%. You won't find a better commercial loan."

Wanru remained silent, her face still grim.

Jerry looked at Wanru, then at Wu Li, his heart filled with anticipation. Today, both women were dressed casually.
Wanru wore a floral dress without stockings and white flat shoes; her understated elegance
couldn't conceal her mature charm. Wu Li was slightly more dressed, in a white silk blouse, a light green flared silk
skirt, and black mid-heeled shoes that revealed her long legs encased in flesh-colored stockings.
Her long, flowing hair was held back with a white ribbon, exuding endless allure. Jerry thought to himself, "This
Mrs. Qian quite the slut. Not only does she offer herself to me, but she also brings her best friend along! However, Mrs. Zhao is more appealing
. I wonder what she'll be like in bed. Anna used to like dresses too, never wearing
stockings —a country bumpkin, huh?"

Wu Li wanted to stand up, but glancing at Wanru, she sat back down. Wanru lowered her head, seemingly lost in
thought , remaining silent for a long time.

Jerry waited for a while, but received no response, and began to grow anxious. He couldn't guess what Mrs. Zhao was hesitating about—
was it about the loan or about sleeping together? Jerry couldn't help but speak again: "Mrs. Zhao, if you feel the funds are insufficient,
I can personally invest to raise capital."

"No, the funds are enough," Wanru replied.

Silence followed again.

Wu Li took Wanru's hand and said, "Wanru, don't be upset, okay? I only
came up with this idea last night. I was going to tell you first, but my phone was broken. I was going to
knock on your door, but Lao Qian was drunk, and the two kids were left unattended. You know, I'm impatient and
don't have much of a mind, so I couldn't help but rush over early this morning to discuss it with Jerry. We decided that you should
do it, with your family's interests in mind!"

"I'm not upset. This is something we couldn't do on our own. Lao Zhao kept saying that both families should work
together ." Wanru finally looked up, smiled, and said, "Xiao Li, I want to thank you on Lao Zhao's behalf. We just
had this idea, but without you, this would have dragged on indefinitely. You're so efficient; anyone who
wouldn't want to work with you would be crazy."

“Great, great! If our two families work together, we’ll definitely make money. Just think about it, two
Shanghainese! Oh dear, did I say something wrong again?”

Wu Li and Wanru both laughed.

Jerry, though he couldn’t understand Chinese, could read women’s expressions. He knew the deal was done. Jerry
grinned foolishly for a while, then stood up and said loudly, “Ladies, the deal is done! Now it’s time to
celebrate Let me show you the bedroom.”

Wanru was stunned, then finally realized she was there to sell herself, not to do business. She
fell silent again, her heart pounding like a drum, sometimes thinking
she’d finally gotten rid of a burden and maybe even made some money, sometimes feeling annoyed—what kind of job was this?
Like a nanny from out of town, doing laundry, cooking, and sleeping with the master of the house! But there was no turning back now; she
had to grit her teeth and keep going.

The sun slowly rose higher. The morning light streamed through the glass window, illuminating Wanru's face, half sunny and half shadowed.
A gentle breeze, seemingly from nowhere, carried the fresh scent of earth from the backyard into the room, its subtle fragrance instantly soothing
the soul .

The owner and Wu Li walked ahead, clattering up the stairs, chatting animatedly. Wanru followed
silently behind.

"Jerry, you're quite the success story! You must have tens of millions in assets, unlike us losers who
worry about daily necessities all the time."

"We Americans admire starting from scratch and love being our own bosses. I bet you're about to make your fortune too.
Actually, I envy you guys; you have both careers and families. Look at me, all alone."

"Anna left behind a son, Sam, right? I heard he's in a popular major at a top state university."

"Sigh, it's a long story. The problem lies with Sam. To be honest, his mother passed away early, and I
've been busy. This kid lacks maternal love, he's a bit withdrawn, and he's in his early twenties without a girlfriend."

"Really? You Black people—oh, sorry, I've heard you African Americans mature early,
starting to date before you're fifteen."

“It’s okay, let’s just say he’s Black. The problem is, Sam’s not quite Black. Anna wanted to raise him
to be a well-mannered white man, so she was too strict. I noticed he was listless a long time ago, but after Anna passed away, I was busy with
business. It’s pitiful. Don’t laugh at me, but since high school, he’s been masturbating with his mother’s picture. I
’ve tried everything, even calling him a prostitute, but nothing works. I’m really worried he’s impotent, but it doesn’t seem like it, at least he
can get an erection when he sees Anna’s picture. Sigh, never mind, when he comes home for vacation, I’ll ask you two to give
him some advice.”

Going up to the second floor and turning right, she pushed open the French double doors and entered the master bedroom. Wanru walked in and looked around.
She saw pale yellow floor-length curtains covering an entire exterior wall, with ornate tassels hanging down to the Persian carpet
. Several ceiling lights cast a dim, ambiguous yellow light onto the red carved bed, which was covered with
white satin sheets that looked soft and comfortable. Wanru thought sadly that this was definitely not a single man's
bedroom . Countless women had climbed onto this soft bed, and she was next.

Jerry stood behind Wanru, sizing up her graceful figure. What a beautiful woman! From behind, she really
did look a bit like Anna. He couldn't help but recall when they first got married, he had asked Anna how she had decided to marry a black man.
The bride half-jokingly said: "Once a white woman gets into a black man's bed, she never wants to get out." Jerry
smiled secretly to himself. He believed that Asian women would be no different.

Click, the door was locked.

(12)

Wanru had prepared herself mentally, but when the moment came, she still became nervous. She stood blankly by the bed,
not knowing what to do, even finding it difficult to breathe. Wu Li saw this and felt a pang of sorrow. She went over,
pulled back the curtains, and opened the window a crack. The room instantly brightened and became less gloomy. Wu Li
turned around and softly comforted her, "Wanru, don't worry, Jerry is quite considerate; outsiders won't know."

Wanru didn't answer, nor did she know how to respond.

Jerry walked up to Wanru, leaned down to look into her eyes, and said gently, "Mrs. Zhao, I know you
're not a casual woman, and I'm not a casual man. I just like you both and want to treat you like family."

Wanru still didn't answer, only mechanically nodding. Jerry smiled, unbuttoned his shirt,
took it off, and threw it on the ground, revealing his muscular upper body. Wanru froze, not daring to move. She smelled
a strong scent—yes, that very masculine scent. This man wasn't bad; although he was
Black, Black people are still people. He was tall and strong, with regular features, full lips, clean teeth, and a broad
chest as strong as an ox, with a few bulges visible on his abdomen. If he were ten years younger, it would be even better.
Unconsciously, Wanru's breathing became smoother, and her nerves seemed less tense. She watched in disbelief as
the boss unbuckled his belt, pulled down his trousers, first long pants, then shorts. See, his waist was completely free of excess fat,
his buttocks firm and well-proportioned, his thighs strong and powerful. His dark, curly pubic hair was revealed, along with his thick, long
penis, dark and glossy, its large glans shiny and
bluish-

preserved egg. Wanru's breathing quickened, her chest heaving, her lips burning hot, like a feverish infant.
That burning sensation began to rise within her again.

Wanru closed her eyes.

Jerry, bending down to remove his shoes and socks, winked at Wu Li: "Li, come help
Mrs. . Good women are always nervous."

Wu Li was startled, reluctantly averting her gaze from the boss's naked body. She tiptoed
behind Wanru, grabbed the zipper on the back of the dress, pulled it all the way down, then grasped the shoulders, parted them,
and slid it down further. Wanru didn't resist, obediently letting her arms fall, the loosened dress sliding down to her waist, then
her hips, and finally, silently bunching up at her feet. Wu Li's hands didn't stop, she unhooked her best friend's bra
, parting it again, loosening and pulling. Wanru's body swayed slightly, the thin fabric slipped down, leaving her
almost naked, only wearing cotton underwear and flat shoes.

Jerry's greedy eyes, like an eagle's, scrutinized his soon-to-be-capture prey. She was serene and elegant,
healthy and full-figured, radiating maternal charm: jet-black hair, fair skin, a pair of full
breasts, large and white, only slightly sagging; further down, strong legs, rounded hips, white
panties barely concealing her mons pubis, and a few soft pubic hairs
peeking out from the edge of the panties. She was indeed a respectable woman, like his wife Anna from years ago, far superior to the sluts in town;
no wonder so many men drooled! Jerry's penis hardened. He reached out a large hand,
cupped Wanru's chin, and slowly lifted it. "Baby, my baby, don't be nervous." Jerry smiled,
tilting his head slightly forward.

The boss's thick lips, the female subordinate's dignified face, drew closer and closer.

No, Wanru panicked; she wanted to back away, but no, Wu Li was standing behind her. Wanru struggled, trying to dodge,
but her skirt tripped her. Jerry opened his arms and hugged Wanru tightly, making it difficult for her to move.
The boss's thick lips brushed across Wanru's earlobe, eyes, and cheeks, finally capturing her mouth. My God, the black man
's lips were so hot, licking, exploring, gently tapping at the female subordinate's teeth, finally opening them, finally opening them.
Wanru was powerless to resist; her entire body went limp. The man's long tongue slipped into her mouth,
searching and teasing. Wanru stopped struggling; instinctively, she opened her mouth, offering her tongue, which
entwined with her boss's. Jerry expertly kissed his female subordinate, his hands moving to her buttocks, kneading, caressing, and squeezing them through her thin
panties . Even a virtuous wife and loving mother is human, with primal desires and instincts.
Slowly, Wanru rose on her tiptoes, raising her arms to hook her boss's thick neck. She didn't want her peaceful
life disrupted, nor did she want to be conquered by a man other than her husband, much less be subdued by her boss's
domineering ways . Yet, she was pressed against a burning body, a body that ignited her desire,
a flame that burned fiercely, like a volcano yearning to erupt.

Wu Li stood there, stunned, seemingly superfluous. She took a few steps back, watching her boss and Wanru with a hint of jealousy
. They were intertwined, their dark skin pressed against her fair, their muscular builds contrasting with her softness, without a single gap between them,
as if their pores had merged together. Wu Li felt a hundred times resentful: a northern woman,
so rough-looking, always putting on such a prim and proper act, and she'd driven that dark-skinned guy crazy—wasn't she a little too sultry?
Wu Li couldn't think any further, because a burning sensation was rising in her lower abdomen, like a warm current surging within her. Hot, so hot
! Wu Li's left hand touched her shirt, unbuttoning a button, while her right hand involuntarily reached
down , lifting her skirt.

Jerry was passionately kissing Mrs. Zhao, just like decades ago when he first kissed his own wife, Anna. This woman was so
alluring, so irresistible; she wondered what it would feel like to actually do it. Jerry's penis grew harder and harder,
pressing against the woman's crotch, just like it had been on their wedding night decades ago, painfully hard. Enough! The boss released
his female subordinate, bent down, swept her up in his arms, easily lifted her, and tossed her onto the soft bed. Wanru
sank into the mattress, then bounced back up. Before she could react, the boss had climbed onto the bed, grabbed
her skirt wrapped around her ankles, and pulled it off along with her flat shoes, throwing them to the floor. Next,
he pulled down her underwear from under her knees and tossed it off the bed. Now, Mrs. Zhao was finally naked,
eyes closed, lying on the boss's soft bed. A pile of clothes lay haphazardly on the floor in front of the bed: men's
shirts , trousers, shorts, socks, and shoes; and women's skirts, bras, underwear, and flat shoes.
Although Wanru was stripped naked, she felt little shame. Instead, she naturally parted her legs, as her last
shred of shame vanished with her underwear thrown to the floor.

Jerry knelt by the bed, his eyes fixed on Wanru's open legs. His gaze was greedy and excited, the kind of look an eagle
has before tearing apart its prey. The full mons pubis of another man's wife was laid bare before him: thick
, wet pubic hair curled to cover the thick labia, and between the labia, the dark red slit was
slightly parted, revealing glimpses of fleshy petals, glistening with clear fluid. This Chinese woman really didn't
look old; you couldn't tell that three children had already crawled out of that slit. If Anna were still alive, it would definitely
be loose , dry, and rough. Jerry admired Mrs. Zhao's private parts, his mind filled with fantasies, and his penis became rock hard
. Wanru opened her eyes groggily and saw her boss staring intently at her lower body. Good heavens, so
many secrets and desires, laid bare before the boss! Wanru's face flushed instantly, instinctively pulling
her legs together, trying to clench her private parts. But the strong boss wasn't about to let it go. He grabbed the woman's ankles,
pried them , pressed them onto the bed, extended a finger, parted the pubic hair, and probed into her wet vulva, gently teasing it
. Then he withdrew his finger, leaned down, and took a deep breath.

Oh! Wanru groaned, her body going limp, as if her ribs had been removed.

The morning sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating the naked couple on the bed, and also illuminating
another woman not far away, immersed in a different kind of pleasure. Wu Li stared intently at the two bodies on the bed, one white and one black,
their figures contrasting: the white one was plump and beautiful, curvaceous, radiating maternal allure, her pubic hair glistening with
moisture; the black one was broad-shouldered and strong, reminiscent of a black panther hunting its prey, not to mention his erect member, poised and
ready to pounce. Wu Li sighed inwardly: this black man was indeed robust, quite a match for the rugged features of northern
women . She finally understood what Wanru felt when she peeked through the crack in the door: dilated pupils,
a dry throat, a parched feeling, and a peculiar heat coursing through her body. Wu Li gasped for breath,
her underwear soaked through, like a baby wrapped in a diaper all night. Her hand could no longer restrain itself, reaching into her own
vulva, where it was wet and slippery, her labia swollen and swollen.

The mountain village was remote and sparsely populated. In the bedroom, the curtains were open, and a half-open window let in a crack. A gentle
breeze carried the fragrance of earth, cool and sweet.

(Thirteen)

Jerry lay between Wanru's legs, where a special scent emanated, a mixture of body odor and the aroma of
cosmetics , with a faint, almost imperceptible salty tang. How familiar! It had been so many years since he'd smelled it;
it was exactly the same scent as Anna's lower body back then. Jerry grew increasingly excited. He savored it, pondered it, and reveled in it, lowering his head even
deeper , getting closer to Anna—no, closer to Mrs. Zhao's vulva. He saw that the plump labia were full of blood,
like blooming petals. Jerry stuck out his long tongue and quickly licked it. A warm juice
surged onto his tongue and into his heart, salty, astringent, and with a hint of tingling. Yes, that's the feeling,
Anna, this is Anna! Jerry didn't hesitate any longer. He opened his mouth and immediately took Wanru's petals into his mouth,
sucking to dry the warm, slippery juices. Then, he extended his nimble tongue again, parting
her labia majora, pressing against her clitoris, gently pinching, twisting, teasing, and caressing.

"No, no, don't!" Wanru cried out softly, sounding incredibly ambiguous, like a plea for mercy, but more like encouragement.
Her labia were burning hot, her birth canal first twitched, then instinctively tightened. Wanru's husband was very considerate,
but in all their years of marriage, he had never served his wife like this. Jerry was, of course,
an expert His nimble tongue tightly circled Wanru's vulva, tirelessly licking and sucking. Wanru bit
her lower lip, her body trembling, convulsing, twisting, unable to describe the feeling—novelty, stimulation, pleasure,
excitement, or a combination thereof? She panted, moaned, and her love juices gushed out. Jerry licked and sucked, as if
They were transported back to their early married days. That soft skin, that alluring body, brought youthful vitality, and
the unique taste of her bodily fluids, like a sweet nectar, stirred their hearts.

No, this can't go on, it's time! Jerry and Wanru cried out in unison.

Jerry raised his head, wiped his mouth, removed two stray pubic hairs from his lips, then scrambled forward, embraced
Mrs. Zhao, knelt between her spread legs, and pressed down heavily like a small mountain. With a creak, the bed, unable to bear
the weight, sank in, then bounced back, offering the woman's body to him. Black men have strong sexual desires
, and their way of releasing them is direct. Jerry said nothing, straightened his back, freed one hand, reached down to
his crotch , grasped his erect penis, parted the wet pubic hair, pressed it against the moist vulva, squeezed the glans between
her labia, and stopped there. "Ah, so good," Mrs. Zhao's plump lips instinctively opened, welcoming the boss's
glans, embracing it, contracting, and finally swallowing it. A pair of starving lovers were about to begin their real intercourse.
Jerry raised his head, turned his face to the side, and let out a long breath. "God, this is so blissful! How many
men in this town dream of doing this, stripping naked, climbing into bed, and fucking Mrs. Zhao hard!

"

(How many men in this town dream of stripping naked, climbing into bed, and fucking Mrs. Zhao hard!)

Jerry took a deep breath, his buttocks lurching down.

*Thud*, the thick, long penis was penetrating.

Halfway in!

Mostly in!

All the way in!

The boss's genitals and the female subordinate's genitals were finally perfectly united.

*Thud, thud*, the sounds of flesh colliding filled the room.

*Creak, creak*, the Simmons mattress swayed rhythmically.

Wanru thought she would suffocate, even faint, but she didn't; instead, she felt incredibly relieved.
What was meant to happen would happen; at least she didn't have to wait anxiously anymore. Wan... Ru felt a sense of rebirth.
Instinctively, she spread her arms and embraced the man on top of her, raising her legs high. At this point
, there was no need for pretense, no more restraint. The boss thrust in and out, the female subordinate responded. Their movements
were rhythmic and varied. The black man didn't concern himself with the nine shallow thrusts and one deep one; he went all out from the start, each insertion
firm and powerful, each withdrawal perfectly timed. Wanru had been suppressed for too long; once her desire was released, it was like
the surging waves of the ocean, one higher than the next, the previous wave barely receding before the next arrived. At times, she was like
a spring catkin, dancing gracefully. Unpredictable, drifting with its own whims; sometimes like a willow in the rain, swaying
left and right , bobbing up and down, letting the raging wind do its thing. People are truly different; not to mention
the size of a black man's penis, just that inexhaustible brute force is something Chinese men can't match. In all her years of marriage, Wanru
had never been so unrestrained. She had discovered a new world, a brand new, incomparably joyful new world!

Jerry, a little harder!

Jerry was completely absorbed in intercourse, his muscles taut, his face flushed a dark purple, veins bulging on his forehead.
He was exerting all his strength, converging it in his groin, and thrusting fiercely into the woman beneath him. "Mrs. Zhao is really something else,
even better than Wu Li who came to my door, just like Anna back then." Thinking of this, Jerry suddenly had a flash of inspiration:
Didn't Sam have a mother complex? Let him try this Anna mother, or Aunt Wu Li would also work, the little brat would
definitely like it, yes, that's it, this investment is absolutely brilliant! Jerry's passion surged even higher, he
didn't care about technique at all, just twisting his waist and thrusting desperately. Wanru clung tightly to the man's arms, thrusting her vulva
forward, eagerly welcoming each impact of body and soul. She was in ecstasy, the blissful
feeling like a calm lake. A pebble suddenly fell from the ceiling, creating ripples that spread outwards in waves.
A mature man and a mature woman, their sweat
pouring down like a summer shower, yet they remained tightly intertwined, inseparable. From ancient times to the present, in both China and abroad, the greatest pleasure
for a man is to conquer another man's wife, while the greatest thrill for a woman is
to be conquered by a man other than her husband. The boss and his female subordinate, their conquest and being conquered, grew increasingly intense, increasingly wild.

The pillow lay on the floor, the sheets crumpled, even the bed seemed to be shifting.

In modern society, unemployment... Job hopping, career changes, re-employment, children's education, family relationships, and various
social conflicts leave white-collar workers overwhelmed. Whether successful or unsuccessful, everyone needs stress relief and
craves release. Extramarital affairs, while fraught with risks, can be a quick way to relieve stress,
and sexual temptations are ubiquitous in life. Neither men nor women should assume they can resist temptation. If one
hasn't yet strayed emotionally, it doesn't mean their will is strong; it only means the temptation isn't strong enough. Wu Li was right;
Wanru is a woman who is secretly passionate. She appears gentle and intellectual, but is actually passionate and unrestrained inside. Such a woman... They wouldn't easily
cheat, but the pressures of the workplace and the burdens of family, once they cross a certain threshold, coupled with the dual
temptations of money and sex, can make them more unrestrained, like a volcano—the longer it lies dormant, the more intensely it erupts.

*Pfft, pfft, pfft!*

*Slap, slap, slap!

* Wu Li stood by the bed, dumbfounded. Lust and jealousy burned within her. This northern
woman , so secretly seductive! Sigh, what they say online is right, a repressed seduction is the kind of seduction men truly like! No, I can't
lose to a northern woman! Later, I'll also let that black guy have his way—no, not like that, I'll have my way with
that black guy! I'll take the initiative! "I want to ride on top of that black bastard!" Wu Li
thought to herself , her mind wandering as she touched her genitals . She imagined herself riding on top, holding onto that black rod, sitting down straight, taking it all
in—yes, all of it. Then she would lift up, lower down, lift up again, lower down again, just like
riding a horse . What a magnificent black horse! She would ride until she was satisfied, and if not, she would keep riding! Wu Li
rubbed, kneaded, and massaged, her body and hands growing tired, but her spirits lifted.
She had been pent up for so long; now, all the gloom and longing, the desires and yearnings, were released!

Wu Li was so happy she almost shouted.

(Epilogue)

Summer passed quickly.

Colorado's autumn is beautiful. After a lingering autumn rain, the lush green grass was dotted with
many golden fallen leaves, and the vast, distant mountains were already ablaze with vibrant colors. Wanru and Wu
Li's efforts were not in vain; the worries of being laid off no longer bothered them. After Thanksgiving, the Zhao and Qian families
opened their buffet restaurant, $7.90 for lunch and $9.90 for dinner, free for toddlers and a 20% discount for seniors. They were very frugal, doing
almost everything themselves, and even the children helped when they were busy. Jerry sometimes ordered takeout on weekends, especially
when his son came home. Wanru or Wu Li always delivered it personally, and if the restaurant wasn't too busy, the two
ladies would go together, stay at Jerry's house for an hour or two, and then return with beaming faces. Dr. Zhao and Dr. Qian
both understood that maintaining a good relationship with the boss was not only natural but absolutely necessary. The shop's business was booming,
and by Christmas they had to hire two Mexican helpers.

Now, the Zhao and Qian families were truly not far from mainstream society.

(The End)

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