Chapter 50: Hitting a Wall

Zhu Daodong's primary achievement in finding Chen Wanli was undisputed. Even if Hou Yong had single-handedly delivered the human traffickers to the county bureau, it would not have shaken Zhu Daodong's position. After all, anyone could have captured those two traffickers, but finding their hideout was a task only Zhu Daodong could accomplish.

Some people envied him, and others were jealous, but Zhu Daodong remained calm and composed, neither elated by external events nor saddened by personal setbacks. He continued to do his job as he always had, without becoming conceited or arrogant because he had saved the secretary's son.

Although Zhu Daodong did not take the matter to heart, it did not mean others felt the same way. After that incident, many people looked at him differently and spoke to him with a different tone. Previously, Zhu Daodong, as a secretary, was often treated like a general helper. Whenever the township leaders needed something, they would call him to assist.

Now, however, except for Chen Shuli and Yuan Ping, no one, including the three deputy township chiefs, would bother him unless it was truly his responsibility. Even when they needed his help, they would use a consultative tone, unlike before when they would give direct orders.

Deputy township chiefs and ordinary cadres alike were cautious around Zhu Daodong. Many people approached him with flattering tones and obsequious expressions, which made Zhu Daodong quite uncomfortable. He believed such treatment was reserved for leaders, not someone of his rank. Why should he be treated this way?

Zhu Daodong was very aware of their thoughts. All conversations within the township government, except at night, could not escape his ears. Secretary Chen loved his son more than his own life. Now that Zhu Daodong had found his son, it was as if he had saved Secretary Chen. After returning to the township government, Chen Shuli treated Zhu Daodong with great respect and publicly praised him on several important occasions. These people were all adept at reading the room. As long as Chen Shuli remained the secretary of Shumu Ridge Township, Zhu Daodong would always be a special envoy.

Even Yang Kaifeng, who had once had a verbal conflict with Zhu Daodong, came to his office one evening with two packs of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor, secretly and apologetically.

Zhu Daodong was both amused and exasperated. If he wanted to apologize, why didn't he do it earlier? Besides, Zhu Daodong had not held a grudge over the incident. He had already returned the money for the liquor, and the matter was settled.

The more Zhu Daodong refused, the more anxious Yang Kaifeng became. He thought Zhu Daodong still harbored resentment and held Zhu Daodong's hand, pleading, "Secretary Zhu, you must accept these things. Otherwise, I will feel guilty."

"Comrade Yang Kaifeng, I understand your intentions, and I appreciate your sentiment, but I absolutely cannot accept these things," Zhu Daodong said firmly.

"But..."

"There's no 'but.' Don't worry, I've long forgotten about that incident. You don't need to dwell on it," Zhu Daodong reassured him.

Seeing Yang Kaifeng finally leave with the cigarettes and liquor, Zhu Daodong let out a long sigh of relief. Fortunately, only Yang Kaifeng had a minor conflict with him; otherwise, he would have no peace at night!

Recently, Zhu Daodong felt very uncomfortable in the township government. With not much to do, he took a leave from Chen Shuli and Yuan Ping and went to Jinsha Village. He had originally planned to go there but was delayed by helping Chen Shuli find his son.

The party secretary of Jinsha Village was surnamed Hu, who had been the village secretary since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Now in his sixties, he still held his position firmly. His grandson attended Shumu Ridge Middle School and was Zhu Daodong's former student. Because of this connection, Zhu Daodong decided to visit Jinsha Village first.

After arriving in Shumu Ridge Township, Zhu Daodong did not find many good things, except for two: old white liquor and tofu. Drinking old white liquor with pickled tofu was a real treat. Shumu Ridge Township was rich in soybeans, and almost every household grew them. To make tofu, one could take a few pounds from the warehouse, grind them into a paste, cook, press, and it would become tofu. If pressed for another night, it would become dried tofu. After smoking and soaking in brine for two hours, it would become the best side dish for drinking.

Zhu Daodong saw potential in Jinsha Village's tofu. The farmers were poor, and besides growing food, they only raised chickens or pigs to pay for their children's tuition at the end of the year.

Therefore, Zhu Daodong wanted to do something practical for the local people. He planned to convince Secretary Hu to start a collective enterprise, a tofu factory, to sell tofu to the county, city, and even the province.

The Ministry of Agriculture had proposed the "Vegetable Basket Project" two years ago to alleviate the shortage of secondary food supplies. Zhu Daodong saw this as an opportunity. He believed that as long as the packaging and shelf life of tofu could be solved, it would definitely be profitable. To this end, Zhu Daodong had even conducted market research in the county and city, and he felt that this project had great potential. Although it might not solve the entire township's problems, it could certainly improve the living conditions of a village.

Secretary Hu was quite courteous to Zhu Daodong, not just because he was the township government's secretary and Secretary Chen's favorite, but also because he was his grandson's former homeroom teacher. At first, Secretary Hu nodded in agreement with Zhu Daodong's grand plan, but when he heard that the tofu factory would require an investment of over 40,000 yuan, he shook his head vigorously.

"Secretary Zhu, not to mention 40,000 yuan, even 4,000 yuan is beyond the village's means," Secretary Hu sighed. He had lost his initial enthusiasm. The investment for the tofu factory was too large. What if they lost all their capital? What if it didn't make a profit? What if the villagers suffered losses? He preferred to keep Jinsha Village as it was rather than take such a risk.

Zhu Daodong returned from Jinsha Village dejectedly. On the street, he ran into Hou Yong, who had gained recognition for capturing the human traffickers on his own. After interrogation, the traffickers confessed to several more cases of child trafficking, which made Hou Yong a hero.

Hou Yong dragged Zhu Daodong to his home for a drink. Noticing Zhu Daodong's low spirits, he asked what was wrong. Zhu Daodong told him about his experience in Jinsha Village. He had sincerely wanted to help Jinsha Village out of poverty, but Secretary Hu did not appreciate his efforts.

"You should have told me about this earlier. Tomorrow, I'll go with you to Houjiatang Village. My father is the village secretary there, and I'm sure he won't let you down," Hou Yong said with a smile.

Zhu Daodong's eyes lit up. His goal was not necessarily Jinsha Village; any village in Shumu Ridge Township would do.