Chapter 10: The Battle of Arms and Thighs

Wen Liang had a meal at Li Siqing's house. Fresh wild vegetables and newly laid eggs were simmered with broken noodles into a pot of deliciousness he had never tasted before. Wen Liang drank a full large bowl, and Li Siqing, with her chin in her hand, watched him with a beaming smile, as if his enjoyment of her cooking was the happiest thing in the world.

When Wen Liang inquired, he learned that Li Siqing had been learning to cook from her father since Li Shengli opened the restaurant. Over the past two years, she had been cooking every day, and although there were few ingredients, she still managed to make the simplest dishes taste very good. It seemed that doing anything well required talent; if Li Shengli had his daughter's level of skill, the restaurant probably wouldn't have closed so quickly.

Wen Liang praised her greatly and then left the 200 yuan that Ding Mei had given him for Li Siqing. With this money, their life for the next two months would be more secure, and he wouldn't have to worry.

When it was time to leave, Li Siqing saw him off to the door. Wen Liang slapped his head and said, "Look at my memory, you don't need to worry about the start of junior high school. Leave everything to your big brother." Li Siqing bit her lip and nodded vigorously. After this experience, in her young heart, her big brother could do anything.

"Big brother, will you come to see me again?"

Li Siqing's eyes were full of hope, but she was afraid that her request might make Wen Liang feel awkward, so she lowered her head almost to her chest.

Wen Liang patted her hair, his eyes shining like the stars above, "Big brother will come to see you when he has time. The food Nuan Nuan makes is so good that I can't help but come, ha ha."

Li Siqing watched Wen Liang's retreating back, her small body leaning against the doorpost. Big brother, I know, how could wild vegetables taste good? Nuan Nuan knows...

When he got home, it was already very late. As soon as he entered the door, Wen Huaiming slammed the table and shouted, "I told you to deliver money to Nuan Nuan, where did you go? Why did you come back so late?"

"Dad, you are in the Policy Research Office. Do you manage theoretical research?"

Wen Huaiming was taken aback and said, "Of course, we do..."

"Then you should know that without investigation, there is no right to speak, right? I not only delivered the money but also chatted with Nuan Nuan. Your way of doing things is too bureaucratic. Do you really think that giving a little money to a child is enough? What's most important is here," Wen Liang pointed to his chest, "if the heart problem isn't treated, it will eventually collapse."

Wen Huaiming didn't get angry, but sighed and said softly, "Yes, this time my approach was too simple and brutal. It won't happen again."

Wen Liang pressed his advantage, sitting on the armrest of the sofa and putting his arm around Wen Huaiming's shoulder, "Dad, what about Nuan Nuan's junior high school? Can you find someone to help?"

Wen Huaiming didn't mind his son's lack of respect and said, "I've asked around. Her situation doesn't meet the criteria for the Hope Project, and Nuan Nuan's grades are not good. She did very poorly on the primary school graduation exam. Even if a school were to accept her, where would the tuition and living expenses come from? I'm not being stingy, but it's not feasible in the long run."

Wen Liang knew his father was telling the truth. Their salaries barely covered daily expenses. Although Wen Huaiming's power was limited, he still had to entertain people in the city committee, and the gifts for holidays and weddings and funerals were a significant burden. If the agricultural machinery factory were to close, it would be even tighter, and supporting Li Siqing's family would be a real challenge.

Wen Liang scratched his head, unable to tell his father that he was reborn and would soon make money. He thought and thought but still couldn't figure out the money problem. Today, Wen Liang had an idea, but the lack of startup capital was a big issue.

In his previous life, Ding Mei started a clothing business after the agricultural machinery factory closed, and it did well. But if Wen Liang suggested, "Mom, you should start a business, and we should give up the job at the agricultural machinery factory," Ding Mei would definitely beat him up. People in that era valued their "iron rice bowls" highly.

The most important point was that the capital for Ding Mei's clothing store came from the severance pay from the agricultural machinery factory!

Wen Liang thought hard, and Wen Huaiming seemed to have his own worries, leaning back on the sofa with his eyes closed. The two of them sat quietly, and when Ding Mei came in, she was startled.

"Are you two arguing? No, that's not it. You wouldn't sit so close if you were arguing. What's going on?"

Ding Mei knew Wen Huaiming well. If he wasn't reading the newspaper or watching the news, something must be wrong.

Wen Huaiming opened his eyes and waited for Ding Mei to sit on the opposite sofa, "It's still the city's mess. At today's standing committee meeting, Zhou Yuanting attacked again."

"What happened?" Ding Mei wasn't interested in politics, but she fulfilled her role as a wife. If her husband had troubles, who else could he talk to?

"It's still about Xu Fuyan's inspection at the Qinghua Factory a few days ago. The factory manager, Yuan, arranged everything well, and Secretary Xu praised the Qinghua Factory leadership, especially mentioning that Manager Yuan had made significant contributions to the city's economic development..."

Ding Mei pursed her lips, "The Qinghua Factory is no better than the agricultural machinery factory. What contributions?"

"That's the problem," Wen Huaiming said with a bitter smile, "At today's standing committee meeting, Zhou Yuanting hinted that some leaders should be cautious in their statements and not easily change the city's strategic decisions. He also said that the city committee and the city government should communicate beforehand to avoid disunity and make it difficult for those doing the work..."

Wen Liang was stunned. He knew Zhou Yuanting was strong and that Xu Fuyan had the nickname "Raising Hand Secretary," but he never expected him to openly challenge Xu Fuyan at the standing committee meeting. This was more intense than the online forums...

If Wen Liang still didn't understand, he would have wasted his chance to be reborn. The Qinghua Factory's fate in his previous life was even worse than the agricultural machinery factory. The agricultural machinery factory was reorganized and renamed the Agricultural Repair Factory, barely surviving until 2007. The Qinghua Factory, however, was completely shut down, with over 3,000 employees left to fend for themselves, causing chaos in the city for five years until the next century.

Clearly, the city wanted to take action against the Qinghua Factory. Manager Yuan had somehow connected with Xu Fuyan, convincing him to make a public statement, or perhaps Xu Fuyan wanted to assert his influence in the city and was half-pushed, half-pulled into it.

Wen Liang understood that Yuan wasn't necessarily trying to save the Qinghua Factory but was probably dissatisfied with the position Zhou Yuanting offered him. This old fox immediately sought out Xu Fuyan, hoping to use his influence to change Zhou Yuanting's mind.

This was a death wish! Wen Liang thought with a cold laugh. How could a mere section chief try to balance between the secretary and the mayor? Zhou Yuanting would crush him and spit out the bones. Using the "Raising Hand Secretary" to pressure him was a sign of ignorance.

Wen Huaiming scratched his head in frustration, "I don't know what Secretary Xu was thinking. Such a complex issue, how could he make a statement so easily? Now he's been cornered by Zhou Yuanting at the standing committee meeting, and the scene was very awkward."

"Really?" Ding Mei was also incredulous, "To that extent, Secretary Xu can still tolerate it?"

"Xu Fuyan just smiled, admitted he was hasty, and accepted Mayor Zhou's advice. The matter was settled. But after the standing committee meeting, the rumors spread, and the comments were very harsh..."

"Isn't the standing committee supposed to be confidential? How do you know so much, Old Wen? Have you been promoted to the standing committee?"

Wen Huaiming grunted, and Wen Liang laughed, "Now the city committee and the government are at odds. There are no secrets at the standing committee meetings. Whichever side is in trouble, the other side will do everything to spread the news."

Wen Huaiming pointed at Ding Mei, "You're in your forties and still don't understand as much as a child. My son is good, showing some of my political sensitivity. Here's ten yuan as a reward, take it!"

Wen Huaiming was quite open-minded and didn't mind discussing city affairs in front of his son, even guiding him to understand more.

A flower in a greenhouse doesn't grow, and Wen Huaiming firmly believed this. He was very dissatisfied with Wen Liang's timid personality. However, this summer, his son seemed to have a breakthrough, speaking and acting much better than before. It must be my teaching method, Wen Huaiming thought proudly, feeling like a great educator.

"But Dad, what does this have to do with you, a deputy director?"

"Cough, cough," Wen Huaiming almost choked, "What do you mean a deputy director? Are you asking for a beating?"

Wen Liang laughed and begged for mercy. Wen Huaiming sighed, "When you're down, the devil pushes you. Secretary Xu was humiliated at the meeting and then assigned the policy research office to study the Qinghua Factory, to see if its complete closure is scientific and if the subsequent impact can be controlled. Most importantly, to find feasible ways to revive the Qinghua Factory."

"Then what?"

"Then Director Meng gave me this hot potato."

"Director Meng is a white-eyed wolf. We've done everything for him during the holidays. He smiles at us, but when it comes to something, he stabs us in the back and throws us under the bus!"

Wen Huaiming gestured for her to be quiet but didn't contradict her, showing that he agreed with her.

Wen Liang didn't speak. Director Meng of the policy research office was indeed despicable. This was a job that would displease both sides. On one side was the powerful Zhou Yuanting, and on the other was the city secretary, Xu Fuyan. If his father said the closure was good, it would be like rubbing salt in Xu's wound, and the consequences would be predictable. If he said reviving the factory was better, Zhou Yuanting's reputation wasn't built on scaring children. The hardest part was trying to please both sides by saying that closure wasn't the best solution, but there were many ways to revive the factory, and it would be a trial-and-error process, so closure was also a viable option. This might work in normal times—let the higher-ups fight, and he wouldn't offend anyone, right?

But this wasn't a normal time!

The mayor had slapped the secretary at the standing committee meeting, and the secretary had assigned this task to find a reason to slap back, not just a reason but a slap. So the research conclusion was the reason, and the person doing the research was the slap.

As the saying goes, a higher rank can crush you. How much higher was this? Whatever happened, Wen Huaiming would do it. If Xu Fuyan couldn't handle it, he could just hand over Wen Huaiming, and it wouldn't affect him. Of course, Wen Liang didn't think Xu Fuyan would do that. If subordinates were made to take the fall, who would still support him? The most likely outcome was that as long as Zhou Yuanting was in power, Wen Huaiming would have no future, and being marginalized was inevitable. Although Wen Huaiming's position in the city committee wasn't high, he was still a deputy director, and there were people who flattered him. Once marginalized, it would be a living hell for the young Wen Huaiming.

Damn, Meng Shanshui only picks on the weak. I'll settle this with you eventually. Wen Liang thought bitterly. He knew that among the three deputy directors of the policy research office, his father had the least support and background, but he was a real deputy director, with significant weight and status. Such a good scapegoat, if Wen Liang were in his place, he wouldn't let go either.

Most importantly, Wen Liang vaguely remembered that in his previous life, around the end of 1995 and the beginning of 1996, Wen Huaiming was transferred to the Quality Supervision Bureau as a deputy director-level assistant researcher, effectively ending his political career. Perhaps the root of the problem was this clash, and Wen Huaiming had chosen the wrong side.

This is a big problem!

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