Chapter 66

The green mountains cannot block the eastward flow of the river. Cangliu County, backed by Qingyun Mountain and facing the Kuanhe River, has a population of 400,000. It is a place of natural beauty and talented people. ... The Kuanyang Township Government is located in Kuanyang Village, 13 kilometers from the county town. It has a long history, with villages like Shuangguan Fort appearing during the Qin Dynasty. There are historical sites such as the General's Tomb and Laoya Gorge within its borders...

Cheng Jemin put down the Cangliu County Annals, feeling increasingly anxious. On the morning of January 2nd, he and nine others, including Li Jinhu and Dou Qing, were assigned to Cangliu County. After eating at the county government guesthouse, Cheng Jemin followed the Party Secretary of Kuanyang Township, Lu Xiaoyang, to the township government office. Although Lu Xiaoyang always wore a faint smile, Cheng Jemin felt no warmth from him. Cheng Jemin thought to himself that perhaps Lu Xiaoyang was in a bad mood, and things would improve once they got to know each other.

After arriving at the township, Lu Xiaoyang called the office director and arranged a place for Cheng Jemin to stay, then ignored him as if he didn't exist.

Three days passed, and Cheng Jemin couldn't sit still anymore. After all, the document from the higher-ups clearly stated that he was to be treated as a deputy section chief. Even if Lu Xiaoyang was in a bad mood, he should at least go through the formalities, right?

But after three days, Cheng Jemin was still idle. Although a few people had visited his room, they had only stayed briefly, making small talk before leaving. A strange coldness had enveloped Cheng Jemin.

No, I came here to work. What's the point of being left here like this? Thinking of Gu Xixi waiting for him, Cheng Jemin couldn't stay any longer. He closed the door and walked toward the back of the township government.

"Hello, Deputy Township Chief Cheng." A young man, who looked to be under twenty, happened to see him and immediately stopped, greeting him politely.

Cheng Jemin had met a few people, and this young man was one of them: Li Dongkai, the township's correspondent. Cheng Jemin smiled and said, "Hello, Dongkai. Is Secretary Lu in his office?"

"Yes, he is." Li Dongkai seemed to hesitate for a moment but then smiled and answered.

The Kuanyang Township Government building faces south and has been around for some time, but it covers a large area. As the locals say, entering the township government is like entering the palace three times. The government compound has three courtyards, each separated by an east-west office building. The northernmost row of red-tiled houses is where the township leadership works. Lu Xiaoyang's office is at the eastern end, with an inner and outer room, serving as both an office and a bedroom.

A journalist once came to interview here. At the reception banquet, the journalist curiously asked Lu Xiaoyang why the township leaders didn't live in the front office building but worked in the bungalows.

Lu Xiaoyang smiled and said, "In Kuanyang Township, we advocate a work philosophy: the work of township officials is to interact with the people, and every action should warm the hearts of the people, follow public opinion, and be down-to-earth. We live here for two reasons: to show our commitment to the people and to remind ourselves." Lu Xiaoyang's response naturally won him applause, and it is said that the journalist was deeply moved, writing a long commentary article that was later personally endorsed by the Cangliu County Party Secretary, calling for the entire county to learn from Kuanyang Township's people-oriented spirit.

Cheng Jemin, of course, didn't know all this. When he knocked on the door and entered Lu Xiaoyang's office, he found Lu Xiaoyang talking to someone. Seeing Cheng Jemin enter, Lu Xiaoyang was taken aback but then smiled and said, "Jemin, have you settled in well these past two days?"

Although Cheng Jemin had only been in the township for a short time, he noticed a strange phenomenon: everyone addressed each other by their titles, rarely using their names.

Cheng Jemin, though not officially a deputy township chief, was still entitled to the same treatment. Lu Xiaoyang's casual use of his first name, "Jemin," was puzzling.

At first, Cheng Jemin thought it was a way for Lu Xiaoyang to show friendliness, but now he wasn't so sure. It had become a small thorn in his side. Despite feeling uncomfortable, he smiled and said, "Secretary Lu, my hometown is in this area, so we're neighbors. Coming here feels like coming home."

"Oh, that's good." Lu Xiaoyang gave a dry laugh. "Jemin, if you need anything, just let me know. If I'm not here, you can find Director Zhao; it's the same."

The Director Zhao Lu Xiaoyang mentioned was the party secretary and office director, Zhao Dezhi. In his thirties, Zhao Dezhi had a middle part hairstyle and looked quite suave. However, upon first meeting, Cheng Jemin couldn't help but find the hairstyle amusing: if Zhao Dezhi were given a set of props, he could easily play a small traitor in an anti-Japanese drama.

Hearing Lu Xiaoyang mention him, Zhao Dezhi quickly stood up and said, "Deputy Township Chief Cheng, Secretary Lu has already arranged for me to make you feel at home. If you need anything, just let me know."

Cheng Jemin smiled and thanked him, "Secretary Lu, Director Zhao, I'll be troubling both of you in the future! The township has arranged everything for me, and I don't even know what I need!"

"Ha ha ha..."

A burst of laughter made the room's atmosphere seem very harmonious. After a few more casual words, Lu Xiaoyang slapped his head and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. I need to report to the county leadership soon."

"Secretary Lu, I'll arrange the car for you!" Zhao Dezhi quickly walked out the door and shouted, "Xiao Qiu, Xiao Qiu!"

A young man ran out of the correspondent's office, "Director Zhao, you called?"

Seeing the young man's quick response, Zhao Dezhi's face lit up, "Brother, Secretary Lu is going to the county. Get the car ready!"

The young man glanced at Zhao Dezhi with a hint of confusion and muttered, "Director Zhao, didn't the boss just get back? Why is he going out again? What a waste of my good plan!"

Although he complained, he didn't dare to hesitate and went to prepare the car.

Zhao Dezhi's eyebrows twitched, and a thought flashed through his mind.

When he returned to the office, he heard Lu Xiaoyang saying to Cheng Jemin, "Jemin, you just arrived and aren't familiar with the township yet. It's almost the end of the year, so get to know the situation first. We'll discuss specific matters after the New Year."

"Is the car ready?" Lu Xiaoyang asked Zhao Dezhi before Cheng Jemin could speak.

"It's ready." Zhao Dezhi's head lowered, and his gaze toward Cheng Jemin became more complex.

Although Cheng Jemin felt uncomfortable, he still smiled politely and, together with Zhao Dezhi, saw Lu Xiaoyang off to the car.

As the car started, Lu Xiaoyang said to Zhao Dezhi, "Director Zhao, get in the car with me. There's something for you to do in the county."

Zhao Dezhi nodded and got in. After the car started, he hesitated for a moment and then said softly, "Secretary Lu, I went to the county yesterday and saw Secretary Xu of Zitan Township and others welcoming the new township chief, Li."

Lu Xiaoyang didn't respond, as if he hadn't heard. Zhao Dezhi looked awkward.

"Are you thinking that my treatment of Cheng Jemin is inappropriate? He's here for a temporary assignment, not on the same path as us, and will eventually return to the province. I need to build a good relationship with him, so he can be a useful connection in the future."

Being the party secretary and office director, Zhao Dezhi was one of Lu Xiaoyang's confidants. Hearing this, he immediately realized there was more to the story and didn't dare to speak rashly.

The role of an office director is challenging. Advising leaders is a test of wisdom. When it's not your turn to speak, even if you have a head full of good ideas, you must keep them to yourself, acting as if you're a fool. In business, good ideas mean money, but in politics, they mean your future and fate. You must choose your words carefully. Speak well, and your ideas are golden; speak poorly, and they become bad advice.

"Actually, when I heard that a temporary assignment was coming to our township, I thought the same. After all, he's from the province, and building a good relationship might be useful in the future."

"But just two days before they were to arrive, County Party Secretary Jiang called me and told me that Cheng Jemin would be assigned to our township."

Zhao Dezhi knew that the County Party Secretary Jiang, who was in charge of organization, was the powerful third-in-command of the county. Lu Xiaoyang's position as Party Secretary of Kuanyang Township was due to this influential figure.

A temporary assignment causing County Party Secretary Jiang to personally intervene—was there something wrong here?

"Secretary Jiang said that Cheng Jemin had offended a powerful figure, and the only goal was to prevent him from returning to the province."

Anyone who could get Secretary Jiang to intervene must be very influential. Who had Cheng Jemin offended to have someone go to such lengths to block him from returning to the province? Zhao Dezhi's lips twitched, and his initial intention to befriend Cheng Jemin vanished.

"Today, Cheng Jemin came to me for work. According to the provincial party committee's document, I can't refuse him. Director Zhao, how should I arrange his work?"

Zhao Dezhi now understood Lu Xiaoyang's mindset. He wouldn't go against Secretary Jiang's wishes. Cheng Jemin had come with a document, so he had to be assigned a position. However, he couldn't be allowed to achieve anything.

With this principle in mind, Zhao Dezhi's eyes darted, and he quickly had an idea. "Secretary, Wangyang Village is the largest in our township. To show our respect for the assigned official, I suggest sending Cheng Jemin to work there. Since he's here to support agriculture, let him help Wangyang Village out of poverty!"

Lu Xiaoyang nodded in agreement, "Good idea, Director Zhao."

PS: Quan Xiong is preparing to climb the charts. I hope all my brothers will support me, giving more recommendations, collections, and clicks. Xiao Mao needs your strong support. Let's gather small streams into a river and take small steps to reach a thousand miles. Let's fight with the big shots and make Quan Xiong shine on the charts next week! Brothers, let's work together and make it happen!