Chapter 13

(We signed today, and Chen Guang went to send the contract. I kindly ask everyone to support the collection and recommendation tickets. The big shots are about to come! Brothers, let's stay strong on the signing list!)

"Li Youde, do you believe I'll kill you today!"

"If you have the guts, try it and see if there's a coward in my Li family!"

"Don't run if you have the nerve!"

"I'm a coward if I'm afraid of you!"

Such curses filled Xu Junran's ears until he and Ergouzi arrived at the place where Yang Weitian and the heads of the Li and Wang families were.

"Who are you?"

A police officer in uniform blocked Ergouzi and Xu Junran's path and asked.

After all, the county magistrate was there, and the county bureau had set up guards.

Ergouzi pointed to the place where the argument was happening: "I'm looking for my grandfather."

The man was taken aback, but Xu Junran smiled and said, "Comrade, I'm from the Comprehensive Group of the County Party Committee Office. I want to see County Magistrate Yang. I have a way to stop the two communes from fighting."

"Oh? From the County Party Committee Office?" The man looked at Xu Junran, surprised, clearly taken aback by his age and the last sentence.

As the saying goes, a man relies on his clothes, and a horse on its saddle. Many people don't believe this, thinking that the protagonist, with a tiger-like aura, would make minor characters bow in submission. This is just a novel; in reality, such things don't happen.

The police officer sized up Xu Junran for a long time and then said, "Is Director Feng from your Comprehensive Group here?"

Xu Junran replied without hesitation, "Director Feng is here. I was just assigned to the County Party Committee this morning, and he brought me here."

"Oh?" The police officer was taken aback, then nodded. It seemed this young man was indeed from the County Party Committee.

He was so sure for a reason. In the system, people are usually addressed by their highest position. For example, Feng Kuang is generally called Director Feng in the County Party Committee because he is the deputy director of the County Party Committee Office and concurrently the head of the Comprehensive Group. Those who know him well call him Director Feng, not Group Leader Feng.

Looking at Xu Junran, the police officer said, "Wait a moment."

He had to report, after all, Xu Junran wanted to see the county magistrate.

Yang Weitian was in a bind over the Li and Wang families. The elders of the Wang and Li families were almost fighting, and they were now shouting at each other. All he could do was control them and prevent these old men, whose combined ages totaled several hundred years, from coming to blows.

"County Magistrate, a staff member from the County Party Committee Office wants to see you," the police officer said respectfully to Yang Weitian.

A middle-aged man standing next to Yang Weitian frowned, "Can't you see the County Magistrate is busy? No time to see him!"

The police officer hesitated, "But, but he said he has a way to solve the issue between Li Family Town and Da Wang Village."

"What!" Yang Weitian, who had been silent, suddenly changed his expression and looked up at the police officer, "He said that? He has a way to resolve the water source issue?"

Seemingly startled by the County Magistrate's reaction, the police officer shook his head, "He just said he wants to see you and that he has a way to stop the two communes from fighting. Oh, and he said he was just assigned to the County Party Committee this morning, in the Comprehensive Group."

Turning around, Yang Weitian looked at Feng Kuang, who was talking to an elder from the Li family, and said to the middle-aged man, "Old Qin, call Feng Kuang over."

Old Qin nodded and went to Feng Kuang, "Director Feng, go to the County Magistrate, I'll take care of this."

Feng Kuang was taken aback but still walked to Yang Weitian and said respectfully, "County Magistrate Yang, you called me."

Yang Weitian asked, "Did anyone from your Comprehensive Group get assigned today?"

Feng Kuang nodded, "Yes, the old secretary made the call. He's a recent graduate from Jinghua University in Beijing, named Xu Junran. It's strange, this graduate from Jinghua University, instead of staying in Beijing for a big job, insisted on coming to our Wude County. The old secretary showed me the letter of introduction from Jinghua University, and I called to confirm his file has already been transferred to the city and will be here in a few days."

Others didn't react much, but Yang Weitian's expression became somewhat peculiar.

He was a graduate of Yanjing University and was not an uneducated cadre. Unlike the people in Wude County, Yang Weitian always considered himself an intellectual and understood what a recent graduate from Jinghua University meant. Such a person, willing to come to Wude County, was quite unusual.

"The first batch of graduates after the resumption of the college entrance exam?" Yang Weitian thought to himself. He felt a bit of goodwill towards this Xu Junran, whom he had never met. After all, in the 1980s, someone who dared to give up a life of luxury to work at the grassroots level was either a madman or someone who valued ideals more than anything else.

Idealists were respected at that time.

"Bring him over," Yang Weitian instructed the police officer.

Soon, Xu Junran and Ergouzi, led by the police officer, arrived at the open area and met Yang Weitian.

At this moment, several county leaders were gathered around Yang Weitian, discussing how to separate the two communes. Relying on the staff of the County Party Committee Office and the county police to maintain order was not a long-term solution. The old secretary couldn't return immediately, and the issue needed to be resolved.

"County Magistrate Yang, Xu Junran is here," the police officer said respectfully after bringing Xu Junran over.

Yang Weitian nodded, "You can go back."

After that, he sized up Xu Junran and nodded, "What major did you study at Jinghua University?"

Xu Junran smiled, "Chinese Literature."

"Oh? Why didn't you stay in Beijing? Logically, the State Council would be vying for someone with your major," Yang Weitian asked, slightly puzzled.

"I grew up in Wude, and I feel this place needs me more," Xu Junran said, lowering his head, a bit shyly.

Yang Weitian nodded, "Good, having such thoughts is commendable. Work hard."

Pausing, he asked, "You said you have a way to stop the two communes from fighting. What is it?"

The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier interjected, "What can he do? He's just a green kid."

Yang Weitian frowned, glanced at the man, and said nothing. Xu Junran, however, smiled, "Deputy Director Qin, oh, now I should call you Deputy County Magistrate Qin. Do you think I can't persuade the people of Da Wang Village or the people of Li Family Town?"

With that, Xu Junran walked up to the shocked Li Youde, who was being supported by Ergouzi, and said in a serious tone, "Grandpa, do you trust me?"