Chapter 21

"County Chief, I’m troubling you."

Leaving Long Yin Yue’s study, Xu Junran came to the entrance of the ancestral hall, just in time to see Yang Weitian and Li Youde, both with joyful expressions, talking to each other.

Yang Weitian looked up at Xu Junran, smiled, and said, "Xiao Xu, you did well. Let’s go back."

Xu Junran nodded, turned to Li Youde, and said, "Grandpa, I’ll have someone send you the specific precautions in the next few days."

Li Youde looked at Xu Junran kindly and said, "No rush. You go back to the county and prepare well. I’ll handle the commune."

Seeing their demeanor, Yang Weitian couldn’t help but feel deeply moved. No wonder Xu Junran was so confident about handling this matter. Not to mention anything else, the people of Li Family Town Commune were known for their brutality and violence in Wude County, yet they treated Xu Junran, an outsider, like one of their own, which was truly surprising.

Xu Junran didn’t tell Yang Weitian exactly how he planned to resolve the dispute between Da Wang Village and Li Family Town. He only said that Li Family Town was willing to give up a portion of the water source, as long as Da Wang Village guaranteed that 40% of the water from the canal would go to Li Family Town. As the county chief, Yang Weitian would act as a guarantor in this matter.

As the county chief, Yang Weitian naturally had the right to use a car, though it was one of the few Jeeps in the county. Sitting inside, he felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Especially after resolving the long-standing dispute over the canal, which had plagued Wude County for years, Yang Weitian’s mood was even better, and he temporarily forgot that this young man beside him had been promoted by the old secretary, Yan Wangsong.

Looking at Xu Junran sitting next to him, Yang Weitian asked, "Xiao Xu, you said you’re confident about solving the food problem for Li Family Town Commune. Can you be sure?"

This was Xu Junran’s original statement, but he hadn’t explained the specifics to Yang Weitian.

Xu Junran paused for a moment and said to Yang Weitian, "County Chief, I spent four years in the capital, and more than once, I thought about the times when the people of Li Family Town, even if their own children were hungry, would still give me a piece of steamed bun."

Yang Weitian was silent. He had also come from that turbulent era and understood that in those times, saving a mouthful of food for someone else’s child required immense courage and determination. After all, in those days, food meant life.

"Old Secretary, you don’t need to worry. I’ll explain it to him."

Xu Junran paused for a moment and then added, "After all, I’ve spent half my life in the political arena. I know that getting too close to you today might make people think I’m your man."

Unexpectedly, Yang Weitian shook his head calmly, "It’s fine. You don’t need to worry about this. As long as it benefits the people of Wude County, I believe Old Secretary won’t have any objections."

Surprised, Xu Junran looked at Yang Weitian, not expecting him to say this. After all, from a certain perspective, Old Secretary Yan Wangsong could be considered his political rival. The idea of speaking well of a rival was something Xu Junran had never encountered in the political arena of later years.

Xu Junran couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. He was still using his past perspective to view the officials of the 1980s, forgetting that in this era, officials were not as obsessed with achievements and struggles as they would be in the future. They might have some differences, but more often, these differences stemmed from different political ideologies. Fundamentally, the officials of the early 1980s had a passion that was unmatched by later generations, willing to sacrifice much for the welfare of the people.

Of course, there were a few bad apples, but it had to be admitted that the political arena of the 1980s was much cleaner than that of later years.

Just like Yang Weitian and Yan Wangsong in front of him, if they were in his era, they would probably be locked in fierce conflict. After all, where there are people, there is a江湖 (jianghu), and as long as there is a struggle for power, there can be no peace. Moreover, the question of who should lead the county—whether the county secretary or the county chief—has always been a topic of debate.

However, in 1980s Wude County, despite their differing views, Yang Weitian and Yan Wangsong did not resort to underhanded tactics against each other. If it weren’t for someone exploiting Yan Wangsong’s misunderstanding about individual and private economies, the situation later on would not have arisen.

"County Chief, where do the cadres of our county committee usually eat lunch?" Xu Junran thought for a moment and deliberately asked Yang Weitian.

"Eat lunch?" Yang Weitian was taken aback, then shook his head, "In our small place, where would there be a place to eat? Everyone eats in the canteen."

Xu Junran nodded, "When I was in school, there were many snack shops around the campus, and they all did good business."

"Oh?" Yang Weitian became interested, "Are there private restaurants in the capital now?"

Xu Junran smiled inwardly. You probably can’t imagine that in just a few years, private enterprises will sprout up all over the country like mushrooms after a rain.

"Yes, the country is now encouraging self-employment. Some of my university classmates have even gone to the special economic zones in Lingnan after graduation."

This statement wasn’t a lie. Among his university classmates, three or four had gone to Pengfei City in Lingnan, the first special economic zone in China, where the development potential was undeniable. As a popular saying in the 1980s went, the bigger your heart, the bigger your stage.

"Special economic zones." Yang Weitian repeated the words, his face filled with longing. As a young cadre in his thirties with ideals and ambitions, he naturally had the desire to boost the economy of Wude County. Xu Junran’s talk of the development outside the county only made Yang Weitian’s thoughts more active.

"Xiao Xu, what do you think about setting up a factory in our county?" Yang Weitian suddenly said to Xu Junran.

Xu Junran was taken aback, not expecting the county chief to be so forward-thinking. He had only mentioned the snack shops, intending to guide him towards developing a small commodity economy, but the county chief’s thinking had leaped to setting up a collective enterprise. While this wasn’t against the rules, it would definitely be a minefield in the coming years, and if mishandled, it could lead to serious consequences.

Shaking his head, Xu Junran was about to object when he suddenly paused.

He remembered something. In his previous life, his adoptive father’s old classmate had visited, and it was already 2010. That Uncle Zeng had mentioned that during the early construction of Pengfei City, there was a great need for construction workers. Since the projects were small, building dormitories and houses, large state-owned enterprises were not interested, and small enterprises lacked the capability. Later, a businessman from Hong Kong took on the projects and made a fortune.

If that’s the case, could the people of Wude County earn this money?

Thinking of this, Xu Junran didn’t say it immediately but told Yang Weitian, "County Chief, I think you should discuss this with Secretary Yan. After all, setting up a factory is no small matter!"

Seeing Yang Weitian nod solemnly, Xu Junran had already made up his mind. No matter what, he had to convince Yan Wangsong first, to ensure that Wude County could seize this first pot of gold.