Chapter 6

After seeing off the county party secretary and his entourage, no one paid attention to the middle school, leaving everything to Niu Zhongzhong to handle. Today, many parents from the villages came to the school, making it very lively.

For the leaders of the township, this was now a critical time. With the county party secretary personally visiting, it wouldn't be long before the township leadership was finalized.

The acting party secretary, Chang Mingwei, rushed to the county without even a word. The chairman of the People's Congress, Fang Guicai, seemed indifferent, staying with his daughter in the county and rarely coming back. The head of the People's Armed Forces Department, Su Zhongquan, had gone to a meeting in the county, leaving the township leaderless.

The deputy township chiefs were even more chaotic, seeing this as an opportunity, they all left the township.

Not long after Gao Zhenshan and his group left, the township leaders of all levels found various excuses to head to the county.

Looking at the empty township government office, Ye Zetao took out a cigarette and lit it, thinking to himself how many officials truly cared about serving the people!

Niu Changsheng, the director, couldn't hold his position either, and no one knew where he had gone.

In the same office, only Ye Zetao and Fang Yimei remained.

Seeing that even Jiang Guoping had found an excuse to go to the county, Fang Yimei didn't move, which made Ye Zetao a bit curious, though he didn't ask.

"Zetao, what are you thinking about?" Fang Yimei asked, taking the initiative.

Fang Yimei was now a bit puzzled about Ye Zetao. Since the county party secretary, Gao Zhenshan, praised Ye Zetao in Chunzhu Township, she had a feeling that Ye Zetao might benefit from this.

Could it be that Ye Zetao had gained the support of Secretary Gao by saving the children?

Fang Yimei was clearly sensitive to politics. She had a feeling that Ye Zetao, whom she had previously underestimated, might have a significant breakthrough.

Startled, Ye Zetao found it rare to be addressed as "Zetao," especially from Fang Yimei.

Looking up at Fang Yimei, he saw that she was wearing a dress, her chest slightly exposed, revealing smooth, youthful skin.

Ye Zetao smiled, "Everyone has gone to lobby, why haven't you moved?"

Sighing, Fang Yimei said, "There are too many issues in Chunzhu Township. I think Secretary Gao is very upset with us. A major adjustment is inevitable!"

"The township indeed needs a new leadership team, but that's not something we small fry should worry about," Ye Zetao said with a smile.

"Secretary Gao is personally involved in Chunzhu Township's affairs!" Fang Yimei's face showed a strange expression.

Ye Zetao understood Fang Yimei's thoughts. Gao Zhenshan's involvement in the township leadership was not just a matter of interference but a natural part of his duties. Her words implied that there were already some candidates, but after the incident, Gao Zhenshan had new plans.

Ye Zetao looked at Fang Yimei and understood why she wasn't lobbying. It seemed that the person behind her had given her a message, and this time, no one would dare to get involved in Chunzhu Township's affairs. It appeared that the person behind Fang Yimei didn't want to get involved either.

From these few words, Ye Zetao understood that Fang Yimei's backing wasn't strong, at least not from the county party standing committee.

"Maybe," Ye Zetao replied.

"Why is it so hard for someone without a background?" Fang Yimei asked.

Ye Zetao found this question hard to answer. He smiled, "Having a bowl of rice to eat is already good. Compared to many of my classmates, I'm quite satisfied!"

Fang Yimei didn't say anything and suddenly stood up, walking out.

Ye Zetao noticed that Fang Yimei's face was not good, and there were tears in her eyes.

Watching Fang Yimei's beautiful figure walk away, Ye Zetao sighed. He understood her feelings. After all the effort and sacrifices, she didn't even get the position of director of the party and government office, which must have been very frustrating.

With no one left in the office, Ye Zetao didn't plan to stay alone. Even if someone called from above, they wouldn't blame him for not being there.

Closing the door, Ye Zetao walked toward the middle school.

With so many parents at the school today, he believed the students' situation would improve tonight.

On the way, he met many villagers, both familiar and unfamiliar, who all greeted him warmly, as if he had become a very popular figure in the township overnight.

Entering the middle school, he saw many villagers walking around, and some were carrying bags of rice to exchange for meal tickets for the students.

After looking around, Ye Zetao returned to his dormitory.

Just as he reached the dormitory door, he noticed three female students waiting outside.

Looking up, he saw that one of the girls looked very sad.

"Yang Yuxian, is there something wrong?" Ye Zetao asked.

The sad girl was Yang Yuxian, from a poor family. Ye Zetao asked.

Hearing Ye Zetao's voice, the three girls looked up at him, and Yang Yuxian's tears immediately flowed.

"Come in and talk." Ye Zetao opened the door and let the three girls in.

Once inside, Yang Yuxian said sadly, "Teacher Ye, I can't go to school anymore!"

Ye Zetao was taken aback. He had just given them blankets yesterday. Why weren't they going to school? He asked, "Why are you suddenly not going to school? Didn't I tell you that to change your fate, you need to rely on yourselves? For you, the way to change your fate is to study hard and gain more knowledge!"

"Teacher Ye, my father sent a message saying that he can't afford to keep me and wants me to get married!" Yang Yuxian said.

Ye Zetao was truly shocked. He looked at Yang Yuxian, who was indeed a beautiful girl.

Rural children mature early. Before, Ye Zetao had seen them as children, but now, he realized they had grown up.

But she was only fifteen!

"You're only fifteen, how can you get married!"

Another girl said, "Teacher Ye, many girls in our village get married at fifteen. When families are poor, they often have no choice but to marry off their daughters."

Seeing how naturally they talked about marriage, Ye Zetao was speechless.

Wiping away her tears, Yang Yuxian said, "Teacher Ye, I want to go to school, I don't want to get married!"

Looking at Yang Yuxian's helpless and longing eyes, and thinking about how the three girls had waited at his dormitory door, Ye Zetao understood. He was now the one who could protect her and was the only one they believed could help them.

He was their sky, and if he didn't help them, their world would collapse.

"Where do you live?" Ye Zetao had made a decision. He didn't want a child like her to drop out of school.

Hearing Ye Zetao's words, Yang Yuxian's eyes lit up with joy.

"It's a four-hour walk from here!" one of the girls said.

Looking at the sky, Ye Zetao stood up and asked the three girls, "Are you all from the same village?"

The other two girls shook their heads.

"Who brought the message?" Ye Zetao asked.

"It was my third uncle!"

Led by the three girls, Ye Zetao found Yang Yuxian's third uncle and his son, who were paying the school's grain fees.

Knowing that Ye Zetao was the township official who had saved the children, Yang Yuxian's third uncle was very respectful.

"My name is Yang Gencai. This farmer, who seemed to have seen little of the world, appeared nervous when he saw Ye Zetao.

Finding a long bench, Ye Zetao sat down and gave Yang Gencai a cigarette. "Yuxian is a good student. If she continues to study, she has a bright future."

Taking a puff of the cigarette, the wrinkles on Yang Gencai's forehead deepened. He was already dark-skinned and now looked even more worried.

He squatted on the ground and said, "The village is poor. The grain we pay for the children is saved from several families. It's already good if they can learn to read and write. Yuxian's mother is sick, and there's no labor force. Her father is raising two children alone. Her younger brother is also going to junior high school, which requires more grain. To support Yuxian's education, we've borrowed a lot of grain. If Yuxian gets married, it can help repay some of the grain and support the family. It's difficult!"

Although Ye Zetao knew the children were poor, he had never been to the mountain village. He thought for a moment and said, "I'll go to Yuxian's home with you tonight."

Nodding, Yang Gencai said, "I'll go with you after I pay the grain."

Ye Zetao called Niu Changsheng to take a leave. Niu Changsheng, who was busy with his own affairs, agreed.

After the call, seeing Yang Yuxian standing there pitifully, Ye Zetao smiled, "If you trust Teacher Ye, I will definitely support you in going to school. As long as you work hard, I will support you, not just in junior high school, but in high school and even university!"

"Really?" Yang Yuxian asked, disbelievingly.

Gently patting Yang Yuxian's shoulder, Ye Zetao said, "Focus on your studies. Teacher Ye will go to your home and make sure your father agrees to let you go to school."

Seeing Yang Yuxian's tearful face, Ye Zetao felt very sad. How many people could he really help with his current power?

At that moment, Ye Zetao suddenly felt a strong urge to climb the ranks, no matter what it took.

He felt that he needed to have more power to help more people who needed it.

Smoking a cigarette, he watched the busy villagers, seeing their impoverished conditions.

Chunzhu Township must have a significant development!

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