Chapter 84: A Strand of Hair

After the meeting, the road survey began, including a provincial road and several county and township roads within the jurisdiction of Xianhe Township. Village roads did not need to be surveyed; they would be repaired when funds were available.

As soon as the meeting ended, Lü Fang, the secretary of Xinhe Village, called Fang Zhiming and asked, "Director Fang, the township is going to build roads. Can we make a big profit from it? We can set up some construction machinery and earn money by transporting soil and stones."

Fang Zhiming, feeling annoyed, replied, "It's not even certain yet. Right now, we're just surveying. We'll talk about it when the road construction starts."

Lü Fang sensed Fang Zhiming's bad mood and realized that with Wang Jian in charge, he was becoming increasingly isolated.

Ye Fengling, upon hearing that the meeting had ended, immediately found Wang Jian and asked him to take her to meet Jie Lianbing. After some thought, Wang Jian arranged for Fang Shuzeng and others and then took her to the township education committee to find Jie Lianbing.

Jie Lianbing was still busy with the Love Hope Scholarship Fund. Thanks to her efforts, some underprivileged students had received assistance, and the results were very good. The county TV station had even come to interview her, and the report was broadcast on the TV station.

Chen Yu, upon learning about the fund, offered to donate some money. Wang Jian smiled and said, "You're here to inspect the project. Don't worry about the donation. Over the next few days, take a good look at the project situation here. As long as it's suitable for building a factory, you can propose it, and we'll plan it for you!"

Chen Yu smiled and said, "It's just a small act of kindness, a thousand yuan."

Seeing Chen Yu's insistence, Wang Jian smiled but said nothing more.

Wang Jian, Ye Fengling, and Chen Yu went to the township education committee together. When Lu Yongqiang learned that Wang Jian was coming, he hurriedly arranged for the staff to clean up and prepare for the reception. Although Jie Lianbing knew that Wang Jian had returned, she didn't expect him to come to see her so soon.

The courtyard of the township education committee was extremely old. As Ye Fengling walked through the gate, she sighed inwardly at the difficult working conditions at the grassroots level. There was an old tree in the courtyard, and the brick and earth walls had long since peeled off, but the ground was very clean, giving the entire courtyard an ancient and simple appearance.

Lu Yongqiang smiled and led Wang Jian and the others into the courtyard. Jie Lianbing stood at the door, smiling to welcome them. Seeing that there were others besides Wang Jian, she was moved, thinking that higher-level leaders had come to inspect the work.

"Jie Lianbing, this is a leader from the provincial level. Upon hearing about the Love Fund, they wanted to come and take a look and have donated a thousand yuan!" Wang Jian introduced her with a smile.

Ye Fengling had already noticed that Jie Lianbing looked very much like her, almost as if they were twins. Jie Lianbing, after Wang Jian's introduction, also noticed this and was puzzled. How could this person look so much like her? Apart from their different clothing and demeanor, they were almost identical. Could she be Wang Jian's new girlfriend, brought here on purpose for her to see?

A layer of worry appeared on Jie Lianbing's face, but Ye Fengling smiled and said, "Hello, Teacher Jie. We heard from Township Chief Wang that your Love Fund is doing well, so we came to take a look. I didn't expect you to look so much like me!"

Jie Lianbing, embarrassed, replied, "We are just ordinary people from the countryside, how can we compare to you, a leader from the province?"

"Ha ha, Teacher Jie, what you say. There is no distinction between rich and poor; we are all born equal. The fact that we look so similar means we have a connection. Otherwise, how would two people who look so alike ever meet in this vast world? From now on, we are friends!" Ye Fengling took Jie Lianbing's hand and led her into the room.

Lu Yongqiang and Chen Yu were also very surprised; the two indeed looked very similar, and it was quite a coincidence.

When Wang Jian brought Ye Fengling to the township, Han Yuting, at first glance, thought Wang Jian had dressed Jie Lianbing up so beautifully and was openly with her. It wasn't until Wang Jian introduced her that she realized her mistake. Du Xiaobei had a similar reaction; she didn't expect Jie Lianbing to look so beautiful when dressed up, and in the end, she realized it was a misunderstanding.

Inside the room, Ye Fengling and Jie Lianbing sat together. Jie Lianbing, surprised by the approachability of the provincial leader, quickly dispelled her initial thoughts and naturally developed a good impression of Ye Fengling.

"Teacher Jie, your hair is so beautiful," Ye Fengling suddenly focused on Jie Lianbing's hair, gently stroking it and pulling out a strand, which she held in her hand.

Jie Lianbing, not paying much attention, replied, "Your hair is more beautiful, Leader!"

"Ha ha, we are the same!" Ye Fengling laughed.

Wang Jian, seeing Ye Fengling pull out a strand of hair, didn't know what it meant. Was it because she really found it beautiful and couldn't help herself? After some thought, he didn't take it too seriously.

Chen Yu had already handed over a thousand yuan to Lu Yongqiang as a donation. Wang Jian took the opportunity to ask about educational matters, emphasizing that education must be fundamental and student-centered. If these principles were not followed, education would fail. Lu Yongqiang nodded in agreement.

Ye Fengling and Jie Lianbing chatted, becoming increasingly intimate. Eventually, Jie Lianbing opened up and naturally conversed with Ye Fengling. In the end, Jie Lianbing told Ye Fengling about her childhood, saying that her grandmother had told her she might be surnamed Ye because when her grandmother first found her, she had said something about leaves. She had forgotten these details as she grew older.

"Ha ha, if that's the case, we share the same surname. Why do you have the surname Jie?" Ye Fengling asked.

"Because my grandmother's surname is Jie," Jie Lianbing replied.

Hearing this, Ye Fengling became even more convinced that Jie Lianbing was her long-lost sister. She decided to take the strand of hair back for a DNA test to confirm it.

After spending some time at the township education committee, it was lunchtime. Ye Fengling insisted on bringing Jie Lianbing to eat with them. Jie Lianbing, who had never attended such a banquet, was hesitant, but Ye Fengling insisted. Jie Lianbing glanced at Wang Jian, who smiled and said, "Lianbing, go ahead, it's rare to meet Director Ye!"

Jie Lianbing finally agreed. At the township canteen, Han Yuting and Du Xiaobei were surprised to see Ye Fengling and Jie Lianbing together. They wondered how a provincial leader could be so familiar with Jie Lianbing. Was there a story behind it?

Others in the township were also surprised to see two people who looked so similar together, thinking they were twin sisters. During the meal, Ye Fengling specifically invited Jie Lianbing to eat with Fang Shuzeng and others. Fang Shuzeng was amazed but, out of politeness, didn't comment. Hao Li laughed and said, "Director Ye, are you twins?"

Ye Fengling laughed, "Ha ha, yes, we are twins!" She laughed again, making Jie Lianbing feel a bit embarrassed.

"Ha ha, Director Ye, are you here to find family?" Fang Shuzeng joked.

Ye Fengling paused, then laughed, "Yes, I am here to find family!"

"Ha ha!" Everyone laughed, knowing she was joking.

Jie Lianbing blushed, thinking it would be great to have such a relative in the province, and she wouldn't feel so lonely.

Wang Jian also laughed, sensing that Ye Fengling's visit wasn't just because of the resemblance. There must be other reasons, and the hair she pulled out might have a special purpose.

"Director Ye, Director Hao, I hope we can have relatives like you from the province!" Wang Jian added, with a double meaning. Everyone laughed again upon understanding.

After the laughter, they finished their meal. The township people saw that Jie Lianbing had not only connected with Wang Jian but also with someone from the province, thinking her luck had turned. They had previously thought she was just a small teacher in the countryside, but now it seemed more complicated.

After the meal, Ye Fengling said goodbye to Jie Lianbing and then told Wang Jian, "Township Chief Wang, I'll go back first. I'll come back when I have time!"

Wang Jian was surprised, "Do you need to leave so soon? Stay for a few more days and enjoy the scenery here!"

"No, I'll come back later!" Ye Fengling mainly wanted to return to do the DNA test, so she was in a hurry to leave.

Hao Li, knowing Ye Fengling wanted to leave, also tried to persuade her to go back with her, but Ye Fengling insisted on leaving, and she had no choice.

Everyone saw Ye Fengling off, along with two female guards. Fang Shuzeng and others were puzzled, thinking she was from the provincial transportation department. Why did she leave so suddenly?

After Ye Fengling left, the road survey continued. Wang Jian accompanied Chen Yu to inspect the vegetable greenhouses in the village. Chen Yu thought the scale of vegetable cultivation was good but lacked unified company guidance and standardization. If he invested in building a vegetable factory here, there might be a good profit.

"Wang Jian, you're doing well here. Overall, growing vegetables is much more profitable than growing grain. It just lacks the necessary infrastructure. I can invest in building a factory here, but I'm worried about what will happen if you leave Xianhe Township," Chen Yu said after some consideration.

Wang Jian replied, "Chen Yu, as long as I'm still in the government, I won't let you down. Even if I leave Xianhe Township, the preferential policies will remain. You can invest here with confidence."

Chen Yu was concerned about policy changes, which is why he raised the issue. Since Wang Jian was so eager for him to invest, and he trusted Wang Jian, he decided, "Alright, you give me a plot of land, and I'll send people to formally investigate and build the factory. Let's have a successful cooperation!"

Hearing this, Wang Jian immediately smiled, "Great! I believe that once our road construction bottleneck is resolved, the development of Xianhe Township is just around the corner. Investing here now will be a great opportunity. I'll give you the best location, and you'll be in for a fortune!"

Chen Yu laughed heartily, "Ha ha, I'm getting a head start!"