Chapter 7

When it was time to leave work, Zhang Liren called, "Xiao Ye, congratulations."

"Don't, Brother, this is just the first step, we don't know the outcome yet," Ye Ziran quickly interrupted. "I heard Sister-in-law wants to introduce me to a beautiful nurse from the People's Hospital?"

"Yes, how about it? Shall we set a time?"

"Please thank Sister-in-law for me, but I really don't want to date right now. When I'm ready, I'll tell her and ask her to introduce me again," Ye Ziran declined.

"You, don't be too picky. You're about the right age. Your mother mentioned this to Yang Hongmei when she was in Mashixiang. Well, that's it for now. It's time to go, see you later."

Ye Ziran's mother had visited Mashixiang three times, dining with Zhang Liren and his wife. At the dinner table, she was upset that Ye Ziran, after graduating, neither stayed in the provincial capital nor returned to his hometown, Jinshan. Before leaving, she asked Zhang Liren and his wife to take care of Ye Ziran's personal matters. Yang Hongmei took this to heart and was determined to make a good match.

But Ye Ziran wasn't in a hurry, and no matter how anxious Yang Hongmei was, it wouldn't help. After work, Ye Ziran went to Ye Lao's place for dinner. He paid the meal expenses, but Uncle Cai initially refused to accept it. Ye Lao then said, "Uncle Cai, just take it. Otherwise, Xiao Ye won't come for meals every day." Uncle Cai then accepted it. Of course, having dinner was just part of it. The main part was to chat with Ye Lao about work and life, and to listen to his advice. In front of Ye Lao, Ye Ziran had nothing to hide, and Ye Lao treated him like a junior. They were as close as grandfather and grandson, making Uncle Cai shake his head frequently, wondering, "Even 'at first sight' can't reach this level."

However, Uncle Cai also liked Ye Ziran's character.

After the conversation, Ye Ziran learned that Uncle Cai and Zhang Hengliang were both old subordinates of Ye Lao in the army. After Ye Lao retired, Uncle Cai followed him. Due to injuries sustained in battle during his youth, Ye Lao lost his ability to have children and never married. His younger brother also died in the Korean War, so Ye Lao raised his niece Ye Qingli, who later married Zhang Hengliang. Uncle Cai had a son and a daughter, both of whom were married. His son was a university teacher, and his daughter worked for the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League.

After dinner at Ye Lao's, Ye Ziran went to visit the county party secretary, Tang Guoqiang.

Tang Guoqiang's family lived in the No. 1 building of the county party committee guesthouse, a four-bedroom, two-living room house.

His family moved to Changjia from Jiannan City shortly after he took office. Tang Hong and Tang Kang, brother and sister, were in the second and first year of junior high school, respectively, and were enrolled in the county middle school where their mother, Yu Jia, taught. Tang Hong and Tang Kang were excellent students but very mischievous, fearless of anything. Secretary Tang had no time to manage them, and Yu Jia, who was concerned about the children, managed them loosely. The two children were not afraid of her.

When Ye Ziran entered, Tang Hong was struggling with a difficult geometry problem. Seeing Ye Ziran, she was delighted and said, "Brother Ye, you came at the right time. Come help me with my homework."

Tang Hong called Ye Ziran "Brother," and Tang Kang followed suit. The two children, who were disobedient to their parents, were very obedient to Ye Ziran. As Tang Hong put it, "Brother Ye is handsome and smart, he's my idol." Indeed, Ye Ziran was not only handsome but also a graduate of a prestigious university, making him very appealing to young girls.

Secretary Tang took the opportunity to hand Tang Hong's math homework to Ye Ziran, "Xiao Ye, help her with her homework first."

Ye Ziran took a look. It was a plane geometry proof problem that required adding an auxiliary line. If the auxiliary line was added incorrectly, the proof would be impossible. After thinking for a moment, Ye Ziran added the line and said, "Tang Hong, look again. Can you prove it now with this line?"

Tang Hong immediately understood and said happily, "Brother Ye is so good, I know how to do it now." She then took her homework to the inner room to work on it.

Ye Ziran didn't see Yu Jia and asked, "Secretary Tang, where is Teacher Yu?"

"She's helping Tang Kang with his composition," Secretary Tang pointed to the sofa and said, "Sit down, I have something to discuss with you."

Ye Ziran sat on the sofa to the left of Secretary Tang.

"The county party committee's organization department will soon come to evaluate you. I want to ask you, do you have the confidence to do your job well?"

"Yes, I will do my best and not let you down. If I encounter problems, I will seek your advice in a timely manner," Ye Ziran said sincerely, not using the usual bureaucratic language.

Secretary Tang nodded and said, "Xiao Ye, at the township level, as a deputy section-level cadre, you are truly on the path to a political career. With power, every action affects the people's interests, so you must be very cautious."

"I understand, please rest assured, Secretary Tang," Ye Ziran said firmly.

Secretary Tang nodded and said, "Very good. I want to ask you, how can you ensure that your work ideas are implemented as a deputy township head?"

"Please teach me, Secretary Tang," Ye Ziran looked at Secretary Tang sincerely.

"Ultimately, the work of cadres is about working with people," Secretary Tang said. "To implement your ideas and policies, you must rely on the cooperation of others. Therefore, how to handle interpersonal relationships is a big issue."

"Yes, I will remember your words," Ye Ziran slowly pondered.

"To accomplish tasks, you must learn to use people. Using the right people and the right people can lead to success. Xiao Ye, there are two types of people you must never use: those with bad intentions and those who do not follow orders at critical times. Remember this no matter what position you hold," Secretary Tang said with a sharp gaze.

These words had two layers of meaning: first, you cannot do everything alone; you must rely on others, on the support of superiors, and on the execution by subordinates; second, using people is crucial. Subordinates must not only be capable but also loyal, and those who fail at critical times cannot be used. Ye Ziran thought, "No wonder many leaders prefer to use subordinates who are not very capable but obedient, rather than capable but disobedient ones."

"The most important thing is to be able to implement your ideas and policies. Just like in the military, when the commander points in a direction, the troops must follow, even if it's wrong. Otherwise, hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of soldiers, each acting on their own, would turn the army into a disorganized mess, leading to defeat," Secretary Tang paused, seeing that Ye Ziran understood, and continued, "For a commander, it's not enough to just give orders. Before the battle, you must carefully choose how and where to fight, gathering ideas and knowing your enemy and yourself."

"Thank you, Secretary Tang, your words have given me great inspiration," Ye Ziran looked into Secretary Tang's eyes with respect. Seeing that Secretary Tang's teacup was almost empty, he stood up to refill it.

Yu Jia, having finished helping her son with his composition, came out of the study and praised, "Xiao Ye is really good. Even after becoming an official, he should remain humble and not develop a haughty attitude, expecting others to do everything for him."

Ye Ziran smiled, knowing she was hinting at Secretary Tang, and didn't respond.

Secretary Tang didn't mind and said, "Are you putting a label on me? Or are you standing up for Xiao Ye?"

Yu Jia poured a cup of water for Xiao Ye and said, "Look, Xiao Ye has been here for so long, and no one has offered him water."

Ye Ziran quickly said, "I don't want to drink. In your home, if I want to drink, I'll do it myself."

Yu Jia let it go and asked, "Xiao Ye, why haven't you mentioned a girlfriend? Haven't you started dating yet?"

"Not yet."

"Really? I'll keep an eye out for you. Xiao Ye's conditions are quite good," Yu Jia was a bit excited.

Ye Ziran felt a bit embarrassed. He thought this was a woman's natural hobby: matchmaking. He felt a bit overwhelmed. Fortunately, Secretary Tang said, "Focus on your work first. Although Mashixiang is small, there's a lot to do. If you do well, the future will be bright, and dating can wait."

Yu Jia immediately said, "You talk so easily, but you pursued me when you were in college." She laughed.

Listening to Yu Jia's teasing, Ye Ziran knew she had already accepted him as one of the family. He said, "Aunt Yu, Secretary Tang is doing this for my good." The term "Aunt Yu" sounded natural and affectionate.

Yu Jia was even happier and said to Secretary Tang, "You should care more about Xiao Ye. He's a good person."

Secretary Tang nodded and smiled.

Ye Ziran remembered his encounter with County Magistrate Ma in Lin Chang's home in the afternoon and thought it was necessary to report it to Secretary Tang. He sat down and recounted the entire process in detail.

After listening, Secretary Tang was very interested and asked, "Who else was there when County Magistrate Ma said these things?"

"Just me and Lin Chang's widow, He Chunying," Ye Ziran thought for a moment and said.

Secretary Tang smiled and said, "Xiao Ye, you're a lucky star. This makes things easier for you. I thought your appointment as deputy township head would be smooth, but entering the township party committee would be difficult. Since County Magistrate Ma supports you, I'll have you appointed as a member of the township party committee and deputy township head."

The township party committee had nine members: the township party secretary, the township head, the deputy party secretary, the discipline inspection secretary, the organization secretary, the propaganda secretary, the armed forces minister, and two deputy township heads. In the government system, there were four deputy township heads, and the authority of those who entered the party committee was much greater than those who did not.

The county party secretary was in charge of appointments. Hearing that his chances of entering the party committee were not high, Ye Ziran imagined the intense struggle in the county party committee. After all, although Secretary Tang was capable, he had only been the county party secretary of Changjia for three months, and County Magistrate Yin had deep roots. It was normal not to have a relative advantage in the party committee in the short term.

Understanding the key points, Ye Ziran said, "Thank you, Secretary Tang. It seems County Magistrate Ma and County Magistrate Yin are not on good terms. He might be a lever to move County Magistrate Yin's team."

Secretary Tang smiled and pointed at Ye Ziran, saying, "You have some political insight. That's why I say you're a lucky star."

Ye Ziran became excited and said, "Secretary Tang, what do you need me to do?"

"After you take office, I'll find an opportunity to have a meal with County Magistrate Ma," Secretary Tang smiled confidently. "As a standing committee member and deputy county magistrate, if we can cooperate, it will be beneficial for government work."

If the three of them have a meal together, with Ye Ziran acting as a lubricant, it would be more natural.

Yu Jia couldn't help but say, "Why do you always talk about these things? Can't you talk about life?"

Secretary Tang laughed and said, "Life and work are inseparable."

Ye Ziran joined in, "Secretary Tang has made work his life."

The three of them laughed together.