Chapter 32

Chapter 24: Visiting the Poor

Lin Ruoshui went to the city early in the morning to report on her work. When she returned, she learned about the major incident that had occurred in Hongshui County. However, what was strange was that she saw Su Nan still watering the plants in the office, looking very relaxed and at ease!

Lin Ruoshui had been quite troubled lately. Su Nan seemed not to be particularly wary of the fact that she had Lin Pei backing her. After taking office, Su Nan had been meticulously involved in all party affairs. As a deputy secretary who did not have a particularly harmonious relationship with the secretary, her influence was being squeezed into a very small space. Sometimes she even felt that her words in the county committee were less effective than those of the newly appointed organization minister, Huang He. Of course, with Lin Pei's potential influence, she could still affect some of the standing committee members' decisions at the standing committee meetings or the secretary's meetings. However, she still felt a deep sense of frustration. In the short time since Su Nan took office, he had already established his prestige throughout the county committee. And the even younger Yang Zixuan had firmly established himself in the county government, even occasionally sparring with Su Nan at the standing committee meetings...

What about herself? Lin Ruoshui's delicate face showed a thoughtful expression.

The sky was pitch black, and a torrential rain poured down from Mount Tianma...

Yang Zixuan stared at the scattered thatched and mud-brick houses, lost in thought.

"County Chief, come in and sit down. The rain outside is heavy." The speaker was the village chief of Damu Dong, Dong Shanlan, a man in his thirties.

"Shanlan, I don't want to say too much, but your living conditions in Damu Dong are really poor. These mud-brick houses are built so casually, can people really live in them? Without even a roof, if the plum rains come in April or May, these houses will be soaked and ruined!"

Dong Shanlan also looked ashamed: "County Chief, we have no choice. There are many reasons for this. First, as you saw when you came, Damu Dong doesn't even have a proper road, only a small path where two people can barely turn around. No vehicles can enter, and no building materials can be transported in. Second, many villagers can't afford to spend so much money..."

Yang Zixuan nodded silently, looking at the walls of a partially collapsed house, where the absurd slogans from the Great Leap Forward era were still visible. He sighed, the reform was a long and arduous task!

The house of the woman who had jumped into the water was also a mud-brick house. On a rainy day, the ground was muddy. The house was about thirty square meters, with exposed mud walls on all sides. A few rusty farming tools were placed in the corners, and the stove for cooking was also inside this mud-brick house. There was not a single piece of decent furniture, and the term "bare walls" described it perfectly.

The woman lay pale on a small bed, clearly very weak after the drowning. Three girls and a boy stared with wide, black eyes at the group of people outside the door.

Dong Lanshan, being very considerate, walked ahead, moved a stool for Yang Zixuan, and turned back to ask: "Sister Dong San, are you feeling better? Everyone went to the township government for your sake. Let me introduce you, this is our County Chief Yang, who has come to see you."

"Oh, County Chief Yang! Our place is so humble, we have nothing to offer you. This dilapidated mud-brick house is not suitable for you to sit in, you should leave." Sister Dong San's face was expressionless, her eyes glancing at her husband's portrait on the wall, and tears could not be held back.

Seeing their mother cry, the children also burst into tears.

Dong Lanshan looked very awkward and said to Yang Zixuan: "County Chief, Sister Dong San is not feeling well, don't take her words to heart..."

Yang Zixuan waved his hand, stood up, and gently touched one of the little boys' heads, speaking softly: "Be good, don't cry. What grade are you in?"

"I haven't started school yet. My sister is in second grade, but she doesn't want to go anymore." The little boy pointed to a girl who was about eight or nine years old.

"Because we don't have money, she helps my mother with the farm work at home."

Yang Zixuan sighed, poor children grow up fast. Looking at Sister Dong San, who was lying with her back to the mud wall, sobbing quietly: "Sister San, if you leave, what will happen to these children? No matter what, you have to get through this. There are no insurmountable obstacles in life. Don't think about taking your own life. Here's what I suggest: let these children continue their education. I will help you with the tuition, so you don't have to worry about it. You won't have to pay many taxes like the head tax anymore. The taxes you've already paid this year can be refunded by the township government in a few days. The county will also give some money to your village for the New Year. After the New Year, things will get better."

Yang Zixuan patted the head of the child next to him, took out three hundred yuan from his pocket, and put it in Sister Dong San's pocket, sighing: "This is my personal gift for the New Year, please keep it."

After saying that, Yang Zixuan strode out, and Dong Lanshan closely followed behind...

"Old Dong, what do you think about developing Mount Tianma into a tourist area?" Yang Zixuan looked up at the vast and misty Mount Tianma, lost in thought.

"A tourist area? Who would want to come to our place, a poor and remote area with no villages around?"

Yang Zixuan shook his head and smiled: "You don't understand. Because Mount Tianma is in a remote area, its vegetation and species are well-preserved. If it is developed into a tourist area, it will have high tourism value. I also looked at the local history of Hongshui County recently and found that during the revolutionary period, the Fourth Army and several major field armies fought against the Japanese on Mount Tianma. This ties in well with red tourism, which is a great selling point."

"Mount Tianma is like a beautiful young lady hidden away, with great potential for development. As the economy grows, people who have become wealthy are looking for more spiritual relaxation, and tourism is a good choice. Red tourism, combined with high-quality natural hot springs and the third-highest mountain in Luofu Province, could bring significant benefits not just to Damu Dong but to the entire Tianma Township. Although I haven't conducted a detailed survey of the entire Tianma Township, I have been thinking about its development. The mountains are numerous and the roads are rugged, making it difficult to develop industry. Agriculture and animal husbandry also have no significant advantages. But there's an old saying: 'When God closes a door, He opens a window.' Mount Tianma is that window!"

Dong Lanshan, who had not read much, could not immediately accept Yang Zixuan's forward-thinking ideas, but he could feel that this young county chief was truly committed to doing practical things and genuinely cared about the people's interests.

For him, that was enough!

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