Chapter 509: You cannot move against this person

Zhang Xin Hua was truly excited.

If the previous interview with Li Long had been very calm throughout the process, including the collected material, it could have made a fairly good draft about ethnic unity, then the words Li Long said at the end were enough to elevate this draft.

She believed that after polishing and revising, this draft could absolutely be published in a central major newspaper!

This trip was truly the right choice!

Li Long didn't think that much. After he finished building the well platform, he finished his work. Zhang Xin Hua's interview was also almost done. After asking clearly about Li Long's unit, she said goodbye. She was in a hurry to rush back to the county to write this draft as soon as possible and then send it out.

She couldn't wait.

The 212 was fast and left in a flash. Li Long drove the tractor and looked at the small car moving away in front, truly feeling a bit envious.

When could he buy a car himself?

Right now, he didn't have enough money, and a driver's license wasn't easy to get. Better to just save money properly.

Yushanjiang's wife made a meal, but Li Long didn't eat. He had Ye Laya translate that he had already told his family he would go home to eat, and he left a message saying that after a while, he would bring his wife over to visit.

Yushanjiang's wife smiled upon hearing this and asked Ye Laya to relay that she would treat them well when the time came. She also said Li Long's wife must be very beautiful.

Ye Laya was also very happy. Zhang Xin Hua didn't have much time, and her main attention was on the interview. Zheng Mingyue had plenty of time and taught her a lot of common sense about writing drafts. Don't look at it as just common sense; it was equivalent to a window paper. Before it was poked through, most people didn't know how to write, but after it was poked through, they would find it was actually quite simple.

Zheng Mingyue also left Ye Laya some submission addresses, letting her try submitting to newspapers. She also left her own contact information so that if Ye Laya had any questions, she could write to ask her.

She could see that Zhang Xin Hua attached great importance to this news interview; perhaps it wouldn't be long before she came again, or she would ask for some supplementary material. Leaving contact information now was good for both parties.

Ye Laya sat in the 212 and followed them to the county. Her camera had the raw material of Li Long and the others working, which was very important for Zhang Xin Hua and the others' news.

Before leaving, Zhang Xin Hua told Li Long that what they were doing would soon be in the newspaper. Actually, she really wanted to see Li Long's surprised look, but unfortunately, she was a bit disappointed. For ordinary people, being in the newspaper should be something very worth commemorating or even celebrating, but Li Long felt it was just so-so. After all, he had already been in the Prefecture newspaper once; being in it again this time was nothing more than a higher level.

Not seeing Li Long's surprised expression, Zhang Xin Hua was a bit surprised, but she felt that perhaps Li Long didn't know what this represented. Only when it truly appeared in the newspaper and the Prefecture and County took action would he realize it.

This wasn't just an ordinary appearance in the newspaper; this was appearing in the newspaper in the name of ethnic unity during the Ethnic Unity Education Month!

Moreover, Zhang Xin Hua felt that that sentence could be used as a slogan forever. How well it was described—like pomegranate seeds—why hadn't anyone thought of describing ethnic unity like this before?

When the tractor drove back to the county, it wasn't yet lunchtime. Li Long first went to the oil depot to add oil and filled two more barrels as backup before driving to Sister Yang's house.

Gu Xiaoxia hadn't come over yet, and Sister Yang was wrapping dumplings. Li Long asked:

"Sister Yang, what kind of filling are the dumplings today?"

"Chives and egg, pork and green onion. One meat, one vegetable; eat whichever you like." Sister Yang wrapped dumplings very quickly. Taking the skin, putting in the filling, and squeezing with both hands, the ingot-like dumplings were wrapped.

"I'll come help too." Li Long also knew how to wrap dumplings.

"No, no, no, don't get your hands dirty." Sister Yang hurriedly shook her head. "It's almost done here. The three of us are eating; a hundred dumplings is about enough."

"Where's Han Fang?"

"I'm saving the filling to wrap for her after school this afternoon." Sister Yang explained.

Li Long nodded. He didn't speak, but Sister Yang opened the conversation:

"Uncle, when are you two going to have a child?"

"We're preparing now. Even if we have one, it'll be next year." Li Long said casually. "It's not like you can have one whenever you want."

"Her aunt is a cadre; can you only have one child?"

"That's right." Li Long felt moved. One child was still a bit few. But there was no help for it; it was the price. After all, Gu Xiaoxia was already a cadre; they couldn't violate the policy.

Then he would wait until his own child was older, and when the policy changed, they would have more children. With his current ability, he should be able to save up more family assets for the next generation and the generation after that. Raising children should be no problem then.

Of course, how many children his own children would have later was their freedom; he wouldn't interfere, nor could he interfere.

While they were talking, Gu Xiaoxia pushed her bicycle into the courtyard. Seeing Li Long, she asked:

"Is the work in the village finished?"

"Yeah, finished. I also ran into a reporter from the Autonomous Region, and they interviewed me about what I did."

"I was just about to tell you." Gu Xiaoxia propped up her bicycle and walked to Li Long's side, saying:

"I heard from a colleague that yesterday the County Radio Station broadcast a radio script about the pastoral team, saying that a person named Li Long repaired houses and built well pumps for two residents of the pastoral team. They guessed it should be you, and they came to ask me today. Our Bureau Chief Wang also knows and said this is a good thing; it's great that the family members of our Education Bureau have such awareness. This just happens to be Ethnic Unity Education Month; the timing is too perfect. He said that if things go well, the county might even commend you?"

"What? The county wants to commend Uncle?" Sister Yang poked her head out from the kitchen, still holding an unwrapped dumpling. "In my opinion, it should have been like this long ago. Doesn't Uncle often send things to the herdsmen in the mountains? The county only knows now?"

Li Long didn't know whether to laugh or cry; what was this about! But it seemed that when he wasn't around, Gu Xiaoxia and Sister Yang must have chatted a lot about his affairs.

"Don't worry about that; I'm just doing what I should do. Sister just asked me when we're having a child; I said next year."

"That's right, have one quickly. You're young, it's easy to give birth, and after giving birth, your body will recover quickly, Auntie. If you don't mind, I'll help you take care of the child then!" Sister Yang said from inside the house.

"That would be great." Gu Xiaoxia's eyes were full of longing. "Then it's a deal, Sister."

"That's not easy to say." Before Sister Yang could speak, Li Long shook his head. "Sister is still looking for Han Fang's father. Once found, won't she have to move over?"

"Even if I find him, I'm not moving." Sister Yang said. "I'm still thinking of finding Xiao Fang's father and having him settle down here. It's so good staying here; he earns a lot of money, and this small courtyard you rent to me is comfortable. Who knows what the place he's staying in now is like?"

"As long as you want to stay, you can stay here forever." Li Long didn't care about this. Sister Yang was saying this now, but maybe after finding Han Fang's father, she would change her mind.

After all, they were the real family.

The dumplings were wrapped and put into the pot. Gu Xiaoxia took the bowls and chopsticks, and Li Long went to get the vinegar and chili oil. He also pulled cilantro and green onions directly from the field, chopped them up, put them in a bowl, and made a dipping sauce together.

When the dumplings were brought out, Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia both smelled the fragrance. Li Long said with a smile:

"Sister Yang, with your skills, opening a restaurant would definitely make money."

"Actually, I've thought about it. If I really could open one, I'd find a place nearby later and open a small restaurant; it would be enough to support me and Xiao Fang. Anyway, I like cooking, and I like others eating the food I cook." Sister Yang brought out another plate of dumplings and said with a smile, "But no rush for now. I'll save money slowly and practice my skills slowly. Our taste here is still a bit different from my hometown. I'm selling food at the market now, which is slowly adjusting the taste."

It seemed Sister Yang had her own plans, so Li Long stopped talking about this topic.

After eating, Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia went out together and parted ways.

With the work at the pastoral team finished, Li Long was temporarily free and had nothing specific to do. He thought about tidying up the courtyard and slowly making it more convenient. Now in winter, there was still a stove in the room, and for the toilet, he still had to use the dry toilet. Li Long wondered if he could renovate it and make an indoor bathroom. However, this renovation project would be quite large; after all, the drainage would need to be re-dug, and he didn't know if anyone in the county could renovate this old-style building.

Over at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Deputy Director Liu Sheng Li ultimately didn't call the Prefecture Cooperative. After analyzing, he determined that Li Long's background was right here in the county, and it should be Li Xiangqian, so he went to meet with the Director again, with only one main point. Either Li Long comes over to work on time, or he gets cleared out.

After all, getting paid without working is called eating empty pay; this is a serious violation.

The Director was noncommittal, the meaning still being for him to go communicate with Li Xiangqian. Liu Sheng Li was puzzled, but the Director didn't explain it to him either.

Liu Sheng Li didn't want to go find Li Xiangqian; he felt he was a Deputy Director, and Li Xiangqian should come find him directly, so the matter got stuck there. Deputy Director Yu later evaluated this matter with only two words: Naive.

Yes, young and frivolous, successful at a young age, holding power in his hands—naturally, he wanted to accomplish some things.

But the Supply and Marketing Cooperative came from the grain requisition team at the very beginning; how many things had it experienced? Although that first batch of veterans now all looked kind and amiable, who knew that when these people were requisitioning grain back then, they encountered bandits and robbers, and they truly dared to shoot it out with others while carrying guns?

When someone like Liu Sheng Li, who hadn't experienced setbacks, encountered these veterans and wanted to use the power in his hands to manipulate others, he was truly mistaken.

If the procedure for the matter had no problems and there had been normal communication outside the meeting, Li Xiangqian might not have refused to give him face and provided a detailed explanation.

But Liu Sheng Li, for the sake of so-called face and the authority of leadership, prepared to bring this topic directly to the meeting, which was equivalent to not giving Li Xiangqian face and planning to flip the table.

And this wasn't just flipping Li Xiangqian's table; for the other few leaders of the entire Supply and Marketing Cooperative, it was also a difficult problem.

Not following the rules.

However, after Liu Sheng Li's serious "investigation," at the meeting on the third day, he brought this matter up again.

As one of the leaders of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, topics brought up at formal meetings need to be communicated in advance.

!.

He didn't.

The Director's face was a bit dark. Although he knew this Liu Sheng Li had connections in the Prefecture, no matter what, bringing a topic to the meeting without communication outside the meeting was forcing the palace, right?

Little bastard, what do you want to do?

Liu Sheng Li felt victory was in his grasp because the data and materials he provided were all true. Based on these things, it could be completely determined that Li Long, this temporary worker, was long absent from his post, taking salary and benefits for nothing—this was not allowed; this was digging the wall of socialism!

It was said that he also used the name of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative outside to buy low and sell high; this was ruining the reputation of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative!

Such things must absolutely not be allowed to continue; this person was a black sheep, so he must be cleared out of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative's ranks!

The words were spoken very passionately, and the tone was set very high, sounding very inspiring, but to be honest, the effect... was a bit average.

The people attending the meeting all knew Li Long to some extent and understood how this person entered the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. For his previous refusal to take a formal position and only wanting a temporary worker quota, some people were still puzzled.

Now some people understood; this was clearly thinking that there would be such a day.

After all, earning money outside had the freedom of being outside; perhaps this person just liked the freedom outside, which was why he wanted a temporary position. If it were a formal position, that freedom wouldn't be possible, and if there were any situation, he would have to be punished.

Liu Sheng Li fully expected that after he finished saying these words, he would get the agreement of most people, but he found that most people were still silent.

Only Li Xiangqian looked at him with a cold sneer; clearly, this backer of Li Long was truly not planning to cooperate with him anymore.

Liu Sheng Li didn't care about him either. A Section Chief—if he really wanted to push back, he was his superior; what could he do? In the Prefecture Cooperative, he had seen too many situations where being one rank higher crushed people to death. Those mid-to-low-level leaders were all well-behaved and respectful when they saw Prefecture Cooperative leaders.

Why did it change in the County Cooperative?

This atmosphere is wrong; it must be changed!

With no one responding, Liu Sheng Li knew that since he had proposed this proposal, even if it didn't resonate with everyone now, the procedure had to continue.

Fortunately, the Director didn't speak, which meant the Director wasn't completely opposed to this proposal, so there was still a chance.

Just as Liu Sheng Li intended to initiate a vote on this proposal, someone knocked on the door outside. Liu Sheng Li was a bit impatient, but the Director saw the person outside through the glass above the door and then shouted:

"Come in."

The person who came in was an ordinary cadre. He didn't see Liu Sheng Li's impatient look and said directly to the Director:

"Director, phone call."

"Where from?" The Director asked.

"From the County Propaganda Department."

Hearing it was a phone call from the County Propaganda side, the Director stood up and said to Liu Sheng Li:

"Little Liu, you continue the meeting. I'll go answer the phone first."

Liu Sheng Li thought to himself that he needed him to make the final decision; if you leave, what meeting can I hold? But he didn't dare say to the Director, "Don't answer the phone yet, finish the meeting first."

The Director returned to his office, answered the phone, said "Hello," and then heard someone on the other side say with a smile:

"Wei Zhuren, it's Old Luo from Propaganda."

"Yo, Minister Luo, hello. How do you have time to call me?" Wei Zhuren said with a smile. The person on the other side was the Minister of Propaganda, so he naturally had to speak with a smile.

"Wei Zhuren, you've seen today's newspaper, right? Your subordinates are amazing! Our county's ethnic unity work itself isn't outstanding, but now it's great. With this matter of yours, this year's Ethnic Unity Education Month, I finally have a foundation. The County Secretary said, you all get the first merit!"

"What... I haven't seen the newspaper yet." Wei Zhuren was a bit confused; this situation seemed a bit similar?

"You haven't seen it yet? The newspaper should have been delivered, right? Today's Autonomous Region Daily! That young man named Li Long in your unit went to repair houses and build wells for ethnic brothers in the pastoral team, and also said, 'Ethnic brothers must be like pomegranate seeds, tightly huddled together.' How well said! What political sensitivity! The County Secretary said, this year, needless to say, your unit will definitely be an advanced unit for ethnic unity, and Comrade Li Long will definitely be an advanced individual for ethnic unity! Not just the county, I estimate the Prefecture will definitely have the same thought! Our Prefecture's achievements in this area were mediocre before, but this time we truly have a signboard! Not bad, not bad! The young man is not bad, Old Wei, a talent, must be well commended!"

Wei Zhuren hung up the phone, a bit confused. What was this situation? That Li Long...

He hurriedly beckoned the young man who had followed him to find today's newspaper.

The newspaper had been retrieved but not yet distributed. The young man hurriedly brought the Autonomous Region Daily to Wei Zhuren. Wei Zhuren flipped it open and saw it immediately, the headline on the second page: "Ethnic brothers must be like pomegranate seeds, tightly huddled together: Recording the story of Li Long, an employee of the Ma County Supply and Marketing Cooperative, helping ethnic comrades repair houses and build wells."

Seeing that this had even put his own unit on it, Wei Zhuren felt his scalp tingle. The Supply and Marketing Cooperative had money and people, but to say they had some good thing to get into the Autonomous Region's major newspaper, that was truly very difficult. In the past, at most, they could get a small blurb in the news briefs, which was already amazing.

Now it was actually the headline on the second page! Almost half a page!

He felt even more refreshed now than drinking sour plum soup in the dog days of summer!

"Director, Deputy Director Liu asked me to inquire about the meeting..." The young man asked in a low voice.

Wei Zhuren hadn't looked at the specific content of the news, but thinking about it, there was no need to look. He took the newspaper and strode toward the conference room.

The conference room door opened, and people inside were still discussing in low voices. Li Xiangqian had a straight face, clearly very unhappy.

Seeing Wei Zhuren enter, Liu Sheng Li gave a light cough and said:

"Alright, the Director is here, let's hold the meeting..."

"No need to hold it." Wei Zhuren interrupted him, "Li Long's matter doesn't need to be discussed. This is a very excellent comrade; we must call on all comrades in the cooperative to learn from him. Old Li, you brought up a good soldier! When he has time to come over, let him come to my office; I want to see this young man. He truly gave our cooperative face!" As he said this, he slapped the newspaper on the table:

"For such an excellent comrade, we must protect him well and cultivate him well. Although he is a temporary worker, he is also a person of our cooperative. Old Li, chat with Comrade Li Long more often; if there are any difficulties, tell the cooperative in time. Such things, we can't let him pay out of his own pocket.

And having such thoughts and actions is good; we must actively report to the cooperative. Now we are very passive; the things are all done, and our cooperative only finds out last. This is not good. In the future, if there are similar situations, provide feedback to the cooperative early, hmm? When he comes over, you tell him, the funding for this activity will be reimbursed by the cooperative. We can't let him both provide the people and the effort, right?"

The wind direction suddenly changed. Not only was Liu Sheng Li confused, but Li Xiangqian was also at a loss.

What happened to the Director today?

He looked at the newspaper; could it be that Li Long had done something else amazing?

Liu Sheng Li also looked at the newspaper; he also wanted to know why. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 510 =====