Chapter 719: County Magistrate Tang is a Man of His Word!

"Little Tang, I never expected you to actually be the County Magistrate!" Branch Secretary Yang strode up to Tang Ye and shook his hands excitedly. "Sigh, you deceived me; that wasn't very kind!"

Tang Ye led Branch Secretary Yang to the sofa, and Ma Ran smilingly poured two cups of tea for Branch Secretary Yang and Wu Chunming.

He was now certain.

The Tang Ye mentioned in those two news reports was indeed County Magistrate Tang himself.

Ma Ran had actually harbored this suspicion in his heart for a long time, but since Tang Ye didn't say anything, he hadn't felt it appropriate to ask.

Recalling the day Qiao Lin had called him into the office to ask about Tang Ye's whereabouts, Qiao Lin hadn't expected then that Tang Ye would go deep into Shanyang Village, the most remote village in this most impoverished county.

The nation had always advocated for Party members and cadres to follow the mass line—to come from the masses and go to the masses.

Tang Ye had executed this policy quite thoroughly.

Compared to those cadres in Dayu County who only sat in their offices drinking tea, reading newspapers, and idling their days away, Tang Ye was a good cadre who truly did practical work.

Having spent so much time with Tang Ye, Ma Ran had learned many professional skills from him, and at the same time, had truly felt his sincere heart.

Tang Ye took a document from the table and placed it by Branch Secretary Yang's hand. "Branch Secretary Yang, the matter I promised you last time finally has some progress, so I asked you and Teacher Wu to make a trip to the County Government."

Branch Secretary Yang tremblingly took the project approval document and hurriedly browsed through its contents; tears soon shimmered in his eyes. "County Magistrate Tang, is... is this real?"

He dared not believe it!

The matter he had strived for for decades had actually succeeded.

Tang Ye actually felt it was quite ironic.

That road, which affected thousands of people, had been ignored and neglected by the town all this time.

Tang Ye smiled and said to Branch Secretary Yang, "You can have Teacher Wu verify it!"

Branch Secretary Yang pushed the materials to Wu Chunming. "Teacher Wu, take a look and see if the County Government is really going to build a highway for our village."

Wu Chunming picked up the materials, studied them repeatedly for a long time, and said with full certainty, "Branch Secretary Yang, this document is real."

Branch Secretary Yang wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his hand and sighed, "County Magistrate Tang, I really didn't expect that you would actually help us secure the funding. To tell you the truth, for so many years, my greatest wish has been to connect the village with the outside world."

"It is truly too difficult for the children to go to school. I even had a crazy idea to learn from the Foolish Old Man who removed the mountains and organize the villagers to build that road."

Tang Ye nodded vigorously. "This matter was indeed not handled well by the Government before. However, please have confidence in us. We have been working hard to adjust our thinking and strive to do more practical things for the common people."

"Of course, compared to a few years ago, the difficulty of building a highway is indeed different now."

"There have been many breakthroughs in the technical barriers of infrastructure projects now, so the cost and difficulty of building roads are also decreasing."

"I have already contacted the leaders at the provincial level regarding this project, and the province will arrange technical experts to ensure that this road is built with quality and quantity guaranteed."

Branch Secretary Yang laughed at himself, "County Magistrate Tang, to tell you the truth, the day you left and told me you were going to build the road, I thought you were just bragging. I didn't expect you to be a man of your word."

Tang Ye laughed heartily, "It's fortunate that I kept my promise, otherwise I would have been mocked by you, Branch Secretary Yang."

Wu Chunming looked at Tang Ye, the emotions in his eyes a complex mix.

One had to know that when they were climbing the mountain together that day, Wu Chunming had absolutely no idea that Tang Ye had such great capabilities.

Tang Ye turned his gaze to Wu Chunming. "Teacher Wu, I invited you here today because there are a few things I would like to communicate with you. First, the previous report about your dedication to rural education has reached the provincial leaders. They are very concerned, and the provincial media would like to interview you specifically."

"Second, after seeing the report, some kind-hearted people were deeply moved by your deeds and are willing to express their feelings by donating some relief supplies for the children."

"Third, I have contacted the relevant person in charge of the Hope Primary School project, and they are willing to rebuild on the basis of the village primary school so that the school's hardware facilities can be comprehensively updated and improved."

Upon hearing this, Wu Chunming's emotions suddenly became agitated. "County Magistrate Tang, I thank you on behalf of the children in the village!"

Tang Ye shook his head and said in a very serious tone, "We should thank you even more. If it weren't for your silent dedication for so many years, Shanyang Village would have lost a batch of good saplings!"

Tang Ye gave Ma Ran a look.

Ma Ran understood immediately and hurriedly took out an envelope and placed it in front of Wu Chunming.

A gentle smile appeared on Ma Ran's face. "Teacher Wu, this is the subsidy and bonus that County Magistrate Tang specifically helped you apply for."

A look of obvious astonishment appeared in Wu Chunming's eyes. "County Magistrate Tang, this... this is really quite unexpected!"

Tang Ye explained patiently, "Teacher Wu, you have silently given so much in the mountains for so many years. As far as I know, you often use your own salary to subsidize the children. This money is what you deserve."

Wu Chunming gave a bitter smile. "This money should actually be used on the children."

Tang Ye knew that Wu Chunming intended to use all the money on the children, and he suddenly felt a bit sad. He said earnestly, "Teacher Wu, for so many years, your wife has been silently supporting you. I also heard that your son is studying at the No. 1 Middle School and his grades are excellent. If there are no accidents, he will definitely be able to get into a good university. At that time, the family will still need financial support."

Wu Chunming was quite moved by what Tang Ye said. "Alright, County Magistrate Tang, I will accept this money."

Tang Ye said with a smile, "The main reason I invited you here this time is to ask you to give a speech."

Wu Chunming was stunned for a moment.

"County Magistrate Tang, I... how could I be qualified to give a speech!"

Tang Ye said very seriously, "You must not underestimate yourself. Across the country, there are many rural teachers like you. You are an excellent representative among them. You should stand up, tell your story to more people, let more people recognize the value of rural teachers, and call on everyone to actively participate in the cause of rural education."

Wu Chunming took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Okay, County Magistrate Tang, I will listen to you."

Tang Ye promised, "After the road is built and your deeds are known by more people, I believe many young people will be willing to come to the mountains to teach. Please believe me, the future of our Shanyang Village will definitely get better and better."

Wu Chunming's eyes were filled with hot tears. "Thank you for your encouragement, County Magistrate Tang."

Tang Ye smiled and patted Wu Chunming on the shoulder, then said to Branch Secretary Yang with a smile, "It's lunchtime, let's go eat together. Today, I will treat you both to a good meal."

Branch Secretary Yang smiled and declined, "How about we forget it? Don't let County Magistrate Tang go to the expense again!"