Chapter 897: Visiting the Former County Magistrate Again

Li Lingyu felt a bit ashamed inside; she viewed Su Yang with worldly eyes, yet Su Yang transcended the mundane.

In fact, she had made a big decision to give Su Yang money this time; after all, he had helped her greatly, so how could she not show some token of thanks?

But Su Yang doesn't seek personal gain; he sincerely devotes himself to serving the common people—such a person probably exists only in legend.

"Alright, I've received your kindness, especially this sweater—I think not only I will like it, but my wife will too. Alright, let's gather everyone tonight for a meal; I'll be leaving in two days."

"During my absence, you still need to put extra effort into the county's work."

"Especially the road construction projects—these are now under County Magistrate Jiao's responsibility; make sure no problems arise."

Jiao Qiang said: "County Magistrate Su, rest assured—I'm on site every day supervising the various construction sites, and the workers are all honest folks; they won't cut corners."

"We originally planned to rest during the Spring Festival, but they're working with such enthusiasm, not wanting to stop at all—not just them, even the villagers from every village don't want to put down their work to celebrate the New Year."

"As they put it, celebrating the New Year and building the road are separate; they don't interfere with each other."

"Visiting relatives and friends can be done in the evenings; during the day they should still work, which will make them feel more fulfilled inside."

"After all, this is a road they've hoped for many years; now that they have a chance to build it, they're even more eager than we are."

"The next afternoon, Su Yang found a roadside restaurant, treated everyone to a meal, then briefly mentioned work matters, urging everyone to put in extra effort."

"But he didn't rush to leave; instead, he went to visit Former County Magistrate Tong Guohua."

"Tong Guohua has been in excellent spirits lately, leisurely enjoying his retirement days, daily tending flowers and grasses, feeling quite carefree."

"In his free time he also visits the road construction sites to see if any help is needed. Although he holds no official post, he is deeply beloved by the local common people."

"When Su Yang again arrived at the Former County Magistrate's small courtyard, the latter was reclining on a chair, leisurely basking in the sun; beside the chair sat a small round table holding a teapot and teacups."

"Former County Magistrate, I apologize for the unannounced visit and hope you'll excuse me."

Tong Guohua laughed and said: "The tea has already been prepared for you; I was just waiting for you to come. If you hadn't come, I would have gone to the County Government to find you."

"Having said that, he gestured to the nearby rattan chair, and Su Yang sat down beside him."

Former County Magistrate Tong Guohua poured Su Yang a cup of tea: "Although I once served as the county's magistrate, I certainly haven't amassed any wealth, and my connections pale in comparison to yours—so I can only express my gratitude with this humble cup of tea."

Su Yang said: "I truly don't deserve such kindness from the Former County Magistrate; as a cadre, I will never stand by and let Geng Miao's gang run rampant."

"Under the clear heavens, they actually dared to use guns to hold hostages; as the chief overseer of the Public Security Bureau, I ought to apologize to the Former County Magistrate."

"But fortunately, that malignant tumor has finally been eradicated, and those who previously neglected their duties and willingly served as Geng Miao's lackeys have all received due punishment."

"Being able to accomplish all this, I believe it should be credited to the foundation you laid earlier and to your persistent reporting."

Su Yang's humility made the Former County Magistrate feel even more relieved.

"You, you, don't be so modest—I've weathered many storms over the years and experienced major events; it's only because you came to Lieshan Xian that anything changed; otherwise, no matter who came, our Lieshan Xian would see no change at all."

"Either it would have fallen into ruin, its officials imprisoned, or they would have been transferred away."

"It is you who gave us hope; now everything is flourishing, and the people's spirits are uplifted."

"When a local official enables the common people to live in peace and prosperity, that is the people's fortune—and the official's greatest honor."

"If this were ancient times, when you departed, the entire county's common people would have presented you with a ten-thousand-person umbrella."

Su Yang said: "I feel unworthy of this; I came today to consult the Former County Magistrate mainly to ask whether our upcoming development plan is reasonable—I had added a Yingbin Dadao to all the road projects earlier."

"The preliminary design of this Yingbin Dadao would likely cost over 50 million, which our county's finances simply cannot support."

"But for long-term development and to retain investing enterprises, I personally believe infrastructure should be done well, raising the image of our entire city."

"However, most of the county's leadership disagree, seeing it as mortgaging our future for a false present prosperity."

"I know their argument also makes sense, so I ask the Former County Magistrate: should we build it or not?"

Tong Guohua sipped his tea and slowly said: "Your boldness is extremely rare at this level."

"For others, merely repairing the old roads would already exhaust them."

"Yet you have planned so many projects for us, each a major undertaking; the Breeding and Planting Base will bring great benefits to our common people—I hear that once these two bases are completed, the residents of Shuanggou Town will be able to work and earn money without leaving their homes."

"The Industrial Park is a project normally found only in prefecture-level cities, since investors are unwilling to spend that much money on industry in a county seat."

"They come mainly because half of them are doing it for your sake, while some perhaps genuinely want to invest here; in my view, the Yingbin Dadao is actually necessary."

"Although it looks like mortgaging the future for a false present prosperity, we also need to consider what kind of development plan it is and who is in charge of the project."

"In others' hands, this might be a straightforward performance project that leaves the people with endless debt, but in our Lieshan Xian it's different—we've reached a point of no retreat; if we can seize this opportunity this time, we can turn things around."

"If we fail to seize it this time, there may be no future development prospects, and in my view, a good leader like you won't stay long in our Lieshan Xian."

"I only hope the Organization can give our Lieshan Xian two more years; with that development period, the planting base, breeding base, and Industrial Park could fully take shape."

"By then, our Lieshan Xian might not only shake off its current poverty but even surge to become an economically strong county in the province; as an ordinary commoner, I sincerely express my gratitude."

"As for the Yingbin Dadao project, I believe we should not only continue it but also expand its scale to create sufficient grandeur."

"At the very least, let our city's image be instantly uplifted. This is something countless county seats dream of—we would support it with both hands if we could!"