Chapter 100: Dinner Party (3)

Soon a bottle of wine was drunk, and Secretary He Zhi was still in high spirits. He was appointed as Executive Deputy Secretary of Hengyue City and came to Chunshan County for the first time to inspect. Before coming, he asked the secretary for the government work report of Chunshan County and read it carefully for a whole night. For this mountainous county, he, He Zhi, still had deep feelings.

Back then, his old father fought a battle in Chunshan County while suppressing bandits in the south. Both the Hengyue City Annals and the Chunshan County Annals have records. Although the battle was not big, five soldiers sacrificed. Today, their remains are still buried in the Martyrs Cemetery of Chunshan County. The tombstone was inscribed by his old father himself, writing "The Martyrs of the Chunshan Battle in the Liberation War will live forever."

He Zhi lost his mother when he was young and followed his father to fight north and south. After fighting to Hengyue in the south, the superiors suddenly demanded to transfer to civilian work on the spot. His father, who had fought all his life, suddenly lost the fun of war, and people suddenly became much older. His father, who only knew how to fight, suddenly had to manage the economy and people's livelihood, just as uncomfortable as a butcher who only knew how to kill pigs holding a book of poetry.

Just when his father was disappointed, his old comrade-in-arms returned to his hometown to visit relatives. His old comrade-in-arms' troops were in the west, and there were always threads of war with the bearded country. He couldn't fight anymore, so he hardened his heart, entrusted his son He Zhi to his old comrade-in-arms, and let his son represent himself to go to the troops on the border of the western country.

In this way, eighteen-year-old He Zhi went to the west alone with him. He Zhi honestly worked in the army, from a soldier to a squad leader, platoon leader, company commander. Later, a war broke out in the west, and he fought a happy battle with his father's old comrade-in-arms. Because of his outstanding military exploits, the old chief was transferred to the Military Commission, and he was also sent to a military academy to study for two years. When he came back, he learned that his father had passed away two years ago.

He Zhi, who received the news, hid behind the small hillside behind the army camp and cried for a whole afternoon. It happened to be preparing for war, and he had no chance to return to Hengyue City to see his old father's grave. By the time the war subsided, a few more years had passed. Thinking that there was no relative in Hengyue City, his thought of returning to Hengyue City disappeared completely.

Later, the troops where He Zhi was located were reorganized, part of them were changed to the Second Artillery, specializing in missiles, and part of them were demobilized. He Zhi's military rank at this time was already a division-level cadre, married, and had a son. He Zhi's wife, my cousin-in-law, firmly demanded that He Zhi transfer to civilian work, and it happened to meet the large-scale disarmament, and he was legitimately appointed as a deputy secretary in the local area. It wasn't until He Zhi went to Beijing for a meeting and visited the old chief who had been idle at home that the homesickness hidden in the bottom of his bones was aroused.

The story of Secretary He Zhi returning to Hengyue, how can it be explained clearly in a few words?

As people get older, the most thought is about the aftermath. He Zhi suddenly discovered that there had always been a thought in his heart, that is, he wanted to be buried beside his father after death, to fulfill the filial piety he didn't fulfill when he was alive.

He Zhi's mother passed away early. After his mother passed away, his father never remarried. Although he served as the Hengyue Prefectural Party Committee Secretary after transferring to civilian work, his father, who was full of righteousness, never had any thoughts about red faces.

After he returned to Hengyue, he borrowed his father's diary from the archives. A sixty-year-old man read and cried, crying like an orphan without a home. So much so that later his wife insisted on returning to her hometown, and the threat of divorce if he didn't return didn't move him. He insisted on staying, even if he was like his father after death, without a relative by his side, he was willing.

He Zhi proposed that he wanted to go to the Martyrs Cemetery in the afternoon. He Zhi's suggestion made Guan Peishan's forehead sweat.

The Martyrs Cemetery back then is now enclosed by a boss from Guangdong, saying that it is to be developed into the first commercial housing residential quarter in Chunshan County, which is the boss who opened a sauna in the reception house. County Magistrate Liu Qimeng firmly opposed it when enclosing the land, saying that the place where the martyrs rest cannot be moved, but the price offered by the Guangdong boss was indeed tempting. Guan Peishan resisted the opposition, signed a contract with the Guangdong boss, and received a deposit. Two years have passed, and the Martyrs Cemetery has been enclosed by the Guangdong boss with high walls, and idlers are not allowed to enter. The land around the Martyrs Cemetery has long stood with several high-rise buildings.

County Magistrate Liu heard that He Zhi was going to the Martyrs Cemetery, and his originally unsmiling face showed a smile.

He Zhi saw Guan Peishan's sweating forehead and asked with concern, "Peishan, you won't have anything wrong with your body, will you?"

Guan Peishan waved his hand and said, "I'm fine, thank you Secretary He for your concern. It's just such cold weather, we go to the Martyrs Cemetery, I'm afraid it's not good."

"What's not good? We Communists have all come through blood and rain, afraid of the cold?" He Zhi said exaggeratedly, "When I was in Zhangjiawan City, the snow was as deep as the thighs every year."

"I don't mean that. Secretary He, look, tomorrow is the Little New Year. In our countryside, the New Year is very particular. Generally, you can't get involved with funerals. Although we Communists don't believe in superstition, we have to follow the customs."

"How about this, your County Party Committee sends someone to lead the way, and I and Chen Feng can go." He Zhi said, "The martyrs lying in the Martyrs Cemetery are comrades-in-arms with Chen Feng's father. Let him represent the descendants to visit the martyrs, which can be considered a comfort to them underground."

He Zhi's words basically revealed my identity. I am the descendant of a cadre who went south, and the descendant of an old soldier who followed He Zhi's father to fight north and south!

"How about this, Secretary Guan, I will accompany Secretary He." County Magistrate Liu took the initiative to ask for orders.

Guan Peishan pondered for a long time and said, "Secretary He, let's go together. After all, the martyrs sacrificed in our Chunshan County. As the highest official in the place, my understanding was not enough in the past, and I didn't attach importance to this work. In the future, I must hold a public memorial activity every year, so that the martyrs can sleep peacefully and let the descendants remember that the victory of the revolution was not easy."

He Zhi nodded with satisfaction, pushed away the wine glass in front of him, and said, "Let's go now."

This move of his made everyone at a loss. It happened that Huang Qishan came in and heard about this, and hurriedly said, "Leaders, sit for a while. Since we are going to worship the martyrs, I think we should offer a wreath or something. I will prepare it now, okay?"

He Zhi waved his hand and said, "The ceremony is not important, the person is there, and the heart is there." Thinking that there were still people he knew among the sacrificed soldiers, the corners of his eyes couldn't help but get wet.

Guan Peishan said sincerely, "Secretary He, let Qishan prepare it. He does things fast, it won't take long."

He Zhi had no choice but to sit down and acquiesce to their request.

Guan Peishan called Huang Qishan to one side and whispered a few words. Huang Qishan rushed out like a rabbit.

The waiter asked us to go to another room to drink tea. Secretary Guan Peishan said that the reception house heard that Secretary He was coming to inspect, so they specially prepared the best local tea in Chunshan County, and asked Secretary He to inscribe the name. In the future, this local tea will be packaged and listed, becoming another agricultural product with local characteristics in Chunshan County.

He Zhi heard such words and followed the waiter with interest. We followed behind, like a group of sheep surrounding a tiger.

Chunshan County's local tea is completely handmade and primitive. Only the first tea leaf after Qingming is picked. It is said that in ancient times, the tea leaves had to be picked by a virgin with her small mouth, and after picking, they were put between her breasts to warm, named "Virgin Tea."

The tea leaves are rubbed by hand and fried in an iron pot. The fried tea leaves are baked with charcoal fire for an hour before being used. The tea water is like jasper, and the tea leaves are like clear feathers. It is clear and cool when entering the mouth, and the teeth and cheeks are fragrant.

There is a large table in the room, covered with bright red cloth, with the four treasures of the study on it. A high-quality rice paper is laid flat on the table, revealing a vulgar elegance.

The waiter who made the tea looked dignified and beautiful, her hair was coiled into a bun behind her head, inserted with a unique wooden hairpin, and her five fingers were slender and fair, as if like jade.

He Zhi took a sip of tea and marveled, saying that he didn't expect Chunshan County to have such good tea, and immediately required Chunshan County to do a good job in industrial adjustment, and not to ignore the treasure and engage in other virtual economies.

Guan Peishan kept saying yes, and taking advantage of the interest, asked He Zhi to write a name for the tea.

He Zhi readily agreed, held the pen and thought for a while, and wrote the four characters "Chunshan Spring Tea" with a dragon and snake.

After a meal, the words He Zhi said to me did not exceed five sentences, and he didn't start any topic about my affairs at all. I felt depressed in my heart, cousin, cousin, you called me here just to accompany you for a meal?

After thinking for a while, I laughed at myself. If I don't eat, what else can I do?

County Magistrate Liu Qimeng saw me with a bitter face and a laughing face, inexplicably, and quietly asked me, "Chen Feng, does Secretary He really want to go to the Martyrs Cemetery?"

I shook my head and said with a bitter smile, "County Magistrate Liu, to tell you the truth, I am also seeing Secretary He for the first time."

After County Magistrate Liu finished this sentence, a smile that could not be figured out appeared on his face. ===== CHAPTER 101 =====