Chapter 261: A major incident has occurred

Minister Huang seems to be consciously avoiding my report; it is impossible that he does not know the content of my report. His "great wisdom appearing as stupidity" is vividly displayed in his understatement.

Huang Weiwei is very dissatisfied with her father's actions. Her young-lady temper flares up instantly, and she pushes aside her bowl and chopsticks, intending to storm upstairs.

I fail to grab her in time, and just as she is about to head upstairs, Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi speaks up. Her voice is not loud, but every word drills into our eardrums: "Stop! Come back and eat. I will give you an explanation for this matter tomorrow morning."

"What explanation?" Huang Weiwei snorts, almost shouting: "With such a good opportunity, why can't Chen Feng strive for it?"

"I didn't say he couldn't strive for it," Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi says calmly, her eyes glancing over at me: "Perhaps your father doesn't know the specific situation either."

Huang Weiwei returns to the sofa, pouting, grabs a book, and flips through it haphazardly.

"Come over and eat," Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi calls out: "The food will be cold in a moment."

"I'm not eating. I have no appetite," Huang Weiwei says, lifting her face to give her mother a fawning smile: "Mom, you promised, you'll give us an answer tomorrow morning."

Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi sighs helplessly and says: "You, when will you ever grow up?"

"I don't want to grow up. If I grow up, I'll have to leave you, and I can't bear that," Huang Weiwei says, getting up and walking to her mother's side to act spoiled. She reaches out to knead Chen Yazhi's shoulders and asks exaggeratedly: "Mom, my technique isn't bad, right?"

"Fine, fine, fine," Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi laughs helplessly: "You really have become a different person."

Watching the mother and daughter being affectionate, I see a heartwarming scene before me. Girls clinging to their fathers and boys protecting their mothers is the principle of opposite-sex attraction.

After the two are affectionate for a while, Bureau Chief Chen asks the nanny to brew a pot of tea and tells us to sit on the sofa; she has something to say.

Bureau Chief Chen has been an official her whole life, from Deputy Director of the Women's Federation in Chunshan County to Deputy Director of the Hengyue City Highway Bureau. She knows many people, and many "ghosts" too, and she deeply understands the dangers of officialdom, where people deceive and cheat one another. She has always been a deputy in every position and never thought about being the principal. According to her, the principal is a flag, and the deputy is at most the flagpole. Everyone can see the color of the flag, but no one cares about the color or size of the flagpole.

But for a flag to flutter in the wind, the flagpole must be firm. She is that flagpole, a flagpole that a flag simply cannot ignore.

When Bureau Chief Chen moved to Hengyue City with her husband, the Municipal Committee arranged for her to work at the Women's Federation again, but she firmly refused. The Women's Federation has too many trivial matters, domestic disputes, and nagging—this family's husband beating his wife, that family's mother-in-law scolding a neighbor—all sorts of big and small things that are both annoying and thankless.

The Municipal Committee asked for her own opinion. Bureau Chief Chen chose and chose, and finally settled on the Highway Bureau. In fact, Bureau Chief Chen chose the Highway Bureau because it had eight deputy directors, four of whom were managing affairs and four of whom were idle at home. Bureau Chief Chen is a person who doesn't want to manage things, so after her file was transferred to the Highway Bureau, she went to attend a Spring Festival gathering the first year. The second year, she originally intended to continue attending the gathering, but she turned back when she reached the door of the Highway Bureau because she really didn't know what to say.

This time, the Highway Bureau pushing her out to take charge of the expressway is because she wants to come out after being idle for several years.

After Bureau Chief Chen takes a sip of tea, she looks at me and says: "Little Chen, is this the reason you came back this time?"

I quickly shake my head to deny it, but since it's awkward to state my attitude clearly, I look at Huang Weiwei.

Huang Weiwei curls her lip and says: "He came back to see me, and just asked about it in passing. Is that not allowed?"

Bureau Chief Chen is clearly somewhat unhappy with her daughter's answer, but her face shows no displeasure; instead, she smiles faintly: "It's a good thing for young people to pursue progress."

She says something out of the blue: "However, in doing anything, one must emphasize that things will naturally fall into place when the time is right; one must never have high standards but low abilities. Some opportunities are hard to find once lost, understand?"

Of course I understand what she means. Bureau Chief Chen spent a lot of thought trying to get me into her expressway headquarters, and she had all the transfer orders and procedures ready, but I didn't appreciate her kindness and stayed in Suxi Town, honestly doing my job as town mayor. My actions disappointed her somewhat; she doesn't understand my hidden difficulties! It's not that I don't want to come, but Chunshan County won't let me go.

"Your Chunshan County will have a major shake-up this time, Little Chen. You must prepare yourself mentally."

I nod and look at her devoutly: "Bureau Chief Chen, please rest assured, I will do my best to perform my own duties."

"Very good. Young cadres nowadays all think about reaching the sky in one step, never thinking that being down-to-earth is more solid than anything else. Look at Weiwei's dad and me, starting from being township cadres and walking step by step to today. What do we rely on? We rely on being upright!"

Huang Weiwei listens impatiently and shouts: "Mom, we know all these things you're saying. Can you say something useful?"

Bureau Chief Chen says sternly: "What is useful? What is useless? In a word, if you do your own job in a down-to-earth manner, the Party will see it, and the masses will see it."

She turns to ask me: "Your Suxi Township has now been upgraded to a town, and I hear you're even moving the site and starting businesses, making quite a stir. I heard from Weiwei's dad that you've turned on many green lights regarding land policy?"

I say: "Bureau Chief Chen, you know the actual situation in Suxi Town. If we don't plant a few phoenix trees, I'm afraid no golden phoenixes will come. The land policy did indeed turn on green lights, but it was all under the instructions of the County Committee. Even if I, a town mayor, had the guts, I wouldn't have the ability."

Bureau Chief Chen nods and says: "Land policy is the most sensitive issue. It is said that the incident in Chunshan County this time stems from land." She closes her eyes slightly and sighs melancholically: "Old Guan worked for the revolution his whole life, but in the end, he still fell because of land."

This sentence from Bureau Chief Chen is no different from passing me information. It seems that Guan Peishan's downfall is a reality, and all the "other appointments" are just excuses—excuses before the case is even closed.

"Secretary Chen attaches great importance to the Chunshan County matter and has already held two Standing Committee meetings. I hear they are also going to organize a working group to enter Chunshan County for investigation. It seems Old Guan has caused quite a stir." She stands up, scans us, and says: "You chat, I'm going upstairs to rest."

Huang Weiwei teases her mother: "Mom, Dad is back, don't you want to sit for a while longer?"

"You young people chat. I'm an old woman, I won't join in the fun." Bureau Chief Chen moves her feet lightly, intending to go upstairs.

"Mom, wait," Huang Weiwei calls out: "Will you talk to my dad?"

Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi stares at her daughter for a long while before nodding heavily. She turns and walks a few steps, then turns back and says: "Little Chen, since you're back this time, don't you plan to go see your uncle?"

"I intend to," I say, also standing up to prepare to take my leave.

"Not sitting for a while longer?" Bureau Chief Chen asks, seeing that I am about to leave.

"I haven't gone home to take a look yet. I want to go see my mother," I say, speaking with earnest and sincere words.

Bureau Chief Chen looks appreciative and says: "Yes, since you're back, you should go see your mother. Why don't you go too, Weiwei, and bring a box of ginseng along? Old people need to nourish their Qi more."

Huang Weiwei agrees happily and runs upstairs quickly to change her clothes.

Once Huang Weiwei is gone, Bureau Chief Chen lowers her voice and says to me: "Little Chen, remember, you must go to your uncle's house. Regarding the promotion of the deputy county magistrate in Chunshan County this time, Secretary He's opinion is the most important."

I look at her, not understanding. Bureau Chief Chen explains: "Your uncle is in charge of cadre organization work, understand?"

I nod vigorously.

The clever Bureau Chief Chen seems to have seen a clue from her husband's words and actions, and she readily kicks the ball back to my uncle.

Huang Weiwei runs down from upstairs like a colorful butterfly, digs out a box of ginseng from the storage cabinet, excitedly hooks her hand into the crook of my arm, and calls out: "Let's go."

Bureau Chief Chen looks at her daughter's innocent and naive appearance and says lovingly: "It's cold outside, wear more clothes. Come back early."

"Alright," Huang Weiwei agrees happily and pulls me out the door.

Just as we step outside, her phone rings. Huang Weiwei glances at me and walks to the side to answer it.

I deliberately pretend not to see her actions and walk forward alone, carrying the box of ginseng.

After walking a few steps, Huang Weiwei catches up, her face pale, and she says to me nervously: "Chen Feng, a major incident has occurred!" ===== CHAPTER 262 =====