Chapter 37: County Magistrate's Reception

After returning from Jinling's house, I locked myself in the office for two days writing a report. During this time, Secretary Liu Quan came to see me once and instructed Old Wang in the cafeteria to break the rules and solve my three meals a day, requiring high quality, with three cups of white liquor per meal. According to Secretary Liu, when a person is writing an article, they shouldn't be too sober and must be in a state. He gave an example, saying Li Bai wrote a hundred poems with a gallon of wine! As a secretary, after three cups of white liquor, even if the article doesn't spread through the ages, it should at least be resounding.

With such heavy trust, I was terrified and cautious, writing and revising, tearing up paper all over the floor, and finally wrote a report of thousands of words.

Actually, writing a report, long-windedness is a taboo. But because the situation in Suxi Township was special, without a long report, it wouldn't move the hearts of leaders at all levels.

I wrote from the state of Suxi Township before Liberation to the present, from the political angle to the needs of economic development, and from the production angle to the necessities of life.

Secretary Liu Quan read it word by word twice at his sunny desk, and finally slapped the desk and said: "Let's set the tone like this. Secretary Chen, you've worked hard."

I smiled tiredly and said: "As long as you are satisfied, Secretary."

Liu Quan waved his hand and said: "My satisfaction isn't enough, the County Magistrate must be satisfied, and the Mayor must be satisfied. You'll have to work hard and make a trip."

He said, taking a document from the drawer and handing it to me: "Some things are not necessarily bad things. Take a look yourself, young man, there are many opportunities."

I took it and saw it was an internal document from the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department, the gist being that some cadres sent to the countryside for social education would be selected to study at the Municipal Party Committee Party School. Among them, three of the four social education cadres from Chunshan County were going to study, and only I, alone, had to extend my social education work time.

This document made me both surprised and happy; surprised that three out of four were leaving, happy that my name now appeared openly on the document of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department. This meant that the higher-ups affirmed my status as a state cadre, which was a good thing I had been longing for. You know, two years ago I was still a handyman in the office, with no status at all, not even a formal position. Now I was definitely a state cadre, and not an ordinary one, but a cadre sent by the Municipal Party Committee to the countryside for social education. My former unit leaders probably never imagined I would have today, haha, I laughed secretly in my heart.

"The document came two days ago, but seeing you were busy writing the report, I didn't tell you. Besides, you weren't on the list to study at the Party School this time, and I don't know the specific situation. However, I heard that there are only two types of cadres who do social education: those waiting to retire and those waiting for promotion. Like you, Secretary Chen, you are young and don't belong to the retirement type. So I think, your promotion is just a matter of time." Liu Quan analyzed the document for me, seemingly comforting my unhappiness.

I smiled lightly and said: "Secretary, don't worry. No matter what kind of cadre I am, as long as I am in Suxi Township for one day, I must do my job well and do things for the 4,500 elders and fellow villagers of Suxi Township."

Liu Quan nodded with satisfaction and paced out of the office with his hands behind his back.

I found the township government's big red seal, stamped it seriously, and started calling Guo Wei.

Guo Wei asked me on the phone to rush to the county as soon as possible, saying the County Magistrate was going to host the three of them tonight to see them off.

After hanging up, I almost ran to the police station. The police station had a sidecar motorcycle, which was a special case-handling vehicle for the County Public Security Bureau. Hao Qiang didn't say much and started the motorcycle.

After a bumpy ride, at dusk, we saw the faint outline of the county town.

Guo Wei and the others were at the County Committee Reception House; I went straight there, only to find that the County Magistrate hadn't arrived yet, saying a company from out of town was preparing to invest and develop in the county, and the County Magistrate had gone to receive them.

Because Huang Qishan and I went to the same university in the same city, he seemed friendly when we met. Seeing my dusty appearance, he ordered the waiter to get me a hot towel to wipe off. Huang Weiwei sat at the table with restraint, smiling at me and Hao Qiang, only Guo Wei was reading my report seriously.

One mother gives birth to nine children, and nine children have different fates. Looking at the three of them, dressed brightly, high-spirited, and full of ambition, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

Hao Qiang said goodbye and wanted to leave; I tried to keep him to wait for the County Magistrate. Hao Qiang resolutely refused, saying that since he was in the county, he had to go to the bureau, first to report work to the leaders, and second to have a few drinks with old friends.

After Guo Wei finished reading the report, he handed it to me and said: "Secretary Chen's literary talent is very good, the report is reasonable and well-founded, hits the point, and is well written."

His praise made me proud, but I couldn't show it on my face. As a Chinese major, the whole report was a piece of cake!

"Secretary Chen isn't going to study this time?" Guo Wei probed me.

I said lightly: "My name isn't on it, so even if I wanted to go, I couldn't."

"I heard that when we go back this time, first we report on our work, then we study, and after studying we wait for assignment. I don't know where we'll be assigned." Huang Qishan pushed up his glasses; this man full of scholarly air had no official aura at all. Guo Wei was different; just standing there made people look up to him, completely with the air of a leader.

"All to the counties." Huang Weiwei took over the conversation and said: "I also heard. The first batch of social education cadres to study at the Party School will all be assigned to county organs after studying."

"The Municipal Party Committee isn't keeping anyone?" Huang Qishan asked nervously.

"I don't know either. Probably not." Huang Weiwei hesitated and said.

Regarding her words, we were sure it wasn't groundless; she had a father in the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department.

"Before there is an official result, it's best not to discuss it." Guo Wei warned us meaningfully: "Don't spread things about the organization."

Huang Weiwei smiled freely and said: "Yes, Group Leader Guo's words are very correct."

"Going down to the county, isn't that like being exiled?" Huang Qishan muttered to himself: "I knew coming to do social education wasn't a good thing."

"Who said we must go to the county?" Guo Wei's voice was clearly dissatisfied. He was the leader of our four-person social education group; although I had only seen him twice including this time, after all, he had an appointment.

This topic couldn't be discussed, so they turned to ask about my situation in Suxi Township. I said exaggeratedly: "It's a paradise!"

Huang Weiwei looked envious and regretted saying: "I've been in Chunshan County for more than a year, why have I never been to Suxi Township!"

I comforted her and said: "Mainly because of the inconvenient transportation. Besides, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Following the logic of the report, I carefully described the current situation of Suxi Township. They were amazed after hearing it, saying that if it wasn't changed now, it would be a dereliction of duty. At the same time, they admired me, praising me for persisting in working in the mountains, never having made any demands to the organization, and being a rare good cadre.

Actually, who would I make demands to? I didn't even know what kind of person I was, inexplicably coming to Suxi Township to be a secretary, and inexplicably becoming a state cadre. Two years passed in a daze, and I didn't know if my original leader regretted it or was still proud.

Just as we were talking, the waiter came in and told us the County Magistrate had arrived.

The four of us immediately stood up respectfully and walked to the door, waiting for the County Magistrate's arrival. ===== CHAPTER 38 =====