Chapter 39: We Are Brothers

The one knocking on the door was Huang Qishan, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, looking at me with a smile.

Huang Qishan's sudden visit surprised me. To be honest, I wasn't familiar with him, even though we went to college in the same city, and our schools were only separated by a wall, but other than meeting once in Chunshan County, I hadn't even heard of him before.

"Didn't disturb you, did I? Secretary Chen." Huang Qishan asked me with a hint of apology.

"No, no." I said: "A visit from Brother Huang, a friend coming from afar." I laughed and let him into the room.

"Strange how I knew you were staying here, right?" Huang Qishan's words went straight to my question.

I took out a cigarette and handed him one.

Huang Qishan didn't smoke; he took it and turned it between his fingers, just as we used to turn pens in our hands in class. His technique was very skillful, turning it delicately and beautifully.

"I've been in Chunshan for two years, and the place I come to most is the reception house. Secretary Chen, you know, Chunshan County is just such a small place, there's nowhere to go. In two years, I've become familiar with the waiters here." Huang Qishan said with a smile: "As long as a leader comes to Chunshan, I know which room they are staying in better than their manager."

I smiled noncommittally; Huang Qishan, you have nothing to do, what's the use of asking about these things every day. I thought in my heart.

"Just now when I went back to the dormitory with Guo Wei, he went straight to find Huang Weiwei. I thought I didn't know, but I know his little thoughts; as soon as he lifts his butt, I know what he's going to shit." Huang Qishan said indignantly: "He already has a girlfriend, what else does he want? Isn't it just because Huang Weiwei's father is the Organization Department Minister?"

I poured him a glass of water, and we sat down on the chairs. I made a gesture of listening intently.

Huang Qishan saw me like this and laughed first, saying: "Secretary Chen, what are you doing? We are brothers, we went to college in the same place, we are brothers in the upper and lower bunks. Brothers should be honest, right?"

I nodded.

"Let me tell you, brother." Huang Qishan paused, "Guo Wei's ambition is very big, he has a good background, he went to college in Beijing, and he has people above him. This time he came to do social education, he requested it voluntarily."

I was surprised he knew these things so clearly; he saw my puzzled look and smiled, saying: "Originally we were all in the Municipal Party Committee organs, he was in the Municipal Party Committee Office, I was in the Letters and Visits Bureau, and Huang Weiwei was in the Confidential Room. We all worked in the same courtyard."

I said: "You were all together, very familiar, huh."

"Yes," Huang Qishan said: "Guo Wei always felt he was very amazing, and doing social education is the group leader. This time I heard that he would be enriched to the grassroots, and he was anxious to death." He laughed gloatingly: "To the grassroots, wanting to go up is harder than ascending to heaven. His people above probably don't have the ability to directly put him in a leadership position, so, finding the Organization Department Minister is the only choice."

I smiled and said: "It has nothing to do with me."

Huang Qishan looked at me seriously in surprise and said: "Brother, how does it have nothing to do with you? It has a lot to do with it. You are also a social education cadre, this social education is definitely not 'where you come from, go back to'."

I asked strangely: "What does it have to do with me?"

"Think about it, one radish, one pit. If the pit is occupied, where does the radish go?" He analyzed, his expression heavy.

I said: "The radishes are all you, and the pits are also yours, I am at most grass in the vegetable field."

"Brother," he patted my shoulder and said: "Everyone is a radish, if you can't occupy a pit, you can only be dried into dried radish."

I smiled and said: "I am dried radish."

"You won't be dried radish, you will be a cabbage. In a pile of radishes, a cabbage will look very conspicuous."

"I am cabbage?"

Huang Qishan's radish and cabbage theory almost made me dizzy.

"You are a cabbage." He analyzed: "Look, we are all here to do social education, to tell the truth, County Magistrate Liu might not know my name yet, but he seems to have an impression of you, and there is Bureau Chief Mao of the Economic and Trade Bureau, that old man's eyes are very high. They all remember you, this is not something an ordinary person can do. Guo Wei, he is usually familiar with County Magistrate Liu and the others. He has a girlfriend, but he still goes to find Huang Weiwei every day, what does he want to do? Sima Zhao's heart is known to everyone."

"What does he want to find Huang Weiwei for?" I asked.

"Chasing her." Huang Qishan said indignantly: "If you have a father-in-law who is the Organization Department Minister, wouldn't you rise to the top?"

I didn't think so complicatedly, like a newcomer whose status had just been clarified, I had already received the favor of heaven. The past time was like a dream, inexplicably changing from a handyman to a state cadre in the establishment, which was already the ancestral grave smoking.

My family's ancestral grave strictly speaking is my mother's family's ancestral grave. My father never went back after coming out of his hometown, even if he went back, he wouldn't be able to find my grandparents' graves. My father told me that my grandparents died in the gunfire, and even their bones were not found. After losing his parents, he followed the army running east and west, and finally went south to take root in Hengyue City with his old chief.

"Group Leader Guo is not that kind of person, right?" I said: "I came because he called me."

"That's right." Huang Qishan slapped his thigh and said: "We are going back to report on our work, we should always do something, right? Sending your report up, his social education work will be successful. Look, how concerned he is about the survival state of farmers, how concerned he is about the suffering of farmers, how attentive he is to work, such a report is a stepping stone."

"Oh," I was half-believing Huang Qishan's words, are there still these twists and turns? It seems I am too immature.

"No matter what, the report must not be sent by him. Remember!" Huang Qishan exhorted me: "Must send it yourself, if there are difficulties, Huang Weiwei is the last straw, you can pass her to help you."

"If she doesn't help me, what should I do?"

"Don't worry. Absolutely no problem." He said it very definitely, making my hesitant heart temporarily relieved.

"I'm going back." He stood up and stared into my eyes, word by word: "Brother, I am helping you."

I nodded gratefully, sent him out the door, and at the door he exhorted me again: "Brother, no matter what the future holds, remember that we are brothers."

I nodded affirmatively.

Will Huang Weiwei help me? I haven't said ten sentences to her, and I've only met her twice. Why is Huang Qishan so sure? Could there be any secrets between them? ===== CHAPTER 40 =====

Would Huang Weiwei help me? I haven't even spoken ten sentences to her, and we've only met twice. How can Huang Qishan be so certain? Could there be some secret between them?