Chapter 529: Peng Fu Xiaozhang

Gan Lu actually drew Hengyue City, which surprised me somewhat.

Taking a task to the countryside to conduct economic research was the first time since the establishment of the Provincial Party School. Past learning and training were nothing more than strengthening theory and exercising ability. There was only one goal: to instill Party principles into people's blood through training.

The research Provincial Chen Shengzhang brought out this time was unprecedented, and everything needed to be explored as we went. This meant that work experience could be accumulated slowly; don't be afraid of making mistakes, be afraid of not causing trouble.

Everyone was willing to return to their own places to conduct research. After all, they were sent down from the province with a hat, and both gods and ghosts had to give three points of face. In the imagination of people in the past, this batch of us was equivalent to the role of an imperial envoy.

Gan Lu being able to draw Hengyue City made my feelings extremely complex; I didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

Actually, my inner thought wasn't Hengyue City; I wanted to know the situation in other parts of the province. All written words could be faked; one shouldn't just believe the words seen by the eyes; many times, one also needed to use ears to listen to different voices.

The one-thirteenth chance was seized by Gan Lu; such luck only belonged to our group. Gan Lu's performance made all the classmates jealous, thinking we had cheated in the drawing lots link.

I didn't care about their questioning at all; in broad daylight, I lived with a clear conscience.

Mei Hua announced that we would go to the countryside in three days; in these three days, everyone could finish the work at hand, go to conduct research with peace of mind, and strive to take a satisfactory research report for provincial leaders to refer to.

When Mei Hua said this, I felt the burden on my shoulders become much heavier for no reason. I understood that such a big matter, the Provincial Party Committee leaders didn't have the power to decide either; they were just providing reference for the central government.

Looking at it this way, our research couldn't just go through the motions; we must produce the most authentic data and truthfully reflect the livelihood issues.

Although we wouldn't go down until three days later, since the plan below had been selected, it was basically free now.

Cadres from provincial-level organs went home as usual after the meeting. Cadres from prefectures and cities took the opportunity to visit relatives and friends again.

I called He Jiaxiao and learned that since this kid married Chen Meng, he rarely came to the provincial capital to work; it was said that my cousin was preparing to arrange a new job for him in the city. Of course, it was still the archaeology line he liked.

He Jiaxiao wasn't in the provincial capital, so I was almost without relatives or friends.

All the classmates except me went out after the lunch break; even Deng Hanyuan had established a relationship with a Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth League Committee in these three months. After all, they came from the same system and had many common languages.

I lay in the dormitory alone, bored, feeling very frustrated, so I wanted to go for a walk in the back mountain and incidentally fetch a pot of spring water to make tea in the evening.

The back mountain was as desolate as ever; apart from Party School students occasionally going there, one could hardly see any other new life. It just so happened that time had entered midwinter, and the whole back mountain was withered.

There weren't many pine and cypress trees on the mountain, but deciduous trees were everywhere. The leaves had all fallen in the last gust of autumn wind, leaving bare branches pointing silently at the gloomy sky.

Winter in Central Province was a wet and cold winter; although the temperature stayed above 0 degrees, when the cold wind blew, one would feel cold all over.

The gloomy sky, bare branches, paths without any signs of life, and the withered grass all over the mountain made a sense of sorrow arise from nowhere, and it lingered in the depths of the nerves, making people unable to struggle, and even feeling sad when breathing.

I carried the water pot and walked up the mountain along the mountain road.

Turning around the mountain mouth, I saw someone coming from afar, swinging their arms and legs; only when they got close did I see clearly that it was Peng Fu Xiaozhang.

Seeing me, Peng Fu Xiaozhang affectionately wanted to accompany me up the mountain again.

I insisted on not letting him follow. The old man already had white hair, and his back was hunched.

The two of us couldn't reach an agreement, so we simply stood by the road and took out cigarettes to smoke.

Before coming to the Party School, Peng Xiaozhang was a professor at Central Province Normal University, so he was my teacher. When he was teaching and educating people at the school, I was studying at the school. It was a pity I didn't know him then!

Peng Xiaozhang knew I came from Normal University, so he was very approachable when talking to me, everywhere using the teacher's example to tell us that we came from the same place.

As for why he came from Normal University to the Party School to be a Vice Principal, this issue seemed to be a taboo for him. I remember mentioning this doubt to Peng Xiaoyuan, which immediately made Peng Xiaoyuan want to turn against me.

"Little Chen, smoke less." Peng Fu Xiaozhang cared for me very much.

"Okay!" I readily replied, "Peng Xiaozhang, I am preparing to quit."

Peng Fu Xiaozhang nodded approvingly, then shook his head and said, "Quitting smoking is easy to say, but very hard to do."

He smiled and said, "For example, I said I would quit smoking ten years ago. But I'm still smoking today. So, this perseverance is really not something ordinary people can persist in."

Our discussion on quitting smoking was purely making conversation. Peng Xiaozhang affectionately wanting to accompany me up the mountain again was definitely not just about quitting smoking. I knew he must have something else to say to me.

Sure enough, after we smoked two cigarettes in a row, Peng Xiaozhang cleared his throat and said, "Little Chen, what are your views on your research this time?"

I said seriously, "According to the requirements of Provincial Chen Shengzhang and Party School leaders, go deep into society, grasp first-hand authentic materials, and provide a basis for leaders' decision-making."

Peng Xiaozhang nodded, then shook his head and asked, "Just these?"

I looked at him puzzled; apart from these, were there others?

"Have you ever thought that you represent the province? In the hearts of the common people, you are the imperial envoys of ancient times. Since you are imperial envoys, what should you do if the common people come to you to complain about injustice?"

I was stunned in my heart; I really hadn't thought about this issue. So I hesitated and said, "This matter doesn't belong to us, right?"

Peng Xiaozhang laughed and patted my shoulder, "Little Chen, as a cadre, there is no such thing as what should be managed and what should not be managed. As long as it is the common people's business, one should fulfill a cadre's duty!"

He turned his head to go down the mountain; I shouted a few times behind his back, but he didn't look back, just waved his hand and walked away alone along the road down the mountain.

I was stunned on the spot, savoring his words carefully.

Provincial Chen Shengzhang didn't tell us what we couldn't manage. He only told us to do a good job in research. What is the connection between the two?

Peng Xiaozhang must have had his purpose and thoughts in saying these words.

I went up the mountain to fetch a pot of water, sat in the pavilion, and smoked a few more cigarettes. I was thinking about the deep meaning behind Peng Fu Xiaozhang's words.

Until the cell phone ringtone woke me up; I looked, and it was Gan Lu calling.

"Chen Feng, are you busy?" she asked me, her tone very relaxed.

"No." I answered honestly, "Fetching some water on the back mountain to take back to make tea."

"Is that so?" she smiled lightly and said, "You are quite particular about drinking tea!"

I shook my head and said, "Nothing of the sort. Just bored, so I came to the mountain to fetch water."

"I also know the water on the back mountain of the Party School; why don't you fetch a bucket and send it to me?"

"Okay!" I readily agreed. Because I knew she was joking. Sending a pot of water from the Party School to her house was such an extravagant and counterproductive thing!

"Then send it over, I'll wait for you at home." She hung up the phone without waiting for me to speak, making me want to go crazy.

Really send a pot of water? I struggled in my heart for a long time, but finally decided to go.

Since it was a special trip to send water, it wouldn't be just a small pot. At the very least, I had to take a mineral water bottle and fill a bucket to send it.

Returning to the dormitory, I saw that half of the mineral water on the water dispenser remained. Without thinking, I took the water bottle off the dispenser and carried it to the bathroom to pour it all out.

I made another trip to the back mountain, filled a full pot of water, carried it on my shoulder, and went down the mountain.

Sending water was a small matter; I wanted to probe Gan Lu's view on Peng Fu Xiaozhang's words.

She was a cadre from the province, had seen much, and had high awareness. Her analysis would definitely help me solve my doubts.

I drove the car, thinking about these beautiful things, and couldn't help but smile. ===== CHAPTER 530 =====