Chapter 2021

He Jianpeng said, "Comrade Lu Xiaoya doesn't need my care. Her ability is very strong. Since she came to work in the Propaganda Department, the News Division has already published several weighty reports in the Jiangyou Daily. The achievements are remarkable! She is indeed worthy of being a talented woman from Jiangcheng University, and she has now become my good helper."

Su Xinghui smiled faintly. Lu Xiaoya's work ability naturally went without saying. Even if she were not his wife, she would work brilliantly wherever she was. Or rather, he had even limited her career development. If it weren't for following him, she would definitely be a big-name reporter for the Hudong Daily now.

Su Xinghui changed the subject and said, "Minister He, I have read several of your masterpieces, and they are written very well!"

As soon as his works were mentioned, He Jianpeng became interested: "Is that so? Then which ones does County Magistrate Su think are good?"

Su Xinghui said, "For example, "Love at Yanglan Lake," "Laughter in Xishan Village," and others are all very good. These novels are close to reality, have profound thoughts, have relatively realistic descriptions of the rural status quo, and have relatively deep-level thinking. After reading them, I was deeply inspired!"

These novels were indeed He Jianpeng's proud works, and they were also works selected for several national publications. Hearing that Su Xinghui could accurately name his most proud works and comment on them precisely, He Jianpeng couldn't help but show a sense of having found a soulmate on his face.

He Jianpeng said, "If County Magistrate Su doesn't mind, I still have a few collections of my novels here. I'll give you one."

A look of surprise appeared on Su Xinghui's face, and he said, "Then thank you, Minister He."

He Jianpeng took a book down from the bookshelf, took out a fountain pen, wrote a line of words on the title page, and then held it with both hands and solemnly handed it to Su Xinghui.

Su Xinghui also solemnly took the book with both hands and opened the title page. He saw two lines written on it in a vigorous font: "Presented to my friend Su Xinghui for his collection, Jianpeng, December 1997, in Chongjin."

Su Xinghui nodded and said, "Thank you, Minister He. Minister He's calligraphy is really good!"

He Jianpeng said, "Not at all, not at all. In front of County Magistrate Su, I wouldn't dare to claim that my calligraphy is good. County Magistrate Su, you are the calligrapher. I have heard that you are a member of the Jiangyou Provincial Artists Association and the Calligraphers Association. If you weren't busy with work, you would definitely be a master of calligraphy and painting by now!"

Su Xinghui shook his head and smiled, "I wouldn't dare, I haven't practiced for a long time either, work is too busy."

He Jianpeng said, "County Magistrate Su, don't be modest. I have seen many of your instructions on documents. That calligraphy still has deep skill and the bearing of a master. I wonder if County Magistrate Su could leave a piece of calligraphy for me today?"

Su Xinghui hurriedly declined, but He Jianpeng's intention to ask for calligraphy was very sincere. Su Xinghui could not refuse and had to agree.

Seeing that Su Xinghui had agreed, He Jianpeng was overjoyed. He hurriedly tidied up the desk, personally spread a piece of rice paper for Su Xinghui, and helped him grind the ink.

Su Xinghui picked up the brush, pondered for a long time, and then wrote a piece of calligraphy in one go: "Shoulder the righteousness with iron shoulders, write articles with wonderful hands. Presented to my brother He Jianpeng, Xinghui, December 1997, in Chongjin."

He Jianpeng looked at this piece of calligraphy, and his expression was solemn as he said, "County Magistrate Su's calligraphy is really good, but I cannot afford these two sentences!"

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "Minister He, if you can't afford it, who can? I know about that matter in Taoling Township two years ago."

The matter in Taoling Township two years ago that Su Xinghui mentioned referred to an incident from two years ago.

That time, a villager in Jiuguan Village, Taoling Township, reported that the village party secretary and the village director were embezzling state property and acting like tyrants in the village. However, his report letter fell into the hands of the village party secretary and the village director, and he was cruelly retaliated against and beaten into a disability.

This matter was accidentally discovered by He Jianpeng. He slammed the table and stood up at that time, determined to seek justice for this villager. He was a member of the County Party Committee Standing Committee. Under his strong intervention, the village party secretary and the village director were brought to justice, and the villager could be considered to have received justice.

This matter had passed for two years, and due to various reasons, it was not publicly reported. He Jianpeng was a bit surprised that Su Xinghui actually knew about this matter?

There was no look of pride on He Jianpeng's face. He shook his head and said, "Sigh, these iron shoulders of mine have only shouldered that righteousness once. It's a shame that County Magistrate Su knows about it, it's an insult to your ears!"

Su Xinghui said, "With such a matter, Minister He is enough to be proud of!"

He Jianpeng shook his head self-deprecatingly and said, "What's there to be proud of? This is also because that village party secretary and that village director had no hard background. Otherwise, that matter would have been left unsettled. I have seen too many such things, but the vast majority were left unsettled. How can the world be as perfect as written in novels?"

Su Xinghui could understand He Jianpeng's emotion very well. He Jianpeng could be considered an official with a conscience. However, his conscience appeared so out of place in a general environment like Chongjin County and even Jiangyou Province, and it was incompatible with the surrounding environment.

That matter was indeed because that village party secretary and that village director had no hard background that they were brought to justice by He Jianpeng, a member of the County Party Committee Standing Committee. And apart from this matter, He Jianpeng had no other "achievements" in this regard.

In fact, as a Minister of the Propaganda Department, his interference in the work of discipline inspection had already caused some county leaders to have complaints. Later, he basically stopped managing matters in this regard, and this matter was also handled low-key by him, and not many people knew about it.

The righteous local cadres that He Jianpeng usually wrote about in his novels, in the final analysis, could only be a kind of beautiful imagination of his. Compared with the actual situation, it was far behind. In the final analysis, he was still a leading cadre and could not write too excessively.

And that He Jianpeng with such a personality could become a member of the County Party Committee Standing Committee was also because he was a literary friend of a leader in the province. That leader appreciated He Jianpeng's articles very much, so he helped him a lot. However, that leader had already retired to the second line. If there were no accidents, He Jianpeng's official career would stop at this member of the County Party Committee Standing Committee.

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "No matter what, I think Minister He is still worthy of these ten characters."