Chapter 546

Elder Yu said, "Xinghui, I heard that you are currently the town mayor in Pengjiawan Town, is that right?"

Su Xinghui nodded and said, "Yes."

A look of recollection appeared on Elder Yu's face as he said, "When I was young, I once fought in your Shangjun County!"

Su Xinghui had never heard of this matter, and this matter was not even recorded in the Shangjun County Annals. He asked in surprise, "You fought in Shangjun County? Why is it not recorded in the county annals?"

Elder Yu said, "Yes, I fought in Shangjun County, but I didn't stay long. It could be considered passing through your place. That was in the thirties, and I was younger than you. At that time, I was a company instructor and still a nobody. It's normal that your county annals didn't record it! If I hadn't met you, a Shangjun person, I wouldn't even remember that I had been to Shangjun County myself!"

Su Xinghui said, "Then when I go back, I will definitely report it to the county leaders and let the comrades in the Local Chronicles Office add your combat experience during this period to the Shangjun County Annals. You fought in Shangjun County, which is the honor of Shangjun County!"

Elder Yu waved his hand and said, "This is not needed. It was just passing through, and there was a brief exchange of fire with the local enemy. There were no results or casualties, so it's not worth mentioning."

Su Xinghui knew Elder Yu's temper, so he didn't insist. He picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea. Today, in front of Elder Yu, he behaved a bit cautiously. Even in front of Gu Shanmin, the Provincial Party Secretary, he had never been this cautious before.

The older generation of proletarian revolutionaries indeed had a powerful aura and an imposing manner that commanded respect without anger.

Su Xinghui felt he was cautious, but his performance was already quite extraordinary in Elder Yu's eyes. With Elder Yu's status, he didn't need to deliberately show his power, as he was already awe-inspiring. Even ministerial-level officials were all trembling in front of him.

But such a young man as Su Xinghui was so calm and composed when facing him, which really made Elder Yu look at him with new eyes. He nodded secretly, this young man has poise!

Elder Yu smiled and said, "By the way, Xinghui, I heard from Shanmin that you are doing very well in Shangjun County, especially the rural economy of Shangjun County, which has developed very well in the past few years and is a model in the whole province. Now the rural areas in the whole province are learning from your experience."

Su Xinghui said, "That is Secretary Gu's overpraise."

Elder Yu waved his hand and said, "Young man, modesty is fine, but don't be overly modest. Your work is indeed done very well. Xiao Zhi and Xiao Qiu both say you are doing very well. A twenty-three-year-old town mayor, you can't find a second one in the whole country!"

Yu Ruizhi had been sitting properly in front of his grandparents and didn't dare to speak easily. At this moment, he finally found an opportunity to speak, "Yes, Grandpa, Xinghui really has ability and is doing very well. And he has always been working at the grassroots level, giving up the opportunity to work in Jiangcheng, just wanting to get the rural economy up."

Yu Ruoqiu also said, "Grandpa, you may not know how poor the rural areas in Shangjun County were before. Xinghui used to work in Meng Hu Ling. Before he went, the common people in Meng Hu Ling were very poor. I heard them say that some poor people only ate two meals a day, and the whole family only had one pair of pants. It was after Xinghui went that he made them rich."

Elder Yu frowned and said, "Xinghui, tell me, is the rural area really this poor now? I always have some doubts about what Xiao Zhi and Xiao Qiu say. They see little in the rural areas. You are working directly in the rural areas, so the situation should be better understood by you than them."

Elder Yu was from a peasant background. The reason he joined the Red Army back then was because he was too poor and couldn't live on, so he had to rebel against the government at that time. His original intention for joining the Red Army was to let all the poor people in the world live a good life.

Now liberation has been for decades, and reform and opening up has been for more than ten years. He looked at the economic figures in the newspapers in Jingcheng and felt that the common people's lives were better, but hearing Yu Ruoqiu say that the poor people's lives were still so difficult, he was naturally a bit shocked and felt it was a bit unbelievable.

Su Xinghui knew that this was not Elder Yu's fault. He was old and had retired to the second line. Although he often came into contact with cadres from local areas, who among these cadres dared to tell him the truth? Of course, they all reported the good news and not the bad, so where could he hear the truth?

Su Xinghui knew that this was an opportunity for Elder Yu to hear the truth, but he also had some hesitation. If he told Elder Yu all the real situation in the rural areas, he was afraid it would make Elder Yu too excited. After all, he was old, and this was not good for his health.

Seeing Su Xinghui's hesitation, Elder Yu said, "Whatever the situation below is, just tell me. Don't be afraid to tell the truth. Young people should dare to tell the truth!"

Su Xinghui said, "Elder Yu, I can tell you, but I hope you won't be too excited after hearing the real situation below."

Su Xinghui's words made the old lady a bit worried. She said to Elder Yu, "Old Yu, why don't you stop listening to these things? Your health is important. These things are not something you can manage anymore."

Elder Yu smiled and said, "Old woman, don't worry. I guarantee I won't be excited today. Xinghui, just go ahead and say it."

Su Xinghui pondered for a moment. If he told Elder Yu the real situation in the rural areas, it would of course be beneficial. Although Elder Yu had retired to the second line, he was still a member of the Central Advisory Commission and a highly respected old comrade, and he still had great influence on the central government's decision-making.

Today's "three rural issues" had reached a very serious point. Although the rural economy in Hudong Province had developed somewhat because of his efforts, and the "three rural issues" had also been alleviated somewhat, except for a few towns in Shangjun County, the rural economy in other parts of Hudong Province was still not optimistic, and the farmers' lives were still difficult.

Hudong Province could be considered good, so one could imagine that in other provinces in central and western China, the farmers' lives were even more difficult.

Su Xinghui decided that he still had to tell Elder Yu about these situations, hoping that he could influence the central government.

Su Xinghui said, "Elder Yu, the situation in the rural areas now is indeed not optimistic. What Ruoqiu said is all true, and it is only more serious than what Ruoqiu said. It has reached the point where it must be changed, otherwise, the farmers are really too bitter!"

A solemn look appeared on Elder Yu's face as he said, "Tell me, be more detailed. How bitter are the farmers' lives?"

Su Xinghui said, "Elder Yu, after the rural areas implemented the household contract responsibility system, there was indeed a period of time when the farmers' productivity was greatly liberated, solving the farmers' food problem. However, it only solved the food problem, and the farmers' income is too low."