Chapter 83: Unintentional Willow (Part 5)

In traditional storytelling literature, a seventh-rank official was invariably prefixed with the word "sesame," a term used to belittle county magistrates and other low-level bureaucrats.

Hou Weidong had been deeply influenced by this genre during his student years, so he too viewed the County Magistrate of Yiyang as merely a "sesame-sized" seventh-rank official. Yet, as Qin Feiyue led him up the stairs to meet the Magistrate, Hou Weidong’s heart began to pound uncontrollably against his ribs. He tried to steady himself with a mental pep talk: "The Magistrate is just a human being—two eyes, one mouth. There’s no need to be so nervous."

The door to the Magistrate’s office was closed. It was a finely crafted security door. Just as Qin Feiyue was about to knock, the door opened, and a man stepped out. He looked quite serious, greeting Qin Feiyue as he walked past.

"Township Mayor Qin, please wait a moment. Magistrate Ma is currently discussing matters with Vice Magistrate Li."

Qin Feiyue’s face broke into a smile. "Director Gui, it’s been a long time since you last came to Qinglin Township to inspect our work. When do you plan to come down and check on us?"

The man was Gui Gang, the Director of the County Government Office. At thirty-four, he was considered a rising star in Yiyang County. He replied to the Township Mayor, "Why so polite? When spring arrives, I’ll bring a few people down to hunt wild pheasants in the Qinglin Mountains."

Although both the Director of the County Government Office and the Township Mayor held the same administrative rank, the Office Director served directly alongside the County Magistrate, giving him significantly more weight and influence than a Township Mayor. Therefore, Qin Feiyue treated Gui Gang with extreme courtesy.

Qin Feiyue quickly agreed, "It’s a promise. As soon as spring opens, I’ll invite you."

Gui Gang said, "You can wait in the office. They probably won’t finish their discussion for a while."

Qin Feiyue shook his head. "No need. We’ll just stand here and wait."

Gui Gang nodded. "Then wait here. I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you company."

Qin Feiyue led Hou Weidong to wait at the doorway. There was a specific reason for this choice.

When Qin Feiyue had first taken office as Township Mayor, he had contacted Director Gui of the Government Office and then come to report to Magistrate Ma. Coincidentally, the Magistrate was busy with someone else, so Qin Feiyue had obediently waited in the government office downstairs. To his surprise, after waiting for over two hours, Chen Mei from the Government Office still insisted that someone was in the Magistrate’s office. Growing impatient, Qin Feiyue had gone up to the third floor. As soon as he reached the landing, he saw Tang, the Director of the Finance Bureau, standing at the door. After a brief chat, Yang, the Director of the Public Security Bureau, emerged, and Director Tang went in. It took Director Tang half an hour to finish his report and come out. Only then did Qin Feiyue get his chance to report. Since then, Qin Feiyue had learned his lesson: he never went back downstairs but waited right at the door.

They waited outside for about half an hour. Then, Gui Gang came down from upstairs, followed by Liu Kun, who was carrying a stack of documents. They walked hurriedly and did not greet Qin Feiyue.

A moment later, Liu Kun emerged. Hou Weidong took the initiative to greet him. "Liu Kun."

Liu Kun was startled to see Hou Weidong. "Hou Weidong? What are you doing here?"

He then noticed Qin Feiyue standing nearby and smiled. "Township Mayor Qin, hello."

Qin Feiyue offered a cigarette to Liu Kun. "Secretary Liu, how much longer will the leaders be talking?"

Liu Kun lit the cigarette and took a casual drag. "It’s hard to say. Township Mayor Qin, why don’t you go sit in the office downstairs? Hou Weidong, it’s been a long time. Why haven’t you come to see me?"

After Liu Kun left, Hou Weidong explained to Qin Feiyue, "Liu Kun is my university classmate."

Qin Feiyue instructed him, "Vice Magistrate Li is in charge of transportation. You should maintain regular contact with Liu Kun to keep an eye on the situation."

At that moment, the office door opened, and Gui Gang poked his head out. "Township Mayor Qin, Magistrate Ma asks you to come in."

It was Hou Weidong’s first time seeing the County Magistrate’s office. The room was approximately forty square meters. A large, wide desk dominated the space, backed by a row of bookshelves filled with thick, heavy volumes. Several sofas were arranged in front of the desk, and lush indoor plants stood in the corners. On one wall hung a scroll with the calligraphic characters: "Tranquility Yields Distance."

Magistrate Ma was not sitting behind his desk. Instead, he was seated on the sofa alongside Vice Magistrate Li and Gui Gang, reviewing some rendering diagrams.

"Old Qin, come sit. Tell us about the situation with the Shangqinglin Highway."

Opinions within the county were not unified regarding which road to build first. Vice Magistrate Li, who oversaw transportation, had prepared two plans. One of them involved completing the Shangqinglin Highway in 1994.

Magistrate Ma leaned back on the sofa. His peripheral vision seemed to glance at Hou Weidong once, but he focused intently on Qin Feiyue’s explanation. Qin Feiyue had clearly prepared carefully; his report was fluent and hit all the key points.

Magistrate Ma’s expression was serious and focused. After Qin Feiyue finished, he said, "From what I see, building the Shangqinglin Highway has three advantages. First, it connects the five townships of Qinglin and Lishan. Second, it activates the mineral resources in the Shangqinglin area. Third, the rough groundwork for the highway is already done, which will save the county a significant amount of funds."

Hou Weidong admired him inwardly: A Magistrate is indeed a Magistrate. He hits the nail on the head with a single sentence.

"In my opinion," the Magistrate continued, "the Transportation Construction Year does not mean every township in the county must build roads simultaneously. We should focus on key areas and concentrate the county’s strength to upgrade the main arteries connecting Shazhou and Wuhai. Vice Magistrate Li, the grade of the highway must be high. If we build it, it must be done right, thoroughly changing the current inconvenient external transportation situation in Yiyang County."

Magistrate Ma added, "As for the Shangqinglin Highway, although it has many advantages, it is ultimately a local issue. Let’s put it on hold for now and not include it in the 1994 plan."

Hou Weidong felt a surge of anxiety and looked at Qin Feiyue.

Qin Feiyue was anxious too. He chose his words carefully. "Magistrate Ma, the Shangqinglin Mountains contain vast reserves of limestone and coal. If developed, they could increase tax revenue by at least five million yuan within five years."

Magistrate Ma leaned comfortably back on the sofa. "The county’s funds are stretched thin. We can only choose what to do and what not to do. The policy of prioritizing the main arteries cannot change. The newly arrived Secretary Zhu supports my view."

Hearing the Magistrate say this, Qin Feiyue did not press further.

Hou Weidong, emboldened, spoke up from the side. "Magistrate Ma, under the organization of the township, three villages have contributed 500,000 labor days, and the foundation for the Shangqinglin Highway has already been excavated."

Magistrate Ma asked, "500,000 labor days? How did you arrive at that figure?"

Hou Weidong knew all the data regarding the road construction by heart. "The total population of Shangqinglin is 7,562. The three villages provide over 150 laborers daily, totaling nearly 500 people each day. Construction started in early October and has continued until now. Excluding rainy days, there have been over ninety working days, resulting in more than 500,000 labor days."

A hint of approval flashed in Magistrate Ma’s eyes. He asked, "How are the lost wages and other expenses handled?"

Qin Feiyue quickly answered, "Because there is no road, Shangqinglin sits on a mountain of wealth yet remains poor. Therefore, when the township organized the road construction, the masses responded enthusiastically. Everyone was willing to contribute labor without pay. They demanded no lost wages or land compensation fees. Moreover, they brought their own lunch. The township mainly covered the costs for explosives, blueprints, and necessary tools."

Magistrate Ma raised his voice. "Qinglin Township’s approach of not waiting and not relying on others is commendable. Some townships only stare at the county finance, leaving their roads in shambles without even thinking to send people for maintenance. During a meal with Director Gao recently, he praised the comrades of Qinglin Township and mentioned a newly assigned college graduate."

Magistrate Ma pointed at Hou Weidong and asked Qin Feiyue, "Director Gao was praising him, wasn’t he?"

Qin Feiyue introduced him, "This is Hou Weidong, a college graduate recruited through public examination last year. He is the Director of the Office of the Township Road Construction Leading Group."

Hearing the praise directly from a county leader, Hou Weidong felt a rush of blood surge from his feet to his head. Although it was winter, sweat had already broken out on his back.

"I am the kind of person who likes to whip the fast oxen," the Magistrate said, "but of course, one must also feed the fast oxen. Since Qinglin Township has such a strong desire to build the road and such a solid foundation, the county will consider allocating some funds. Vice Magistrate Li, how much? You decide the amount."

Vice Magistrate Li chuckled. "The Shangqinglin Highway is a mountainous and hilly road. I suggest we just build a gravel-stone surface. What is the total length of the Shangqinglin Highway?"

Qin Feiyue replied, "Currently, fourteen kilometers have been built. If we extend it to the furthest village, Wangri Village, it will be around twenty kilometers."

Vice Magistrate Li calculated and said, "The 'three-point method' is popular now. Let’s use the three-point method for this road as well. The county will provide the funds, and the Transportation Bureau will organize a professional construction unit to pave the surface. The township will provide slab stone and crushed stone, and the villages will provide labor. Township Mayor Qin, do you see any problems with this?"

Qin Feiyue said, "Paving the road requires a large amount of slab stone and crushed stone. That cost is no small matter. The township might not be able to afford it."

Vice Magistrate Li smiled. "Shangqinglin has abundant stone resources. This is simply adapting to local conditions."

Magistrate Ma basically agreed with Vice Magistrate Li’s plan and set the tone. "Let’s proceed as Vice Magistrate Li suggested. For this road, the county will provide 200,000 yuan, and Director Tang will contribute another one million. This will cover paving and materials. Once the highway is open to traffic, I will lead the heads of all townships in the county to visit and inspect it."

As they prepared to leave, Magistrate Ma stood up with grace and extended his hand. After Qin Feiyue released his grip, Hou Weidong quickly extended both hands and bowed respectfully.

It was the first time he had shaken the County Magistrate’s hand. It felt large and warm.

After leaving Magistrate Ma’s office, Qin Feiyue was very pleased. He was also satisfied with Hou Weidong’s performance and praised him. "Hou Weidong, not bad. You have a future. Let’s drink. Today, we’ll drink to our heart’s content."

Hearing this, Hou Weidong couldn’t help but think of the incident at Wangcheng Villa. His heart skipped a beat, but then he thought of Xiaojia, and a sense of guilt arose. Sure enough, as they got into the car, Qin Feiyue took out a brick phone. "Hello, this is Qin Feiyue. Find a place for drinks."

After hanging up, he told the driver, "Go to Yiyang Hotel."

Upon arriving at the hotel and entering the private room, Zhou Qiang from Huofu Coal Mine was already waiting inside. Several fancy cold dishes were laid out on the table. A young woman opened a bottle of Wuliangye liquor and stood by, waiting. Zhou Qiang greeted them warmly. "Township Mayor Qin, shall we have one bottle or two today?"

Qin Feiyue said, "Hou Weidong has a good tolerance for alcohol. He’s even better than Qin Dajiang. The three of us will have two bottles." Suddenly, he remembered something. "Zhou Qiang, can you fly? I called you and came straight here without any delay. How did you get here so quickly?"