Chapter 145: The Indirect Path to Building the Town (Part 4)

*Chapter 145: The Indirect Path to Building the Town (Part 4)*

Zhu Bing’s home was located within the Transportation Bureau’s staff quarters. Hou Weidong knew the general area but had never actually visited. Upon entering the compound, he stood in the central courtyard and dialed Zhu Bing’s number. A woman answered with evident irritation.

“Who is this? Can’t a person have some peace on a Sunday morning?”

Hou Weidong was familiar with Zhu Bing’s entire family, so he replied calmly, “It’s Hou Weidong. I have an urgent matter.”

Hearing his name, the woman’s tone softened considerably. “Old Zhu went for a run. You’ll have to wait a bit before you can see him.”

Since I’m here, I might as well make the best of it. Hou Weidong sat down on a stone chair in the middle of the courtyard, waiting for Zhu Bing to return from his jog. His mind drifted back to the wild events of the previous night, lost in thought, when he noticed Liu Kun emerging from a doorway, looking listless and disheveled.

Hou Weidong’s instinct was to avoid Liu Kun. He shifted his weight, ready to move, but then settled back down. Duan Ying and Liu Kun have broken up. She is free now. Why should I avoid him?

Hou Weidong smiled and greeted him proactively. “Liu Kun.”

Although Liu Kun and Duan Ying had split, Hou Weidong still subconsciously felt a twinge of guilt, perhaps imagining Liu Kun’s hair turning green from betrayal. Consequently, his demeanor was warmer than usual.

Seeing Hou Weidong at the Transportation Bureau quarters so early, Liu Kun was surprised. “So early? What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see Director Zhu. Tian Dadao still has a sum of money held at the Transportation Bureau. I’m representing the Qinglin Township Government to retrieve it.” Hou Weidong briefly explained the situation.

Liu Kun shoved one hand into his trouser pocket, thinking to himself, Who comes to handle business this early in the morning? He really doesn’t understand the rules of engagement.

Since breaking up with Duan Ying, Liu Kun had been subjected to a vicious scolding from his mother, Bai Sha. Her words had been particularly harsh. “Men usually discard women once they’ve had their way, but I never expected such a rotten woman to act this way.” While Bai Sha felt satisfied venting her anger, her words struck Liu Kun like whips. After a heated argument with his mother, he had returned to live in the Transportation Bureau quarters. The apartment was still filled with traces of Duan Ying, which put him in an exceptionally foul mood. He had no desire to converse with Hou Weidong.

“I have other matters to attend to. I’ll be leaving now. You can wait at your leisure.”

Due to their personalities, Hou Weidong and Liu Kun had never gotten along since their university days. The election turmoil in Qinglin Township had left a lingering knot in Liu Kun’s heart. Now that both were members of the Qinglin Township Government leadership team, with adjacent offices, their diplomatic relations had gradually normalized, but the underlying resentment remained hidden beneath the surface.

Seeing Hou Weidong now only irritated Liu Kun further. After a brief greeting, he walked out of the courtyard, muttering to himself, Zhang Xiaojia is in Shazhou. I just hope she puts a green hat on Hou Weidong. It would be good to see him lose his smugness.

Watching Liu Kun’s somewhat desolate背影 (back view), Hou Weidong pondered silently. Liu Kun stays in the township office every day, squatting in his chair. Who knows what he’s actually doing? With that ambiguous, indecisive personality, it’s no wonder Duan Ying lost interest.

Just then, Zhao Yongsheng called. “Township Mayor Hou, has the matter been resolved?”

Hearing that Hou Weidong had been waiting at the Transportation Bureau quarters since early morning, Zhao Yongsheng was satisfied with his work attitude. After offering a few words of praise, he said, “The relatives of the deceased in Shangqinglin are very agitated. Can you bring the money back today to relieve their immediate distress?”

Hou Weidong replied with difficulty, “It’s Sunday. The finance office isn’t open, so it will be difficult.”

Zhao Yongsheng instructed, “Here’s what you do: meet with Director Zhu first and gauge his attitude. If there are indeed difficulties, I will call him personally. If this isn’t handled properly, it could escalate into a mass incident. We need the Transportation Bureau’s full support.”

Accepting the task, Hou Weidong thought, If Zhu Bing is unwilling, I’ll just advance a few tens of thousands myself.

At that moment, Zhu Bing appeared in the courtyard, wearing athletic shorts and a T-shirt. Hou Weidong hurried to greet him. “Boss, you’re finally back. I’ve been waiting for half an hour.”

“You must exercise every day, or you’ll end up with a general’s belly,” Zhu Bing laughed upon seeing Hou Weidong in the courtyard. “Madman, look at those dark circles under your eyes. What were you up to last night?”

Hou Weidong groaned. “Boss, you need to keep Manager Liang in check. I was ready to go to sleep last night, but he forced me to drink and sing karaoke until past one in the morning. My stomach is full of night drinks. It’s unbearable.”

Zhu Bing cursed, “That Liang Bifa. He stays up late every day. I don’t know how he stands it.” He then added, “You wouldn’t come here so early without a reason. What’s the matter?”

The major safety accident at Tian Dadao’s quarry had already been reported county-wide. Zhu Bing had learned of it immediately. Hearing that there was a shortage of medical fees and compensation funds, he agreed readily. “Come to the finance office at ten o’clock to pick up the money. Tian Dadao refuses to take responsibility. From now on, I’ll notify all enterprises that his crushed stone will not be accepted.”

Several quarries in Shangqinglin had hundreds of thousands of yuan deposited in the Transportation Bureau’s finance office. Withdrawing a few tens of thousands was a trivial matter. The process went extremely smoothly. Hou Weidong had originally planned to return to the Xinyue Building in Shazhou, but after collecting the money, thinking of the grieving families on the mountain, he headed straight back to Qinglin Township.

In Wang Bing’s car, Hou Weidong called Xiaojia. The Shazhou Municipal Government had also issued a bulletin regarding this safety incident. The Shazhou Construction Committee took the matter seriously and held an office meeting on Sunday specifically to study safety issues. As Deputy Director of the Office, Xiaojia had to attend the meeting alongside the Director. Although she was working overtime, hearing that Hou Weidong wouldn’t be coming back made her feel uneasy. She said softly, “It’s really hard to see you.”

“Wife, don’t be angry. Under Coach Wang’s hands-on guidance, I’m almost ready to graduate. Next week, I’ll drive back to Shazhou myself.”

Xiaojia was startled. “You’ve only been learning for a few days and you want to drive alone? Absolutely not. If you drive by yourself, I will be very angry.”

After chatting for a few moments, Xiaojia’s resentment gradually faded. After hanging up, Hou Weidong thought of the wildness of the previous night and felt a sense of guilt toward Xiaojia. Yet, remembering Duan Ying’s fiery fullness, his heart began to race again.

Back in Qinglin Township, Zhao Yongsheng, Su Ming, and Tang Shugang were all in the office. Tang Shugang, who was in charge of enterprises, was so anxious that blisters had formed on his lips. Seeing the seventy thousand yuan Hou Weidong had retrieved, he sighed with relief. “Township Mayor Hou, you are truly a timely rain. With this seventy thousand, we can at least manage for a while.” He put the money into his leather bag and headed up the mountain with the Enterprise Office staff.

Zhao Yongsheng and Su Ming exchanged glances. Su Ming smiled brightly. “Township Mayor Hou, the township finances are indeed tight. We barely managed to pay the teachers’ back wages in the first quarter. Now, we can hardly guarantee the operating funds for the township. As Deputy Mayor, you are well aware of this.”

Seeing Su Ming’s灿烂 (brilliant) smile, Hou Weidong had a bad feeling. He thought to himself, Finance is under your direct control. We deputies are like flowers seen through water—we only have a vague understanding.

“The quarries in Shangqinglin have formed a Crushed Stone Association. The township has been very supportive of this association. Now that Tian Dadao’s quarry has had an accident, the association should take responsibility. Otherwise, there is no need for the association to exist.”

Su Ming put on a pained expression. “The County Hospital is currently pressing hard for payment. On humanitarian grounds, we cannot watch the injured suffer in the hospital. The Township Government suggests that the Crushed Stone Association advance the medical expenses for Tian Dadao.”

Zhao Yongsheng added, “The township has established a Leading Group to handle the safety accident at Tian Dadao’s quarry. Mayor Su Ming is the group leader, and Mayor Tang and you are deputy leaders. This is a responsibility assigned by the Party Committee and the Government.” His expression turned serious. “Township Mayor Hou, you are a Deputy Mayor of the Township Government, and you bear responsibility. You cannot shirk this duty. Go up the mountain immediately to work with Qin Jiangang, Zeng Xiangang, and Xi Zhaoyong. I expect a satisfactory reply from you this afternoon.”

Hou Weidong was both a Deputy Mayor of the Township Government and the de facto leader of the Crushed Stone Association, placing him in an awkward position. He knew he could not evade this task. Swallowing his pride, he said, “The quarries in Shangqinglin are independent legal entities. To get them to contribute money, I can only persuade them. I have no guarantee of success.”

Zhao Yongsheng’s face changed quickly. Just moments ago, he had been stern and coercive; now, he wore the gentle smile of an elder. “Township Mayor Hou’s ability is evident to all in Qinglin Township. As long as you are willing to step up, Mayor Su and I believe you can get it done.”

After Hou Weidong left with a troubled expression, Su Ming said to Zhao Yongsheng, “Rest assured. I have observed Hou Weidong for three years. The tasks I’ve assigned him have rarely gone wrong.”

Zhao Yongsheng did not reply, merely gazing meaningfully at Hou Weidong’s retreating back.

Hou Weidong enjoyed high prestige and influence on the mountain, subtly overshadowing the Party Secretary. Zhao Yongsheng, as the Party Secretary of Qinglin Township, found this situation problematic, indicating a lack of control over the overall situation. This was something he could not tolerate. However, since Hou Weidong was a cadre managed by the county, the Township Party Committee had no authority to discipline him. Moreover, Hou Weidong was humble and proactive in his work, so Zhao Yongsheng reluctantly accepted him.

He did not wish to make a public fuss, as it would expose his own incompetence. Therefore, he secretly took measures to transfer Hou Weidong to Xingping Village, aiming to bring the tiger down to the plains and the dragon out of the sea.

Hou Weidong seemed to sense Zhao Yongsheng’s gaze. Upon reaching his office, he called Qin Jiangang. “Secretary Qin, we have another troublesome matter. I’m coming to the township government office immediately. Please come over as well so we can discuss it together.”

Qin Jiangang asked, “What is it? Give me a hint.”

After Hou Weidong briefly explained, Qin Jiangang shouted into the phone, “This is Tian Dadao’s problem. Why should we pay for it?”

Hou Weidong replied, “When one person is in trouble, help comes from all directions. Helping them is helping ourselves. When Xi Zhaoyong and Zeng Xiangang arrive, the four of us can discuss it properly.”

When the car reached the road in Shangqinglin, Hou Weidong switched places with Wang Bing to practice starting on an incline. Wang Bing was a good coach, and Hou Weidong was a diligent student. After practicing for a while, Hou Weidong’s skills had improved significantly. Several starts on the incline went smoothly. Wang Bing praised him, “Township Mayor Hou, you drive better than some veteran drivers.” There was some flattery in his words, but also a measure of truth.

Driving smoothly to the township government office, Hou Weidong said to Wang Bing, “Go to my room and watch TV for a while. I need to talk matters over with Qin Jiangang and the others.” Wang Bing, a former military driver, understood protocol. “I’ll sit in the office and read the newspaper for a bit.”

The four quarry giants of Shangqinglin gathered together again. After listening to Hou Weidong’s briefing, their reactions varied. Qin Jiangang, who had shouted on the phone earlier, remained silent now.

Xi Zhaoyong wore a dark expression. He deeply resented Tian Dadao. “Tian Dadao is a pig. Everyone else uses terraced mining, but he insists on vertical walls. When trouble strikes, he wipes his butt and runs, leaving us to clean up his mess.”

Zeng Xiangang sat with a gloomy face, saying nothing.

Hou Weidong glanced at Qin Jiangang out of the corner of his eye and deliberately said, “Secretary Qin, you are the big brother of our Crushed Stone Association. Please give us your guidance.” Before going up the mountain, Hou Weidong had intentionally called Qin Jiangang. Since Qin Jiangang’s quarry had experienced an accident before, he had felt the pain personally and should be more amenable to compromise.

Qin Jiangang, with his hard, muscular build resembling a stone tower, remained silent for a moment before speaking. “Tian Dadao has fled, but the quarry remains. I went to inspect the site. We can use explosives to bring down the vertical walls, conduct safety renovations, and then resume mining according to regulations.”

Qin Jiangang had been calculating this solution all along the way.

Hou Weidong’s eyes lit up. He smiled. “Secretary Qin is indeed smart. Each of us contributes some money and deposits it into the Crushed Stone Association’s account. Part of it will pay for the medical expenses of the two injured workers, and part will be used to renovate Tian Dadao’s quarry. Once renovated, the quarry can reopen, and the profits will cover these costs.”

Xi Zhaoyong also approved of the plan. “If each of us contributes twenty thousand, that’s eighty thousand yuan. That should be enough.” He added, “Tian Dadao’s quarry has had two accidents. Everyone thinks the feng shui is bad. I’m afraid no one will be willing to work there.”

Zeng Xiangang, who was most familiar with the village conditions in Jianshan Village, said, “It’s not a big deal. We can slaughter a rooster to ward off evil spirits and hire a yin-yang master to perform some rituals. The key is to thoroughly renovate the quarry so that no more accidents occur.”

Hou Weidong seized the momentum. “I suggest that Director Zeng temporarily manage this quarry. You are from Jianshan Village and serve as the Village Committee Director, making you the most suitable candidate. Secretary Qin can hold the funds.”

The four men ate a simple meal without drinking alcohol, then drove to Tian Dadao’s quarry. Although several days had passed since the accident, the quarry was a scene of desolation. Torn clothes and discarded tools lay scattered, and black bloodstains remained on many rocks. The entrance was covered with a thick layer of firecracker debris. Hou Weidong, Qin Jiangang, Xi Zhaoyong, and Zeng Xiangang were all quarry owners. Facing the broken walls and ruins, they fell silent together.

An old woman stood on the mountain ridge. When she recognized the visitors, she cried and cursed, “You heaven-defying scoundrels! Running a quarry costs lives! Five young men from our village have died!” After cursing for a while, several other people appeared on the ridge, persuading and dragging the old woman down the mountain.

Qin Jiangang said to Zeng Xiangang, “Old Zeng, this quarry needs thorough renovation. Spending more money is acceptable, but we must ensure no more accidents occur.”

With the solution finalized, Hou Weidong called Zhao Yongsheng and Su Ming separately. The two main leaders finally felt the heavy stone in their hearts lift.

At ten o’clock the next morning, the four quarry owners contributed a total of one hundred and twenty thousand yuan as a fund to resolve the accident. The funds were placed under Qin Jiangang’s custody. Xi Zhaoyong delivered thirty thousand yuan to the hospital, basically settling the initial medical expenses. Zeng Xiangang began the work of renovating Tian Dadao’s quarry.

Hou Weidong did not attend the Party and Government Joint Meeting that day. After finishing his business on Qinglin Mountain, he took a car down the mountain.

Su Ming heard the sound of brakes and looked out the window. When Hou Weidong came upstairs, Su Ming stood at the door, waving continuously. Seeing Su Ming’s smiling face, Hou Weidong felt depressed. What difficult problem is this time?

Su Ming’s attitude was excellent. Sitting in his large executive chair, he first praised Hou Weidong vigorously, then took a stack of blueprints from under his desk and spread them out. “Township Mayor Hou, township work is indeed complex. May Day is approaching soon. You need to prepare for the implementation of funeral reform. This is an arduous task, and the beginning must be controlled carefully.”

Hou Weidong listened while examining the blueprints.

Su Ming explained, “This is the new town planning design I commissioned from the design institute. If the new town is built according to this plan, it will definitely be a first-rate market town.”

The new market town was not large in scale. Hou Weidong quickly finished reviewing the blueprints and said, “In Shazhou, a new type of residential community is emerging. The most typical example is the Xinyue Building. These communities have greenery and other facilities, similar to the staff quarters of former state-owned enterprises. I suggest considering these buildings as community-style architecture. Also, the market town should consider greenery. The Xiaoqinglin Primary School building is quite ordinary, but because it is shaded by lush trees, walking into it feels very different.”

Su Ming pondered for a while and said, “Your ideas are good. Let’s discuss them. Once we have results, we will feed them back to the design institute.”

After discussing for a while, Su Ming said, “Secretary Zhao has never shown interest in the plan to build a new town. My idea is to build the town indirectly. The first building will be a nursing home. This falls under your division. Construct it strictly according to the location on the blueprints.”

Hou Weidong felt his head ache. “Mayor Su, building houses is easy. But if we pursue indirect town building, what about the infrastructure? We cannot bypass this hurdle.”

Su Ming looked troubled. At this moment, he somewhat understood Qin Feiyue.

Zhao Yongsheng was a Party Secretary with rich grassroots experience and good ability. However, constrained by age, education, and other factors, his guiding principle for work was to avoid incidents. As for entrepreneurship, he didn’t even think about it. Qin Feiyue, having come down from the Township Enterprise Bureau, was eager to get things done but was suppressed by Party Secretary Zhao Yongsheng, feeling stifled everywhere. This eventually led to a full-scale conflict over township enterprise management.

Now, Su Ming faced the same problem as Qin Feiyue. He sat in his large executive chair, silent for a long time, before finally saying, “The determination to build the town indirectly must not change. I will talk to the design side again. The first building will still be the nursing home, starting from the transition area between the old and new market towns.”

Days in Qinglin