Chapter 50 The Road-Building Madman (Part 3)
Hou Weidong felt a sudden tightening in his chest at the word "but." When Secretary Zhao Yongsheng raised the issue of violating established principles, a heavy pressure seemed to descend directly onto his heart.
Mayor Gao explained, "Secretary Zhao, I arranged this meeting. The three villages in Shangqinlin are very enthusiastic about building the road. Among the former township markets in Yiyang County, Shangqinlin is the only one without road access. The county leadership attaches great importance to this. The old secretary cares deeply about it; he even mentioned it to me when we met during the Spring Festival."
The "old secretary" Mayor Gao referred to also bore the surname Gao. His name was Gao Zhiyuan. Although he was an elder in terms of generational rank, his age was not much different from Mayor Gao’s. True to his name, Gao Zhiyuan had risen quickly, becoming the Director of the Qinglin Revolutionary Committee in his twenties. After the fall of the Gang of Four, he served as Deputy County Magistrate of Yiyang County. By the late 1980s, he had become the Executive Deputy Secretary of the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee and was currently the Chairman of the Shazhou Municipal People’s Congress.
In Shangqinlin, he held the highest official rank, so everyone there respectfully addressed him as "Old Secretary."
Hearing Mayor Gao bring up Gao Zhiyuan, Zhao Yongsheng thought to himself, "Many of the current leaders in Yiyang County are subordinates of Gao Zhiyuan. I must consider this matter carefully." He picked up his enamel mug, took a sip of tea, and after a moment of calculation, said, "Building roads is a good thing, and the Party Committee will certainly support it. Secretary Qin is the head of the administration, so he has the final say on funding. Old Gao, you should report this to Mayor Qin."
Mayor Gao knew the current state of Qinglin Town’s finances. Hearing Zhao Yongsheng pass the buck to Mayor Qin, he thought, "Zhao Yongsheng is quite skilled at kicking the ball away."
After they left the office, Hou Weidong was quite pleased. He said to Mayor Gao, "It looks like there’s a chance. Secretary Zhao supports our road project. I wonder what Mayor Qin’s attitude will be and how much money he can allocate for construction."
They entered Mayor Qin’s office. Before Hou Weidong had even settled into his seat, Director Tian from the Family Planning Office walked in. He handed a stack of receipts to Mayor Qin, who began signing them rapidly. Suddenly, he stopped. "Why is there a taxi fare?" he asked, raising his voice. "The town has long had a rule: taxi fares are not reimbursable. Take this one back."
Director Huang, who was standing by the desk, hurriedly explained, "We received news that day that a heavily pregnant woman in Shuangshu Village might try to hide. We were afraid she would disappear, so we took a taxi back from the city. The bus was too slow; it would have taken over three hours to return by public transport. The woman might have been gone by then."
Mayor Qin’s pen never touched the paper. He thought for a moment and said, "Rules are rules. We cannot break them. You’ll have to find a way to cover the taxi fare yourself."
Director Huang awkwardly took back the receipt and added, "The Family Planning Office doesn’t have a vehicle, which is indeed inconvenient. Mayor Qin, last year you promised to buy a car for the office. Director Jiang from the county has indicated that if we buy a car, he will subsidize twenty thousand yuan."
Mayor Qin did the math. A minivan cost only a few tens of thousands of yuan. With a twenty-thousand-yuan subsidy from Director Jiang, the town wouldn’t have to spend much. He said, "Find a time to invite Director Jiang to dinner. If he agrees to give thirty thousand, we’ll buy a car for the Family Planning Office this year."
Director Huang had just left when Director Hu from the Education Office entered, asking Mayor Qin to allocate funds to the schools. After much persuasion, Mayor Qin agreed to provide fifty thousand yuan to cover part of the teachers’ salaries. Director Hu left, expressing his deepest gratitude.
Seeing the state of the finances, Hou Weidong felt a chill. He said, "Everyone says township cadres are well-off, but why is the financial pressure so immense? The money for the highway is in danger."
Sure enough, when Mayor Gao stated their purpose, Mayor Qin put down his pen and made a small circle with his fingers. "Old Mayor, the town’s budget is only this big. Even if I killed myself and sold my blood, there wouldn’t be enough money to build the road. We are already three months behind on teachers’ salaries. I suggest we put the road project on hold for now. Once we get through this year and the government funds become slightly more flexible, we can organize the construction."
Mayor Gao said, "Secretary Zhao, the village cadres are eager to build the road. I think the villages can start mobilizing first, and the town can subsidize a few tens of thousands of yuan next year." Seeing Mayor Qin’s troubled expression, Mayor Gao continued, "Shangqinlin is rich in mountain resources. Once the road is built, we can open coal mines and stone quarries. These are major taxpayers. With sufficient tax sources, the town’s situation will improve."
Mayor Qin had previously served as Deputy Director of the Township Enterprise Bureau and was very familiar with this sector. Hearing Mayor Gao’s words, he leaned back in his large office chair, thought for a while, and said, "Old Mayor makes a good point. Once the coal mines are operational, Qinglin Town’s tax revenue will rise. What is Secretary Zhao’s attitude?"
Mayor Gao knew that Qin and Zhao did not get along. He chose his words carefully: "Secretary Zhao agrees to build the road."
"Heh, heh," Mayor Qin chuckled meaningfully. "In that case, I will hold a government meeting this afternoon to discuss the road project. Let me state the principles first: the town has no money this year. Next year, when things are more comfortable, we will adopt a policy of 'replacing subsidies with rewards' to assist the villages. The town can help coordinate explosives. Mayor Su, who oversees agriculture, will be in charge of this matter. I know you haven’t paid Engineer Liu for his drawings; he has called me twice. Mayor Gao, please go and work on Engineer Liu. By the end of this year, the town government will find a way to pay this sum. Although this is an old debt left over from the Shangqinlin Township days, Qin Feiyue will not renege. Explain this to Old Liu clearly and tell him it’s from me."
After finishing, Mayor Qin made a phone call to Mayor Su. Shortly after, Mayor Su arrived.
"Build a road? And I’m responsible?" Mayor Su looked back and forth between Mayor Gao and Hou Weidong, then smiled at Mayor Qin. "With the town’s finances, who can afford to build roads? Once the road is finished, the government will go bankrupt."
Hou Weidong was relatively familiar with Mayor Su. Ignoring whether he had the right to speak, he said, "All three villages are willing to contribute labor, so the costs won’t be high."
Mayor Su shook his head. "Building a road is not a simple matter. It’s very complex. Don’t be too optimistic."
Hou Weidong declared, "Mayor Su, rest assured. You just command from the foothills. The working group will handle the specific tasks. You only need to step in when we encounter difficult problems."
Mayor Qin looked at Hou Weidong, who seemed naive, immature, and unaware of official protocols. He said to Mayor Su, "Old Su, you should still take the lead. I trust your handling of affairs."
"Select one person each from the Land Office and the Agriculture Office, along with the grassroots civil servants stationed in the three villages, to form a Road Construction Leading Group Office. You will be the Group Leader, Mayor Gao the Deputy Leader, and Deputy Director Hou the Office Director. We will finalize this at the government office meeting this afternoon."
Mayor Su knew he could not escape the task. He forced a bitter smile and said to Old Mayor Gao, "Old Mayor, the town will provide a car. Go to Shazhou and look for Chairman Gao. Ask him to step forward and donate some money to Shangqinlin. If he is willing to put his name to it, we will surely raise the funds."
Mayor Gao found the outcome smoother than he had imagined, leaving him feeling both relieved and burdened. He glanced at Hou Weidong and thought, "Is Hou Weidong a reckless fool or a talent? A reckless fool, or a talent?"
He said to Mayor Qin, "I am old and in poor health. I will not serve as Deputy Leader. Let Hou Weidong be the Deputy Leader and Office Director."
Mayor Su saw that Mayor Gao was dragging him into the mess and would not let him off easily. He said, "Mayor Gao, no need for modesty. You are an old general and have authority in Shangqinlin. You don’t need to run the construction site; you can command from the office. That is no problem." He then turned to Hou Weidong: "The idea to build the road definitely came from Qin Dajiang. However, since the working group is taking charge, we must see this through to the end. If you encounter any difficulties, come to me."
On the way back to Shangqinlin, Mayor Gao was full of concerns. He said to the overjoyed Hou Weidong, "Brother Hou, don’t celebrate too early. Road construction is a public welfare project. Secretary Zhao and Mayor Su will not openly oppose it, but the fact that neither of them wants to be the commander shows they are not very enthusiastic. In the future, you must be prepared to rely on yourselves."
Hou Weidong paid no mind. "As long as the working group handles it, there will always be a way to build the road. If we encounter insurmountable difficulties, we still have Mayor Gao and Mayor Su to back us up. Mayor Gao, I would like to ask: road construction involves countless details. What should we do first?"
Shangqinlin was shaded by lush green trees. A small ditch ran along the path, with clear water flowing through the mountain valley, emitting waves of coolness.
Hou Weidong stood on the mountainside, watching the buildings grow smaller in the distance. He couldn’t help but shout three times, venting the joy in his heart.
Mayor Gao rested his hands on his waist, looking at the vibrant Hou Weidong. He envied his youth and vitality. Infected by Hou Weidong’s optimism and passion, he said, "The first step in building the road is to get the drawings."