Chapter 59 The Road-Building Madman (13)
There was a hint of threat in those words. Guo Guanghui could easily hear the subtext. As a former forest police officer, he was accustomed to being the one issuing threats, not receiving them. The situation made him deeply uncomfortable. He replied coldly, "We are a state-owned forest farm. We have regulations and rules from above. We cannot just act arbitrarily."
"Regulations are dead; people are alive," Qin Jiangda said, his eyes wide.
Seeing that the two men were not getting along, Township Head Gao stepped in to smooth things over. "Director Guo, the forest farm and Qinglin Town have always been friendly units. We need to discuss this matter carefully. Director Zeng of the Forestry Bureau comes up to the mountains every year; we are quite familiar with him. If we need to report on the land requisition for the road, we can go together."
Township Head Gao’s tone was soft but firm. Guo Guanghui took a step back. "It’s almost time for lunch. Let’s put this aside for now. I am new to the forest farm, and I will certainly need to trouble Township Head Gao often in the future. Please stay for lunch at the farm." He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect. "My wife is currently hospitalized. I need to rush back later, so I will ask Deputy Director Yang to accompany you." Guo Guanghui was telling the truth. His wife was hospitalized for gallstones and was scheduled for surgery that afternoon, so he was eager to return.
Hearing that Guo Guanghui wanted to leave, Qin Jiangda snorted internally. He sat on the bamboo sofa, drinking water, and remained silent.
Hou Weidong, being junior in rank and dealing with the forest farm for the first time, did not dare to say anything. He simply observed the shifting dynamics from the side.
It was Township Head Gao’s first meeting with Guo Guanghui, and the conversation had not been very pleasant. Hearing that Guo wanted to leave, Gao felt a subtle displeasure, similar to Qin Jiangda’s. He said, "It’s fine. You go handle your business. I also have matters to attend to this noon, so I won’t eat at the forest farm. Director Guo, building the road is a major project. Please expedite it. Once the land adjustment for the state-owned forest is finalized, we will officially start construction."
Guo Guanghui shook Township Head Gao’s hand. "I really do have family matters. Since it is Township Head Gao’s first visit to the forest farm, you must stay for a meal before leaving." He turned to Deputy Director Yang. "Old Yang, we caught a wild hare yesterday, and we have a leg of wind-dried wild boar. Bring them out and treat Township Head Gao to some drinks."
After arranging the meal, Guo Guanghui began to clear the items on the table.
Once Guo Guanghui left, Deputy Director Yang pulled Township Head Gao, insisting he stay. Yang repeatedly explained the situation regarding Guo’s family. As a veteran employee of the Qinglin Forest Farm, Yang had rich work experience. He was familiar with both Township Head Gao and Qin Jiangda, and their usual cooperation had been good.
Out of respect for Deputy Director Yang, Township Head Gao nodded and decided to stay.
The forest farm’s cafeteria had its own unique style. In addition to the wild hare and wind-dried wild boar, they served a pot of snake meat soup, reportedly caught by the staff during their shift. The liquor they drank was also related to wild creatures: a large jar of snake and scorpion wine, dark red in color, with a medicinal taste upon entry.
The drinking session lasted until two in the afternoon. The sun outside was scorching, so Deputy Director Yang found a cool room with a high ceiling, and everyone sat down to play mahjong.
After drinking, conversation became more casual. Township Head Gao asked, "What did Director Guo do at the Forestry Bureau before? I know the heads of several business departments, but I’ve never seen him."
"He was the deputy instructor at the Forest Police Station. He was quite skilled at handling cases. When Director Ouyang was transferred back to the Forestry Bureau and moved to the second line, becoming the vice chairman of the labor union, the arrangement was considered quite decent."
Qin Jiangda, emboldened by alcohol, spoke boldly. "That small road at the forest farm headquarters occupied a lot of our village’s Ninth Cooperative’s fields. If you don’t let our road pass through this time, we will restore the road back into farmland."
The road Qin Jiangda referred to was a small highway connecting the lower Qinglin road to the forest farm headquarters and freight yard. When that small road was built years ago, it involved land from the Upper Qinglin Township. Director Ouyang had specifically approached Upper Qinglin Township. At that time, Township Head Gao was still the deputy township head in charge of agriculture. He had persuaded the commune members to adjust their fields, allowing the Qinglin Forest Farm to connect the small road.
It was precisely because of this historical connection that Director Ouyang had readily agreed to let the road pass through the forest farm, promising to handle the land occupation procedures himself. Guo Guanghui, coming from a forest police background, was not familiar with local affairs and did not understand this historical context. Furthermore, with the increased protection of natural forests along the Yangtze River, he had not given a straightforward answer regarding the land occupation for the Upper Qinglin road.
Deputy Director Yang Bingzhang was a veteran of the forest farm. He well understood the principle that a strong dragon does not suppress a local snake. Moreover, the forest farm was not even the "local snake." Therefore, he was very enthusiastic, accompanying them for drinks and actively inviting Township Head Gao to play cards. Of course, this was not business mahjong, but mahjong played among friends.
In grassroots work, personal relationships are crucial. When relationships are good and trust is established, many ambiguous matters become easier to handle. This was Yang Bingzhang’s experience working in the forest farm.
At four in the afternoon, seeing that it was getting late, Township Head Gao said, "Let’s stop playing today. We can continue another day."
Yang Bingzhang tried to retain him. "Stay for dinner before you leave."
"The mountain roads are difficult to travel. If you drink, you might stumble," Qin Jiangda said affectionately, patting Yang Bingzhang’s shoulder. "Brother, please explain the road matter to Director Guo properly. This was something Director Ouyang agreed to. We are like two families; let’s not hurt our harmony over such small matters."
Qin Jiangda was burly and spoke directly. He called them brothers while simultaneously issuing threats. Township Head Gao acted as the mediator on the side. The two coordinated perfectly. Yang Bingzhang, being a deputy, found it difficult to take a firm stance. Overwhelmed by their momentum, he could only continue to explain.
After the incident at the Qinglin Forest Farm, Hou Weidong looked at Village Party Secretary Qin Jiangda with new respect. He thought to himself, "I used to hear that rural cadres knew nothing but drinking. It seems that was a prejudice. I must learn from their tactics in the future."
Returning to Upper Qinglin Town, the sky was already dim. Passing the gate of Qinglin Town Primary School, Hou Weidong stopped. He had not given Tie Ruiqing lessons for several days, and school was starting in three days. He parted ways with Township Head Gao and went directly to Tie Ruiqing’s home.
The atmosphere in the Tie family was always warm, and it was no different this time. Tie Bingsheng sat at the table wearing glasses, writing something. Tie’s wife was busy in the room, and an English cassette tape was playing from the inner room.
Seeing Hou Weidong enter, Tie Bingsheng took off his glasses and said to his wife, "Brew some tea. Teacher Hou is here."
"I’ve been busy with road matters every day for the past few days. I got the blueprints yesterday, and today I negotiated with Director Guo of the forest farm," Hou Weidong explained.
Tie Bingsheng asked, "I heard the forest farm changed directors. Is there a new director?"
"Director Ouyang was transferred to the Forestry Bureau. The new director is named Guo Guanghui, from the Forestry Police Station." Hou Weidong briefly recounted the situation.
Tie Bingsheng slapped his leg and sighed. "Old Director Ouyang worked at the forest farm for thirty years. He has deep feelings for Upper Qinglin. He is honest and kind. With him, the road matter was easy to handle." He added, "The Yangtze River Natural Forest Protection Project has been emphasized heavily in recent years. This road construction will occupy several acres of land. For the new director, it is indeed a troublesome matter."
"Township Head Gao said that the forest farm and the village are intertwined, with each having interests in the other. If the forest farm does not support the work this time, many of their own matters will also be difficult to handle."
"The big brother farmers are not to be trifled with either. Teacher Hou is getting into the role," Tie Bingsheng laughed heartily. He then asked, "Ruiqing will return to school the day after tomorrow. Do you think there are any remaining issues with Ruiqing’s English?"
Hou Weidong praised sincerely, "Tie Ruiqing has a talent for languages. In this month, her pronunciation is basically problem-free. Actually, there is no shortcut to learning English; it is just about reading and listening more. As for grammar and such, following the teacher is sufficient."
Tie Ruiqing had bright eyes and white teeth. Although she wore an old, short-sleeved shirt, she did not look shabby. Seeing Hou Weidong arrive, she happily said, "Teacher Hou, I have memorized seven lessons."
Hou Weidong was surprised. "You really memorized them? Let me spot-check one."
He randomly selected two lessons. To his surprise, Tie Ruiqing recited both in one breath, with only three minor errors.
Hou Weidong was genuinely admiring of Tie Ruiqing’s memory and diligence. In just one month, she had corrected her pronunciation and used hard work to memorize the lessons. He sighed, "Tie Ruiqing, keep up the good work. In at most one more semester, I won’t dare to be your teacher anymore."
Hearing the praise, Tie Ruiqing felt both shy and proud. She was very concerned about the road construction and asked, "Teacher Hou, I just heard that the road is about to be built. I wonder when it will be finished."
Hou Weidong said, "Slowly, it might take a year. Quickly, it might take half a year."
Tie Ruiqing clapped her hands happily. "Dad, the road is finally going to be built! In the future, we can take a bus home. Teacher Hou, I admire you."