Chapter 174: Rectification (Part 1)

*Chapter 174: Rectification (Part 1)*

Half-cooked rice is not only unpalatable but also difficult to salvage; re-cooking it is a thankless task. Consequently, people often use the phrase "eating half-cooked rice" to describe situations that have been handled poorly or left incomplete.

Hou Weidong felt he had just eaten a bowl of such half-cooked rice. Seeing Xiaojia’s sullen expression, he began to turn things over in his mind. It is better to have an open and honest conversation with Xiaojia than to wait for Bu Gao to sow discord, he reasoned. A fortress is always breached from within. As long as Xiaojia understands the true nature of the situation, Bu Gao’s attempts at manipulation will collapse on their own. The thought of Bu Gao stirred a cold resolve within him: One day, I will settle this score with you.

The issue had not been explained to Xiaojia when the agreement was signed, leaving the matter unresolved—much like that pot of half-cooked rice. However, after the events of the day, Hou Weidong decided to lay everything bare for her. Even half-cooked rice must eventually be eaten; the only question was the strategy.

True seasoned experience lies in knowing when to act and learning the art of waiting. The most profound truths are often plain and unadorned. This kind of maturity appears simple, yet it is difficult to achieve in practice. It requires the tempering of life and, more importantly, innate temperament. In the past, Hou Weidong’s favorite motto was a rough local saying: "When a man dies, his testicles face the sky; what is there to fear?" Now, he had replaced that crude encouragement with a more refined sentiment: "Maintain calmness when facing major events." Although he had borrowed this phrase from Zhao Yongsheng’s calligraphy scroll, it accurately reflected Hou Weidong’s current state of survival.

While Hou Weidong was deep in thought, Xiaojia stopped bringing up Li Jing. Each harboring their own concerns, they sat together watching television.

At that moment, Tang Guiyuan, the Party Branch Secretary of Jianshan Village, called again. "Madman, the police have taken Zeng Xiangang and Zeng Xiangyong away. What should we do?"

Hou Weidong asked for details. Although he felt a surge of tension, he suppressed his emotions and spoke to Tang Guiyuan in a calm, ordinary tone. "Every citizen has the obligation to assist public security organs in their investigations. We cannot fault the police for their actions. Do not worry for now. I will inquire about the situation when I return."

Tang Guiyuan was known for being a quiet, reserved man who rarely spoke. However, with so many incidents occurring in Shangqinlin recently, he was genuinely anxious. "This situation is unacceptable. Taking people away for no clear reason disrupts village work. Director Hou, you are the divisional leader in charge of social security. You must think of a solution."

Hou Weidong patiently offered reassurance. "I have a joint Party and government meeting tomorrow morning. I will raise the issue there and strive to report it to the divisional leader at the County Party Committee."

Though Tang Guiyuan spoke little, he understood the reality well. He knew it was unrealistic to expect Hou Weidong to produce an immediate solution. "That is the only way, then," he sighed. "Alas, the stones in Shangqinlin are like the flesh of the Tang Monk—everyone wants to take a bite. If I had known this would happen, we should never have opened those quarries in the first place."

After hanging up, Hou Weidong felt quite depressed. He leaned back on the sofa, silent.

Seeing his demeanor, Xiaojia, though still harboring some displeasure, asked with concern, "Has something happened to Zeng Xiangang again?" She was not familiar with the people of Shangqinlin, but she often heard Hou Weidong speak of them. She knew something of their stories and had impressions of figures like Zeng Xiangang and Qin Dajiang.

Hou Weidong gave a self-deprecating bitter smile. "I often think about one thing: the Shangqinlin road is like Pandora’s Box. Once the road was built, the box was opened. In the past two years alone, more than a dozen people have died in the quarries. I always feel that these deaths are somehow connected to me. If this road had not been built, those dozen people would still be alive and kicking. Furthermore, if Zeng Xiangang had not been wealthy, his home would not have been robbed. If Qin Dajiang had not operated a quarry, he would not have been shot. I ran around and jumped through hoops to build this road. Was it right or wrong?"

Xiaojia tried to comfort him. "If you hadn’t built the road, someone else would have. Shangqinlin has these resources; they would have been developed sooner or later. Do not blame yourself. This is the general trend."

"Let’s not think about these messy matters. It only ruins my mood."

Hou Weidong stood up and stretched his chest vigorously. "Township affairs are truly complex, involving every aspect of life. That is why government agencies take turns sending reserve cadres to townships for training. There is logic to that."

Xiaojia also had her own grievances. "My father loves to say a phrase: 'All snakes bite, but the black-spotted snake scares without biting.' The construction industry has thick profits, but it is also very dark. The document establishing the Garden Management Bureau has already been issued. I still want to transfer there. It is a newly formed unit without such massive economic interests, so it should be simpler. If I transfer to the Garden Management Bureau to handle business operations, my days will be easier."

Hou Weidong followed up smoothly. "To have a simple and easy life, you need economic support. Only with financial freedom can one have life freedom. Therefore, I must earn more money while doing my job well. This requires finding agents."

"Husband, you have worked hard," she said softly.

On Monday, Hou Weidong set off promptly at 5:30 AM. When he arrived at the Qinglin township government, it was just past 8:00 AM. After eating at Yao’s Restaurant, he took a walk around the town center. The osmanthus trees lining the streets had come back to life, sprouting tender new buds. Since it was market day, many villagers had arrived early, setting up stalls along the roadside.

Director Yin, holding a small receipt book, began collecting town cleaning fees from the various vendors. This was a borderline charge, but due to the need to maintain town hygiene, Hou Weidong had argued his case strongly, and the government had agreed to turn a blind eye.

Director Yin greeted Hou Weidong enthusiastically. "Director Hou, inspecting the town so early?"

Hou Weidong was already familiar with Director Yin and smiled. "Inspecting? Don’t be ridiculous. I just had breakfast. Director Yin, since you are collecting cleaning fees, you must organize people to clean up thoroughly after the market disperses. Otherwise, Qinglin Town will become a giant garbage dump."

Director Yin agreed readily. "Director Hou, rest assured. On market days, we haul away at least several truckloads of garbage. It takes no more than an hour to clean up."

Upon arriving at the township government compound, Hou Weidong went to the Party and Government Office. Several villagers were already standing by Public Security Officer Huang’s desk. Yang Feng was drinking tea from a large, bulky space cup. Rarely, she was not cracking sunflower seeds. Such ugly, clumsy space cups were currently popular in Qinglin Town. They were supposedly high-tech items used by astronauts. Hou Weidong could not figure out why astronauts would use such uncreative, ordinary cups, nor whether they were usable in a weightless environment. But questions aside, he was not Zhao Yongsheng, so his opinion could not dictate what kind of cups the grassroots civil servants of Qinglin Town used for drinking.

Public Security Officer Huang was an honest, hardworking type at the Qinglin police station. Although he sometimes had a poor attitude toward villagers, this was merely a surface phenomenon. For years, he had managed important documents like villagers’ ID cards with meticulous order.

When Yang Feng saw Hou Weidong, her eyes lit up. Recognizing this expression, Hou Weidong knew gossip was about to flow. He looked at her, waiting for her to speak. Sure enough, Yang Feng slammed her high-tech space cup onto the desk and said mysteriously, "Director Hou, I heard that Chief Qin is being transferred away."

This had been rumored for some time, so Hou Weidong was not surprised. Seeing that Hou Weidong was not shocked by her gossip, Yang Feng dropped another bombshell. "Director Hou, do you know who is coming to be the head of the Qinglin police station?"

Hou Weidong joked, "That is simple. First, it certainly won’t be me. Second, it must be someone from the Qinglin County Public Security Bureau."

Yang Feng chuckled. "The one coming to the Qinglin police station is Chen Jianyong from the Criminal Investigation Brigade."

Chen Jianyong was the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade, a significant position within the Public Security Bureau. Those who held this post were usually elites of the bureau. To send him to be the head of a township police station seemed like a waste of talent. Hou Weidong turned his gaze to Public Security Officer Huang. Huang, who had clearly overheard the conversation, nodded heavily at Hou Weidong.

Huang was an honest man; honest men rarely lied. Hou Weidong believed the news. Thinking of Chen Jianyong’s arrogant demeanor, he almost laughed. But the more he thought about it, the more something felt off, and his smile slowly faded.

"Chief Qin is being transferred because of the series of major cases in Qinglin Town. Chen Jianyong is clearly being demoted to a township. For a Captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade, what does this imply?"

At 9:30 AM, as per routine, the Monday joint Party and government meeting was about to begin. At this moment, Su Ming came to the office. "Secretary Zhao, Zhong Ruihua, and I are going to the county seat for an emergency meeting regarding the foundation. I am afraid the foundation is in big trouble this time."

"County Mayor Ma recently came out to deny rumors. What is going on?"

Su Ming replied, "You have not managed the foundation, so you do not know the inside story. The management is truly chaotic, with a significant number of bad debts. Once this cleanup begins, who knows how many problems will surface?" Shaking his head, he walked out.

It seemed the cleanup of the foundation was imminent; this was relatively formal official news. Hou Weidong immediately called his second sister. "Second Sister, I heard that the foundation is about to be cleaned up. Yiyang County is holding a meeting on this. How much have you borrowed from the foundation? You need to be mentally prepared."

Hou Xiaoying was still groggy from sleep. "In this day and age, debtors are the masters. My loan has not yet matured. Why should I repay it?"

Hou Weidong said, "I heard rumors that this will be a thorough cleanup of the foundation, with great intensity. If the skin does not exist, where can the hair attach? You must be on high alert."

Hearing Hou Weidong’s serious tone, Hou Xiaoying said, "Is it that serious? My business is just getting on track, and I have always lacked working capital. If I have to repay the foundation, I won’t be able to do business. I will go discuss this with your brother-in-law."

No sooner had he hung up than Li Jing’s call came in. "Hou Weidong, I have accurate news. The foundation is about to be abolished. Regarding the matter you mentioned last time, I think it is a good idea. Keep an eye on the coal mine in Shangqinlin. Someone is looking to sell, and our Jinggong Group will acquire it."