Chapter 72: Gods Fighting (Part 2)

Shangqinglin was a remote place, yet over the years, it had produced many leading cadres. Gao Zhiyuan currently held the highest position among them: Director of the Standing Committee of the Shazhou Municipal People’s Congress, a full department-level cadre.

Gao Zhiyuan wore a casual jacket, left unbuttoned, giving him an approachable air. His official aura was less imposing than that of Li Guangzhong, Deputy Director of the Shazhou United Front Work Department. Watching the fiery scene of labor, he couldn’t help but recall the days of building reservoirs under fluttering red flags. Although many foolish things had been done back then, the water conservancy projects constructed during those years still played a vital role today.

“Qin’s second son, how is your father?”

Qin Dajiang’s father had once been the Party Branch Secretary of Dushi Village and was quite familiar with Gao Zhiyuan. Despite not having seen each other for many years, Gao Zhiyuan recognized Qin Dajiang, even though he was now middle-aged and slightly overweight.

“My father passed away the year before last.”

Looking at the white hair on Gao Zhiyuan’s forehead, Qin Dajiang thought to himself: When Gao Zhiyuan was the township secretary, he was full of vigor. Now, he has aged too.

“Passed away! Your father was in good health, only seventy now.” Gao Zhiyuan sighed with emotion. “Your father was a true hero back in the day. When building the Shangqinglin Reservoir, he led a thousand militia members from Shangqinglin, fighting for seven days and seven nights.”

Gao Zhiyuan praised Qin Dajiang, saying, “You’re not bad either. I wanted to build this road back then but couldn’t. You’ve realized my dream.”

Hou Weidong stood by the side, listening respectfully as Gao Zhiyuan reminisced about the past and reflected on the present.

Hearing Gao Zhiyuan’s praise, Qin Dajiang rubbed his hands together joyfully and said, “Secretary Gao, the greatest contributor to building this road is Hou Weidong.”

Zeng Xiangang added, “Without Hou Weidong, this road would have been delayed by several more years.”

Hou Weidong hurriedly replied, “Building the road was a decision of the township government and the wish of the cadres and masses of Shangqinglin. I just ran errands; there’s no merit to speak of.”

Only then did Gao Zhiyuan turn his head to look at Hou Weidong and ask, “You’re Hou Weidong, the newly assigned college graduate?”

Hou Weidong quickly responded, “I’m from the 1989 cohort of the Political Science and Law Department at Shazhou College. I started working this year.”

Liu Wei was a relative on Gao Zhiyuan’s wife’s side. During the National Day holiday, when Liu Wei went to Shazhou for study, he brought some Yiyang old mountain mushrooms to Gao’s house. During dinner, he casually mentioned the road construction in Shangqinglin.

The fact that Shangqinglin had no access to a highway was a regret Gao Zhiyuan could never forget. Hearing that a newly graduated college student actually wanted to build the Shangqinglin highway, he felt both admiration and a hint of skepticism. A month later, Gao Zhiyuan still remembered the matter. Today was the anniversary of his father’s death. He had arrived in Yiyang County a day early, visited his father’s grave, and then came to the road construction site.

Since this trip to Yiyang was for personal reasons, he hadn’t disturbed the local leaders. He only brought one office staff member and Liu Wei.

Gao Zhiyuan showed considerable interest in Hou Weidong and asked, “As a newly graduated college student, what position do you hold in the township?”

“Director Gao, I was assigned to Yiyang Township this year. I am currently a member of the Shangqinglin Working Group stationed by the Qinglin Government.”

Qin Dajiang, genuinely fond of Hou Weidong, enthusiastically recommended him to Gao Zhiyuan: “Hou Weidong is the Director of the Road Construction Leading Group Office. He personally borrowed money to obtain the highway construction drawings.”

Gao Zhiyuan turned to look at Liu Wei and said, “You’re the technical consultant for the road construction. Who designed these drawings? How much did they charge? Could it be less, as a support for my hometown?”

Although the highway drawings were designed by Liu Wei, they were issued under someone else’s name. Legally, Liu Wei had no connection to them. Therefore, Liu Wei remained calm and said, “These drawings were made by the Dingfeng Design Institute. According to industry standards, design fees should exceed 100,000 yuan. To support the road construction in Shangqinglin, including geological surveys and design drawings, we only charged 20,000 yuan in total.”

Gao Zhiyuan nodded and said, “20,000 yuan, that’s reasonable. Come, Hou Weidong, show me the newly built highway.” He was very interested in the road and walked along the laid-out highway line all the way to the Xiaqinglin highway, asking specific questions about the construction as he went.

Hou Weidong had spent every day on the construction site recently. He knew the entire highway construction situation and the terrain inside out. His answers to Gao Zhiyuan’s questions came naturally, earning frequent nods of approval from Gao Zhiyuan.

“You studied political science and law. How are you so familiar with the technical requirements of road construction?”

Hou Weidong replied modestly, “My professional knowledge was taught to me by Engineer Liu. Actually, I haven’t fully mastered it. I’m a typical half-bucket of water.”

Although the highway’s grade was low, it had basically taken shape, which made Gao Zhiyuan very happy. Full of enthusiasm, he wanted to go up the mountain. Xiao Zhou, from the Shazhou People’s Congress Office, advised, “Let me page Driver Xiao Ai to bring the car over. Walking up the mountain again might be too much for your body.”

Gao Zhiyuan waved his hand and said, “The air on Qinglin Mountain is fresh. Climbing is good for health. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Seeing Gao Zhiyuan’s high spirits, Xiao Zhou didn’t stop him anymore. Everyone happily continued climbing up the mountain.

Gao Zhiyuan was from Shangqinglin and had worked on the mountain for many years. Along the way, many road builders greeted him. Gao Zhiyuan treated the commune members very well, often stopping to chat with acquaintances.

Hou Weidong, having spent his days running back and forth on the highway and being willing to drink, had built good relationships with these villagers. They warmly greeted him too, some even loudly calling him by his nickname, “Hou the Madman,” and making some crude jokes.

At the mountain top, the autumn wind brought a chill, but everyone was sweating profusely. Gao Zhiyuan looked out into the distance, seeing a lush forest, and felt very refreshed. He said to the surrounding villagers and cadres, “After the highway is completed, I will definitely come back to see it. Hou Weidong, building roads is a great deed that benefits the present and future generations. The Qinglin Government has done a great thing. Are there any remaining difficulties?”

Hou Weidong felt slightly nervous and said, “The township’s finances are tight. The road construction mainly relies on villagers contributing labor and funds. There is still a funding gap, especially after the crushed stone is laid, we need a road roller for compaction. The cost of the road roller is high. Secretary Gao, I’m taking a bold step to request some financial support.”

Gao Zhiyuan thought for a moment and said, “I won’t use official jargon here. Qinglin Mountain is my hometown, and I should contribute to it. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll contact the Road Transport Bureau to provide road rollers for free or at a low cost. As for the money, I’ll check with the Shazhou Transportation Bureau to see if they have special funds to support township highway construction.”

Hearing Gao Zhiyuan’s commitment, Hou Weidong clapped his hands in joy. Inspired by him, the village cadres also started clapping.

Seeing that it was noon, Hou Weidong proactively said, “Secretary Gao, it’s lunchtime. May I invite you to lunch on behalf of the three villages in Shangqinglin to express our gratitude?”

“Good. After climbing the mountain, I’m really hungry. But let’s make it clear: I’ll only eat home-cooked meals, not go to restaurants in the town.”

Qin Dajiang said, “Secretary Gao, if you don’t mind, please come to my home for lunch. The food may not compare to big restaurants, but please don’t be picky.”

The group walked towards Qin Dajiang’s house. Chickens were slaughtered, fish were cleaned, and lunch began at half past one.

After the meal, the village cadres escorted Gao Zhiyuan to the downhill path. As they were about to descend, Gao Zhiyuan called Hou Weidong to his side and said, “Hou Weidong, rural work is very锻炼人 (tempering). Work hard at the grassroots, and you will surely achieve great things. ‘Hou the Madman’ is a good nickname. The people of Qinglin really accept you.”

Hou Weidong quickly expressed his determination: “I will work hard and not let down the organization’s and Secretary Gao’s expectations of me.”

Gao Zhiyuan added, “What are your plans for the next step?”

This question carried deep meaning. Hou Weidong’s heart raced, but he kept his composure and said, “I participated in the public recruitment for Yiyang Party and Government cadres this year and ranked second, so I was assigned to Qinglin Township. Currently, I am the Deputy Leader of the Shangqinglin Working Group stationed by the Qinglin Government.” He paused and continued, “My main idea right now is to first complete the highway, then work with the cadres of the three villages to revitalize the resources on Shangqinglin Mountain and lead the masses to prosperity.”

Hou Weidong’s answer satisfied Gao Zhiyuan. He didn’t say much more, just patted his shoulder and said, “Work hard. Lead the masses to prosperity.”

Life in Qinglin