Chapter 40 Report

  Xu Shaojie and Song Tao left Huaguan Village with a heavy heart. Xu Shaojie's chest still lingered with the woman's tears and breath. When Xu Shaojie held the woman's hand, she could no longer hold back her emotions and burst into tears in his arms. The woman was wearing thin undergarments without a bra, but Xu Shaojie didn't have any lustful thoughts; he just felt sorry for her. After crying for a while, the woman regained her composure, put on her clothes, and slowly told them about her situation at home, which was similar to what Xu Shaojie had thought. The woman was from another place and had met her husband while working away from home. After getting married, they had a daughter, but her in-laws were unhappy about it. Unexpectedly, her husband had an accident outside, and the woman was considered unlucky and abandoned by her in-laws. Her husband's land was also taken over by his family. As a widow, she faced many rumors and gossip. After her husband left, there were many people who wanted to take advantage of her. The woman was beautiful and had a strong personality; the village secretary had been eyeing her for two years but didn't dare make a move. However, her family's situation was getting more and more difficult. The woman felt that Xu Shaojie and Song Tao were good people and didn't know how to repay them, so she thought this might be the only way.

  "What's going on with Song Tao, Secretary Yu of Huaguan Village?"

  "Xu University student, I'm not very clear."

  Song Tao was obviously not used to lying, and his expression was somewhat unnatural. Xu Shaojie knew that Song Tao must have had some reservations, so he didn't ask any more questions. What could be done by asking anyway? He was a university student, powerless to solve the problem. It would be ridiculous to get Secretary Ding to deal with a village secretary. Besides, based on what the woman said and his own feelings, how could it be said that there was a problem with the village secretary?

  "I just know that many people call Yu Secretary 'Flower Secretary'."

  Song Tao finished speaking and didn't say another word, the two returned to the district office, remaining silent the whole time.

  Xu Shaojie decided to end the investigation, such an investigation is not even worth discussing on paper, it's useless. To solve the actual situation in rural areas, one must work and take action, any investigation that comes down is nonsense. Anyone can talk about it, but no one actually takes action to do it. The conclusion of the investigation is useless. Xu Shaojie doesn't believe that no one knows about these situations, but the problem exists and hasn't been solved for a long time. It seems that there are still defects in the implementation. There may be many difficulties in between, but as long as the Communist Party does things seriously, problems can always be slowly solved.

  Xu Shaojie ended the investigation ahead of schedule, which was somewhat unexpected by Song Tao. Over the past few days, Song Tao found it quite enjoyable to be with Xu Shaojie and felt more lively. With Xu Shaojie's departure, he would have to return to that small office, but for the next few days, Song Tao didn't feel bored. Xu Shaojie made a special trip to bid farewell to Song Tao and also informed the director of the office. When Xu Shaojie went to say goodbye, the director was busy arranging work and there were many meetings during this period, so he didn't have time to pay attention to Xu Shaojie's departure.

  When Huang Guangming saw Xu Shaojie again, his attitude remained unchanged. He didn't specially inform the Yu Du District Committee and District Government about it. A college student going to do social practice is not worth making a fuss about. Huang Guangming was originally planning to accompany Xu Shaojie, but Xu Shaojie disagreed, so Huang Guangming didn't insist. When Xu Shaojie returned ahead of schedule, Huang Guangming felt it was within his expectations. What could an inexperienced college student investigate in the countryside? Moreover, this period is the busy farming season, who would take time off to accompany him for social practice? Xu Shaojie declined Huang Guangming's arrangement for dinner, took a two-hour car ride, and hadn't bathed in several days, feeling like his body had an odor. The accommodation conditions at the district government were poor, making it difficult to take a bath.

  Zhang Shaocai found that Xu Shaojie's emotions were not very good, and he was a bit worried. Xu Shaojie explained that in the past few days, he had been too tired from walking tens of miles every day in the village, and after coming back, he just wanted to rest well, thinking that as long as he rested well, there would be nothing wrong.

  Xu Shaojie still had one last thing to do, which was to report back to Secretary Ding Yuan. Xu Shaojie thought that no matter what, after the social practice ended, he would have to report back to Secretary Ding Yuan. He had many feelings about it, but when summarizing them, they could be condensed into just a few words. Before reporting back, he still needed to go to the municipal party committee office once, regardless of what kind of thoughts Qian Dazhi had, he still needed to go say goodbye and also get a certificate from Qian Dazhi so that he could return to school with a clear conscience.

  As he re-entered the municipal party committee compound, Xu Shaojie felt that there seemed to be quite a few people with hearts of iron in here. The peasants below were still suffering, but it seemed like the people inside couldn't feel it. Xu Shaojie sighed and walked into the office with his head hung low.

  "Xiao Xu, you're back! How was your social practice down there?"

  "Alright, Director Qian, thank you. I've come to get a certificate to prove that I participated in social practice. I'm preparing to head back to the provincial city now. Sorry to trouble you, Director Qian."

  "Hey, what's going on? You should wait a minute, I'll get the proof right away. By the way, it's the weekend today, let's go out for dinner and have some drinks later."

  "No, thank you, Director Qian, my brother is still waiting for us, we'll head back to the provincial city directly."

  "Oh, I see, well, it's been over 10 days since I left home, guess I should head back earlier."

  Qian Dazhi spoke as he wrote the certificate, still going to stamp it on the side. This time, he put the certificate in an envelope and handed it to Xu Shaojie. Xu Shaojie took the certificate and thanked him repeatedly before leaving the office. After returning to the provincial city, Xu Shaojie planned to go to Secretary Ding Yuan's home to report back. Here, the possibility of reporting to Secretary Ding Yuan is not great.

  Just as he walked into the hall, Xu Shaojie met Ding Yuanshuai again. The eyes of Qian Dazhi behind Xu Shaojie almost popped out. How did Xu Shaojie meet Ding Yuanshuai twice when he came to the municipal party committee?

  "Little Xu, what brings you to the Municipal Committee?"

  "Secretary Ding, I've finished my social practice. Just now, I found Director Qian and got a certificate. I'm preparing to head back to the provincial city this afternoon."

  "Oh, it's over so soon?"

  "Secretary Ding, I've learned some things about the situation below. Also, it's a busy time in the village now, it's the farming season, and I'm doing social practice down there, the timing isn't suitable."

  "Haha, this is the truth. It just so happens that you're preparing to head back to the provincial city, and I'm also about to leave soon. How about this: you follow me back to the provincial city and wait at Xiao Qian's place for a bit? I'll have the driver notify you later."

  Qian Dazhi was so angry that he wanted to offer Xu Shaojie up at this moment. It seems that the relationship between Xu Shaojie and Secretary Ding Yuan is not as simple as he thought, there must be a very deep source. Secretary Ding Yuan's tone when speaking to Xu Shaojie was completely different from his usual leadership style.

  The tone of speech is that of an elder to a younger person. In today's official circles, this kind of tone is the most reassuring. The younger generation is young and inexperienced, and it's inevitable to make mistakes at work. The elders have seen and experienced more, so they naturally need to be concerned. Therefore, even if the younger generation makes some mistakes, it's not a big deal.

  Xu Shaojie sat in his office again, and Qian Dazhi gritted his teeth and took out a whole pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, forcing them on Xu Shaojie. This was a pack of cigarettes that he had received from the county when he accompanied Secretary Liao on a trip last time, which he had been reluctant to smoke until now.

  Xu Shaojie's performance below, Ding Yuan roughly knew that Xu Shaojie rested for two days and learned some things. During Xu Shaojie's social practice, he walked tens of miles every day without any complaints. It seems that Xu Shaojie's nature is not bad, with a calm attitude that ordinary college students do not have. He also wanted to know Xu Shaojie's feelings after the investigation, so he specially arranged to return to the provincial city with Xu Shaojie. The several hours on the road were enough to talk about.

  When getting on the car, Xu Shaojie took the initiative to open the rear door for Ding Yuan. Ding Yuan didn't say a word and got into the sedan. Xu Shaojie gently closed the door and then opened the front passenger door, getting into the car. Even Ding Yuan's driver nodded in approval, it seemed that Xu Shaojie was very careful with the vehicle.

  Ding Yuan returned to the provincial city alone.

  "Xiao Xu, this time's social practice, how did it end so quickly?"

  "Secretary Ding, I feel that the investigation is not very effective. It's still necessary to take action and have practical experience. I don't have any experience with social practice, and the leaders below are all familiar with the situation. I couldn't think of a good solution or make any suggestions. Doing social practice at the bottom would just add trouble, so it's better to end it early."

  "Hehe, in just a few days you've had such feelings, then tell me your insights. There must be problems in the countryside, talk about solutions, what solutions have you thought of."

  "Secretary Ding, I haven't thought of a good way either. Many ideas come to mind, but when spoken out loud, they boil down to just a few words: work must be implemented, and cadres must genuinely serve the peasants."

  Xu Shaojie found that Ding Yuan didn't say a word, he turned his body, looking at Secretary Ding Yuan, but found that Secretary Ding Yuan was staring at him, with a very profound gaze.

  "Xiao Xu, is this your true feeling?"

  "Yes, the days of farmers are still somewhat bitter, and there is a big difference with those in the city, including many bad habits. What I feel most deeply is the recognition of ideology. Many farmers are satisfied with just having enough to eat and think that the way to get rich is to go out and work as laborers. Almost no one thinks about making a living locally. The fruits grown in front of their houses are all for their own consumption, without thinking about exchanging them for money. They think that farming is just planting grain and vegetables, just enough to eat. I haven't met any farmers who think they can make money from the land. This kind of recognition has deep roots. If this way of thinking doesn't change, it's hard to achieve the goal of farmers living a good life. I think cadres can't just talk about it, but need to go deep into reality and set an example for farmers to see. If one family of farmers is able to make money from their land and become rich, I believe other farmers will definitely follow suit."

  "Little Xu, if you come to our district in the future, what will you do?"

  "I haven't thought it through yet, but if I were to go down there, the most important thing would be to do things, to work diligently for the farmers and do a few things for them. As for what specific things to do, that needs to be determined based on the actual situation. This time is too short, I don't know what's suitable."

  "Xiao Xu, I believe this is your true intention."

  Ding Yuan paused for a moment before suddenly bringing up the thing Xu Shaojie was most concerned about.

  "Xiao Xu, graduation is just around the corner, have you thought about what you'll do after graduating?"

  "Director Ding, after graduation, I was thinking of working with you."

  "Hehe, you're a graduate of Xiling University. If you make a bit of an effort, the possibility of staying in the provincial capital is quite high. If you go work down there, wouldn't that be a waste?"

  "Secretary Ding, I don't think so. My father told me to take it one step at a time, and that's what I think too. If you want to achieve something, you can only start from the bottom up, from small things."

  "Hehe, Little Xu, your idea has some reason, but it's not comprehensive. The starting point is very important, each has its own advantages. Young people working in the central and provincial committees lack some practical experience, but they have a broad vision, a global perspective, and can see far because they stand high. Young people working at the grassroots level can understand the actual situation at the bottom, can do some real things for the ordinary people, but there are some inadequacies in terms of overall grasp and feeling of the situation. Comparing the two, young people with a higher starting point still have some advantages."

  "Understood, Secretary Ding."

  "But this is not absolute, things are developing and changing. For example, you graduated from Xilin University, some special experiences have given you a unique understanding of life and society. These experiences can help you quickly integrate into society, be sensitive to grasp various situations, and with the exercise in actual work, you will not lose to those high-level young people."

  "Secretary Ding, I'm not as capable as you said."

  "Xiao Xu, you should be humble, but also confident. Sometimes, excessive humility is not a good thing. When dealing with elders and leaders, you need to be humble, but when doing practical things, you need confidence. Only then can you continue to grow and do things well."

  Xu Shaojie didn't say anything, he just nodded vigorously.

  "Xiao Xu, I said a lot today, take your time to think about it. Although you haven't really entered society yet, in fact, you already took the first step 4 years ago. As a college student, being able to go to a construction site to work as a laborer is not easy at all. This time, going to the village for social investigation and practice, you have gained a lot. Some of these understandings, even some officials who have worked for their whole lives may not be able to grasp them. I hope you can maintain this attitude in your future work and life."

  Ding Yuan stopped talking and closed his eyes, while Xu Shaojie sat up straight. The sedan sped down the highway, getting closer to the provincial city. Xu Shaojie thought about many things, including Ding Yuan's words today, which revealed a lot of truth. Among them, the most important was the starting point theory, which Xu Shaojie agreed with. Those young people with connections could easily achieve success, but their success couldn't be replicated. Some talented young people remained unknown for life due to lack of opportunities, proving that one's starting point determines their future.