Volume 1: Rebirth Chapter 40: Surprise

  A week later, Lizhou Primary School's Winter Sports Meeting began in a lively atmosphere with colorful flags and loud drums.

  Standing on the podium, looking at the neat teams on the playground, Principal Xie Changqing was overjoyed. He did not expect that his school's winter sports meeting would be attended by the director of the Municipal Education Bureau in person, which is something that even Xi Chang Primary School has never had before.

  What a big face, Xie Changqing was delighted with red light all over his face, and even the wrinkles on his forehead seemed to be much less. He stood on the podium, although the position was not very good, but at this time it did not hinder him from stretching out his heart.

  With an air of satisfaction and confidence, he suddenly remembered the big thing from a few days ago -

  At that time, Leng Bing Han said to Xie Changqing who was in a bad mood after finishing the phone call in his office: "Uncle Xie, our school's winter sports meeting is so good, I think we can invite the city leaders to take a look."

  At that time, Xie Changqing's eyes lit up, but he immediately sighed and said: "That would be great, of course, but how easy is it to talk about? The city leaders are so busy, how can they possibly come to our rural central school?"

  "It's not necessarily so, anything is possible!" A cold and cunning smile, and he shamelessly stole a slogan from a certain brand in the future, walking away with great ease.

  Leng Bing Han has left, but his words made Xie Chang Qing's heart itch: What does Leng Bing Han mean by this? Could he have some trick up his sleeve? After all, he is the mayor's godson, and his status is not ordinary. If the city leaders really come to attend the school sports meeting, that would be something. Not only would it be a great honor for oneself, but also for Lizi Primary School, which would gain immense prestige. Such an achievement would definitely add a brilliant stroke to one's resume. Having worked hard all one's life, being able to make such a splash just before retirement would not be a bad way to go out.

  But is this really possible? That's the municipal leader, let alone Lizi Primary School in a small town like Ruzhou, even Xichang No. 1 Primary School can't enjoy such an honor.

  For a moment, all sorts of thoughts were swirling in his mind, making him restless. People are often like this, it's fine without expectations, but once they have some hopes or even desires, they easily become dissatisfied with the status quo and start to worry about gains and losses.

  This made Xie Changqing restless for several days, and every time the phone rang, he always hoped it was a notification from his superiors to come and inspect and attend the sports meeting, but he was disappointed again and again. As the school sports meeting approached, he became more and more desperate, even starting to mock himself for taking a child's words to heart. Even if this child was extraordinary in identity and performance, after all, it was just a child, could a child's words be true?

  The day before the school's winter sports meeting, Xie Changqing had almost forgotten about it when his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up with some reluctance, and on the other end was Wang Dinghua, deputy director of the district education committee, speaking in a very cheerful tone: "Old Xie, now you're going to have to treat us to dinner, haha!"

  Wang Dinghua is a few years younger than Xie Changqing, but his official career has been much smoother. For decades, Xie Changqing has only managed to become the principal of a central primary school in a rural town, without even a department-level position, while Wang Dinghua abandoned his teaching career and entered politics over ten years ago. After many years of hard work, he is now a deputy director of the district education committee, although it's still a relatively minor role compared to those with real power. Nevertheless, he holds a mid-level administrative position. The two men have always had a good relationship, with some familial connections, and often socialize together, speaking freely to each other.

  As soon as he heard it was Wang Dinghua, Xie Changqing felt a little pleased and a little disappointed. He leaned back in his chair, looking very relaxed, and said: "What's the point? You're always thinking about that bottle of five-year-old Qingliu Yuye (local famous wine) in my house. I'm still thinking about the sauce donkey meat on your roof!"

  "Haha!" Wang Dinghua laughed loudly on the phone: "I said you're stingy, and you really are! You even ate all the donkey meat last time, and now you're still thinking about it? Let me tell you, I have some good news here, but if you don't bring that bottle of Qingluo Yuye liquor to treat me, I won't tell you."

  "What good news do you have? Has the funding we applied for come through or has our salary been raised again? But it seems like these things are not within your control, right? Let me tell you, don't try to deceive me with this cheap wine, this is a premium liquor that my son gave me as a gift, and I'm even reluctant to drink it myself!" Zhe Changqing was somewhat dismissive.

  Wang Dinghua sighed and said, "You're always talking about allocating funds and adjusting salaries. You're so obsessed with money, I think you're not only stingy but also greedy."

  "What else could be good news besides money?" Xie Changqing muttered in frustration, suddenly having an epiphany, getting somewhat excited, his voice also rising, saying: "Could it be that a leader is really coming..."

  "Huh?" Wang Dinghua said with some surprise: "Old Xie, you already know? I didn't expect your information to be so accurate. However, according to the rules, I still need to notify you again: Just received a notice, tomorrow the Municipal Education Bureau Director Sun will attend the opening ceremony of your school's sports meeting, at that time, District Committee Secretary Leng, Mayor Xiang Tao, and other leaders including the Town Party Committee Secretary, Town Mayor, and Education Commission personnel will also attend. This is a great event for our city, no, it should be said that it is a rare good thing for the entire Xichang. Director Yu asked me to hurry up and inform you to make preparations for the reception work, which must be done meticulously and with high standards, can't afford to make any mistakes."

  "I originally wanted to take this opportunity to scold you, but it seems your news is more timely. Looks like I've been left behind again. Hey, hey, Old Xie, can you hear me? Hey..."

  Xie Changqing on the other end of the phone was stunned, his face flushed, his whole body trembling, almost unable to believe his ears. The kind of joy that exceeded expectations, the surprise that burst out from the bottom of his heart, had already made his thoughts completely stop. At that moment, except for Leng Bingxue's triumphant and cunning smile, he only felt a blank in his mind, the noise of the world had already gone far away, and there was no consciousness left, let alone being able to hear what Wang Dinghua was saying behind him.

  It wasn't until after a good long while that he suddenly woke up with a start, unable to contain the joy in his heart, and burst out laughing as he said to Wang Dinghua: "Haha, Dinghua, thanks for the news! I'll definitely treat you to a drink, that bottle of Quanlu Yu Ye liquor, but it'll have to wait until I'm done with this matter."

  As soon as he finished speaking, he hastily hung up the phone and rushed out. He knew that Leng Bing Han had succeeded, and with a wave of his hand, he had brought about the most brilliant moment in his life. This was just a return for his care for him. What other unknown things did this Leng Bing Han have, and what other miracles could he create?

  His heart was surging with excitement, but he couldn't afford to savor it for the moment. So many leaders had come, this was the first time in school history, and it was an honor for the whole school. He wanted to share this joy with all teachers and students immediately, and also notify and arrange everything, making all necessary preparations. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity couldn't be messed up even a little bit.

  "Ah, this old Xie!" Upon hearing the murmurs on the phone, Wang Dinghua looked at the phone in his hand with a helpless expression and shook his head. He then got up to make arrangements. The superior is coming, although the main body is Lizhou Primary School, most of the work will be done by them, but as the competent authority, they also have many things to prepare for, and they need to go check on the school's preparation work. If there are problems with the school, it's not a big deal, they just won't get attention in the future. But if there are problems here, then their official career will be ended prematurely.

  As Xie Changqing's urgent figure, the entire campus began to boil up, the big cleaning of the big cleaning, the arrangement of the arrangement, the procurement of the procurement, all busy, making people turn over. However, everyone was very excited, after all, such a big scene, may be difficult to encounter once in a lifetime, let alone, this is the honor of the whole school, everyone has face, so, all people are full of energy.

  The next morning, Lixiang Primary School was spotless and had a brand new look. Throughout the campus, colorful flags were flying high, and banners were hung everywhere, with messages welcoming leaders to inspect, wishing the sports meet a complete success, and promoting the style of competition. The students wore their new uniforms, neat and tidy in sky blue, with two white stripes on their arms and legs, lined up in formation according to their classes, standing neatly on the playground. At the school gate, hundreds of students were waiting on both sides, holding bouquets of flowers, ready to welcome the leaders' arrival.

  Students are a group often used by governments at all levels in China for welcoming ceremonies, let alone the privileged schools.

  China's national conditions are like this, and the reception must be lively and grand. Perhaps the leader can't see it, doesn't care about it, or perhaps the leader emphasizes simplicity, but as the saying goes, "more courtesy is not a fault", the people below would rather do more, let the leader criticize them in person, than lose their manners and incur the leader's hidden resentment.

  After a long wait, at around 9:30, the leader's motorcade finally entered the campus amidst the children's neat and tidy welcome cheers.

  The car had not yet come to a complete stop when Xie Changqing, accompanied by the school's vice president and directors, rushed forward to respectfully greet Leng Yunfei and Sun Zhengping as they got out of the car. This wasn't because Xie Changqing was particularly sycophantic, but rather that under the official ranking system, subordinates would always feel a bit apprehensive when meeting their superiors, instinctively feeling inferior to them.

  Leng Yun and Sun Zhengping seemed to have made an appointment, getting off the bus almost at the same time with great tacit understanding. At that moment, all the students in the school shouted out the slogan "Welcome" under the guidance of their teachers, and the thousands of tender voices merged together, echoing in the campus, still with some momentum.

  Although these forms are not very presentable, they still have some meaning. Leng Yun and Sun Zhengping seem to be quite satisfied, with a smile of satisfaction on their faces.

  Leng Yunying and Sun Zhengping got off the bus, at this time other leaders also got off one after another, following their respective affiliations, they surrounded the two leaders.

  Xie Changqing and the school staff greeted them one by one, then led the leaders to take their seats on the rostrum. At this time, Sun Zhengping stopped for a moment, waiting for Leng Yunying to come up, and then they went together shoulder to shoulder towards the front of the rostrum. The other leaders followed in their own order, not daring to take half a step out of line.

  Don't underestimate these small details, in the officialdom they are a big deal. If you do something wrong, you may have committed a taboo, broken the rules, and will inevitably trigger dissatisfaction among other officials. Wanting to continue developing in one's career can be said to be even more difficult.

  In terms of rank, Sun Zhengping and Leng Yunying are on an equal footing. However, the district party secretary who holds a significant amount of power is not comparable to a municipal bureau chief. Generally, the head of a municipal bureau with real power tends to look down on the head of a local bureau, after all, they are from the municipal bureau and based in the city, while the head of a local bureau is based locally. Moreover, some matters still require local bureaus to be subject to the control of the municipal bureau, such as the allocation of funds and inspections of various work. Without a strong backing, the municipal bureau can bring great trouble to the work of local bureaus.

  However, the Education Bureau is only considered ordinary among all municipal bureaus and cannot compare to core departments such as the Public Security Bureau, Procuratorate, and Finance Bureau. Moreover, Li Zhou District Secretary Leng Yunyi has a particularly special relationship with Mayor Wang Peiyuan that is different from other local leaders. Therefore, Sun Zhengping can put on airs in front of others, but she still doesn't dare show any disrespect in front of Leng Yunyi.

  With the leaders taking their seats, the opening ceremony of Lizhou Primary School's 1985 Winter Sports Meet officially kicked off.

  First, the leaders at all levels delivered passionate speeches. The order of these speeches was a difficult task for the organizers at that time. Sun Zhengping and Leng Yunfei attended at the same time, so who should speak first and who second? The seating arrangement could be arranged in parallel in the middle, but it is not possible to let two people speak at the same time. But what if it wasn't arranged well, and the person scheduled to speak second was dissatisfied, that would be a big mistake.

  Fortunately, Leng Yun had made a prior announcement and did not speak at the meeting, which allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

  The leader's speech was generally empty and long-winded. Although the temperature in Xichang in winter is not too low, it's still unbearable to stay outside for a long time, especially for kids wearing sportswear who were already shivering with cold.

  Finally, the leaders' speeches have all ended, now it's time for the student athletes' representatives to speak.

  Student athlete representative is naturally cold Bing Han, such an opportunity, although cold Bing Han is not rare, but Principal Xie Changqing still specified him without hesitation.

  Originally helpless and cold, I finally felt the benefits of being a representative, that is, speaking for myself, without having to listen to others' nonsense.

  He didn't take the manuscript that his teacher had prepared for him, but instead strode forward, first gazing quietly at the sea of students below, before speaking loudly into the microphone:

  Ladies and gentlemen, teachers and students: At this moment filled with unity, progress, and friendship, we have jointly welcomed the 1985 Winter Sports Meeting of Lizhou Primary School in Xichang City. On behalf of all athletes, I would like to extend warm congratulations on the successful holding of this sports meeting! To the leaders, teachers, and students who have come to participate in the conference, I would like to express our warm welcome and heartfelt thanks!

  Promoting sports spirit and carrying forward team spirit has important significance for cultivating qualified talents in the new century. Here, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all leaders and teachers who care about and support school physical education and have made diligent contributions to it on behalf of the whole school athletic team!

  This Winter Games is a grand gathering to enhance mutual understanding, friendship and unity. Hereby, I declare on behalf of all athletes: We will obey the commands, respect the referees, unite as one in the competition, strive for excellence, demonstrate our skills, and achieve outstanding results.

  Finally, I wish the first Gymnastics Competition of our city a complete success!

  The entire speech lasted less than three minutes, concise and shocking. After finishing, the whole school erupted in thunderous applause, even more enthusiastic than all the leaders' speeches earlier.

  Compared to those leaders' empty, formal and time-wasting speeches, the principal's speech was magnificent, leaving everyone surprised and delighted. Plus his prestige in school, people's enthusiasm for welcoming him is unparalleled, even among leaders. For kids, they don't have such strong fear towards high-ranking officials, nor do they understand what "official rank" means.

  "Teacher Li, the draft you wrote for Leng Binghan is great! Very good, very good!" Xie Changqing clapped his hands while grinning at Leng Binghan, praising Li ZhiXiong beside him.

  "This——" Li Zhi Xiong's face turned red and white, very embarrassed, but didn't know how to tell the enthusiastic principal that what Cold Ice Han said earlier was not actually written by himself. However, how could Cold Ice Han say it so well? Even if he had rewritten his own draft several times, struggling until midnight, they were still just empty words and clichés, no match for what Cold Ice Han had just said.

  Looking at the cold and icy figure walking down from the podium, Sun Zhengping leaned over and said to Leng Yunying with a hint of envy: "Secretary Yunying, your son is really something, if I had a daughter, I would definitely marry her off to him, hehe."

  In this way, Leng Yun had heard it countless times, but still happily said: "You all praise him too much, a child, can't be praised, the more you praise, the more arrogant." The words were spoken like that, but the pride and arrogance in the tone, no matter what, couldn't be hidden.

  "My son is always getting into trouble, day and night. He doesn't even study properly. If he could be half as good as Xiao Han, I would be completely satisfied."

  ……

  At this time, they are no longer high-ranking officials, but just two ordinary parents, worrying, anxious, happy and joyful for their children, a lifetime of endless concern.

  The parents' hearts are all alike.