Sun Zhiqing was startled. Since President Hu had come, this person must be the new top leader.

As Hu Shusong shook hands with Liu Donglai, he gestured for the militiamen to step back. "Zhiqing, come here quickly, this is Secretary Liu."

Sun Zhiqing quickly ran over, shook Liu Donglai's hand, and greeted him warmly, "Hello, Secretary Liu! I am Sun Zhiqing, the deputy head of Wudahe Commune!" Deputy Director Zhang went to the city and hasn't returned yet, so how come Liu Donglai has taken office ahead of schedule?

Lijiapo Brigade Headquarters.

Li Jin rushed over upon hearing the news. Hu Shusong, Sun Zhiqing, and an unfamiliar middle-aged man were already sitting inside, with his son Xiang Dong standing beside him.

"Dad, this is Secretary Liu Donglai! Uncle Liu, this is my dad!" Li Donglai introduced Liu Donglai to his father.

When he said it was alright, Sun Zhiqing felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing the words "Uncle Liu." Was Li Xiangdong really that close to the new secretary?

Li Jin quickly shook hands with Liu Donglai, and then greeted Hu Shusong and Sun Zhiqing.

"Captain Li, sit down. Just now, Director Sun said he was beaten up in your brigade. Tell me, what exactly happened?" Liu Donglai asked solemnly.

The doors and windows of the brigade headquarters were wide open, and outside was a sea of ​​heads.

“Secretary Liu, this matter is something we…” Li Jingang had only spoken half a sentence when Sun Zhiqing suddenly interrupted him, “Secretary Liu, this is something we were joking about!”

The moment those words were spoken, everyone outside, including Li Jin, was stunned.

The calmest people present were probably Liu Donglai and Li Xiangdong.

“That’s right, Secretary Liu, our commune sent a work group to Lijiapo Brigade to learn from their advanced wheat harvesting experience. We’ve been here for several days now, and we get along with the brigade members like brothers. We often joke around and tease each other, and today was no exception.” Sun Zhiqing explained with a smile, though his heart was breaking.

Liu Donglai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Just fooling around? Then why did you bring more than a dozen militiamen with you...?"

"Well, well, the reason I called the commune's militia over was to have a friendly spar with the militia of Lijiapo Brigade, yes, a friendly spar," Sun Zhiqing said, racking his brains.

“Yes, Secretary, this time, with the whole county experiencing a poor harvest, Lijiapo stood out. Our commune specially sent people to learn from their experience so that we can guide other brigades in scientific wheat harvesting in the future,” Hu Shusong chimed in from the side.

"Oh, I see. I misunderstood!" Liu Donglai said, as if suddenly realizing something. He then scolded Li Xiangdong, "Xiangdong, next time don't believe everything you hear. Be more careful."

Although this statement is a criticism, the tone is friendly.

Sun Zhiqing and Hu Shusong exchanged a glance. They had made the right bet. If they had told the truth, Li Jiapo might not have been in trouble, but they would very likely have become one of Liu Donglai's three major initiatives upon taking office.

“Even so, the villagers of Lijiapo went too far with their jokes, and they even hurt Chairman Sun’s face,” Liu Donglai said to Li Jin, summarizing the matter in one sentence.

Li Jin, understanding the implied meaning, said, "We farmers don't know how to handle things properly. What do you think? Our brigade is willing to compensate Director Sun and the other members of the work team with ten yuan each for nutrition expenses."

"What does President Sun think?" Liu Donglai was very satisfied with Li Jin's reaction.

"No problem, no problem." Sun Zhiqing could only swallow his anger for the time being.

The incident was thus resolved, and the investigation team stationed in Lijiapo officially left. Liu Donglai took Hu Shusong and Sun Zhiqing back to the county, while Li Xiangdong and Li Jin also returned home.

The news of the reconciliation between the two sides had already spread throughout the brigade headquarters. Zhao Sufang put Li Jin's packed luggage back in its place, and Li Weijun was also busy at home. The redness and swelling on his face had improved a lot after applying cold water, and it was not noticeable unless you looked closely.

Before Li Jin and Li Xiangdong had even stepped inside, Li Weijun cheerfully opened the door to greet them, calling out affectionately, "Dad!"

He reached out and took Li Xiangdong's hand, "Xiangdong, you've grown so tall! We brothers haven't seen each other for so many years, have you missed your big brother?"

Li Xiangdong got goosebumps from his older brother's overly sentimental words, "Big brother, you're back! Didn't Dad say you should stay by Grandpa and Grandma's bedside to fulfill your filial duties?" It seemed he knew everything was alright and had come home.

"Yes, it's been so many years. I miss my grandparents, but I also miss my parents and you!"

"Alright, let's go inside! We can talk inside." Li Jin said, and then walked into the house first.

After everyone was seated, Li Weijun couldn't help but ask, "Second Brother, how did you get to know Secretary Liu?"

He was staying at his grandparents' house when he overheard his grandmother, who had gone out to gather information, saying that Xiang Dong had returned in the new Party Secretary's jeep and even called him Uncle Liu. Li Weijun felt a mix of envy and jealousy.

"I've met him before, but I didn't know he could become the top official in Huichuan County," Li Xiangdong said dismissively, his older brother's calculating eyes gleaming, making no attempt to hide it.

Li Jin gets angry whenever he sees his eldest son. He hides like a turtle when there's trouble, but sticks his head out when there's nothing wrong. "Xiang Dong, why did Sun Zhiqing suddenly change his tune?"

He had already thought it through; the worst that could happen was that he would have to go to jail for a while. Who would have thought that Sun Zhiqing would go back on his word and downplay the matter?

“Sun Zhiqing didn’t even dare to tell the commune members what he told you. Do you think he would dare to tell the new leader? A new broom sweeps clean. They don’t know Uncle Liu’s temperament. How could they rashly hand over their dirt? After a while, if they find out that Uncle Liu is just like them, they’ll come after you for what’s to come.”

Zhao Sufang's heart tightened. "Is this not over yet? What if they arrest my husband again in a couple of days?"

"No, today Secretary Liu instructed us to pay compensation, which is to treat this as an accidental joke and let it go. Even if they want to cause trouble again in the future, they will have to find another excuse," Li Jin explained.

"That's good." Zhao Sufang breathed a sigh of relief.

"By the way, Xiangdong, has the cannery's business license been issued yet?" Li Jin remembered something important.

"Just a few more chapters to go, it should be done in another two or three days."

"That's good. It's hot now, and I'm worried that the canned food will spoil if it's left out for too long."

"Okay, I'll urge them again tomorrow and then head to Dongfang City as soon as possible."

Li Weijun couldn't get a word in edgewise as he listened to Li Jin and Li Xiangdong's conversation. Frustrated, he scratched his head and cheeks. Finally, while Li Jin was drinking water, he quickly asked Li Xiangdong, "Are you going to see Uncle Liu tomorrow? I'll go with you!"

"Hey, Uncle Liu calls me even more affectionately than I do!" Li Xiangdong smiled and said, "Sure, big brother, come with me tomorrow!"

"Okay, sure!" Li Weijun happily agreed.