Chapter 233 Desire to Win
Zhou Houfang also smiled and said to Pang Xiaohua, "Come to think of it, I was the third to last one to come in. No matter how we got in, even if we were the last one to come in, as long as we're here and do our job well for the City Lord, who cares what your rank is?"
Qian Zhenniang smiled and said, "Secretary Zhou is right. We don't look at test scores here, we only look at your performance after taking office. Song Luo, where are you going to get a good job?"
Song Luo said with a grin, "My grades are in the middle to lower levels, so I can only go to Xiaoshui Village to be the first village chief."
Qian Zhenniang raised her eyebrows. "The job of the first village chief is not easy. Besides, you are just a little girl. Can you control the people in the village?"
Song Luo patted his chest and said, "Secretary Qian, please don't look down on me. The city lord didn't say that relatives are not allowed to take office, right? I plan to bring my grandmother with me. Anyway, I have to fulfill my filial duty to her, so I just happened to take her with me. When my grandmother was young, she was the most famous brat in our village. If there are those who disobey the rules, let my grandmother deal with them. I will play the good cop and my grandmother will play the bad cop. I guarantee that the villagers will behave themselves and listen to me."
Everyone at the table was shocked.
What? It's still possible?
Even Qian Zhenniang was speechless at this moment.
If you say Song Luo did something wrong, it seems that he is not wrong. There is no rule that prohibits bringing relatives to take up a post. Besides, if he brings his grandmother with him, he can register her as a local villager. The local villagers help the first village chief maintain law and order. There is nothing wrong with that.
If you say she is not wrong, then to put it more seriously it seems like she is abusing her power for personal gain.
What private gain can be made?
Isn't it still for the public good?
This went around and around, and made everyone dizzy.
Qian Zhenniang thought about it over and over again, but couldn't find any fault with Song Luo. She could only laugh and say, "You're quite good at taking advantage of loopholes. If it were anyone else, they would definitely be reprimanded. But considering your young age, I'm afraid you won't be able to control yourself, so I won't criticize you. Just don't make a sound!"
"Hey!" Song Luo responded happily.
Zhou Houfang was very curious about Pang Xiaohua. She had met Pang Xiaohua's father-in-law and husband, so she knew how difficult it was for Pang Xiaohua to come from the countryside and become an official. Therefore, she always felt a little more pity for her.
"Sister Pang, what about you?"
Qian Zhenniang immediately called her out, "Secretary Zhou, you have to get used to addressing people by their titles when you're working, otherwise others will think we're being close."
Zhou Houfang immediately learned his lesson and changed his words, saying, "Propaganda Officer Pang."
Pang Xiaohua said shyly, "We were selected based on our scores. When it was my turn, there was only one Chaoyun Village propagandist left."
Zhou Houfang said he had never heard of this place. "Chaoyun Village? Where is it?"
Song Luo had the same expression.
Qian Zhenniang said slowly, "It's on the border of Ye County, near Xingyuan Prefecture. They just have to cross a mountain to reach Xingyuan Prefecture. It's considered a wealthy village, and the disaster last year wasn't very severe. But the location is quite sensitive, as it's close to the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If the Great Zhou Dynasty sends troops, they will inevitably pass through Chaoyun Village. Propaganda Officer Pang, you have a heavy responsibility on your shoulders."
Zhou Houfang was a little surprised. It seemed that Qian Zhenniang knew the terrain of Jinzhou Prefecture very well.
Not only did he know the location of Chaoyun Village clearly, but he also knew its internal situation very well.
It seems that Jinzhou Prefecture's government work is very solid.
In this aspect alone, the Zhou Dynasty was far inferior.
Zhou Houfang added another task to herself in her mind. She had to familiarize herself with the situation in Jinzhou Prefecture as soon as possible, at least to be like Qian Zhenniang, who could talk about every corner of Jinzhou Prefecture in detail.
Pang Xiaohua obviously didn't expect this and became a little nervous.
Qian Zhenniang asked again, "Is Chaoyun Village two days' journey from your Fanjia Village? Will your husband support you?"
Pang Xiaohua's face flushed. "My father-in-law asked him to accompany me to take up my new post. He'll accompany me to report today, and then we'll go together."
Song Luo said, "Publicant Pang, your husband is so good to you!"
Pang Xiaohua blushed and said nothing.
Zhou Houfang, on the other hand, looked thoughtful.
Qian Zhenniang was thinking that Pang Xiaohua looked too quiet and reserved, and wondered if she could hold on to such an important position.
Song Luo was carefully checking Qian Zhenniang's expression, and her little thoughts were clearly visible. Qian Zhenniang actually liked this bold girl, so she said, "If you have anything to say, just say it. Don't look at me like that. I can hardly eat."
Song Luo scratched his head and laughed, "Hehe." "Well, Secretary Qian, can I ask you what we do when we go down to the village? I see that the first village chief is doing the work of a village chief."
Qian Zhenniang slowly took two mouthfuls of rice.
Zhou Houfang instantly felt that their half of the place seemed to have become completely quiet all of a sudden. Everyone was listening with their ears perked up, their faces full of anxiety.
This is key information.
Qian Zhenniang cleared her throat and said word by word, "There are many things we can do. Soon, we will develop the corresponding assessment standards and issue them to you for implementation. But I can give you a hint first."
Zhou Houfang now felt that everyone on the second floor of the cafeteria was quiet.
"We currently have several key assessment indicators. The first is per capita tax revenue. As you're probably familiar with per capita tax revenue, it's the total tax revenue of a village divided by its population. It's used to measure a village's prosperity. You can think of this as an economic indicator, used to assess whether you've increased villagers' income. I don't care what method you use, whether it's negotiating partnerships with livestock farms, negotiating sales with cement manufacturers, or even cultivating crops. The most important assessment indicator is whether the villagers have money in their pockets."
"Secondly, we need to promote universal education. The literacy rate and the pass rate of literacy classes are the second important indicators."
"The third is planting. You have to manage all the production in the fields. What the fields produce, what they produce, how to increase production, and how to ensure that the villagers have enough to eat is the third important indicator. As for the fourth and fifth, we are still studying them. The complete assessment details will be sent to you soon, so remember to study them carefully."
"Also, we will have an annual performance ranking. If you and your village can rank among the top, you can expect a promotion and a raise." Qian Zhenniang smiled and patted Song Luo, who looked petrified. "Young man, work hard."
After Qian Zhenniang finished speaking, she calmly began to eat.
Zhou Houfang could clearly feel the crackling sound of heartbreak from the people around him.
Even Zhou Houfang himself swallowed hard and shed tears of sympathy for the county magistrates, village heads, and propagandists who were about to take office.
We are all wanderers in this world.
Song Luo felt that the meal in front of him suddenly became tasteless.
But soon, she suddenly began to eat rice rapidly with big mouthfuls, as if she was ready to fight. Facing the curious eyes of others, Song Luo gritted his teeth and said, "Time is running out. I'm going to find Director Ming now and ask him about standardized breeding. I must grab the first pig farm quota for our village!"
As soon as Song Luo finished speaking, Lu Shiwen, who had spoken for Zhou Houfang earlier, put down his plate and walked out quickly.
The person next to him asked him, "Brother Lu, why don't you eat?"
Lu Shiwen, however, rushed out faster and faster as if he was fleeing.
"Not good!" Song Luo yelled, quickly dropping his plate. "County Magistrate Lu, you are despicable. You actually got ahead of me—"
After saying that, both of them ran out.
This was a big deal. The others came to their senses after seeing this, looked at each other, and then all lowered their heads and ate frantically, as if they were in a hurry. Then they heard the sound of plates being placed on the table one by one, and then more than ten or twenty young people rushed out one after another.
Zhou Houfang heard the woman guarding the cafeteria door yelling, "Why did you run away without collecting the plates again—"
Zhou Houfang felt his scalp tingle, and then he looked at Qian Zhenniang blankly, "These people...did they all go to find the person in charge of the breeding farm?"
Qian Zhenniang gloated a little, "It's over. Director Ming can't go anywhere today."
Pang Xiaohua looked a little lost, as if she didn't know what to do. Qian Zhenniang pointed her out, "Don't be afraid. When you get there, the propagandists will cooperate with the village chief. If you really don't know what to do for a while, you can visit the villagers' homes and get to know their situation. Find out what each villager's family situation is like, how many children they have, how many chickens and pigs they have, and whether they meet the requirements for work. That way, you'll immediately know what policies Jinzhou Prefecture has and which people in the village are applicable to them."
Pang Xiaohua was immediately enlightened and found her way. The anxiety on her face eased a little, and she said with a touch of emotion, "Thank you, Secretary Qian."
Zhou Houfang felt very stressed during lunch.
Everyone below is working so hard, let alone her who ranks last in the overall score?
Sure enough, the people under Xu Zhenying are very different.
Although they are young and immature, they are ambitious, willing to learn and take risks, and are full of new energy!
This made Zhou Houfang feel his blood boiling and his scalp tingling.
She looked at Qian Zhenniang beside her, seeming a little lacking in confidence, "Secretary Qian, when will I be able to become as adept as you?"
Qian Zhenniang smiled. She looked at Zhou Houfang, who was a little at a loss, and seemed to remember her past self.
"I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but I'm the one with the worst qualifications among the old people brought up by the city lord."
Zhou Houfang was stunned. Seeing her disbelief, Qian Zhenniang continued, "Seriously? Back then, I was even softer than the Pang Xiaohua you just saw. I was just a pile of mud, and anyone could step on me. I had no ideas when encountering problems, and I only knew how to blame others."
Qian Zhenniang couldn't help but smile as she spoke of the past. "It was the City Lord. She didn't mind my vulgarity and never gave up on me. She spent several times more time than others teaching me to be independent and self-reliant. So I'm very grateful to her."
Zhou Houfang was speechless for a moment.
At the same time, she also discovered that Xu Zhenying's subordinates were completely loyal to her.
"Eat quickly, there's a big meeting the day after tomorrow, and we need to prepare the ingredients in advance."
Zhou Houfang's heart was pounding. "What do I need to prepare?"
"First, you need to get the attendee list and make sure everyone is notified. Secondly, you need to handle the conference affairs, arranging the seats and the venue, and posting the seating chart outside. Finally, you need to familiarize yourself with the topic of discussion. The city lord will soon be clarifying Jinzhou Prefecture's administrative system. Everyone will be expected to speak, and the discussion will be thorough, so you need to be familiar with the administrative structures of past dynasties, otherwise you won't be able to follow along."
Zhou Houfang nodded and made a note of this matter in his mind.
"Also, you need to quickly become familiar with pencil writing. You must also carry the notebook I just gave you with you and write down anything you need. The City Lord sometimes has a poor memory, and he needs you to remind him of many things. Also, during meetings, you need to take minutes, including the key points of everyone's remarks. These will be compiled into materials for later use. Only after the administrative system is straightened out can the people below begin to work. So, for the next ten days, you probably won't be able to rest."
Zhou Houfang broke out in a cold sweat when she heard this. She quickly took out a booklet and pencil from her bosom and wrote down everything Qian Zhenniang said.
Qian Zhenniang looked at her crooked and laborious handwriting and said, "There's nothing I can do. Just practice more. There's no special technique to pencil writing; practice makes perfect. You can even write with a brush, so pencil writing won't be a problem for you. Just practice for a few days and you'll get the hang of it."
Zhou Houfang struggled to write words like "meeting", "familiarize yourself with administrative systems", and "seating chart" on the booklet.
"Well, I didn't want to put pressure on you, but I don't think I can stay for many more days, so I have no choice but to teach you as quickly as possible. Oh, and there are also detailed regulations for the management of soldiers and the medical industry. Remember to urge the city lord. Doctor Qiu has sent me letters urging me several times."
Cold sweat broke out on Zhou Houfang's forehead.
She found it difficult to cope with the completely unfamiliar words that came out of Qian Zhenniang's mouth.
Qian Zhenniang patted her shoulder and said, "Don't be too anxious. Take it one step at a time. Don't worry, the city lord is a very easy person to get along with. You will know him after a while."
Zhou Houfang could only smile and nod.
But how can I not be anxious?
Although Zhou Houfang is a woman, she has always been ambitious, especially in terms of talent and learning, she believes that she is not inferior to men.
When she was in her boudoir, she often thought that women had no chance to stand out. If there was a chance, she would definitely be able to prove that women were no worse than any man.
The opportunity has come now, but on the first day in office she discovered how incapable she was of handling government affairs.
Late at night, Zhou Mansion.
Amber was holding the pinyin book bored and yawning constantly.
When she breathed out, the light flickered several times.
However, Zhou Houfang, who was sitting opposite, was in high spirits.
She took the pencil and wrote all over the book.
The desk was full of books. As soon as Zhou Houfang returned home, she ordered the maids and servants to turn out all the books in the house.
Amber watched Zhou Houfang write with great difficulty at the beginning, but her writing became smoother and smoother. Finally, she discovered with heartache that her young lady's fingers were red and swollen!
Amber was extremely distressed. "Miss, I have never seen you work so hard. This month's salary is only five taels of silver, which is not enough to buy even a piece of clothing or jewelry. Why do you act like you are going to sell yourself?"
Zhou Houfang smiled slightly when he heard this. "Although five taels of silver is not much, it is money I earned myself. Besides, this has nothing to do with money."
Amber held her chin up, "What is that?"
Zhou Houfang stared at the firelight and pondered for a moment. "I don't know either. Ever since I entered that government office, it's like I've been cast under a spell, being pushed forward. I don't know where this sense of urgency comes from. I just feel that I, Zhou Houfang, am no worse than anyone else!"
Amber nodded, not quite understanding. "Miss, what you mean is that there are both men and women in the government office, and Miss doesn't want to embarrass us women!"
Zhou Houfang smiled, "You could say that. More importantly, I also want to see if I can do these things well."
"My dear lady, it's almost three o'clock in the morning. Don't you have to go to training early tomorrow morning? If you don't sleep now, will you be able to get up tomorrow morning?"
Zhou Houfang rubbed her sore eyes, looked at the densely written booklet, raised her swollen arm, and murmured to herself as if sighing, "I have to be serious, Amber, don't say it, I'm really scared."
"Miss, what are you afraid of?"
"I'm afraid that I won't understand anything during meetings and people will look down on me."
"Miss, you are the eldest daughter of the magistrate. Who dares to embarrass you in person?"
Zhou Houfang laughed, "Amber, we're already in the rebel territory. My identity can no longer scare people. Xu Zhenying was right when he said that identity is something you give yourself. If I don't work hard, I'll be pointed at and scolded for using a backdoor tomorrow. Your young lady has never suffered such injustice in her life. Humph, even Pang Xiaohua can do it, so can I."
Amber sighed.
As expected, her young lady has a strong desire to win.
Zhou Houfang didn't expect that the challenge would come the next day.
Because the hostages from Qianzhou have arrived in Jinzhou Prefecture.
Since she was used to welcoming and seeing off guests in the rear house, Xu Zhenying sent her to lead the way to welcome the hostages from Qianzhou.
Zhou Houfang got up early and practiced for half an hour. He was so tired that his calves were trembling. He didn't even have time to eat breakfast. He hurried from the government office to the outside of the city gate.
From a distance, I saw about a dozen carriages coming from the official road, carrying young people, children, and women.
When the car curtain was opened, Zhou Houfang realized that these were all half-grown children.
The oldest one is only fourteen or fifteen years old, and the youngest is only six years old.
At this moment, the little kid was dressed in Miao costume, with a headscarf, his skin was a little dark and red, and he had silver anklets on his feet that jingled when he walked.
At this moment, he looked at the gate of Jinzhou City with fear and timidly hid behind his elder sister.
But his elder sister was only about ten years old, and the two little ones were very frail, and were followed by two women to take care of them.
Zhou Houfang was naturally not intimidated by the familiar scene. After just a few words, he became friends with the group of children and took the opportunity to find out their identities.
The oldest one is Zhai Fang’s grandson, named A Tao.
His younger sister, Yao Niang, also came on this trip.
There are eight people in total, plus those who take care of daily life and protect safety, a total of thirty-six people.
Naturally, these people went to see Xu Zhenying first.
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