Chapter 183 of "New Urban Farmers": Two Jin of Vegetables and a Fish
"Old Sun, how could you agree to something so easily when you know young people like him?" Zhang Guodong and Fatty left, and Chu Qiuqin closed the door, somewhat resentful of her old man.
Although she was not a government official, she knew that political struggles were everywhere, and the old man was about to retire. It was unsettling to have to get involved.
Sun Zhenfu sighed and said, "Why are you making so many demands, old woman? This chubby guy is a good person, and he's the son of Secretary Wang of the Municipal Party Committee. How could I not support him?"
"Secretary Wang?" Chu Qiuqin was taken aback. She clearly knew who it was.
Sun Zhenfu nodded and said, "Back when Secretary Wang inspected the district, I was still the Director of the Public Security Bureau, and my position was in jeopardy. If it weren't for Secretary Wang's word, I probably would have been demoted to a secondary position long ago. How could I have become the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission? This favor must be repaid! Although I don't know how Xiao Wang got his position in the district, I met him once and I know his relationship with Secretary Wang. That's for sure. I'm afraid others don't know, right?"
"Since Lao Sun knows Secretary Wang, could he perhaps help me get some deputy director-level benefits?" Chu Qiuqin asked, her mind quickly becoming active.
“Nonsense! Is my health still up to par? I’m content with my life so far, retiring from the level of a division chief is just right!” Sun Zhenfu scolded his wife and then said.
"Sigh!" Chu Qiuqin knew that the old man was not cut out to be an official. It would be better for him to retire early if he continued to work for a few more years. Otherwise, he would offend even more people. Besides, their children had all grown up and started their own families and had long wanted them to enjoy their grandchildren. Wasn't now the perfect time?
"I was just saying, why get so worked up!" Chu Qiuqin rolled her eyes at the old man and suppressed her thoughts of retiring and being promoted half a grade.
"Old Sun, do you think what that other young man said is true?" She recalled what Zhang Guodong had said before he left.
"Treat my illness?"
Sun Zhenfu wasn't sure about treating his high blood pressure. The young man with Xiao Wang didn't seem like a spoiled brat; if his high blood pressure could really be cured, that would be excellent news. High blood pressure has become a chronic disease for older people.
"Even if it doesn't work, it's still a kind gesture from them, right?" Sun Zhenfu said uncertainly.
Is it really possible for someone as young as Zhang Guodong to be a doctor? And he even boasted that he could cure hypertension? Even seasoned experts with years of experience wouldn't dare say they could cure hypertension in just one or two months.
Chu Qiuqin felt a pang of sadness.
They hadn't expected that the fat man would arrive at the ward that afternoon, beaming with excitement. He wasn't carrying fruit or supplements, but a basket of vegetables and seafood. Compared to the usual offerings from Green Treasure Pavilion, this was clearly much more abundant: tomatoes, cucumbers, large green peppers, mustard greens, green beans—five different kinds—plus a two-pound live grass carp.
"Secretary Sun, this is a gift from Green Treasure Pavilion that my friend brought you through connections. I don't know if you've heard of it. These vegetables and a fish are from there. Eating them regularly is very good for your health!" the fat man said.
"Vegetables and fish?" Sun Zhenfu and Chu Qiuqin were quite surprised by the fat man's reaction. It must be the first time they'd ever seen a patient brought such things.
The fat man understood the doubts in their eyes, but he was confident in his abilities.
Thanks to Jiahao's help with groceries, most of the vegetables and fish we eat at home come from Green Treasure Pavilion. Over the past few months, their health has improved significantly. Many of their ailments have stopped recurring.
Clearly, vegetables and seafood are of great use.
"Little Wang, you're very kind, but this is a hospital, so we can't cook." Chu Qiuqin glanced at the old man and realized she had to find a way out. "Little Wang is very kind, but why bring vegetables and fish instead of fruit and supplements when visiting a patient?"
The fish was still struggling inside the plastic bag.
"Wait, Green Treasure Pavilion?" Sun Zhenfu's eyes lit up as if he remembered something. "Isn't it the one from the provincial TV station? Didn't they say it closed down? It's reopened? If Old Chu's vegetables and seafood come from that place, I'm really in luck. Ordinary people can't get their hands on these!"
The fat man nodded hurriedly and said with a smile, "Secretary Sun, it's that shop. My friend here owns it, but it's not open to the public anymore. I'm only doing this because of him!"
"Haha, I'll definitely accept it, but I still have to pay the money!" Sun Zhenfu laughed heartily.
"Old Chu, give me three hundred yuan. Give it to Xiao Wang!"
Three hundred? Chu Qiuqin really wanted to give the old man a good whack. This small basket of vegetables couldn't possibly be that expensive. Three hundred could buy so much more!
You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household!
But no matter what, whatever the old man says, you have to pay.
But how could the fat man dare to accept this money? Zhang Guodong was only giving these local specialties to Secretary Sun for free because of him, and it was also to treat his high blood pressure. If he accepted the money, everything would be distorted.
"Secretary Sun, I can't accept your money. Don't worry if you don't believe me, the things my friend produces are all top-quality; you can't buy them with money these days. My parents have been taking them for half a year, and their health has improved a lot."
"This is a gift!" the fat man said solemnly. "In the past, Green Treasure Pavilion's offerings were very expensive. But now they don't sell them anymore, so this has become something for our own family to eat!"
Chu Qiuqin's eyes lit up with a smile upon hearing this.
That old man!
Sun Zhenfu was surprised for a moment, then nodded and accepted, saying, "In that case, this old man won't be pretentious and will take advantage of Xiao Wang's good fortune!"
The fat man then smiled again: "Secretary Sun, don't worry, my friend said that if you take this local specialty for a month or two, you'll definitely recover!"
Sun Zhenfu and Chu Qiuqin also laughed. Even though Sun Zhenfu had heard of Green Treasure Pavilion, and had tried it once with Jiahao and found it delicious, he didn't believe that eating vegetables and fish could cure an illness. The latter, however, hadn't thought much of it and had no idea what Green Treasure Pavilion was.
The fat guy here has basically achieved his goal.
Zhang Guodong was also busy on the other side.
The Li family's team is going to explore the Dinosaur Mountains. But the timeframe isn't right now; it will likely take several months, as they need to prepare.
So this period of time was perfect for Zhang Guodong to deal with the affairs of Yi Lao and Xiao Hu and the other children.
Just ten days after he left Qingmu Township in Qingyang County, Yi Lao and some men from the mountain village successfully led twenty-four children from Shiya Village out of the mountains. Upon arriving in Qingmu Township, Liu Neng greeted them immediately.
Liu Neng was quite capable. He rented a courtyard in Qingmu Township and added many bunk beds, enough for twenty-four children from the mountain village. He originally planned to hire two nannies, but Liu Neng made some changes after Elder Yi and his group arrived. There were eight adults accompanying Elder Yi, and after discussing with Elder Yi, he decided to leave two of them to take care of the children. This way, with their own people looking after the children, the parents in the mountains could rest assured.
Of course, two people still had to stay behind to do farm work in the mountains. But this was easily solved; Liu Neng devised a unique way to compensate them for the losses from the farm work.
They actually managed to get it done!
These honest, simple men originally wouldn't accept it, but after Mr. Yi and Zhang Guodong talked it over, the matter became simple.
Zhang Guodong said on the phone, "The outside world is different from the inside. You need to spend money everywhere. This little bit of money is nothing to me, but it is very important to Xiaohu and the others. So please don't refuse. This is for the sake of Xiaohu and the others' studies!"
After thinking about it, Old Yi agreed.
Zhang Chengzhu and Zhang Daniu stayed behind to live with Xiaohu and the others, taking care of their meals and other responsibilities. Liu Neng successfully negotiated enrollment with the principal of the township primary school and completed the necessary procedures.
Meanwhile, Yi Lao, who lived in Liu Dewang's courtyard at the foot of the mountain, immediately got into character.
Old Master Yi instructed Liu Neng to purchase some items. Was it a kiln for firing ceramic bricks, or were they building some strange structures? But they didn't seem like it. However, Zhang Guodong had instructed him to obey Old Master Yi's orders, so Liu Neng had no choice but to comply. Hiring construction workers and acquiring tools quickly led to chaos.
In Liu Dewang's courtyard, a three-meter-high building suddenly rose up, resembling a water tower or a chimney, but upon closer inspection, it bore a resemblance to a small brick kiln.
This is the building that Elder Yi used to refine the jade essence.
Hearing that everything was ready, Zhang Guodong became anxious. The very next day, he hired five large trucks to carry 100 tons of jade slag. He figured that refining 100 tons of jade slag would take a very long time.
On the third day, when the jade was transported to Qingmu Township, Old Yi was surprised. He probably didn't expect that Zhang Guodong would use so much jade slag to refine the jade essence he had collected. Otherwise, he would never have been able to collect so much in his entire life; it was too expensive and cost too much money.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the workers unloading the jade, Zhang Guodong said, "Elder Yi, if we're going to extract all the jade and its essence from here, how long would it take to extract 81 jin of jade essence? That's assuming we have enough manpower and resources!"
After thinking for a moment, Elder Yi gave his answer: "This refining kiln isn't very big. If two people take turns adding 100 tons, it should be able to refine the product in about a month! If we were to build a large kiln, it would take about 20 days!"
Zhang Guodong thought that although he wanted to cast the cauldron as soon as possible, building a large kiln would cause a great deal of trouble.
"Why not use a large kiln to kiln the other manpower?" Zhang Guodong asked hesitantly.
"Dunzi and Gou Dan are enough to stay," Old Yi chuckled. He knew what Zhang Guodong was worried about. Unreliable people couldn't be kept around; even Liu Neng wasn't someone Zhang Guodong intended to keep in the courtyard.
"Alright, let them stay and take care of you. I'm quite comfortable letting them get paid!" Zhang Guodong said with a delighted but embarrassed smile. Old Yi had seen through his little trick!
Zhang Guodong and Mr. Yi agreed on these terms.
The other four people from the mountain village returned to the mountains the next day. Zhang Guodong had prepared a lot of things for them to take back. However, walking in the mountains was dangerous, so they couldn't take too much.
After arranging lodging and meals for Yi Lao, Dunzi, and Gou Dan, Zhang Guodong then sought out Liu Neng.
Liu Neng was also filled with questions. What was the boss trying to do? Refine jade? The thought excited him.
“I know you have a lot of questions, but you don’t need to know what you shouldn’t know. Just stay in the township and come back when Old Yi calls you. There are some things in the township that need your communication and handling,” Zhang Guodong gave a brief reminder and warning. “Of course, I’ll come here occasionally!”
Although this guy joined his ranks, curiosity or self-interest can drive people to madness.
"Don't worry, boss!" Liu Neng immediately assured him. "A little money here will smooth things over in the township; it won't interfere with Elder Yi's affairs."
Zhang Guodong patted him on the shoulder and said, "Work hard, and when the time comes, I'll make it up to you! I never mistreat my own people!"
These words, spoken by Zhang Guodong, seem quite natural now, especially since they were in front of Liu Neng.
Zhang Guodong is very low-key in front of others.
Watching Zhang Guodong get into the car and leave, Liu Neng breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason, Zhang Guodong's every glance and gesture made him feel a lot of pressure.
"The boss is too mysterious!" Liu Neng thought to himself.
Zhang Guodong returned to the provincial capital and received some exciting news from Fatty. The two met and chatted.
"Guodong and Brother Jiang have really taken power this time. Who would have thought that Liang Xincai, just an executive deputy director, would embezzle and accept bribes of over five million yuan and keep a young mistress! Secretary Zhou and District Chief Luo both said that the executive deputy director of the branch bureau had too much power. Appointments must be made by the district. This time, they've finally taken back the power of appointment!" the fat man said happily.
There's actually much more to the story. Jiang Lihan had already arranged for people to investigate Liang Xin's embezzlement and bribery. Who knew this guy's background was so incredibly dark!
Liang Xin was the executive deputy director of a branch bureau appointed by the municipal bureau. Therefore, he was placed under investigation by the municipal discipline inspection commission. Guo Tianhai, the executive deputy director of the municipal bureau, was also implicated and placed under investigation by the municipal discipline inspection commission.
A minor earthquake struck the Municipal Bureau and the High-tech Branch Bureau.
The day Wei Dashao learned that Liang Xin had been placed under investigation by the Discipline Inspection Commission, he immediately realized that things were in turmoil and sacrificed a small pawn to save the king, thus extricating himself from the bar.
However, this guy developed a deep hatred for the fat man, as well as for Jiang Lihan and Luo Jianhui. This was undoubtedly a slap in the face for him. He called Guo Tianhai, but unexpectedly, the branch office didn't give Guo Tianhai or Wei Shao any face.
This made the fat man famous, attracting Wei Shao's attention and giving Luo Jianhui a headache.
But the fat man can laugh now.
Luo Jianhui's own secretary was being targeted by Wei Dashao, so naturally, as the district head, he was bound to offend people as well. Unless he removed the fat man from his side, but that made him very worried...
"Now you've got what you wanted. Luo Jianhui is probably thinking of transferring you away from his side!" Zhang Guodong said with a sly smile, seeing the fat man's grin.
“Haha, District Chief Luo has been good to me. If I had brought it up myself, it definitely wouldn’t have worked. I had no choice but to resort to this. Although Zhangba, Lianhua, and Hongqi are the most backward townships in the district, they are not under District Chief Luo’s control. These people are either the former secretary and district chief’s people or other standing committee members’ people. You know, it’s hard to carry out work if they’re not your own people. Besides, Secretary Zhou is in a dominant position on the standing committee now. Most of these people have sided with the district committee, so District Chief Luo is in a dilemma. It would be best if he could replace them with his own people. Otherwise, this opportunity…” the fat man said.
Zhang Guodong raised an eyebrow: "So where are you planning to go?"
"Hehe, what do you think?" the fat man chuckled.
Zhang Guodong's eyes widened as he asked, "Could it be Zhangba Township?"
"Currently, although that place is the most backward among the three townships, a closer analysis reveals that it still has great development potential. For example, it has resources such as quarries and medicinal herb cultivation. It can be said that as long as there is investment, it can develop!" the fat man said confidently.
Zhang Guodong shook his head, thinking the kid was probably crazy. But as for being an official, he was no match for the fat man.
The Zhangba Township government isn't far from Jixing Village. It would be great if Fatty took office there.
"So you've already started making connections with Secretary Sun and Minister Tong?" Zhang Guodong said.
The fat man became quite animated when talking about the event.
"Thanks to your Green Treasure Pavilion stuff. Secretary Sun's health has improved a lot in the past ten days or so, and he's turning around in a positive direction. Even the doctor said he's recovering very well and has been discharged from the hospital to recuperate at home! As for Minister Tong, I basically got through to him through connections. As long as District Chief Luo releases him, I can leave!" the fat man said.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Guodong immediately held the fat man's public relations skills in higher regard. He had naturally heard of the ruthlessness of politics; how difficult was it for a nobody like him to persuade two members of the Standing Committee to support him?
However, the fat man also has his own circle, including some spoiled brats he's quite familiar with. These brats are sometimes the targets he uses for support. He must have put a lot of effort into these relationships, right? Otherwise, it's practically impossible for Tong Zhan to support the fat man.
There's one more update today, totaling 4700 words. It should be tonight.
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