Chapter 20 Li Mingshuan cares about the grassroots 1
It was inevitable that the production team would have some scrapes and bumps while clearing snow this time, and no one was happy about it. Compared with the two work points they earned that day, they suddenly felt that they had lost out, a big loss.
Of course, the one who suffered the most was Nie Laosan. He was lying on the kang and unable to move, just nursing his bones. Not only did he suffer a lot, but in order to nourish his body, they also slaughtered chickens at home and borrowed cornmeal from other people's homes, which they usually didn't want to eat, to feed him. He was tossed around like that, and it was unknown how much he consumed.
Seeing this scene, Chen Youfu reported the snow removal to the commune. The leaders of the commune naturally took it seriously and believed that they should care about the lives of the people, so they came to the Pingxi Production Brigade to express their condolences on that day.
On this day, Chen Youfu shouted through the loudspeaker early in the morning, asking everyone not to go out, because the leaders were coming, and at that time, they would select a few representative families to express their condolences based on the situation.
When the Gu family heard this, they didn't care. Although all four brothers went to rescue people this time, no one in the family was injured. Since no one in the Gu family was in trouble, of course no one would come to express condolences.
So they did what they had to do. The Gu brothers wove straw mats, made baskets, repaired the chicken coop, and mended the roof. It had snowed before, and when the snow melted, water started leaking into the house. It wasn't much, but it was still annoying.
Gu Weidong dried the wheat straw and reed stalks that the children had picked up before, mixed them into a thin mud, and used it to paste the roof. This kind of mud is tough, not easy to collapse, and does not leak easily.
After repairing their own house, several brothers helped to repair the house of Old Man Chen next door. Old Man Chen has never had a wife or children in his life. He is an elderly widower. As he is old, he has to hold an umbrella on the kang at home when it rains outside.
While the repair was going on here, we heard a commotion at the entrance of the alley, and then Chen Youfu came over with a few people wearing Zhongshan suits.
Chen Youfu was immediately annoyed when he saw Weidong standing on the roof of the neighboring house in the freezing cold, holding a shovel in his hand, his trouser legs rolled up, and mud on his calves.
The loudspeaker has already told you to prepare well and try to present your best side to the leaders of the commune. What's wrong with you?
He quickly asked the commune secretary to wait for a moment, then shouted to Gu Weidong, "Come down, come down and wash up quickly, what kind of nonsense is this?"
As he spoke, he explained to the commune secretary: "He's usually fine. He might be busy today. Something's wrong. Let him come down and have a good talk."
The commune secretary's surname was Li, Li Mingshuan. Li Mingshuan didn't seem annoyed. Instead, he smiled and waved at Gu Weidong on the roof: "Fellow villager, what are you doing? Repairing the roof?"
When Gu Weidong saw people from the commune coming, he became anxious and hurried down. He wiped the mud off his legs with a reed and rolled down his trouser legs. The other people in the Gu family also quickly dressed and got ready to welcome them.
After a while, all 21 members of the family were there, staring at Li Mingshuan.
Li Mingshuan wore different clothes from the people in the production team. He was wearing a washed-out Zhongshan suit. In the left chest pocket of his suit was a fountain pen, which was rare in the countryside. In the lower pocket was a red plastic-covered notebook and the kind of economical cigarettes commonly seen in the countryside.
Li Mingshuan stepped forward and shook hands with Gu Dayong, then patted Gu Weidong on the shoulder and asked cordially, "Whose roof were you standing on to repair just now?"
Gu Weidong was a little reserved in front of the leaders of the commune, so he explained that the house of old man Chen next door was leaking and he had to fix it because he was old.
Li Mingshuan nodded repeatedly and said to Chen Youfu, "It's good to help the elderly and widows."
Gu Weidong felt embarrassed by the compliment and quickly said, "Actually, not really. This is my family repairing it, and I'm also doing some repairs for Uncle Chen's family. By the way, by the way..."
Li Mingshuan looked at Gu Weidong's slightly reserved appearance and laughed, "Don't be so reserved, be more casual. In fact, I came to our production brigade this time just to take a look around and see how the people in our commune are doing. This way I can have a better understanding of the situation and it will be easier for us to carry out our work next."
Gu Dayong and his son were both honest men. They blushed in front of their superiors and dared not speak. Seeing this, Miao Xiuju had no choice but to say, "Secretary Li, you've come all this way. Come in quickly. We don't have much tea here, but we have plenty of boiled water and cornmeal steamed buns. Let's have lunch at home today. Feel free to eat as much as you want. Don't be polite."
Li Mingshuan looked at Miao Xiujiu and saw that she was neatly dressed. Although she spoke in a simple manner, she was capable and courageous. He stepped forward and shook her hand. Smilingly, he said that she didn't need to eat, and then asked about the situation at home.
Miao Xiuju was eloquent and told everything, both explicitly and implicitly saying that her family was poor, but also how motivated they were and that all their children were in school.
Li Mingshuan was delighted: "They should go to school. Children are the flowers of our motherland and the reserve force for building the four modernizations. They should all go to school."
As he spoke, he happened to see Fubao, and his eyes lit up.
Fubao is so beautiful. It is rare to see such a fair and delicate girl in the countryside. She is well dressed too. She wears a small cotton-padded jacket with small floral patterns under a small crimson jacket and a pair of dark green trousers underneath. The small pocket on the right side of the crimson jacket is a peach-shaped piece of cloth sewn on, and a small red cherry is dotted on the cloth, which makes her look particularly cute.
This set of clothes doesn't look like it was made by a country person, but rather like it was bought in the city.
Li Mingshuan: "What is this?"
Fubao is obviously different from the other children in the Gu family. The others are dark and rough, but Fubao is so fair and tender that Li Mingshuan almost doubts his eyes when he hears that they are from the same family.
When Chen Youfu saw Fubao, he wanted to show off and said quickly, "Secretary Li, do you remember the child in the nunnery on the mountain? This is him. He's been adopted by the Gu family and they've taken such good care of him. He's fair-skinned, smart, and sensible."
Li Mingshuan was overjoyed when he heard this.
He remembered the child. He had personally carried the child down the mountain from the nunnery. The child was indeed very cute and good-looking. If his wife had not been away and they were not separated, and he, a grown man, was unable to raise the child, he would have wanted to adopt the child.
I didn't expect that five years later, I would see this child again, and he had grown so well.
Looking at the clothes on Fubao, it is obvious that he has been carefully cared for. He is even better dressed than Gu family’s own children!
He squatted down quickly and looked at Fubao: "Fubao, do you still remember me?"
After saying this, he laughed. When he carried Fubao down the mountain, Fubao was less than one year old. How could he remember it?
Fubao looked at Li Mingshuan in front of her, she did remember him.
But she was too young at the time, and if she said she still remembered it, others would definitely be surprised.
So she could only look at him quietly without saying a word.
Li Mingshuan looked at the little girl's soft and clear eyes and couldn't help but raise his hand to touch Fubao's head: "You've grown up so much, time flies. Can you eat enough? How is it at the Gu family?"
Fubao nodded gently and whispered, "I can eat well and have enough. My parents are good to me. My grandparents, uncles and aunts are all good to me. I also have many brothers and sisters to play with."
Li Mingshuan laughed even more as he heard the soft and thin voice.
He stood up and looked at the Gu family approvingly: "You have so many children, and yet you treat your adopted children so well. What a great family tradition!"
Miao Xiuju's face was full of smiles: "Secretary Li, Fubao is a lucky child, sensible and lovable. Now when I look at Fubao, she is like our own granddaughter!"
Li Mingshuan nodded, and went to the Gu family's house to look around, asked about the situation of the lonely old man Chen next door, and finally praised the Gu family with satisfaction.
Originally, he had only heard Chen Youfu's introduction, saying that when the Gu family heard that something had happened, the four brothers immediately went to help. He also heard Chen Youfu talk about how resourceful Gu Weidong was in the rescue process, and how he led everyone to dig from the east side, so that people could be rescued earlier. So he wanted to come and see, to express his condolences and praise.
But who would have thought that after arriving, he would see that although the Gu family was poor, their house was neat and tidy, with no chicken coops or chicken droppings on the floor. They cared for their widowed neighbors and treated their adopted orphan well. He was immediately very satisfied with the Gu family and turned back to ask Chen Youfu, "At the end of this year, our commune has a quota for the city's advanced five-good families. Originally, the large rotor production team wanted it and had already applied for it, but I think the Gu family is doing well. Can you write a report for the Gu family and submit it? I'll help them submit it and see if they can be selected."
Chen Youfu was overjoyed when he heard this.
This time, the Advanced Five-Good Families were different from the usual Five-Good Families. Usually, each production brigade had a quota for these families, and Chen Youfu gave each family a quota based on their individual circumstances. However, for a District Advanced Family, there was only one quota per commune!
You have to remember that there were over a dozen production brigades under a single commune, and everyone was vying for this spot. How could the Pingxi Production Brigade have gotten one? Not to mention getting one, they weren't even eligible for a recommendation to apply!
Now that Li Mingshuan said this, it was an opportunity. If he was lucky, the city leaders might take a fancy to him and give him the job. Not only would it bring honor to the Gu family, but even he, the Pingxi production team leader, would feel proud when he went out!
Chen Youfu was overjoyed and thanked Li Mingshuan repeatedly.
Miao Xiuju, who was standing nearby, was stunned. "Are we going to be recognized as one of those five-good families again? Last time, they gave us a bag of sorghum rice. It was great to be recognized!"
This made Li Mingshuan beside him laugh: "Auntie, this is the city's advanced five-good family, it's different from that one."
ah?
Which one is better?
Miao Xiujiu looked at Chen Youfu for help.
Chen Youfu quickly said, "That's a quota for each production brigade. Sorghum rice is given separately, so it's not the same thing. If you pass the evaluation, you will be awarded a grand prize certificate."
Chen Youfu couldn't elaborate on the benefits that followed: "Anyway, this is a great thing!"
Miao Xiuju was delighted to hear that this was good news, and she grinned, "That's good, that's good. Thank you so much, Secretary Li. Please stay for dinner. I'll have my daughter-in-law kill a chicken for you!"
Secretary Li smiled and shook his head. "We're here to see how the people at the grassroots live, not to eat chicken. Auntie, keep your chickens for eggs to nourish your children. I need to visit other families."
As he spoke, he looked down at Fubao, who was looking at him with his head tilted.
Those clear little eyes, the soft and sticky little appearance, the well-behaved expression seemed to have a hint of reluctance to leave me...
Secretary Li sighed softly, remembering when he took the child out of the nunnery.
He reached out and held little Fubao's hand: "Fubao, come on, come with me to visit, okay?"
Fubao was slightly stunned, then smiled and nodded: "Okay!"
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