After a whole morning of fussing and fussing, Zheng Yan, lying in his hospital bed, felt a great sense of relief.
The dean and he didn't have much of a relationship; they had only met a few times at county-level conferences and had never formally spoken.
But nowadays every household has a large number of people, and the city is no exception.
What to do if there isn't enough food? Those with connections can go to the commune or production brigade; those without can go to the countryside and barter with each household, hoping the villagers will share some of their food.
The dean himself had a large family with many mouths to feed, so naturally he wouldn't refuse a request from a commune secretary that wasn't considered impolite.
So when Ruan Xianxian, who was sitting in the commune office and having a meeting with the team leaders from various brigades who had come to distribute bamboo weaving supplies, heard the news, she opened her mouth for a long time but couldn't say a word.
She looked innocently at Xiang Hongjun, who had come in and immediately started sharing gossip, and said, "Would you believe me if I said I did it on purpose?"
One slip of the tongue, and one less "no" word.
He quickly changed his story, saying, "I said I deliberately didn't want you to believe me!"
Xiang Hongjun stared at her intently, and Ruan Xianxian bit her tongue, remaining silent.
She coughed lightly, her gaze returning to the five captains, and resumed the previous topic: as for whether or not Zheng Shuji would be hospitalized... who cares?
Uncle Xinghua spoke first, “I have no objection to the proposal that the second batch of bamboo weaving be divided equally among the five brigades, and the third batch be decided based on the progress of the second batch.”
Since the "reporting fake certificates" incident, Captain Li felt that Xiao Ruan was a trustworthy person.
There are all sorts of rumors about her, but he, who has met her in person, knows best that she is easier to get along with than many people who are all talk and no action.
They have their own purposes in everything they do, yet they are not lacking in kindness.
Their methods of dealing with enemies are also ruthless beyond ordinary people.
Such people are often best avoided; it's best not to befriend them, but also not to make enemies with them.
Captain Li knew exactly what was going on and was the first to speak up in agreement.
The Sandaogouzi and Longquan brigades had some disagreements, feeling that maintaining an equal split was the most appropriate course of action, but they didn't dare to speak up due to the limited information they had heard from others.
Bu Hua kept wiping his crooked-handled bag the whole time, looking more like he was about to shoot the whole room than attend a meeting.
In truth, he was quite confident. Their village's poverty had its advantages; it was difficult to purchase supplies, and daily necessities such as pots, pans, bowls, and stoves were all made by hand by the villagers.
The average person has strong hands-on skills.
A man who can handle a gun can also handle a needle.
Ruan Xianxian's suggestion was naturally well-intentioned; competition breeds motivation, just like the selection of outstanding teams.
Those who achieve excellent results will be able to receive more bamboo weaving opportunities in the next batch.
Hu Heshuo was taken aback when he received a hint from Ruan Xianxian's gaze. He noticed that her eyes swept over the names of the families and individuals who came to make bamboo weaving in each brigade.
He squinted and carefully examined the child, pondering for a while before figuring out what the little ancestor meant.
He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I have no objection to the assignment method, but as for the personnel list..."
Hu Heshuo clenched his fist and tapped it on the paper with the name written on it.
“The clan in Sandaogouzi is surnamed Zhang. 80% of the people on the list you submitted are surnamed Zhang. The situation is the same in Longquan Brigade. What, are you playing the clan monopoly game here?”
"Really?" Ruan Xianxian took the list and pretended to look at it. She thought that the leader needed a smart person who was perceptive and could take the blame. Hu Heshuo was a good fit.
If it were Fan Caicai, she might be clever, but she's like a donkey—she only moves one step at a time when whipped.
The two captains' expressions changed. Uncle Xinghua shrank back; he hadn't been called out by name, but he was still among them.
If there are benefits, only a fool wouldn't fight for his own people!
Ruan Xianxian understood this principle as well, and did not criticize, but looked up and around.
"Go back today and compile statistics on the most difficult families in each village, including those with orphaned daughters or widows, or those who have lost their only child and are struggling. Report these statistics tomorrow."
Families with male members who are lazy and live a miserable life should not apply.
"Captain Hu, you're a native of this area and quite familiar with the various brigades of the commune. You'll be responsible for supervising and verifying this."
The three captains' expressions changed again.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Ruan Xianxian's meaning was quite clear: the bamboo weaving should be mainly distributed to families in need.
Captain Longquan had a deep crease between his brows. He said, "Comrade Ruan, I'm not saying you're naive, nor am I intentionally trying to contradict you."
Can impoverished households really make a living if they have a skill? Leaving aside carpentry, anyone who can weave a broom or basket can manage to get by in the village.
"Either they're unwell, or the child is too young, or they're some eccentric old aunt. Are you sure you want to entrust such an important task to unreliable people?"
Ruan Xianxian: "Whether you accept the assignment or not is entirely voluntary. If you don't know how, I can ask someone to teach you until you learn it. Does anyone have any other opinions?"
Quiet.
Having said all that, what use are their opinions?
The brigade leader of Sandaogouzi finally understood: this guy had mastered the art of "crossing the river and then destroying the bridge."
They set a trap to use them first against the Hu family, and after using them, the butcher's knife was once again turned against them.
Now they even have Hu Heshuo supervising from the side. He doesn't know if others can see through this woman's sinister intentions, but he certainly can.
If any captain fails to obtain the maximum benefit and thus becomes uncooperative or even negligent in their work, then Hu Heshuo, who seizes every opportunity, and the mastermind behind the scenes, Ruan Xianxian, will take all the credit.
It achieved the ultimate goal of poverty alleviation while also winning people's hearts. Wow, that's really impressive!
Even he himself had a moment when he wanted to quit and let this guy surnamed Ruan do the work himself.
She pursed her lips, realizing she had almost fallen for the trap again.
This isn't poverty alleviation; she's clearly trying to build her own team.
Unfortunately, there aren't many people like Captain Li who consider themselves smart. Captain Li of Xinghua Village and the Longquan Brigade could practically read their displeasure on their faces.
Ruan Xianxian's smile remained unchanged. "What do you mean? How about I apply to the organization on your behalf to change the name of Longquan Brigade from Longquan Brigade to Chujia Village?"
"Don't hand over the harvested grain; use it all to support the Chu family."
That's a serious statement; who would dare to respond?
Chu Aiguo's expression immediately changed. "Comrade Ruan, please don't joke around. I will definitely cooperate fully with all the organization's arrangements."
As soon as her gaze fell upon him, Uncle Xinghua chuckled in perfect unison, “It’s my fault. I didn’t check before leaving and took the wrong list. I was supposed to be helping with poverty alleviation as well.”
Everyone: ...
Shameless old Li.
"Alright." Ruan Xianxian put away the documents on the table. "Submit the personnel list tomorrow, and collect the bamboo weavings immediately after verification."
Remember, if any supplier uses inferior materials or causes any quality issues, I won't hold the individuals directly responsible; I'll only hold you team leaders accountable. Meeting adjourned.
Ruan Xianxian had just heard that Xiaxia's oil press was almost repaired and was about to go to the backyard to take a look when a hoarse male voice called out to her.
"Comrade Ruan, can we talk privately?"
It's Bu Hua!
Ruan Xianxian stopped and sat back down in her original seat.
The others were very curious and wanted to stay and listen in, but Hu Heshuo rudely led them out one by one.
Bu Hua speaks bluntly and likes to get straight to the point. He stared into Ruan Xianxian's eyes and asked a rather direct question.
"If we want to build a road, we will inevitably encounter the incompetent and useless people in the county office who will make things difficult for us. The layers of approvals are enough to bankrupt us, so I would like to ask Comrade Ruan for help."
Name your terms.
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