Chapter 18: The County Leader Loses His Temper

  This troublemaker has a big background, named Cui Xiuhuo, who is the deputy director and head of the propaganda department of the Xiangyang County Revolutionary Committee.

  When the fish fry in the paddy field grew to about two liang, Deputy Director Cui arrived at Hongqi Commune in one of the two jeeps owned by the county revolutionary committee, accompanied by two attendants.

  Yan Yucheng, despite being very displeased with the rebellious origin of the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee, was constrained by official rules and showed considerable courtesy. Upon receiving a phone call from the county revolutionary committee office, he immediately summoned all five directors and deputy directors of the Red Flag Commune to wait at the commune's residence. He also dispatched Deputy Director Zhang and his father to personally welcome them at the commune entrance.

  As Cui Xiuhuo was in charge of propaganda work in the county, it was quite reasonable to send Zhang Deputy Director, who ranked second in Hongqi Commune, and Liu Deputy Director, who was also in charge of propaganda work, to personally greet him.

  Who would have thought that Cui Xiuhuo got off the car, didn't see Yan Yucheng, and his face immediately became somewhat gloomy. He shook hands with Zhang Liu's two deputy directors in a ceremonial manner, and asked with a forced smile: "Where is Comrade Yucheng?"

  Deputy Director Zhang, whose full name is Zhang Mulin, is the most senior deputy director of Hongqi Commune. He replied, "Director Yan is in the commune office."

  Cui Xiuhuo's face turned even darker, and he said lightly: "Director Yan is indeed dedicated to his duties."

  Old Dad hastily added: "Director Yan and two other deputy directors are all waiting in the commune to welcome Director Cui's arrival."

  Cui Xiuhuo responded with a snort, not even bothering to glance at his old man, and walked towards the commune office building, leaving his disgruntled father speechless.

  Zhang Mulin quickly followed up with a small run, leaving an awkward smile for his old man.

  Xiangyang County Revolutionary Committee had a total of nine directors and deputy directors, Cui Xiuhuo ranked fourth, not too prominent. However, he was the top confidant of Wang Benqing, the director of the county revolutionary committee, and was also very arrogant in the county revolutionary committee, never putting other deputy directors in his eyes, only looking up to Wang Benqing. Yan Yucheng, although the head of the commune, was still separated from Cui Xiuhuo by the Taishan District Revolutionary Committee, a level of political power, and such sluggishness had already made Cui Xiuhuo very uncomfortable. If Yan Yucheng hadn't been qualified as an old-timer and also a prominent figure among all the commune directors in the county, Cui Deputy Director would have probably turned against him on the spot. As for his father, who had just taken office as the deputy director of the commune, he was basically directly ignored.

  Among those present, there was another person who felt even more uncomfortable than Vice Director Cui and Vice Director Liu, and that was none other than the humble Mr. Liu Jun.

  It just so happened that one of Master Zhou's relatives who lived near the commune was having a birthday, and Mistress insisted that Master go to pay his respects. Master had no choice but to bring me along to the commune.

  Liu Yuxi said in "The Inscription of a Humble Abode": In conversation and laughter, there are great Confucians; coming and going, no ordinary people.

  The relatives of the teacher's family were all honest and kind farmers, but Mr. Zhou didn't get along with them very well. It wasn't that Mr. Zhou was arrogant, it was just that there was a lack of common topics between this "great scholar" and these "ordinary people". Moreover, Mr. Zhou's parents had passed away early, without any children, so even if the relatives wanted to ask about his family, they didn't know where to start. After exchanging only a few dozen words, all that was left was silence and awkwardness.

  It was the first time I saw Mr. awkward appearance, and I couldn't help but laugh secretly in my heart.

  Finally, Mr. couldn't bear it anymore and after saying a few words of courtesy, he took me straight to the commune. He planned to chat with Director Yan or my dad. Coincidentally, we caught up with this scene.

  As for Cui Xiuhuo, the old county revolutionary committee deputy director and my dad, the newly appointed commune deputy director, their ranks differ by more than just a little bit. It's normal for him to be arrogant and show off his ugly face. But he's doing it in front of my dad, making me feel like Zhu Bajie after eating a ginseng fruit - all 84,000 pores feeling comfortable, but absolutely not allowed.

  Others can still make a big splash with just one burst of anger, but when Mr. Liu Jun gets angry, nothing works out, and he's left staring blankly without any solution. Should I go up and bite him?

  Who said that transmigrators are all-powerful? Don't let me see him!

  I saw myself following behind Dad, pulling my legs and running towards the commune office building, Mr. Zhou hurriedly held me back.

  "Xiao Jun, what are you doing?"

  "I'll go take a look."

  "What's your kid going home to see?"

  I smiled and said: "As a child, no matter what I saw, nobody paid attention."

  Mr. Zhou was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and waved his hand. As for my out-of-the-ordinary behavior, Mr. Zhou had already grown accustomed to it. After all, over the past few months, he had been with me almost every day, gradually getting used to my "genius".

  Cui Xiuhuo walked into Yan Yucheng's office, and the two deputy directors of the commune stood up in a hurry, took two steps forward, stretched out their hands to shake Cui Xiuhuo's hand, and shook it vigorously with a flattering warmth. Yan Yucheng also stood up behind his desk, but didn't move half a step, stretching out his right hand. Cui Xiuhuo stepped forward two steps and shook hands with Yan Yucheng. This made Cui Xiuhuo seem more proactive. I couldn't help but secretly admire Yan Bo's demeanor.

  I didn't know that Cui Xiuhuo was a rebel from the beginning, a rough and unrefined person, it's hard to understand the subtleties of this matter, and he was easily tricked by Yan Yuchen. Don't underestimate the small tricks in officialdom, sometimes they can have unexpected effects. For example, the gaze of several deputy directors towards Yan Yuchen had a bit more reverence, while when looking at Cui Xiuhuo, there was a hint of disdain.

  Choi Soo-hee also sensed this subtle change and her smile was withdrawn, she coughed and put on a leader's demeanor.

  "Comrade Yu Cheng, I heard that your Hongqi Commune is doing something with rice paddies and fish farming, is that right?"

  "Yes, Minister Choi."

  Cui Xiuhuo's face turned black. Obviously, Yan Yucheng did not call him "Director Cui" but called him "Minister Cui", which was very unpleasant. After all, the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee is a leader of the whole county, and the head of the propaganda department is only the head of a department.

  Before Cui Xiuhuo could say anything else, Yan Yucheng burst out laughing.

  "Director Cui has come in person today, is it to publicize our Hongqi Commune's experience of raising fish in rice paddies? Director Cui really has good fortune, I'll have them prepare a few fresh carp for you to taste later..."

  "Comrade Yu Cheng..."

  Choi Soo-young's face completely turned black.

  "I've come to ask, how many mu of water paddies have you all set up for fish farming?"

  "Not much, Hongqi Commune has 21 production teams, each team has 20 mu of land, a total of 420 mu of paddy fields."

  "Comrade Yucheng, have you reported this to the county and district authorities? Who has approved it?"

  Yan Yucheng pretended to be puzzled: "Director Cui, the members of Hongqi Commune are raising fish, do they still need to ask for instructions from the county and district governments? Who needs to approve it?"

  "Director Yan, I'm not joking with you. If you continue like this, you will make a mistake."

  I stood at the door and couldn't help but curl my lip. This Minister Cui, really has no level. As soon as he came up, his butt hadn't even touched the stool, and he opened his mouth to make mistakes, was this to give Director Yan a warning? It's also too hasty, like a street thug, with red eyes, as soon as he came on stage, he rolled up his sleeves and clenched his fists, without any leadership demeanor.

  Like Director Yan, who is dignified and composed, with a noble demeanor.

  "Excuse me, Minister Cui, what mistake can our members make by raising a few fish?"

  Yan Yucheng asked calmly and quietly.

  "Is it just a matter of raising a few fish? Four hundred and twenty mu of water fields, that's not a small number, my comrades."

  Choi Soo-young even slapped the table.

  Yan Yucheng said calmly: "Increase collective income, vigorously develop production, isn't a larger number better?"

  "Comrade Yan Yucheng, this is a form of productive forces determinism, which is unacceptable."

  Choi Soo-young was very dissatisfied with Yoon Yu-seong's attitude and started to get on his nerves.

  Zhang Mulin saw that the two of them were at odds with each other as soon as they met, and a big argument ensued. He hastily intervened to smooth things over with a smile.

  "Director Cui, please take a seat first. If there's anything wrong with our work, you should criticize us as the leader..."

  Zhang Mulin indeed lived up to his years of being a cadre, and still spoke with great care. First, he defined the problem as within the scope of "work mistakes". This "mistake" and "error", however, have essential differences. Although he did not directly confront Yan Yucheng, the "rice field fish farming" was agreed upon through collective discussion by the commune's revolutionary committee. If this matter were to be defined as an "error", then as the second-in-command of Hongqi Commune, he could not completely avoid responsibility.

  Cui Xiuhuo didn't want to confront Yan Yucheng head-on from the start either. He was a superior leader, but he also had some reservations about Yan Yucheng, the highly respected commune director. After hearing Zhang Mulins words, he thought of taking advantage of the situation to ease the tension and talk again later.

  But Yan Yucheng didn't buy it at all, and coldly said: "Director Cui, even if we let the collective increase its income and make the members' lives a little better, is that not also a form of productionism? In that case, I'd like to ask Director Cui, must everyone be so poor they have nothing to eat before it's not considered productionism?"

  "Comrade Yan Yucheng, is this how you speak to your superiors? Your thinking is very dangerous... all you think about is increasing income... this is a bourgeois way of thinking..."

  Choi Soo-hee was so angry that she was about to slam her fist on the table.

  When the leader lost his temper, several deputy directors were frightened and bowed their heads, not daring to speak.

  Yan Yucheng said calmly, "Director Cui, whether this is a bourgeois idea or not, let's not rush to conclusions. I suggest you go deep into the grassroots level, investigate in each team, and see what the commune members think. If collective production does not increase, commune members' income does not rise, how can we achieve the Four Modernizations?"

  "Four Modernizations", haha, I grew up listening to this term. Especially in the 80s, "Early realization of Four Modernizations" became a household propaganda phrase.

  I stood outside the door and listened, more and more admiring Yan Yuchen.

  Chui Xiuhuo burst into rage, but he remained calm and composed, neither arrogant nor humble, and his demeanor suppressed Chui Xiuhuo, the superior leader. If Chui Xiuhuo continued to lose his temper, he would appear too uncultivated.

  Seeing the leader being criticized, Cui Xiuhao's entourage, a young man in his twenties wearing glasses, presumably Cui's secretary, stepped forward and interjected: "Director Yan, we can't forget the great principle of taking class struggle as the key link. The Four Modernizations are to be built, but everything cannot be sacrificed for the sake of the Four Modernizations. The Great Leader taught us that politics is the commander, the soul. As long as our ideological work and political work relax slightly, our economic work and technical work will inevitably go astray..."

  This kid has come up with "The Analects".

  Choi Su-hee glanced at his entourage with a somewhat appreciative expression.

  For Cui Xiuhuo, Yan Yuchen still had to leave some face, after all, he was a superior leader. For this young attendant, he was not polite at all, and said: "Secretary Li, your theoretical level is quite high. You don't have to recite quotes, nor do you need to arbitrarily put on big hats. Who says we don't want the general guideline of 'taking class struggle as the key link'? Has any item of our Red Flag Commune's ideological work and political work been relaxed?"

  This Secretary Li is also not easy to deal with.

  "Director Yan, the current political theory guideline put forward by the Party Central Committee has been specifically implemented by the County Revolutionary Committee in a document, so why doesn't your Hongqi Commune execute it?"

  Yan Yucheng's eyes widened: "Who said we didn't carry it out?"

  "We came all the way from the county and saw propaganda slogans everywhere, but in your Hongqi Commune, not a single slogan can be seen..."

  Secretary Li was somewhat intimidated by Yan Yucheng, and his voice couldn't help but tremble.

  "Not bad, this is an open defiance of the county revolutionary committee's decision, and the mistake is very serious."

  Choi Soo-young stepped out in time to back up her own secretary.

  "Your Red Flag Commune, who is in charge of propaganda work? Ah..."

  My heart skipped a beat, this scoundrel, can't even afford to feed Uncle Yan, and now he's going to use my dad as a guinea pig?!

  "Director Cui is in charge of me."

  Dad took a step forward and said.

  "What's your name?"

  "My name is Liu Jincai, I am the deputy director of the Red Flag Commune Revolutionary Committee, in charge of propaganda and cultural education work."

  Dad replied calmly and composedly.

  "Liu Jincai? Alright, I'm asking you, why doesn't your Hongqi Commune implement the county revolutionary committee's documents and carry out the spirit of the central authorities' instructions?"

  "Director Cui, for every document of the county revolutionary committee, our Hongqi Commune has organized party members and cadres to conduct serious study and discussion. Each time there is a record of the study and discussion, do you want us to bring it over for your review?"

  "Hum! Is it enough to just learn and discuss? Do you know how to do publicity work? Why not write slogans, why not publicize the party's policies to the masses?"

  Chui Xihe glared at his father, his expression fierce. It seemed that if his father made one wrong move, he would immediately turn against him.

  "Publicizing the Party's policies and guidelines, the key is to grasp the spirit. Whether or not to write slogans is just a matter of form... Organizing study and discussion, this is the collective decision made by our Hongqi Commune Revolutionary Committee!"

  Dad, thumbs up first!

  Dad, whether in terms of position or seniority, can't be compared with Yan Yucheng, and naturally can't push Cui Xiuhuo back, so he took out the "organizational collective decision" trick, which is a good move that defends and attacks at the same time.

  The law does not blame the masses. If you, Director Cui, want to blow your top, you must first overthrow the organizational decision of the Hongqi Commune Revolutionary Committee. Otherwise, don't blame me.

  Choi Soo-young was so shocked that her eyes rolled back, and she started to have a tendency to go wild.

  "Anyway, I am very dissatisfied with the publicity work of your Hongqi Commune. You must take immediate action and vigorously publicize the central government's guidelines and policies!"

  Lao Cui is finally going to use his power to overwhelm others.

  Dad is drunk.

  It was a decision made by Yan Yu-Cheng, Lao Da and Mr. Zhou after repeated research, not deliberately publicizing this guiding principle. Now that Cui Xiuhe has issued this order as the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee and the head of the propaganda department, as the deputy director in charge of propaganda for the commune, he cannot override it. The organizational principle of "subordinates obeying superiors" still applies.

  Seeing that Dad was having a hard time resisting, as his son, I couldn't just hide behind him and say nothing. My heart racing, I couldn't help but call out.

  "Practice is the sole criterion of truth!"

  "Who?"

  Choi Soo-young shouted in anger.

  Perhaps this voice was too tender, and the cadres present were somewhat astonished, casting their eyes towards the seven-year-old kid standing at the door. Director Yan and my father were even more surprised, just about to speak, but I turned around, put my hands behind my back, and walked away with a swagger.

  Hehe, let's just leave all of you cadres in this whole house, so that you have the energy but nowhere to use it!

  "Whose child is this?"

  Choi Soo-hee saw this little brat and was furious, but couldn't express her anger even a bit, her face was red with suppressed rage.

  Strictly speaking, any machine is spiritual, immediately made an eye color to the old dad, preventing the old dad from opening his mouth "admitting", smiled and said: "Practice is the only criterion for testing truth, this sentence is well said. Minister Cui, even a child can understand the truth, we don't need to discuss it anymore?"

  Hehe, even if you are clever and formidable, Lao Tzu, you absolutely wouldn't have expected that this sentence would have such a big origin. However, it wasn't until a year later that the country's most authoritative mainstream newspapers, Guangming Daily, People's Daily, and PLA Daily, would successively publish the earth-shaking article "Practice is the Sole Criterion for Testing Truth". But now I've shouted it out a whole year ahead of time.

  What a relief!