292: Chapter 292 Returning Home for Spring Festival

The 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Linjiang City, Mayor's office.

Mayor Su Changming stood by the window, watching the sanitation workers sweeping snow downstairs.

Deputy Secretary-General Fang Jianping stood to the side, holding several security reports from before the New Year.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan sat on the sofa, perched on the edge, the tea in his hand having gone completely cold.

Mayor Su Changming had accepted him, but he needed to see value.

"Yuanshan." Mayor Su Changming turned around, not looking at Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan, and walked to the large desk to pick up a pen.

"Regarding the situation in Qingjiang County, Secretary Lu Guoliang is consolidating, and County Mayor Gu Mingchuan is organizing. Are things comfortable for you in the county?"

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan placed his teacup on the coffee table, his movements light and silent.

"Secretary Lei's matter is being investigated by the province." Mayor Su Changming drew a circle on the document. "The city government's bottom line is stability. However, in some places, the steps taken are too large, and there is heavy resentment at the grassroots level. I've heard that in Heishi Town, there have been account audits and old scores being settled, causing quite a chaotic mess."

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan immediately replied, "The Mayor is right. Zhu Wenhao is running a one-man show down there, using the pretext of rectification to exclude dissenters. The current public security and livelihood in Heishi Town are riddled with holes."

"Since it's riddled with holes, then let it be exposed." Mayor Su Changming threw the pen into the pen holder.

"Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. The Spring Festival is a good juncture. Those who went out to work have all returned; there are many people and many voices. The masses have grievances and need an outlet."

"You are in charge of political and legal affairs and petitions. Whether the grassroots level is stable or not, you must produce concrete evidence for the Municipal Party Committee to see."

The hairs on the back of Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's neck stood up; the Mayor's meaning was that he wanted chaos in Heishi Town.

He understood; Mayor Su Changming wanted chaos in Heishi Town.

Only with chaos would the city government have a reason to intervene, allowing them to nail Zhu Wenhao to the pillar of shame for loss of control in governance.

"Mayor, rest assured. Tomorrow, on New Year's Eve, I will report the chaos in Heishi Town in its entirety." Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan stood up and made his stance clear.

Mayor Su Changming did not ask him to stay further.

Deputy Secretary-General Fang Jianping saw him out of the office.

The car drove on the national highway back to Qingjiang County; the road was icy, so the speed was not fast.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan sat in the back row, rubbing his cheeks.

He dialed the number of Secretary Du Changhe, the Political and Legal Affairs Commissioner of Heishi Town.

"Changhe." Once the call connected, Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan didn't beat around the bush. "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve; those young people from the Eldest Branch in Heishui Village who work outside are going back to pay respects to their ancestors. These people have been running around outside, they have hot tempers, and they are angry about the village election."

Secretary Du Changhe listened on the other end of the phone.

"Grassroots work is all about stability. But when the masses have emotions, we cannot just suppress them blindly. Ancestral worship is a tradition, and clan sentiments must be respected. Tomorrow, use your position as the Political and Legal Affairs Commissioner to keep the Police Station in check; don't arrest people at the drop of a hat, and don't escalate the conflict."

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan issued the order: "Let the people of the Eldest Branch vent the fire in their hearts. If it becomes a big scene, it will be easier for me to intervene and coordinate from the county level."

Secretary Du Changhe replied with an "Understood" and hung up.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan put down his phone and looked up another number.

Zhang Lei, a collateral branch member of the Eldest Branch in Heishui Village.

This man contracted engineering projects in other provinces and had over a dozen youths from the village working under him.

"Zhang Lei, when you go back to the village tomorrow to pay respects to your ancestors, the incense in the ancestral hall must not be extinguished. Someone in the town wants to cut off the roots of your Eldest Branch; are you just going to take it?"

With a few words, Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan stoked the man's anger.

Hanging up the phone, Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan looked at the snowy scenery outside the window.

He had to win this game of chess.

Heishi Town, Office of the Political and Legal Affairs Commissioner.

Secretary Du Changhe threw his phone on the table and walked to the window.

Opposite was the office building of the Police Station.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's meaning was clear: he was to tie Police Chief Zhao Gang's hands and feet, letting the youths of the Eldest Branch cause trouble during the New Year's Eve ancestral worship.

Once the matter escalated into a mass incident, Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan would then intervene in his capacity as the County Party Committee's Political and Legal Affairs Commission, pinning the label of ineffective governance on Zhu Wenhao.

Secretary Du Changhe lit a cigarette.

During his time at the grassroots level, he had been watching with a cold eye.

He had seen with his own eyes Heishi Mining pay off owed wages, the dilapidated road on South Street being paved, and village bullies being sent to prison.

Zhu Wenhao hadn't preached any grand principles, yet he had gathered the hearts of the people firmly.

Helping Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan create chaos—if it succeeded, the credit would go to Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan; if it failed, he, Secretary Du Changhe, would be the scapegoat for disrupting grassroots stability.

But Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan had promoted him; if he turned against him now, it would be betraying his mentor, and he wouldn't be able to establish himself in the Qingjiang County public security system in the future.

The cigarette burned down to his fingers; he crushed the butt, unable to make up his mind.

Heishui Village, Village Committee.

Zhang Yuanhang sat by the stove, the gauze on his shoulder having been changed for a new one.

Li Maisui sat opposite him, calculating the final accounts for the end of the year.

"Zhang Lei is back." Zhang Yuanhang spoke, holding an iron hook to poke the charcoal fire in the stove.

"He brought over a dozen young guys, driving three vans into the village. With Zhang Hu arrested, they've come back this time threatening to reopen the Zhang clan's ancestral hall on New Year's Eve and perform the ancestral worship according to the old rules."

Li Maisui stopped her pen.

"The old accounts of the ancestral hall haven't been settled yet; they want to use the ancestral worship to establish their authority."

"I'm going to find Director Zhao." Zhang Yuanhang stood up and threw the iron hook on the ground. "Tomorrow, at the ancestral worship, if they dare to cause trouble, I'll lead the people of the Second and Third Branches to surround the ancestral hall."

Town Government, Deputy Secretary's office.

Police Chief Zhao Gang reported the news brought by Zhang Yuanhang.

Zhu Wenhao was flipping through the duty roster.

"The young people from the Eldest Branch who work outside haven't been back to the village for a year and don't know the situation in the village. Someone is fanning the flames behind their backs, using them as pathfinders."

"Shall I take some men tonight and go knock on their doors to warn them?" Police Chief Zhao Gang asked.

"Knock on their doors?" Zhu Wenhao put down the duty roster. "They are returning home for the New Year; it's justified and legitimate. If you go knocking on doors before you've caught them in the act, that's called provoking trouble, and it would play right into their hands."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Ancestral worship is a major event, and a good one at that. Since they want to worship, they should do it openly and honestly. Director Xu Jie."

Director Xu Jie walked in.

"Go invite Secretary Du Changhe over." Zhu Wenhao ordered.

Before long, Secretary Du Changhe pushed the door open and entered.

"Secretary Zhu." Secretary Du Changhe greeted him.

"Sit." Zhu Wenhao took a document out of the drawer and pushed it to the edge of the desk. "With New Year's Eve approaching, I've read this security patrol plan twice; it lacks someone to coordinate it."

Secretary Du Changhe didn't move.

"You are the Political and Legal Affairs Commissioner; it is most appropriate for you to lead the safety and stability of the entire town." Zhu Wenhao looked at him.

"Tomorrow's main event is in Heishui Village. The youths of the Eldest Branch are returning home to open the ancestral hall for worship. There will be many people, and it's easy for trouble to break out. You lead the team personally, and Police Chief Zhao Gang will assist you."

Secretary Du Changhe's Adam's apple moved.

"Secretary Zhu, ancestral worship is a folk custom. If the Police Station goes, won't the masses feel that the town is interfering too much?" He was probing, using Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's rhetoric.

"Interference?" Zhu Wenhao picked up his teacup but didn't drink.

"What is not prohibited by law is permitted. Them worshipping their ancestors is only natural. But if they use the name of worshipping ancestors to engage in clan oppression or provoke trouble, that violates the national law."

Zhu Wenhao put down the teacup, making a crisp sound.

"Secretary Du Changhe." Zhu Wenhao called him by his name directly, not by his title.

"The scabbard is in your hands. How to draw the blade, and who to strike with it—you are a veteran public security officer; I don't need to teach you."

Secretary Du Changhe looked at the security patrol plan.

Once he accepted this document, if any problems arose in Heishui Village tomorrow, he would be the primary person responsible.

Zhu Wenhao didn't give him the chance to play both sides; he had stuffed the grenade directly into his arms.

"I accept the plan." Secretary Du Changhe reached out and took the document. "Tomorrow in Heishui Village, I will keep an eye on things personally."

He turned and walked out.

At night, the snow fell a bit heavier.

Outside Heishui Village, several cars were parked at the intersection.

Zhang Lei squatted behind a dilapidated house at the entrance of the village, with several youths surrounding him.

"Brother Lei, Zhang Hu is in; are we really going to cause trouble at the ancestral hall tomorrow?" one youth asked.

"Cause trouble." Zhang Lei spat his cigarette butt into the snow. "Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan has given the word in the county; the town doesn't dare to really do anything to us. Tomorrow, we'll smash open the doors of the ancestral hall and let those outsiders and the Second Branch see who really calls the shots in Heishui Village."

He patted his waist.

Underneath his down jacket, the metal handle of a folding knife was exposed.

"Why bring a weapon?" the youth nearby felt a bit apprehensive.

"For self-defense. That kid Zhang Yuanhang was a soldier; he plays dirty." Zhang Lei tucked the knife further in. "Just cause trouble tomorrow; there are big officials in the county backing us up. If we don't cause enough trouble to ruin Zhang Yuanhang's position as Village Secretary, our Eldest Branch won't even be able to get a sip of soup in the village from now on."

Town Government duty room.

Brightly lit.

Zhu Wenhao sat at the large desk, flipping through the old accounts of the Heishui Village Red and White Council.

Director Xu Jie brought in two cups of hot tea and placed them on the table.

"You pushed Secretary Du Changhe to the front; aren't you afraid he'll defect at the last minute and let the Eldest Branch cause trouble?"

"He is a smart man." Zhu Wenhao took a sip of tea; the temperature was just right. "Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan cannot give him a trump card to save his life, only empty promises. Tomorrow, he will make his choice."

Zhu Wenhao looked at the flying snow outside the window.

"In chaotic times, use heavy codes; to untangle messy threads, one must pull slowly. The old ailments of Heishui Village need to be pulled out by the roots. The play tomorrow is not just about clan conflicts, but about the rule of law in Heishi Town."

The landline on the desk didn't ring.

Everything was moving forward step by step.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's trap was set, and Zhu Wenhao's net was spread.

Tomorrow's New Year's Eve, in front of the ancestral hall in Heishui Village, is destined to be anything but peaceful.

The security patrol plan in Secretary Du Changhe's hands will become the final document to end the old order.