Transfer work

“Good, good, I’ll take you to his home to find him.” Although Tian Futang didn’t know what “introduce” meant, he generally understood it meant finding someone. Sun Yuting and Jin Junshan, standing by, didn’t understand and didn’t dare to speak.

So, led by Tian Futang and others, Jia Bing and Bai Mingchuan arrived at Zhao Dongchuan’s dilapidated cave dwelling.

At this moment, Zhao Dongchuan had just returned home from work and was wiping his body with a towel when he heard a flurry of footsteps and voices from the entrance.

“Xiao Zhao, the leader is here to see you!” Tian Futang didn’t know if it was good news or bad, so he didn’t say much, speaking in an official tone.

Zhao Dongchuan saw a group of people enter the courtyard. Tian Futang was leading two people who looked like cadres. One of them was clearly not a farmer, in his thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, with a dark complexion, and disheveled hair scattered across his forehead.

Behind them followed Sun Yuting, Jin Junshan, and some curious villagers, who gathered around.

Jia Bing looked at the young man: wheat-colored skin, a handsome face, a strong but not brutish physique—truly a fine young man.

“Hello, I am Jia Bing from the Regional Culture Center. Are you Zhao Dongchuan?”

“Hello, Teacher Jia, I am Zhao Dongchuan.”

“You know me?” Jia Bing asked, a little puzzled.

“Teacher Jia is a great poet from our Yuanxi County! I’ve long admired your reputation.”

“I know many people, but I don’t recognize many,” Zhao Dongchuan muttered to himself.

“Hahahaha, I dare not claim that! The poems I’ve written are truly worthless compared to your ‘love of life’!” Although Jia Bing said this, the uncontrollable smile on his face betrayed him.

“Mine were just accidental creations; they can’t compare to Teacher Jia’s many years of dedication and continuous masterpieces,” Zhao Dongchuan quickly responded humbly.

Bai Mingchuan, Tian Futang, and the others listened to the two flattering each other, all inwardly thinking that even cultured people are so refined when buttering someone up.

“Your poem will be published this month. While it might not make you famous nationwide, it will certainly be unique in our Shaanbei region,” Jia Bing said with a smile.

“It’s just one poem; it doesn’t warrant such praise from Teacher Jia.”

Afterward, Jia Bing asked about Zhao Dongchuan’s situation. Upon learning that Zhao Dongchuan was currently working as a laborer in the team to earn work points, he showed a hint of regret.

“That’s right, the director told me that if you’re interested, you can come work at our Regional Culture Center. You are an educated youth, so there are policies in place. If you meet the requirements, you can be recruited to work in the city. Although our conditions aren’t the best, it will allow you to fully display your talents,” Jia Bing said to Zhao Dongchuan with a smile.

The villagers watching from the side erupted in a buzz, all saying that this young man was about to achieve great success. There were also those, green with envy, who said he had stumbled upon a stroke of luck, and all sorts of other comments.

Bai Mingchuan was also surprised, but he didn’t find it particularly strange. He himself was a literature enthusiast and understood the value of a classic masterpiece. Moreover, Zhao Dongchuan was young, with limitless potential, making him worth the director’s effort to recruit.

Tian Futang, Sun Yuting, Jin Junshan, and the others didn’t understand any of this. What? He wrote a children’s poem and could be directly transferred to the Regional Culture Center? Some people had heard from the postman that the remuneration was even 20 yuan? Good heavens!!!

This immediately brought misfortune upon the children of the village. They had previously been able to play carefree, but now their stimulated parents, as if injected with chicken blood, began to force their children to study hard in the days that followed.

Even those children who had already stopped going to school couldn’t escape; they were all forced back to school. Everyone in the family hoped their children could also write a few pieces, not only to get a job transfer but also to earn money.

Unintentionally, this greatly improved the educational situation in Shuangshui Village. Later, many capable individuals emerged from this group of children, but Zhao Dongchuan suddenly became the “arch-nemesis” of all the village children!!!

Facing Jia Bing’s invitation, Zhao Dongchuan agreed without hesitation. After all, the original purpose of writing and submitting poems for publication was to get out.

Zhao Dongchuan was a “worldly” person.

Jia Bing returned with a satisfied answer, preparing to process Zhao Dongchuan’s transfer order. Bai Mingchuan also encouraged Zhao Dongchuan, saying things like “the younger generation is formidable” and that he would invite him for a drink when he had time, as he himself was a literature enthusiast.

The other villagers immediately treated him like a “giant panda,” with every household coming to his home to see the novelty.

At this moment, the dilapidated cave dwelling experienced its most glorious moment in history, having never been so lively.

The frequent visits made it impossible for Zhao Dongchuan to take out the rice from the system to cook, so he could only pretend to take out the sorghum rice distributed by the production team and prepare to cook.

Just then, Secretary Tian Futang arrived and invited Zhao Dongchuan to eat at his house. This truly helped him out of a bind; Secretary Tian probably noticed his predicament and came over to offer the invitation.

And it must be said, Secretary Tian’s discernment was impeccable. No wonder he maintained good relations with so many Commune leaders despite their frequent changes.

Zhao Dongchuan locked his door and followed Tian Futang to his house.

When they arrived, Tian Futang’s wife had already prepared the meal in the kitchen. Runye was teaching at the county primary school, and Runsheng was studying at the county high school, so neither had returned. Only the two of them were home.

Secretary Tian motioned for Zhao Dongchuan to sit and asked if he wanted to drink alcohol.

“Secretary Tian, there’s no need to be so polite! I should be thanking you for helping me out!”

“Those people haven’t seen the world; they’re just making a fuss. Come, come, eat some dishes,” Tian Futang urged.

“I really didn’t expect you to achieve such success. A few days ago, Shaoan was telling me that you’ve been working hard, and today this happens. It seems our Shuangshui Village is about to produce a great talent!” Tian Futang said, taking a sip of wine.

Zhao Dongchuan ate his food and said, “Secretary Tian, I was just trying my luck, you flatter me, you flatter me!”

“What are your plans for the future?” Secretary Tian asked.

“I plan to first transfer my household registration to the Regional Culture Center. For other things, I’ll see what position the Cultural Center arranges. Secretary Tian, you’re not in a hurry to drive me away, are you?” Zhao Dongchuan joked.

“How could that be? Shuangshui Village will always be your home. Your cave dwelling will always be kept for you. If you miss home, just come back and visit,” Secretary Tian was a little tipsy from the wine.

“Oh, don’t drink so much, your face is all red,” Tian Futang’s wife advised.

“I’m happy today, what’s wrong with having a drink? Dongchuan has achieved success, and I’m happy!” Tian Futang’s demeanor made it seem as if his own son had achieved success.

Zhao Dongchuan didn’t expose his performance. If someone wanted to do him a favor, he would accept it; it wouldn’t cost him anything.

After dinner, they chatted for a while, then Zhao Dongchuan went home. He had worked all day and had been overwhelmed by the constant stream of visitors, so he was quite tired. He washed up and went to sleep without even doing his homework.