Nominal: Who isn't a son-in-law?

The convoy left the village and onto the cement road back to the county town.

Although the road had only been repaired recently, it was still quite narrow, and it was late, so the convoy was not driving fast. The police cars in front were even slower, focusing intently on what was ahead.

The middle Coaster was brightly lit, yet the atmosphere was very quiet.

After a day of research, everyone was a bit tired.

Anyone who has taken a long bus ride, especially one that is driven very smoothly, knows that it can easily lead to a feeling of inexplicable fatigue.

However, Chu Shijun was still quite energetic at the moment. He was calmly looking out the window, where the mountains appeared exceptionally serene under the hazy moonlight.

Besides him, Liu Yuntian, Li Dakang, and the others also kept their eyes open and ears perked up, even if they were really sleepy, not to mention that two drinks were nothing to them.

After observing quietly for a moment, Chu Shijun withdrew his gaze, turned his head to look at Director Li, who was hunched over the table writing something, and said softly, "Little Li, are you writing a self-criticism report?"

"Yes, Secretary Chu." Director Li nodded.

"I'll write it when I get back. Let's rest on the way."

"No, I'm afraid you'll forget when we get back."

Director Li shook his head and buried himself in writing again.

"Director Li is quite dedicated, haha."

Liu Yuntian, sitting in the back seat, said with a smile.

"I think he's right. I'm afraid he'll get criticized if I forget what he said when I get back."

As Chu Shijun spoke, he turned his head and said, "Hey, Comrade Yuntian, you're not asleep yet?"

"I'm thinking about work. I've discovered so many problems during these past few days of research, and I need to solve them," Liu Yuntian nodded.

"Oh, I should think about it."

Chu Shijun turned around. "That's perfect. You're not asleep, and I'm not sleepy either. Let's chat quietly..."

"Secretary Chu, I haven't slept either."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Dakang sat up straight and poked his head out.

Immediately afterwards, Ye Wentao and Hu Ming also leaned out.

"Are you all still awake?"

Chu Shijun shook his head and smiled.

"Okay, let's chat, then you can get some rest when you get back."

"We visited several villages and towns today, and finally, we stayed in Xilin Village the longest. What are your thoughts? Let's not talk about platitudes or empty words, let's just speak frankly and say what's on our minds."

Upon hearing this, everyone thought for a moment, and Liu Yuntian spoke first: "Secretary Chu, today's research trip has been particularly impactful for me."

"To be honest, many provincial cadres, including myself, spend their years in the office, sitting at their desks. Their daily work consists of looking at reports, reading reports, reviewing documents, and approving data. They deal with written materials and work summaries submitted from the grassroots every day. They have long since become detached from the real lives of ordinary people and are getting further and further away from the everyday life of the grassroots."

"Sitting in the government building, looking at the research reports and results summaries that have been carefully selected and polished, all I see are neat data and impressive results. It's easy to subconsciously assume that grassroots work is comprehensive and that people's livelihood is implemented without any gaps."

"But the survey over the past two days has revealed a lot of problems. Only when I actually went to the fields and visited farmers' homes did I realize that the results on paper cannot replace the shortcomings on the ground, and the data in the reports cannot cover the real difficulties of the people."

Liu Yuntian sighed; what he said was indeed from the bottom of his heart.

"In the past, when we judged whether a village was developing well or whether the assistance was in place, we mostly looked at the collective economic income, the infrastructure coverage rate, and the poverty alleviation indicators. As long as the data met the standards, we felt that the work had been implemented effectively. Today, in Xilin Village and on the front line of the township, I truly realized that the real lives of the people, the actual difficulties in increasing income, and the myriad of subtle troubles in their lives are things that no written report can reflect."

"Just like the details of elderly people left behind in the village finding employment, increasing income and finding jobs near their homes, and the development of folk villages, if we don't come here in person, don't squat down to talk, and don't see things up close, we will always remain in the understanding of subordinates' 'work completed' reports. Over time, it is easy to develop the habit of 'making decisions based on materials and judging effectiveness based on data,' and slowly become detached from the masses and from reality. This is the biggest problem I have discovered in the past few days."

After he finished speaking, Li Dakang also spoke up: "What impressed me the most was that our so-called grassroots research often turned into a superficial visit with a pre-set route. We only saw model sites and listened to pre-prepared reports. The grassroots level prepared the locations, organized the materials, and rehearsed the scripts in advance. We just walked around, listened to a report, and took a few pictures, and that was it for a research trip."

"For example, in the past two days, Secretary Chu, you led us on a surprise investigation of some places, and the problems were immediately exposed. I think if we follow the original route, these problems will only accumulate and become deeper."

"Over time, what we see is what the grassroots want us to see, and we can't hear the most genuine complaints, the most basic demands, and the most pressing problems of the people. These past few days, we suddenly went on random visits, without setting a route, and ate, lived and talked with the people. Only then did we truly get a feel for the real situation at the grassroots level."

"Regarding the issue of young cadres being stationed in villages, in the past we only looked at assessment data, village logs, and annual summaries, thinking that as long as the materials were complete and the data met the standards, they were excellent village cadres."

"But today, seeing with my own eyes Comrade Lin Xiangjun dedicate a year to developing the village and genuinely helping the people increase their income, I understand that true achievements at the grassroots level are not written down, but earned through hard work. The real effectiveness of village-based work is built on the positive reputation of the people. Our biggest problem is that we sit too comfortably and don't go out enough, we read too many documents and don't listen enough to the people."

"So after these few days of research, I have gained a deeper understanding and a more profound realization of what Secretary Chu said in Handong: research should go to the front line, to the grassroots, and to personally communicate with the people face to face."

After Li Dakang finished speaking, Hu Ming and Ye Wentao also expressed their opinions.

After listening to everyone's reflections, Chu Shijun nodded slowly, glanced at the dark night sky outside the window, and turned back to say, "It seems that the research over the past few days has been effective. At least the comrades present here have gained profound insights and understood the problems and shortcomings in our work."

"The insights you just shared are very genuine, showing that you put your heart into them. They point out the core problem in government work: being detached from the masses and from reality. This is the root cause of all work becoming a mere formality and going astray."

"Just as Comrade Dakang just said, I mentioned the importance of research many times when I was in Handong. We need to go deep into the front lines and go there ourselves, instead of just looking at the data reported by our subordinates."

Chu Shijun waved his hand.

"Those reports are pleasing to the eye, but if you look at them for too long, they become an eyesore."