I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

Back at the guesthouse, Zhou Zhonghai, without taking a break, dialed the office of Fu Sanjun, the secretary of the Tonggang County Party Committee.

"What are your instructions, Minister Zhou?" Fu Sanjun was extremely nervous, both respecting and fearing Zhou Zhonghai.

Zhou Zhonghai laughed heartily, "What's wrong, Fu Sanjun? You don't sound very welcoming."

Fu Sanjun quickly replied, "Not at all, not at all. My admiration for you is as boundless as a surging river..."

"Stop, stop, Fu Sanjun, I don't like your obsequious manner. You have no backbone at all. We are soldiers, we should speak with dignity."

What a load of rubbish! When you called Committee Member Pu, your humble attitude was even worse than Fu Sanjun's.

"Yes, yes, we need to have spirit." Fu Sanjun's voice grew softer and softer, and the word "spirit" was completely lost.

"Fu Sanjun, there's something I need to discuss with you," Zhou Zhonghai said seriously, his smile fading.

"Minister Zhou, please speak," Fu Sanjun said, reverting to his humble demeanor.

"Governor Feng spoke to me today. The position of mayor of Huailin City is vacant, and we need to select a qualified cadre from among the county party secretaries to serve as the city party secretary. I recommended you."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Zhonghai heard the sound of a glass shattering on the phone. He asked, puzzled, "Fu Sanjun, I'm talking to you about serious business. Why are you making such a racket?"

"I...I was nervous, and I accidentally dropped the cup on the ground..." Fu Sanjun's voice trembled.

"What's there to be nervous about? It's just the Party Secretary of the Municipal Committee. You can do a good job."

"Minister Zhou, I really am unsure. Besides, Tonggang County is at its peak. Perhaps I should just retire peacefully in Tonggang?"

Fu Sanjun was completely unprepared. He had ambitions, but after ten years of political movements, his pride and ambitions had long been extinguished.

Zhou Zhonghai was transferred to the Provincial Department of Agriculture, where he received strong support in contracting out farms to individual households and developing poultry farming and other sideline businesses. This boosted his morale, as ensuring that the people of Tonggang County had enough to eat and wear was his lifelong pursuit.

Now, if he were to be put in charge of the municipal party committee, overseeing more than a dozen counties, he would lack confidence.

"Fu Sanjun, I know what you're afraid of. At the beginning of the year, when I returned from the Soviet Union, Commissioner Pu asked me to serve as the Minister of Agriculture of the province. I felt the same way as you. How could a greenhorn with a gun do a good job as the Minister of Agriculture?"

Committee Member Pu said, "As long as you have the people at heart and think things through carefully, there's nothing you can't accomplish. Today, I'd like to extend those words to you as well. I have many comrades-in-arms from the army who, after their demobilization, went to various positions. As long as they are selfless, they generally do a good job. Committee Member Pu is my support, and I am your support. As long as your actions in serving the military benefit the people, I will fully support you."

Zhou Zhonghai's heartfelt words deeply moved Fu Sanjun: "Minister Zhou, thank you for your trust."

"Becoming a minister wasn't as difficult as I imagined. Just do more legwork and see what farmers really need. You'll get the hang of it as you go. Of course, being a municipal party secretary is much more complicated than being a simple minister of agriculture. You've been in an administrative position for many years and have experience. It's just that the scope is bigger than before, and you're in charge of a few more counties."

"Minister Zhou, it's not as simple as just managing a few more counties. Agriculture, industry, people's livelihood..."

"Following the example is like managing Tonggang County. Who isn't feeling their way across the river by touching the stones? Fu Sanjun, we're old, we don't have many good years left. If we miss this opportunity, we'll truly miss a lifetime."

Zhou Zhonghai's sigh resonated with Fu Sanjun. Yes, opportunities only come once; they are no longer young, and there will be no next time.

"Minister Zhou, if the provincial leaders trust me, I... can give it a try."

"Alright, Fu Sanjun, let's have another good match, brothers. We're old, but we're still men. Hahahaha..."

After hanging up the phone, Fu Sanjun was restless. He would pick up the broken cups on the floor and put them back in their place, then take out a cigarette.

His heart was pounding, boiling with excitement; he seemed to have stopped bowing and scraping and could now stand up straight.

Originally, he could have kept his back straight, but because he was unwilling to compromise his principles and wanted to live a life of ignominy, he unconsciously bent over.

He wanted to survive in the cracks, hoping that those above him wouldn't see him, ignore him, or bother him.

But Wu Zhengkai still didn't let him go. A few pigs and rabbits in Dashui Village became the fuse.

He considered standing up for himself and protecting the pigs and rabbits in Dashui Village, but he was powerless to do anything about it. Wu Zhengkai had reports in his hand showing how many pigs and rabbits each family raised.

What a shameless scoundrel! He embezzled so much money, he wouldn't even spare a few pigs.

He had suffered injustices for half his life, but as he was about to enter old age, the country began its reform and opening up, and his spring arrived.

These past six months have been really smooth sailing. With the land contracted out to individual households, he can raise as many pigs as he wants without any fear, because Zhou Zhonghai is there to protect him.

If he becomes mayor, he will be the backbone of the entire city. The more than ten counties in the city can immediately be contracted out to individual households, and they can immediately roll up their sleeves and get to work.

I'm so excited! I can finally do something I never even dared to dream of before.

Yes, Zhou Zhonghai is capable, so why can't I?

The silkworm spins silk until its death, and I am like that silkworm.

Zhou Zhonghai recommended Fu Sanjun, something he had thought about long ago. Huailin City definitely couldn't be without a mayor. There were many excellent county party secretaries, most of whom were transferred from the county level.

He had two candidates in mind: Tang Ping and Fu Sanjun.

Managing a machinery factory is no easier than being a county party secretary, but a major accident occurred at the factory's steel plant, leading to his transfer. The factory is likely to fall into chaos.

Fu Sanjun's abilities are slightly inferior to Tang Ping's, and he has been frightened by the political movements of recent years. With my support behind him, he is capable of standing up for himself.

Having considered this for some time, Zhou Zhonghai recommended Fu Sanjun without hesitation when Governor Feng sought his opinion.

The country is still very poor, and important leadership positions require selfless and capable people, but such people are too few.

During the movement, the military was not greatly affected, but the local areas were in complete chaos.

It is precisely because of the chaos that villains like Wu Zhengkai, He Youcai, and Li Bo have become so rampant.

It takes time for a chaotic system to return to normal.

Last time Zhou Xiaowei was taken hostage by Wu Zhengkai, he rushed back to the province to deal with the aftermath and didn't have time to properly comfort his family. He should go back and rest for a few days.

Home will always be the most tender part of Zhou Zhonghai's life.