I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

The next morning, Li Jing'an drove to the back mountain of Shimo Village in Huairou to check on the progress of the project. He had called Chen Qing in the village the day before, and as soon as he got out of the car, he saw Chen Qing leading two people to come up to him quickly.

"Director Li, you've arrived!" Chen Qing bowed respectfully in greeting.

Li Jing'an looked at him with a smile: "Chen Qing, you've had a tough time lately."

"It's not hard work at all!" Chen Qing quickly waved his hand. "Director Li is giving me a task because he thinks highly of me. I'm so grateful. It's not hard work at all."

Li Jing'an nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this. The secretary of Hongyun Commune, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward to greet him: "Hello, Director Li, I am the secretary of Hongyun Commune." Li Jing'an nodded slightly in response.

After shaking hands with the commune secretary, Li Jing'an looked at another person beside him with a slightly questioning gaze. The commune secretary quickly introduced, "This is our newly appointed brigade secretary of Shimo Village." The man hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and shook hands with Li Jing'an.

Li Jing'an was slightly puzzled: "Why isn't the former Party Secretary Jin Fusheng in office anymore?"

Chen Qing stepped forward and replied in a low voice, "Director Li, Jin Fusheng passed away at home a few days ago."

"Oh?" Li Jing'an looked surprised. "Why so suddenly?" He glanced at Chen Qing without making a sound.

The commune secretary's face darkened, and he said resentfully, "That old bastard got off easy! He usually deceives his superiors and subordinates, and even dares to extort money. The commune originally planned to deal with him seriously afterward, but unexpectedly he just died and escaped punishment." After saying this, his face still showed resentment.

The commune secretary then turned to Li Jing'an, his tone becoming sincere: "Director Li, our commune bears an unshirkable responsibility for what happened. I came here today specifically to apologize to you. We will do our utmost to fulfill any requests you may have."

Li Jing'an patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, saying, "This matter cannot be entirely blamed on you. You govern many villages, and it is inevitable that there will be areas where you cannot supervise. It is unavoidable that there will be bad apples. There is no need to blame yourself too much."

The commune secretary bowed repeatedly, deeply grateful: "Thank you, Director Li, for understanding our difficulties at the grassroots level! Rest assured, we will not let Jin Fusheng's family off lightly and will certainly discipline them strictly. His three sons are no good either. The second son works in a factory in the county, and the third son teaches in the commune. Once this matter is settled, we will dismiss them both as per the county's instructions."

Li Jing'an frowned slightly upon hearing this: "The sins of the family should not be visited upon them. Jin Fusheng's mistakes should not implicate his children. As Communist Party members, we must never engage in guilt by association. An investigation is acceptable, but it should not be expanded. They worked their way up from the countryside and it wasn't easy for them to get a job. Removing them without cause is tantamount to ruining their future. In my opinion, after a thorough investigation, if there are no problems, then we should let it go. Our principle is to learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones and to cure the disease to save the patient."

"Yes, yes, yes!" The commune secretary repeatedly agreed. "Director Li is magnanimous, broad-minded, and has the courage and vision to follow instructions. We will carefully review the case to serve as a warning to others and report Jin Fusheng's case to the entire commune so that all brigades can learn from it." Li Jing'an nodded in approval.

Chen Qing led Li Jing'an towards the mountainside, reporting as they walked: "Director Li, the stone steps project is almost finished; the main structure is complete. The saplings have also been agreed upon with the commune and will be allocated next spring."

The commune secretary chimed in, "I've already arranged the tree planting with the new brigade secretary. The villagers will be responsible for planting them." The brigade secretary nodded in agreement.

Li Jing'an smiled and said, "Thank you all for your hard work."

The brigade secretary hurriedly waved his hand: "It's only right, it's only right! Your woodland is an honor for our whole village, and we should benefit from it."

Li Jing'an looked at the villagers still working in the distance, nodded slightly, and instructed Chen Qing, "After the project is finished, buy some vegetables and meat and treat the villagers to a simple meal. Don't be stingy with money." He then looked at the commune secretary, "Secretary, you must also do me the honor of coming."

The commune secretary quickly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Director Li! The commune will provide the ingredients; consider this a small token of our appreciation to apologize to you." Li Jing'an could not refuse and had to accept.

Chen Qing tentatively asked, "Director Li, with both stone and labor readily available, are you really not going to erect a monument?"

Li Jing'an waved his hand: "No need, no need to make a fuss, and we mustn't give them special treatment. It's freezing cold, and I can't bear to make the villagers do extra work."

The commune secretary immediately chimed in, "Director Li is as kind-hearted as a Buddha; he truly embodies the spirit of serving the people to the core, making us feel deeply ashamed!"

Li Jing'an smiled and turned to Chen Qing, saying, "Since the commune secretary is here too, let's have a simple lunch together."

Chen Qing replied, "It was arranged long ago, right at the brigade headquarters."

The brigade secretary quickly chimed in, "I had it prepared a long time ago. We can just take our seats later."

Li Jing'an instructed, "Just eat something simple, and absolutely do not be extravagant. This year's harvest is not good, and if you eat and drink excessively, I will criticize you." The three of them agreed in unison.

Li Jing'an glanced at the working villagers again before following the group to the Shimo Village brigade headquarters. As they approached, they were greeted by the aroma of steaming chicken and fish stew wafting from the courtyard. Soon, the table was laden with chicken, fish, and goose, along with two bottles of Fenjiu liquor.

Seeing this, Li Jing'an laughed and said, "We agreed to have a simple meal, why did you bring out such good wine?"

The commune secretary said with a smile, "This is something I brought specially. How could I come empty-handed when I'm visiting you? This is especially for you; otherwise, I wouldn't have the honor of taking the seat." Everyone laughed upon hearing this.

Looking at the table laden with dishes, Li Jing'an remarked, "This is truly a feast. It seems the villagers' lives are getting better and better." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Chen Qing picked up the wine bottle and poured wine for Li Jing'an, the brigade secretary, and the commune secretary in turn. Finally, he poured wine for himself and said respectfully, "Director Li, please say a few words."

Li Jing'an raised his wine glass and said loudly, "Then let me say a few words. Thank you all for your support and hard work. Today, I'd like to take this opportunity to offer you all a toast!"

Everyone quickly declined, saying politely, "You flatter us, you flatter us!"

After finishing a glass of wine, Li Jing'an invited everyone to eat. A moment later, the commune secretary raised his glass and stood up: "Director Li, I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to you. It was my dereliction of duty that prevented me from discovering Jin Fusheng, this black sheep, earlier, causing you trouble. I'll drink this first as a sign of respect!"

Li Jing'an raised his glass to drink with him, gently comforting him: "Don't take it to heart."

Subsequently, the brigade secretary and Chen Qing also toasted Li Jing'an in turn, and the atmosphere at the table was warm and harmonious.

After the banquet, Li Jing'an wanted to speak with Chen Qing alone, but the brigade secretary and commune secretary tactfully left first. Just as the two were about to speak, a woman entered the courtyard, pointed to the messy table, and asked, "Cadre Chen, shall we clean up now?"

Chen Qing waved his hand: "Go out first, I have something to discuss with Leader Li." The woman obediently withdrew.

Li Jing'an smiled at Chen Qing, and after the woman left, he gestured with his chin in the direction she had gone, squinting and teasing, "What's going on? Something's up? What's this person doing?"

Chen Qing immediately looked embarrassed and stammered, "It's nothing, they just hired me from the village to cook and clean for me."

"Oh?" Li Jing'an looked incredulous and laughed, "Really? I doubt it. We're all men, I understand. There's no need to hide it. I won't tell anyone. It's just a common mistake men make, I understand, I understand." He then chuckled. Chen Qing could only awkwardly smile in return.

Li Jing'an immediately suppressed his smile and said seriously, "Chen Qing, the project is almost finished. After it's done, go home and rest. Come back for a few more days after the New Year to oversee things. Once the saplings are planted, the follow-up matters can be handled by the new brigade secretary."

Chen Qing nodded quickly: "Okay, Director Li, I will definitely come again after the New Year until everything is settled."

Yet, deep down, he was reluctant to leave. He had thoroughly enjoyed his time in Shimo Village—here, he could truly feel the power he held, the ability to influence the fates of others. But he also knew keenly that this time was ultimately fleeting, destined to end. Thinking of this, his resolve strengthened: he would follow Li Jing'an closely from now on, and one day, he would firmly grasp this power in his own hands.