Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Huang Tao led He Yuzhu straight to the county committee meeting room. When they pushed open the door, the room was already packed with people, all sitting up straight, their eyes fixed on the door, waiting for this moment to shake hands, exchange pleasantries, and make an impression.

Huang Tao walked straight to the podium, extended his hand to He Yuzhu, and gestured for him to stand beside him. A thunderous applause erupted, surging forth like a tidal wave—

Yu Bo led the way in standing up, his voice booming: "A warm welcome to Minister Huang for visiting Dongli County and providing guidance!"

He Yuzhu steadily walked onto the stage under the watchful eyes of the crowd and sat down next to Huang Tao. Hundreds of eyes below the stage instantly focused on that small podium.

Huang Tao: "Some of you have met him before, while others have only heard of him. This is a cadre directly appointed by the Organization Department of Kyoto and formally assigned with an official document. From now on, he will be the 'helmsman' of Dongli County. Some comrades have worked with him before, while others are not yet familiar with him, but it is a certainty that we will be working together day and night and fighting side by side from now on. Now, on behalf of the Regional Working Committee, I hereby formally announce: Comrade He Yuzhu shall assume the position of Secretary of the Dongli County Party Committee and First Secretary of the County Party Committee, effective immediately."

A wave of applause erupted, instantly filling the entire venue.

He Yuzhu rose to express his gratitude: "I sincerely thank the regional leaders for their trust and appreciate the Party organization's cultivation over the years. I also sincerely ask all my colleagues present to provide guidance and support in the future. I feel honored to join the Dongli team, and I am even more aware of the weight on my shoulders—I admire the spirit of the cadres here—their 'clear-headedness, daring to try new things, and unity'—from the bottom of my heart, and it makes me dare not slack off for a moment… Let's work together to make every task in Dongli solid and outstanding!"

Before he finished speaking, applause broke out several times; he had only spoken halfway when a heartfelt cheer erupted from the audience.

With all members of the leadership team taking the stage to deliver a welcome speech, He Yuzhu's appointment process came to a successful conclusion.

After the meeting, everyone escorted Huang Tao toward the guesthouse. A feast had already been prepared—piles of hot dishes and a full plate of drinks, specially for the two leaders to welcome them home.

Throughout the meeting, Huang Tao remained solemn and composed, his brows exuding an undeniable authority. However, the moment he stepped into the banquet hall, he immediately shed his official demeanor, his smile warm and his words approachable, like a friendly older brother. Many people breathed a sigh of relief and rushed forward, raising their glasses in a toast: "Minister Huang, a toast to you!"

"That's great! Let's drink this cup to the brim!" Huang Tao responded loudly, raised his hand to pick up the cup, glanced at the eager faces, and tilted his head back to drink it all in one gulp.

"Minister Huang has a great capacity for alcohol!"

"I feel very secure working under a leader like you!"

The county officials were in high spirits. After a heartfelt exclamation, they quickly followed suit, gulping down their drinks in a few mouthfuls—with Minister Huang personally showing his support, who would dare to put on airs?

But as soon as he put down his glass, Huang Tao raised his hand to stop another round of toasts, and waved his hand with a smile: "Just this one glass, that's enough! Today's main character isn't me, Old Huang—everyone should understand that, right?" After saying that, he looked at He Yuzhu with a smile, his eyes full of entrustment and expectation.

There was a moment of silence, followed by an even louder burst of agreement:

"Minister Huang's words are absolutely spot on!"

"Secretary He, let me offer you my respects first!"

In the blink of an eye, everyone turned to He Yuzhu, toasts rising and falling. But with their glasses in hand, many were already secretly weighing the situation: Minister Huang's humble posture, giving the limelight to the newcomer, had a deeper meaning—this new clerk was probably powerful and influential, not to be trifled with!

Wen Xiangdong knew the inside story. His old comrade-in-arms in the Beijing military had thoroughly investigated He Yuzhu's background: three powerful figures in office stood behind him, and seven or eight retired senior officials had jointly endorsed him. Not to mention the province wanting to touch a hair on his head, even a certain leader in charge of the Organization Department of the Central Committee would have to think twice.

So everyone's best to keep their own thoughts to themselves and avoid making trouble at this critical juncture. Otherwise, if the disciplinary committee comrades come knocking on your door for a casual chat, you might not even get a cup of tea.

Yu Bo was close to him, and these words had already reached the county magistrate's ears. As long as Secretary He could actually accomplish a few practical things, everyone would get credit; even if it was difficult to see results in the short term, it wouldn't damage their career foundation—since the province had firmly handed over power to him, we should just follow the rules and cooperate fully, why make things difficult for ourselves?

Before leaving, Huang Tao patted the table: "There's an important meeting this afternoon, so I won't stay any longer. From now on, everyone must fully support Comrade He Yuzhu in his work, work together, and move in unison."

Despite the calls for him to stay, Huang Tao remained steadfast, walking straight out of the guesthouse and returning to the region by car.

After several rounds of drinks and as people gradually dispersed, only Qin Feng, the office director, remained.

Qin Feng stepped forward, his tone both humble and capable: "Secretary He, hello! If you need anything in the future, just let me know. Everything at Courtyard No. 1 is ready. When would be a convenient time for you to move in?"

He Yuzhu nodded: "I'll go upstairs and call my wife later. We'll move there today. Taking up space in the guesthouse is affecting the normal operation of our comrades."

He turned and went up the stairs, while Qin Feng waited quietly downstairs. After a short while, He Yuzhu came down carrying two old leather suitcases. Qin Feng quickly took the luggage and led the couple towards Building No. 1.

Pushing open the gate, a detached two-story courtyard stood quietly in the center. Qin Feng took out his key, clicked open the door, stepped aside to let the two inside, and then gently placed the key in Lou Xiao'e's hand.

"Secretary He, do you have any special requirements for the driver and secretary? I'll take care of it right away."

"The driver needs to remain calm and speak less; as for the secretary, just follow the rules."

Lou Xiao'e looked around as soon as she entered the house. In fact, the house was bright and clean, and even the corners were wiped spotless. There was no need to tidy it up at all.

She looked around and said softly, "This place is quite convenient. I even took a stroll around the county town yesterday. I didn't expect it to be so tiny."

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "There are plenty of smaller counties than this. Life is something that people make little by little."

Lou Xiao'e nodded: "Let's distribute those sacks tomorrow."

"Okay. You should meet with the comrades from the Women's Federation first, and then we can go to the countryside together. Let's postpone the Guyun Commune for now—they're not worried about food and clothing there right now, so there's no rush."

Lou Xiao'e agreed. She also longed to see firsthand the daily life of people on this land and to feel the warmth and coldness beneath their clothes.

The next morning, the county women's federation received a call from the office: a comrade planned to go to the commune to investigate the lives of the masses, and requested that they travel light, keep a low profile, and not disturb the people.

Women's Federation Chairwoman Wang Xiulan asked, "Xiao Qin, who is going to the grassroots level this time?"

Qin Feng replied, "The newly arrived Mrs. He, the secretary, brought a batch of burlap sacks and old clothes, wanting to get a firsthand look at the real situation in the countryside. You will accompany her for a few days."

Wang Xiulan readily agreed, "Understood! I'll prepare right away."

Lou Xiao'e entered the Women's Federation office accompanied by Qin Feng.

She extended her hand and said, "Chairman Wang, I'm so sorry to trouble you to come with me to the commune."

Wang Xiulan grasped her hand tightly, her smile genuine: "Not at all! I was overjoyed to hear you donated so many sacks and were personally delivering them to the villagers!"

Qin Feng also coordinated with several armed forces officers to escort Lou Xiao'e and Wang Xiulan on their journey to the countryside.

Our first stop was Hongxing Commune. The locals had already been notified and were lined up early at the village entrance to wait. Upon seeing Wang Xiulan from afar, several commune cadres immediately came forward, warmly shaking hands and exchanging greetings.

After getting off the bus, Lou Xiao'e was completely unpretentious, quietly following behind the local officials as they visited each of the most impoverished families...

Accompanied by several comrades from the Women's Federation, Lou Xiao'e stepped into the crooked mud-brick door of Su Dahe's house. The family of five had only two sets of clothes in total, huddled in a mud house of less than sixteen square meters. The walls were cracked, the roof was drafty, and the bedding was covered with black spots. As soon as the door was opened, a rancid smell wafted out.

Whoever went to work put on their coat, while the rest huddled in the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed) wrapped in tattered quilts, afraid to even turn over for fear of shaking off the mold.

Lou Xiao'e's eyes immediately reddened. Without saying a word, she took out a few thick clothes that Lou Mancang had left behind, and also picked up a few sturdy burlap sacks.

"Hello comrade, we're from the county. Please take these clothes and sacks." Her voice was soft, but every word touched people's hearts.

The entire Su family was stunned, their eyes fixed on the face of the brigade clerk—in this day and age, who would give away surplus clothes for free? It was simply a fantasy.

The brigade leader quickly straightened his back: "This is Comrade Lou Xiao'e, Secretary He's wife, who came all this way to visit you! Please accept the clothes and burlap sacks; you can use them to wash and mend them. Just remember this kindness in Secretary He's heart!"

Su Dahe then took it with trembling hands, his knuckles frozen purple, shaking like withered branches in the autumn wind.

Lou Xiao'e then slipped a package of needles and thread into his palm.

Su Dahe stared at her, his eyes red-rimmed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and suddenly his knees buckled as he was about to kneel.

"No, you mustn't!" Lou Xiao'e grabbed his arm. "I was just running an errand for Secretary He. If you really want to thank someone, thank him for thinking of you all."

She turned and left, unwilling to witness this kneeling.

They then visited six or seven other households, and found that every house had a cold stove and collapsed walls, and every household had thin clothes and blankets; their situation was no different from that of the Su family.

As dusk settled, Lou Xiao'e and Wang Xiulan rode a tractor back to the county. When they opened the courtyard gate, He Yuzhu was sitting under the lamp listening to the radio. Seeing that her eyes were moist and her cuffs were still stained with mud, he immediately put down the radio.

"What's wrong? Did you run into some trouble?"

"I always thought Yang Chunfa was the most destitute in the courtyard..." Her voice was a little hoarse. "I never imagined that after crossing mountains and wading through ditches, there would still be people who didn't even have clothes to cover their bodies. Now I understand why you insisted on coming here—not for fame, but because you really wanted to carve out a way for everyone to survive."

He Yuzhu nodded and pushed the thermos towards her: "Trust me, and trust our country. The hard times are almost over, and the light will shine in inch by inch from now on."

"Yes, I believe you can lead them to a brighter future."