Chapter 60 Interesting, very interesting
Sanmei was originally the name of a chaste and heroic woman in the Ming Dynasty. Because her husband went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, she was alone at home and was spotted by a local landlord, who molested her repeatedly and finally captured her, intending to force her to become his concubine. Sanmei refused to obey and committed suicide by jumping into a well.
The landlord was afraid that the matter would be leaked, so he sealed the well and buried the remains.
Unexpectedly, three days later, Sanmei's husband passed the imperial examination and returned home in glory, intending to take his wife with him to take up his post. But his wife had left the house empty-handed. When the neighbor saw him coming back and becoming an imperial scholar, he immediately told him the whole story.
The scholar went to the county government to file a complaint, but the county magistrate was in collusion with the landlord and tortured him into confessing, saying that the scholar failed to steal and turned around to slander the landlord.
As a result, the Jinshi died of his injuries in prison that night.
The story did not end there. On the fifth day, Sanmei finally dug a small hole out of the well and crawled out. When she returned home, she found out that her husband had been killed for her.
Sanmei didn't dare to say anything. She quietly packed her luggage and set off for the capital alone. It took Sanmei three full years to reach the capital. She was unfamiliar with the place, so she had to work as a servant in a wealthy family. She slowly found out which government office to go to, which official to look for, and how to file a complaint.
Another two years passed, Sanmei was afraid that the officials would protect each other, and she wanted to die, how could this injustice be redressed? Death did not matter, the key was to take revenge.
So Sanmei decided to file a complaint to the emperor regardless of the consequences.
At the end of the story, Sanmei sought revenge but was beaten to death. After her death, the emperor personally named her a chaste and heroic woman, and the county was renamed Sanmei.
Sanmei County is located more than 50 kilometers south of Nanhu City. It has a population of more than 500,000 and nine townships.
If Nanhu City is called the pearl of the basin, then Sanmei County is the chain connecting this pearl to Changshun, a remote mountainous province.
Therefore, the geographical environment of Sanmei County is very important. The expressway from Nanhu to Changshun passes through the county. The towns along the road have basically gotten rid of the label of poverty, but only the people along the way have benefited and made money by providing catering services.
The Nanchang Expressway runs along the mountain range, passing through the mountains and digging tunnels. The towns and villages along the way do not have the terrain to expand, so they have to provide catering services along the way. At the same time, Changshun has rich metal minerals and coal resources, and these mining practitioners have also added a lot of income to Sanmei County's service industry.
Public security is becoming increasingly chaotic. There are many gangs involved in prostitution, gambling, drugs and underworld activities. The criminals who got into trouble in Changshun also fled to the private mines in the mountainous areas of Sanmei to hide. The situation is very complicated.
Logically speaking, since it is close to Nanhu Lake, it should be an ideal place to invest in factories, real estate, and holiday resorts. However, Sanmei is close to Changshun Province, and the mountains in the county are steep, with half of it being plains and the other half being mountains.
This side of the plain is close to Nanhu Lake and is built by the water. If a highway is built to improve transportation, it will have to go around Nanhu Lake, which will cost huge investment.
If several towns near the water of Nanhu Lake build bridges across the lake, it can save a lot of money, but it will also destroy the ecological vegetation on the south bank of Nanhu Lake and cause lake pollution.
Because the highway is built through Nanhu, it will definitely become the preferred location for many industries and manufacturing industries. Nanhu City has made up its mind several times, but was rejected by the province.
This issue gradually became the focus of the struggle between the local faction in Nanhu and the outside cadres.
The last solution is to build secondary roads connecting all the towns in Sanmei County and return to the expressway from Nanhu to Changshun. In this way, it is equivalent to having only one exit for the entire Sanmei County, and the traffic in the entire county will make a big circle on the flat land within the county, causing many manufacturing and industrial enterprises to be unwilling to invest.
So Sanmei County is very figuratively described as half sea water and half fire.
Due to the influence of the terrain, the people of Sanmei County have completely opposite temperaments. The people near the mountains are tough and brave, while the people in the plains near the lake are mostly gentle, well-educated, and have passed down fishing and farming from generation to generation.
Therefore, the cadres of Sanmei County are also divided into two factions, north and south. The cadres in the north close to Nanhu Lake are headed by the current executive deputy county magistrate Wen Xinghai. But before the Sanmei corruption case, although Wen Xinghai was a member of the county party committee and deputy secretary, he was basically just a decoration and was excluded by the original team as a marginal figure.
The northern faction headed by Wen Xinghai has long been suppressed by cadres in the southern mountainous areas and is in a difficult situation.
After this corruption case, a number of southern faction cadres were uprooted, and all the Standing Committee members except Wen Xinghai and outsider Wu Hao were dismissed.
The party committee secretary and the mayor of two townships near Changshun were suspected of being involved in criminal gang cases. One of them was shot and the other three were sentenced to suspended death sentence and life imprisonment respectively.
Shi Jingyuan and Chen Yongzheng reported for duty before National Day and they took the lead.
During the National Day holiday, Hu Jiao went to Yanjing again to visit his grandfather. On October 15, after his son's second birthday, Hu Jiao officially reported to the Organization Department of Nanhu Municipal Party Committee.
As per convention, after the talks with the leaders, Ning Jiakai, member of the Standing Committee of the Nanhu Municipal Party Committee and Minister of the Organization Department, led him to Sanmei County to officially take office.
As usual, at the county-wide meeting of section-level cadres, Minister Ning publicized the municipal party committee's appointment, and Comrade Hu Jiao officially became the secretary of the Sanmei County Party Committee and acting director of the Sanmei County People's Congress.
The latter item must go through the procedures of the county people's congress standing committee.
Ning Jiakai did not leave that day and stayed at the Sanmei County Party Committee Guesthouse.
At night, outside Minister Ning's door, in the corridor, and in the courtyard, there were figures of Sanmei County cadres everywhere.
On the way here, Ning Jiakai specifically mentioned two candidates, hoping that Hu Jiao would carefully examine them.
How could Hu Jiao be the one to nominate members of the county party committee leadership team?
But there are two reasons. First, Hu Jianguo is the Organization Minister of the Provincial Party Committee. Second, the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Hu Zhongzhi has hinted at it. So even though Ning Jiakai and other municipal party committee leaders are full of resentment, they can only endure it.
Who made the team you elected be so rotten?
This is the biggest scandal that has never happened since liberation!
The provincial party committee has no intention of replacing the municipal party committee. After all, more than half of the vacancies have been reserved.
Ning Jiakai is responsible no matter what. Although the former minister and deputy secretary have retired, he, the successor minister, dare not interfere as soon as he shows up.
So they had to turn their attention to the two nominations for the Standing Committee members held by Hu Jiao.
Let’s first look at the current team members of Sanmei: County Party Secretary Hu Jiao, Deputy Secretary and Acting County Mayor Shi Jingyuan, Deputy Secretary Cheng Anping, Deputy Secretary Wu Qin, Executive Deputy County Mayor Wen Xinghai, Organization Minister Chen Yongzheng, Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Gao Xingfu, Propaganda Minister Fu Wenjie, and Armed Forces Minister Li Bing.
The previous Standing Committee did not have a Minister of Armed Forces, but a Minister of United Front Work. This Municipal Party Committee restored the appointment of the Minister of Armed Forces as a member of the Standing Committee.
According to the Organization Department of Nanhu Municipal Party Committee, regarding the organization and approval of the county-level party committee leadership team, there are eleven members of the Sanmei County Party Committee Standing Committee.
Now there are only nine people, still missing a deputy secretary in charge of the economy and a secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission .
In principle, the deputy secretary in charge of the economy will only be selected from among the existing deputy county governors, while the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission will only be selected from among the directors of the Justice Bureau, the Public Security Bureau, the procurator general, the president of the court, and the deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission.
Let’s first talk about the incumbent county governors of Sanmei County. Shi Jingyuan is the acting county governor, Wen Xinghai is the executive deputy county governor, and the other deputy county governors are: Deputy County Governor Zou Kaigui, who is in charge of electricity, water conservancy and transportation; Deputy County Governor Tang Aihua, who is in charge of agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry; and Deputy County Governor Bai Yuxiu, who is in charge of science, education, culture, health and publicity.
There are only three in total. The original seven deputy county governors had four of them fall due to corruption cases. This time, the Nanhu Municipal Party Committee reduced the number of deputy county governors in accordance with the instructions of the Provincial Party Committee. The approved number of deputy county governors of Sanmei County is five.
Shi Jingyuan had not yet redistributed the government work, and now Hu Jiao came with two nominations for the Standing Committee and a candidate for deputy county magistrate.
Minister Ning hinted at a candidate for the Standing Committee. He felt that as a member of the Standing Committee of the Nanhu Municipal Party Committee and Minister of Organization, he had spoken personally. Would Hu Jiao not refuse to give him face?
Therefore, around these three places, Ning Jiakai's room in Sanmei was packed with people.
The welcome banquet lasted from 8pm to 11pm. Ning Jiakai finally couldn't stand it anymore and closed the door to refuse visitors, thus ending the work report.
And where is Hu Jiao at this time?
He was with Shi Jingyuan and Chen Yongzheng. The three of them did not live in the county party committee guesthouse. Thanks to the previous corrupt officials, several small villas for the standing committee members were built in the county party committee compound. Of course, they were not called villas but small guesthouses.
Hu Jiao originally arranged for Ning Jiakai to live in Xiaozhao, but Minister Ning disagreed and insisted on living in the guesthouse. Hu Jiao knew this and did not force him.
In his heart, he had quite a few opinions about Minister Ning.
You are the head of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department, but you don't have a quota in the Municipal Party Committee. Why do you come to me to ask for money? Are you bullying the weak and afraid of the strong?
He didn't care what Minister Ning was doing in Sanmei, and he couldn't control it. If he wanted to ask for help, he could ask for it. Anyway, he had informed Chen Yongzheng in advance, and all the cadres who went to lick Minister Ning's ass would be recorded.
Well, since you look down on me as the class monitor, go wherever you want. I won't keep you here.
After the banquet, the three of them returned to the small restaurant and told the waiter to keep a close eye on the door, saying that they were drunk and had gone to bed early and no one was allowed to come in.
Hu Jiao made the arrangements with a stern face.
When the new official took office, Tao Shilin, deputy director of the county party committee office, did not dare to disobey. The director of the county party committee office was also a member of the standing committee before, but this time it was equivalent to being laid off. The deputy secretary who was to be appointed would take the position concurrently, and the position of director of the county party committee office would no longer be arranged separately.
It seems like the deputy secretary will definitely not interfere in the work of the county party committee office. He will just be a figurehead, but if he really wants to take charge, he will inevitably fall into the lower level.
Therefore, the deputy director, especially the deputy director in charge of work, has invisibly replaced the position of the original director of the county party committee office.
There are only three deputy directors in the county party committee office now. The one who is close to the water will get the moon first. Whether he, the deputy director who has always been in charge of logistics and reception, can seize the opportunity depends on whether he can grasp Secretary Hu's attitude.
Today, two other deputy directors also came. Tao Shilin smiled and passed out cigarettes. After the three of them lit up, a puff of smoke rose. They smiled at each other and asked about the situation of several leaders.
Tao Shilin was as calm as ever, and his tone was respectful, "Secretary Hu told me not to see anyone, saying that he had drunk too much and needed to rest early."
Looking at the disappointed looks in the two people's eyes as they left, Tao Shilin felt that they were even more precious.
They all know that the leader must be discussing something, and that it is a major event that will affect the life direction of many cadres. At this time, whoever can get closer first will be one step ahead.
Tao Shilin didn't dare to leave. He knew that his boss would always get tired of talking about things. As long as the waiters under him went to add water or cook midnight snacks, he would have a chance.
After Hu Jiao entered the room, he collapsed on the sofa. He still couldn't drink much. Shi Jingyuan and Chen Yongzheng both had good alcohol tolerance. Seeing that he seemed to be a little out of breath, they quickly arranged for someone to cook a hangover soup.
My head feels a little heavy, but my thoughts are still clear.
"Jingyuan, tell me what you learned after coming down here?"
Shi Jingyuan thought about and organized his speech, and said slowly, "Time is limited, and I don't know much. The government's work is pretty good, and Wen Xinghai is quite capable. Basically, all work has returned to the right track, and the main task at present is still the overall plan goal at the beginning of the year."
Shi Jingyuan shook his head. "I think it's terrible. The scope of the corruption case is too large. Many tasks have been delayed. The heads of the Finance Bureau, Construction Bureau, Public Security Bureau, Economic and Trade Bureau... these important departments have never been fully in place. The deputy director who is in charge of the work now is not very capable either. Everyone is thinking about the official position and not the work. In the township, I went to two places, one in the north and one in the south. Sigh... You don't know until you see it. It's completely two extremes. Although the north is poorer and more backward, the villagers live a peaceful life and the people are friendly. But what about the mountainous area in the south? In one word, chaos! The gap between the rich and the poor is large, the public security is poor, extortion, gambling, it's simply a mess."
After Shi Jingyuan finished speaking, Hu Jiao looked at Chen Yongzheng and asked, "Did you take over?"
Chen Yongzheng smiled bitterly and took out a notebook and handed it to Hu Jiao. Hu Jiao originally thought it was a report on the cadre inspection, but it turned out to be a full list of gifts, including cash.
"Since the first day I took office, there have been cadres reporting to me non-stop. The county magistrate was fine, as he started working the next day. I was just like a firebrand, with no way to get to know the work in depth. People were reporting every day, from the morning when they started get off work to the evening when they got off work. They couldn't even have a peaceful lunch or dinner. These people were too powerful. Even if I hid in a small restaurant on the street, I would be bumped into by them by accident..."
Seeing Chen Yongzheng's wry smile, Hu Jiao was actually amused. Without waiting for Hu Jiao to speak, Chen Yongzheng handed over another notebook, "This is the situation of some of the cadres under investigation. These are the people I come into contact with every day. Combining the previous files and the opinions of the Organization Department, I think these people are pretty good, but they are a little confused ."
Hu Jiao laughed, looking drunk, "Thank you for your hard work. In fact, you didn't arrive a few days earlier than me. You reported for duty during the National Day holiday. You have done so much in the past few days. It's really hard. Jingyuan, tell me about the deputy county chiefs. In addition, I will not interfere with the nomination of the deputy county chief this time. You can handle it."
Shi Jingyuan was very happy to hear this. He was originally planning to say a few polite words, but then he thought that since this was a private conversation, there was no need to say anything extra. "Professor, I'll be very respectful to you. What are you going to do next? How do you need my cooperation?"
Hu Jiao waved his hand, "Let's do it this way for now, no rush." His eyes quickly scanned the notebook handed over by Chen Yongzheng. He was looking for the name in his mind. The file his father gave him had two people's fingernail marks on the corners of the page. Nothing should be written randomly on the file. This was Hu Jianguo's hint.
One is Qiu Mingqian, deputy director of the county people's congress, and the other is Zou Kaigui, deputy county magistrate .
Both of them are from Sanmei County, and both rose from Changshan Township in the southern mountainous area of Sanmei. They also worked together, with Qiu Mingqian as the secretary and Zou Kaigui as the township head.
Moreover, they were both born in the same year and are both 42 years old this year.
Qiu Mingqian first served as deputy county magistrate. A year later, he was driven to the National People's Congress. Zou Kaigui took over from him. After serving one term as township party secretary, he was promoted to the position of deputy county magistrate, a position he has held ever since.
Hu Jiao intended to give the third deputy secretary candidate to Qiu Mingqian and the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission to Zou Kaigui.
Judging from their work experience, they are very capable. In the few years they have been in the village, they have managed to pull a very poor village back to a place where people can have enough food and clothing. They also share a common philosophy: "Never wait, rely on, or ask for things, never shout slogans, and get rid of poverty and become rich through practical actions."
The two organized people to work outside to broaden their horizons and learn skills. They did not go far away, but stayed in Nanhu City. Then they supported the returning farmers to start their own businesses by applying for micro-credit. Over the past seven years, Changshan Township has changed every year and has achieved real results in the northern mountainous area.
Without these achievements, the two would not have been able to rush out of the situation at that time.
Of course, there is also the relationship that both of them are of southern origin.
Hu Jiao didn't find these two people in Chen Yongzheng's notebook. After thinking about it, he couldn't help but laugh. Both of them were deputy department-level officials, on the same level as Chen Yongzheng. Why did they have to report to him?
I hope you two don’t go to Minister Ning’s camp tonight, otherwise I will be very sad and disappointed.
Tao Shilin came in with some sobering soup. He had already cooled it with cold water, so it was the right temperature. He could drink it right away without waiting.
Hu Jiao took it, took a big sip, and thanked Tao Shilin gently, "Thank you, Director Sun... You... have been working in the county party committee?"
Tao Shilin never thought that Hu Jiao would talk to him. Seeing the three heavyweights there, his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He guessed it was possible, but when he really faced it, he couldn't help but feel excited.
"Yes, Secretary Hu, I have been assigned to the county party committee office since I graduated from university."
“How many years have you been working?”
"Sixteen years."
Hu Jiao nodded and handed him the empty bowl. "It tastes good."
Tao Shilin was knowledgeable and smart, and he knew that it was Hu Jiao who asked him to step down.
"Secretary Hu, County Mayor Shi, and Minister Chen, you guys chat. I'll have someone prepare some midnight snacks later." After saying that, Tao Shilin stepped back, and the three of them nodded.
Tao Shilin walked out, gritting his teeth. He knew that he had won the first battle of the day!
Hu Jiao looked at Chen Yongzheng, "What's this guy's name, Sun?"
"Tao Shilin, deputy director of the county party committee office, in charge of logistics and reception, graduated from Nanzhao Education College, junior college student, 37 years old, well, has been deputy director for five years."
Hu Jiao laughed, "People from Sanmei County. Interesting, very interesting."
