Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1005 - Chapter 1005 Chapter 961 A Long Way to Go

Chapter 1005: Chapter 961: A Long Way to Go Chapter 1005: Chapter 961: A Long Way to Go The scene that caught my eyes was a small village deeply nestled between the valleys, with about a dozen houses scattered on the ravine and mid-slope, their mud roads concealed beneath the white snow. At this time, the entire village was blanketed in white. It was only around half past ten in the morning. Yet, smoke was rising from most of the houses in the village. Seeing this, Nie Zhenbang’s expression immediately darkened.

Wu Guangshun from the Transportation Department, upon seeing this, smiled and said, “Secretary Li, the work in Wenchun City is quite commendable. Though the road is a bit dilapidated, it seems the villagers’ lives are not too bad, looking at it. You see, they are already starting to prepare lunch.”

As soon as Wu Guangshun finished speaking, He Zhenghui, the Director of the Water Resources and Electric Power Department, secretly tugged at him.

As the Director of the Water Resources and Electric Power Department, He Zhenghui had visited many places and had some understanding of life in the poorer remote areas.

Nie Zhenbang, however, calmly turned around, looked at Wu Guangshun, and said, “Director Wu, it seems you rarely go down to the countryside.”

As he spoke, Nie Zhenbang pointed toward the village ahead and said solemnly, “The reason smoke is rising at this time indicates that during this winter, the common folk are conserving food, plus it is the slack season in farming. They are eating only two meals a day.”

Nie Zhenbang’s voice, although not loud, was clear enough for all the accompanying staff to hear. Behind him, the shocked leaders of Yaodu County and Jiashan Township showed on their faces. Secretary Nie’s understanding of the rural areas and grassroots level exceeded their expectations.

Looking at the embarrassed Wu Guangshun, Nie Zhenbang said indifferently, “Director Wu, when holding a high position, one should think more of the grassroots. Living in luxury, one should still remember the hardships.”

This statement, neither light nor heavy, reflected Nie Zhenbang’s attitude. Clearly, Secretary Nie was not very satisfied with Wu Guangshun’s performance, which left Wu feeling very apprehensive and extremely embarrassed.

Nie Zhenbang did not wait for Wu Guangshun to respond and turned to Li Youquan and Xu Hongzhuan and said, “Let’s go, we’ll visit the homes of the villagers. Without delving into the grassroots, how can we understand the suffering of the common people?”

A group of people walked into the village, and the appearance of the entire village unfolded before Nie Zhenbang without reservation. This was clearly not like inspecting some new rural development.

The houses all conformed to a single design. In some places where every household had electric lights, telephones, cars, and tall buildings, here, those things were absent. The houses were made of either earthen walls or adobe, and due to the limitations of building materials, the houses were not tall.

The whole village was very quiet, and apart from the barking of dogs, as such a large group of people entered, hardly a few came out.

Meanwhile, the Party Secretary of Jiashan Township took another small path through the village. Nobody from Wenchun City, Yaodu County, or Jiashan Township had anticipated visiting Willow Mountain Village. Now, having been in the village for such a considerable time with no village cadres in sight, wasn’t this causing Jiashan Township to lose face?

Nie Zhenbang, at this moment, was purely acting on a whim. Approaching the entrance of a villager’s two-room flat, he suddenly stepped onto the path and called out loudly, “Is anyone home? Folks, are you at home?”

As his voice fell, a woman covered in hay ash emerged from another room in the house. Her clothes were very thin. The red woolen sweater she wore was washed white in places. Her eyes revealed a hint of shyness, fear, and as she looked at the crowd, her voice stuttered slightly, “You… Who are you…”

A leader from Yaodu County approached and said in the local dialect, “This is our Secretary of the Hongjiang Provincial Committee, Secretary Nie, who has come to visit you.”

Nie Zhenbang, though not fluent in the Hongjiang dialect, had a superior linguistic talent. After taking office in Hongjiang, he quickly grasped some of the local dialect’s nuances; though he couldn’t speak it, he understood it when listening.

Seeing the woman’s fearful demeanor, Nie Zhenbang turned and said, “Don’t be so stern; it will scare them.”

Just as he was about to speak, several people ran toward them, out of breath. The Party Secretary of Jiashan Township introduced them to Nie Zhenbang, “Secretary Nie, this is Comrade Liu Pusheng, the village secretary of Willow Mountain Village.”

The village secretary of Willow Mountain Village, roughly sixty years old, if not for the introduction, appeared to be a typical rural elder, without the slightest air of village cadre about him.

Nie Zhenbang nodded, smiled, and extended his hand, saying, “Old Branch Secretary Liu, hello.”

Liu Pusheng had never expected that Secretary Nie from the Provincial Committee would be so amiable and even take the initiative to shake hands with him. He was momentarily stunned before hurriedly reaching out his hand and replied with excitement, “Secretary… Secretary Nie, hello.”

After Old Branch Secretary Liu’s arrangements, the woman finally understood what was going on. She opened the door of the main room, welcoming the group of visitors inside.

Of course, given the limited size of the house, only a few leaders from the provincial government agencies could sit with Secretary Nie, in addition to several main leaders from Wenchun City, along with the top officials from Yaodu County and Jiashan Township. They sat beside him, while others naturally had to wait outside.

Soon, the entire village knew that a high-ranking official had arrived, and many people gathered around. With the villagers’ help, a fire was quickly lit in the brazier in the main room.

As everyone sat around the fire, Nie Zhenbang was flanked by the village secretary of Willow Mountain Village and the male head of the household. Just like the secretary, the man’s clothes were also very thin, which tugged at Nie Zhenbang’s heartstrings. It wasn’t that they weren’t cold; everybody was born and raised by parents and nobody is a fool. Everyone knows what feeling cold is and when to eat. If they had warm clothing, who wouldn’t know to wear it? This could only mean that this family’s circumstances were dire, lacking sufficient clothing.

This realization weighed heavily on Nie Zhenbang. Although it had not yet reached the point where a whole family had to share a single pair of pants, the existence of such impoverished families in his jurisdiction, in Hongjiang Province, was a dereliction of his duty. It was a failure of the leadership across Hongjiang.

In the one-sided pursuit of economic growth rates and GDP, it was critical to actually consider the real lives of the common people, which was the essence of governance.

Looking at the old branch secretary, Nie Zhenbang smiled and asked, “Old Secretary, how was the harvest this year in Willow Mountain Village?”

This question made the leaders from Jiashan Township and Yaodu County beside him tense up immediately. This was not something that had been rehearsed or arranged in advance. Although the township party secretary had given Liu Pusheng a few instructions when notifying him, he knew Liu’s character all too well. This old man was not someone to be taken lightly.

At this moment, with Secretary Nie asking questions, it would be problematic if something inappropriate was said. Being embarrassed would be the least of their concerns; facing the wrath from above was not something a mere township party secretary could withstand.

Hearing Nie Zhenbang’s inquiry, Liu Pusheng’s dark face showed a hint of a smile, “Secretary Nie, this year’s harvest was good, the Party’s policies have been beneficial. We had good technical guidance, so the grain yield was a bumper crop.”

“However, Secretary Nie, our village is so remote in these mountains that vehicles can’t get in and the grain can’t get out. Every household has to eat last year’s grain, which is the biggest problem.”

Nie Zhenbang didn’t make many gestures but nodded and smiled, saying, “Old Secretary, besides these issues, are there any other difficulties? I’ve come here to see how the disaster has affected our people, and also, I’m very eager to hear the real voices from the grassroots. You spoke well, Old Secretary.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the old branch secretary looked somewhat troubled, but after some thought, he mustered the courage and said, “There are many difficulties. Education for the children in the village is a problem. Willow Mountain Village has a small population and our school was closed down a while ago. Now, to attend school, the children have to travel twenty or thirty li. It’s tough for them. Additionally, electricity is inconvenient; there are frequent power outages. Another issue is that the villagers mostly lack education, which makes it hard for them to find work outside. I hope the leaders can provide more support and favorable policies.”

His words were simple but hinted at many difficulties. Nie Zhenbang pondered for a moment and looking up at Li Youquan, said, “Comrade Youquan, regarding the issue of education in Willow Mountain Village, the city committee and government must pay close attention. We must not let our education or children suffer no matter how poor or hard life is. This shouldn’t just be an empty promise. We must ensure fair and equal distribution of basic educational resources.”

Speaking of this, Nie Zhenbang looked at Wu Guangshun and He Zhenghui beside him, “Director Wu, Director He, one of you heads the Transportation Department and the other the Water Resources and Hydropower Department. Today, here in front of Old Secretary Liu, I want you to come up with a compromise solution.”

Wu Guangshun nodded and said, “Secretary Nie, please rest assured. As soon as I return, I will immediately arrange for the relevant staff from the Transportation Department’s Rural Road Planning Department to come here for an on-site survey and measurement. I guarantee that by this time next year, the road will be open to traffic.”

Next to him, He Zhenghui also spoke, “Secretary Nie, it’s quite a coincidence. The Water Resources and Hydropower Department has a rural power grid transformation plan aimed at addressing the current overloaded and frequently malfunctioning rural power grid. Wenchun City is also one of our key working areas. I believe that after next year, this issue with power outages will be completely resolved.”

The level of competence was apparent from the words of both men.

Here, because he had shown concern, all sectors began to tilt in their favor, but what about other places? Nie Zhenbang’s mood grew somber. His path forward in Hongjiang had just begun and there was a long road ahead. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (NovelFire.net) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)