Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 28 Green Plums Appear Again at the Aquaculture Farm

Cai Aiguo, Zhang Hongbin, and others lowered their heads, not daring to meet Xu Youwei's gaze.

Xu Youwei stared at Cai Aiguo: "Comrade Aiguo, before forcibly leveling the graves, did you conduct an in-depth public opinion survey? Did you carry out sufficient policy publicity? Did you consider the feelings of the people?"

Cai Aiguo stammered, "Secretary Xu, because Mayor Ai required the pilot project to be completed within a limited time, the time was tight and the task was heavy. Many tasks were not done thoroughly or in detail, and the implementation at the grassroots level went astray."

Xu Youwei said sternly, "I know you are under pressure and have performance evaluations."

But what kind of view of political achievements is correct? Is it those cold, hard numbers on the reports, or the heartfelt recognition and support of the people?

If a task causes widespread resentment and anger, even if the targets are met perfectly, it's not an achievement, it's a failure! It's a hidden danger!

Next, Xu Youwei addressed the cadres and the masses, and said loudly, "I would like to offer a few opinions."

First, funeral reform must adhere to the rule of law and respect public opinion. A new investigation must be conducted to formulate a scientific, humane, and legally compliant plan, resolutely avoiding "one-size-fits-all" approaches and coercive orders! Haihe County must immediately and unconditionally suspend the forced leveling of graves!

Secondly, the Discipline Inspection Commission will intervene to severely punish the cadres who acted rudely, abused their power, and seriously harmed the interests of the masses in this incident…

Xu Youwei rattled off five points in one breath, then said, "The general direction of funeral reform is correct, but the methods must be right!"

We must adhere to the principle of prioritizing publicity, guidance, education, and demonstration, while fully respecting historical culture and the feelings of the people. We must never again engage in this kind of simplistic, crude, and conflict-intensifying "campaign-style" law enforcement.

Haven't we learned a profound lesson from the Zhoukou grave-leveling incident in Henan?

Next, Xu Youwei is going to his next stop.

When county leaders such as Cai Aiguo and Zhang Hongbin requested to accompany him, Xu Youwei firmly refused, saying, "You don't need to accompany me! Zhiyuan and I will just walk around and take a look; that way we can see the most authentic situation."

When Xu Youwei left, the crowd spontaneously applauded.

Some members of the public shouted, "Secretary Xu, you are our good secretary!"

Wu Zhiyuan was deeply moved. The people are very simple and honest. As long as you do something for them sincerely, they will remember it.

"There is a scale between heaven and earth, and the weight on that scale is the people." The masses see the merits and demerits of cadres most clearly and feel them most deeply.

He knew he couldn't be a secretary forever. If one day he took up a leadership position, or even became the head of a region, he would strive to be a cadre who would earn the heartfelt applause of the people, just like Xu Youwei.

After getting on the bus, Xu Youwei said, "Zhiyuan, the campaign to level graves was vigorously promoted by Comrade Ai Kun. Today I stopped it, and he will never give up easily."

The upcoming meeting of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee will undoubtedly be a tough battle.

Wu Zhiyuan cautiously analyzed: "Secretary Xu, Mayor Ai has deep roots in Longcheng, and he used to be the governor's secretary."

Although you have the upper hand in terms of reason and public opinion today, you must also be wary of Mayor Ai using this as an excuse in other areas.

For example, they might question whether you unilaterally rejected established policies without discussion at the Standing Committee meeting, or whether you shifted all responsibility to the grassroots level for distorted implementation, thus avoiding the fundamental directional issues of the policies themselves.

"Zhiyuan, you're right. So, we need to be quick and precise in our next move."

When you get back, compile a detailed, objective report with sufficient evidence on the situation at the scene today, especially on the issues raised by the public, such as the deaths caused by the pressure, the collective punishment, and the increased economic burden.

At the same time, we will study the national and provincial laws, regulations, and policy documents concerning funeral management to ensure that our research is based on sound reasoning and evidence.

We must win the support of the majority of the Standing Committee members, especially those comrades who have always had reservations about the campaign to level graves.

"Secretary Xu, I will prepare the materials as soon as possible."

Xu Youwei said meaningfully, "The development of Longcheng requires uniting people's hearts, not creating conflicts."

What is needed is the rule of law and rationality, not movements and reckless actions.

Xu Youwei paused, then suddenly asked, "Zhiyuan, what do you think of what you just saw and heard?"

Wu Zhiyuan cautiously replied: "Secretary Xu, the vitality of a policy lies in its implementation. No matter how good the original intention is, if a crooked monk misinterprets the sutra, it will become a bad policy that disturbs and harms the people."

The reason why the funeral reform in Haihe County has triggered a strong backlash is that its implementation was seriously detached from the masses, ignored traditional sentiments, and used simplistic and crude methods with excessive layers of restrictions, even incorporating privileged thinking and arbitrary use of power.

This will not only fail to achieve the goals of reform, but will also create new contradictions and erode the credibility of the Party and the government.

Xu Youwei nodded and said, "Zhiyuan, you've hit the nail on the head. Changing customs and habits requires gentle persuasion, not harsh measures."

Administrative orders and excavators cannot eradicate centuries-old traditions; they can only breed resentment and sever the close bond between the Party and the people!

Lao Tzu said, "Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish," and Confucianism emphasizes "nurturing" and "educating."

Some of our cadres are just too impatient and too reliant on the coercive power of authority!

The car drove forward.

Wu Zhiyuan tentatively asked, "Secretary Xu, where are we going next? How about we have lunch at my father's aquaculture farm?"

I asked my mom to cook some traditional country dishes. My mom is a pretty good cook.

In previous years, my mother was always invited to cook for weddings and funerals in the village.

In recent years, she has mainly worked at the aquaculture farm, making the farm her home.

Xu Youwei seemed somewhat intrigued: "Zhiyuan, which town do you live in? How far is it from here?"

Wu Zhiyuan said, "Longqiao Town. That's the town where Zhang Wanlin's Longqiao Coal Mine is located. It's only about 20 kilometers away from here."

Xu Youwei checked the time and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say. Let's go to your father's aquaculture farm first, and then we'll go look at other places in the afternoon."

However, please don't reveal my true identity yet. Just say I'm your friend, because your parents and other people are present.

Wu Zhiyuan was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Okay, Secretary Xu, I understand."

I told you you work in the provincial capital and are in Longcheng to inspect projects. I'll call you Boss Xu then.

Xu Youwei nodded in agreement: "Yes, that's settled."

Wu Zhiyuan immediately dialed his mother's number.

The mother was very happy to learn that her son had lunch with his friends.

The car was driving on a country road.

Wu Zhiyuan noticed in his rearview mirror that there was a car following behind him.

He reminded Xu Youwei: "Secretary Xu, there's a car following us. It looks like it's from the county."

Xu Youwei said calmly, "It was expected. We didn't let them accompany us because they were uneasy and afraid we would see more negative aspects. If they want to come, let them."

When the car arrived at the aquaculture farm, the vehicle that had been following it disappeared.

The aquaculture farm, covering more than 1,000 mu, was transformed from wasteland and wetlands by the town. It was jointly contracted by Wu Zhiyuan's father, Wu Dagui, and his friend Han Genfa.

Han Genfa is the major shareholder, owning 60% of the shares, while Wu Dagui owns 40% of the shares.

In the middle of the water, there is an island covering more than 100 acres.

The island in the middle of the lake was originally a small hill with a high elevation. After the surrounding area was flooded, it became a small island located in the middle of the water.

There is no road from the lake shore to the island in the middle of the lake; you have to take a boat to get there and back.

Wu Dagui arrived in his motorboat.

A girl was standing at the bow of the boat—Han Genfa's daughter, Han Tingting.

Han Tingting and Wu Zhiyuan's younger sister, Wu Kexin, are the same age, both twenty-two. Wu Kexin is a senior in college, studying at a vocational college. She has already started working as a nurse at Longqiao Town Health Center.

Han Tingting and Wu Kexin have been Wu Zhiyuan's little shadows since they were children.

As Han Tingting grew up, she developed feelings for Wu Zhiyuan. However, in Wu Zhiyuan's eyes, Han Tingting was just like Wu Kexin, her younger sister.

After the news of Wu Zhiyuan and Su Taohong's relationship was officially announced, Han Tingting was heartbroken for a long time.

Although it's early summer, the temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius today.

Han Tingting was wearing tight jeans, a pink short-sleeved T-shirt, and white sneakers.

She was tall and curvaceous, with bright eyes and white teeth. Although she lacked Su Taohong's charm, she was pure, clean, and full of youthful vigor.