OBS Chapter 1303 People Living in Courtyard Houses in Beijing
Chapter 1303 People Living in Courtyard Houses in Beijing
Chapter 1303 People Living in Courtyard Houses in Beijing
Inside the Song family's main room, the stove was burning brightly, and the rising steam was mixed with the rich aroma of dishes and warm, everyday laughter.
The New Year's Eve dinner was in full swing. Mr. and Mrs. Song had satisfied blushes on their faces. Song Yunhui was enthusiastically describing the interesting things that happened in college, while Song Yunping was busy serving everyone with her eyes crinkling. Her eyes would occasionally glance at Qin Hao beside her.
He changed into a soft wool sweater, shedding his usual aloofness, and the lines of his profile appeared exceptionally gentle in the flickering firelight.
A small cup of warm rice wine sat in front of Qin Hao. His fingers unconsciously traced the smooth surface of the cup as he listened to Song Yunhui's impassioned words, occasionally offering a few words of agreement, a faint smile playing on his lips.
On the table were the fruits of Song's mother's hard work for most of the day: a plump and glistening braised fish symbolizing abundance year after year; a carefully simmered and fragrant old hen soup bubbling in a clay pot; and a large bowl of steaming white flour dumplings.
Mr. Song picked up his wine glass, his voice trembling slightly: "This year... is truly wonderful! Ping'er and Xiaohui are both in college, doing well, and Haozi is back too... Our family is all together, and that's better than anything else!"
His eyes were slightly red, clearly recalling those difficult years of the past.
Seeing this, Song Yunhui quickly raised his glass to change the subject: "Dad, Mom, Sister, Hao-ge, let's have a drink together! Wishing our family a prosperous new year, and wishing Hao-ge's business even greater success!"
"Cheers!" The crisp sound of clinking glasses rang out, accompanied by laughter, dispelling the biting chill outside the window.
Song Yunping had just placed a piece of fish in Qin Hao's bowl when she put it in, her cheeks slightly flushed, and whispered, "Eat it while it's hot."
Sudden.
"Beep beep—"
The sharp, continuous blaring of car horns abruptly shattered the tranquility of the village night and the warmth inside the Song family's house.
Mr. Song put down his chopsticks and looked out the window in confusion: "Who drove here during the New Year holiday?"
"I'll go take a look." Song Yunhui got up and pushed open the creaking wooden door, and a cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in.
Outside the gate, three black sedans were parked not far away, their headlights particularly glaring in the snowy night. A familiar figure came running over to open the gate—it was Director Yang of the Shanbei Brigade!
"Xiao Song!" Director Yang called out breathlessly, "Is General Manager Lei at your house?"
Song Yunhui didn't react for a moment: "President Lei? Which President Lei?"
At this moment, a refined-looking man in a dark gray woolen overcoat stepped forward. He was about thirty years old, and his every move exuded a composed demeanor.
The man chuckled and explained, "It's Lei Hao from Xiao Lei Village. We just came from there."
"Oh! You mean Brother Hao!" Song Yunhui suddenly realized and quickly stepped aside to let him in. "He's inside, please come in!"
Inside the main room, Song's father was pouring wine for Qin Hao when he suddenly saw a group of people rushing in. Startled, his hand trembled, and the wine spilled halfway across the table. In his younger days, Song's father had been forced to treat a Nationalist officer and had suffered a lot of persecution. Upon seeing this scene, his legs went weak, and he sat down on the ground.
"Dad!" Song Yunping quickly helped her father up.
Director Yang quickly stepped forward and introduced, "Haozi, this is County Magistrate Xu from Jinling County."
Qin Hao's eyes flickered slightly. This County Magistrate Xu was no ordinary man; in the original story, he later rose to a high-ranking official position, his background unfathomable. He calmly extended his hand: "Greetings, County Magistrate Xu."
"Mr. Lei, to be honest, I've truly heard a lot about you!"
County Chief Xu warmly shook Qin Hao's hand, with just the right amount of force.
Qin Hao humbly replied, "County Chief Xu, you flatter me. Although I'm in Southeast Asia, I've heard that Jinling County has welcomed a young, energetic, and ambitious official like yourself. Your visit to Xiaolei Village on New Year's Eve to gain a deeper understanding of the situation at the grassroots level is truly admirable."
Seeing the harmonious atmosphere, Song's father breathed a sigh of relief and quickly called out, "Xiao Hui, Ping'er, quickly pour tea for County Magistrate Xu and the others!"
The main room wasn't large to begin with, and with seven or eight people crammed in, it felt especially crowded. Song Yunhui brought out a few stools from the inner room, while Song Yunping busied herself making tea. County Magistrate Xu accepted the teacup, thanked him, and sat down opposite Qin Hao.
"General Manager Lei, to be honest," County Chief Xu took a sip of tea, his tone sincere, "I genuinely want to do something practical for the people of our county. However, as a new official taking office, and in such a large county with millions of people to feed and clothe, developing the economy and improving people's livelihoods, there are countless things to consider. Where do I begin? How can I find a path that aligns with policy guidelines and truly yields tangible results? To be honest, I've been tossing and turning at night these past few days, pondering this repeatedly. I've come here today hoping to learn from you, General Manager Lei, and hear your insights!"
Qin Hao waved his hands repeatedly: "County Chief Xu, you flatter me. If we're talking about managing a company or doing some international trade, I might have a little practical experience to share. But governing a county with a population of over a million and developing the local economy involves population size, resource endowment, policy coordination… It's a massive and complex systemic project. I haven't conducted in-depth field research into the specific situations of various enterprises and townships in the county, so I really dare not speak on this subject. As my teacher said: 'Without investigation, there is no right to speak.' Without understanding the real situation, any suggestions may be superficial or even completely counterproductive."
County Head Xu said earnestly, “During this period of time, I have visited many state-owned factories, department stores, and some commune and brigade enterprises in the county... There are indeed many problems! The old factories have outdated equipment and their technology cannot keep up with the times; their products have been the same for decades, and their sales channels are very narrow; their management is also very extensive, with overstaffing and low efficiency being common phenomena. Now the higher-ups are advocating learning from advanced foreign management experience, so Mr. Lei, please don’t be modest.”
Seeing that Qin Hao still wouldn't budge, County Chief Xu continued, "How about this? Several departments in our county can coordinate and, during the Spring Festival holiday, select a few of the most representative factories for a formal inspection and research trip. President Lei, you can personally participate, go and see for yourself, listen to the factory directors' specific difficulties, and experience the actual operation of the workshops. With your international perspective and experience, combined with our local conditions, give us your insights. What do you think?"
The main room fell silent instantly. All eyes were fixed on Qin Hao's face. The crackling of the fire in the stove was exceptionally clear.
"County Chief Xu's deep love for the people is truly admirable. Since he has already put it this way, it would be unreasonable for me to refuse."
A hint of joy flashed across County Chief Xu's eyes.
Qin Hao changed the subject slightly: "However, the timing does need careful coordination. Although most Southeast Asian countries also celebrate the Spring Festival, the holiday is very short. Moreover, before I left, the newly opened Singapore-Malaysia channel already had a backlog of order emails waiting to be processed, and several major partners were waiting for my reply... According to the plan, I must set off for Hong Kong to handle it by the eighth day of the Lunar New Year at the latest, otherwise it will delay the delivery of goods to customers and affect the company's reputation and subsequent cooperation."
"If we're going to arrange an inspection... time is very tight. County Chief Xu, how about this: we set the date for the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and I'll make the arrangements as quickly as possible, cutting back on some of my personal schedule. I'll be in the county on the morning of the fifth day to meet you all. Let's try to complete the inspection in two days?"
County Chief Xu breathed a sigh of relief: "Good! Good! Excellent! Then I'll be waiting for General Manager Lei in the county on the fifth day of the new year. Don't worry, General Manager Lei, I'll take care of everything in the county. I'll make sure the itinerary is tight and efficient, and I won't waste your precious time!"
He knew very well that many state-owned enterprises in the province and city were eyeing Haoran International's foreign trade orders, and if county enterprises wanted to get a share of the pie, they could only play the emotional card.
As they were chatting happily inside, Lei Dongbao braved the wind and snow, shivering from the cold, and ran over from outside the courtyard gate. Just as he was about to sneak in, he bumped into Song Yunhui, who was going to the kitchen to get hot water.
"Why are you here again?" Song Yunhui frowned and glared at Lei Dongbao, his tone unfriendly.
Lei Dongbao rubbed his hands together and explained, "No. I was with County Chief Xu and the others!"
Song Yunhui reluctantly let him in. The room was too crowded for Lei Dongbao to squeeze in, so he could only peek inside on tiptoe. He saw County Magistrate Xu and Qin Hao chatting amiably, and it was even vaguely clear that the county magistrate was asking for a favor. Lei Dongbao couldn't help but wonder: Why would a county magistrate need a self-employed individual's help?
Mr. and Mrs. Song were equally shocked. In their eyes, Director Yang was already a very high-ranking official, and the county magistrate was an even more unattainable figure. For such a person to be on equal footing with Qin Hao, and even appear to be humbly seeking his guidance, was astounding.
Just as the atmosphere was becoming more harmonious, Qin Hao seemed to suddenly remember something. He turned his gaze to Song Yunhui, who had been standing to the side with a look of shock and excitement on his face, and beckoned to him: "Xiao Hui, where's the material you wrote before?"
Song Yunhui was taken aback at first, then understood and quickly went back into the house to retrieve the documents for his father's exoneration. Qin Hao took them and recounted Song's father's situation in detail.
County Head Xu took the materials, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses focused and serious. He flipped through the pages, sometimes frowning, sometimes nodding.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone held their breath, waiting for the county magistrate's reaction.
Finally, County Chief Xu closed the document, a smile of approval on his face: "The document is very detailed, and the writing is quite good."
He looked at Song Yunhui, "No wonder you're a top student who ranked first in our county's college entrance examination twice."
Song Yunhui lowered his head somewhat shyly, but his eyes shone with anticipation.
County Head Xu turned to the leaders of various county departments present, his tone suddenly becoming serious: "Comrades, this problem is very representative! Even though the higher authorities have issued documents clearly stating which situations qualify for the removal of criminal records and rehabilitation, in practice, implementation is fraught with difficulties!"
"Ultimately, it all boils down to fear of causing trouble and taking responsibility! If we officials are all so timid and hesitant, what are we supposed to do with the people? Should the economy continue to develop? Should we continue to build the Four Modernizations?"
These words were so powerful that the accompanying leaders instinctively lowered their heads.
County Head Xu held up the document, his voice firm and resolute: "I propose that on the first day of the new year, a meeting be held to study the spirit of the superior's documents, and that all secretaries and deputy secretaries of each brigade and production team participate!"
"County Chief Xu is right!"
"That's an excellent suggestion!"
"We will definitely implement this diligently!"
Seeing this, the other leaders all stood up and expressed their agreement.
County Magistrate Xu nodded in satisfaction and handed the exoneration documents to his young secretary: "I'll leave the matter of exonerating Comrade Song Jishan to you."
"Yes! Please rest assured, County Head, I will implement it as soon as possible!" The secretary took the materials with both hands and solemnly put them into his briefcase.
Mr. and Mrs. Song were too excited to speak. Tears streamed silently down Mrs. Song's face, while Mr. Song stood up tremblingly, wanting to bow to County Magistrate Xu, but Qin Hao helped him up in time.
“Uncle Song, there’s no need for that,” Qin Hao said softly, then turned to County Chief Xu: “Thank you, County Chief Xu, for standing up for the people.”
County Head Xu waved his hand, a warm smile returning to his face: "This is what we should do. Mr. Lei, you don't need to be so polite."
After chatting with Qin Hao for a while longer, County Chief Xu glanced at his watch and said, "It's getting late, and we still have matters to attend to in the county, so we'll take our leave now."
"County Magistrate Xu, please stay for a simple meal!" Song's mother hurriedly urged, "The dishes are all ready; they can just be heated up."
“Yes, County Chief Xu, it’s not easy for you to come all this way during the Spring Festival…” Song’s father quickly added.
County Magistrate Xu smiled and shook his head: "No, no, I'm busy with official duties. I'll come and bother you again another day."
As he spoke, he walked towards the door.
A group of people escorted County Chief Xu out. Outside the gate, three black sedans were parked quietly in the snow, their roofs already covered with a thin layer of snow. The secretary quickly stepped forward and opened the car door for County Chief Xu.
Watching the convoy slowly drive away, its taillights gradually disappearing into the snowy night, finally vanishing around the corner at the village entrance.
Song Yunhui breathed a sigh of relief and was about to call everyone back to the house when he suddenly noticed that Lei Dongbao was still standing at the gate, frozen in place.
"Didn't you come with them? Why aren't you leaving with them?" Song Yunhui questioned him bluntly, his tone clearly hostile.
An embarrassed look appeared on Lei Dongbao's dark face. He stammered, "Um... I... I'm in a hurry to get home for New Year's Eve dinner... Please come inside, it's cold outside, no need to see me off."
After saying that, without waiting for Song Yunhui to say anything more, Lei Dongbao turned around and strode away, his back looking somewhat disheveled in the snow.
This scene brought a knowing smile to both Qin Hao and Song Yunping.
Back in the main room, the fire in the stove was still burning brightly, but the atmosphere was completely different. Father Song sat in a chair, dazed, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. Mother Song kept wiping away tears, muttering, "Now our family can finally take off that hat..."
Song Yunping poured everyone a cup of hot tea and said softly, "Dad, Mom, have some hot tea to warm yourselves up."
Qin Hao picked up his teacup, gazing thoughtfully at the falling snow outside the window.
Song Yunhui couldn't help but ask, "Brother Hao, why is County Chief Xu being so polite to you?"
Qin Hao withdrew his gaze and said casually, "Perhaps it's because our company generated over 80 million US dollars in foreign exchange for the country last year."
"More than 80 million? In US dollars?" Song Yunhui's teacup clattered onto the table, spilling tea everywhere. His eyes widened, and his voice trembled.
Mr. and Mrs. Song were also speechless with shock. More than 80 million US dollars was an astronomical figure for them.
A silence fell over the room, broken only by the crackling of the fireplace. Everyone was processing this astonishing news. Suddenly, Song Yunhui remembered something and exclaimed excitedly, "Brother Hao, so, County Magistrate Xu came today actually for…"
"Shh—" Qin Hao made a shushing gesture and said meaningfully, "Some things are better left unsaid."
Song Yunhui immediately understood and nodded hurriedly. In his eyes as he looked at Qin Hao, in addition to the original admiration, there was also a hint of indescribable complex emotion.
Outside the window, the snow fell even heavier, blanketing the entire village in white. But inside the main room, the fire burned even brighter, warming everyone's hearts. Finally recovering from his shock, Song's father trembled as he raised his teacup: "Haozi...we...our whole family toasts you."
Qin Hao quickly stood up, holding the glass with both hands: "Uncle Song, you flatter me. Over the years, you've treated me like family; this is what I should do."
Mother Song wiped away her tears and said, "Alright, alright, it's the New Year, let's not talk about this anymore. The food's getting cold, I'll go heat it up, let's have a proper family reunion dinner!"
Song Yunping immediately stood up: "Mom, I'll go heat up the food."
Her gaze inadvertently met Qin Hao's, and the two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.