Chapter Ten: A Year's Worth of Wine in One Sitting

  It's already the third day of the Lunar New Year, and after these few days, the gifts I prepared have been used up. Although the hosts were mostly not at home when I went to pay my respects, at least the basic courtesy was there. But after running around for these few days, Qin Aimin has deeply felt the profound meaning of the phrase "it's hard to be an official and tiring to be an official", especially for a small official like him.

  Sitting by the stove, sipping tea, with half-closed eyes, Qin Aimin felt unusually relaxed.

  "Qin Shuo's phone number."

  Outside the door, a loud shout suddenly came from afar, with the unique tone of an old revolutionary.

  For an old revolutionary, work is his everything. Even on New Year's Day, without children or family ties, he still sticks to his post. ?? First published on Guan Road Seeking 10

  He trotted into the delivery room, and as usual, first handed a good cigarette to this respectable old man, then asked: "Whose phone call?"

  These days, there are indeed many people looking for him. His parents miss him and ask about his situation, his elder brother and sister-in-law inquire about his situation, and his second sister who has nothing to do calls him as a fresh topic. In addition, there is also a group of classmates who know his contact information. Then there are Yang Dajing and Yu Guomin who call to ask about the work situation at Fuchiao Bridge. Although both of them have not appeared in the countryside for several days, they dare not take the matter lightly and will call at least two or three times a day.

  Of course, the money he sent was never interrupted, and it arrived at their office on time every day at noon. As for how this money finally appeared in their hands, that's not what Qin Aimin cared about. In short, when he went again the next day, he didn't find the newspaper package he had sent the day before.

  "Secretary Yang's." The old revolutionary's voice was somewhat low, "It seems like Secretary Yang has had a bit too much to drink."

  "Ai Min, arrange your work for tonight and come to the county to have dinner, I'll introduce you to a few people."

  Yang Daqing's tone on the phone was indeed somewhat abnormal, and it seemed like he had drunk too much wine, his words were not very clear. But Qin Aimin dared to slow down, and quickly replied: "Secretary, where are you?"

  "Fu Chun restaurant, 7 o'clock, be on time, and don't forget to bring some extra money."

  Qin Aimin hadn't even had time to respond when the other end of the line hung up directly. He looked at the old revolutionary sitting at the door a few meters away, smoking a cigarette, and then handed him another cigarette before returning to his own office.

  These days, he indeed followed Yu Guomin's words and recalculated the accounts, and after re-examining the data, the account balance increased by several tens of thousands. This part of the money was immediately put into a separate safe deposit box. Yang Daqing and Yu Guomin were both clear about this situation, and Yang Daqing was exceptionally pleased with it. As for Yu Guomin, he didn't need to say anything, as the 6,800 yuan that appeared on his desk every day for several days was enough to make him speechless.

  This amount of money can be called Dashiqiao Township's little treasury now. What Yang Daqing said on the phone about bringing some money was referring to this amount of money.

  After a moment of contemplation, Qin Aimin first picked up 5,000 yuan, then felt it was a bit too little and picked up another 5,000 yuan. He carefully put the 10,000 yuan into the pocket of his undershirt under his sweater.

  Yang Daqing said seven o'clock, but Qin Aimin didn't dare to arrive at exactly seven o'clock. Arriving on the dot was a leader's privilege. Before 6:20, Qin Aimin had already arrived at Fuchun Restaurant.

  Fuchun Restaurant is not big, and it doesn't seem to have been open for long, but its location is quite good. It's less than 300 meters away from the most prosperous area of Shilin County, Zhuangyuanfang. The building has five floors, with Fuchun Restaurant occupying the first two floors, and the top three floors are occupied by a hostel called Linchun. Whether these two businesses have the same owner is unknown.

  Rushing into the restaurant's entrance, the large hall of at least three hundred square meters appears exceptionally luxurious, and indeed it is in this small county town of Shilin.

  "Excuse me, are you Mr. Qin Aimin?"

  Qin Aimin was taken aback, and the speaker was a service staff standing at the charging counter by the door, looking around twenty years old.

  "It's me." Qin Aimin replied immediately, although he found it a bit strange.

  "Mr. Yang and the others had a bit too much to drink at noon, and are now resting in the reception room upstairs. At noon, Mr. Yang said that if you came, he would let you order food and drinks first, and they will come down around 7 o'clock sharp."

  For half a year, Luo Tianlin has been instilling an idea in Qin Aimin, which is how to better serve the leadership. As for this remark from the service staff, Qin Aimin did not object. ?? First published on Guan Road Seeking 10

  "How many people are there in total?"

  The waiter thought for a moment, "There are five people in total."

  "Can you show me their lunch receipts?"

  As for Qin Aimin's request, the waiter did not answer immediately, but looked at a woman in her 40s sitting not far away. After seeing that she nodded slightly, he took out an order menu from under the counter.

  Qin Aimin didn't even have time to take a closer look before being shocked by the total amount below, 3,700 yuan, and five people ate more than 3,000 yuan in just one afternoon.

  Qin Aimin was secretly shocked, but didn't show any abnormality. The three restaurants within over 100 meters outside the entrance of Dashigou Township Government were: one run by Yang Daqing's younger aunt-in-law, one run by Yu Guomin's elder sister-in-law, and the other run by the elder brother-in-law of the head of the township agricultural machinery station. These three restaurants were also semi-designated reception restaurants for Dashigou Township, where all external receptions would be held.

  So for the Fuchun restaurant designated by Yang Daqing, Qin Aimin naturally didn't dare to say much. Who knows what kind of person he is behind his back? After all, people like Yang Daqing who can come and eat at this kind of place are generally not ordinary people. Especially in a black shop where one kilogram costs as if they were killing pigs, it's not something Qin Aimin could afford to mess with.

  Eyes closed, from the most expensive three to five hundred yuan per serving of flat step cloud, step by step promotion, fortune and prosperity unparalleled, dragon and phoenix present, to the cheapest also need sixty-eight yuan per serving of section by section high, Qin Ai Min didn't even ask what these dish names meant, directly ordered a table worth two thousand three hundred yuan big meal based on the noon menu.

  "First prepare the dishes, and then serve wine according to the situation."

  The waiter's expression was completely normal, and he asked calmly: "What kind of wine would you like?"

  At noon, Yang Daqing and five others drank three bottles of Maotai, each worth 666 yuan, but it's unknown which year's Maotai it was. Anyway, the restaurant must have made a fortune from this wine, probably even more than the county tobacco and liquor company's 200-plus-yuan kind.

  "Maotai then, let's have the kind we drank at noon."

  Follow the waiter to the second floor, and surprisingly, the entire second floor is a private room. The narrow corridor is covered with thick red carpet, which should be the first in Shilin County nowadays.

  As expected, just after seven o'clock, the private room door was opened and Yang Daqing, with a red face, walked in first, followed by four middle-aged men who were also flushed.

  Each with their own beer belly, and a face that seems to still be under the influence of alcohol, no matter how you look at it, they have a fortunate appearance. In the slang of Beijing locals, this is called an "official appearance".

  "Sorry to keep you waiting."

  Yang Daqing was very polite, but Qin Aimin would never take Yang Daqing's politeness as a blessing.

  "Secretary, as you said, I just sat for a while."

  Yang Daqing burst out laughing and then introduced the four middle-aged men standing behind him to Qin Aimin.

  "This is Shi Kedong, Director of the Organization Department of the County Committee, this is Wang Zhan, Director of the County Bureau of Industry and Commerce, this is Zhou Hui, Director of the Budget Division of the County Finance Bureau, and this is Li Lizi, Mayor of San Cha Town. They all came from our village, and in the future, we can humbly learn from their experiences."

  After finishing speaking, Yang Daqing smiled and introduced Qin Aimin to the four people behind him, "He is the Qin Aimin I told you about. In the future, you all must help me take good care of him."

  Until then, Qin Aimin finally dared to confirm that Yang Daqing was indeed sincere in his intention to help him out. After all, introducing his connections to him was not something that could be done casually. ?? First published on Officer Road Seeking 10

  The most polite, Qin Aimin was very humble, who made his current position the lowest, but the four people who followed Yang Daqing also performed exceptionally easy-going and approachable, it's unknown whether it was because of Yang Daqing's face or what reason, the four people's attitude towards Qin Aimin were all exceptionally good.

  Two hours later, the six people who had drunk five bottles of Maotai each walked out of a relatively secluded staircase in the restaurant and into the Lin Chun reception hall upstairs, one by one, with heavy heads and light feet.

  Under the leadership of the waiter, a full bottle and a half of Maotai was drunk away. Qin Aimin, who had downed four and a half bottles by himself, got Shi Kedong and others who were already speaking nonsense from drunkenness sent to their respective rooms.

  Finally, Yang Daqing, who was the oldest and in poor health, drank the least, but also got somewhat drunk, called Qin Aimin into his own room.

  Yang Daqing went into the bathroom to wash his face and then sat down on the sofa next to Qin Aimin.

  After taking a sip of the strong tea that Qin Ai had brewed while washing his face, he cleared his throat and said: "Ai, in the future when you have the opportunity to interact with those four more often, don't be polite if you need their help. This relationship is cultivated slowly, and they are all outstanding cadres from our hometown who will likely be of some help to your future progress."

  "Thank you, Secretary."

  Qin Aimin really wanted to thank Yang Daqing this time. A good man needs three helpers, and a cadre, especially a leading cadre, must have connections. Yang Daqing's introduction of these four people will be crucial in helping him quickly integrate into the official circle, especially Shi Kedang, the deputy head of the county organization department, who is a rare connection for Qin Aimin.

  In fact, among the four introduced by Yang Daqing, Qin Aimin only knew Shi Kedong and Zhou Hui. Shi Kedong was the deputy head of the County Committee's weaving department, and Qin Aimin had seen him at meetings in several counties on the chairman's platform. Zhou Hui was the director of the county finance bureau's budget department, and Qin Aimin had also dealt with him a few times, after all, he was also the deputy director of the township finance office.

  As for Wang Zhan, he was likely the deputy director of the county's Industry and Commerce Bureau, because according to Qin Aimin, the director of the county's Industry and Commerce Bureau was not surnamed Wang but rather Zhao.

  Finally, Li Lizi and Qin Aimin didn't know who was the main or deputy, San Cha Town and Da Shi Township were on opposite sides of Shilin County, one in the east and one in the west. Qin Aimin's position was limited, he had been working for a relatively short time, and he didn't usually pay much attention to specific situations in other towns, especially those like San Cha that were quite far away.

  Rubbing his eyebrows, Yang Daqing looked somewhat tired. At his age, drinking too much would bring on all sorts of ailments.

  "You will take over Li Xiangzhang's position, the county has already confirmed it, and it is expected to be officially announced after the Lantern Festival. However, a working group sent by the county government will also come together with the announcement. This working group has two purposes: one is to investigate the incident of Li Xiangzhang being injured, and the other is about the Jinshui Bridge issue."

  "Hold on, the county's finances were not good last year either, so I'm worried they'll definitely play tricks with the tolls on the floating bridge. You must get your accounts in order, don't let them find any fault. Also, before the Lantern Festival, find someone to dismantle the Golden Water Bridge. Although we're not afraid of them investigating, it's always better to be safe than sorry."

  Rubbing his brow, Yang Daqing, although a leading cadre, had always taken good care of himself physically, but after all, he was approaching sixty and felt a bit dizzy after drinking too much wine.

  "Also, I have already discussed with Director Yu and Director Sun, once your official appointment comes down, Director Sun's industry sector will also be handed over to you. I believe that as long as you can stabilize the family planning sector and not make a big mess, and achieve some results in the industrial sector, when I retire, taking another step forward shouldn't be difficult."

  After listening to Yang Daqing's words, Qin Aimin, who was originally sitting on the sofa like a well-behaved baby, felt a loud noise in his head, as if a heavy trap weighing dozens of kilograms had heavily smashed onto his head.

  "You can start making preparations now, at the latest by the end of next year, and as early as the end of this year I will step down. The time given to you is not long, you must achieve certain results, and at the same time, you must keep the family planning aspect stable without any problems, so that I can help speak for you."

  Overwhelmed with surprise, Qin Aimin was directly stunned by the pancake and didn't know what to say for a while. "Secretary, please rest assured, I will work hard and never disappoint your expectations."

  Yang Daqing half-closed his eyes and looked at Qin Aimin, who was full of surprise. He was not unfamiliar with Qin Aimin's current mood, he had also experienced it before.

  "I've paved the way for you as much as I can. Now it's up to you whether you succeed or not. Go back and sleep."

  He walked out of the room, turned around and gently closed the door. As the door slowly closed, Qin Aimin's excited mood gradually calmed down, but his mind was still racing at high speed. After all, if he really took over the industrial sector now managed by Mayor Sun as Yang Daqing said, he would have too many things to do in the future, and these were things he had never thought of before.

  "Eighth Uncle, what brings you here."

  Qin Aimin was taken aback, turned his head around, and only then did he discover that there were actually five people standing behind him. Earlier, he had been so preoccupied with thoughts in his mind that he hadn't even noticed the existence of others on the passageway.

  Looking at the man standing three meters behind him, Qin Aimin didn't recognize him for a while. It was actually his nephew whom he hadn't seen in over a year.

  "How did you get here?" As he spoke, Qin Aimin's gaze turned to the other four people, and the more he looked, the tighter his eyebrows furrowed.

  Four people wearing bell-bottom pants, with a denim jacket on top, two long silver-white metal chains hanging from their waists, and hair that's almost reaching their shoulders - no matter how you look at it, they don't seem like good people.

  Among the five, the only one who was relatively normal was his own nephew, over 1.8 meters tall, wearing a black suit and a pair of shiny old-fashioned shoes, but on this cold winter day, he was still wearing a large pair of sunglasses that covered half of his face indoors.

  Immediately afterwards, Qin Aimin found that he was still holding a long black thing in his hand, which looked like a large water bottle. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a valuable pager, but with this getup, no matter how you look at it, it looks just like the triad society from the recently popular Hong Kong and Taiwan video "Young and Dangerous".

  "I opened a room here today and didn't expect to see you."

  Qin Song looked a bit embarrassed, after all, he was thirty-two years old and calling twenty-four-year-old Qin Aimin "uncle" didn't feel right, especially in front of outsiders. However, according to the rules of the Qin family, he had no choice but to call him that. When Old Man Qin was alive, he emphasized the importance of respecting one's elders, and anyone who disobeyed would be dealt with severely - Old Man Qin wouldn't hesitate to take up his shotgun and shoot someone directly.

  Here's the translation:

  It's necessary to mention Qin Aimin's grandfather now. Qin Aimin's grandfather had three wives in his lifetime and had five sons and three daughters. Qin Song's grandfather was the eldest, 23 years older than Qin Aimin's father. This is also related to the tradition of the Kaihe area. When Qin Aimin's grandfather went to the mountains as an outlaw at the age of 19, he followed this tradition and married a wife and had a son before leaving. In those days, this was called "leaving behind" in Kaihe. After all, when one becomes an outlaw, no one knows whether they will live or die, especially during the severe period of the Four Olds. Outlaws always worry that their evil deeds would lead to their descendants being cut off, so they might as well have children before doing bad things.

  As for Qin Song, after Old Man Qin's death, Qin Ai Min rarely saw him again, but he heard a lot about his situation from family members. During his lifetime, Old Man Qin loved Qin Ai Min the most, but in terms of temperament, he was most similar to Qin Song. From a young age, he had been bullying and stealing in the village, and as he grew older, he went to work on the river, where it was said that he also did dishonest things, almost everyone who knew the Qin family said that he had inherited Old Man Qin's youthful bandit nature.

  "After some thought, Qin Aimin finally spoke up: 'It's rare that we run into each other, come sit in my room for a bit.'"

  As for Qin Aimin's invitation, Qin Song did not object and nodded his head before instructing the subordinates behind him: "Go downstairs and order a few small dishes, bring up a bottle of wine."