Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapter 304, Section 305: Lin Xiao's Weaknesses

Although Lin Xiao spoke with certainty that he had a way to help his mother-in-law get over the trauma of her divorce.

But Han Xixi remained skeptical.

The main problem is that even her own daughter can't do anything about it, so what can Lin Xiao, as her son-in-law, do?
Lin Xiao could see the distrust in his wife's eyes.

Mayor Lin was immediately indignant.

"Ahem, watch closely!"

Lin Xiao straightened his collar, then strode out with a proud and imposing air.

Xi Xi looked completely bewildered.

She never expected that when her husband said "there is a way," he meant "there is a way right now!"
Hurry up and follow them out.

Several women were busy with their respective tasks: the mother-in-law was clearing the dishes, and the postpartum nanny was tidying up the baby's clothes.

Since my mother didn't go to Mashan County recently, she was freed from the trivial matters and had nothing to do, so she played with the baby next to the stroller.

But even with a forced smile, the bitterness in her eyes was undeniable.

Xi Xi felt a little downcast.

But she quickly composed herself and saw her husband subtly walk to the tea area on the living room island, right behind the stroller.

At this moment, Lin Xiao had changed to a worried and distressed expression.

Xi Xi looked on with confusion and was very curious.

in the living room.

Lin Xiao poured himself a glass of water, and without taking the initiative to talk to his mother-in-law, slowly drank it.

"Hey……"

He sighed.

Liu Liyun was probably too engrossed in playing with the child to hear him, so she didn't turn around.

Lin Xiao suffered a defeat in his first battle, but he will try again.

"Why!!!"

He raised his voice, and the sorrow on his face became even more intense and resentful. His acting was so bad that it was unbearable to watch.

Xi Xi covered her face, forcibly suppressing the urge to drag her embarrassing husband back.

However, in the living room.

Lin Xiao's efforts finally paid off, successfully attracting his mother-in-law's attention.

"What's wrong, Kobayashi?"

Liu Liyun turned her head and asked, her tone full of concern.

Lin Xiao waved his hand, a bitter smile on his face saying "I have to be strong": "It's okay, Mom, it's just work... sigh!"

He got into character and his acting really came through.

"What's wrong? Why are you so worried?"

Liu Liyun's expression turned serious. "You're now a nationally renowned town mayor, highly regarded by higher-ups, talented in songwriting, and thriving in all your endeavors. Why would you be worried? Is it because of the online discussions surrounding your appearance on variety shows?"

The mother-in-law was genuinely worried and concerned.

Lin Xiao was somewhat moved, but more than that, he felt reluctant to let it go. However, for the sake of the long term, he gritted his teeth and continued acting.

"Being discussed by netizens is no big deal, I'm used to it!"

Lin Xiao smiled wryly, "Besides, from the moment I decided to take on that variety show, I anticipated this situation of being condemned by everyone. It's no big deal!"

Liu Liyun was even more surprised: "If it's not because of taking on variety shows, then what else could it be? With your work ability, you should be able to handle this town mayor's job with ease. How could anything be difficult for you?"

Lin Xiao smiled more bitterly: "Mom, you flatter me. I don't have any ability. At most, I'm a little clever! But this little bit of cleverness is completely ineffective in a remote town like Xingguang Town."

"This is the real grassroots, the rural area. The social environment, people's livelihood problems, and development difficulties are completely different from what I have encountered before. My shallow grassroots work experience is completely useless now. I can't even crack some tough nuts to crack. Now it's simply impossible to move an inch... Sigh!"

Another deep sigh.

Watching from afar, Xixi was somewhat drawn into her husband's acting, wondering whether he was genuinely worried about work or just putting on an act.

Beside her, Liu Liyun, with her son-in-law's worried expression, showed a tense, sympathetic look on her own face.

But her eyes unexpectedly held a hint of excitement.

—Like a ravenous tiger, excited by the smell of blood.

"Xiaolin, come here, sit down, and have a good talk with Mom!"

Liu Liyun patted the sofa next to her, her eyes shining, and said, "Mom has been the director of the subdistrict office for more than ten years. She may not have any other skills, but she has accumulated some grassroots experience."

"Although the public sentiment in urban streets and remote towns is not exactly the same, they are all about serving the people and residents, and their working principles are largely the same. Tell me about your difficulties, and I'll listen. Maybe I can offer some advice!"

Lin Xiao noticed that his mother-in-law's tone had become much more energetic, and he knew that his method had worked.

However, when acting, one must go all the way.

He still feigned embarrassment, hesitating for a long time before finally saying in a hesitant voice, as if he had made up his mind: "This matter is about a village consolidation project in our town. The background to this project is that a large number of people have left the mountainous towns, resulting in many natural villages becoming hollow villages, with a permanent population of less than 100 people..."

Lin Xiao continued speaking as if it were real, explaining the background and consequences of the village-town merger project in detail.

In the end, he even forgot he was acting and started discussing things with his mother-in-law.

"Now, all the cadres in our town are united as one, and everyone is divided into three groups to go deep into key villages to carry out a month-long persuasion campaign."

Lin Xiao looked troubled and said, "We've been working on this for half a month now, and everyone has given their all, but the results have been minimal. I believe that the town's current relocation policies and conditions are much better than what the county set before. I thought that even if the villagers weren't rushing to agree, they shouldn't be as resistant as before."

"But the current situation is that the villagers are completely unmoved, and not a single household has agreed to relocate. This result is far beyond my expectations, and I'm feeling very frustrated. I don't even know how to continue this work... Sigh!"

Lin Xiao sighed heavily again.

This sigh was genuine, not just for show.

Liu Liyun looked serious, clearly having taken her son-in-law's difficulties and predicaments to heart, and began to think about them very carefully.

The little baby, Lin Xiaoxi, was kicking her legs in the crib next to her.

Xixi came out of the room and sat down next to her husband and mother, pushing the stroller while listening attentively.

After pondering for a long time, Liu Liyun finally spoke with a confident expression: "This matter is indeed something your town has taken for granted!"

"Hmm? How so?" Lin Xiao asked subconsciously, forgetting his original intention in bringing this up.

Xi Xi noticed the change in her mother's expression and state, and was both amazed and secretly pleased, but couldn't bear to interrupt.

Liu Liyun smiled and said, "After serving as the director of the subdistrict office for so many years and doing so much grassroots work, I have a certain understanding of the mentality of the people. To put it bluntly, when a grassroots government promotes a project, there is often a discrepancy between the ideas of the officials and the needs of the people, and this discrepancy is often quite large."

"Take the minimum living allowance as an example. The policies set by the government have a complete set of strict conditions and review standards. If you meet the conditions, you can receive the allowance; if you don't, you can't. This is the fairest and most just policy."

"But when it comes down to the grassroots level, every family has its own problems and feels like they can't make ends meet. Some of them meet the criteria, while others don't."

"For example, consider two families in the same neighborhood. One owns a house, and the other doesn't. The family with the house has no able-bodied members, but their house is in the city center and worth several million. The family without the house is also struggling, but one able-bodied member can earn money, although they still can't make ends meet after paying rent. Now, if you were a neighborhood official, which family do you think is poorer?"

Lin Xiao and Xi Xi listened attentively, but neither of them spoke.

The answers to these kinds of questions are counterintuitive, and they're too lazy to guess because there's no need to.

Liu Liyun paused for only two seconds before continuing fluently, "In terms of economic ability, the family in the back is definitely worse off, because the family in the front sold their house in the city center and moved to the suburbs. The extra money is enough for the whole family to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. But as a department responsible for people's livelihood, we can't push people to the brink before solving their problems. That's not people's livelihood, it's people's livelihood oppression."

"Therefore, the work of ensuring basic living standards seems to be the one that should be based on human relationships the most, but it is precisely because of this that it cannot be done through personal connections, but can only be done according to policies and procedures. Those who meet the conditions can receive the minimum living allowance, and those who do not meet the conditions cannot."

"Back to those two families, the family with the house has assets worth several million, but the house was passed down from their grandfather's generation, and the whole family has lived there for decades."

"If we go back a few decades, no one would have thought that house would be so valuable. In fact, whether it is valuable or not, it is just a place for this family to shelter from the wind and rain."

"You can't judge people's living standards based on current market conditions, so the minimum living allowance review only looks at family income, not family savings, let alone total family assets."

"Based on this condition, the household with a house can receive the minimum living allowance, while the household without a house cannot. This may seem inhumane, but it is to ensure the fairness of the system to the greatest extent possible, and to ensure that more people at the bottom can be protected and receive basic security."

Liu Liyun spoke eloquently, then picked up her water glass and took a sip.

She continued passionately, "Tell me about the work of merging villages and towns. As the town mayor, you may feel that the conditions offered are good enough to attract people to relocate voluntarily, but that's just your opinion."

"From the perspective of the masses, everything you promise sounds wonderful, but in reality, it's all castles in the air, something you can see but can't touch."

"You promised that the quality of the affordable housing would be much higher than the current Xincun Jiayuan, that the orchard would be leased out by the town at a high price, and that villagers would retain their houses and be allocated private plots by household after relocation..."

"These things do reflect the town's sincerity, but the villagers can't see how much of it will actually be implemented, and there's no way to guarantee it."

"There aren't many tricks or shortcuts to doing grassroots work; there are only two paths. First, there are clearly written policy provisions, like the minimum living allowance policy I just mentioned. The conditions are clearly stated, without deception. Those who meet the criteria receive it, and those who don't don't. This is to ensure fairness. Second, there are tangible benefits. Don't make promises to the people. No matter how famous you are online, even if you, Mayor Lin, pound your chest in front of the villagers, it's all for nothing. The more vulnerable the people are, the less you can risk your own interests. No matter how attractive your promises are, they must be genuine and presented to the villagers to be credible."

"Affordable housing, orchard rent, and private plots—these sound tempting, but what's actually presented to everyone is even more enticing. You build the houses, convert the rent into cash, and fence off the private plots for everyone to draw lots on the spot…"

“These things are all genuine and piled up in front of the villagers. Then you ask them if they are willing to move. Those who are willing can choose their houses, receive money, and select their land on the spot. Only then will the villagers make a genuine choice, instead of completely ignoring the cadres' earnest advice as they are now!”

After sharing her experience, Liu Liyun breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much better.

She herself became aware of the changes in her body and mind.

I find it amazing.

Even though she hadn't done anything, she had only shared some grassroots work experience with her son-in-law who was facing difficulties. Whether it would help him was another matter, but she felt as if she had suddenly unlocked her full potential and found an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

Lin Xiao, however, fell into deep thought, and after a moment, he looked as if he had realized something.

"So, Mom, after all you've said, the key point really boils down to two words—sincerity! Right?"

"Yes!"

Liu Liyun remarked, "There's a famous saying online now: 'Sincerity is the best strategy.' This saying is actually most suitable for working with the masses. Our people, especially those at the grassroots level, are the kindest and most honest group of people. Many of them have an innate trust in the government."

"The more vulnerable the masses are, the more we must ensure they don't lose heart when we work with them. We must never resort to tricks or schemes to harm their interests. In particular, many policies are inherently beneficial to the people, but they may not see these benefits due to their limited perspective."

"This requires patience and perseverance from our local governments to deliver these tangible benefits to the people in a down-to-earth manner. This method may seem clumsy, but it is actually the most effective and touching. The people aren't stupid; if there are real benefits, they won't turn a blind eye or ignore them!"

These words truly resonated with Lin Xiao, and he seemed to be deep in thought for a moment.

Although he has always worked at the grassroots level since he joined the company.

However, the work done in the subdistrict is mostly paperwork, with little real interaction with the people. In Chaobai Town, where he was in charge of the economy, he was always thinking about attracting investment and had little contact with the grassroots.

Now that I've taken on the role of mayor of Xingguang Town, I need to focus on economic development, environmental protection and safety, and, most importantly, ensuring people's livelihoods.

This position may not require top students, but it absolutely cannot be one who is unbalanced in any subject.

Lin Xiao is now severely unbalanced in his studies.

He has plenty of ways to boost the economy, but when it comes to improving people's livelihoods, providing basic social security, and truly implementing policies that benefit the people, he finds himself constrained and overwhelmed.

Now, thanks to a little guidance from my mother-in-law...

He then realized that his recent efforts to lead cadres to tackle poverty door-to-door issues, which seemed to be going very well and showing great sincerity, were actually quite impressive.

But in the villagers' eyes, they were no different from those swindlers who had said nice things before; they were all just trying to get something for nothing.

At that moment, he truly realized the truth.

As an observer, Xixi vaguely remembered the topic of the conversation and interjected, "Mom, it has to be you, the expert in grassroots work, who can give my brother a little guidance and he'll be able to digest it for a while!"

Liu Liyun waved her hands repeatedly after being praised, but her face was noticeably rosier: "What expert? I've just been doing this for a few more years. With Xiao Lin's intelligence, he'll be doing a great job at the grassroots level in less than two years. At that time, I'll be the one asking him for advice, not the other way around!"

Lin Xiao then grasped the key point and quickly said with a smile, "Mom, please don't say that. I could never learn your skills even if I studied for a lifetime. I'll have plenty of time to catch up!"

Liu Liyun simply waved her hand, her expression completely different from her previous sorrow and melancholy.

Lin Xiao suddenly said, "Mom, why don't you come with us to Mashan County!"

The suggestion came as a surprise, startling the mother and daughter.

The two exchanged a glance, and Liu Liyun, through her daughter's surprise, confirmed that the idea was indeed a spur-of-the-moment decision, rather than a premeditated one.

"I'm going to Mashan County?"

"Yes, just think of it as helping me out!"

Lin Xiao said with a troubled expression, "Look, with Xixi and I's current income, it's more than enough to support our whole family and make a normal life. My work and your work are just personal pursuits after we've achieved financial freedom."

"I want to do well in my current career, you can believe that, otherwise I wouldn't have left my wife and newborn child to settle down in this remote mountain village. I don't need this job, so what am I after? It's simply to realize my own value!"

Liu Liyun nodded.

This is actually the thing she admires most about her son-in-law.

In this era where everyone pursues fame and fortune, my son-in-law has already earned wealth that is unimaginable to ordinary people, yet he still manages to do his job in a down-to-earth manner.

This kind of mindset alone has already surpassed many people who have wasted most of their lives.

Lin Xiao continued, "However, even if I really want to be a good town mayor, I have never been the top leader before and my experience in grassroots work is limited, so it is very difficult for me to do mass work now."

"Although you always say I'm smart, as you just said, doing mass work doesn't require smarts, but rather a simple approach, which is what I lack most."

“Perfect timing, you have everything I need. You’ve been the top leader of the neighborhood for over a decade and have extensive experience in working with the people. If you could be there to guide me, it would definitely be a great help to my growth.”

"Of course, it's selfish of me to make this request. After all, you haven't retired yet, and even if you do, you'll have your own retirement life. I can't ask you to dedicate your whole life to your children; that would be too much of a burden..."

As Lin Xiao spoke, he looked ashamed of himself.

Lin Xiao: I'm sad, hehe, I'm just pretending!
Xi Xi was amazed by what she saw.

If she didn't know her husband was acting, she would have believed he was really facing a huge crisis, so much so that he had to humbly ask his mother-in-law for help.

Before her, Liu Liyun's eyes softened.

Although she is a strong woman who has overcome many obstacles in her career, she is getting older after all, and now she has suffered the blow of a broken marriage. Her heart has returned to the softness of an ordinary middle-aged woman.

Liu Liyun sighed and said, "Don't say that, we're family. I'm just worried that I won't be of much help to you, and that I'll just be a burden to you. After all, you have so many people to support, and having me around is just another mouth to feed..."

Xi Xi quickly replied, "What's wrong with having another mouth to feed? It's not like your daughter can't afford to support you. I'm a big star, who do you think you are!"

She rarely used such a coquettish tone throughout her life.

This immediately softened Liu Liyun's eyes, and she couldn't stop smiling. She playfully tapped her daughter's forehead.

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "It is our duty to support the elderly, but to be honest, given Mom's position and rank, even if she takes early retirement, she will not need us to support her pension at all."

"So Mom, please don't feel like you're causing us trouble. If Xixi and I really relied on my salary as the town mayor to support our family, let alone take care of you, we might even have to rely on your pension to make ends meet!"

Liu Liyun became even happier upon hearing this.

She wasn't afraid at all that her children would covet her meager possessions; on the contrary, the more they coveted them, the more she felt needed.

This is completely different from her recent feelings of being "abandoned by her husband, having an independent daughter, and being all alone."

She waved her hand wistfully: "We're family, we're supposed to help each other out, there's no such thing as relying on anyone else..."

Judging from her tone, Lin Xiao and Xi Xi knew that the matter was almost certain.

Lin Xiao quickly gave his wife a meaningful look.

Xixi understood and immediately started to act cute, grabbing her mother's arm and shaking it for a while, unintentionally shaking away all the bitterness and gloom in Liu Liyun's heart, and shaking the long-lost spring breeze and confidence back onto her face.

After a long pause, Liu Liyun finally said, half-heartedly, "Oh dear, I really can't do anything with you two... Since you don't mind my old bones, then I'll go. I had already planned to retire early when Xixi was pregnant, so it's not too late now."

"Besides, even if I can't help Xiaoxiao with work when I go to your place, I can still help take care of the children at home and lighten the burden on you two... So I won't be an idle person or a useless person!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao and Han Xixi both breathed a sigh of relief.

The young couple cheered with joy and gratitude.

Xixi had never been close to her mother before, but now the two are very close from the bottom of their hearts, hugging and kissing each other all the time.

This affectionate display amused Ms. Lin Xiaoxi in the stroller, who cheered and jumped for joy, shaking her arms and kicking her legs while making "bubu" sounds.

The adults were amused and burst into laughter.

In the joyful atmosphere, Lin Xiao and Xi Xi exchanged glances, giving off the vibe of a male and female duo successfully committing a theft.

Xi Xi's eyes lingered.

Lin Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief: After spending most of the day talking, he finally succeeded in his mission!

However, persuading the mother-in-law is a minor matter.

He had always known this woman's ambition. As long as she could continue to shine, this realization of her life's value far outweighed the attraction of spending a few more years at her workplace to reach a normal retirement and receiving a few hundred yuan more in retirement pay.

However, Lin Xiao's actions were not solely to help his mother-in-law overcome her grief.

In fact.

Liu Liyun is indeed experienced at the grassroots level and has a wealth of invaluable experience in carrying out work among the masses.

The casual advice he just gave him was very helpful.

After a moment's thought, Lin Xiao had a completely new strategy and direction for how to proceed with the village and town merger work.

Next, all that remains is to fight a desperate battle with our backs to the wall!
(End of this chapter)