I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 721 "In ancient times, this would be called accumulating virtue and doing good deeds; it's meritorious!"

Fang Jianhua replied with some helplessness, "Brother, I'm not a member of the Standing Committee, so I'm not qualified to speak on such a major matter as cadre transfers."

"Furthermore, as far as I know, the current situation at the welfare factory is the result of a long-standing problem that has been brewing for a long time. Even if we send another leader over, it won't be able to help."

"Second Uncle is right." Fang Qingye quickly smoothed things over: "From what I understand, the welfare factory's management is aging, its products are outdated, and it has no competitiveness at all."

“My brother said they’re just a hundred or so disabled people,” Fang Qinglin, who was engrossed in eating, chimed in.

He's currently a junior at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and usually doesn't participate in the adults' arguments, but this time he got interested: "Why doesn't the county just cover everything? Dad, didn't you say the county's finances are good now? There's a surplus of nearly 600 million yuan at the end of the year, can't they afford to support more than 100 people?"

"What do you know?" Fang Jianhua glanced at his son. "You think there are only a hundred or so disabled people in our county?! Let me tell you, our county's total population last year was about 120 million, and there were 4.2 disabled people! And that's just those with disability certificates; there are many more without them! So what are we going to do with these people?!"

so much?
Even Fang Qingye was taken aback.

At this moment, Bai Ou spoke up: "I remember when I was a graduate student, I wrote a social survey report that included a section on people with disabilities. I consulted relevant materials and found that a national sample survey of people with disabilities was conducted in 2010. The results showed that the proportion of people with disabilities in various categories in the total population was about 6%. Our Nanxin's data is still lower than the national average."

Now everyone is silent.

"Eat, eat, it's Chinese New Year, don't talk about these unlucky things like illness and disability!" Grandma Jin Guilian spoke up, and everyone quickly stopped the topic.

After dinner, everyone was watching the Spring Festival Gala on their phones in the living room, chatting and eating sunflower seeds. At this moment, Fang Qingye whispered to her second uncle, "Second Uncle, the county welfare factory is one of the few state-owned enterprises in the county, right? Why don't you restructure it?"

"Restructuring isn't that easy. Who would want it?" Fang Jianhua sighed. "I remember ten years ago, the county town underwent restructuring. A private business owner from Jinghai was willing to take over the welfare factory, and everyone was very happy at the time. Later, we found out that the owner wasn't interested in running the welfare factory well at all; he just wanted the land it occupied!"

"We tried to move the welfare factory to a remote suburb, where they planned to build commercial buildings. The workers at the welfare factory disagreed, and the county government intervened and took the factory back. This whole ordeal lasted for two years, severely damaging the welfare factory, and no one wanted to touch it after that."

“Oh, there’s this story too.” Fang Qingye said thoughtfully.

Seeing his expression, Fang Jianhua's heart stirred and he lowered his voice, "Xiao Ye, seeing how enthusiastic you are, do you want to acquire the welfare factory?"

"I have this idea, what do you think?"

“From the perspective of a county leader, I certainly welcome this, as it will relieve the county of a burden. But as your second uncle, you should be cautious. You are well aware of the current situation of the welfare factory; it is a bottomless pit, neither large nor small.”

"Moreover, welfare factories are very special, as most of the workers are disabled. If not handled properly, they could easily cause social unrest. You need to think this through carefully." Fang Jianhua's words were full of meaning.

"Well, so I'm still considering it."

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Fang Jianwen asked, sitting on the opposite sofa.

"Uncle, my dad and my brother are talking about the county welfare factory. My brother wants to buy it." Fang Qinglin sat on the side scrolling through his phone, his ears quite sharp.

Fang Qingye wants to acquire the welfare factory?
The whole family immediately turned to look at them.

"I'm still considering it and haven't made a complete decision yet," Fang Qingye quickly explained.

Grandpa Fang Guisheng, who was sitting quietly to the side, said slowly, "Qingye has done a great thing. He hasn't forgotten his roots after becoming rich and knows how to benefit his hometown. In ancient times, this would be called accumulating virtue and doing good deeds, which is a meritorious act!"

This time, Fang Jianwen didn't object: "Dad, you're right. Xiao Ye has developed too fast in the past few years. Although he didn't tell me the details, there are rumors that he's worth tens of billions. This may not be a good thing. So, if you can help the welfare factory out of its predicament and enable more than a hundred disabled people to live a stable life, it will be a great thing for society and for you personally."

My father's words were somewhat meaningful, but everyone present understood them.

Fang Qingye could only say, "Dad, don't worry, I'll handle it."

Just like last year, the Spring Festival was about visiting relatives, eating and drinking, and spending time with parents and family. But this year, Fang Qingye had another matter to attend to: he had to go to Huijing to spend the New Year with Xia He and her daughter, as he had promised. Moreover, shortly after the New Year, Xia He was to go to Singapore, as entrusted by Fang Qingye, to prepare for the establishment of their PTC (Private Trust).
During the Spring Festival, Fang Qingye didn't let Yue Kai drive, allowing him to have a proper holiday and reunite with his family. On the morning of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, he drove alone straight to Huijing.

Arriving at the Golden Eslite residential complex, I went upstairs, unlocked the door, and heard my daughter's cheering voice from inside: "Daddy's here!"

As soon as he opened the door, the little girl rushed into his arms.

Xia Qingqing is dressed especially festively today.

Wearing a bright red Chinese-style top with frog buttons paired with an A-line skirt, a cute tiger-head hat, and two little pigtails, she looked just like a lucky doll.

"What's this? The indoor temperature is so high, isn't it hot?" Fang Qingye picked up her daughter and asked Xia He, who was walking behind her.

"My daughter knew you were coming today, so she changed her clothes and is waiting for you to take her out to play," Xia He said with a smile.

"Okay, okay, let's go out and play now." Fang Qingye immediately agreed.

"Huh? You're not eating lunch?" Xia He asked.

"Let's go out to eat, honey! Let's go to Confucius Temple for red bean dumplings and sweet taro sprouts!" Fang Qingye said.

"Okay, Daddy, I love sweet taro sprouts the most, but Mommy says eating too much sugar is bad and will cause cavities," the little girl chattered on.

"It's okay, Dad will buy it for you!"

"Look how spoiled you are with your daughter," Xia He said reproachfully. "Then I'll go change my clothes too."

Twenty minutes later, the family of three happily went downstairs and drove to Confucius Temple.

During the Spring Festival, Confucius Temple was filled with crowds and noise.

Tourists thronged the river, holding up newly purchased windmills or sugar paintings. The banks of the Qinhuai River were adorned with bright red lanterns, and the air was filled with the aromas of various snacks—the oily fragrance of fried quail, the sweet scent of plum blossom cakes, and the savory aroma of tea eggs simmering in roadside pots. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, chatting, and laughing blended together, creating a lively atmosphere reminiscent of the Lunar New Year.

Fang Qingye took her daughter and Xia He on a boat trip on the Qinhuai River, enjoyed the lantern festival, and watched miniature performances of sugar blowing and dough figurine making. They played until 7 p.m. before returning home. Xia Qingqing was so tired that she fell asleep quickly in her mother's arms.

The weight of the child made Xia He's arms go numb, but she couldn't bear to leave him, so she leaned back and snuggled completely into Qingye's arms behind her.

Fang Qingye adjusted her posture to make her more stable, then wrapped her other arm around her waist and gently placed it on the sleeping child. The two of them sat on the living room sofa, watching TV and chatting.

When the two talked about what had happened in the past few days, Fang Qingye told Xia He about his plan to acquire the county welfare factory.

Xia He also agreed.

"This is what charity is all about! It's very important for building your personal image, and I think it's even more worthwhile than donating tens of millions!"

"After all, you've solved the livelihood problems of nearly two hundred people. If you include their families, look how much of a burden you've reduced for society and the government!"

“I’ve been thinking about the PTC thing you asked me to do for a while now,” Xia He said finally.

"Do you have a different opinion?" Fang Qingye asked.

(End of this chapter)