I was reborn without dreams

Chapter 105 Fragrant!
"Uncle, have you arrived in Pengcheng yet?"

"Eating dog meat by the roadside, damn it, the local dog meat is really good. Delicious!"

"..."

Zhang Da'an originally wanted to remind his uncle to be more careful, but now it seems unnecessary. There are experts in Pengcheng who know his uncle's temperament very well.

The fact that Uncle Zhang loved to eat dog meat was unknown to everyone except the old man and Zhang Da'an; even his eldest uncle Zhang Zhengwen and youngest uncle Zhang Zhengwu didn't know.

Uncle Zhang ate dog meat during his teenage years, but he always ate it secretly.

Of course, it wasn't stealing dogs to eat; it was secretly going to other places to freeload.

After joining the army, I stopped eating. When I returned to Shazhou to work at Dongweigang Middle School, I became a respectable "cultured person," so I also stopped eating.

The period during which they stopped eating dog meat spanned more than eight years.

A few years ago, Uncle Zhang felt hopeless about making progress, while his nephew was able to ride a bicycle to school, so he started eating again.

However, they didn't eat in Shazhou; they secretly rode their motorcycles to Huashi Town in the neighboring Jiyang City to eat dog meat.

Coincidentally, the owner of that long-established dog meat shop in Huashi Town was indeed a local, but his son-in-law was from Jiuli District of Pengcheng City, and his dog meat skills were excellent.

However, when Zhang Da'an was in junior high school, he had to close down completely because the procedures for selling dog meat were complicated, and the dog breeding farms in Shazhou and Jiyang could not obtain breeding permits. Now it has become a small shop.

Uncle Zhang then went several years without eating proper dog meat again...

His arrival in Pengcheng was like a long-awaited rain after a drought.

Enjoying this place, I forget all about the sandbar.

The main issue is the preparation of dog meat in Pengcheng, and the signs in various counties and townships all have their own explanations.

Uncle Zhang's favorite dish is braised donkey meat and dog meat together. But with the weather so cold, and Pengcheng even having two light snowfalls and ice crystals, there's no need to eat dog meat cold.

That tender and piping hot hand-shredded dog meat borrows flavor from donkey meat, but it's not just donkey meat. The sauce has a special ingredient: a large soft-shelled turtle. The thicker the turtle's skirt, the better. As for the final sauce, you can thicken it with cornstarch or add some sesame oil to make it look nicer.

No matter what you do, once the broth cools down a little, it immediately thickens, and the shredded meat is covered in juice. One bite of the fragrant meat and you won't be able to stop eating, even if you get slapped.

Zhong Zhengyang, the head of the math group, at most knew that Principal Zhang Zhengdong was a straightforward and kind person, but he would never guess that Zhang Zhengdong loved to eat dog meat.

Therefore, it must have been someone shrewd and perceptive in Pengcheng who accurately diagnosed the problem through observation and other means.

They were originally going to go directly to Fengyi County, but now Uncle Zhang is staying in Jiuli District and won't leave.

Because of this little incident, Fengyi County was almost so anxious they urinated blood. They thought Jiuli District was being incredibly unreasonable. They were all brothers, and yet they had to pull this stunt.

It's over~
Have you arrived in Fengyi County yet?

"What the hell? I'm still in Jiuli District. Zhang An, this dog meat restaurant is really good, it smells amazing!"

"..."

"Don't rush, I'll go to Fengyi County tomorrow morning. What's the hurry? The locals are very generous; they brought two jars of Gaogou wine. Let's eat and drink our fill today! Delicious!"

"..."

Twist your neck to the right, and the phone will hang up.

Although Uncle Zhang wasn't a heavy drinker, he was known for his heavy drinking style during his time in the army. The capable people in Pengcheng are ruthless; they even dug up his comrades from his time in Pengcheng.

Zhang Da'an, who was still preparing his presentation materials, was speechless after the call ended. His uncle wasn't on a business trip at all; he was clearly visiting home.

When we spoke on the phone again that evening, I learned that Qiu Jianmin's old comrades-in-arms and former superiors had also arrived in Pengcheng.

The cards are full.

Of course, this honor is for Zhang Zhengdong. Everyone is supporting him. Uncle Zhang just doesn't have much ambition, otherwise he would have been so arrogant by now.

Fortunately, I didn't make any mistakes I shouldn't have made. While indulging in wine and meat, I kept serious matters in mind.

The next day, Uncle Zhang acted as if nothing had happened, simply dusting himself off and leaving Jiuli District...

Upon hearing this, the people of Fengyi County immediately set off a string of firecrackers to celebrate.

Anyway, it's almost Chinese New Year, so what's wrong with setting off a couple of strings of firecrackers?
Pengcheng City originally intended for everyone to use their unique abilities to invite gods and Buddhas, but unexpectedly, this Section Chief Zhang... was a complete "clean altar messenger".

Eat and drink as you please, and all you end up doing is eat and drink.

Zhang Zhengdong is a complete idiot, a fact widely acknowledged within the Shazhou City Education Bureau, but that doesn't stop him from having friends.

Otherwise, before Zhang Da'an was reborn, he wouldn't have been able to go directly to the bureau as a "security guard" after Dongweigang Middle School was closed down.

Fengyi County is a typical agricultural county, and its road transportation has not yet benefited from the major infrastructure development in Jiangkou Province. Currently, the only slightly better situation is that it is close to the national highway.

Because the surrounding area was notorious for its "highway bandits," people from Fengyi County rarely went out to run errands. On the road, whether they were passengers in unlicensed taxis or drivers of large trucks, they all operated within a "dark forest system."

Uncle Zhang knew the situation, so he didn't say anything about what he saw and heard on the road, let alone ridicule or belittle it. Social atmosphere was the same in Shazhou City ten years ago.

The people from Fengyi County originally wanted to explain, but seeing that Zhang Zhengdong was chatting so readily, they just let loose and spoke freely.

“Director Zhang, in many villages around here, the primary schools are incomplete, and students can only attend school up to the third grade. In the fourth grade, they have to transfer to a larger primary school. They are all day students. For children who live nearby, it’s a few miles away; for children who live far away, it’s more than twenty miles away.”

"primary school?"

"Yes, primary schools. Nineteen primary schools are in dire need of repair. A few years ago, we organized a workforce and used mud bricks as a temporary solution. But those years were unpredictable; it was either windy or rainy. Mud brick walls that used to last ten or twenty years collapsed all at once. Getting bricks isn't easy either. Buying them ourselves is too expensive, and if we want them approved, there are primary schools everywhere with waiting lists of over a year..."

There was no complaining, just a brief explanation of the situation.

Even though it was just a brief explanation of the situation, it was still quite astonishing.

Zhang Zhengdong listened attentively. There was a tape recorder next to him. He would write down anything he didn't understand and then ask his nephew or Brother Liu.

So, Brother Liu, are you able to get dog meat in Pengli County?
Uncle Zhang's thoughts began to wander. Fortunately, besides him, the people who came to the countryside for research included the Youth Development Foundation of Jiangkou Province, the Civil Affairs Bureau of Shazhou City, and the Civil Affairs Bureaus of the districts and counties under the jurisdiction of Pengcheng City...

Uncle Zhang doesn't need to do the work of checking and filling in the gaps.

He has a secretary!

After all, he was the deputy general manager of an education investment company. In terms of rank, he was no more than the county magistrate of Fengyi County. However, a company is a company, and they are two different things.

Shazhou City is a high-end city, so it's not a big deal that Uncle Zhang went a little out of line in front of the county magistrate of Fengyi County.

"...The biggest difficulties right now are, firstly, the difficulty of accessing education, and secondly, the difficulty of running schools. The difficulty of accessing education isn't just a problem for the children; it's also a problem for their families, for the substitute teachers, and even more so for the finances of the township and county governments. Director Zhang, I'm not trying to complain about being poor; we really have no choice. The back wages have been owed for at least two years, some for seven or eight years. It's only because our substitute teachers here still have part-time jobs or odd jobs that things are better..."

"...And then there are the children, some big, some small. The boys are okay, but those seven or eight, even five or six, if their families want to go out to work and earn money, they have to leave the children with the grandparents. Accidents happen every year, and they can't manage it all. The fields aren't allowed to be left fallow, but they can continue farming, relying entirely on the grandparents, who can only cultivate a few acres. Even if they do farm, they don't earn much money; they can barely afford school fees. Right now, in the entire area, not a single school has uniforms..."

"Director Zhang, we've been eagerly awaiting your arrival, and we're so happy to finally have you here. We may not have much else, but we have the attitude of fully cooperating with you. Please trust in the sincerity of Fengyi County; we will absolutely not sabotage this..."

"Hey, there's no need."

Zhang Zhengdong waved his hand, interrupting the other party's declaration of determination. "My word doesn't count. This rural survey and evaluation has standards, and there are negotiations on the scale of the school co-construction afterwards. Different scales mean different levels, different levels mean different funding, and different funding means different management methods. I can't make a promise now. Like I said, my word doesn't count. Of course, the Youth Development Foundation's word doesn't count either, and the civil affairs bureaus in both places are only assisting, not guiding. Finally, regarding management, if the education bureau doesn't want to be deeply involved in the operation, that also needs to be discussed. But you can rest assured about one thing: the school will definitely be built, it's just that the size hasn't been decided yet. The construction team has also been finalized, and we'll recruit construction workers from the villages surrounding the school."

While not quite a reassurance, the people of Fengyi County visibly breathed a sigh of relief. However, many in Fengyi County were still unclear about the exact scale and purpose of the event.

However, the people from the Pengcheng Civil Affairs Bureau do know some things. For example, the volunteer service station that "Zhang An Education" donated to Pengcheng is not just some random building with a sign on it. The hardware alone is not just a matter of a few thousand yuan.

Air conditioners, mobile phones, landlines, computers, commuter vehicles...

It consists of a complete set of hardware, plus the "work-study positions" at the volunteer service station. These "work-study positions" are sponsored by "Zhang An Education" to allow some college students studying in Pengcheng City to serve as customer service representatives, tour guides, and other service positions.

It's not like the local authorities can just send whoever they want. Once the agreement is signed, they have to accept the supervision of "Zhang An Education".

Originally, it wasn't that no one in Pengcheng City was thinking, "The meat's already rotted in the pot, what can you do to me?"

As a result, these two events forced those with quick minds to reassess and carefully consider their options.

First, of course, was Zhang Da'an's real-name whistleblowing incident, which directly led to the arrest of Fan Wencheng, a big boss, and his backers.

Secondly, there's the case of Guan Changsheng, who was assaulted by "Zhang An Health". The trial has been restarted and the verdict has been announced. People who were originally innocent have been sentenced to two years, one year, and the heaviest sentence is five years.

Normally, he wouldn't be sentenced to five years, but Guan Changsheng's eyes were injured in the beating. He thought it was nothing, but then he saw a black spot in everything he looked at. Later he found out it was a detached retina.

Before New Year's Day, the Chengdong District re-examined Guan Changsheng's injuries, finding that he had suffered short-term blindness.

The paperwork is complete, and it's backed by a hospital in the Chengdong District, so naturally it skips the three-year period and falls into the category of more than three years.

As for other things like personal insults, there's plenty of evidence to go around, not to mention the rumors and framing. No matter how Guan Changsheng tried to clear his name before, he couldn't get away with it. Now, there are plenty of witnesses and physical evidence from the East District.

These two incidents demonstrate that Zhang Da'an is extremely arrogant in the local area, and that even in the provincial capital, he is not a nobody who can be turned over and over at will.

If they have the ruthlessness and the capability, then we can only weigh the pros and cons.

This is what is meant by "a dragon crossing the river".

Without some serious skills, how dare you go to Liangshan?

Only with strength and power can we carry out public welfare and charitable work in a large-scale and unrestrained manner.

Zhang Zhengdong's trip to the countryside for research was not only to observe the local conditions but also to allow the locals to observe them; he was well aware of this.

Based on the matching degree of the "Volunteer Targeted Training Program", after a three-day initial visit, Zhang Zhengdong added a requirement: only males are eligible.

However, it is not written into the charter, but rather its spirit is conveyed verbally.

This is not about gender discrimination, but about safety first.

Furthermore, Fengyi County at that time was indeed considered a harsh place. Of course, it was probably not as harsh as the mountainous areas in the central and western regions, and it was much better than the Dabie Mountains in the neighboring Jianghuai Province. However, compared with other areas in Jiangkou Province, it was indeed considered a harsh place.

Regarding the site selection, Zhang Zhengdong was not satisfied with the scope provided by the Youth Development Foundation of Jiangkou Province. He discovered that there was a county road that led directly to Pengcheng City, so he planned to set up a plot of land near the county road and build a school there.

In principle, this is not allowed. If public welfare undertakings are selective and picky, how can we do our work in the future?
But "Zhang An Education" is not just about doing charity without making money.

“If the school isn’t built to be bright and easily visible from the main street, how will people know that it was donated by ‘Zhang An Education’?”

"..."

"..."

"..."

too direct!

Uncle Zhang had no intention of hiding anything. My nephew's career has always been about seeking personal gain. If there were no personal gain, why would you expect him to be a good person?
You can have anything in your dreams.

He only became the top scorer in the college entrance examination to collect tuition fees; he wouldn't do anything charitable.

"boss Zhang……"

The representative from the Youth Development Foundation looked troubled. "There's a large area of ​​land here, all farmland. Changing the land use requires reporting to higher authorities, and there are some issues..."

“Some things can be handled on a case-by-case basis. We’re not building a small school with a few dozen students. We’re reorganizing a dozen, twenty, or even thirty village schools to build a super school. And it’s a boarding super school, which requires a huge team to manage, so naturally it needs a larger site area.”

"..."

His words were incredibly witty, which startled the people of Fengyi County.

But Zhang Zhengdong wasn't just making things up. Within "Zhang An Education," Zhang Da'an did indeed plan a "super primary school development team."

Strictly speaking, it's also a product development team, but the product is somewhat special: it's a super elementary school.

It covers a wide range of topics, even including the parents of students in super elementary schools, and its public welfare content has expanded from public welfare education to areas such as labor rights.

This is why the Youth Development Foundation can only play a supporting role. The reason is simple: the scale of the joint efforts of multiple departments is very large, and the amount of funds invested is also very large, which is beyond what ordinary Hope Primary School construction funds can support.

More extensive cooperation from local governments is needed.

Fengyi County didn't know that, but of course they do now.

So he trembled with fear.

no……

Super Elementary School?

In my Fengyi County?
No... does Director Zhang know what he's saying?

Those with keen ears suddenly noticed that the people from the Youth Development Foundation addressed Zhang Zhengdong as "General Manager Zhang," so they chatted for a bit while having a smoke.

"Secretary Wang, why do you all call Director Zhang 'General Manager Zhang'?"

"In addition to being the head of the education assistance team and the director of the office, Director Zhang is also the head of the private education section of the Shazhou City Education Bureau and the deputy general manager of Wudu City Shazhou Education Investment Company."

"Wudu City Shazhou Education Investment Company?"

Do you know about "The Top Scholar's Handbook"?

"I know I know..."

Nodding repeatedly, how could he not know about the "Top Scholar's Handbook"? Not only the "Top Scholar's Handbook", but also the "Top Scholar's Secret Manual".

There's also "Top Scholar's English Treasure Trove: High School Edition"...

"It was co-produced by this company."

No need to say more, those who know, know.

Good guy...

Looking at Director Zhang again at this moment, his image suddenly changed, as if he had been imbued with a touch of scholarly air.

Seeing how engrossed he was in eating dog meat, I thought he was Fan Kuai, but I never expected him to be Xiao He.

(End of this chapter)