Nominal: Intercepting Zhong Xiaoai, Dominating Handong

On December 1, 1995, winter came a little late to Liping.

The morning mist still lingered in the mountains, but the county government compound was already bustling with activity.

Gu Mingyuan got up at six o'clock sharp as usual and washed up quickly.

Zhong Xiaoai poked her head out from the kitchen: "It's gotten colder today, wear something warmer."

"It's alright, it'll be warm in a bit." Gu Mingyuan smiled as he accepted the steamed bun and soy milk his wife handed him.

"I'm going to the countryside today, I probably won't be back until tonight."

Zhong Xiaoai straightened his collar and said softly, "Be careful, drive slowly."

After kissing his son's little face, Gu Mingyuan hurriedly left.

Today we're going to Baiyan Township, the most remote township in the county—the last township in the county without a paved road.

After driving for two hours on the winding mountain road, we finally saw the outline of Baiyan Township.

Township Party Secretary Zhao Dashan was waiting at the intersection. Seeing Gu Mingyuan get out of the car, he quickly came forward to greet him: "Secretary Gu, you've arrived!"

"Old Zhao, how's the road repair going?" Gu Mingyuan got straight to the point.

"The roadbed is complete, and we're currently laying the water-stabilized layer. At this rate, it will definitely be open to traffic by the end of the month!" Secretary Zhao said excitedly.

"Take me to see it."

The group arrived at the construction site.

At the construction site, hundreds of people are busy, some moving stones, some paving the road, and some operating small machinery.

Gu Mingyuan walked up to an old man and asked, "Sir, are you here to repair the road too?"

The old man looked up, his face full of wrinkles but beaming with smiles: "Secretary Gu, I'm sixty-eight years old this year, and I've spent my whole life repairing roads. From dirt roads to gravel roads, and now to asphalt roads, we've finally seen it all!"

"Yes, Baiyan Township has been hoping for this road for decades," Zhao Dashan said with emotion.

"Secretary Gu, you don't know, in the past, when ordinary people sold a pig, it took four people to carry it for more than ten miles along the mountain road."

"Now that the roads are open, cars can drive right to our doorstep, and life is much better."

Gu Mingyuan nodded and said to the construction supervisor, "The quality must be guaranteed. This road is the road of hope for Baiyan Township, and there can be no carelessness."

"Don't worry, the supervisor is on site every day."

At noon, Gu Mingyuan ate lunch at the township government canteen.

Zhao Dashan reported on the situation in the township: "This year, our township has developed high-altitude cold-water fish farming, introduced three enterprises, and built two aquaculture bases."

"It is expected that by the end of the year, the per capita income of farmers will exceed 2,000 yuan, an increase of 60% over last year."

"Good!" Gu Mingyuan praised.

"But that's not enough. Baiyan Township has a unique high-altitude climate, so we need to develop distinctive industries."

"Cold-water fish is one direction, and high-altitude vegetables and Chinese medicinal herbs can also be considered."

He thought for a moment and said, "How about this, I'll have an expert from the county's agricultural bureau come over and help you make a comprehensive plan."

"We must adapt to local conditions and turn our resource advantages into economic advantages."

After the meal, Gu Mingyuan went to Baiyan Township Central Primary School.

This is one of the most dilapidated schools in the county, with mud-brick buildings, drafty windows, and old desks and benches.

The principal, a female teacher in her fifties, excitedly told Gu Mingyuan, "Secretary Gu, our school will be able to move to the new school building next year! The county approved 500,000 yuan, and the township raised 200,000 yuan on its own. Construction on the new school has already begun."

"The children's learning conditions must be improved." Gu Mingyuan walked into the classroom.

A dozen or so children are in class. Although the conditions are simple, they are studying very diligently.

"Are you cold, students?" Gu Mingyuan asked softly.

"It's not cold!" the children answered in unison, but their little faces were red from the cold.

Gu Mingyuan felt a pang of sadness.

He turned to Zhao Dashan and said, "Old Zhao, first equip each classroom with two coal stoves, so the children won't get cold."

"In addition, teachers' salaries should be improved. Rural teachers have a tough job, and we should let them teach with peace of mind."

"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!"

As we left the school, the children gathered around, chattering amongst themselves:

"Secretary Gu, does the new school really have buildings?"

"Yes, it has three floors and a library."

"Can we learn to draw?"

"Yes! You will not only learn to draw, but also to learn English and music. You must study hard so that you can contribute to your hometown when you grow up."

The children's eyes were shining.

Gu Mingyuan knew that this was hope.

At 3 p.m., Gu Mingyuan returned to the county town.

On the bus, he looked through the year-end data submitted by various townships, his feelings mixed.

Liping is indeed getting better, but not fast enough, not good enough.

For Gu Mingyuan, every day in December was a countdown.

In mid-December, Liping welcomed its first snowfall.

Snowflakes fluttered down, covering the mountains in a silver coat.

Gu Mingyuan stood by the office window, looking at the snow scene, but his mind was on something else—the year-end summary.

This year, Liping experienced too much: the growing pains of anti-corruption, the hardships of development, the expectations of the people, and the sweat of the cadres.

Now, it's time to hand in the papers.

On December 20th, the county party committee held a year-end work coordination meeting.

All the secretaries of the 18 townships in the county and the heads of all county-level departments participated.

The meeting room was filled with warmth, and everyone's face was filled with anticipation.

Gu Mingyuan got straight to the point: "Comrades, there are still ten days left until the end of the year."

"The purpose of this meeting today is to review our achievements, identify problems, and ensure the successful completion of our annual goals and tasks."

He looked at Director Zhang of the Statistics Bureau: "Old Zhang, please give us a briefing on the main economic indicators."

Director Zhang stood up, his voice trembling with excitement: "Distinguished leaders, according to preliminary statistics, the county's GDP is projected to reach 1.2 billion yuan this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 45%."

"The average income per farmer is expected to be 2,300 yuan, a year-on-year increase of 50%. Fiscal revenue is expected to be 130 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 60%."

A murmur rippled through the room.

These figures might not seem significant in developed regions, but in Liping, they are unprecedented.

Gu Mingyuan nodded: "The achievements are commendable, but the problems cannot be ignored. County Chief Liu, could you tell me what difficulties still exist?"

County Head Liu Zhijun opened his notebook: "There are three main problems: First, the development of industries in some townships is uneven, with some developing faster than others. Second, businesses, especially small and micro enterprises, face difficulties in obtaining financing, as loan thresholds are high. Third, there is a serious brain drain; young people are still willing to leave."

"You've identified the problem accurately." Gu Mingyuan stood up and walked to the map of the entire county.

"Comrades, our Liping is like a child who has just learned to walk, and is not yet walking steadily."

"But we must have confidence and determination."

"In the last ten days, we must concentrate our efforts and fight a decisive battle."

He outlined specific tasks: for townships with slow industrial development, the county established support teams to provide one-on-one guidance; for businesses facing financing difficulties, he coordinated with banks to simplify procedures and lower thresholds; and for addressing talent drain, he introduced preferential policies to attract young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses.

"Does everyone have confidence?"