Grassroots lawyers also have their day

Chapter 944 The person is gone, and so is everything!

"Hey! Director Zhang! Please come in." Wang Chuan came out when he heard his father's voice.

"Don't call me 'Director,' it sounds too formal. Just call me 'Brother'!" Director Zhang said as he walked into the courtyard.

"This must be your sister-in-law, your child has grown so much!" Director Zhang said hurriedly when he saw Wu Hongyan carrying the child and following them out.

"Hello, please come inside and chat. I'll take the child out for a walk," Wu Hongyan said with a smile, then carried the child towards the gate.

Wang Chuan asked, "Brother Zhang, is something the matter?"

"Yes, something's come up!" Director Zhang said.

"Let's chat inside! There's freshly brewed tea inside, let's drink and talk," Wang Chuan said.

After entering the room, Director Zhang took out a box of cigarettes and handed it to Wang Chuan.

"I don't smoke!" Wang Chuan waved his hand, poured a cup of tea, placed it in front of Director Zhang, and then smiled, "What is it?"

"Thank you! Chuan'er, I won't lie to you, being the village chief isn't easy!"

It's hard to find work outside this year. Construction sites are delaying payments, only giving us a small living allowance. They're afraid the bosses will run away and we'll lose our wages, so many people from our village have come back.

I heard that factories in Guangdong Province are also struggling. Now, many young people in our village have returned. There are several people in their twenties and thirties who wander around the village all day, and there are quite a few people in their forties and fifties who can still work.

Farming isn't profitable these days; in fact, it can even lead to losses. Since I'm the village committee director, I have to find a way for everyone to earn money and support their families.

"But my abilities are limited. Even after begging and pleading, I can only find a few cleaning jobs, and we don't need many people. I heard you know some big bosses in the city. Could you introduce us to some jobs? At least we can earn some money, which is better than staying at home!" Director Zhang said, smoking a cigarette, his eyes squinting from the smoke.

"Hmm! There's a company in the city where I'm their legal counsel. They're building a farm right now and might need some manpower. It's a bit far from home, but salary payments shouldn't be a problem, no need to worry about the boss running away. But the salary might not be very high. I'll contact you after the holiday," Wang Chuan said after thinking for a moment.

"Okay, it's not a problem that it's far. We have a car in our village that can take them there."

"I always told you, brother, that you work in a big city, you're well-informed and know a lot of people, you're bound to have opportunities! Here's my phone number, call me when you hear something," Director Zhang said with a smile.

"Okay!" Wang Chuan wrote down Director Zhang's mobile phone number.

"Brother, don't you have a classmate named Dong Dapeng who works in the township?" Director Zhang suddenly asked.

"Yes, Dong Dapeng was my elementary school classmate. I heard he's doing quite well in the village. What's up?" Wang Chuan asked, puzzled.

Director Zhang took a couple of puffs of his cigarette: "He passed away a few days ago!"

"Gone? No way! He was full of life when I saw him just now, how could he be gone?" Wang Chuan exclaimed in astonishment.

"I heard people in the village saying that he drank himself to death! Just a few days ago, they said he was hosting a banquet for some county officials one night, drank too much, and when he got home that night, he was in critical condition. He died on the way to the hospital," Director Zhang said.

"Oh! What a pity! He was only promoted to section chief not long ago," Wang Chuan said regretfully.

"It is said that after he died, his family members were not happy, saying that he died on duty and they made a fuss about whether it was a work-related injury or a martyr's award!"

"The government has repeatedly issued orders against officials hosting banquets and drinking parties, but this time he got into trouble because of drinking. The township refused to recognize his death as a work-related injury, so his wife and mother went to the township head to make a scene. They made a scene for more than a month before things finally calmed down," Director Zhang said.

"Is this the final selection of martyrs?" Wang Chuan asked.

"What kind of martyr are you trying to claim! He drank himself to death and you still want to be recognized as a martyr?! Does he think the government is his private property?! But in the end, the township found a reason to report it as a work-related death, which settled the matter!"

"Anyway, it's all government money, everyone knows what's going on, so we just turn a blind eye. If the people don't complain, the officials won't investigate, and that's how it is!" Director Zhang said.

"Sigh! What's the use of being an official, getting rich, and striving for fame and fortune in this life? Once you're gone, you have nothing! Thinking positively is more important than anything else!" Wang Chuan sighed.

"Well, that's true, but who can really not care about fame and fortune? Even the monks in temples who eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures can't cut off their seven emotions and six desires, so it's even more impossible for us ordinary people!"

"Anyone would take a chance if given the opportunity; that's only human nature!" Director Zhang said.

"Yes! It's easy to say but hard to do! That's how it is!" Wang Chuan said helplessly.

Just then, a voice came from the courtyard gate: "Who are you looking for?"

"Is Wang Chuan home? I'm his elementary school classmate, my surname is Zhao!" a familiar voice called out.

"Oh, Chuan'er is inside," said Father Wang.

Wang Chuan got up and looked out the window, only to see Zhao Tong standing at the door talking to her father.

"Brother Zhang, please wait a moment. Some classmates are coming over. I'll go greet them," Wang Chuan said with a smile.

Although he has a good relationship with Xintong Company and can speak to people, Zhao Tong and Director Zhang have come to pull strings for him. But all of this is ultimately external force, not something he can attract people to because of his own abilities. All external forces are unreliable. Who knows what will happen in the future when he is in such a good position now? So Wang Chuan is keeping a low profile and prefers to make friends rather than enemies.

Besides, my parents still live in the village. Local officials have more influence than distant ones, so cultivating good relationships with the village cadres will benefit my family in the future. Seeking some benefits for the villagers is also a way to do good deeds!

"Director Zhao, what brings you here! Didn't you go out for a stroll during your holiday?" Wang Chuan walked out of the house and stood on the steps, smiling.

"Oh! Don't even mention it! There's been so much going on at the ecological farm lately, I can't even sit still on my days off. I just dropped some people off for construction this morning..." Zhao Tong said as she walked over, and the two shook hands warmly before heading inside. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were very close!

"Oh! Isn't this Director Zhang?" Zhao Tong was taken aback when she saw someone sitting in the room, but immediately realized who it was.

"Director Zhao, you and my brother are classmates! Hey! We're all family, we should visit each other more often!" Director Zhang said warmly as he stood up.

He's a shrewd man. He knows that Zhao Tong's village has benefited a lot from the land taken by Xintong Ecological Farm. Recently, he heard that he's gotten involved with the senior management of Xintong Company. He's become incredibly arrogant, as if the village can't contain him anymore. The directors of several nearby villages are envious and jealous of him, but there's nothing they can do. After all, he's got connections with a powerful figure!

"Yes, we need to get around more," Zhao Tong said with a smile.

"Director Zhao, how's the project at Xintong Ecological Farm going lately?" Wang Chuan poured Zhao Tong a cup of tea and added some more tea to Director Zhang's cup.

I made some changes, so it's late! Sorry!

(End of this chapter)