Official title: Refused to stay at the university, started his career in a rural town.

"Is that enough?"

Wang Dashan was a little embarrassed and stood there awkwardly.

Yang Fan stood up.

"OK."

He then pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, on which various pauses were clearly marked, and handed it to Old Wang.

"Practice while walking, practice on the road, and maintain a rhythm. Okay, you understand rhythm? Oh, then you have to shout with conviction!"

Wang Dashan took it, looked down, and almost dropped the cigarette from his mouth.

"This, this?"

This paper not only contains all the words, but also specifically marks which parts require shouting with force and which parts require pausing.

Finally, to sum it up, you should treat this poem as a song and sing it!

Isn't this making things difficult for old man Wang?

"become."

Yang Fan went to find Ma Liangchen.

The office door was open, and Ma Liangchen was drinking tea. The enamel mug held tea leaves floating on the surface—it was this year's new tea from Nangezhuang.

Yang Fan placed the proposal on the table.

Ma Liangchen picked it up and read it from beginning to end. When he saw the "suggested retail price" line, his eyebrows twitched.

My lips twitched when I saw the part where they were broadcasting through a loudspeaker.

After reading it, he put the proposal down.

"Yang Fan".

"Um."

"Where did you learn that trick?"

Yang Fan paused for a moment.

"I came up with it myself."

Ma Liangchen wanted to say something, but in the end he only said four words.

"Be mindful of the consequences."

"Know."

Yang Fan turned and walked out. As he reached the door, Ma Liangchen's voice came from behind him.

"Tell Wang Dashan to smoke less; if he shouts himself hoarse, the deal will fall through."

Yang Fan paused for a moment and smiled secretly.

"it is good."

The next morning, a large truck was parked in the township government courtyard. The truck bed was piled high with mushrooms, wood ear fungus, walnuts, and chestnuts—all of the best quality. Red banners hung on either side of the truck bed, bearing two lines of text:

"Qingping Mountain Delicacies are born in the deep mountains and grow amidst the clouds and mist."

"Enjoy the delicacies of Qingping Mountain and live a healthy life."

Wang Dashan stood beside the truck, clutching the paper in his hand, muttering to himself. Li Dayao squatted down beside him, keeping track of the time.

"Old Wang, where are you reading off to?"

"Don't interrupt!"

Wang Dashan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to recite again. By the third time, his voice had become hoarse.

Chen Ming came out of the warehouse carrying a stack of cardboard boxes. The boxes were printed with the four big characters "Qingping Mountain Delicacies" and below them was a line of smaller print: Suggested retail price: 18 yuan per jin for walnuts, 22 yuan per jin for mushrooms, 15 yuan per jin for wood ear fungus, and 30 yuan per jin for chestnuts.

Geng Yan took the tape and sealed the boxes one by one. He stopped halfway through, looking at the prices on the boxes.

"Mayor Yang, at this price, will anyone actually buy it?"

Yang Fan loaded the last cardboard box onto the car.

"People who buy these products don't look at the suggested retail price."

"Then what are you looking at?"

"See how much of a bargain you've gained."

Geng Yan peeled off the tape and stuck it on. He didn't ask any more questions.

The truck started, Yang Fan opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. Wang Dashan climbed into the back seat, still clutching the paper in his hand.

Chen Ming sat next to him, holding the three large loudspeakers in his arms.

Geng Yan stood under the car, watching them.

"Mayor Yang, are you really going to shout that?"

Yang Fan leaned out of the car window.

"call."

Geng Yan took a step back. The truck sputtered to life, the mountain goods in the bed jolted, then settled back down.

Wang Dashan sat in the back seat and began to recite again. This time his voice was louder, with a hint of fierceness—

"Then I'll practice some more. Anyang Qingping, Anyang Qingping, the Qingping Mountain Delicacies Factory has gone bankrupt!"

The words carried far.

The truck turned out of the township government compound and onto the dirt road. Old Wang's voice echoed from the truck bed along the winding mountain road.

Geng Yan stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching the truck disappear at the end of the dirt road. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff.

"This Township Chief Yang is a real talent."

-

The truck bumped along the dirt road for four hours.

Yang Fan sat in the passenger seat, his head bobbing against the backrest repeatedly.

Wang Dashan sat in the back seat, clutching the paper in his hand, his lips moving incessantly. Chen Ming, hugging three large megaphones, had his head resting against the car window, fast asleep.

Wang Dashan suddenly spoke up.

"Mayor Yang, should I really use that phrase?"

"call."

"Qingping Mountain Delicacies Factory in Anyang has gone bankrupt—this factory wasn't even built yet, how could it have closed down?"

Yang Fan did not turn around.

Wang Dashan opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

He looked down at the paper again, poking at the surface with his finger, pointing at each word one by one.

"Mayor Yang, isn't this a lie?"

"Who are you kidding?"

"They're deceiving...deceiving people who buy their goods."

Does this factory still exist?

"No?"

"Is there any difference between that and going bankrupt?"

Wang Dashan was stunned for a long time, while Chen Ming burst out laughing beside him, but quickly suppressed it.

Wang Dashan folded the paper and tucked it into his pocket. He rubbed his hands on his knees.

"Okay, whatever you say."

The truck entered Ningzhou city and stopped at the entrance of the farmers' market.

Yang Fan jumped off the car and looked around. It was ten o'clock in the morning, the busiest time at the market. Vegetable vendors, buyers, people pushing tricycles, and carrying loads on shoulder poles were all crammed together.

The air was filled with the smells of fish, rotten vegetables, and coal stove smoke.

Chen Ming carried the three large loudspeakers down and connected the batteries.

Wang Dashan stood beside the truck, clutching the paper in his hand, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Yang Fan looked at him.

"Uncle Wang, let's test the volume first."

Wang Dashan cleared his throat, his face turning red from the base of his neck.

I felt ashamed, but thinking of the expectant eyes of the villagers, I gritted my teeth and started shouting.

"install--"

its stuck.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted it out.

"Qingping, Anyang! Qingping, Anyang! The Qingping Mountain Delicacies Factory has gone bankrupt!"

The sound blasted from the loudspeaker, nearly causing the old woman selling vegetables next to her to drop the weight from her scale.

The market was silent for two seconds.

Then someone laughed. Then more people laughed. A fishmonger, shirtless, holding two crucian carp, laughed so hard his fish tails swished.

"Why are you making such a fuss even though you've gone bankrupt?"

Wang Dashan's face turned red to the tips of his ears, and his hand holding the paper was trembling, but he didn't stop.

Following Yang Fanbiao's rhythm, pause for one beat, then continue shouting—

"Qingping Mountain Delicacies Factory in Anyang has gone bankrupt! The largest mountain delicacies factory in Anyang's Qingping district, Qingping Mountain Delicacies Factory, has gone bankrupt! That bastard Huang He, who indulged in drinking, gambling, and whoring, racked up three million in debt, and ran off with his mistress! We have no way to stop him..."

Wang Dashan continued shouting, his voice becoming increasingly clear—

"We have no other choice but to accept these delicacies as payment! These delicacies, which originally cost thirty or twenty yuan per jin, are now only six yuan each! You bastard Huang He, you're not human! We've worked hard for half a year, and you haven't paid us! Give us back our hard-earned money! Give us back our hard-earned money!"