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

Yang Fan stood in the courtyard of the township government for about ten minutes.

The old man at the gatehouse told him to wait, saying that Secretary Ma Liangchen was busy.

What are you busy with?

Through the door, Yang Fan could hear the radio playing "The Beating of the Golden Branch" inside.

People in the countryside are scattered and disunited.

"Come in."

Ma Liangchen did not get up.

He was in his early fifties, with a dark complexion, heavy eye bags, and a cigarette between his fingers.

On the desk lay a copy of the Anyang Daily, the front page featuring news of a county meeting.

Yang Fan handed over the letter of introduction.

Old Ma took it, opened it, glanced at it, and his eyes lingered on the letter for two seconds.

He looked up and examined Yang Fan again.

"A member of the township party committee, or deputy township head?"

"Yes."

"Graduated with a master's degree?"

"Yes."

Ma Liangchen placed the letter of introduction on the table.

He tapped his fingers on the cigarette pack twice, then pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Handong University, Bachelor's and Master's combined program."

During his time at the university, he served as the president of the student union and proposed the "Handong University Model," which was commended by the State Education Commission.

With your resume, you'd be qualified for a provincial-level government position. Why did a top student like you choose to work for us?

"Get to work."

Ma Liangchen lit a cigarette. He took a drag, and the smoke obscured half his face.

"Qingping Township has seen eight college graduate cadres leave in nine years. The shortest tenure was three months, and the longest was a year and a half."

They all said the same thing when they left: "This place is beyond saving."

"I'm not here to gain prestige!"

"They say that every time they come."

Yang Fan did not respond.

Ma Liangchen flicked his cigarette ash.

"You are a member of the Party Committee, and you have the right to vote at Party Committee meetings."

Qingping Township has nine administrative villages, an agricultural population of 12,000, and 23,000 mu of arable land, all of which is dry land.

Last year, the average income per person was 197 yuan.

You're a graduate student, you can do math, so figure out for yourself if this place is salvageable.

Before Yang Fan could respond, Ma Liangchen continued.

"Our township's most outstanding achievement is agriculture."

He emphasized the words "presentable".

He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag amidst the swirling smoke, and then stubbed it out, carefully studying the resume written on Yang Fan's letter of introduction.

"You'll be in charge of agriculture!"

After saying this, Ma Liangchen picked up the newspaper again.

Looking at the secretary who seemed to have no hope in his mouth yet had entrusted him with agricultural work, Yang Fan simply nodded silently.

Talk is cheap; action speaks louder than words.

A young office clerk, around twenty years old, was waiting outside the door.

"Committee Member Yang, my name is Chen Ming. I just run errands in the office, you can just call me Xiao Chen."

Secretary Ma has been here for eight years and has seen many cadres sent down from above.

One comes, one goes; you're the ninth.

The dormitory was a single-story building.

Wooden bed, table, chair.

Old newspapers were pasted on the walls, and the windows were boarded up.

Chen Ming put down his luggage: "The canteen is at the back of the courtyard. They serve three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they won't wait for you if you're late. The toilet is at the west end of the courtyard, and you have to boil your own water to take a shower."

"Is there any water?"

"Well water needs to settle for half a day, otherwise it's all mud."

Yang Fan nodded.

Chen Ming stood there for a while, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

"What's up?"

"Mayor Yang."

Chen Ming hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"You are a committee member, which is different from the cadres in the past."

In Qingping, the words of committee members carry weight.

But the area is poor, and the villagers don't care about grand principles; they only care about people.

Yang Fan looked at him.

"Secretary Ma isn't a bad person. He's just... worn down."

After Chen Ming finished speaking, he shook his head and left.

Yang Fan left the township government at five o'clock the next morning.

In the early morning in Qingping, the dew is heavy.

The dirt road was full of potholes, and every few steps you'd step into mud.

In one day, he visited three villages in a whirlwind tour.

At the entrance of Yangjiagou Village, an old man squatted on the ground smoking a pipe.

In front of us was an orchard, mostly with apple trees.

The fruit on the tree was sparse, about the size of a fist, with dark brown spots covering its green skin.

Some of the fruits had insect holes crawling on them, from which brown sap oozed.

A layer of rotten fruit lay on the ground, and flies buzzed around it.

The old man looked up at him, then looked down again.

"Sir, is this your house?"

"Um."

"How many years have you been growing it?"

Five years.

"How's the harvest?"

"Four cents a pound."

Yang Fan squatted down and examined a leaf.

The underside of the leaves is covered with insect eggs, and when you rub your fingers together, you get a layer of black powder.

"Has it not been treated?"

"I tried it. It didn't work."

The old man pointed into the distance, shaking his head as he spoke.

"Every year we spray pesticides, but the trees still rot. Some people cut down the trees last year and planted corn instead, but the corn still doesn't fetch a good price."

Yang Fan stood up and patted the dirt off his hands.

Something flashed through my mind—fruit bags.

I read a report in my past life that in the early 1990s, apple bagging technology was promoted in northern fruit-growing areas.

When the fruit is young, it is covered with a special paper bag to isolate it from pests and diseases, resulting in a smooth fruit surface and even coloring.

Bagged apples fetch several times the purchase price of regular apples.

"Sir, what is your surname?"

"His surname is Wang."

"Uncle Wang."

Yang Fan said,

Old Wang raised his eyelids.

"Look, I'm also a child from the mountains. I know that apple trees ripen at very different times depending on the variety. Can we find some of the first apple trees to ripen and do an experiment?"

"We just want to find a new way to improve the quality of apples and increase the harvest."

Don't worry, I'll compensate you with my personal salary if I lose money.

Old Wang stared at him for a long time.

Who are you?

"My name is Yang Fan, and I'm the newly appointed deputy township head."

"Deputy township head?"

Old Wang looked him up and down.

"The last deputy township head came, stayed for three months and then left. He didn't even recognize all the dogs in the village."

Yang Fan's lips twitched. This villager really speaks his mind!

Old Wang tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe and stood up.

"Okay, these three trees ripen two months earlier than the others, and they'll be fully ripe in about a month! If you're a liar, I can afford to lose money on these three trees."

Back at the township government, Yang Fan pulled out a stack of letters.

I wrote three pages, tore them up, and rewrote them.

After thinking for a long time, I finally only wrote down the recipient.

Recipient: Professor Li Shusheng, College of Agriculture, Handong University.

No, I need to call and ask about this in detail.

Chen Ming knocked on the door and came in, carrying a bowl of noodles.

"Mayor Yang, you haven't had lunch yet."

After carefully folding the letter, Yang Fan asked:

"Xiao Chen, is there a telephone in the township?"

"There's one, in the gatehouse."

"Can you make long-distance calls?"

"Yes, but the signal is bad, you have to shout at the top of your lungs."

Yang Fan put down his chopsticks and went to the reception room.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

"Who is it?"

"Professor Li, I am Yang Fan."

"Yang Fan!"

The voice on the other end of the phone rose in volume.

"Hey kid, instead of going to school to register, where have you been?"

Qingping Township, Anyang County.

There was a few seconds of silence on the phone.

"Okay, go ahead."

Yang Fan talked about Apple.

After listening, Li Shusheng said, "I have the bagging technology, and I also have paper bag samples. The problem is that it's a new technology; are you willing to promote it?"

"dare."

"Does the township support this?"

Yang Fan did not answer.

Li Shusheng understood.

"Okay! The bags aren't expensive, I can send you some."

"Thank you, Professor Li."

"Don't thank me, you did it! That's more effective than saying it a thousand times!"

Before hanging up, Li Shusheng added, "Those who graduate from Handong University must always maintain their original aspiration to serve the people!"

Yang Fan held the microphone.

"I remember!"