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

That afternoon, Zhou Dequan squatted at the gate of the reception room and smoked half a pack of cigarettes as the county agricultural bureau's Santana drove out of the township government compound.

Yang Fan came out of the office, and Zhou Dequan stood up, threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out.

"Mayor Yang, Director Sun said something to me on his way back."

"What are you saying?"

He said that if the data verification is successful, Qingping will become famous.

Yang Fan did not respond.

Zhou Dequan took out another cigarette, but didn't light it; he just twirled it in his hand twice.

"I've been working in agricultural technology extension for twenty years, and this is the first time someone from the county bureau has said something like that to me."

"Good thing."

"It's good news, it's good news," Old Zhou said, tucking a cigarette behind his ear. "But I'm still a little unsure."

Yang Fan glanced at him.

"You compiled the data, you visited the orchards, you talked to each farmer one by one. What are you worried about?"

Zhou Dequan paused for a moment, then took the cigarette off his ear, lit it, and took a deep drag.

"Too."

The county agricultural bureau's review results came back half a month later.

Sun Guoqing came personally with the documents.

This time I didn't ride in a Santana, but in a Cherokee, which was covered in mud.

The driver said the road from the county to Qingping was too difficult to travel, and they had to take a long detour before finally getting there.

Sun Guoqing placed the documents on Ma Liangchen's desk and said with a smile:

"Secretary Ma, the bureau has reviewed it. The data for the bagged apple project in Qingping Township is accurate. I will report it to the county party committee and the municipal agricultural bureau."

Ma Liangchen picked up the enamel mug, blew away the tea leaves, and took a sip.

"Director Sun, you said that when you left last time."

"Last time was a preliminary inspection, this time it's a formal assessment." Sun Guoqing pushed up his glasses.

"The bureau has decided to promote the Qingping experience throughout the county next year. In addition... the Municipal Agriculture Bureau requested some materials."

Ma Liangchen put the jar down.

"The Municipal Bureau?"

"Yes! After you submitted your data, the county forwarded it to the municipal bureau. Director Liu of the economic crops division of the municipal bureau called personally to inquire about it."

Sun Guoqing looked at Ma Liangchen and said, "Secretary Ma, Qingping is going to be famous now!"

Ma Liangchen remained silent for a few seconds.

Where is Yang Fan?

Chen Ming poked half his body in from the doorway: "Mayor Yang said this morning that he went to Yangjiagou."

"Tell him to come back."

When Yang Fan rode the bicycle with its chain twisted with wire back to the township government, his trouser legs were covered in mud.

Zhou Dequan was squatting in the yard. When he saw him, he stood up.

"The city has come to request the materials."

Yang Fan propped up the bicycle.

"understood."

"Aren't you excited?"

"Get excited only after you've finished writing the materials."

Yang Fan entered Ma Liangchen's office. On the table lay the review document, with a red header and the official seal of the county agricultural bureau.

Ma Liangchen pushed the document toward Yang Fan.

"Take a look."

Yang Fan picked it up and looked at it from beginning to end. The numbers were all correct, and the conclusion was clearly written.

In Qingping Township, the rate of first-grade apples using bagging techniques reached 87%, increasing the average household income by 4,500 yuan. It is recommended that this method be promoted throughout the county.

When do you need the materials?

"The sooner the better!"

Sun Guoqing said, "The exact words of Director Liu from the Municipal Bureau were: 'Have the deputy township head in charge of agriculture in that township write it himself.'"

Yang Fan put the document down.

"OK."

Yang Fan spent three days writing that document.

I spend my days running around in the orchards and my nights writing at my desk in the dormitory.

The light bulb was forty watts, and its light was a yellowish hue, like old paper.

Yang Fan put down his pen and rubbed his eyes as he wrote the materials until 2 a.m. on the third day.

The paper was covered with dense writing, starting with the three pilot trees, then moving on to the whole township's promotion, data statistics, and farmer feedback.

No platitudes, just pure substance.

He wrote the last paragraph like this:

"The experience of Qingping Township proves that the key to promoting agricultural technology lies not in the technology itself, but in whether farmers believe in it."

The effect of three pilot trees is more effective than a hundred lectures.

Let people see, let people believe, let the data speak for itself!

He thought for a moment and then added:

"Currently, the coverage rate of bagging technology in the township's 2,000 mu of orchards has reached 100%."

But the road is impassable, making it too costly to transport the fruit. The next plan is to build roads, while simultaneously increasing the income of farmers throughout the township!

After writing the last two words, Yang Fan put the materials into a file folder and placed it under his pillow. A rooster crowed outside the window.

The reply from the Municipal Agriculture Bureau came faster than expected.

Less than two weeks later, a document bearing a red seal was delivered to the Qingping Township government. The document had a long title—"Notice on Forwarding the Experience of Qingping Township in Promoting Apple Bagging Technology."

The full text of Yang Fan's document is appended to the main text, and the last page contains the comments from Yang Shanguo, the director of the municipal bureau:

"Qingping's experience can serve as a model for all fruit-growing areas in the city. We hope that the agricultural bureaus of each county will send specialists to conduct on-site inspections as soon as possible. Suitable locations should be introduced as early as possible, and personnel should be deployed quickly."

Ma Liangchen read the document three times.

"The entire city, and all counties!"

Xiao Chen stood to the side, his mouth agape. "Secretary Ma, this time in Qingping—"

Ma Liangchen raised his hand, and Xiao Chen swallowed the rest of his words.

"Notify all villages to clean up their orchards. When the inspectors come, don't let them see us in such a ridiculous state."

"Yes."

Xiao Chen turned to leave. Ma Liangchen called him back.

"Have Yang Fan come here."

Yang Fan arrived, and Ma Liangchen pushed the documents over. Yang Fan picked them up and looked through them.

"You wrote the materials, and I've read your comments."

"And that's not all."

Ma Liangchen stood up and walked to the window.

"Director Liu called me. He said that the department may have also noticed the Qingping incident."

Yang Fan remained silent.

Ma Liangchen turned around.

What are your plans for the next step?

Yang Fan put the document back on the table.

"I'll think of a way to repair the tea plantations in Nangezhuang! Once everyone has a full meal and can catch their breath, the roads will eventually need to be repaired!"

Ma Liangchen stared at him for a few seconds, then picked up the enamel mug.

"The village has no money for the road."

"I know."

"Even the county may not have it."

"I know."

Ma Liangchen blew away the tea leaves and took a sip. "So, what are you planning to do?"

Yang Fan said, "When the inspectors arrive, let them see how the fruit was transported out."

Ma Liangchen put the jar down.

"You little brat!"

The city's fruit-growing region inspection team arrived two weeks later.

Three vans and more than forty people filled the township government courtyard to the brim.

There were representatives from municipal and county agricultural bureaus, townships in fruit-growing areas, and two technicians from the provincial department.

Sun Guoqing led the team and immediately went to find Yang Fan as soon as they got off the bus.

"Mayor Yang, you will be the speaker today."

Yang Fan did not refuse.

He led an inspection team to visit three villages.

Yangjiagou, Zhaojiaping, Lijiayao.

At each stop, the fruit farmers themselves gave their accounts.

Wang Dashan talked about the three pilot trees, Old Li from Zhaojiaping talked about the first-grade fruit yield, and the woman from Lijia Kiln talked about how much the purchase price had increased.

The inspection team squatted at the edge of the field, examining the apples, the ledgers, and the bagging. Some took out notebooks to record, while others took photos—they were still using film cameras, clicking away with each shot.

The last stop was the orchard in Yangjiagou.

Wang Dashan stood in front of his three-mu orchard. The fruit had all been picked, and the branches were bare.

However, there were several stacks of plastic baskets piled up next to the orchard, with the names of buyers from other provinces printed on them.

Someone in the inspection team asked, "Are all your fruits sold to other provinces?"

Old Wang said, "Last year we only sold to the county town. This year, I don't know why, a boss from another province came and is scrambling to buy our products."

Why?

Old Wang pointed to the fruit trees.

"Our apples are great! Look, there are basically no bad ones, and each one is big and round, bright red, and tastes sweet."

The boss from another province said, "We can't afford to sell this cheap!"

Yang Fan picked up an apple that had been left at the bottom of the basket—the kind that wasn't in good condition and hadn't been taken away.

Even this one, the surface of the fruit is so smooth that you can see your reflection in it.

"The bagging technology solves the quality problem. With better quality, the purchase price is higher."

Higher purchase prices attract buyers, but there's a problem.

The inspection team quieted down.

"road!"

Yang Fan pointed to the dirt road beneath his feet.

"From Qingping to the county seat, it's 45 kilometers, and the whole road is like this."

On sunny days, you're covered in dust; on rainy days, your cart is covered in mud.

The buyers' trucks couldn't get in, so they had to use tricycles to haul them out.

Each time it's dumped, the cost increases by at least three cents.

He paused for a moment.

"We've done the math. If the road is repaired, the transportation cost per pound of apples can be reduced by 30 cents."

The whole township has two million catties of apples, which is 600,000.

This 600,000 yuan should have been in the pockets of the fruit farmers.

No one in the inspection team spoke.

Everyone is short of money!

Sun Guoqing stood at the edge of the crowd, took out his notebook, and wrote a few words on it.

On the return trip, the inspection team's van bumped along the dirt road for forty minutes. A deputy director of the agricultural bureau from another county was jolted so badly he hit the roof of the van twice. When he got out, clutching his back, his first words were:

"This road definitely needs to be repaired."

Sun Guoqing wrote these words down in his notebook.

That evening, the lights were on in Ma Liangchen's office. When Yang Fan entered, Ma Liangchen was nodding into the phone.

"Yes. Yes. I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Ma Liangchen looked at Yang Fan.

"It was Director Sun who made the call. He said he would persuade Director Yang Shanguo of the Municipal Agriculture Bureau to come and take a look."

"What are you looking at?"

"Watch where you're going."

"You've got the math right, six hundred thousand."

"More than that."

Ma Liangchen remained silent for a while.

"Yang Fan, do you know how many years it's been since Qingping Road was repaired?"

"have no idea."

"Twenty-three years!"

Ma Liangchen leaned back in his chair. "Since I came here, I've submitted reports every year, but nothing ever comes of it. Do you know why?"

Yang Fan did not answer.

"Because the higher-ups felt that a poor village wasn't worth it! Funds should be prioritized for areas with higher returns!"

Ma Liangchen slammed the enamel mug onto the table.

"It's becoming more and more worthwhile!"