Nominal: Energy sector enters Handong, breaking the deadlock

Dinner ended quickly, the empty bowls and plates were taken away, and the water basin made a splashing sound.

A row of small stools was placed on the ground in the village committee's courtyard.

Zhao Erzhu carried over two long bamboo poles, with two 100-watt light bulbs tied to the tops, and the power cords were run along the low wall into the yard.

When the power is plugged in, bright white light shines onto the ground.

It gets dark early in the mountains, and there are no streetlights, so these two lights are the only source of light.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the mountain path outside.

Township Party Committee Secretary Gu Changming and Township Head Ma Weiguo got out of the car and ran over quickly.

He knew the governor was coming, so he had to come even if his wife was giving birth.

Gu Changming, not even having time to catch his breath, bent down and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Governor Song, we rushed here from the village as soon as we received the news. This mountain road is incredibly winding, and we're late."

Ma Weiguo bowed his head and said, "Leaders, Dalingwan is a relatively remote place in the township with a weak foundation. We apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality."

Song Yunhui remained calm and had no intention of criticizing anyone. "Find a bench and sit down. We'll have an open-air discussion tonight."

Let's set aside ranks and just talk about the difficulties in rural development. Let's speak frankly.

Gu Changming and Ma Weiguo sat down next to Wang Laoshuan, the village party secretary.

The surrounding area was full of villagers who hadn't left, men, women, and children huddled together.

The courtyard was crowded with people, even the walls were covered with them.

The villagers watched silently, and no one dared to utter a sound.

Normally, I'm intimidated by even a township official, but today, with high-ranking provincial officials sitting in a row, no one dares to be the first to speak.

I'm afraid that if I say something wrong, I'll be targeted.

The wind rustled through the old locust tree outside the courtyard.

The scene dried for almost five minutes.

Song Yunhui stood up and said, "Fellow villagers, hello everyone, I am Governor Song Yunhui."

I also grew up in the countryside. I was also sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution and fed pigs there.

Let's not hold back. I came to the mountains today not just to take a few photos and go through the motions, but to hear your honest opinions.

Let's lay out our difficulties openly and find ways to solve them.

If everyone keeps their worries bottled up inside, the villagers of Dalingwan and the surrounding areas will never be able to turn their lives around.

See how this is the art of conversation? A few simple words can bridge the gap between you and the villagers.

Li Dakang, with his hands on his knees, continued, "Governor Song made a special trip here; the opportunity is right in front of us."

The road is difficult to travel, and the water supply is unavailable. If you don't speak up, you'll be the ones who suffer.

Don't worry, no one is going to make things difficult for you today.

Don't be afraid, this handsome man is Qi Tongwei, the Director of the Public Security Bureau of Handong Province.

Anyone who has a grievance can speak up, and Director Qi will stand up for you.

There was some commotion in the crowd.

Liu Xiaohua, the village accountant sitting in the front row, stood up, fiddling with the hem of her clothes with both hands. "Leader, let me start."

Our village's farmland doesn't even have a decent irrigation ditch. We rely on the heavens for our harvest every year, and a severe drought can lead to a complete crop failure.

A few years ago, the township said they had applied for a canal construction project, and the approval document was supposed to be issued, but the money has never materialized, and not even a single brick has been laid for the canal.

These words stirred up a hornet's nest.

As soon as Liu Xiaohua finished speaking, even the chirping of crickets in the village committee courtyard stopped.

Old Wang shook his pipe, and sparks fell directly onto the withered yellow leaves.

He didn't bother to stomp out the sparks; his rough hands grabbed Liu Xiaohua's arm, and he glared at her.

"Governor Song, Xiaohua is young and inexperienced, she doesn't understand the intricacies of the documents from above." Old Wang rubbed his hands together, his dry lips trembling. "The township did approve the project to build the irrigation canal, and it's stamped with the township government's big red seal. But the documents clearly state in black and white that the township will provide half the funding, and the village has to raise the other half on its own."

There are also additional clauses: the village will complete the repairs first, and the township will inspect and approve them before allocating funds.

There are too many problems inside.

Ultimately, it's because the village is too poor.

Village head Zhao Erzhu spread his hands out in front of him, his palms and the backs of his hands covered in yellow and red calluses, and immediately chimed in: "What the secretary said is the actual situation. Our Dalingwan Village even has trouble paying for the electricity to turn on the lights at the village committee. Nobody has cash under their bed."

Every household's rice bins are almost empty, with the last grains they have for the winter nearly gone.

How could the village possibly raise half of the project funds themselves?

"It's not entirely the township government's fault for not handling this; it's because our village is too poor. We couldn't afford that amount even if we sold everything we owned."

Gu Changming sat on the bench, his shirt soaked through, looking like he was about to get a scolding.

Gu Changming looked at Ma Weiguo, indicating that he should say a few words.

Township head Ma Weiguo stood up and said, "Governor Song, Governor Zhao, Secretary Li, what the villagers are saying is the truth."

It's not that our township officials are hoarding funds; our township's financial books have long been inverted.

"Tell me more details," Song Yunhui asked.

Li Dakang felt that Song Yunhui was too bookish, and if it were him, he would definitely scold these inactive township officials.

Ma Weiguo pointed to the dark mountains outside and exhaled a large breath of stale air. "The township's finances are tight."

Just last month, all the teachers in the rural primary school were owed salaries and there was no money to pay them.

The month before last, in order to buy emergency medicine for the health center, the township government sold the old tractor in the yard as scrap metal.

The poverty alleviation funds allocated from above must be used for their designated purpose; not a single penny can be diverted elsewhere.

According to the province's strict regulations, the construction of irrigation canals should be funded by the government plus contributions from the villagers themselves.

The village couldn't come up with half, and the township's half didn't come out of thin air either.

The rules are there, and they must be followed.

"Once the gates are opened, village officials and villagers from all the dozen or so poor villages in the township will probably block the township government gates first thing tomorrow morning."

Li Dakang turned the enamel mug in his hand.

Li Dakang had previously served as Zhao Lichun's secretary, climbing his way up from the lowest-level county head and secretary positions. He was all too familiar with the unresolved issues at the grassroots level.

Townships and villages can barely make ends meet with their meager tax revenues. They are riddled with unfillable holes and simply cannot produce any money. Even if Ma Weiguo were driven to desperation, he could not conjure up any cash.

Unless there is a large project that increases villagers' income and makes the village rich, all problems will be solved.

Zhao Qilun felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show off.

The governor was present, and hundreds of eager villagers surrounded him.

For a deputy provincial-level official like him, resolving funding issues for irrigation canals worth tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan is simply a matter of talking.

It can demonstrate both courage and earn a good reputation for caring about the people.

Zhao Qilun cleared his throat and spoke, "Gu Changming, Ma Weiguo, this is a typical example of formalism."

Gu Changming lowered his head and said, "Boss, your criticism is correct."

Zhao Qilun pressed his palm down and raised his voice, "Comrades, there is no such thing as a trivial matter concerning the interests of the masses."

Ordinary people rely on the weather for their livelihood, and even getting water and farming have become huge problems. Yet you can sit comfortably in your offices and do your muddled accounting.

The purpose of grassroots work is to solve problems and alleviate the burdens of ordinary people.

If officials use policies as a shield when faced with difficulties, what kind of public servants are they?

Gu Changming lowered his head even further, barely daring to breathe. "Provincial Governor Zhao, we have no money. I really don't know what to do."

With a wave of his hand, Zhao Qilun set the tone: "In accordance with the instructions of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government, as well as the spirit of Governor Song's important speech, Handong must develop, and so must its rural areas and agriculture."

We can't let this drag on any longer.

Policies are made by people, and there are always more solutions than problems.

If your village is in trouble, the province cannot stand by and watch the people suffer.

My opinion is clear: construction on the irrigation canal must begin tomorrow.

Whether Wang Laoshuan should be happy or sad, he couldn't say for sure.

He shrugged, looking rather helpless, "Boss, we really don't have any money."

Repairing the irrigation canal costs money for the workers' meals, and the village is dirt poor. What can be done?

Damn it!