Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

Jia Dafang's counterattack came faster than expected.

That afternoon, he hunched over his desk and wrote a lengthy report of no less than a thousand words, which he then put into a manila envelope and tucked into his pocket.

He pushed his bicycle out from the wall, hopped on, and headed straight for the county education bureau. He pedaled hard and steadily the whole way, as if he wanted to ride into the bureau chief's office the next second.

With each pedal rotation, Zhu Zhengwei's face flashed through his mind. He couldn't wait to see the panicked and helpless expression on Zhu Zhengwei's face when the penalty document was slammed on the table.

However, just moments after he left the compound, Hao Meili hurriedly pushed open Zhu Zhengwei's dormitory door. The door slammed against the wall with a soft thud. She rushed in, shouting anxiously, "Brother Gouzi, something terrible has happened! Old Jia went to the Education Bureau to report you!"

Zhu Zhengkuo, who was hunched over a small table writing some documents, looked up and saw Hao Meili rushing in. He was taken aback at first, then frowned: "What did Lao Jia bring?"

"A mango paper envelope contained the report he had spent the entire afternoon writing."

Upon hearing the words "accusation materials," Zhu Zheng put down his pen next to the official paper and muttered, "He's quick on the uptake."

"Brother Gouzi, what should we do? Will your superiors punish you?" Hao Meili clutched the hem of her clothes, her voice filled with worry.

"I expected this..." Zhu Zheng smiled calmly at her, "It's just that our argument put you in a difficult position."

"Sigh." Hao Meili looked at him with a complicated expression and sighed, "What are you saying... We grew up together since we were little. If you hadn't gone to join the army and disappeared for years without a word, I wouldn't be able to..."

As she spoke, she shifted her gaze from Zhu Zheng's face, her voice lower than before: "I'm caught in the middle, and nothing I say will get me any credit. You won't blame me, will you?"

Zhu Zheng looked at Hao Meili quietly, and in a daze, he seemed to see the girl with a ponytail and two little tiger teeth when she smiled. She was his childhood sweetheart and the softest place in his heart.

He shook his head: "Why blame you? This has nothing to do with you. It's all for the theater troupe. It's just a difference in ideas that caused the disagreement."

As he spoke, he stood up and gently patted the documents on the table: "I have to take action too, otherwise, I'll just be left to take the hits."

.........

Jia Dafang waited in the corridor for about the time it takes to smoke a cigarette before the office door finally opened, and a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, a suit, and leather shoes walked out of the room.

That kind of outfit was practically unheard of in a county town at that time. The man's leather shoes were polished to a shine, and his sparse, stringy hair had been sprayed with some kind of fragrance that could be smelled from a distance. He also had a red cloth strip around his neck that looked like a red scarf.

Chu Shengli, the director of the Education Bureau, followed closely behind, smiling broadly as he escorted the man to the door. He even gave a slight bow while shaking hands, speaking very politely: "Rest assured, I will personally oversee the matter you entrusted to me."

Jia Dafang's gaze fell on the man's white, plump, flat face, and he couldn't help but wonder, who is this person?

Such a great honor, that Chu Shengli is being so careful and polite.

He instinctively took half a step back, making way for the person, and watched them walk past.

Only after the man's figure completely disappeared at the end of the corridor did Chu Shengli, who had been watching him leave, turn his gaze away and glance at Jia Dafang: "Come in, Lao Jia."

Jia Dafang said "Hey," entered the room, and saw Chu Shengli pointing at the "accusation materials" on the table. Chu Shengli looked up at Jia Dafang and asked, "I've read the materials, Lao Jia. Is what you're saying true?"

Jia Dafang stood in front of his desk, his tone resolute: "Director Chu, would I dare joke about something like this! Zhu Zhengguo arranged for the performance of an old play in Hongxing Commune without consulting the troupe's leadership or reporting it to the bureau. Putting aside whether the procedure was right or wrong, the old plays are still officially banned, yet he dared to blatantly arrange performances. If the higher-ups hold him accountable, not only will Zhu Zhengguo be unable to bear the consequences, but our entire Bureau of Culture and Education will likely be implicated as well."

As he spoke, he gestured with his chin toward the accusation materials on the table: "Director Chu, I have written down the entire course of events, including the time, place, and list of participants."

Chu Shengli frowned, reading through the report again from beginning to end. His face darkened, and he slammed the document on the table. "Nonsense! Who gave him the right to arrange the performance without authorization? What is he trying to do? Go back and tell him that from today onwards, all his authority is suspended until the bureau has investigated. As for the punishment... we'll follow the rules after the investigation is complete."

"good!"

A hint of joy appeared in Jia Dafang's eyes. With Zhu Zheng's authority suspended, he would be the sole decision-maker in the county theater troupe from now on.

He forced a smile that was barely contained. "Don't worry, Director Chu, I'll go back and relay your decision to Zhu Zhengkuo right away!"

On the way back, Jia Dafang felt much lighter, and the pedals seemed to fly up with each step.

He couldn't wait to get back to the troupe and tell Zhu Zhengkuo the director's decision in person, to see what kind of interesting expression the other party would have.

He wanted everyone to know that the only person in charge of the Dongping County Theater Troupe was Jia Dafang!

That evening, Chen Xiangdong came out of the canteen, carrying his bowl and chopsticks, and was about to go to the sink in the front yard to wash the dishes. As he passed the rehearsal hall, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a small fire flickering under the big poplar tree by the wall.

Is someone squatting in the corner smoking?

He squinted and recognized the figure crouching on the ground. He walked over and asked, "Secretary Zhu, why are you here all alone?"

In the dim light of the night, Zhu Zheng looked up at him and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Chen Xiangdong didn't answer immediately. He first glanced down at Zhu Zhengwei's feet and saw seven or eight cigarette butts scattered on the blue brick floor. He squatted down beside Zhu Zhengwei and tentatively asked, "Secretary Zhu, you don't usually smoke. What happened?"

Zhu Zhengkuo didn't reply immediately. He tapped the cigarette pack in his palm and said in a slightly unsteady voice, "Old Jia went to the Education Bureau and sued me."

Chen Xiangdong's eyes flickered slightly. He hadn't expected Jia Dafang to act so quickly. The actors had only been back for less than a day, and he couldn't wait to report them.

Zhu Zheng said casually, as if he were talking about something insignificant: "Director Chu told me to temporarily stop the work I'm currently doing."

"Is it because of the old play performance?" Chen Xiangdong hesitated for a moment. "Then... what are your plans for the future?"

Zhu Zhengkuo smiled and said, "What else can we do? I'm already suspended from my duties, and I'm just waiting for the results of the investigation. There's no point in saying anything now."

Hearing this, Chen Xiangdong couldn't help but give him a deep look. Based on his impression from his previous life, Zhu Zhengguo had a very powerful backer and always planned carefully before acting, never doing anything without a certainty of success.

Chen Xiangdong chuckled at him: "Secretary Zhu, tell me the truth, did you already guess that Lao Jia would sue you? I don't believe you weren't at all prepared?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zheng turned his head in surprise, his gaze sweeping over Chen Xiangdong twice in the darkness, as if reassessing Chen Xiangdong's importance in his heart.

A moment later, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly, his tone carrying an undisguised admiration: "You little rascal, you're quite the shrewd one, aren't you?"

Then he stood up, kicked his slightly numb legs a couple of times, patted Chen Xiangdong on the shoulder, and said meaningfully, "Just wait and see. The one who laughs first may not win; the one who laughs last is the real winner."