Chapter Ten: The Art of Leadership

The crowd was stirred with excitement, and at this moment, Li Baotian didn’t dare to utter a word, for his wife, Liu Xiufen, was holding a basin waiting to receive their share of grain.

With signatures and fingerprints required to distribute the grain, the villagers were so hungry they could barely stand, so no one dared to refuse.

Li Baotian, however, refused to sign, and as a result, Wang Jianguo gave his family a smaller portion.

Liu Xiufen nearly slammed a basin of cornmeal onto Li Baotian’s head.

“You miserable wretch! The only thing you’re good at is barking like a dog pretending to be a sheep, but when it comes to doing the right thing, you don’t know what to do. Get lost! Don’t even think about eating the portion meant for me and the children.”

Li Baotian glared fiercely at Liu Weidong and Wang Jianguo, then turned away in anger.

The entire load of cornmeal was quickly distributed. After the grain cart left, the villagers dispersed, and Wang Jianguo’s face darkened with rage as Liu Weidong pulled him into the courtyard.

“Weidong, get yourself together and come with me to the commune. I saw Li Baotian ride off on his bike. I’m guessing the villain is the first to spread rumors. I just don’t believe evil can triumph over good. Is Director Ma his own father? Do you believe everything he says?

Today, we’ll go see Director Ma and also discuss Yanru’s formal employment.”

Liu Weidong understood immediately, went inside to find a worn travel bag, and packed it full of fine cigarettes, good liquor, malted milk powder, and other items.

Before leaving, he also made sure to bring the purchase and sales contract from the oil and fat factory.

Lou Yanru and Old Liu Nian both knew exactly what Liu Weidong was up to with those gifts.

Old Liu Nian’s face twitched in pain as Lou Yanru whispered, “Weidong, whether I pass the university entrance exam doesn’t matter. Don’t get yourself wronged over me. At worst, just listen to Director Li. When you go to the city, won’t I follow you there anyway?”

“I know what I’m doing. If I don’t teach Li Baotian a lesson now, our family will be at his mercy forever,” Liu Weidong said firmly.

With that, he grabbed the travel bag and left the house. Wang Jianguo was already waiting outside, pushing his old bike.

They rode together toward the commune, passing fields ravaged by disaster on either side of the road. Wang Jianguo sighed deeply.

“If the commune had relief grain, Uncle wouldn’t have had to think about you like this. Sorry for putting you through this.”

Liu Weidong smiled slightly. “Don’t say that, Uncle Jianguo. I’m glad to help our neighbors. It’s just that Li Baotian is such a scoundrel. I don’t understand how, years after the movement ended, he can still strut around like this.”

Wang Jianguo snorted. “He’s got connections upstairs. During the movement, Li Baotian jumped around playing the leader’s lackey, making enemies and friends alike. Otherwise, how could he still be the propaganda team leader and also deputy director of the commune’s educated youth office?”

Liu Weidong had a vague feeling that Director Ma of the commune was likely Li Baotian’s protector.

He wondered if offering gifts to Director Ma would be a futile effort.

Noticing Liu Weidong suddenly fell silent, Wang Jianguo spoke softly.

“Director Ma does protect Li Baotian, but officials don’t punish those who give gifts. Besides, you’re working for the benefit of the Second Team now. Even if Director Ma wants to protect his own, he has to weigh the situation. Do you think he’s just idling away as the director of the Revolutionary Committee?”

For some reason, Liu Weidong suddenly thought of his father-in-law, Lou Nan.

He truly had to endure hardships and bide his time, waiting for his father-in-law to have his official status restored.

The director of the city’s Agricultural Committee—whether head of Qianjin Commune or even secretary of Yongchuan County Party Committee—no one would dare to slight Lou Nan.

Liu Weidong was not very familiar with Ma Zhiquan, the director of Qianjin Commune.

Liu Weidong only started working at the re-education school factory in 1982, by then Ma Zhiquan had already been promoted to deputy county magistrate.

Director Ma wore a green military uniform and cap, looking much like a military representative.

“This Li Baotian is simply making a mess. He’s waving a feather like a baton. All I said was that the more disaster-stricken we are, the more we must strengthen the political education of the villagers and organize self-help efforts. When did I say that the medicinal herbs on the mountain belong to the collective? That’s just nonsense!”

Director Ma spoke with a slight southern accent, slamming his fist on the table after Wang Jianguo reported on the work of the Second Team.

Wang Jianguo smiled. “Director Ma, don’t be angry. Director Li isn’t very educated, so it’s possible he misunderstood leadership’s intentions. But if this extreme leftist thinking isn’t corrected in time, he will surely cause more mistakes in the future...”

Director Ma nodded. “Secretary Jianguo’s concerns are justified. I will transfer Li Baotian back to the educated youth office immediately. The policy has changed; clinging to old views when facing new problems will inevitably cause big trouble.”

At that, Director Ma looked toward Liu Weidong.

“Young man, you’re no ordinary person. High political awareness, technical knowledge, and the ability to resist the temptation of the secure urban jobs—choosing instead to stay and lead the whole village to prosperity. That’s excellent. If the commune doesn’t promote someone like you, that’s a failure on our part.

Your farmland renovation plan is very good. Planting large fields on flooded and low-lying land yields low output and high risk. If the experimental fields succeed, it will set an example for the entire commune’s agricultural transformation.”

Liu Weidong cast another glance at Ma Zhiquan.

He hadn’t expected a leader who rose through the movement to have such policy acumen and insight into agricultural production.

“Director Ma, although Director Li handled things poorly, I shouldn’t have opposed leadership. I take responsibility for the grain incident in the Second Team. I should have explained things clearly to the leadership beforehand.

I proposed assigning the flooded lands to the village primary school—not only to avoid problems with the experimental fields falling on the village, but also to prevent certain people from interfering and hindering progress.

My wife is a temporary teacher at Qingshan Primary School. Though temporary, she is educated and conscientious and can organize the students to conduct agricultural experiments without issue.”

As Liu Weidong spoke, Wang Jianguo quickly took over.

“Director Ma, you’re aware of Qingshan Primary School’s situation. All six teachers are temporary; there isn’t a single permanent teacher. Lou Yanru is a sent-down educated youth who has taken root in the countryside, united with the poor and lower-middle peasants, and is politically solid. She is also a key figure in the primary school’s operations. I would like to discuss formally employing her as a civilian teacher.”

At that, Wang Jianguo deliberately nudged the worn travel bag toward Director Ma with his foot.

“Jianguo, this isn’t a decision I can make alone. I will discuss it with the education department and the educated youth office leaders. Given Liu Weidong’s contributions to the Second Team, he certainly deserves consideration.”

Wang Jianguo and Liu Weidong gratefully thanked Director Ma and left the commune.

“Don’t worry, Weidong. If Director Ma accepts your gifts, Yanru’s formal employment is almost guaranteed. Let’s hurry back and arrange for people to plow the fields. That ten thousand jin of grain you bought won’t last long. I’m counting on the oil and fat factory’s prepayment as a lifeline.”

Riding back, Liu Weidong’s mood brightened noticeably.

His wife’s permanent teaching position was taking shape, the experimental field plan was secured, and his digging for ginseng had been vindicated by the leadership. For the first time, 1978 didn’t seem so difficult—it was, at least, an era ripe with opportunity and renewal.

Even more pleasing was that Li Baotian, the troublemaker, was out of the way.

With that pest gone from the Second Team, half the battle for his family’s prosperity plan was already won.