1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

Could it really be that pioneer of reform and opening up?

After receiving confirmation, Lao Jiang from Yanggang Commune, after seeing off the pioneer of reform and opening up, rushed into his office without saying a word, picked up the phone, and quickly reported to their county.

What a joke!
The pioneers of reform and opening up have even come to the commune next door and borrowed a phone from their commune to make a call. Such a big matter must be reported to the county immediately.

Secretary Chen of Leyuan Commune, who had just shown off to Lao Jiang in Yanggang next door, was riding his bicycle with the pioneers of reform and opening up on his back, and he couldn't be happier.

They're even whistling now!

did you see!
Comrade Cheng Xuemin, a pioneer of reform and opening up from Yanjing, had ridden on Chen Jianghua's bicycle. From then on, whether going to meetings in the county or in the surrounding area, he had something to brag about.

"Comrade Cheng, have you spoken to the county authorities yet?"

"Do we still need to borrow a tractor to haul things from the county?"

Immediately afterwards, he turned his attention to the matter of his visit to the neighboring commune and, under the guise of making a phone call, asked Cheng Xuemin, who was sitting behind him.

"Secretary Chen, we've already spoken with the county, and they'll arrange for a vehicle to transport the goods over!"

"Thank you so much, Secretary Chen!"

Cheng Xuemin just called their county government, identified himself, and explained the situation. They were clearly very surprised and taken aback.

Because their Party Secretary had arranged for people to be stationed at the train station, they really didn't expect that the people they were supposed to be stationed at had already gone to Chenjiagou.

The phone call was brief; they didn't ask why I missed it, even though they had specially arranged a car to go to Chenjiagou yesterday.

Anyway, when they heard Cheng Xuemin's request over the phone, the county government readily agreed and arranged for a vehicle to help transport the goods and people to Chenjiagou.

They told Cheng Xuemin to wait in Chenjiagou. Their regional leaders had all come to the county yesterday to personally receive this pioneer of reform and opening up.

Therefore, not only will the county party secretary come in person today, but regional leaders will also come in person.

This is ridiculous!
Cheng Xuemin really didn't want to alarm the local authorities, but his current status was what it was—a banner raised by Haizi to the whole country.

His flag caused a stir in the local area; how could people remain indifferent and turn a blind eye?
"No, no! Comrade Cheng, please don't say that. I didn't help you at all!"

"The phone call I just borrowed, Comrade Cheng, paid for it yourself!"

Chen Jianghua felt that it was already a neglect of the pioneers of reform and opening up to pay their own phone bills, so how could they possibly claim credit for it?

It's also Jiang Zemin's fault in Yanggang. People from the pioneering reform and opening-up area used your Yanggang phone to make a call, which shows respect for you Yanggang. Yet you still asked to charge them for the call. It's truly incomprehensible.

Later, when he learned of Comrade Cheng's identity, he absolutely refused to accept the money. But given his arrogant yet obsequious attitude, how could Comrade Cheng possibly take back the phone bill he had given him?

"Thank you so much! Without your help, Secretary Chen, our crew might have been delayed for a few more days before we could officially start filming!"

Cheng Xuemin then chatted with him for a while, and learned that it might take two or three hours to drive here from the county.

It will be around the afternoon before the county and regional leaders arrive here.

When Cheng Xuemin returned to Chenjiagou, he told Huang Jianzhong and the others that regional leaders might come to visit in the afternoon, and that they should all make preparations.

Unexpectedly, it didn't even reach the afternoon.

Around 11 o'clock, a car drove into Leyuan Commune, but it wasn't a leader from Ruichang County who came.

On the contrary, the leaders of the neighboring Yanggang Commune, the county's secretary, were completely dumbfounded.

What's the situation?
Why are the leaders from Yangxin County next door here? Are they moving so fast?
"Old Chen, where is Comrade Cheng? Where is Comrade Cheng, the pioneer of reform and opening up?"

"As soon as our Party Secretary Wang heard that Cheng Xuemin, a pioneer of reform and opening up, was coming to inspect our Yanggang Commune, he rushed over immediately!"

Old Jiang from Yanggang Commune jumped out of the car and, seeing Chen Jianghua coming out to greet him, quickly asked what was wrong.

"Old Jiang, how can you be so preemptive?" Chen Jianghua immediately understood what was going on.

It must have been Jiang Zemin who tipped them off, reporting Comrade Cheng's filming in Chenjiagou to the county authorities.

Unexpectedly, the county government acted so quickly.

Judging from this timeline, it's likely that as soon as he and Comrade Cheng left Yanggang, Lao Jiang immediately called to report to their county.

And the county's response speed was surprisingly fast; it only took about an hour and a half, right?
If you calculate the time, it means that as soon as Lao Jiang reported to his superiors, the county sent a car over immediately.

Such a rapid pace demonstrates the extraordinary importance that their county attaches to Comrade Cheng.

"Did you get there first?"

"Have your county leaders arrived yet?"

Old Jiang from Yanggang asked the question knowingly, deliberately putting Chen Jianghua down with that remark, and then said, "It seems we'll go first, but your county is quite far from here, requiring us to cross mountains. It's understandable, understandable!"

"I heard that Comrade Cheng is filming a movie in your Chenjiagou, is that right?"

Chen Jianghua knew that if he was slow to act, he would be slow to act at every step. When Secretary Chen from the county came over and saw that the neighboring Yangxin County had beaten him to it, he didn't know how he would criticize him.

Now that he knew he couldn't delay any longer, he could only nod and say, "You already know, so what's the point of asking?"

"If I'd known, I shouldn't have brought Comrade Cheng along. I went to your place to borrow a phone to make this call!"

Chen Jianghua was indignant. Indeed, as he said, he shouldn't have used that phone to make the call. They had arranged for Lao Qiaotou to ride a bicycle to the county to report the matter early that morning.

Now look what's happened; the neighboring county beat them to it.

Moreover, this neighboring county not only crosses regional boundaries but also provincial borders. If this is really investigated, it might even reach the provincial capital, Nanchang.

So, what the hell is this?!
"Yes, yes, yes, we really have to thank Old Chen for this. Without your report, our Secretary Wang wouldn't have known that Comrade Cheng, the pioneer of reform and opening up, had come to our area, right?!"

"Anyway, don't worry, Lao Chen, someone from your county will come, right? We'll definitely express our gratitude once they arrive!"

"Give me a break!" Chen Jianghua rolled his eyes, too lazy to even acknowledge this smug guy.

But since Secretary Wang from the county had already gotten out of the car, they had no choice but to receive him, even if they didn't want to.

"I'm coming!"

"Brother Cheng, Brother Cheng, the county leaders' car has arrived!"

Before the car even entered Chenjiagou, Li Lianjie and the others, who were keeping watch, saw it and quickly shouted towards Cheng Xuemin and his group.

"They're here? So fast?"

Cheng Xuemin glanced at his watch. He hadn't even had lunch yet. They arrived really quickly. Didn't they say it would take two or three hours?
After exchanging a glance with Huang Jianzhong, he quickly got up and went to greet him.

Is your surname Wang?
Wasn't it said that he also shared the surname Chen, just like Secretary Chen of the commune?
The Chen family seems to be a prominent and influential clan in this area.

When the county secretary arrived, he was surnamed Wang, not the Chen secretary we had learned about before. Also, the equipment we asked them to bring over was not brought over.

This aroused Cheng Xuemin's suspicion, but he didn't want to ask directly. He assumed it must be another secretary and that the item might be still at the back.

After all, tractors are used for hauling things, and they are definitely not as fast as cars.

As for the regional leader mentioned in the phone call not coming, perhaps they were just being polite.

With his doubts in mind, Cheng Xuemin began to introduce Secretary Wang to the general situation of their film crew and several key members of the production team.

"Secretary Wang, this is Comrade Huang Jianzhong, the director of our Tai Chi drama crew. He is a leading figure among young directors at our Yan Film Studio!" Cheng Xuemin first introduced Director Huang Jianzhong.

"Good, good, Director Huang, hello, hello! You're such a young director, so amazing!" "Secretary Wang, you flatter me. Thank you so much for coming!" Huang Jianzhong was flattered and quickly shook hands with her politely.

"Secretary Wang, this is Li Lianjie, the male lead of our Tai Chi movie!" Cheng Xuemin introduced Li, saying, "Secretary Wang, don't underestimate him just because he looks like a young man. He's incredibly talented! He's a national champion who has defended his title in the National Wushu Competition for five consecutive years!"

"Wow, five consecutive championships! I never imagined that you, Comrade Li, would be such a martial arts master at such a young age. You're truly remarkable!"

"Thank you, Secretary Wang!" Li Lianjie said, deeply moved, shaking hands repeatedly.

"Comrade Xuemin, I know this guy without you having to introduce him. I just watched the movie 'The Herdsman' that you two acted in together!"

"Is this Comrade Li Xiuzhi?"

"I didn't expect that we would meet Comrade Xuemin and your Li Xiuzhi so soon after your movie 'The Herdsman' was shown in our county!"

When it came time to introduce the female lead, Zhu Lin, Cheng Xuemin didn't even need to introduce her. Secretary Wang recognized her immediately and took the initiative to greet her and shake her hand.

"Secretary Wang, it's a pleasure to have you here!" This was the first time Zhu Lin had received such a reception. Although he was only a local county secretary, it was still a great honor for her.

A few years ago, when she was still a sent-down youth, it was already quite an achievement to be able to meet the commune secretary, let alone something like what she has now.

Moreover, when Zhu Lin heard Xu Lingjun's Li Xiuzhi, she felt inexplicably delighted; she really enjoyed listening to it.

"Comrade Zhu Lin is indeed Li Xiuzhi from the movie 'The Herdsman,' and this time she's playing the female lead in our Tai Chi movie!" Cheng Xuemin continued, giving a brief introduction.

"Very good, Comrade Zhu Lin, we welcome you from our area!"

"Yu Chenghui!"

"Yu Hai!"

……

Next, Cheng Xuemin introduced the other key members one by one.

When Liu Xiaoli was introduced, the other person was overjoyed to learn that she was from the Jiangcheng Song and Dance Troupe, feeling an unexpected joy akin to meeting a fellow villager and bursting into tears.

Secretary Wang repeatedly encouraged Liu Xiaoli to make a good film, as she represented the honor of their Jiangcheng.

This left Liu Xiaoli both flattered and bewildered.

Didn't you hear me?
She's from the Jiangcheng Song and Dance Troupe, not your Jianggan Song and Dance Troupe. How can she represent the honor of Jiangcheng?
Even Cheng Xuemin, who was accompanying and introducing the family, wondered if they had mistaken someone for someone else.

It wasn't until after some polite conversation that they realized they'd made a huge blunder. It turned out the people from the neighboring county had come to offer their condolences first, not the leaders from Ruichang County above Leyuan Commune.

It was Lao Jiang from the neighboring Yanggang Commune who reported the situation to their county immediately.

Upon hearing the news, their county's Party Secretary, Lao Wang, hung up the phone and rushed over, arriving in Chenjiagou before the leaders of Ruichang County.

This left Cheng Xuemin both amused and overwhelmed with gratitude.

I truly experienced how convenient the honorary title of "Pioneer of Reform and Opening Up" could be once I arrived at my destination.

of course!

Secretary Wang also invited Comrade Cheng Xuemin, a pioneer, to visit their county and hold a symposium to read "The Garland Under the High Mountain" together.

Cheng Xuemin did not guarantee that he would definitely go, but only said that he would definitely go if he had the time.

After all, Secretary Wang came in person to invite us, so we have to give him face.

Around the time we were receiving Secretary Wang, Secretary Chen's car from Ruichang also arrived at Leyuan Commune and entered Chenjiagou around lunchtime.

And just like that, the leaders of the two neighboring counties met.

Moreover, Secretary Chen's side was of a higher rank; he was merely accompanying him, and a leader from Jiujiang region also came.

Cheng Xuemin then accompanied them again and gave them a proper introduction to their creative team.

The local leaders also expressed their deepest condolences to them for traveling a long distance to film a movie in their jurisdiction.

Next, I wanted to take a photo with the film crew, mainly with Cheng Xuemin, a pioneer of reform and opening up. They even brought reporters with them.

At the same time, we once again invite Cheng Xuemin to come to the county to sit down together, respond to the call from above, and have a good exchange and read together with Cheng Xuemin himself.

Cheng Xuemin tried to decline, but the local leaders and Secretary Chen were very sincere.

This time, they not only brought over the large equipment that was stranded at the county guesthouse, but also...

To facilitate their filming, two trucks were dispatched from their county's armed forces department to assist them.

That sincerity is invaluable. With the truck's assistance, filming became much easier for the crew.

and also!

The truck that arrived later carried a full load of supplies. The regional leaders and Secretary Chen stayed overnight in Chenjiagou and treated the entire Tai Chi crew to dinner.

In return, Cheng Xuemin went to the county the next day to allow Huang Jianzhong to begin filming.

Before leaving Yanjing, Cheng Xuemin, the Yuan brothers, and Huang Jianzhong had already discussed and pre-shot several challenging outdoor scenes.

Therefore, for Huang Jianzhong, the difficulty of shooting on location was not very high; the difficulty lay in the preparation work for shooting on location.

Now that Cheng Xuemin has come, with the county's assistance, everything has been settled.

So whether Cheng Xuemin is watching over this area or not doesn't really matter.

Cheng Xuemin was relieved and went back to the county with the regional leaders to handle the formalities.

This went on for three days!
"Comrade Xuemin, I was really so sorry that day! I was in a hurry to pick you up in Chenjiagou, so I didn't have time to pay attention to you when you flagged me down on the way!"

Upon arriving in the county, Deputy County Magistrate Ke, who had come up empty-handed, immediately recognized Cheng Xuemin as the young man who had stopped the car that day. He was dumbfounded, thinking to himself, "What a coincidence!"
Without daring to delay, he quickly apologized to Cheng Xuemin.

"I understand, I was actually quite surprised that day, thinking to myself, what a coincidence!"

"But it's alright, it's alright, I'm already here now!"

Cheng Xuemin didn't hold a grudge, after all, this Deputy County Magistrate Ke had been a great help, since the county's armed forces department was his main responsibility.

Those two big trucks were also sent by them; we have to accept that favor.

And it's not just about this favor.

Following behind, Deputy County Chief Ke secretly slipped a newspaper to Cheng Xuemin, which also surprised Cheng Xuemin.

"Comrade Xuemin, this newspaper's criticism is too sharp. I think it's necessary for you to read it, and I also think you must fight back!" Deputy County Magistrate Ke then said in a low voice.

"Okay, okay, thank you, County Chief Ke. I'll take a look at it again when I get back!"

Cheng Xuemin nodded secretly, and after returning to the guesthouse, he immediately began to read it carefully.

From Ivory Tower to Quagmire: On the Degeneration of Cheng Xuemin, a Pioneer of Reform and Opening Up.

This is the headline on the front page of the Jiangcheng Evening News!

……

Please vote with monthly tickets and subscribe to the full chapter! (End of this chapter)