Chapter 144 Meeting my father-in-law Early in the morning, Ning Weidong yawned and reached out to touch the person next to him, but the person was gone. Thinking back to last night, I couldn't help but smile. Although this was not the first time with Bai Fengyu, Bai Fengyu was particularly wild last night, as if a switch had been turned on. The previous two times, Bai Fengyu was still half-hearted and reserved, but last night she let go and unlocked many postures at once. Fortunately, Ning Weidong was strong, otherwise he would have been beaten to death by this goblin in just a few moves and would have had to surrender his gun. …… Lying on the pillow, Ning Weidong recalled the feeling of last night, licked his lips and thought to himself, what a stunner. Ning Weidong tilted his head and glanced at the time. It was already past eight o'clock. Ning Weidong turned over but didn't rush to get up.
Going to Zhao's house today is undoubtedly very important, more important than going to work as usual. But it's still early, so there's no rush. Ning Weidong put his hands behind his head and thought about what he might encounter when he went to Zhao's house. The weather in mid-May has become warmer. Ning Weidong changed to a thin quilt two days ago. It feels much more comfortable to cover himself with it. Without the quilt pressing on his body, he couldn't help but lie down for a while longer. It was almost nine o'clock, Ning Weidong got up, washed, and dressed. Last night before going to get off work, I took a shower in the company bathhouse and had a haircut and shave. One night, some black stubble appeared on his beard, but Ning Weidong didn't shave it again. There were no electric shavers at that time, only the kind with blades and razor holders, which could easily cause bleeding if you weren't careful. Ning Weidong didn't want to go to his father-in-law's house with a piece of paper stuck on his chin. I washed myself clean, rubbed on some lotion, and when I saw that it was about time, I got dressed and went out. As soon as I went out, I saw Bai Fengqin washing clothes as usual on Sunday morning. She rolled up her sleeves above her elbows, revealing two pieces of snow-white forearms. Her bangs were stuck to her face, perhaps due to sweat or detergent. When she heard Ning Weidong leaving, she raised her head and looked quite beautiful, like a lotus flower emerging from clear water. "Brother Weidong, get out!" Bai Fengqin called out crisply. Bai Fengqin was very grateful to Ning Weidong for helping her find someone to ask about her college application last time. Ning Weidong smiled and nodded. Just at this moment, Bai Fengyu stepped out of their house and bumped into Ning Weidong. Ning Weidong saw her holding onto the wall, and her walking posture was obviously abnormal. He knew what was going on, but he teased her, "Sister, your legs are not fully healed yet, so you have to be careful when you walk." Bai Fengyu rolled her eyes at him and thought to herself, what's wrong with me, you animal, don't you know? Bai Fengyu got up in the morning and suffered as soon as she got off the ground. She had been busy trying to please Ning Weidong last night.
Although she had experienced this before, she always felt that only cows would die of exhaustion, not the land would be damaged by plowing. But I didn't expect that Ning Weidong was not an ordinary person at all. The swelling hasn't gone down yet, but luckily she has the excuse that her leg hasn't healed yet, otherwise she wouldn't be able to go out and see anyone today. Now the culprit Ning Weidong is making fun of her. This is simply too much! She had no way to counter it, so she could only glare at him. Bai Fengqin didn't know what was going on. She turned around and saw Bai Fengyu coming out with a strange walking posture. She said quickly, "Sister, your legs are not well yet. The doctor said it's best to walk less. Call me if you have anything." Bai Fengyu blushed. She knew her own business and the current situation was not a matter of leg injury at all. Ning Weidong chuckled, tied the gifts he brought to the rear rack of the bicycle, and pushed the bicycle out. "Sister, Fengqin, I'm leaving first." After saying hello, Ning Weidong pushed his bicycle out. Bai Fengyu and Bai Fengqin responded, and looking at the things on the back seat of the bicycle, it was not difficult to guess what Ning Weidong was going to do. The two sisters both felt a little lost. Although Bai Fengyu had long warned herself that her relationship with Ning Weidong should not be made public, she couldn't help but have some thoughts about it in her heart. Bai Fengqin's feelings were more complicated. She watched Ning Weidong walk out of the Moon Gate, then lowered her head and began to wash clothes vigorously. …… Ning Weidong came out of the slum, got on his bike and headed straight to the Zhao family. The ministry compound where the Zhao family lived was outside Fuxingmen. Ning Weidong had sent Zhao Ruyu back before, so he was familiar with the route. The weather is nice today, neither too cold nor too hot, and there is no wind at all. Ning Weidong came out early and was not in a hurry. He rode at a leisurely pace to avoid sweating and looking awkward. When I arrived outside the gate of the compound, I saw Zhao Ruyu coming out from afar, standing under the tree at the gate and looking around. Ning Weidong pedaled harder and came to Zhao Ruyu. With a creak, he squeezed the brake and said with a smile, "Are you impatient? Today is so beautiful." Zhao Ruyu dressed up specially today and looks especially beautiful. They immediately smiled when they saw Ning Weidong. After registering at the door, the two of them pushed their bicycles and walked inside slowly. Ning Weidong arrived not too late and there is still plenty of time. When we arrived outside Zhao Ruyu's house, there were exactly ten minutes left until the agreed time. Zhao Ruyu led the way, and Ning Weidong followed with gifts. When Zhao Ruyi came into the house, he shouted, "Dad, Weidong is here." In the living room, Zhao's father was sitting on a rattan chair and reading a newspaper. His hair was all jet black, giving him the impression of being young and strong. When he heard Zhao Ruyu's voice, he put down the newspaper and looked up.
This was the first time Ning Weidong met his future father-in-law. Zhao Ruyi and Zhao Lichun both looked good. They must have inherited their father’s good looks, with regular features, handsomeness and elegance. Seeing Ning Weidong and the others, he smiled, stood up and said, "Weidong is here~" Ning Weidong hurriedly took two steps forward, bowed and said, "Hello, Uncle Zhao..." Zhao Ruyi on the side interrupted and said, "Dad, this is a gift Weidong brought you." Father Zhao smiled and nodded, then stretched out his hand and shook hands with Ning Weidong. At this moment, Zhao Lichun came out of the bathroom. He and Ning Weidong were acquaintances, so they exchanged a few simple greetings and then sat down. In comparison, because Zhao's mother passed away and Zhao Ruyi's second sister Zhao Yushui also got married, the atmosphere in the Zhao family was obviously a bit deserted. Zhao Lichun is married. His wife works in the Foreign Education Department and happened to be assigned abroad, so she is not at home either. Afterwards they chatted about some family matters, and Zhao's father showed no intention of making things difficult for his future son-in-law. It was lunchtime, and I didn’t cook it at home. I asked the chef in the compound cafeteria to prepare it and bring it to me. Four dishes and one soup, with fish and meat, were neither extravagant nor shabby in this era. The new son-in-law came to the house and specially opened a bottle of good wine collected by Zhao's father. However, Ning Weidong did not expect that after three rounds of wine and five dishes, Zhao's father suddenly asked: "Weidong, Ruyi's elder brother has an opportunity right now..." When Ning Weidong heard this, he was stunned for a moment and looked at Zhao Lichun. Logically speaking, Zhao Lichun's job transfer must have been arranged by Zhao's father, and there was no need for any consideration or discussion. Asking Ning Weidong about this now clearly carries the intention of testing him. The core of this issue is actually very simple. There are two choices: either continue to gain experience in the ministry, or go to the local level, to the county, and serve as a deputy. Ning Weidong thought for a moment, looked at Zhao Lichun, and asked, "I wonder where exactly the next place is?" Zhao Lichun said: "A county in the northern part of Handong Province..." After hearing the specific location, Ning Weidong thought for a while and said, "Uncle Zhao, Brother Lichun, if it were me, I would definitely go to the local area to train. There is no end to gaining experience in a ministry. In the end, I still have to go to the local area to gain more practical work experience..." Ning Weidong has a lot of valuable information, and he will definitely share it when he encounters such an opportunity. Father Zhao was a little surprised when he heard this. Ning Weidong was so young and came from an ordinary family. He had not been exposed to much, but he had such a thorough understanding of the official career. I couldn't help but become interested: "Weidong, if I let you take the position of Lichun now, what are you going to do when you go to Handong Province?" Many people are capable of talking big and making suggestions about the world. But when it comes to practical work, some people are dumbfounded. Father Zhao wanted to weigh Ning Weidong to see how much he weighed. Ning Weidong was not afraid of the stage, and said with a smile: "If it were me, the first thing I would do is to position myself. I would only be a deputy and not take over the main role." Father Zhao nodded and glanced at Zhao Lichun. His eldest son is good in every way except that he is a little too aggressive in doing things.
Of course, this is not an isolated case. Almost all the kids from big courtyards have this problem. Relying on their family background, they appear polite on the surface, but are actually extremely arrogant. They think they are the boss, the earth is second, his father is third, and he is the fourth. Zhao Lichun is relatively restrained. But don't forget, this is the capital. Zhao's father could even predict that once he arrived at the local level, Zhao Lichun would be a deputy and he would probably have the final say in the county. This will certainly save you a lot of trouble when doing things and make it easier to achieve results. But there is also a side effect, which is to give superiors the impression that you are too domineering. Some leaders are particularly disgusted with this style of work, which may invisibly leave a stumbling block on their way forward. Therefore, when Zhao's father heard Ning Weidong emphasize this issue in his first sentence, he was surprised and even more appreciative. Ning Weidong continued: "In addition to doing our job well, we should focus all resources on developing a benchmark project based on local conditions..." Father Zhao raised his eyebrows and said calmly, "A positive project?" Ning Weidong pursed his lips and said, "You can also say that, whether it is a positive project or not, as long as it can bring tangible benefits to the people and is beneficial to the local development, it is not a bad idea." Father Zhao laughed and asked, "So what do you think should be done with this benchmark project?" Ning Weidong understood that Zhao's father didn't want him to get away with it easily. After thinking for a while, he said, "If it were me... I would start a township enterprise." Father Zhao was slightly surprised: "Oh? Tell me more about it." Ning Weidong said: "Uncle Zhao, Brother Lichun, this is what I think. With Brother Lichun's background and ability, it is not difficult to make a project. The difficult part is how to reduce resistance and how to ensure that there are no side effects in the future." At this point, Zhao's father and Zhao Lichun both nodded in agreement. Ning Weidong continued: "Although the current situation has changed, there is still no clear explanation for some things. We can't cross the line easily." Ning Weidong glanced at Zhao Lichun and said, "At least we can't be the first to charge into battle. Although such a person would be the first to reach the battlefield, he would be more likely to be crushed by the wheel of history." "Don't dare to be the first in the world?" Zhao's father responded, but he did not show any particularly clear position on Ning Weidong's statement. Ning Weidong didn't care and continued, "According to the current situation, it is inevitable for our southeastern coastal areas to receive capital and technology transfer from the West. This is also the core driving force for our economic development in the next few decades." Zhao Lichun's eyes lit up, it was obvious that Ning Weidong's opinion agreed with his. Ning Weidong said: "But this process is definitely an iterative one. Our propaganda over the past few decades has left people with many deep-rooted ideas. It will not be easy to break these ideas." Father Zhao asked, "Is this why you did not advocate directly accepting foreign investment, but instead developing township enterprises?" Ning Weidong made it clear: "Yes, direct absorption of foreign investment will certainly produce immediate results, but it is 79 now, it is still too early and there will be many hidden dangers." Zhao Lichun frowned and said, "Too early? Then when do you think the time is right?" "At least ten years!" Ning Weidong clicked his tongue. "Maybe even longer. Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. Many things cannot be rushed. Uncle Zhao, what do you think?" Father Zhao laughed and said, "You little comrade, you are not very old, but you are so arrogant."
Ning Weidong chuckled and said, "This is what our family is talking about. I wouldn't dare to say anything outside." Father Zhao praised and said "good". Zhao Lichun lowered his head and began to think. In fact, his previous idea was to directly introduce foreign investment. He had the resources and the background. As long as he brought money, he would be able to speak with confidence. Just from what Ning Weidong said, it was obvious that his approach was different from his. Father Zhao asked again: "Tell me more, why is it a township enterprise?" Ning Weidong said: "First, it is the ownership issue. Township enterprises are led by village collectives and production teams. They are collective enterprises in nature and have no political risks. Secondly, the townships themselves have ready-made means of production, and the houses of the brigade can be used directly as factories. Thirdly, the employment is almost free. In the early stage of the factory construction, the labor is counted into work points during the slack season..." Ning Weidong talked on and on, listing a series of advantages of township enterprises, which left Zhao Lichun stunned. He had really thought about these things before. According to Ning Weidong, as long as the plate is straightened out, with his connections and background and a little bit of resources, it will be no problem to build a benchmark-scale enterprise. The positive performance of a large-scale enterprise is enough to support it to gain a foothold and even go further. More importantly, compared with directly introducing foreign investment, setting up township enterprises is politically risk-free. Although Zhao Ruyu didn't interrupt the whole time, she could understand what was said. She could also tell that her father was in a good mood and was very satisfied with Ning Weidong's performance. Zhao Ruyu couldn't help but feel happy. Just now, when she went to the gate of the compound to pick up Ning Weidong, she was feeling very nervous and sweating. She was afraid that his father would look down on Ning Weidong, but she had set her sights on this man anyway. Unexpectedly, Ning Weidong's performance was better than her best expectations. She even surpassed her older brother. (End of this chapter)
