bayedsolid Chapter 314 Honest and selfless in public service, a righteous man of integrity!
Chapter 314 Honest and selfless in public service, a righteous man of integrity!
Woo~
The whistle blew long.
Accompanied by the clanging sound of wheels colliding.
A passenger train that originated from Tianhai and passed through Jingzhou slowly pulled into its final destination, Yanjing Railway Station.
Luo Shanhe reached out and shook his wife, Yao Qian, who was still lying on the middle bunk with her eyes closed, asleep.
"Wake up, wake up! We've arrived in Yanjing!"
"I didn't sleep, I've been awake for a while!"
Yao Qian responded with a curt reply.
She then sat up, forgetting that there was another layer of bedding on top.
With a loud thud, it hit my forehead and made it ache.
"Watch out!"
"I want you to take care of it!"
Yao Qian pushed her husband's hand away, feeling very uncomfortable.
Her husband, Luo Shanhe, was a high-ranking official, serving as the Director of the Imperial Archives in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Despite holding such a high position and wielding so much power, he could have lived a very comfortable life, yet he was shockingly incorruptible.
He never accepted invitations to banquets and always remained honest and upright, so Yao Qian tolerated it.
But this trip back to Yanjing was to celebrate the birthday of his brother-in-law, Ge Junshan, who held a high position!
Even if it's for private travel, it's perfectly acceptable to have someone use public funds to buy the plane ticket!
Take a plane directly to Yanjing – it's fast and convenient!
The results of it?
The husband insisted on sticking to his principles.
He believed that this trip back to Yanjing was for personal matters and that not a single penny of public funds should be spent.
But when asked to pay out of his own pocket, he complained that the round-trip airfare was too expensive and not worth it, saying that taking the train was much cheaper.
According to his plan, he would depart on Friday evening, take a nap on the train, and arrive in Yanjing at nine o'clock on Saturday morning, giving him enough time to attend the banquet.
Then on Sunday afternoon, I took the 3 pm train back, and arrived in Jingzhou at 6 am on Monday, which didn't interfere with my normal work on Monday.
As the fourth-in-command of Handong, he is surprisingly shrewd and calculating!
How could Yao Qian not be furious?
What angered her even more was...
Yesterday evening, the two of them still took the bus to Jingzhou Railway Station!
The dignified Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Handong Province!
With a driver and a car, what's wrong with giving someone a ride?
It's only a few kilometers from the provincial party committee compound to the train station, how much fuel can it burn?
But what about her husband, Luo Shanhe?
They actually said that no matter how short the journey, it's unacceptable to use public vehicles for private purposes!
The only thing that made Yao Qian feel fortunate was that her husband couldn't afford a soft sleeper, but he also didn't buy a hard seat.
Otherwise, after sitting in a hard seat for more than ten hours from Jingzhou to Yanjing, my legs would probably be swollen by now!
He climbed down angrily, and Yao Qian couldn't help but roll her eyes at her husband, who was still smiling.
Look at his smiling face, his clothes...
This is nothing like the Han Dong Ji Jian Shu Ji (Annals of the Eastern Han Dynasty) should be.
He doesn't look like a high-ranking official at all.
He's more like a bookish university professor.
Moreover, he is the kind of person who only cares about teaching and nurturing students and has no interest in fame or fortune.
"How dare you laugh!"
How many people in the world are like you?
"Let alone a vice-ministerial level, even a deputy division chief or deputy section chief..."
Before Yao Qian could finish speaking, Luo Shanhe interrupted her, saying:
"I am me, and others are others. Why do you care about others?"
"Does my high rank and great power give me special privileges?"
"Besides, I work in discipline inspection and supervision, how can I not set a good example?"
Yao Qian rolled her eyes.
"But aren't you setting a really good example?"
"He is so honest and upright that he doesn't take even the slightest advantage or benefit from public funds!"
"It's fine if you don't pay for the airfare, but I know you're an honest person and you'd be too embarrassed to make up an excuse that you're in Beijing on a business trip."
"But you had the driver take us for a short trip, just a few kilometers. What's wrong with that? Don't other people also use official vehicles for personal purposes?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud crash was heard.
The train swayed slightly before coming to a steady stop.
Luo Shanhe really didn't want to argue with his wife on the train.
"Alright, alright, let's get off the bus!"
"What's good?"
Yao Qian pushed her husband's hand away.
"You're so honest and self-disciplined, but do others know? Who can even see it?"
Even if someone did find out, they probably wouldn't praise or admire you; instead, they'd laugh at your foolishness and stupidity!
"Handong is strongly advocating a change in work style, but everyone is just going through the motions. You actually took it seriously?"
Luo Shanhe pulled up the handle of his suitcase and smiled calmly:
"I don't care if others are just putting on an act, but I'm serious, and I don't need others to see it or praise me!"
"you!!"
Yao Qian glared at her husband, then turned away, refusing to acknowledge him any longer.
Following the long queue, I stepped off the hard sleeper carriage.
Looking around, one sees a continuous stream of people carrying large and small bags.
The passengers on the sleeper train were not dressed too badly; they were either carrying backpacks or pulling suitcases.
But in the hard sleeper carriages in the distance, a dense crowd poured out, most of whom were migrant workers coming to Yanjing.
They were not only simply dressed, but also had dark skin.
Luggage was mostly packed in fertilizer bags, plastic buckets, and the like.
Some people obviously know that Yanjing is particularly cold in autumn and winter.
So when they came to work, they packed up all their quilts and brought big and small bags, like they were moving house.
This scene made Yao Qian frown.
She lived and worked in Tianhai, known as the "Magic City," for many years.
Upon seeing this group of migrant workers, the word "country bumpkins" immediately popped into my mind.
She secretly rejoiced that her husband hadn't bought a hard-seat train ticket.
Otherwise, you'd be crammed into a train carriage with a group of migrant workers for over ten hours.
I'd probably be half-dead from all the stench by now.
"No, no, no!"
"When I see my sister and brother-in-law, I'm going to tell them everything!"
"We need to get them to find a way to persuade Luo Shanhe that he can't be so honest and upright that he'll give up his quality of life!"
"Besides, my son will graduate from university next year. If he continues with his honest and upright character, he definitely won't get a good job within the system. Even if he does get in, he'll have to start from the bottom and gain experience..."
Yao Qian secretly made up her mind.
Covering her nose, she hurried out of the train station.
Outside the station exit, crowds of people were gathered.
Some were hailing taxis, some were soliciting hotel guests, and some were holding signs offering jobs...
The place was bustling with noise and filled with strange smells.
Yao Qian, who had only been covering her nose, now covered her mouth as well.
I wish I could escape this awful place as soon as possible, otherwise I would definitely vomit on the spot.
Running quickly, Yao Qian went straight to the taxi waiting area to queue up.
She didn't want to take the long way around and take the bus to her brother-in-law's house.
Having been married for many years, Luo Shanhe naturally understands his wife quite well.
So he didn't insist on taking the bus.
Take advantage of the break while queuing.
Luo Shanhe looked around.
Although it's not National Day yet, and it's not peak travel season.
However, Yanjing Railway Station was still bustling with people, with a very large flow of passengers.
I really can't imagine how terrifying the scenes will be during National Day and Spring Festival.
Especially during the Spring Festival...
Whether you have money or not, you have to go home for the Chinese New Year.
Migrant workers and small vendors who have been busy away from home for a year flock to this station from all directions, carrying the fruits of their labor and the expectations of their families, hoping to return to their hometowns and reunite with their loved ones.
With so many people traveling but so few trains, how difficult must it be to buy a train ticket?
With so many people gathering here, will they encounter pickpocketing, fraud, or robbery?
Looking at the vast sea of people, Luo Shanhe couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
"How can we make travel more convenient for ordinary people and make their journey home less difficult?"
"Should we increase our efforts to build more and better roads so that more people can drive home?"
"Should we upgrade conventional railways and build more high-speed railways to increase transport capacity and speed, making railways carry more and travel faster?"
"I'm afraid these measures are only treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Ultimately, we still need to address the serious imbalance in development between different regions!"
"If ordinary people could find medical care and employment near their hometowns without having to travel thousands of miles to big cities for medical treatment, work, and business, why would so many people have to return to their hometowns during holidays?"
Turning around, Luo Shanhe saw that his wife was almost getting into the car.
Startled, I quickly grabbed my suitcase and followed after them, otherwise I knew I would get another scolding.
Throughout the journey, even without being complained about or scolded, his wife maintained a cold expression.
When we arrived at the Ge family's house, we saw her smile.
When they met the Ge family's relatives who held important positions, their smiles became even brighter.
The moment we met, we exchanged warm greetings and pleasantries, without the slightest hint of awkwardness.
In contrast.
Luo Shanhe, who dislikes noise, mostly just smiles and nods in response.
When asked about his work situation in Handong by too many people, Luo Shanhe even considered running away.
He made an excuse and slipped away to the restroom.
When I came out, I saw my brother-in-law, Ge Junshan, walking out of the kitchen with a smile.
Happy birthday, brother-in-law!
Although Luo Shanhe was honest and dedicated to his public service, he wasn't completely devoid of emotional intelligence.
When it's time to offer greetings, of course you should.
Ge Junshan, who had been all smiles, paused slightly when he saw Luo Shanhe.
"Thank you!"
"I brought you some tea from Handong..."
Luo Shanhe hurriedly went to the guest room, intending to give Ge Junshan some tea.
"Tea from Handong? I'd better take a good look!"
Ge Junshan smiled and followed Luo Shanhe into the guest room.
But after entering the room, he casually closed and locked the door.
Luo Shanhe opened his suitcase and quickly took out two boxes of tea.
Ge Junshan pretended to take it, opened it, sniffed it, and then showered it with praise.
As they chatted, Ge Junshan gestured for Luo Shanhe to sit down.
Upon glancing at the closed door, Luo Shanhe instantly understood.
When his brother-in-law sent him to Handong as a scribe, he knew there must be a hidden meaning behind it.
Now that I've been in office for a while, and it's rare for me to come back, my brother-in-law will inevitably ask me about the situation.
however……
Just as Luo Shanhe was quickly organizing his thoughts and figuring out how to report,
Instead, Ge Junshan couldn't wait to ask:
Is Zhao Lichun actively preparing to formulate and promulgate a series of laws in Handong?
Without hesitation, Luo Shanhe replied, "Yes, the legislative working group has been established, with Zhao Lichun as the group leader. The draft should be completed and released for public comment before the end of the year. If there are no problems, a meeting will be held in the first half of next year to vote on it."
"This... so fast?"
Ge Junshan was somewhat surprised.
Although Handong Province has the right to formulate and promulgate local laws, as a pilot province for high-quality economic development and military-civilian integration strategy, it should be more aggressive in order to gain experience and learn lessons.