Chapter 28

Part One: Turbulent Waters of Officialdom. Chapter 28: The deputy provincial Party secretary offers personal guidance

Zhang Ke remembered something. "Mom, I'll need to talk to Zhitong on the phone often from now on. If I live at school, there won't be a phone in the dorm. What am I supposed to do?"

During his days at home, Zhang Ke had spoken to Zhitong on the phone every evening. Liang Gezhen found it strange that her son, who had barely said a word in junior high, could now talk nonstop into the phone for half an hour, while little Zhitong on the other end could give no response at all. Her aphasia had shown no improvement, and every time, her grandmother Zhou Shuhui or her mother Xie Wanqing had to hang up for her.

"Couldn't you come home every day?" Zhang Zhixing asked.

"I'd have to go to the bus stop every morning and take a bus to No. 1 High School. The round trip would take an hour and a half, plus the time waiting for the bus. How could I have that much time to waste?"

"It didn't take that long when I went with you to register yesterday," Zhang Zhixing said, somewhat puzzled.

"We went by car, and there wasn't any traffic. Besides, you spent the whole ride wondering whether it would be better to become secretary-general or a bureau director. How would you have noticed how long it took?" Zhang Ke said firmly. "Why don't you try taking the bus from home yourself?"

If he had to come home on time every day throughout his three years of high school for his mother to keep an eye on him, those three years of his life would be ruined.

"Does it really take that long?" Half convinced, Zhang Zhixing asked his wife, "Do you know how long it takes?"

"Every second will count once he starts high school. Otherwise, I couldn't bear to have him live away from home," Liang Gezhen said. "But having no phone in the dorm is a problem."

Zhang Zhixing frowned and thought for a while. "I know a teacher at No. 1 High School. We could have him board at her place and let her keep an eye on him. We could also ask her to help him with his schoolwork."

Zhang Ke looked up at his father. "You mean that teacher, Li Zhifang, whom we met when you took me to register yesterday? She was quite friendly with you. She's pretty, and she seems quite young, too."

For the sake of his own welfare, Zhang Ke could no longer worry about sowing discord between his parents.

Liang Gezhen eyed her husband suspiciously and said flatly, "No. I'd sooner rent a small place for him near the school and go cook for him every day."

Secretly thrilled, Zhang Ke hurried to say, "I can eat all three meals in the school cafeteria. I'll just bring my clothes home for you to wash every week, or you could come help me clean once a week."

Powerless to do anything about it, Zhang Zhixing stopped arguing and merely glared at Zhang Ke. This brat was making up nonsense about his own father just so he could run wild. How dare he?

Seeing that his father's expression was not quite right, Zhang Ke quickly said, "I'll go call Zhitong now. Should I tell Aunt Zhou you're bringing me over tomorrow? If I don't, you might not get to see Uncle Xu tomorrow."

Caught between annoyance and amusement, Zhang Zhixing said to his wife, "Look at that fine son of yours. He's learned to threaten his own father!" Still, he did not stop Zhang Ke from making the call.

The next day, a city government car happened to be heading to the Provincial Capital. It was nearly noon by the time they arrived, and they had the car take them straight to New Plum Garden. Xu Xueping had made a point of coming home for lunch.

Xu Xueping's fondness for Zhang Ke extended to Zhang Zhixing. He thought that, with Zhang Ke so outstanding at such a young age, his father could hardly be lacking in ability.

Zhang Zhixing had been among the country's earliest economics graduate students and had taught at Haizhou Normal University for years, giving him a solid theoretical foundation. With the care he took in responding as well, his conversation naturally satisfied Xu Xueping.

After lunch, they returned to the living room. Xu Xueping stopped beating around the bush and asked Zhang Zhixing directly what plans he had for his official career.

By now, Zhang Zhixing had a fair idea of where things stood. "Before I came, Secretary Zhou Fuming and Mayor Tang Xueqian both spoke with me. They mentioned that the coming reshuffle in the city would leave some vacancies, and they hoped to give me greater responsibilities. At the municipal level, they believe I'm capable of serving as Municipal Government Secretary-General. Of course, there will be larger changes in the departments and bureaus, and they urgently need people too. I've thought it over these past two days. The secretary-general has contact with a wide range of matters, sees problems from a higher vantage point, and has a broader perspective, which would help develop my abilities. So I took the opportunity of bringing Zhang Ke to the Provincial Capital to seek your advice in person, Secretary Xu..."

Xu Xueping spoke just as frankly. "Your thinking is sound. One must take the long view. The Municipal Government Secretary-General has to deal with countless tedious matters, rather like the municipal government's chief steward. I served as a secretary-general when I was young, so I know how hard it is. Many people would rather head a department or bureau, but they fail to consider that the position a secretary-general occupies, and the perspective it offers, are beyond what a department or bureau head can have. Of course, even if you take the post, you shouldn't handle everything personally. Won't you have two deputy secretaries-general assisting you? You should have broader scope..."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhixing could barely contain his joy, but he still had to keep his feelings from showing. After all, Xu Xueping had not yet recovered from the grief of losing his son.

Xu Xueping was advising him to become Municipal Government Secretary-General without confining his work to the internal affairs of the municipal government-in other words, to step beyond the role of chief steward. Of course, on his own, Zhang Zhixing would have had no chance of doing so, even if he wanted to. Everyone had their own patch of territory. Who would surrender power to let him exercise and develop his abilities? But coming from Xu Xueping, those words meant something entirely different.

Of course, the work still had to proceed one step at a time.

Xu Xueping had to return to the Provincial Party Committee for a meeting that afternoon, so he did not talk much longer. After sitting for a while, he left by car. Zhang Zhixing had to wait for the city government car to finish its business and come back for him, so he stayed in the living room and continued chatting. Zhang Ke asked about Xie Wanqing's company.

"Xie Zhan has been busy arranging the loan. It should be nearly settled. These past few days, I've had Sister Cai go down to look into the situation. He's only too happy to have her away from headquarters, and I've stayed home with Zhitong..." Xie Wanqing looked tenderly at Zhitong. "She hasn't been having many nightmares lately, but she still won't speak."

As soon as Zhang Ke came in, Zhitong had taken hold of the hem of his shirt as usual and refused to let go. He looked up at Xie Wanqing. Her complexion was much rosier, and she had not remained sunk in the grief of losing her husband. She wore little makeup, and her skin was naturally fair. Sitting there with her back straight and her chest lifted, she looked graceful and poised. Seen through an adult's eyes, Xie Wanqing, only thirty, was at an age when a woman's charms were truly captivating.

Listening to Zhang Ke and Xie Wanqing discuss the company, Zhang Zhixing found it rather strange. Over the summer, however, he had gradually grown used to Zhang Ke discussing all kinds of issues in a mature tone and manner. His own knowledge of Haiyu Company was sketchy, leaving him little to contribute. When the city government car came to collect him that afternoon, he gave Zhang Ke all the money he had on him and returned to Haizhou.