An County is located in the western part of Yan City. The whole county is in the Taihang Mountains. It is an agricultural county with many mountains and few lands. The advantage over Ba County is that An County has ready-made tourism resources and convenient transportation. Although it has a small area and some excellent land, and the mountain climate is mild, most common fruit trees can be planted, so An County is not a poor county in Yan Province. Of course, it is not a wealthy county. It is the most ordinary county with little characteristics and no distinction in all aspects.

The county town of An County is directly connected to Yan City, and the road conditions are pretty good. Xia Xiang carried a backpack, neither asking Yan City to send someone to see him off, nor notifying An County to send someone to pick him up. He took the long-distance bus from Yan City to An County alone, just like an ordinary tourist, sitting in the corner of the car, looking at the view outside the window with his eyes.

Shortly after leaving Yan City, you can see the continuous peaks. It is the season when spring is warm and flowers are blooming. The bare mountain begins to be covered with a layer of yellow and green, and the grass on the roadside begins to turn green. Although the weather is still a little cold, Xia Xiang will open a crack in the car window to let the fresh air in the mountains blow into the car to the fullest.

When the cold wind blows, the mind becomes particularly clear.

Originally, he was sitting alone in the double seat, close to the window. When he passed by a small town, some people got out of the house and many people came up. Xia Xiang didn't pay attention to the crowd, but still looked out the window intently. He felt that someone was sitting in the empty seat next to him, so he didn't turn his head and take a look. Anyway, he didn't recognize him, and it was useless to look at him.

Shortly after the car started, he felt the person next to him move uneasyly. After a while, the speed of the car was faster and the wind became stronger and stronger when it came in from the window. The coolness hit the people next to him finally couldn't help it: "Can you close the window? Don't just care about the air blowing on your own and not consider the feelings of others. The bus means a public place. Please don't affect everyone just because you are alone."

It was a woman's voice, with a very standard Mandarin, but her tone was a little bad. It was originally a matter of one sentence, and she insisted on speaking it in a sarcastic tone, which made people feel uncomfortable. Besides, Xia Xiang's window was also very small, with only a small gap, and the wind could only blow to him, but when she said it, it seemed as if he had opened a window and killed everyone in the car.

Xia Xiang turned her head and saw a woman of twenty-seven or eight years old sitting beside her, wearing a navy blue top, blue-gray pants, and a yellow scarf around her neck. The overall color was dark, but she looked good, with a small Roman nose, a small mouth, a not big lips, and a whiter skin. She was just looking at people with her eyes, and her eyes were full of scrutiny and cold, as if everyone owed her something.

After seeing Lian Ruohan's beauty and Cao Shuyan's beauty, although the woman in front of her is considered to be of great beauty, she will not feel amazing when she falls into Xia Xiang's eyes. Of course, her maturity and charm are incomparable to Lian Ruohan and Cao Shuyan, but beautiful is beautiful. Her eyes are too sharp, making her beauty like a dazzling light, making people unable to feel any intimacy in their lives, and they have no desire to appreciate it.

Although what she said was not nice, Xia Xiang still smiled at her, then closed the window and didn't say anything again.

The woman didn't say anything else, didn't look at Xia Xiang again, leaned against her seat and closed her eyes to rest.

After more than ten minutes, she suddenly started to cough. At first, she only coughed once or twice, but soon she became more and more intense, and there was a tendency to catch a cold. Xia Xiang felt that although she was a little irritating just now, she still asked with concern: "Are you okay?"

"Is something wrong!" The woman looked at Xia Xiang with great dissatisfaction, "If you hadn't opened the window and blew the cold wind in, I wouldn't have caught a cold. After all, it was all your fault!"

Xia Xiang glanced at the car and said, "Can't you blame me completely? There are many empty spaces in the car, and you insisted on sitting next to me. When you were sitting, I opened the window. It should be said that you came over to blow the cold wind on your own. Why did you blame me again?"

"Since I've sat down, you should also take the initiative to close the window for the sake of taking care of other people's feelings. Not only did you not close the window, but you didn't tell me that I had a cold, but you are still making a fuss. How could you be such an unreasonable person?"

"I don't think you understand one thing, that is, my windows are already open, because I like to blow the cool breeze. Since you don't like blowing, you should find a seat without a window to sit!" Xia Xiang was really angry. He had seen unreasonable people, but he had never seen such unreasonable people! And he spoke coldly, and no one owed her, and there was no need to give in to her. "It means that you stood at the vent and caught a cold by blowing. You can blame yourself for your own fault - but you blame me, there is no such reason in the world!"

The woman was speechless by Xia Xiang, and opened her mouth but couldn't speak. She was stunned for a moment, and resolutely got up and sat in the seat next to her. She glared at Xia Xiang fiercely: "Sover!"

Xia Xiang ignored her. It is unwise for you to get angry with her for those who have no reason to say. In the end, not only will she be angry with her, but she will also be inferior.

When the car arrived at Anxian County, Xia Xiang got off the car and asked about the location of the county party committee compound. It happened to be not far from where to get off, so he walked over as a car.

The county town of Anxian is not big, but it is much bigger than that of Baxian County, and it is much more prosperous. At least it looks like a town, and the streets are full of people. There are cars, tricycles and even horse-drawn carriages, which are in chaos. Xia Xiang walked to the sidewalk honestly, but was almost hit by an old farmer riding a bicycle. He couldn't help but smile and shook his head. Anxian is not far from Yan City, less than 100 kilometers. But not to mention the prosperity, there is a difference between heaven and earth even if the traffic order is.

But there is nothing to complain about when thinking about it. This is how grassroots work is, and you have to be close to the people to see clearly.

In just ten minutes, I arrived at the gate of the county party committee compound.

The county party committee and government of An County are not separated and work in a courtyard. There are two signs hanging side by side at the door, which read: An County Party Committee of the Communist Party of China and An County People's Government. The gate is made of two rows of iron doors, with rusty marks on the iron door. As soon as you enter the door, there is a guard room with an old man dozing off inside.

Compared with the high alertness of the municipal government, the gate of the Anxian County Party Committee is no different from being unprepared.

Xia Xiang saw the old man sleeping soundly at the door, so he didn't disturb him. He walked inside and suddenly heard a stern voice from behind: "Stop! Who are you from, which unit? What's the matter with the county party committee? Please go to the guard to register!" If you talk so far, there is nothing, but some people always like to talk with thorns, as if it's uncomfortable if you don't say this. "Who do you think you are? The county party committee courtyard is not a vegetable market!"

It can be said that the subsequent addition is completely nonsense, but it is precisely because of the subsequent nonsense that makes people particularly harsh when they hear it. Xia Xiang frowned slightly, why are there always people in the world who like to complicate simple problems? It is obviously a matter of one sentence. It can make people happy to do things, but they have to say a few more unpleasant nonsense, which makes people unhappy when they hear it.

Are some people born troublemakers?

Xia Xiang could hear it without looking back. The harsh owner behind him was the next seat in the car who had a conflict with him.

After her quarrel, the old man who was half asleep and half awake immediately woke up and hurriedly came out of the guard room to stop Xia, thinking: "You come and register, why don't you break into it without saying a word? This is the county party committee compound, and it's full of minds. You can't afford to offend you! Seeing that you are young, I won't talk about you anymore. Pay attention next time."

Xia Xiang would not make things difficult for a guard. Besides, looking at the old man's appearance, he would have to be over fifty if he was not sixty, and he was considered an elder. He nodded with a smile: "Old man's surname? I just saw that you were dozing off, so I didn't have the nerve to call you. Also, I'm not an outsider, and I will work here in the future, so I have no registration..."

The woman next to her looked at Xia Xiang coldly: "You are here to work? What's your name? Which department?" In fact, if you say this, it's a normal question. She didn't expect her to pause and said another sentence, "Just because you sit in the car and just care about yourself and don't care about other people's feelings, I dare to say that no matter which department you work in, you will not be popular."

Xia Xiang felt angry again. She wanted to say something to her in person, but when she thought that no one would convince anyone in the car, she argued again and said, "Don't say it, you are really wrong. I have worked in several places and have been very happy with everyone, so please put away your arbitrary decision and don't draw conclusions!"

While speaking, Xia Xiang had already filled in his name and unit on the guest registration book of the guard room. The old man picked it up and looked at it. He immediately widened his eyes and said in surprise: "Xia, County Magistrate Xia, are you the new County Magistrate Xia?"

When the woman sitting next to her heard that Xia Xiang was the deputy county magistrate who was about to take office, she was stunned on the spot. She was slightly stunned for a moment. Finally, she took the initiative to extend her hand: "On behalf of the An County Party Committee and County Government, I welcome County Mayor Xia to work in An County. I am Mei Xiaolin!"

Deputy Secretary Mei, Mei Xiaolin, who is both the princelings of the capital, and Qiu Xufeng, was extremely surprised. As Mei Xiaolin, when she went to a small town in An County, she should take a special bus. How could she take a bus alone? The deputy secretary must have a special bus, but he, as the deputy county magistrate, is ranked low. With An County's economic strength, she may not be worthy of a special bus.

When Xia Xiang saw the other party being polite, he said politely: "It turned out to be Secretary Mei, which is a coincidence. I apologize to Secretary Mei for the matter in the car. It is indeed an unintentional mistake." Not to mention anything else, Mei Xiaolin took the bus alone, and whether it was her business or private affairs, she would give him a high look. At least she has a unique side, whether it is a good appearance or a personality, which is much better than others who like to show off when they are young and successful.

Although her temper is a bit weird, people have complicated sides. At least the way she travels by bus made Xia Xiang feel good.

Mei Xiaolin smiled faintly and said in a relaxed tone: "The things have passed, it's better not to mention them... Why did County Magistrate Xia take the bus? I called earlier and the county government sent a car to pick you up. How shabby is the deputy county magistrate who took office and took the bus by himself."

Is it a test or a sarcasm? Xia Xiang laughed secretly, but didn't think much, and said the thoughts truthfully: "It's nothing. Yan City is not far from An County, and he came by after more than an hour by car. If he waits for the car to pick him up, he has to wait and make trouble, which is too troublesome. Besides, Secretary Mei sets an example and takes the bus out by himself?"

Mei Xiaolin obviously cared about her own behavior of taking a bus. When Xia Xiang said this, she smiled complacently: "As a leading cadre, you must set an example and don't just talk slogans and do practical things. Anxian's economy is not very good. Usually, when we go out to do business, we try to take the bus as much as possible. This will not only save office costs, but also go deep into the people and understand the people's real needs!"

What made Xia Xiang look at Mei Xiaolin with admiration. Didn’t she say that she and Qiu Xufeng controlled the An County Political Bureau together and wanted to undermine Li Dingshan? Why did she come into contact with her for the first time? In addition to being a bit arrogant and unreasonable, her style is quite pragmatic and she also has a heart for the people. Of course, he didn’t completely believe that Mei Xiaolin didn’t make a show on purpose.

Xia Xiang nodded in agreement: "I fully agree with Secretary Mei's words. Sometimes the real needs of the grassroots people cannot be heard in our ears. Only by truly entering them can we hear what they think. I didn't expect that when I came to An County today, I met Secretary Mei on a private visit. It was a blessing."

Mei Xiaolin was praised by Xia Xiang, and a layer of blush suddenly appeared on her face. She accompanied Xia Xiang to the office building and said as she walked: "It's not a secret private visit, but someone came to the petition. It was said that the Party Secretary of Danbao Township took the opportunity to promote fruit tree planting to fill his pockets. The county committee sent someone to investigate and said it was a false thing. I don't believe it, so I went down to visit myself."

"What's the result?" Xia Xiang became interested when he heard this. Generally, most leading cadres who were petitioned by the people were very troubled. The people were more honest and rarely petitioned unless they encountered the dilemma of not being able to survive. It can be said that there were basically no leading cadres who were falsely accused by farmers. As long as the people were petitioned, such leading cadres could not say that they had something to do, at least 99% of the possibility!

"As a result, I visited several farmers, but I didn't find any problems. Maybe there were rumors that political enemies retaliated and deliberately spread." Mei Xiaolin shook her head with a contemplative expression, "Li Chaosheng, Party Secretary of Danbao Township, has always had a good reputation, and Danbao Township's work has also been carried out in a vivid and exciting way..."

While talking, the two had already arrived downstairs. At this time, one person walked out of the building. He was tall, with a wide face and wide forehead, neither fat nor thin, and had a good figure. He was both athlete-like and scholar-like elegance. He rarely combined the two styles together. It can be said that he was handsome, and at first sight, people couldn't help but secretly applauded.

When Mei Xiaolin saw the visitor, she took a step forward and smiled slightly: "County Magistrate Qiu, what a coincidence... I'll introduce you to the new deputy county magistrate Xia Xiang... Deputy County magistrate Xia, this is County magistrate Qiu!"

A trace of surprise flashed across Qiu Xufeng's face, he was slightly stunned, and then he showed a generous smile: "Welcome to County Magistrate Xia, welcome." He said enthusiastically, but he only shook hands with Xia Xiang and let go, then ignored him, turned his face and said to Mei Xiaolin, "Secretary Mei, what are the gains today?"

Hostility, Xia Xiang sensed obvious hostility from Qiu Xufeng's coldness!

It seems that Qiu Xufeng is very clear about the relationship between him and Li Dingshan, and also understands that he, the deputy county magistrate, must be joining forces with Li Dingshan, but why did he not find her hostility towards him in Mei Xiaolin?

In addition to the unhappiness caused by the window incident, Mei Xiaolin's attitude improved a lot after learning about his identity as the deputy county magistrate. Is it false that the rumors of Mei Xiaolin and Qiu Xufeng joining forces?

"Nothing gains." When talking about Danbao Township, Mei Xiaolin was a little depressed. She waved her hand to Qiu Xufeng, "County Magistrate Qiu will go and do it first. I'll take Deputy County Magistrate Xia upstairs."

Qiu Xufeng didn't say much, nodded, and didn't even look at Xia Xiang, so he turned around and left.

Mei Xiaolin seemed not aware of Qiu Xufeng's intentional neglect of Xia Xiang, and she pointed upward: "Your office is on the third floor. Do you want me to take you up and have a look?"

"It's better not to bother Secretary Mei, just go up by myself." Xia Xiang wanted to go upstairs now and then go to talk to Li Dingshan.

Mei Xiaolin didn't force herself and said, "Okay, then I'll go and do it first..." She turned around and left, and suddenly stopped after taking a few steps, "Mr. Xia, I still want to tell you something, you are very young, a few years younger than me, you are young and promising, and you should say that you have great prospects, but don't be confused about some major events, as it would be bad if you stand in the wrong team."

Xia Xiang just smiled and said nothing. Mei Xiaolin's temper is a bit weird, but in comparison, she is better at dealing with than Qiu Xufeng City. At least after she heard of his identity, she was polite and did not express any dissatisfaction at all. Originally, he thought that Mei Xiaolin might not have joined forces with Qiu Xufeng, but her last sentence still revealed her true thoughts: on major issues, she would be consistent with Qiu Xufeng.

No matter that, Xia Xiang shook his head and went upstairs. He first went upstairs to find Xu Liang, the director of the government office, and asked him for the key to the office.

Xu Liang is about 40 years old, tall and thin, with a slender face and small eyes. When he smiled, his eyes were so narrow that he could hardly see it. When he saw Xia wanted to get him the key, he enthusiastically brought tea and water to Xia Xiang, but criticized himself for not doing a good job in reception. It was his mistake in his work and he was willing to accept County Mayor Xia's criticism.

Xu Liang just wanted to say beautiful words and see what Xia Xiang reacted. Although he already knew that a 25-year-old deputy county magistrate would come, after seeing the real person, he was still a little jealous and dissatisfied with Xia Xiang's youth. Thinking about him having been in the officialdom for more than ten years, he is now the director of the government office at the section level. Xia Xiangman had only been in the officialdom for two or three years and had quickly climbed to the position of deputy county magistrate. He was really more popular than others!
Chapter completed!