On December 24th, night fell, and Christmas Eve arrived. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

It is especially lit up in the community where the employees live, and in the middle of the doors of many employees, especially European employees, are garlands woven from pine and holly branches, inlaid with the English "Merry Christmas" cut and pasted in colored paper, and hung with pine cones, small bells and snowflakes made of cotton wool.

For those Europeans, Christmas is undoubtedly the biggest event of the year, no less important than the Chinese Spring Festival, where candles are lit in the fireplace and windowsill, the Christmas tree is decorated in colorful colors, candles and gold and silver stars are intertwined, and the branches are hung with apples, candy, Christmas cards and beautifully wrapped small gifts.

The seemingly empty house suddenly became lively and full of fairy tales on this day, and when the believers commemorated the birth of Jesus once a year, they themselves felt as if they were children.

After finishing the ceremony in the church, Lin Ruocheng took his family home to spend this "Christmas Eve", although he is Chinese, he is also a believer, and is a very devout believer, in fact, believers are not uncommon in China, of course, these believers can be described as good and bad, some people just shelter in the church, not really believe, but Lin Ruocheng is a real believer, and he is still from the church school, and it is quite rare that he did not become a pastor when he became an adult.

In the dining room, silver candlesticks are lit on snow-white tablecloths, and all the cutlery is laid out, and all kinds of pastries, sweets and fruits are arranged, as well as the must-have wine for Christmas, which is produced in Jilin. It is made from grapes from Changbai Mountain. As early as the period of the Unified Prison Office. The company set up a liquor farm in the forest farm of the Yalu River, and its glucose was not sold in large quantities until this year, and its taste is very unique, and it is highly regarded in the three eastern provinces because it is used as a banquet wine in the governor's palace.

Once the red wine is poured into the glass, Christmas dinner begins.

Lin Ruocheng sat at the dining table with his family. Today he wore the dress he wore only on the most important occasions, carefully trimmed his beard, and his whole person was even more radiant. There was a faint sense of pride in his expression, but more of it was a wish to taste the look. For Lin Ruocheng, who is nearly 50 years old, every Christmas, only this year is his most pleasant and unforgettable.

On Christmas Eve, the officials of the Doge's palace brought him the news that he had unexpectedly received the good news that he was going to be appointed a "public servant", which was the best holiday gift the Governor had ever given him. It will also be the most glorious culmination of his life's journey, which is really worth celebrating. Receiving this honor will add a dazzling aura to him.

The young man who left home and grew up in the "foreigner's house" has finally succeeded in his career after his beard and hair are white, and he finally did not insult his ancestors. Decades of hard work have finally paid off. He took up this position and enjoyed the title of "Gongshi", although more often than "honorary titles". However, it marked that he was no longer just a doctor who treated the sick and saved people, nor was he a scholar with a rich history, or a civil gentleman without office and power, but officially became an "official", although he was only a "just man", a low-level position established by the Governor's Office, and he was not paid. But for the common people, he has already stood out and has the right to participate in politics in a grand manner, and his long-standing and irrepressible desire to be in turmoil has finally been realized.

And with this status, he has been called a "fake foreign devil" for many years, and for the first time he feels that he and his family have a sense of security in the treacherous journey of life, and at least he can protect his family more effectively - "Gongshi" is the first level in the Qin and Han Dynasty 20 rank system, to a certain extent, he is not a simple official, after all, "Gongshi" enjoys the power to supervise officials and supervise administration, even if in the West this is the power that only the aristocracy has.

Even in the newspapers, in a sense, the "Gongshi" is no less than the return of the "nobles", and the only regret is that the "Gongshi" is not hereditary, but this does not prevent people from longing for this "honorary title". And Lin Ruocheng is also a member of the "social elites" who are eager for "honorary titles", at this time, the news was confirmed, and a huge sense of accomplishment and happiness infiltrated Lin Ruocheng's heart as the director of Dalian West Hospital, and he was slightly drunk before the wine touched his lips, and his cheeks flushed.

"Thank you to the merciful Lord for the grace you have given us over the past year, thank the Lord for giving us food, thank the Lord for ......"

Leading the family, before the meal, as in the past, Lin Ruocheng prayed, his voice was a little excited, slowly expressing his reverence and gratitude to the Lord, he did not say a word about the personal gifts given to him by the Lord, but everything was included in it, when the prayer was over, after the sound of "Amen", he picked up the wine glass full of red wine, and looked at it emotionally.

"I don't know what words to use to express my gratitude at this point! Here I just want to say, I wish our country better and better! ”

In this blessing, Lin Ruocheng drank the mellow and sweet red wine, and the eyes wrapped in layers of wrinkles were already full of tears. In his opinion, after being appointed as a "public scholar" a few days later, his life's goal was achieved.

In his wishes, he did not even mention the Northeast, not because he did not love the Northeast, in fact, what he admired was the country, and in his opinion, the Northeast was his country to some extent, at least in line with the country in his mind, and even to a certain extent, at this time he reached a consensus with those radical youths that Kannai was a place that needed to be recovered.

"Alright, now I want to tell you something!"

While speaking, Lin Ruocheng looked at the two sons who were doing at the table and said solemnly.

"I am fifty-five years old this year, I have been a doctor for so many years, and I also founded the Western Hospital in Dalian, but this is not an achievement, as you all know, by the grace of the Governor, I will be awarded the post of "public servant" after New Year's Day......

Before Lin Ruocheng's words were finished, the family members who were originally about to enjoy the Christmas dinner all showed surprise on their faces. Then came a burst of joy that had never been seen before. They naturally knew that it was for the Lin family. What does it mean for my father to receive the title of "Gongshi".

In Northeast China, the "Gongshi" is not just a simple "honorary title" for making outstanding contributions, but also draws on the Hong Kong Justice of the Peace system to a large extent, and establishes an extra-institutional supervision and inspection system by granting "public officials". It provides an independent channel for those in need to lodge complaints. and let the relevant parties investigate and follow up on the complaint in accordance with the regulations. In addition, the relevant bureaux or departments can also make use of the views and suggestions made by the "public officers" to improve the management of facilities and services.

"Gongshi" did not originate from Northeast China at the earliest, but was appointed by the Korean Governor in accordance with the rules of the Governor of Korea who had made "significant contributions" to "Korean society", and most of the foreign employees appointed at that time were foreign employees who had made outstanding contributions, but were almost "honorary titles" of "nobles" to encourage foreign employees to work seriously.

At that time, the "public servants" did not have any powers, but only gave the title of "expatriate employees", and those "expatriate employees" were given after the expiration of the contract. They will use this "knightly title of nobility" and medals to show off their personal achievements to their friends and family, so that they will be willing to serve the Governor's Office. Outside of money, people are always hungry for honors. Of course, it would be even more perfect if you could get both.

Later, the "gongshi" gradually used as a tool to win over the upper strata of the DPRK, appointing some Koreans as "gongshi", of course, they must be pro-China personages, in order to assist the unified supervision office in maintaining social order, which is also a means for the unified supervision office to interfere in the affairs of the DPRK. In the event of a major case, the Office of the Unified Supervision Office may designate one or more "public officials" to act as investigators to demonstrate justice. And this is also the origin of the "just man", and out of the need for balance, the Chinese "public man" was also appointed.

Since then, the "official guards" have been divided into so-called "official guards" and "non-official guards", the former awarded to Chinese dynasty personnel, and the latter to "foreigners", who are more inclined to honorary titles and have no power to supervise investigations.

After the establishment of the Northeast Governor's Office, because the power of the Korean Governor-General was still under the control of the Governors of the three northeastern provinces, they continued to appoint Korean "gongshi", but at this time, they were faced with a problem: many "gongshi" moved to the three eastern provinces with the government, and whether they had the duty to perform the duties of "gongshi" in the three eastern provinces? In the end, the participants believed that the "public service system" could ensure that some people who were enthusiastic about social service and made contributions would continue to assist the government in carrying out its policies. However, due to various concerns and other reasons, mainly because "local elites were not pro-government people" at that time, it was not implemented at the first time, but to the outside world, this is naturally an unknown "secret".

In the eyes of the outside world, the Governor's Office did not confer the title of "Gongshi" for the time being because no one had made a direct contribution to "benefiting the Northeast". That's why it's not being implemented.

This year, after a year and a half of inspection, the Governor's Office decided to appoint 76 "public officers" in the three eastern provinces, and Lin Ruocheng, as the founder and director of the largest private hospital in Northeast China, was one of the first batch of "public officials".

What Lin Ruocheng didn't know was that among the 76 "dukes", less than one-third of the locals in the Northeast were locals, and the fundamental reason for this situation was the initial resistance of the Northeast people to the Governor's Palace, and new immigrants like Lin Ruocheng from the Guannai were undoubtedly the best choice, and everything they personally owned was based on the establishment of the Governor's Office in the Northeast, which made them willing to assist the Governor's Office in the Northeast.

Buying people's hearts does not necessarily have to be through money, honor, and sometimes even can play a role beyond people's imagination, just like the "public officer", after learning the news, Lin Ruocheng became a supporter of the Governor's Mansion for the first time, and in order to show his loyalty to the Governor, he hung the Governor's portrait in his office and home. People are always so realistic, and only after getting the most practical benefits will they change their attitudes.

“…… I am really worthy of the Governor's favor, and the position of "public servant" cannot be filled unless there is a "person who has made significant contributions", although I can barely serve the society by founding a hospital, but I should work harder in the future, so. I've decided to leave the hospital in the hands of you two......"

After learning the news. Lin Ruocheng thought about it a lot. He thought of his own hospital, and although Dalian West Hospital, as the first western hospital in addition to the army hospital and the affiliated hospital of the medical college, even opened earlier than the first two, he still felt that his contribution seemed to be a little unworthy compared to this honor. He deserves to contribute more.

"Daddy, Daddy......"

In the surprise of his sons, Lin Ruocheng waved his hand and said.

"Don't persuade me, from New Year's Day, Zinan, you will take over the hospital, as for the father...... Well, I wonder if we can start a medical school in the next year, now in the Northeast, it should be said that there are too few Western doctors in China, and there is still a lot of work for us to do......"

Just then, the maid brought the roast goose, the main dish of Christmas. The goose is large and fat, and the goose's belly is filled with stuffing in advance. After the chef's careful roasting, the golden butter is shiny, and the attractive aroma can make people's mouth.

"Ah, that's great!"

Seeing that his sons wanted to speak, Lin Ruocheng shrugged his nose and interrupted his sons' words with excited admiration, he knew what they were going to say and what they were thinking, but his mind would not change.

"Thank the Lord for giving us such a wonderful roast goose!"

"Oh, I'll separate everyone!"

As the mistress of the family, Mrs. Lin leaned over, picked up a knife and fork, and came to cut the roast goose herself.

Lin Ruocheng took a piece of roast goose with great interest, tasted it, and praised it.

"Great, that's great!"

And Lin Zinan picked up a piece of roast goose, and when he remembered his father's words, he was like a bone in his throat, difficult to swallow, so he put it down again.

"What's wrong? Zinan! ”

Lin Ruocheng, who was in full swing, looked at his son's appearance and knew that there were some things that he had to say today, so he asked.

"Is there anything you want to say?"

Smiling bitterly, Lin Zinan looked at his father and barely squeezed out a smile.

"Father, I'm worried that Zishan and I will live up to my father's expectations!"

He was worried that his ability would not be able to support the hospital, and although he had presided over most of the work of the hospital in the past year, everyone knew that it was also dependent on his father's help. Now my father wants to stop worrying about the hospital and go to a medical school, which is ...... What's more, medical school costs a lot of money!

"One day, you're going to have to shake off your hands!"

Lin Ruocheng didn't give his sons more comfort,

As he spoke, the maid brought the "Christmas pudding" again. It was a much richer pudding than usual, made from flour and eggs, many kinds of dried nuts, as well as dried lemon zest, sugar and spices, and took hours to bake, then poured butter and sugar juice over it, and brandy was lit on top. When the maid brought it to the table, the blue flame brought the warm atmosphere of the Christmas meal to a climax!

"Oh, the Christmas cloth is down!"

The young grandsons and granddaughters shouted happily, and after waiting for the flames to be extinguished, Mrs. Lin immediately went to cut them, and said to her husband.

"It's Christmas Eve, let's talk about business another day!"

Madame's words made Lin Ruocheng nod his head repeatedly, but at this time, Mrs. Lin said mysteriously.

"There are some small gifts hidden in the Christmas pudding, and you will know your fate when you see what you eat!"

It is a Western custom to hide gifts in the Christmas cloth, and it is usually done by the head of the family, mixing flour and other ingredients while silently praying that each member of the family will have their wishes. And as a religious family, it is natural to have this habit now.

"Oops!"

Before Mrs. Lin's words fell, Lin Ruocheng had already shouted in surprise:

"I ...... I got a silver dollar! ”

While speaking, Lin Ruocheng has spit out a silver coin the size of a finger, which is a small silver dollar in circulation in the Northeast, although the Northeast and North Korea have already implemented paper money, but the silver dollar coupon is only the abbreviation of the "silver yuan exchange coupon", and it is still an exchange coupon that is attached to the silver dollar with a coupon.

"Haha!"

Seeing Lin Ruocheng's welcoming appearance, everyone immediately burst into laughter, as if they were laughing for his good luck.

"This is a sign of getting rich, it seems that you are going to get rich......"

"Inexplicable! I'm not a businessman, so how can I get rich? ”

Lin Ruocheng shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly, but the look on his face was beaming, after all, this is a good omen! Throughout the ages, promotion and wealth have always been one......

And looking at the little silver yuan that was spit out by their father, Lin Zinan and Lin Zishan thought of another thing - how much does it cost to run a medical school? Can the Lin family's financial resources support the cost of medical school? Will medical school become a burden on the family?

And looking at his father's joy, a look of wanting to make more contributions to the country, they have never seen their father be so happy as now, as if he has found the value of life, even when Dalian West Hospital was founded, his father was not as happy as now, that happy look, like, like ......

It's like a person's dream has come true!

Yes, that's right, today, while my father has realized his dream, he has set a more ambitious dream and pursuit for himself! Isn't that how life should be? (To be continued.) )