The desert river is like a dragon that has been slashed open by steaming, lying on the snowy fields of the thousands of miles of Pingchuan. The harsh winter has passed, and the infinite spring is slowly reviving under the hot soil of the earth. From the northernmost desert county to the southernmost Yunhai City, the snow gradually melted, and there was not much snow to be seen south of Hetian. However, it was still very cold, and the temperature on the 600-mile construction site hovered between -3 and 5 degrees Celsius for several days.

The busy farming season of spring plowing and spring sowing is gradually approaching inadvertently, and the south-to-north water diversion project has entered a phased sprint moment, and the number of migrant workers and machinery transferred to the construction site by the county and city engineering headquarters is increasing day by day. On the largest day, 1.87 million people and horses and more than 25,000 large and small machinery, including excavators, automobiles, and tractors, gathered on the 600-mile desert river. At the request of the Pingchuan City CPC Committee and the city, a certain group army stationed in Pingchuan also dispatched an engineering regiment to assist in the construction of more than a dozen important bridges and culverts in Quanshan and Shuichang.

Chen Zhongyang, the chief commander of the project, sat in a Beijing jeep full of muddy water day and night, bumping along the desert river, accompanied by shouting and scolding from the country, directing and dispatching the whole line to work, and dealing with problems that may occur and do occur every day. The oldest and oldest deputy secretary of the Pingchuan Municipal Party Committee seemed to have aged ten years all of a sudden in the midst of running around day and night, and he had become dark and thin, like an old peasant. Sometimes on the construction site, some migrant workers who didn't know him actually called him "old man" and asked him, why did he still come to work on the river at such an old age?

Since the food poisoning incident occurred at the construction site in Shuichang County, Chen Zhongyang, in the name of the General Headquarters of the project, ordered all county construction sites not to purchase any food, including salt, from abnormal channels. Prior to this, a small amount of low-quality iodium-deficient salt had been found on the construction site, but fortunately, it was detected early and confiscated. At the same time, Chen Zhongyang also developed a habit of going to any place, first looking at the room, checking the food, and dealing with problems on the spot.

No matter where Chen Zhongyang went to inspect the work, he never gave advance notice, he came as he said he would, and he left as soon as he said, and whoever was caught was considered unlucky. More than half of the county-level commanders or on-site commanders in the eight counties and cities of Pingchuan have been viciously scolded by him. There was a scene commander who was a demobilized soldier and called Chen Zhongyang and Old Patton. Most migrant workers don't know that Old Patton is a four-star general of the U.S. Army, and when he shouts and shouts, he becomes the "Old Eighth Formation", and there is an explanation: "Who dares to confuse our Secretary Chen?" Our Secretary Chen is Lao Huang Zhong, and he led people to work on the river eight times with the old governor back then, so he is called Lao Bazhenli, do you know it? ! ”

At noon that day, Chen Zhongyang's Beijing jeep suddenly drove from Quanshan to the desert, inspected all the way north, and came to the Xiaquanwang construction site in the evening.

Parking the car under the Mohe Bridge, Chen Zhongyang got out of the car with his secretary Xiaoyue, and slid down from the north bank embankment to the construction site at the bottom of the river.

On the construction site, migrant workers in Xiaquanwang Village are resting and waiting for dinner, and there are people at the bottom of the river and on the south-facing embankment, some sitting on large baskets full of muddy water, some lying on the ground as if they were dead, and some of them gathering in groups of three or five, chatting and scolding their mothers with high throats and loud voices. When Chen Zhongyang and his secretary Xiaoyue walked past them, no one moved, they sat and sit, they fell asleep, and scolded their mothers.

A middle-aged migrant worker with a scruffy beard scolded: "Damn, I'd rather go to prison than fight like this anymore!" Is this a human job? Fourteen or fifteen hours a day, rushing for construction day and night, it is not as good as a prisoner in labor reform! ”

Another migrant worker picked up and said, "Third brother, you have to complain about your own life!" Aren't we going down to Quanwang to be poor? If we have money, we can also use the money to 'work with capital', who is going to play with this life? ”

The middle-aged migrant worker scolded again: "Damn it, I would have known that the above told us to fight so hard, so I sold the donkey at home and paid the money to raise money, so that I wouldn't come here to be a donkey!" ”

Another young migrant worker spoke: "Forget it, third brother! Your family's valuable things are just that little green donkey, if you really dare to sell it, the third sister-in-law will have to treat you as a donkey for the rest of her life, so it is better to suffer here for a few months! ”

The migrant workers who gathered together all laughed.

The young migrant worker said: "Let's go down to Quanwang and the people of the village are suffering? On these 600 miles of construction site, which county, township, and village are not the same? Are the people of the south more wronged? Even if you don't have a project, people still have water, but this is the most downstream, and you can't get through it without a project. Therefore, let's be bitter today, in the final analysis, it is for ourselves. ”

At this time, a thin man sitting on a big basket smoking spoke: "Xiao Wuzi is right, let's just do it for ourselves!" After tidying up the desert river, don't fight for water every year, I, the village secretary, will be easy to be, and I don't need to bend the law every year, worrying about the dead, hurting, and top of the tank. Therefore, the old and young masters have to learn from the fifth son for me, work hard, and talk less nonsense! ”

Chen Zhongyang noticed this lean man, walked up to him and asked, "Brother, in this way, you are the secretary of the village branch of Xiaquanwang?" ”

The thin man recognized Chen Zhongyang, and hurriedly stood up from the big basket and said, "Secretary Chen, why are you here?" ”

Chen Zhongyang asked with a smile: "Do you know me?" ”

The thin man smiled: "Why don't you know?" My name is Cao Tongqing, and when you were in charge of politics and law five years ago, I came to you to complain and went with our old secretary. ”

Chen Zhongyang said: "For the fight with Shangquan Wang, isn't it?!" You're famous. ”

Cao Tongqing nodded, then pointed to the migrant worker in front of him and said: "Secretary Chen, we farmers talk casually, in fact, we are tired, and we don't have bad intentions, don't take it to heart." ”

Chen Zhongyang was in a good mood, and said with a smile: "Yes, yes, don't explain it to me, I understand everything." I'm tired and anxious, and I have to scold my mother twice. Now I often scold Niangli, in front of Wu Mingxiong. After that, he patted Cao Tongqing's shoulder hard.

Unexpectedly, Cao Tongqing screamed "ouch" and almost fell to the ground.

Chen Zhongyang felt that something was wrong, and hurriedly opened the cotton clothes that Cao Tongqing was draped on, only to find that Cao Tongqing's two shoulders were already a blur of flesh and blood, and the torn cotton sweater he was wearing close to his body had been tightly glued to those blurred flesh and blood.

Helping Cao Tongqing up, Chen Zhongyang asked sadly: "Is it the basket that presses it?" ”

Cao Tongqing nodded, and said: "I haven't carried the basket for the past two days, and the soil will not be in the way." ”

Chen Zhongyang said with concern: "Then you should also be careful of inflammation." ”

Chen Zhongyang asked his secretary Xiaoyue to find a site hygienist and asked the hygienist to deal with it.

The hygienist was unable to separate the torn cotton sweater on Cao Tongqing's body from the blurred flesh and blood, so he had to use scissors to cut off the torn cotton sweater and apply medicine to the wound through the residual cloth on Cao Tongqing's shoulder.

Cao Tongqing was very embarrassed and said, "Everyone is not like this? Many people in our village have frozen and swollen feet, and they can't take off their shoes and socks. Others are exhausted and collapsed on the construction site. It's nothing, it's just that the food problem is bigger, the noodles are all eaten, it's all rice, the pot is big, the rice can't be burned thoroughly, the old sandwich is raw, and everyone's opinions are bigger. I have eaten all the dishes I delivered, and I have eaten the cabbage gangs that I threw away every day for the past few days. ”

Chen Zhongyang was stunned for a moment and asked, "Oh, there is such a thing?" Is your county party secretary Liu Jinping on the construction site? ”

Cao Tongqing said: "It's about twelve miles in front, right?" When she heard that there was a collapse in the 12-mile river at noon, she passed by us and left without saying a few words. ”

Chen Zhongyang asked again: "Does she know about the food situation here?" ”

Cao Tongqing said: "Secretary Liu knows, and he also said that the county must find a way to solve it." ”

Chen Zhongyang thought for a while, and said to the secretary Xiao Yue: "Let's go, go to the Twelve Mile Shop immediately, and see what this Secretary Liu eats tonight!" After taking two steps, he turned back to Cao Tongqing and the migrant workers around him and said, "Tonight, comrades, work harder, tomorrow at noon, I, Chen Zhongyang, promise that you will eat vermicelli and roast pork, but if you can't eat it, you will throw me into the vegetable pot and cook it!" ”

When he got in the car again, Chen Zhongyang didn't have a smiling face, and scolded Liu Jinping along the way, so scared that Xiaoyue didn't dare to say a word.

The jeep was heading along the desert north of the river, and when passing by a small village, Chen Zhongyang inadvertently smelled the smell of meat. Pay attention to it, and the smell of meat wafted out from a courtyard with the words "Quanwang Township Water Conservancy Project Site Leading Group" written in white and gray characters.

Chen Zhongyang asked the driver to stop at the gate of the compound.

Before the car stopped, Chen Zhongyang jumped out of the car, followed the fragrance, and rushed into the yard.

In a small house facing north, several people who look like village cadres are drinking, and on two desks put together are three large porcelain basins, one containing steaming braised pork, one basin containing a whole chicken, and the other containing salted peanuts.

Chen Zhongyang pushed the door open and immediately asked, "Who is responsible here?" ”

A chubby middle-aged man recognized Chen Zhongyang, and hurriedly stood up and greeted, "Secretary Chen, it's so cold, can you have a drink with us?" ”

Chen Zhongyang ignored it and asked again, "What's your name?" What is the job title? Is the Xiaquanwang construction site under your control? ”

The middle-aged man hurriedly said: "My name is Yu Dajing, I am the deputy head of Quanwang Township in charge of agriculture and water conservancy, and the Xiaquanwang construction site is naturally under my control, is there something wrong with the Xiaquanwang construction site?" ”

Chen Zhongyang grabbed the wine bottle on the table, paused vigorously on the table, and scolded: "What's wrong?" Do you still have the face to ask me? The migrant workers are working on the construction site with cow horsepower, eating cabbage gangs and raw rice every day, but you have meat, chicken, and wine, what the fuck is going on?! Yes? Are you eating the meat of migrant workers, and are you drinking the blood of migrant workers?! I ask you! ”

was really angry, Chen Zhongyang slammed the wine bottle on the table, the wine bottle shattered, the wine and broken glass in the bottle burst out everywhere, and even Chen Zhongyang himself was splashed wet.

Chen Zhongyang was still angry, and casually lifted the table again: "I'll let you eat!" Let you drink! ”

After lifting the table, Chen Zhongyang turned around and left, walked to the door and said again: "Those of you who participated in the drinking today, tomorrow I will all go to the Damo County Party Committee to find Liu Jinping to report to the county party committee, and wait for the county party committee to deal with it!" ”

When he said this, Chen Zhongyang could no longer imagine that his anger in a fit of anger would cause a catastrophe, and the broken glass from the broken wine bottle pierced Yu Dajing's eyes. At that time, Chen Zhongyang really didn't notice that the corner of Yu Dajing's left eye was bleeding.

Secretary Xiaoyue found out, but he never dared to say it.

When I saw Liu Jinping, secretary of the Damo County Party Committee, it was already dark, and Liu Jinping and several comrades of the county engineering headquarters were roasting around a pile of charcoal pots, eating, and talking about the progress of the project while eating. Chen Zhongyang noticed that Liu Jinping was covered in black mud, and the parts above the waist were all soaked, and the big black bowl was also filled with raw rice and a piece of salted radish, and his anger was somewhat gone.

However, Chen Zhongyang still said to Liu Jinping with a black face: "This can't be done, my Secretary Liu!" It's rare for you to have a meal on the construction site, and the migrant workers have to eat on the construction site, just cabbage and salted radish heads? You don't expect me to praise you for your integrity! ”

Liu Jinping gently tapped the bowl with chopsticks, and said with a bitter face: "Secretary Chen, you really blame me, do you think I want to perform honest government?" Aren't we helpless? The county is too poor, and the project is already in its late stages, and all the subsidies we can take out have been taken out. In the past few days, the county magistrate Huang is organizing the cadres of the county party committee and the county ** organ to give love to the construction site, and may be able to raise some money for emergencies. ”

Chen Zhongyang reminded: "You don't want bureaucrats, township level cadres must grasp it well, it is so difficult on the construction site, there is a deputy head of Quanwang Township who also leads a group of people to drink wine and eat meat." It's just a matter of normal times, and this kind of time is absolutely not allowed. I suggest you check it out and see where they got their meat and wine. If the subsidy for migrant workers is deducted, they will be resolutely withdrawn. ”

Liu Jinping said: "I will personally check tomorrow." ”

In the end, Chen Zhongyang sighed and said: "With such a big effort, no matter how poor the county is, no matter how poor the person is, he has the right to eat better!" In this way, I will allocate 300,000 yuan to you first, and you will send someone to get it overnight, and you must ensure that the 250,000 migrant workers in the desert will have a meal of vermicelli and roast meat at noon tomorrow! Be sure to guarantee it! ”

Liu Jinping said in a choked voice: "Secretary Chen, I, on behalf of the 250,000 migrant workers in the desert, thank you!" ”

Chen Zhongyang waved his hand: "What are you thanking me for?" Thank you to our migrant workers! Every party and government cadre in Pingchuan should thank them! Without their 1.87 million good brothers struggling on the 600-mile front, our grand blueprint for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project would have become a laughing stock of history! ”

After that, Chen Zhongyang stretched out his hand: "Bring me a bowl of rice, Xiaoyue and I also ate here today." ”

Xiao Zhao, the female secretary of the county party committee, gave Chen Zhongyang and Xiao Yue a bowl of raw rice each, and took out a few small radishes that had been soaked in salt water for a long time from a large vat in the corner of the house, and handed them to Chen Zhongyang and Xiao Yue.

While I was eating, someone came to report that the mud from the upstream had come down again.

Liu Jinping was stunned, said hello to Chen Zhongyang, put down the bowl, got up and left.

Xiao Zhao stood up and shouted, "Secretary Liu, don't go into the water again." ”

Liu Jinping ignored it and went out in a hurry.

Xiao Zhao hurriedly said to Chen Zhongyang: "Secretary Chen, you are the commander-in-chief, you can persuade us Secretary Liu, she is a woman, it is inconvenient today, it is not good to soak in cold water all the time!" ”

Chen Zhongyang immediately understood what Xiao Zhao meant, got up and chased to the door, wanting to call Liu Jinping back, but Liu Jinping had already hurried far away in the night, so he didn't shout.

Looking at the river beach surging with people in the moonlight, Chen Zhongyang said to Xiao Zhao very emotionally: "Your Secretary Liu is not just an ordinary woman, she ...... She is also the secretary of the county party committee of the economically underdeveloped desert county. ”