132: Chapter 132 This forestry station chief must be replaced!

Station Chief Sun Changhe had been running to Xu Weidong's office with unusual frequency lately; clearly, he had realized something.

The first time was to admit a mistake—the data for the "Grain for Green" program had been messed up—and he kept a very humble posture in front of Xu Weidong.

He claimed that he was getting old, his professional skills were rusty, and he had caused setbacks for the township's work, asking Secretary Xu to criticize and correct him.

Xu Weidong didn't say anything harsh, merely telling him to verify the data again and be more careful in the future. Station Master Sun left, offering a thousand thanks.

The second time was to report on his work. He brought the re-verified data and flipped through it page by page for Xu Weidong to see, his attitude as serious as a young person who had just started working.

Xu Weidong flipped through it; the data had indeed been corrected, and the format was standard, so he nodded.

Station Master Sun didn't leave. He sat there and began chatting about the historical development of the forestry work in Hukuang Township, and as they talked, the conversation drifted to Township Head Jiang Tiansheng.

"Secretary Xu, you don't know this, but in the past, when our Forestry Station reported data, Township Head Jiang never looked at it."

"He said these things were just to fool the superiors, and looking at them was a waste of time. I've worked under him for so many years, and every time I reported data, I was on pins and needles."

"If I reported it correctly, no one praised me; if I made a mistake, I'd get a tongue-lashing."

"The last time that data was wrong, it actually wasn't entirely my problem. Some of the baseline figures were already messed up from before. I reported this to Township Head Jiang several times, but he completely ignored me."

Xu Weidong leaned back in his chair and listened, without responding.

Station Master Sun saw that he wasn't being kicked out, so he grew bolder, and his words became more frequent.

From how Township Head Jiang Tiansheng didn't value forestry work, he went on to how Township Head Jiang Tiansheng would sing a different tune from Xu Weidong at leadership meetings, and how Township Head Jiang Tiansheng would complain to subordinates in private.

When he got to the exciting part, he was beaming with delight, gesturing wildly, his spit almost flying into Xu Weidong's teacup.

"Secretary Xu, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart: Township Head Jiang has been in Hukuang Township for over a decade, and he treats this place as his own territory."

"He doesn't respect anyone who comes to be Secretary. He's polite on the surface, but continues to do whatever he wants behind the scenes."

"Since you arrived, he has cooperated on the surface, but in reality, he's holding a grudge. You really need to keep your guard up..."

There was a knock at the door, and Station Master Sun's voice was cut off as if someone had grabbed his throat. The expression on his face instantly shifted from beaming delight to panic.

He instinctively turned his head and saw Township Head Jiang Tiansheng pushing the door open and walking in, holding a document. The expression on Township Head Jiang Tiansheng's face was as if he had just swallowed a fly.

Station Master Sun stood up abruptly, his chair scraping harshly against the floor.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Township Head Jiang Tiansheng didn't even look at him, walking straight to Xu Weidong's desk and putting down the document.

"Secretary Xu, this is the work plan from the government side. Please take a look."

Xu Weidong took the document and flipped a page, his tone as flat as if nothing had happened.

"Alright, I'll take a look first. Station Master Sun, you go back first. I know about the matter you just mentioned."

As if granted amnesty, Station Master Sun nodded repeatedly, bowed to Xu Weidong, forced a smile at Township Head Jiang Tiansheng that looked worse than crying, and walked out with unsteady steps.

The moment the door closed behind him, he leaned against the corridor wall, his clothes soaked through on his back.

Township Head Jiang Tiansheng stayed in Xu Weidong's office for less than ten minutes. He briefly explained the work plan, and Xu Weidong offered two suggestions.

Township Head Jiang Tiansheng agreed, then turned and came out.

The whole process was no different from usual, but his hand kept gripping the edge of that document.

Back in his own office, he closed the door and sat in his chair for a long while, his chest feeling as if it were blocked by a stone.

He picked up the teacup on the table and took a gulp; the water was cold, and it was so astringent that he frowned.

He slammed the teacup onto the table, stood up and walked to the window, then walked back and sat down, picked up the phone to call someone, then put it down again.

After getting off work and returning home, his wife was cooking in the kitchen.

The roar of the range hood drowned out the sound of the door closing. Township Head Jiang Tiansheng changed into slippers, threw his coat on the sofa, sat down heavily, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.

His wife, Yu Lili, came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of food. Seeing him like that, she put the dish on the table and untied her apron.

"What's wrong? Who upset you again?"

Township Head Jiang Tiansheng didn't answer. He leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, his chest heaving a few times as if suppressing something.

Yu Lili sat down beside him, waited a while, and seeing he didn't speak, asked again.

Township Head Jiang Tiansheng suddenly sat up straight, his voice carrying a long-suppressed anger.

"Everyone's trying to revolt."

Yu Lili was stunned for a moment. Township Head Jiang Tiansheng didn't look at her; his gaze fell on the half-dead bamboo plant on the coffee table.

"That bastard Station Master Sun was badmouthing me in front of Xu Weidong. I saw it with my own eyes; the door wasn't even closed, and he was sitting there, beaming as he concocted stories about me."

"Saying I'm bad at this and wrong at that, saying I've been in Hukuang Township for over a decade and treat this place as my own territory, saying I don't respect the new Secretary."

"Who does he think he is? Has he forgotten who has been shielding him all these years? Who helped him keep his position as Forestry Station Master?"

"The 'Grain for Green' data was messed up; he embarrassed himself in front of Xu Weidong, and I took the heat for him in front of Xu Weidong."

"The sapling survival rate was low, and the common people were petitioning; it was his incompetence, and I smoothed things over for him at the leadership meeting."

"And he, instead, turns right around and goes to kiss Xu Weidong's ass."

"What is this?"

"This is treason! This is biting the hand that feeds you!"

Yu Lili listened without interrupting.

She had been with Township Head Jiang Tiansheng for so many years and knew his temper; when he was angry, he couldn't listen to anything, so she had to let him vent his anger.

Township Head Jiang Tiansheng stood up, walked to the window, and walked back. The expression on his face was both angry and aggrieved, like a parent betrayed by the person they trusted most.

"How many years have I been in Hukuang Township?"

"What kind of storms haven't I seen?"

"The previous Secretaries, no matter what they were like, were always polite to me."

"And what about after Xu Weidong arrived?"

"He makes me go change the plants, makes me go mediate disputes, makes me go verify data—he uses me like a secretary."

"How much grievance have I suffered in front of him?"

"And that bastard Station Master Sun, when he makes a work error, I stand in front to take the bullet for him, and he undermines me from behind."

"I must replace a person like this! If I don't replace him, I'll write my name, Jiang Tiansheng, backward!"

Yu Lili waited until he finished cursing before speaking unhurriedly: "You know what kind of person Station Master Sun is."

"A fence-sitter who leans whichever way the wind blows. It's not worth getting angry at him."

"If he loves going to Xu Weidong's side to snitch, let him go."

"Xu Weidong isn't stupid. Can he not see what kind of person Station Master Sun is?"

Township Head Jiang Tiansheng stood by the window, his back to her, not saying anything. Yu Lili stood up, walked to his side, and lowered her voice a little.

"The most important thing for you right now is not to get angry with Station Master Sun, but to replace the person in that Forestry Station position."

"Since he's not on your side, why keep him? Replace him with someone obedient, straighten out the work, and don't let Xu Weidong find any more faults."

"As for Station Master Sun, let him go prance around Xu Weidong's side; the higher he jumps, the harder he'll fall."

Township Head Jiang Tiansheng turned around, the anger on his face not yet completely dissipated, but better than before.

He walked back to the sofa and sat down, lit another cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled slowly.

"That bastard Station Master Sun—it was me who promoted him from Deputy Station Master of the Forestry Station back then."

"He's worked at the Forestry Station for so many years; every time there was a problem, wasn't it me covering for him from above?"

"And now, he turns his back on me."

"A fence-sitter like this is just a scourge if kept around."

"The Forestry Station must have a new person; I'll go talk to Xu Weidong about it tomorrow."

Yu Lili nodded and didn't say anything else.

Township Head Jiang Tiansheng sat on the sofa, smoking one cigarette after another, the smoke permeating the living room, blurring his face.

In the end, it was all because he wasn't the top leader...