177: Chapter 177 The Affairs of the Ye Family

Chen Jige picked up his teacup, took another sip, and set it down. His gaze lingered on Xu Weidong's face for a moment, as if he were deliberating something.

"Weidong, is there a comrade named Director Ye Mingzhu on your side?"

Chen Jige's voice was not loud, and his tone was as casual as if he were making small talk, but Xu Weidong could sense what was hidden beneath that casualness.

Xu Weidong nodded and said: "Yes. She was originally the Director of the County Education Bureau, and later went to the township to serve as the Party Committee Secretary."

Chen Jige leaned back against the sofa, tapped his fingers on the armrest twice, and said unhurriedly: "Stay away from that person from The Ye Family."

"That comrade is not on the same path as you. Also, Ruxue..."

He glanced at Mu Ruxue, his gaze softening slightly.

"Ruxue, you should also stay away from her. This person is not simple."

Mu Ruxue was stunned for a moment. She looked at Chen Jige, then at Xu Weidong, and nodded without asking further questions.

Xu Weidong's fingers tightened slightly; he looked at Chen Jige, waiting for him to continue.

Chen Jige did not beat around the bush, his tone still calm: "The matter where you were plotted against last time had the shadow of The Ye Family behind it."

Xu Weidong's pupils constricted slightly. He recalled the events of that night.

He had thought it was just the handiwork of certain people from Yancheng; he hadn't expected The Ye Family to be involved as well.

Director Ye Mingzhu had stayed in Changyuan County for so long, appearing unassuming on the surface, but secretly keeping an eye on his every move.

Chen Jige picked up his teacup and took another sip. His gaze fell on Mu Ruxue, his tone softening, but still serious: "Ruxue, these words shouldn't have been said in front of you, but since you and Weidong are engaged, you are family now."

"There are some things that are better known than unknown. The relationship between The Ye Family and The Xu Family has not been a matter of a day or two."

"Back then, The Ye Family set a trap to make Weidong's father resign; your father should have mentioned this to you."

"Although they backed off later, the grudge was formed, and it's not so easy to resolve."

"Director Ye Mingzhu going to Changyuan County was ostensibly for cadre exchange, but if you think about what kind of calculations The Ye Family is making, you'll understand."

Mu Ruxue's expression changed slightly, but she quickly returned to calmness.

She lowered her head and said in a very soft voice: "Uncle Chen, I understand."

Xu Weidong leaned back against the sofa, looked at the ceiling, and let out a long sigh.

He remembered when County Mayor Bai Weijun first arrived in Changyuan County, his first act was to remove Director Ye Mingzhu from her position as Director of the Education Bureau and exile her to Shangouzi Township to serve as secretary.

At the time, he was somewhat puzzled, thinking that County Mayor Bai Weijun had been too ruthless, and wondering why he had to use such a heavy hand.

Now he understood: County Mayor Bai Weijun wasn't bullying anyone; he was cleaning up the mess for him.

Leaving Director Ye Mingzhu in the position of Education Bureau Director was like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment.

By putting her in Shangouzi Township, far away from the county seat and the center of power, she had no opportunity to make any moves.

"Uncle Chen, thank you for telling me all this."

Xu Weidong sat up straight and looked at Chen Jige, his eyes filled with a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

"In the two years I've been in Changyuan County, I've had quite a lot of dealings with Director Ye Mingzhu. She is smart, capable, and does things with flawless precision."

"I never saw any malice from her toward me, and I never imagined she had this layer behind her. I was too slow."

Chen Jige waved his hand, his tone softening, but still carrying the advice and admonition of an elder to a junior: "It's not that you're slow; it's that the people of The Ye Family hide things deeply. That comrade, Director Ye Mingzhu, is young but has deep schemes."

"It is normal that you couldn't see through her acting in front of you."

"County Mayor Bai Weijun took her down as soon as he arrived in Changyuan County, not because he is smarter than you, but because his father, Secretary Bai, had given him the bottom line in advance."

"Secretary Bai has followed Tianhua for so many years; he knows the background of The Ye Family better than anyone."

"When he sent County Mayor Bai Weijun to Changyuan County, his first task wasn't to grasp the economy or engage in construction, but to remove Director Ye Mingzhu from key positions."

"County Mayor Bai Weijun handled this matter beautifully, and your father is very satisfied."

Xu Weidong was silent. He remembered when County Mayor Bai Weijun came to Hukuang Township for an inspection, how he had acted like brothers with him at the entrance of the Township Government, laughing so happily.

He had thought County Mayor Bai Weijun was just trying to build a closer relationship at the time, but now that he thought about it, there was another layer of meaning in that laughter.

County Mayor Bai Weijun knew he had been plotted against, knew he had almost fallen into Director Ye Mingzhu's hands, so he had come specifically to warn him and help him clean up the mess.

And he, the person involved, hadn't known anything, still foolishly busy in Hukuang Township building roads, industrial parks, and creating beautiful countryside, thinking he was doing a great job.

Sigh, sometimes having a father means you don't have to use your brain for many things, as someone automatically clears away all those schemes.

Mu Ruxue sat on the side, not saying a word the whole time.

She kept her head down, her expression unclear.

After a while, Mu Ruxue raised her head, looked at Chen Jige, and said in a very soft voice: "Uncle Chen, Director Ye Mingzhu going to Shangouzi Township—was that Uncle Xu's idea?"

Chen Jige glanced at her, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. The smile was very faint, carrying the implication that this girl was smart.

"Tianhua wouldn't care about such small details; his focus is placed much more on Yancheng."

"This matter was arranged by Secretary Bai."

"Shangouzi Township is the most remote and backward place in Changyuan County, with inconvenient transportation and harsh conditions; even local cadres are unwilling to go there."

"With Director Ye Mingzhu there, she won't be able to turn things around in the short term. This move by County Mayor Bai Weijun both relieved the pressure for Weidong and didn't blow things out of proportion; the sense of propriety was handled very well."

Mu Ruxue nodded and didn't ask any more.

Xu Weidong smiled at her slightly and reached out to hold her hand.

Chen Jige stood up, walked to the window, and stood with his back to them, looking at the potted plants in the courtyard.

"Weidong, you have done very well at the grassroots level. I don't need to say this myself; your father has boasted to me about it, and even Grandpa Ning has mentioned it to me."

"However, you must remember that grassroots work is not just about building roads, establishing industrial parks, or engaging in beautiful countryside construction."

"Grassroots work also includes fighting against those forces hidden in the shadows."

"The Ye Family is just one of them, not all of them."

"Your road ahead is still long; you will encounter people harder to deal with than The Ye Family, and opponents tougher than Director Ye Mingzhu."

"You must learn to protect yourself and learn to identify the knives hidden behind smiling faces."

Chen Jige turned around and looked at Xu Weidong, his gaze filled with the unique kindness and expectations of an elder for a junior.

"Only now do I feel that your father was right to put you at the grassroots level."

"You have learned a lot and grown a lot in Lvjiang City these past two years. But learning is endless, and there is no finish line on the road to growth. Continue to work hard; don't let your father down, and don't let Grandpa Ning down."

Xu Weidong stood up and walked in front of Chen Jige, standing straight like a tree that was growing tall.

Although his father hadn't supported him going there at first... but the result was good, wasn't it?

"Uncle Chen, don't worry. I won't let you down, and I won't let my father down. I will handle the matters of Changyuan County and Hukuang Township one by one."

Chen Jige looked at him and was silent for a few seconds before saying: "You don't need to be too polite with that kid from The Bai Family either; you are all brothers of the same family. Some things are hard to say openly, so you can very well resolve them privately."

"You are all young people of similar age; getting closer to each other will do no harm."

"Alright, Uncle Chen."