The appearance of a cavalry troop of more than a hundred people in the countryside was an extremely shocking event. The village cadres had been waiting at the gate of Xie Mingxian's house for a long time. As village cadres, they were obliged to participate in matters like weddings and funerals in the village. However, this was the affair of the dignified Hunan Provincial Party Secretary Xie Mingxian's family. The village head knew that he was nothing in front of Xie Mingxian. If things were handled well, it wouldn't count as any credit. If things were handled poorly, it would be a big problem.

Seeing a group of clan leaders in the village enter Xie Mingxian's house carelessly, village head Xie Fusheng felt it necessary to go in for a moment. In any case, hiding aside and not showing his face at this time was completely inappropriate.

As soon as Xie Fusheng entered the gate of Xie Mingxian's house, he saw a comrade looking like a clerk speaking to the crowd gathered at Xie Mingxian's house in Mandarin with a heavy Hunan accent: "Fellow villagers, Secretary Xie has come back for the funeral. Please be considerate and go back first."

The leading elderly men stood still, and several middle-aged men behind them stepped forward and shouted: "Even if Secretary Xie doesn't want to say anything to us, we haven't seen Secretary Xie for so long, and we still want to say a few more words to Secretary Xie."

Xie Fusheng didn't even need to see the people; just by hearing the voices, he could distinguish that those were members of the eldest branch of the local Xie clan. Xie Mingxian's father, Xie Fuzheng, was not from the eldest branch, but he was a figure with considerable strength in the entire Xie family, and he was usually not very harmonious with the eldest branch. Back then, when Xie Mingxian was bullied, quite a few reasons were really not because he was annoying. Although as a person with a reputation for studying in this area, Xie Mingxian did arouse jealousy from many people. From birth to growth, and finally leaving home to venture outside, throughout the process of being in his hometown, Xie Mingxian was always a harmless guy to humans and animals. Let alone doing things like chasing chickens and beating dogs, Xie Mingxian even rarely went out. Therefore, the identity of Xie Mingxian's mother as a concubine was brought out by the eldest branch family as a reason to attack Xie Mingxian.

Judging from the current posture, now that Xie Mingxian came back for the funeral, the eldest branch had changed its previous confrontation against Xie Fuzheng's family and made it clear that they wanted to build a relationship with Xie Mingxian.

Just as village head Xie Fusheng thought, that clerk comrade only listened to Xie Mingxian's command. No matter how those "fellow villagers" wanted to talk directly to Xie Mingxian, the clerk politely stopped everyone from squeezing into the house first. The comrades from the troops soon joined the ranks of the clerk comrade. They first used a human wall to block these fellow villagers outside, and then while saying "Fellow villagers, please understand Secretary Xie's mood," "Fellow villagers, go back first," they slowly moved forward, squeezing the people in the courtyard outward.

However, although they were driving people out, the comrades from the troops could not use roughness. And the fellow villagers had absolutely no intention of retreating either. People on both sides just refused to retreat, squeezing against each other. After confronting for a moment, several clan elders finally sighed and said loudly: "Mingxian, you have been out for so many years, and your airs have become big. We won't disturb you."

After speaking, they took the lead and left. Others followed them and left the Xie family's courtyard. The village head didn't expect these people to leave so decisively. He didn't have time to dodge for a moment and was bumped by the outgoing crowd, staggering a few times. These people who came out didn't pay attention to the village head either, just left and dispersed like this.

Wait until there was no one else in the courtyard, the village head pulled up the heel of his shoe that was stepped off in the crowd, and then entered the courtyard. The clerk comrade immediately greeted him, "This fellow villager, please go back first."

Xie Fusheng hurriedly said: "I am the village head of our village, checking if there is anything I need to help with." After speaking, Xie Fusheng pointed to the few comrades who followed up behind him, "These are several cadres of our village. Everyone came to help two days ago. This time we also came to have a look together."

Xie Mingxian's secretary, Liu Chunsheng, was slightly stunned. Xie Fusheng looked listless and didn't look like the shrewd and capable appearance of most village heads no matter how he looked. However, since Xie Fusheng introduced himself, presumably he was not an impostor. Liu Chunsheng hurriedly stepped forward to shake hands with these village cadre comrades one by one, "Thank you, comrades, for your concern. However, regarding our recent system, everyone must have studied it. Secretary Xie dare not disturb the normal work of comrades this time when he comes back, not to mention that everyone is busy during this spring plowing time. Holding a funeral has already disturbed all comrades, so we shouldn't affect everyone's normal work more. Thank you, thank you."

Not until Liu Chunsheng sent the village cadres out did Xie Fusheng and others realize that Xie Mingxian was really seeing guests off. Village cadres naturally dared not disturb the family affairs of the Provincial Party Secretary. Doing less means fewer mistakes; Xie Fusheng felt much more relaxed in his heart when he left.

Xie Mingxian really wasn't in the mood to say anything to the people outside. Seeing Liu Chunsheng send everyone away, he said to Liu Chunsheng who walked back: "Chunsheng, arrange for the comrades of the troops to rest and eat. Close the gate; I don't want to see outsiders."

Liu Chunsheng went to arrange these things. Xie Mingxian's brother had already brought a towel and a basin of water to Xie Mingxian. Xie Mingxian just wiped his face, looked up and saw his mother's coffin; he immediately burst into tears again. After crying for a good while, Xie Mingxian felt slightly better in his heart. After washing his face again, Xie Mingxian recovered basic calmness.

Sitting back in the chair, Xie Mingxian asked his father, "How did my mother pass away?"

Xie Mingxian's father did not answer, but just raised his head to look at the coffin parked in the room, a look of loss appearing on his aged face. Xie Mingxian waited for a while, seeing his father still not speaking, he was about to continue asking when he heard the door in the room open. Turning his head, Xie Mingxian saw the person he least wanted to see.

"Mother." Xie Minggu went up to support an elderly woman with bound feet walking out from the inner room door.

Xie Fuzheng's principal wife walked a few steps and sat down in the position of the mistress in the room. She tried to use a tone that could still be considered gentle and said: "Mingxian, you are back."

Xie Mingxian subconsciously wanted to stand up, but glancing at his mother's coffin, he sat firmly in the chair and said in as calm a tone as possible: "Hello, Auntie, long time no see."

The atmosphere in the room immediately became stiff. Xie Fuzheng's principal wife's face was as cold as frost. According to the rules, Xie Mingxian had to call her mother and even kowtow. But Xie Mingxian clearly expressed his attitude with practical actions and words. Seeing that Xie Mingxian not only had no intention of moving but also leaned comfortably in the chair with his legs crossed, Xie Fuzheng's principal wife snorted angrily and simply got up and went back to the inner room.

After his father's principal wife returned to the room, Xie Mingxian put down his crossed legs, turned his head and continued to ask his father. "How did my mother pass away?"

As if completely ignoring the fierce family conflict just now, Xie Fuzheng still had a look of loss on his face, "First it was wind-cold, then fever. Our local doctors couldn't cure it, so she was sent to the military hospital in the county. The hospital said it was some infection, and the high fever wouldn't go down. Later she didn't hold on."

"Why not send her to the hospital in Yueyang?" Xie Mingxian couldn't help questioning. But as soon as he finished speaking, he also felt that his words were really a bit excessive. Being able to send her to the military hospital in the county was already a very strenuous thing for the countryside. Xie Fuzheng was no longer the middle-aged man when Xie Mingxian left home thirteen years ago; the current Xie Fuzheng was already an old man. It was really unreasonable to blame such an old man so severely.

Xie Fuzheng seemed not to hear his son's excessiveness, still looking at the coffin in the room with a look of loss and remaining silent.

"Brother, it's wrong for you to say that." Xie Minggu sent his mother back to the inner room, and just as he came out, he heard Xie Mingxian questioning Xie Fuzheng. He couldn't help retorting, "At that time, Dad and I sent Second Mother to the county hospital. Dad did say whether to send Second Mother to the hospital in Yueyang, but we are in Hubei, not Hunan, and whether they would accept her over there was still a question. It was I who took the initiative to send Second Mother to the county hospital. If you want to blame someone, blame me!"

Hearing this, Xie Mingxian almost flew into a rage, but after all, he was someone who could become a Provincial Party Secretary, and he usually did a lot of criticism and self-criticism. At this time, Xie Mingxian already understood that the psychology for intermediate cadres of the People's Party mentioned the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. At this time, Xie Mingxian was obviously in the anger stage, and Xie Mingxian also realized that his anger at this time was not so much anger caused by being unable to accept his mother's death, as it was an outburst of Xie Mingxian's long-deposited resentment towards this family for many years. If as an ordinary person, Xie Mingxian might be able to do this. But as a Provincial Party Secretary, Xie Mingxian could not do this no matter what.

Even though he understood this principle in his heart, Xie Mingxian still felt his heart beating violently due to uncontrollable anger, and his eardrums could even hear the thumping sound of blood vessel congestion.

Just then, Xie Fuzheng finally took the initiative to say a sentence, "The person is gone, so don't say these useless words. Mingxian, when do you plan to leave?"

Xie Mingxian was dumbfounded by these words. He had thought along the way that his old father would definitely say something, but he didn't expect his father not to mention Xie Mingxian contributing to the family at all, but actually put on a posture of driving people away. Since his own father was preparing to drive people away, Xie Mingxian had no reason to shamelessly insist on staying at home, not to mention that he originally had no plan to stay at home for a long time. Xie Mingxian had long lost any attachment to his hometown; he only hoped never to see this place again in his life.

"I will leave after mother is buried," Xie Mingxian replied.

"Then where do you plan to live these few days?" Xie Fuzheng continued to ask.

"Stay with the comrades of the troops first." Xie Mingxian didn't have the guts to engage in any special privileges, even though he had seniority in the party and his own advantages. However, Xie Mingxian knew deeply that he didn't have the talent of other comrades who were good at going through fire and water. The reason Xie Mingxian participated in the revolution was very simple. When he arrived in Shanghai as a stranger, Chen Ke gave him a book editing job that could utilize what Xie Mingxian had learned. Later, he continued to follow Chen Ke because the People's Party had money to maintain organizational operations, and everyone had wages. Initially, he engaged in "underground work" with Qi Huishen in Shanghai, and later worked in the Anhui base area. Before going to the battlefield, there was military training, arrangements, and plans. Doing civil affairs work also involved analysis and investigation. Generally speaking, what he did was no more dangerous than the comrades, nor harder than the comrades. What the comrades encountered and overcame, Xie Mingxian also experienced.

Regarding pioneering, innovation, and adapting to circumstances, Xie Mingxian believed that these were not his strengths. If Xie Mingxian thought he had any unique points, it might be that he could "endure." Understanding what exactly Chen Ke's instructions meant, Xie Mingxian distributed these instructions to the cadres of various departments, and then through meticulous work, he could basically ensure that the policy implementation did not deviate too much. And Xie Mingxian found that this "ability" of his was just a life-saving skill learned from being bullied at home.

Xie Mingxian actually envied those comrades who were free and easy, envied those comrades who were on the front line of fierce struggle, and especially envied the style displayed by Chen Ke that everything was under control. In Xie Mingxian's view, when the People's Party was tit-for-tat, facing the enemy's dagger, they could always pull out a big machete from behind.

And Xie Mingxian didn't even have to face the enemy; just facing his father, an ordinary commoner, he was already falling into a disadvantage step by step.

Xie Fuzheng didn't care what his son thought at all. Since his son Xie Mingxian had clearly expressed his future action plan, Xie Fuzheng got up and said: "Then come with me to see the graveyard. That place is right next to the plot I set for myself."

Xie Mingxian followed behind his father walking in the fields of his hometown, and his brother Xie Minggu followed behind Xie Mingxian. Honestly speaking, Xie Mingxian was very discouraged. He came this time intending to wait for his mother's illness to improve, then take her to the hospital in Yueyang, and then transfer her to the hospital in Changsha if there was a chance. This could also be considered a roundabout way to save her.

However, his mother's death had already dealt a blow to Xie Mingxian amidst shock, and now he was following obediently behind his father just like when he was a child. This was completely different from the situation of dominating the scene that Xie Mingxian had imagined. However, Xie Mingxian's father still looked unhurried, which made Xie Mingxian feel even more discouraged.

In terms of official position, Xie Mingxian was now the Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Committee and had more than a hundred troops in his hands. Although it was impossible to wash his hometown with blood, he could turn a village like his hometown upside down according to his own will. But organizational discipline firmly bound Xie Mingxian's hands and feet. Moreover, Xie Mingxian never dared to challenge the seriousness of organizational discipline.

The three stopped in front of a graveyard, which was the ancestral grave of the Xie family. Although saying so, the entire Xie clan was actually buried in this area. Seeing the grave mounds occupying a large piece of land, Xie Mingxian couldn't help asking: "Hasn't the establishment of spirit pagodas been proposed here yet?"

The People's Party began to promote cemeteries and spirit pagodas in many areas. Especially promoting spirit pagodas that occupy very little land, implementing the policy of centralized burial of ashes.

Hearing Xie Mingxian's words, Xie Fuzheng just turned his head slightly to look at his son but didn't say a word. This made a thought pop up in Xie Mingxian's heart full of struggle: Could it be that his father insisted on earth burial?

Before Xie Mingxian could speak, Xie Minggu already said loudly: "Brother! What's wrong with you? After returning home, you only know how to fight with our own family. Yes, I know you think many people in our family treated you and Second Mother badly, so Dad never said a word about you never coming home. But regarding the burial, I have to explain to you clearly..."

"Minggu, shut up." Xie Fuzheng said slowly.

After listening to his father's words, Xie Minggu finally stopped angrily. Xie Mingxian turned his head to look at his brother whose face was flushed with anger, and his heart was somewhat shaken. He also knew that he was really excessive just now. In fact, even if he didn't call his father's principal wife "mother," at least standing up and calling "First Mother" was the due courtesy. This brother of his was very sensible. Even if Xie Mingxian embarrassed him to his face, Xie Minggu didn't make a sound. So making Xie Minggu angry like this must not be an ordinary matter.

"Minggu, what exactly is going on?" Xie Mingxian asked seriously.

Xie Minggu turned his head away not to look at Xie Mingxian. After a good while, he turned back and said with considerable malice: "Don't you say you follow the mass line and closely contact the masses? You shouldn't ask me; you should go ask those masses."