Xie Mingxian would certainly not be foolish enough to really carry out mass work in his hometown, nor did he continue to question his father, who was as calm as usual, and his younger brother, who refused to explain no matter what. Xie Mingxian went directly to visit the village cadres.

Village head Liu Chunsheng came back very late. Because of the death of Xie Mingxian's mother and the appearance of Xie Mingxian himself, Liu Chunsheng, as the village head, had already wasted a lot of time during this tense spring plowing season. Fortunately, Xie Mingxian did not chat with Liu Chunsheng, which gave Liu Chunsheng time to continue working in the fields. When he returned home and found Secretary Xie actually waiting in the room himself, Liu Chunsheng was startled. He asked nervously: "Secretary Xie, is there something wrong with my arrangement? I have already sent someone to arrange a campsite for the comrades of the troops."

Xie Mingxian laughed: "Comrade Liu Chunsheng, your work is done very well. I didn't come here to question you about anything. I really came to ask you for advice."

Hearing Xie Mingxian say this, Liu Chunsheng finally steadied his emotions, "Secretary Xie, which aspect of work do you want me to report on?"

"Not report; I really came to ask you for advice." Xie Mingxian said very seriously, "I haven't been back for so long, and I don't know what the situation is in my family. I hope Comrade Liu Chunsheng can introduce the situation to me with an attitude of seeking truth from facts."

Liu Chunsheng couldn't figure out what Xie Mingxian's attitude was. If he came to punish someone, there was actually no need to make it so complicated. Calling Liu Chunsheng over and criticizing him fiercely was something Xie Mingxian could absolutely do. He didn't even need to say anything to Liu Chunsheng; if Xie Mingxian really wanted to adopt any policy towards his family, a document from above could solve the problem. So Liu Chunsheng had to believe a little that Xie Mingxian really wanted to understand the situation.

After roughly judging Xie Mingxian's purpose, Liu Chunsheng's face looked even worse. "Secretary Xie... I don't know this situation very well either."

Xie Mingxian might not understand the situation in his hometown, but he knew enough about village officials like Liu Chunsheng. If the village was governed very well, he would have probably started talking big long ago. There must be some problems that Liu Chunsheng dared not mention at all, which was why he prevaricated like this. However, Xie Mingxian couldn't do anything to the masses, but dealing with Liu Chunsheng was not difficult at all.

Keeping a straight face, Xie Mingxian said in a flat tone: "Comrade Liu Chunsheng, if you refuse to talk to me, I won't force you. I can make a report to the county, asking them to send someone to talk to you. If the comrades in the county also feel that some things are inconvenient to say, then I can make a report to the provincial committee, asking Comrade Lu Huitian to send someone to talk to you. If that still doesn't work, I can ask Secretary Lu Huitian to come and talk to you personally. However, do you think this is necessary?"

Hearing this, Liu Chunsheng turned pale with fright. He waved his hands hurriedly, "Secretary Xie, ask whatever you want. I will definitely say it, I will definitely say it."

"I don't know anything now, so I want to ask you to tell me personally about things related to our family." Xie Mingxian continued with a straight face, "Our family members are all here too. Presumably, it's not a big deal; presumably, it's just some neighborhood conflicts. Presumably, you also know that I am not welcomed at all in the village. How big can these things be? Just say it directly."

Hearing Xie Mingxian set a tone for reporting the situation first, the fear in Liu Chunsheng's heart decreased slightly. After swallowing a mouthful of saliva, he said: "Secretary Xie, I'm just telling you what I know. If I say anything wrong, please don't be angry."

Xie Mingxian pulled a bamboo stool for Liu Chunsheng and sat on one himself, "Say whatever there is."

Liu Chunsheng sat on the stool, thought for a while, and began to speak, "Secretary Xie, your mother is gone this time. Originally, your father planned to bury your mother. However, some old people in the village spoke up; they are all from the eldest branch of the Xie family. They said that a concubine cannot be buried in the ancestral grave; there is no such rule."

After finishing, Liu Chunsheng observed Xie Mingxian's expression himself, but seeing that Xie Mingxian's expression didn't change much, he stopped and dared not continue.

Seeing Liu Chunsheng not continuing, Xie Mingxian asked: "Then as the village head, how did you solve this matter?"

"Being this village head! There were some problems when I was elected." Liu Chunsheng said with great difficulty. After saying this, Liu Chunsheng thought for a moment, simply straightened his back, looked into Xie Mingxian's eyes, and started talking.

"Secretary Xie, you also know that your Xie family is a big household in the village. After you became a high official, the people of the Xie family thought about using your name to do things. At first, the county party secretary and the county magistrate dared not offend them too much, and the elected village head was also a member of the Xie family. As a result, our village had a fight over water with several neighboring villages, and the Xie family injured quite a few people from other villages. In the end, they even brought out your name, saying that even if they sued, with you here, the neighboring villages wouldn't win the lawsuit. This matter passed just like that at the time. But someone in the neighboring village became a soldier and later transferred to work in the Politics and Law Committee. This matter was poked to the top. Secretary Lu Huitian was extremely annoyed and personally sent someone to handle this matter. The county party secretary and the county magistrate were both given a major demerit and removed from office. How could the newly appointed county party secretary and county magistrate dare to relax on this matter? Those who beat people were arrested, and several were sentenced. All officials with the surname Xie in the village were removed."

Now Xie Mingxian understood where the basic problem lay. He even felt he somewhat understood why Lu Huitian actually sent a company to be his guard. "Then was anyone in my family involved in this matter?" Xie Mingxian asked.

Seeing that Xie Mingxian was really not angry, Liu Chunsheng felt greatly reassured. He said: "Secretary Xie, I am a few years older than you, and I also know some things in the village. Your father was very formidable back then and offended quite a few people in the village. After your family produced a high official like you, people who originally wanted to screw your father behind his back during the land reform didn't dare to act. As far as I know, originally they wanted to punish your family severely by using the fact that your family was a landlord. After that incident, the village wanted your father to help. The Xie family shouted that the county magistrate was nothing; they had someone above. But your father held on and didn't budge at all. Now that the Xie family saw your family couldn't help at all, they treated your family even worse and often looked for trouble with your family. After you took the old lady away, many people said you wanted to take the whole family to the provincial capital. But after waiting for almost a year with no movement, more people made irresponsible remarks. Our Liu family doesn't have as many people as the Xie family, and what we say doesn't count. Master Xie had no choice but to invite the old lady back."

Hearing this, Xie Mingxian's expression finally became ugly. He said in a dry voice: "Village Head Liu, tell me clearly whatever happened; don't hide anything from me. Do you hear me!"

Seeing that Xie Mingxian was truly angry, not knowing whether the weather was cold enough or Xie Mingxian's voice was ruthless enough, Liu Chunsheng couldn't help trembling slightly, "Secretary Xie, you also know that your mother is from the Liu family. However, your uncle's family was declining back then, and there was talk of selling your mother. Later, I don't know how your father got this news; he paid a large sum of money to marry your mother as a concubine. At that time, the people of the eldest branch of the Xie family happened to be fighting for land with our Liu family. From then on, they used this to look down on our Liu family people. But that land was finally obtained by your father, so those people of the eldest branch held a grudge against your family. Our Liu family people also didn't like your family because people always talked about this. So at that time, you suffered a lot of grievances..."

Xie Mingxian never expected that he originally wanted to ask what happened recently, but even old scores were dragged out. It turned out that the reason why his mother and he suffered so much discrimination was actually this. Stunned there for a long while, Xie Mingxian couldn't say a word. He left home to escape those who treated him badly. After escaping, Xie Mingxian joined the revolutionary big family. Country, country, the People's Party regards the country as home. With these comrades who went through fire and water and shed blood and sweat together, the achievements belonging to the People's Party were established. However, the contradictions in the countryside had not been completely resolved until now.

"Didn't you struggle a bit as village cadres?" Xie Mingxian asked coldly.

"The county is unwilling to intervene in the affairs of our village. Because of the water grabbing incident, we formed a feud with several neighboring villages. The county is unwilling to cause trouble by merging villages either. Several neighboring villages were originally frightened by your reputation. Now seeing that the Xie family is not as powerful as said, they are unwilling to merge with our village. Otherwise, look at why our village is still like this!" Liu Chunsheng said with considerable resentment.

Xie Mingxian took over the conversation, "So the village vented all the resentment on my family?"

This time Liu Chunsheng dared not take over the conversation. Feeling extremely embarrassed, Liu Chunsheng was restless. After a good while, he said: "Secretary Xie, I have also participated in many county meetings. I also know that the central government has repeatedly ordered not to allow any special treatment for the families of leading cadres. I know you are also really in a difficult position. You brought so many comrades from the troops this time. I think you should just let the comrades from the troops carry the coffin for the funeral. Once the person is buried, this matter will pass. With the comrades from the troops helping with the funeral, those people from the eldest branch of the Xie family won't dare to stop it no matter what."

Now Xie Mingxian finally understood the ins and outs of the matter, and also understood what a capable comrade Hubei Provincial Party Secretary Lu Huitian was. Just holding a simple funeral with a hundred or so comrades. It would save Xie Mingxian's face and effectively deter the eldest branch of the Xie family. The most important thing was to solve this problem in the shortest time. Even if someone made an issue of this matter, Lu Huitian could take full responsibility. After Xie Mingxian left, Xie Mingxian's hometown would maintain the status quo temporarily, and there would be plenty of opportunities to solve this matter in the future. From the perspective of administrative means, it was indeed an experience very worth learning.

However, the anger in Xie Mingxian's heart was fanned doubly, not against Lu Huitian, but against those guys who once made Xie Mingxian suffer so much. If he did according to the route arranged by Lu Huitian, at least Xie Mingxian would be submitting to these clan forces. Lu Huitian could handle it this way when governing Hubei, but Xie Mingxian was unwilling to continue admitting defeat like this.

After communicating with Liu Chunsheng on some issues for a while, Xie Mingxian got up to leave.

Coming out of Liu Chunsheng's house, Xie Mingxian didn't go back to his own home directly. He went to his uncle's house first. For the visit of such a high-ranking nephew, both of Xie Mingxian's uncles' entire families were alarmed. Hearing that Xie Mingxian just wanted a few young lads from his uncle's family to help, his two uncles' families agreed readily. Xie Mingxian spent a lot of effort to hold back, not letting himself ask his uncle where exactly their family was going to sell his mother back then. Even so, Xie Mingxian felt uncomfortable all over. After leaving some gift money for his uncle's family, he left in a hurry.

Staying in the troop camp for one night, Xie Mingxian was almost sleepless all night. Various things in the past could be connected according to a thread, making Xie Mingxian feel somewhat enlightened. However, this knot was accumulated over many years, and it was impossible to melt in just one day. All the crux concentrated on one person, that is Xie Mingxian's father.

Xie Mingxian was not a fool either. Even if he suffered anger from outsiders, Xie Mingxian didn't take it to heart too much. What he couldn't accept most was that his father was described by Liu Chunsheng as a very capable, shrewd, and strong person. To marry Xie Mingxian's mother, he also spent a huge amount of energy and money. Then why did such a person refuse to stand up and support Xie Mingxian a little when Xie Mingxian was bullied, or at least encourage Xie Mingxian a little? Even if he couldn't do these, saying a few words that could warm people's hearts, Xie Mingxian's father should always be able to do it, right?

But Xie Mingxian never had such a memory, not even once. Encouragement, support, and even celebrating for success—these were things Xie Mingxian had read in books and only experienced personally after joining the People's Party. When he was beside his father, Xie Mingxian felt only the plainest indifference. Thinking of these, Xie Mingxian couldn't help but derive a deep question: did he disappoint his father so much? Being praised by teachers since childhood, and later passing the imperial examination, this would be considered a very remarkable thing in any family. Could it be so worthless in the eyes of Xie Mingxian's father?

Thinking back and forth, Xie Mingxian felt his head was dizzy. He didn't know when he fell asleep in a daze.

The sound of reporting the password woke Xie Mingxian from his dream. Looking up, he saw the sky was slightly bright. The troops outside had already started morning exercises. Xie Mingxian looked at the bamboo ribs supporting the tent and couldn't remember where he was for a moment. He had also worked in the army; in fact, there were few middle and high-level cadres in the People's Party who hadn't served in the army. This familiar sound of drilling was once part of the comrades' lives.

Almost instinctively climbing up to put on clothes, Xie Mingxian remembered that he was already in his hometown, and the purpose of this trip had changed from visiting his mother to attending a funeral. Thinking of his mother, Xie Mingxian's tears flowed out again. Covering his mouth and sobbing silently for a while, Xie Mingxian got up and wiped his face.

Walking out of the tent and looking at the morning glow on the horizon, Xie Mingxian knew that today was a day he must struggle. It was a day when the struggle must be won. Cheering up, eating simple field rations with the comrades, Xie Mingxian strode towards the direction of home with his secretary.