Chapter 1372: Chapter 183: See How Far He Goes

Two o’clock in the afternoon, Sanhe Heroes’ Cemetery.

The saplings that Old Ding applied for funds from the development zone to buy last year had been delivered. As soon as they were unloaded, he went to the storeroom to fetch shovels and started planting with the cemetery’s only staff member, Wang Tiejun.

You can’t plant trees without water.

When Liu Degui learned they were planting trees, he immediately called over the only staff member of the Water Resources Bureau Flood Control Materials Reserve Center, Yan Huadong, to open the storeroom, carry out the water pump, push it to the river with a handcart, hook up the hose, drag it into the cemetery, and stand by to start the Diesel Engine on the pump to help water the trees at any time.

"Director Liu, thanks for your trouble."

"I’d be idle anyway, what trouble?"

Liu Degui took the cigarette from Old Ding, whose back was aching from digging pits, and asked, "It’s still early for Arbor Day, what are you in such a hurry to plant for?"

"Who says you have to wait until Arbor Day to plant trees?" Old Ding smiled, lit the cigarette, and took a long, satisfied drag.

Glancing at the pile of saplings stacked beside them, Liu Degui laughed and said, "Chief Ding, you’re asking for hardship! It’s just planting trees. You could totally wait until Qingming Festival and have the units coming to sweep the graves bring saplings to plant. Then you wouldn’t have to go around begging for funds, and you wouldn’t have to do the work yourself."

"If I tell them to bring saplings, they’ll bring them? If I tell them to plant trees, they’ll plant?"

Old Ding asked two questions in a row, then sighed lightly: "Now is not like before. They only sweep the graves once a year, only get this one dose of patriotic education, and lots of units treat it like going through the motions. They wave a flag, lay a wreath, listen to the funeral music and observe a few minutes of silence, take a photo, snap a group shot, and that’s it."

The environment really can change a person.

Stay in the Martyr’s Cemetery long enough, and you’ll naturally feel reverence for the revolutionary martyrs resting here.

Take Old Ding for example. He worked in the police for so many years, was a cadre for so many years, and before retirement basically never did any manual work. But now he can’t sit still—if he’s not tending flowers and trees, he’s cleaning the exhibition hall, or patching things up like a bricklayer or carpenter.

In his view, as long as it helps people remember the revolutionary martyrs resting here, whatever you do is worth it.

While Liu Degui was secretly sighing over this, Old Ding asked curiously, "Director Liu, are any leaders coming over to give guidance today?"

"No, no leaders coming."

"Then why is it so lively on your side today? I saw several cars pull in."

The Linghai Reserve Camp’s compound was built big and imposing, but unless there was something special, the Reserve Soldiers in the camp came for training at most twelve days a year.

The Superior felt they couldn’t just let such a large camp sit idle, so they also arranged the annual Civilian Soldiers training from the development zone and several nearby townships to be held there, and even hung a Linghai City Armed Forces Department Civilian Soldiers Training Base plaque at the main gate.

Even so, the compound still sat idle for more than half the year.

A few days ago, Secretary Qian came to inspect work along the river, and when he passed the camp he came in for a look and got a new idea.

After hesitating a bit, Liu Degui explained, "It’s people from the Disciplinary Committee. They’re still there now. They said they want to borrow our place for a month or two."

Old Ding froze for a moment, then asked in surprise, "The Disciplinary Committee is handling a case on your side?"

"Seems like it. This morning they brought two people over. As soon as they arrived, they were locked in a fourth-floor dorm. They’re not allowed out the main gate or through the inner gate. Several discipline inspectors are watching them, and even lunch was sent up."

"Double Rules?"

"Don’t know."

Very curious, Old Ding pressed on, "Do you know those two people who are locked in the fourth-floor dorm?"

Thinking it over, Liu Degui said slowly, "They look a bit familiar, but I just can’t recall where I’ve seen them. The Disciplinary Committee is handling a case here, and we’re supposed to help keep it confidential, so I didn’t dare ask around."

"Your unit is at least battalion-level. The Disciplinary Committee wants to borrow your camp and you just agreed?"

"Secretary Qian personally called Minister Yang. Minister Yang gave the word—would I dare not lend it?"

"Does Yang Jianbo know?"

"He’s gone off for training. Minister Yang didn’t tell him, so how would he know any of this?"

Anyone who has worked with Salted Fish manages to move up; this has already become common knowledge.

Take Yang Jianbo. If he hadn’t teamed up with Salted Fish, if he hadn’t gone with Salted Fish to Beihu for the flood-fighting and rescue, chances are eight or nine out of ten that his Professional Soldier career would’ve stopped at Standard Camp, and right now he’d very likely be thinking about transferring out of the military.

Because of Salted Fish, his life trajectory changed.

After the New Year he went to the Provincial Military District to study, and once the training is over and he comes back, he’ll be promoted to deputy regiment—Deputy Minister of Linghai Armed Forces Department and concurrently Camp Commander of the Linghai Reserve Camp.

The Linghai Reserve Camp’s situation is rather special. Salted Fish, because he had to form the Binjiang Naval Reserve Rescue Ship Brigade, only served as Camp Commander for one year.

Hao Qiusheng took over from Salted Fish and hadn’t been in the job long before he was sacked over work-style issues.

In the military, you can’t change the chief officer too often. It’s easy to imagine that Camp Commander position staying with Yang Jianbo for at least three to five years.

Iron barracks, flowing soldiers.

The Armed Forces Department is also a kind of "barracks." In another three to five years, even if Minister Yang wants to keep the post, the higher-ups won’t agree. And as the chief military officer of the Linghai Reserve Camp—the model unit among the Reserve Forces—Yang Jianbo stands a good chance of being promoted to Regular Army and succeeding Minister Yang as Linghai Armed Forces Minister, maybe even becoming a Linghai Municipal Standing Committee member!

First it was Li Jun from the border inspection station, and now it’s Yang Jianbo’s turn.

Old Ding sighed, "Jianbo was destined to meet a benefactor. If it weren’t for Salted Fish, he wouldn’t be where he is today."

Liu Degui thought so too, and couldn’t help asking with a laugh, "Did Salted Fish ever go to East Sea to buy that second apartment or not?"

"He did, but he and Xiang Ning didn’t go. Master Han and Director Xiang went."

Flicking the ash from his cigarette, Old Ding added with a smile, "Master Han and Director Xiang probably figured Salted Fish has had his fill of living under a mountain of debt, so this time they didn’t let him borrow from Xiao Yu’s family, but the property certificate doesn’t have his or Ningning’s names on it either."