下载掌阅APP，畅读海量书库
立即打开
In the second half of my 18th year, night school was almost over, and I was looking for a paid job.Even after being given land and a house, my family was still poor, although a little better off than before.For me personally, the burden seemed to be even greater than before.In the past, it was only working at home and doing handicrafts.After we got the land, I had to work at home and in the fields.To tell the truth, I had never been interested in farming, and always wanted to find another job.
At that time, I was deliberating between two jobs: one was teaching; the other was working for the supply and marketing cooperatives that had just been formed.Actually, I didn’t like either of them very much.I just wanted to have a decent job and a better future.At that time, I was jealous of the cadres from the township and district governments.There was Hengdian government; the grain management office, the tax office, and the supply and marketing cooperatives were later established.At that time, the district and township cadres were mostly from northern China.I was envious that they carried guns.
The district party secretary was from Shandong.He often visited Hengdian, and came to know my experiences of being unable to enlist in the volunteer army and teaching at night school.He thought I was very positive and smart, so he asked me to be his messenger.I liked that offer.My father agreed at first; however, just as I was about to leave for the district government, a supply and marketing cooperative was set up in Hengdian.The chairman of the Hengdian Farmers’ Union was Lou Deshui, a native of Hengdian.He was later elected to be the director of the Hengdian supply and marketing cooperative.Mr.Lou went to my father, and asked me to work in the supply and marketing cooperative.He said I was cultured and eloquent.My father thought that I had experience doing business and was good at using an abacus.Also, this job was close to home, and Lou came to my home a few times to persuade him.My father agreed to send me to work in the supply and marketing cooperative.When the district party secretary came to Hengdian again, I had been poached by the director of the supply and marketing cooperative.
So my first real job was to work in the supply and marketing cooperative in Hengdian.I was assigned to the south grocery department, where brown sugar, red dates, longan, and lychee were sold.Because I had learned how to use an abacus and do business from my father, I learned quickly.While other newcomers spent a few months learning and practicing, I become skilled in the position very quickly, and my accounting book was very clear.The leaders spoke highly of me.Yet I only worked there for four months.
At that time, cadres from the county commune often came down to investigate and rectify the culture in Hengdian.They came to check for corruption and financial problems and organized meetings for publicity.In fact, they were selecting cadres in the process as well.My work performance was outstanding, and I was active in the meetings they organized.They picked me to set up a branch of the supply and marketing cooperative in Jinzhai Village and asked me to be in charge.It was the first branch outside of Hengdian Township.
Jinzhai Village was about 10 li away from Hengdian, and the supply and marketing branch was located in a large house with 24 rooms in Jinzhai Village.This 24-room house was the largest rural residence in the Dongyang area.The house was once owned by a landowner who was in the ham business and it was confiscated shortly after it was built during the land reform.
After the land reform, this house, apart from being used as a warehouse for the collective, was a place for public activities.In normal times, meetings and activities in the village were held here.Obviously, it was a very convenient location to set up a shop.
But I was scared to be alone in such a large house at night.Some told me there were ghosts.Others said white mice would come out at night.The house had not been built long ago, and the paint was not dry enough.In the evenings, I always heard the pitter-patter of cracks.I was even more scared when storms came.I always put a quilt over my head to sleep at night.When the village cadres heard about this.They sent a young man about my age to stay with me for the night.I was happy to have company, and wasn’t afraid any more.
Jinzhai branch store mainly sold groceries from the south, and some non-staple foods and articles for daily use.At that time, the market took place on the 4th and 9th of every month in the lunar calendar.As Hengdian was the trading center in the Dongyang area, I had to walk back to Hengdian to help in the Hengdian supply and marketing cooperative.It was a 10 li on walk.
Something happened when I had worked in Jinzhai shop for a year.After a busy day back in Hengdian on market day, I dragged my exhausted body back to Jinzhai shop, and suddenly realized that a lot of things in the store had been stolen, including my personal clothes.I immediately called for the village cadres, and promptly made the report to the leadership.Yet the leaders of the commune didn’t do any investigation.Some leaders even wondered if it was a “inside job”.I was furious to hear about this.Although there wasn’t any official announcement, nor was I punished, it hurt my reputation.I could endure the hardship at work, but not this.I resigned and went back home to work as a farmer.
After I returned home, many people reported that I was a good person, especially the people in Jinzhai Village.They felt very sorry that I had left.Director Lou came to persuade me to go back to Jinzhai.He said things would get cleared up sooner or later.However, I learned that some other people had been sent to Jinzhai to take over my job.I insisted on staying in Hengdian.Director Lou asked me to take charge of the fertilizer department in Hengdian.
At that time, the fertilizer department was organizing the spread of lime powder in the fields.The lime powder was also known as coal ash, which could be used as a pesticide and insecticide as well as a fertilizer.We worked in the community during the day and went down to the villages at night to promote and sell the products.I went north to Weifeng, Mitang and Litang, and south to Raoxi, Wangzhai and Houshan （now Bayi and Qiyi Villages）, where there were many gullies between the roads and paths.Especially at night, when I had to pass the big streams and mountain ridges on the way to Weifeng and Lifu I became a little scared.I was a short man.Whenever I went to a village meeting, I would stand on a stool to make my speeches.But I’m a talker.I’m a motivational speaker.Everyone in the village said, “This young man is not bad!” I finished the tasks well, and the leaders always thought much of me.
After working in the Fertilizer Department for a while, the leaders thought I was very capable, so they sent me to Houlingshan supply and marketing branch, which was very big.In Houlingshan supply and marketing branch, I was the backbone of the office.I also realized that the leadership was training me.I always performed well and finished my work with flying colors.Later, the officials from the supply and marketing bureau of the state came to inspect and select cadres.The leadership held a seminar where the masses spoke highly of my capability and attitude.I was selected to be the assistant accountant.
After I worked as an assistant accountant for a while, I was transferred to be a statistician.Later, I was asked to be a commercial official.Commercial reform was the socialist transformation of capitalist industry and commerce.This was the beginning of the three great reformation movements, the socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts and capitalist industry and commerce.The socialist transformation of the capitalist industry and commerce adopted of the policy of utilising, restricting and transforming of capitalist industry and commerce, and the policy of “peaceful redemption” of capitalists and public-private partnership.When I became a commercial officer, I was specifically involved in publicizing the party’s policies, holding various symposiums, conducting investigations, and compiling relevant statistics, and so on.
As a result of my excellent work as a commercial officer, my capability and attitude caught the attention of higher leadership.After the commercial reform, I passed the inspection of the county supply and marketing bureau, and was announced to be promoted to be the manager of Hengdian supply and marketing branch.In the past, I was only a staff member of Hengdian supply and marketing branch.From then on, I was officially a government official.However, before I took office, I was transferred to the Dongyang Eliminate Counter-Revolutionaries Office.