At this moment, Huang Xinliang came upstairs and saw Zhu Baozi and his wife crying together. He didn't know what had happened and stood at the door, not knowing whether to come in or go down.

  "What's going on downstairs?" Shen Huan asked.

  Shen Huai went upstairs to change out of his wet clothes, while Huang Xinliang and Chu Qiang stayed downstairs to deal with the creditors, so they wouldn't demolish Zhu Lijia's house.

  "The creditors in Meixi Town have all left, but the creditors from other towns are clamoring for Zhu Lidi to go." Huang Xinliang said, he didn't know what Shen Huai was thinking at this time, and just spoke the truth.

  The people of Meixi Town had to give Shen Huai and Li Feng some face, but today's incident made them feel embarrassed to continue staying at Zhu Li's house, so they left one after another. However, the town party committee secretary was just a minor official, and the creditors outside Meixi Town only cared about their own money, not the face of a small town party committee secretary.

  Paying off debts is also a heavenly principle, Shen Huai knew that too. Without money to pay them off, these creditors would still come back tomorrow even if they were persuaded to leave today.

  Shen Huai thought for a moment and said to Chu Yiliang, "This difficult situation still requires your help to get Manager Zhu through. Now that it's the end of the year and we've encountered this disaster, the town can't scrape together any money, but I guarantee that next year the town will pay back all the engineering fees owed to Old Zhu. So, if you lend Manager Zhu another sum of money this time, I'll personally act as guarantor; if Manager Zhu fails to repay this loan in the future, consider it a debt I owe you..."

  Chu Yiliang was deeply moved by what he heard:

  The Cultural Station building thing, in the end, is Du Jian's unwiped ass, and it's Du Jian who owes Zhu Baozi an apology. Shen Hua has been serving as Party Secretary for only seven or eight days, and he has already fulfilled his greatest responsibility by actively helping Zhu Baozi solve the debt problem.

  Now Shen Hua not only patted his chest to guarantee that he would pay back the debt to Zhu Li next year, but also personally guaranteed it and helped Zhu Baozi turn over a sum of money to tide over this difficult period at the end of the year. Not to mention Zhu Li, Chu Yiliang was also very moved.

  "Secretary Shen, what are you talking about? I don't believe others, how can I not believe you?" Chu Yiliang patted Zhu Li's shoulder and said, "I'll have Chu Qiang go back and bring over 200,000 yuan, will that be enough to use?"

  "Thank you, Brother Chu, thank you, Secretary Shen..." Zhu Li's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at Shen Hua's still damp hair, feeling ashamed and guilty. He tightly grasped Shen Hua's right hand with both of his own and said, "Otherwise, Secretary Shen, why don't you slap me twice? That way I'll feel better."

  "Director Zhu, what are you talking about? In the end, it's still the town that owes you. I just hope we can all work together to get through this difficult time. Director Zhu, you can still make efforts for the development of Meixi Town, and don't say anything rash in the future." Shen Huai said.

  "I won't say it again, I absolutely won't say it again. If Secretary Shen has anything to do, just give an order, and if I, Zhu Pangzi, hesitate for a moment, then I'm not human." Zhu Li vowed.

  "Let Chu take 200,000 yuan for you to turn around first, is it enough?" Shen Huai asked.

  "That's enough, Brother Chu. I will never forget your kindness to me, not even if I were a beast." Zhu Liying said, and grasped Chu Yiliang's hand in gratitude.

  Zhu Li knew that Chu Yiliang was a businessman, and even if their relationship was good, not urging him to return the 300,000 borrowed earlier would already be a clear conscience. Now, without saying another word, lending him an additional 200,000 for emergency use was purely out of respect for Shen Huai's face.

  Chu Yiliang's factory needs to expand production, and the funds are tight, so it is impossible to lend him much money, and he cannot repay the debts of others. However, Chu Yiliang can still lend him money at this time, which in itself can enhance Zhu Li's credit, indicating that Zhu Li has not gone bankrupt yet. Being able to return 200,000 yuan to these creditors can also make them feel that their trip is not in vain.

  "What's the matter?" Chu Yiliang carelessly patted Zhu Li's shoulder and went downstairs to shout at his son, Chu Qiang, to drive back with the driver to fetch some money.

  By the end of the year, Zhu Yiliang's family would also prepare some cash, and the money was quickly taken away.

  Shen Hua's current image is not very good, so let Li Feng and Chu Yiliang accompany Zhu Li downstairs to deal with those creditors.

  Li Feng reiterated that the town still owed Zhu Li 1.8 million yuan, and Shen Huai, the newly appointed party secretary of Meixi Town, also promised to try his best to return the money to Zhu Li next year. Chu Yiliang borrowed another 200,000 yuan from Zhu Li and gave some money back to everyone, which comforted the creditors' hearts. After receiving the interest, they all left one after another. When leaving, they all apologized to Zhu Li: "This time you've met a good secretary..."

  It wasn't until almost eleven o'clock that everyone finally dispersed.

  Finally, Shen Huan let out a loud sneeze and grasped Zhu Li's hand, saying: "Regarding the construction of temporary shelters in town, I still hope you can go with Secretary Li to take a look tomorrow. The town and you are both going through some tough times right now. However, as long as we don't give up, I believe these difficulties will pass quickly..."

  "......" Zhu Li was so moved that he didn't know what to say, and simply grasped Shen Huai's hand with his own thick hands.

  From start to finish, Zhu Yi didn't leave her room or show her face. When Shen Huai got on the car, he looked up and saw that the west wing of the second floor was dark with no lights on. Although he couldn't see Zhu Yi's slender figure, Shen Huai knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, wondering if she wasn't hiding in the darkness watching him, wondering if she still hated him...

  Chu Qiang also stared at the town for two days and one night, Shen Huai let him follow his father back, and knew that Chu Yiliang might still have something to say to Zhu Li, so he drove himself, carrying Huang Xinliang and Li Feng back to the town, and also went to the town to see the resettlement of the affected people.

  As Shen Hua's Passat disappeared into the darkness, Chu Yiliang patted Zhu Li's shoulder and said: "I haven't had much contact with Secretary Shen, but I believe Secretary Shen is a man of his word, and he is also a very capable and pragmatic person. Since Secretary Shen promised to pay back all the debts owed to you in the town next year, don't worry about it anymore..."

  Zhu Lid nodded, knowing that some officials were good at talking nonsense and clichés. Shen Hua was so young, not worthy of trust, but he still believed in Chu Yiliang's vision.

  Chu Yiliang not only didn't urge him to repay the 300,000 he had borrowed before, but also lent him another 200,000 to help him get through the difficult situation, which was the best footnote for Shen Huai.

  There is no reason for Zhu Li not to trust someone who can make Yu Yi Liang surrender.

  See off Chu Yiliang and his son, Zhu Lichai returned to the house. Seeing that his elementary school son dared to come down from the third floor at this time, Zhu Li felt a lot of emotion, and many heartaches floated through his mind. He asked his wife: "Where is Zhu Yi?"

  "She hasn't come downstairs for half a day, she also knows she's wrong; don't scold her anymore..."

  Zhu Li went upstairs, opened the door to his daughter's room, and saw that it was pitch black without any lights on. He said, "You think you can avoid being scolded by turning off the lights?" As he felt for the light switch and turned it on, he saw his daughter squatting in the corner of the room with tears all over her face. He didn't even bother to scold her, but instead said painfully, "I won't scold you, I won't scold you. Why are you crying? No one is here to hit you."

  *****************

  Rushing back to the town, Shen Hua only changed Zhu Li's fat and ugly clothes, and then rushed to the town government to listen to He Qing She and Guo Quan report on disaster relief, resettlement and transfer of affected people, as well as the shutdown of the weaving and dyeing factory.

  Finally, he also went to the town's small settlement and the town hospital to arrange for the affected masses, until 2 o'clock in the morning, Shen Hua dragged his exhausted body to open a hotel room to take a bath and sleep.

  Chen Dan and Xiao Li slept in the adjacent room, Shen Hui didn't wake them up either, lying on the bed, thinking about Zhu Yi's affairs all over his mind, as if there was an invisible hand that made this world so small.

  Shen Huai tossed and turned on the bed until the sky was bright, but he only had a hint of sleepiness. He fell asleep dazedly for a while, but was woken up by his phone ringing.

  The city has a disaster prevention team coming to Mei Creek Town this afternoon, and all party and government officials are required to be present. Shen Huai struggled to get out of bed, his head feeling as heavy as lead, his body sore and painful, as if he had been beaten up the night before, his throat felt like something was stuck in it, and every time he swallowed, it hurt, speaking was also very difficult, standing on the floor, it felt like stepping on a cotton ball.

  Shen Huai knew that last night's drenching of Zhu Yi had brought on an illness.

  Chen Dan's relationship with her parents has always been tense due to the many things that happened before and after her divorce from Sun Yong. Shen Huai didn't want her to worry about not being able to return home for Chinese New Year, so he washed his face, lifted his spirits, and left the hotel without calling Chen Dan to ask where she was, but ran into Sun Ya Lin on the way out.

  "Why is your face so red, did you get caught stealing?" Sun Ya Lin saw Shen Hui's face turn exceptionally red and stared into his eyes for a long time, wanting to see the guilty look on Shen Hui's face.

  Shen Hua knew that Sun Ya Lin couldn't spit out ivory from her mouth, and if he told her that he had been drenched with a basin of foot-washing water the night before and caught a cold, she would laugh so hard that she'd roll on the ground.

  "Some people have caught a cold." Shen Hua replied in a hoarse voice and walked away, brushing off Sun Yalin.

  A cold isn't a big deal, so Sun Yalin didn't think much of it and left. The day after tomorrow is the Spring Festival, and the Zhuxi Hotel closed today and will not reopen until the fourth day of the new year, when employees return to work; business will resume on the fifth day of the new year. Sun Yalin also had to temporarily move into the city.

  In the morning, Shen Huai had Chu Qiang find him two cold tablets, which he took and then drank a lot of warm water. His spirits recovered somewhat, and his throat was no longer so sore.

  In the morning, Shen Hua accompanied the city's patrol team to visit the two villages that were most severely affected by the disaster, but was unable to meet Chen Dan from the town's civil affairs department who was collecting donations. In the afternoon, Li Feng brought over Zhu Li and two other construction contractors, and Shen Hua thought of Zhu Yi's situation and also wanted to personally go to the textile mill to see the shutdown and arrangements for the workers. He spent most of the afternoon at the textile mill discussing how to quickly clear out the facilities and convert the workshops into temporary transitional housing.

  As there are over 30 households affected who will have to stay for a considerable period of time, the temporary housing cannot be too simple.

  Chen Dan had to rush back to He Tong before dark, driven by Chen Tong with the New Year's goods, and didn't have time to see Shen Hui before leaving, but only heard Shen Hui's hoarse voice over the phone and was a bit worried.

  Shen Huai didn't say he was sick, only that these past few days of disaster relief had him shouting to the crowds too much, his throat wasn't used to it and became hoarse. He'd already taken some throat lozenges and told Chen Dan not to worry and go back.