Shen Zilie had a very low alcohol tolerance, but the drinking culture in Nantang was extremely strong. If one wanted to carry out work effectively, not being able to hold one's liquor would basically mean a significant handicap in pushing forward with work. This was also a specific factor that greatly affected Shen Zilie in Nantang County.
On the first day of his work in Nantang, Shen Zilie was made drunk by the county's top leaders and couldn't get out of bed the next day. Later, he was even hospitalized for gastric lavage and intravenous fluids due to another bout of drinking for work-related reasons. Since then, Shen Zilie refused to drink any alcohol at the dinner table, but this only made everyone more eager to have a drink with Secretary Shen, causing him to dread any dinner gatherings.
Lu Weimin had not expected the county office director to ask such a unique and straightforward question.
"Director Xu, my handwriting is average, just barely passable. As for writing, it's a bit hard to say. You know, what we learned in school is quite different from what is needed for work now. However, I was a publicity officer in the university student union, so I believe I can quickly familiarize myself with the writing required for daily work. As for my alcohol tolerance, Director Xu, may I ask if this is not the standard for measuring whether a secretary is qualified?"
Lu Weimin's last question made Xu Xiaochun somewhat displeased. This guy seemed a bit too bold. But then he thought about it; the questions he asked were not exactly by the book, so it was no wonder the guy's answer was a bit off. Besides, this guy had the backing of Minister Gao, so he had some confidence.
"Hehe, Little Lu, that's a good question. Alcohol tolerance indeed is not the standard for measuring whether a secretary is qualified, but it does depend on specific people and specific environments," Xu Xiaochun laughed, but did not elaborate further. He changed the topic: "Minister Gao told me about your situation. You know, this year all Nantang university graduates are assigned to townships. Secretary Shen needs a secretary, and the county office originally planned to select a suitable candidate from among the young cadres. However, considering that you are a graduate of a key university, I reviewed your resume. You joined the Party in school, have a clean history, and graduated from a literature and history program, which fits our criteria for selecting candidates. So, we decided to keep you here."
"Thank you for your care, Director Xu." Lu Weimin stood up and bowed respectfully. "I will work hard and quickly get into the right state."
"Quickly get into the right state?" Xu Xiaochun was slightly taken aback, pondering for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. This phrase was quite meaningful, and the term "state" had a rich connotation. It seemed that this young man, though somewhat headstrong, still knew his limits and propriety.
Fresh graduates from university are either naive and full of scholarly spirit or overly cautious and timid. This guy was doing well so far.
"Secretary Shen is at a regional meeting and might not be back until late in the afternoon. He is a dispatched cadre and lives alone in the county reception house. Little Lu, where are you staying?" Xu Xiaochun seemed to remember something. "If you don't have a place to stay, Director Zhou can help you contact the office of administrative affairs. I remember there should be a few vacant rooms in the courtyard behind the flat houses, where all the newly assigned university graduates are staying."
Pushing open the somewhat old door, it creaked, and a cloud of dust rose as the door hit the wall. Lu Weimin thanked the guard for bringing his luggage and looked around this extremely remote place.
The single rooms in the back yard were all occupied. Apart from a few university graduates from previous years who were married but still living there due to lack of housing, and some government staff from rural areas who couldn't return home daily, there were no vacant rooms.
It was only after the office of administrative affairs director, Mr. Tian, was reminded by Xu Xiaochun that he suddenly remembered there was a storage room in a corner, originally used for storing miscellaneous items. Now, the red flags, colored flags, and ballot boxes used during holidays and meetings were stored in a dedicated room in the office building, so this room was empty.
To reach this isolated storage room, one had to go around the side door of the office building's toilet. The place was quite remote. As he walked, the dead moss was black and curled up, and a dead rat lay in the dry ditch. A small pile of wheat, used as rat poison, was scattered on the ground.
A washbasin hadn't been used for a long time, and the faucet was rusted. Lu Weimin tried it, twisting it hard a few times before the faucet turned with a creak. After a moment, a stream of rusty water gushed out.
Not bad, Lu Weimin smiled to himself. At least he had a place to stay and didn't need to rent a house outside, saving him a few dozen yuan a month. With his current salary, every bit saved counted.
Looking at his electronic watch, a cheap one he bought while studying in Lingnan, but it was quite accurate. It was almost four o'clock. Director Zhou from the office told him that Secretary Shen might return around six o'clock, or even after dinner. He asked Lu Weimin to come over the next morning, and he would take him to report for duty. For the afternoon, he gave Lu Weimin a half-day off to clean and organize his living space.
Borrowing a tricycle from the guard, Lu Weimin wobbled out of the east gate to the Nantang County East Gate Comprehensive Market, where various sundries were sold.
The wooden bed frame was provided by the office of administrative affairs, an old antique bed, but very spacious and sturdy. It looked like it was from the Republican era. Although the paint had peeled off, the carved dragons and phoenixes were intricately crafted, and the heavy, ancient style was very appealing to Lu Weimin. Lying on this bed gave him a taste of the life of the wealthy before the liberation. Lu Weimin made several trips to move the bed frame back and, with the help of the guard, spent about half an hour assembling the bed.
From the bamboo slats for the bed to the coconut fiber mattress, straw mat, mosquito net, pillow, basin, bucket, basin stand, and nylon rope, to daily necessities like soap and mosquito coils, Lu Weimin loaded a large cart and brought everything into the back gate of the county government compound.
Then came a thorough cleaning. From the side door of the toilet to the corner of the flat house, the area was usually deserted, overgrown with weeds and littered with garbage. Lu Weimin started cleaning under the scorching sun. After two hours, the area was spotless.
The room was also cleaned and tidied up. The large antique bed was neatly draped with a mosquito net, the straw mat was laid out, and a new thin quilt and towel blanket were neatly folded. The basin stand was placed in the corner, the nylon rope was stretched diagonally, and the face towel was hung on it. The wobbly-legged desk, which Lu Weimin found in the office of administrative affairs' storage room, was propped up with two bricks. The desk was quite old, and the藤椅略显旧了一点，扶手上的藤条已经开始脱落，露出竹质条杆，但这并不影响使用。
水龙头放了一阵后，终于恢复了正常颜色。陆为民用新毛巾在水池处洗了一把脸，顿时感到神清气爽。
(Note: The last two sentences are placeholders for advertisements and can be ignored in the translation.)
The water from the faucet, after running for a while, finally returned to its normal color. Lu Weimin used a new towel to wash his face at the sink, feeling refreshed and invigorated.