As it was summer recess, with work resuming at half-past two in the afternoon, nobody felt rushed. A few glasses of draft beer, a few bites of dog meat with the skin on, dipped in the special dog meat sauce, loosened everyone's tongues and the conversation flowed.

Don't underestimate that three-story government building. It once housed most of the county-level government agencies, outside of the bureaus for Public Security, Taxation, Broadcast, and Land and Resources. Some offices were literally shared by two departments, and many officials held multiple positions. Judging by this setup, one might assume they were incredibly busy, but in reality, listening to them, they were lucky to have two busy days out of a five-day week.

Liangshan County comprised five towns and sixty-four natural villages. Logically, dividing the area into one county seemed like a waste of human resources. However, due to scattered settlements and historical precedents, this small Liangshan County had never been abolished. Furthermore, being a remote mountainous area, it had neither a railway nor access to the sea. The only asphalt road into the county seat was so badly maintained from years of neglect that anyone with poor health would nearly have their bones rattled apart. These factors contributed to the region's extreme economic backwardness. Besides agricultural planting, the entire large county had not a single decent manufacturing enterprise!

The crops here were corn, peanuts, and wheat. Fruit trees were very scarce, only planted near water sources. Most natural villages were at a high altitude, struggling even for drinking water—how could they afford to irrigate trees? They could only plant crops that were easy to grow. In good years with favorable weather, they might earn a little more; in bad years, they could lose even the seed money. The average annual income for the entire Liangshan County was barely over a thousand yuan. And this was an annual income! Considering that employees at the Iron Bull Tofu Company could earn three to four thousand yuan a month! Of course, comparing the two places wasn't entirely fair, but even the raw data revealed how far behind this place was.

Now I understood why the women, when I was leaving, had laughed with such suggestive ambiguity at my oath. According to my words, I would not rely on any external power, nor my own extraordinary abilities, but solely as a civil servant, achieve several remarkable feats within half a year. Then, using those achievements as a foundation, I would advance toward higher goals.

To prove my integrity, when I walked out of the house, I left behind all my bank cards and valuables, taking only five hundred yuan in cash for travel expenses. Oh, dear! This was bad—I had been so focused on putting on a show and treating everyone to dinner that I seemed to have spent nearly three hundred yuan on travel. I wondered if the remaining two hundred yuan would be enough to cover this banquet!

I quickly scanned the food and drinks on the table, then calculated the prices based on the small blackboard menu. Fortunately, I hadn't exceeded the budget. However, after another couple of drinks, I suspected that not even enough money would be left to buy bedding.

Indeed, in the end, I returned to the county government with only eighteen yuan in my pocket, leading the nine others back by looping around through the main gate. There was nothing useful near the back wall to borrow for climbing, so climbing out and back in would be impossible; we had to use the main road.

Although only eighteen yuan remained, the County Head, who shared my surname, had said that this month's mess hall bill would be charged to his account. I wouldn't refuse that; I'd treat him to a proper meal someday when I became wealthy.

It must be said, this nearly two-hundred-yuan banquet successfully brought me closer to everyone. As we parted ways, people repeatedly told me to contact them if I had any difficulties. Even Ning Shixuan looked particularly proud; everyone benefited from this meal because of her. In short, everyone was happy. I didn't mind whether I had bedding or mosquito netting to sleep with that night. I was confident I would resolve this minor hardship soon; money, after all, was easy to earn.

In the afternoon, after taking attendance, Ning Shixuan came to the dormitory to accompany me to buy bedding, but I politely declined. Of course, she couldn't know I only had eighteen yuan in my pocket; she just assumed I didn't want to disturb her work, so she didn't insist.

Since the official start of work wasn't until tomorrow, despite having no money for bedding, I decided to go out and look around. The main goal was to find opportunities for a fresh start. Although I could conjure up tens of billions to launch massive construction here, it would violate my initial principles. Moreover, building a pile of impractical things would be a waste. It was better to first grasp the specific situation of Liangshan County.

I spent most of the afternoon strolling through the entire county seat. The most well-known location was the Little City Department Store, which seemed to be the place with the greatest foot traffic in Liangshan County. There was also the Black Forest Internet Cafe—even the most backward places have high technology. Then there was the Soul-Shattering Holiday Entertainment City, which looked quite risqué from the outside. With only eighteen yuan in my pocket, I didn't dare go inside to see what amusements they offered. Additionally, there were two relatively famous hotels: the Liangshan Grand Hotel and the Dream Seeker Garden. The names sounded quite nice, but I didn't venture inside to check on the facilities either.

With my eighteen yuan, I bought a takeaway food container and a spoon, then purchased toothpaste, a toothbrush, soap, and a washbasin. I had intended to buy some mosquito coils as well, but discovered I had spent all my money, so I had to abandon that plan.

That evening, I carried my newly bought takeaway container to the mess hall to get my meal. The chef serving the food told me, "You must be the newcomer, Zhao Qian. Office Lady Xiao Ning mentioned it this afternoon; your meal expenses will be charged to County Head Zhao's account. Feel free to ask for whatever you want in the future."

I glanced at the food basins. One held stewed winter melon, and the other contained large chunks of pickled vegetables. If I wanted something, there needed to be a choice. In the end, I could only ask for a ladle of winter melon soup, take two pieces of pickled vegetables, and two steamed buns back to my dormitory.

The dorm room had a light, though it wasn't very bright. I sat by this meager collection for half an hour without speaking, and certainly without eating. At home, my mother should have already prepared a table full of delicious, fragrant food by now. If my wives didn't want to cook themselves, they would come downstairs to eat with me, and we would all sit together happily. But now, why had I left my home and family to come to this godforsaken place?

For a moment, I felt as if I had lost my goal for striving. I even felt a little resentful of Li Qi's arrangement. How hard could it be to become an official? If I so much as whispered a word, which state department wouldn't allow me entry? Now, it was as if I had returned to the time of the 1950s and 60s. Was I supposed to lead these villagers in a great land revolution? But the landlords and tyrants had long been overthrown, and the land distributed to the people—so what was left for me to do?

On the hard bed board, I laid down one of my shirts and drifted off to sleep fitfully. This was my first night in the small town of Liangshan. Although I had the urge to call and tell them everything that was happening here, I was afraid they would laugh at my weakness, so I suppressed my yearning and endured the night swarming with mosquitoes.

The next morning, when I found the Head of Propaganda to receive my duties, feeling refreshed, I was almost knocked to the ground by what he told me. It turned out my job was simply to go to the mailroom once in the morning and once in the evening to collect newspapers and periodicals, and then deliver them to the various offices, with special attention to the County Head's office and the Secretary's office on the second floor.

Dejected, I sat on a worn-out canvas chair in the corridor. Just then, Ning Shixuan emerged from her office. "What's wrong, Zhao Qian? You look like a rooster that lost a fight. You need to be more energetic on your first day! Did someone bully you? We're both outsiders; I can help you stand up for yourself."

I now knew that Ning Shixuan was actually a secretary in the County People's Congress Office. To be honest, she held a position of some standing; if she spoke up, many people would have to listen. "No one bullied me. It's just that my life suddenly lost its direction, and I'm feeling a bit down."

Ning Shixuan sighed. "If you're like this right after arriving, the days ahead will be tough. I can't help much with matters of the mind; you'll just have to adapt slowly. Look out for yourself."