Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Suggestions for the Culture Festival
The yard is not big either, and it is a bit small if you want to use it for a walk, but it is quite private. The impenetrable trees separate it well from the surroundings. In the middle, there is a swing set, and now there is a set of rattan tables and chairs placed next to it. On the glass table top, there are a dish of pistachios and a dish of pine nuts. Feng Yiping's first thought was that these two things are more high-class than the peanuts and chestnuts he eats often.
Zheng Jiayi put away the magazines and the portable music player on the table and poured him a cup of tea. 'My mother has to receive a few more people, so you'll have to wait a little while.'
'You called me here in such a hurry just to keep me waiting?' 'You should be grateful. Your mother really works hard, and she never has time off even at weekends.'
'Yes, she was kept busy during the Chinese New Year holiday as well.'
'She is truly a role model for us. I will definitely follow Mayor Fang's example in the future...'
'Come on, Feng Yiping, I know your character. In those two years at school, you always kept your distance from everything. This isn't a meeting of the student union or the party branch, so there's no need to make a resolution.'
This classmate has really changed a lot, compared to a year ago.
'What resolution?' A middle-aged man with glasses came over holding two glasses of orange juice. 'Dad, this is my classmate Yiping. Yiping, this is my dad.'
'Hello, uncle!' Feng Yiping stood up quickly to greet him. This was a person who looked like he had a lot of knowledge.
'Sit, sit. Yiping, right? I've heard a lot about you!' Zheng Boxiang, with a scholarly appearance, said with a smile.
'I'm not worthy of your praise, uncle,' Feng Yiping said, not knowing what Zheng Boxiang had heard about him.
'Okay, you two, stop being so sarcastic, okay? If you keep going, I'll lose my teeth,' Zheng Jiayi said with a smile.
'Okay, you two chat. Classmate Yiping, you write good novels and you write good songs!'
Before he left, he praised Feng Yiping.
'You look a lot like your father.' The point of Feng Yiping's comment was actually that they didn't have the same personality at all.
But Zheng Jiayi didn't pick up on the meaning of his words, and she was quite happy, smiling and saying, 'Really?' Her father was a recognised good-looking man with charisma, so when Feng Yiping said that, it was a euphemistic way of saying that she was pretty.
Mayor Fang had just seen off the director of the Industry and Commerce Bureau. Zhao, the county head from Feng Yiping's county, walked into the study with a smile on his face. Mayor Fang looked out of the window on the second floor and watched his daughter in the backyard smiling sweetly and talking to Feng Yiping.
County Magistrate Zhao noticed, 'Jiayi has gone to university, hasn't she? It's been a big year.'
Mayor Fang also knew that his daughter had changed a lot, but it was a good change, so he said a few more words, 'Have you seen that young man? He's under your jurisdiction. If there were more young men like him in the county, the future would definitely be different. The novel he wrote in junior high school is being made into a movie by director Zhang Da, and the novel has sold hundreds of thousands of copies in China. He has also written songs for Hong Kong singers, set up two factories in his hometown, and helped the city solve a burden.'
County Magistrate Zhao couldn't remember who Feng Yiping was, but when he heard Mayor Fang say that his surname was Feng, he immediately understood that this must be Feng Zhenchang's son. So he and the mayor's family are related?
'Oh, so it's him. I've heard his name before, but this is the first time I've seen him. This young man is the pride of our county,' he actually knew very little about Feng Yiping, so he just praised him in general, 'His father is already a member of this year's County Political Consultative Conference.'
'For outstanding representatives like them who have become rich but have not forgotten their fellow villagers, they must be provided with channels to participate in politics and discuss politics. By the way, how are the preparations for the two sessions going? This is the first major political event of the year, and there is no room for carelessness!'
...
'You said you don't want to go to university in the province? Aren't your family and company in the province?' Zheng Jiayi spoke a little loudly when she heard Feng Yiping's decision.
'What's the difference? Nowadays, with such convenient transport and communications, there's not much difference between the provincial capital and the capital city. We all say that the world is becoming a global village, so what's the distance between them?'
'I understand, you just want to be far away from your parents, right?' Zheng Jiayi blurted out without thinking.
'Haha,' Feng Yiping laughed, 'it seems that was your original idea, so why did you stay in the provincial capital?'
It's because you didn't get into the university in the capital city, Zheng Jiayi thought angrily.
After County Magistrate Zhao had finished his report and was about to leave, he saw Feng Yiping still chatting with Zheng Jiayi in the courtyard. He came over, introduced himself, shook his hand formally, and patted his hand, saying, 'Come back to visit your hometown more often when you have time!'
This is the county head who is in charge of himself, and yet he is still so humble. Feng Yiping was a little flattered, and lowered his posture even more. As soon as County Head Zhao left, Zheng Jiayi teased him, 'So you can be submissive too.'
'Well, he is an elder after all, you know how to respect the elderly!'
Zheng Jiayi disdainfully said, 'Pfft!'
Alas, how can you, a young nobleman, understand the situation of a lowly commoner like me!
Mayor Fang was cordially meeting Feng Yiping in the living room. This was a news headline that Feng Yiping himself had drafted that would never be broadcast.
He always wondered when he saw similar news, could it be that the journalists who wrote the news never thought that when they added the word 'cordial' before the word 'meeting', it seemed to emphasise even more that this cordiality was a gesture put on? However, even today, news of this kind of leading by the nose is still commonplace.
'The college entrance exam is in a few months, how's your revision going?'
'Thank you, Mayor Fang, for your concern. I'm working hard at my studies!'
'Call me Auntie,' Mayor Fang interrupted with a smile.
'Yes, Auntie Fang, I've been doing homework for my teaching preparations even on weekends.'
'I can relate to that. Jiayi went through the same thing this time last year. But these few months are very precious now, so you must make good use of them.'
'I'll remember that!'
Mayor Fang looked across at Feng Yiping, who was sitting very straight and prim, looking cautious and careful. But the overall impression she got was that he was actually very relaxed and not at all nervous.
There was nothing she could do about it. Feng Yiping hadn't studied acting, and he was trying too hard to put on an act, which Mayor Fang could easily see through.
Mayor Fang actually had some impression of Feng Yiping. It was mainly because during the Spring Festival, Feng Yiping did not take the initiative to visit her once. Of course, if he had visited, Mayor Fang definitely would not have seen him. However, she felt that she had helped his company a few times, and she knew that the person behind the scenes was him.
But he just sent Zhou Xinyu to take Ding Qiang on a routine trip. Still young, no matter how outstanding he is in other aspects, he is still a young man after all.
Feng Yiping was indeed very relaxed now. Without desires comes strength. He didn't want to beg Mayor Fang for anything, so naturally he couldn't be nervous.
Since this mess in the city happened, Zhitong Company has adjusted its sales direction, focusing on private enterprises that are sensitive to costs. It's fine to not get the whole system, but a financial system is also good. He looked at the report and saw that in just one month after the new year, several orders had already been signed, and there were still quite a few intentions under negotiation.
'Jia Yi told me that you wrote songs for some celebrities, didn't you?'
'It was just for fun, and I was mainly trying to make some money.' Feng Yiping didn't know why Mayor Fang suddenly brought this up. In theory, she shouldn't be the type of person to chase after celebrities.
'The city's new railway station will be put into use this year, and we're planning to hold a party. Jia Yi told me that you have a good relationship with some popular Hong Kong celebrities, so I want you to help us make some connections.'
So that's what it's about! But when did I say I have a good relationship with those superstars? Feng Yiping smiled and glanced at Zheng Jiayi, who was sitting next to Mayor Fang. It seems that in terms of exaggeration and association, even the poet Li Bai is no match for these garrulous girls.
'Auntie Fang, I have been in contact with some celebrities. If it's just a few autographed photos or concert tickets, I can do it, but arranging for a performance is quite difficult. They all have their own management companies, and apart from other factors, their schedules are also very tight. I'm afraid it's not easy to arrange such a last-minute invitation.'
These Hong Kong celebrities are now sweeping the entertainment industry across Asia, and they may not be able to be hired even if you have the money.
Business operations are not about friendship, they are about returns. The mayor of Fangzhou knows this: 'Never mind, do you have the contact numbers there? Just provide a few to the organising committee, and let them do the rest.'
This is easy. Feng Yiping has a few of the phone numbers of some agents and staff there. He wants to take his leave, but Zheng Bosong smiles and asks him again, "Yiping, do you have any suggestions for the gala?"
'Uncle Zheng, I'm really a layman in this, I don't know anything,'
However, he saw that Zheng Jiayi, who had originally had some hope in her eyes, lowered her head after hearing this, a little upset. As a result, he blurted out, 'But I think that for such a one-off party, no matter how successful it is, the influence will still be limited. There are too many similar events with celebrities every year, and the related topics will just be hot topics of discussion for a few days.
If we can explore some of our local cultural resources and set up a cultural festival, hold such a party every year, and make it a cultural calling card for our city, the effect will be much better.'
Later, all over the country, people started to seek connections with celebrities, and even places like 'Yelang' wanted to compete for it. It can be seen that there are political and economic benefits involved, but not many local governments think of this now.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Mayor Fang, who had been leaning back on the sofa, sat up. This is really a way of thinking. Things like organising parties may be a waste of time and money, but this is quite good. If it works out, it will definitely be a shining political achievement.
Zheng Jiayi was also very happy to see the way her parents were acting, and thought to herself, it was worth mentioning you a few times in front of my mother.
'Do you have any specific ideas about this?' Mayor Fang now took him a little more seriously.
'I don't know much about it, but I think it shouldn't be difficult to find a few historical celebrities or some of our distinctive traditions!'
Mayor Fang and Zheng Jiayi both looked at Zheng Bosun, who had quite a lot of research on history and culture. 'Yes, we have quite a few options for this.'
Seeing that it was going well, Feng Yiping took the opportunity to say goodbye, 'Stay for dinner!' Zheng Jiayi looked at him and said,
'Yes, stay for dinner. I'll cook, it'll just take a little while,' Zheng Bosong said.
Feng Yiping looked at Mayor Fang and thought, I'd better go back and eat the home-cooked meal that Huang Jingping made!
When Zheng Jiayi saw him to the door, she added, 'In the future, when you see my phone number, don't ignore it!'
When she returned to the living room, her mother asked with a smile, 'I haven't seen you this enthusiastic with a boy in years!'
'Mom, what are you talking about! I made the right recommendation, didn't I? He gave you a good idea, didn't he?'