"Chief, let's go in. It's cold outside." After standing at the door for a while, Xiao Yuan reminded Zhang Daoyi in a timely manner. After all, Zhang Daoyi was an old man. Xiao Yuan was worried that Zhang Daoyi would catch a cold if he stood in this sub-zero temperature.
"Come on, let's go in. It's Ningning's wedding today. Let's go in and have some fun." Zhang Daoyi nodded and smiled. His hand holding the walking stick was strong. As Zhang Daoyi walked in, the guards in the banquet hall who were disguised as the staff of the State Guesthouse all became highly alert.
"Huh?" Zhang Guozhong and Zhang Guohua looked at each other. The changes of the "staff" didn't escape their eyes. They looked at the door in the other direction at the same time and stood up.
Most of the guests in the hall did not know what was going on. As for the people sitting at the main table, Li Huaiyuan and Zhou Mingfang, when they saw Zhang Guozhong and Zhang Guohua standing up, Zhang Xiaoru glanced at the inner door and also stood up. Li Huaiyuan and Zhou Mingfang, these two people who held real power in their respective territories, immediately felt their hearts tighten. Their bodies stood up as if it was a conditioned reflex. This meant that the Old Master of the Zhang Family was coming.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the hall. Someone excitedly said "The chief is here" a few times. Many people understood. Almost at the same time, everyone stood up and looked inside eagerly. Usually, the old man of the Zhang family lived in seclusion. Apart from the country's leaders who could visit, ordinary people had no chance to come in contact with the old chief of the Zhang family. Now that they could take the opportunity of Zhang Ninghai's wedding to see the old chief's elegant demeanor, those who had racked their brains and spent a lot of money to get the invitation from Zhang Ming were all excited. This trip was not in vain.
When Zhang Daoyi walked out, there was a thunderous applause in the hall. Chen Xing and Zhang Ningning's limelight was suddenly overshadowed. Zhang Ningning walked over and helped her grandfather walk. At this time, Zhang Daoyi smiled very happily and looked at his precious granddaughter kindly. Zhang Daoyi was full of smiles and kept saying, "Good, good, little Ningning is so beautiful today. Grandpa is happy for you."
Turning his head to look at Chen Xing, Zhang Daoyi had an expectant look on his face. "Chen Xing, you have to treat Ningning well in the future. If you make her feel wronged, this old man will not recognize you."
Zhang Daoyi's words made the people around him laugh. Zhang Guohua also looked at his son-in-law, Chen Xing. Maybe this son-in-law did not satisfy him the most, but this was his daughter's choice. His daughter's happiness was the most important to him as a father. This was also the reason why Zhang Guohua agreed to their marriage. Old Master Zhang must have thought so too. Zhang Guohua looked at his father, who was getting old day by day, and felt a little sad. His father had been prominent for a lifetime, but so what? Birth, old age, sickness, and death were the laws of nature. No matter how powerful you were, you would turn into a pile of dirt sooner or later. It was a blessing to be contented.
Today, as an elder, I would like to propose a toast to everyone. Old Master Zhang asked the staff next to him to bring a glass of wine. Looking around at the people present, he downed it in one go.
A burst of enthusiastic cheers rang out from the crowd. Those who were fortunate enough to see Old Master Zhang for the first time on such an occasion were so excited that their faces were flushed. A large glass of wine was finished without saying anything. No one would care about the fact that Old Master Zhang had only drunk a small white glass, and no one knew if the wine inside was even enough for a sip. Everyone would only feel deeply honored to be able to make Old Master Zhang propose a toast. Even provincial level cadres like Li Huaiyuan and Zhou Mingfang felt the same.
The cheers lasted for a long time. Old Master Zhang looked at the crowd with a smile. There were many unfamiliar faces at the back that Old Master Zhang didn't recognize. Old Master Zhang had heard about Zhang Ningning's idea of a wedding for the benefit of the public. At this time, he didn't mind supporting his granddaughter's idea.
Old Master Zhang slightly raised his hand and pressed down. His voice wasn't loud, but it was deep and powerful. I don't even know some of the people present. I heard from my granddaughter Ningning that this wedding will be open to a small part of the society. To put it bluntly, we can let unrelated but rich people buy invitations to attend the wedding. To be honest, this is the first time I've heard of this idea, and I don't understand it. It's a good wedding, a happy day, why do we have to make it so unscrupulous? Our party is developing the market economy and vigorously developing the construction of material civilization, but we can't be materialistic to this extent.
The old man of the Zhang Family said slowly. He didn't speak fast, but his voice was powerful. The hall that was bustling with noise just a moment ago was now dead silent. Everyone held their breath and listened attentively. No one dared to make a sound.
Zhang Guohua's face gradually became serious. Old Master Zhang's speech had never been without a target. From his daughter's new type of wedding for the benefit of the public, Old Master Zhang mentioned the construction of material culture. What was he going to say? Zhang Guohua knew what Old Master Zhang was talking about. As soon as he left the hall, he would put it on the desks of the people in the center.
Before Zhang Guohua had time to think, Old Master Zhang paused and continued. I couldn't understand it, so my granddaughter Ningning explained it to me. She said that this was a public wedding, and she hoped to raise more money to donate to the children in the western mountainous area. At that time, I said, 'Ningning, if you do this, people will misunderstand. People who don't know the truth will think that our Zhang family is using the wedding to collect money. Even if we explain it to them, how can we guarantee that they won't think too much? You said you want to donate all the money you collected from the wedding, but who can prove it? How much money you collected, and whether you donated it all? Who can prove it? Who is qualified to prove it for our Zhang family? To be honest, I don't approve of doing this. There are many ways to raise money. For a public welfare cause, we can call upon all the knowledgeable people in society to do it together. You're just a little girl, how useful can you be? '
Old Master Zhang stopped to rest again. Xiao Yuan said worriedly, 'Chief, don't you want to take a rest first?
It's okay. Although I can't walk far, I still have the strength to speak more. ' Old Master Zhang waved his hand, and Xiao Yuan could only keep quiet. In his memory, the old chief had never spoken so much in one go.
I, this old man, have always been strict with my family. Many of my grandchildren are like mice that have seen a cat when they see me, but I can't control my youngest granddaughter. Little Ningning said that she would insist on doing this. She said that she wasn't afraid of misunderstandings. If others misunderstand, it's their business. She insisted on being herself, as long as she has a clear conscience. Even an old man like me was touched when I heard this. I said, 'Alright, if you want to do this, Grandpa will support you.'
Old Master Zhang slammed his walking stick on the ground, and his words suddenly changed. 'Since the reform and opening up, our country has become strong and prosperous, and the lives of the people have become better. What does this mean? It means that we are not wrong to take the path of a market economy. It means that our overall reform route is correct. Compared to our era, where people didn't have enough to eat for three meals and didn't know their next meal, the lives of the people now are much better. This proves that our Party's reform is correct. '
Reform, reform, requires both change and innovation. We have learned from the experience of the developed countries, but more often than not, we have to feel the stones to cross the river. This is because we have our own national conditions and our own actual situation. We can't copy the experience of other countries. The socialist system cannot be changed at all. If we change it, we are finished.
Some people are questioning whether our Party's reform and opening up is wrong. They say that if we continue on this path, it will be a dead end. This is purely a disaster to the people's hearts! Reform is to feel the stones to cross the river. We can only feel our way forward, learning and making progress. Our Party is also making mistakes, but mistakes are not important. What's important is to correct them and continue to move forward. It is impossible to make no mistakes in reform. This is the price of reform, and it is also the pain that reform must go through. We are doing something that no one has ever done before, and there is no experience that we can copy.
Of course, I am being a little too long-winded today. Back to the present, our country has become rich, and the people's standard of living has also improved. However, the moral standard of this society is getting worse. All kinds of immoral things happen every day. Some people say that this is the sequelae of reform and opening up. Our country has been emphasizing the development of the market economy and material civilization, but we have neglected the construction of spiritual civilization. As a result, the people are materially rich, but spiritually, they have returned to poverty. Therefore, some people say that the Party's line is wrong. In fact, this statement is wrong. At the beginning of reform and opening up, our Party's line and policy were clear. Reform and opening up, the construction of material civilization and spiritual civilization must be paid attention to. Both must be strong, and neither must be left out. It can only be said that in the specific implementation process, there has been a deviation.
Our Party's cadres blindly pursue GDP, because this is the standard for assessing political achievements. If the GDP goes up, the hope of getting promoted will be greater. No one is willing to carry out the construction of spiritual civilization. Why? Because the construction of spiritual civilization can't be reflected in political achievements. Since it can't be reflected in political achievements, it doesn't bring much benefit to personal promotion. Therefore, the construction of spiritual culture is far behind the development of material culture. This is because our Party's policy has not been implemented well.
Our little Ningning insisted on holding this wedding for public welfare. She is willing to use her meager strength to help those who need help. Today, many people in society also showed her face.
Of course, I know that you may not be giving face to our Ningning. You may be here because of the name of our Zhang family, but I should still thank you. At least the money you have taken out has helped those who need help. Here, I sincerely hope that you, the successful people in society, can use your own ability to give back to society. In our country, some people have become rich first, but there are still more people who haven't become rich. A part of them is still struggling to get enough food and clothing, especially in the western mountainous areas. They are still in a difficult situation. Those who have become rich first should set an example.
Alright, this old man has said enough today. I'm old, and it's tiring to talk more. For the rest of the time, you can eat and drink happily. This old man won't join in the fun. Old Master Zhang smiled and waved at everyone. He came late but left quickly.
Xiao Yuan hurriedly supported Zhang Daoyi. His face was solemn and serious. Old Master Zhang's speech at his little granddaughter's wedding today seemed to be because of the public welfare wedding his granddaughter advocated, but who would dare to say that Old Master Zhang was just speaking casually? Considering that some Party cadres were questioning whether the route of reform and opening up was really correct, it wasn't difficult to understand why Old Master Zhang would say these words. The timing of his speech was also just right.
Xiao Yuan knew in his heart that the old leader's speech would definitely appear on the table of the highest level leaders in less than five minutes. Rather than saying that Old Master Zhang was supporting his granddaughter's idea of holding a public welfare wedding, it would be better to say that the old man was also worried and pained about the current situation of the country. Who knew what kind of impact the old man's speech would have tonight?
Old Master Zhang left. Zhang Guohua, Li Huaiyuan, Zhou Mingfang,
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