With the Bamboo Processing Plant back in operation, Qingshan Village grew lively once more, and the weight on Lin Haiyang's shoulders lifted considerably. Yet before he could even catch his breath, new news arrived. To meet the demand for younger cadres, the county leadership had decided after careful deliberation to select a group of grassroots cadres to study at the Gaoyang County Party School, and Lin Haiyang was among them.
"Haiyang, you really have a bright future ahead of you, being chosen to study at the Party School! This is a rare and wonderful opportunity," the village party secretary said, hurrying over to find Lin Haiyang upon hearing the news, his face beaming with pride and joy.
Lin Haiyang was quite surprised, feeling both happy and a bit nervous. "Secretary, I truly never expected to be chosen. I must prepare well for this study at the Party School and not let down the organization's trust."
"That goes without saying! Go and study hard, bring back more skills, and our village will have even more to look forward to in the future," the village party secretary said earnestly, patting Lin Haiyang on the shoulder.
Also selected alongside Lin Haiyang was Zeng Pingbo from Hexi Town. On the day they reported to the Party School, Lin Haiyang and Zeng Pingbo ran into each other right at the entrance.
Zeng Pingbo took the initiative to greet him. "Hello, you must be Lin Haiyang, right? I'm Zeng Pingbo from Hexi Town. From now on, we're classmates."
Lin Haiyang responded with a smile, "Hello, hello! I've been hearing that I'd be studying alongside you, and I'm very glad to meet you. I hope we can learn from each other and make progress together here at the Party School."
Chatting as they went, the two walked into the Party School. The grounds were serene, the teaching buildings majestic and imposing, and a rich academic atmosphere permeated every corner.
After completing their registration and getting settled in their dormitory, Lin Haiyang and Zeng Pingbo gathered together to chat.
Zeng Pingbo asked with curiosity, "Lin Haiyang, I heard you've been doing a great job in your village, making the bamboo processing industry thrive and solving quite a few tricky problems. Tell me all about it."
Lin Haiyang smiled with a touch of embarrassment, "It's just everyday village matters, nothing worth boasting about. I just led everyone to brainstorm and solve problems together. How is the situation over in your Hexi Town?"
Zeng Pingbo sighed. "Our town's economy is mainly agricultural, but in recent years, farm produce hasn't been selling well, and villagers' incomes are growing slowly. I've been really worried about it. Coming to the Party School this time, I'm hoping to learn more methods and see if I can find a way out."
Lin Haiyang thought for a moment before saying, "Since farm produce isn't selling well, have you considered channels like e-commerce? With the internet so developed nowadays, it might just open up a new market."
Zeng Pingbo's eyes lit up. "E-commerce? I honestly haven't given it deep thought. Tell me quickly, how does it actually work?"
Lin Haiyang gave a detailed explanation of Qingshan Village's plans to promote bamboo baskets online and the subsequent idea of using online platforms to expand sales for deep-processed bamboo products.
Listening intently, Zeng Pingbo nodded repeatedly. "My, your thinking is so broad! I really need to ponder this carefully. Maybe our town's agricultural products can be sold through e-commerce as well."
After a short while, Zeng Pingbo asked again, "Lin Haiyang, what kind of things do you think we'll mainly learn at the Party School? This is my first time coming to a place like this for studies."
Lin Haiyang replied, "I'm sure we'll learn plenty of useful things, like policy theories, leadership methods, and management experience. It'll definitely help us with our work in the future. Plus, we'll get to meet quite a few cadres from other places; exchanging ideas with everyone will really broaden our horizons."
"Mm, you're right. Then we must seize this opportunity and study hard," Zeng Pingbo said firmly.
Once official classes began, the Party School's schedule was packed tight. There were senior professors explaining national policies and guidelines and analyzing the current economic situation, as well as experienced leaders sharing practical case studies and handling methods from grassroots work.
During the breaks, the classmates gathered around to discuss.
"This training is coming in so timely! Many policies that used to be hazy in my mind are much clearer now after listening to the professors," a classmate remarked with emotion.
"Indeed, and those practical cases are so inspiring for our work. When similar problems come up in the future, we'll know how to handle them," another classmate chimed in.
Lin Haiyang actively participated in the discussion as well. "I believe we shouldn't just study theory; we must combine it with the actual conditions of our respective localities and apply what we've learned flexibly. Since our town and village have different situations, we can't just apply things mechanically."
Zeng Pingbo nodded from the side. "Lin Haiyang is right. Take the issue of our town's agricultural sales, for instance—we have to formulate a suitable e-commerce plan based on our product characteristics and market demand."
During their days at the Party School, Lin Haiyang studied and discussed with his classmates, spending every day in a fulfilling and busy manner. Deeply aware that this study opportunity was hard to come by, he not only listened attentively in class but also used his spare time to look up reference materials, constantly enriching himself. He looked forward to elevating his capabilities through this training so that upon returning to the village, he could accomplish more practical deeds for his fellow villagers and help Qingshan Village develop even better. At the same time, he also forged deep friendships with Zeng Pingbo and other classmates, encouraging one another and progressing together, all hoping to achieve remarkable results in their grassroots work.