A meal brings rural Party official and elderly villager closer

In late March, spring brought gentle warmth to Dongshaoqu village in Beijing's Miyun district. The surrounding hillsides were covered in tender green and dotted with early blossoms.

Around midday, the village lay quiet. Li Quansheng, with a bag of fresh ingredients in hand, made his way down a narrow alley to visit Diao Shufang, an elderly villager.

Li came to Dongshaoqu in January 2024 as the village's first Party secretary, dispatched from Beijing Foreign Studies University, where he served as director of the Department of PE and Research. His two-year posting is dedicated to grassroots service and rural revitalization.

Upon arriving at Diao's courtyard, Li exchanged a few greetings before heading into the kitchen to prepare a lunch of braised mandarin fish and stewed tofu. Soon, the aroma filled the air, and the two sat down together to share a meal and warm conversation.

Li Quansheng (right), first Party secretary of Dongshaoqu village, Dongshaoqu town, Miyun district, Beijing, has a meal with an elderly villager. (People's Daily Online/Chang Sha)

Diao, now in her 80s, stays at home mostly alone. Her children, who live in Miyun's urban area, have often asked her to move in with them, but she prefers the familiar village life. Though they visit regularly, she still feels lonely from time to time.

Li said he would come by more often. Diao smiled. "I'm always happy to see you and have someone to talk to."

Noticing the steep entry to her courtyard, he said, "When we improve the roads, we'll make that slope easier for you as well. It's too steep."

Many older villagers face similar challenges. Uneven paths leading to their doorsteps make getting around difficult, and paving these small access ways has become a shared concern in the village.

After this year's Spring Festival, the village committee began drawing up plans to pave and level the lanes. Li told Diao that smoother paths would soon reach each home, bringing tangible improvements to village life.

"Take good care of yourself," he said, "Our village is only going to get better."

In the cozy room, laughter rang out, filled with simple hopes for better days ahead.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, more than 3.5 million officials have been dispatched to villages as first Party secretaries or members of work teams, supporting poverty alleviation and advancing rural revitalization. They come from government departments, public institutions and state-owned enterprises at all levels.

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