The story of an honest and upright official

One morning, half an hour before work, there was a knock on the door. I opened it and invited him in, asking, “Why are you here so early today?” He said, “There is an urgent matter that requires your guidance,” with a trembling voice. I said, “What is so urgent that your voice is so shaky and broken? It must not be as serious as “a house fire or a broken dike. Please sit down and have a drink so we can work it out together.”

He sat down, poured water for both of them, still trembling, and said in a hoarse voice: "It's better than that, Principal!". I said again: "Drink some water first", then lit a cigarette and said: "Uncle Ho said, in dealing with work, "Use the unchanging to respond to all changes" and "Major matters must be done to become medium matters, medium matters must become small matters" (please open parenthesis, it's not like today when nothing happens, it's "sinking"!), we still have strict and effective solutions, brother".

After finishing the second cup of strong tea, I said: "Please, but don't get so emotional."

He said: Last night, Ms. K, from department … came to my house to ask for her children to work in department X, bringing a bag of grapes and apples for the children. He replied, just tell your children to fill out an application, according to the standards and the Recruitment Council will evaluate their expertise like everyone else. He paused for a moment and raised his glass of water, I took the opportunity to say, it's nothing, it's normal.

He quickly put the cup of water down on the table with a bit of force, making the porcelain and glass of the table make a loud and sharp sound, and said indignantly: "If so, why should I report to the Principal?". I remained calm and said: "Yes, please continue, what is offending you?". He said, when that comrade came back, my eldest niece, putting away the fruit, saw an envelope in her bag, she cried: "Why is there another envelope like this, Dad, please give it back to her!" (I'll open a parenthesis again, my eldest niece studies martial arts, has a black belt, so the martial arts master taught her a bright mind and virtue throughout the martial arts training process. Once, a thief came in and took a bicycle out onto Lo Duc street, she saw it, ran after it, caught up and with a martial arts move she knocked it down, took it to the police station, and asked a relative to look after the bicycle). So she was surprised to see the envelope, and said that. Hearing my daughter say that, he said, "Don't worry, I have to pay it back and find a way to make the person happy, because that's insulting me, my child."

Knowing that the boss would come in early, I came in early to talk and ask the Principal for instructions on how I should handle the situation. He stopped and poured some water to drink.

It was my turn, I lit a cigarette, then said: OK, it's simple, but first, you are serious about the title, then call her "comrade" and through that language, I guess you have a specific plan so I won't say anything specific, just say the direction in the spirit of taking the principle of behavior with this matter, and presenting it to the Party cell is right. But is there any other way, to make her less embarrassed, after all, it is the mother's concern. But we have to be strict or they will find a way to recover the capital and "ruin" the school, the big thing is to make her realize, if she is embarrassed, she is embarrassed with herself. The important thing is to reform the person. I said that, what do you think?

Teacher Tran Trong Cao (right) at the Great Wall (China)

He drank more water, then slowly said: Teacher guessed right what I meant, handle it in the Party cell first, but what he said is reasonable, emotional, let me think about it a bit! I waited for him to speak again, at this moment I thought he was not moved by something but he was feeling offended so he thought it was more urgent than “a house on fire, a broken dike”. I suddenly felt touched, loved him so much. Having a Head of Organization and Personnel like that is a blessing for our school, but somewhere, this position is “screaming fire”…

After a few minutes, Anh began to speak: “I went down to her room, talked to her and returned the envelope to her publicly and told her that what she did was “ruining” me. Okay, teacher?”

I smiled and said: Ok, but I have an idea to discuss further. Why don't you call her to meet you privately, not in your office, because there are other officials. Go to the meeting room. I think the content should be added like this: "Since the separation from the General University, establishing a separate school, no one in my office has accepted or sent messages to get envelopes. If you do that, you are "ruining" me. As a party member, you must join us in building professional ethics. At the end of the year, you should evaluate yourself to set an example for yourself." What do you think? Now it's my turn to ask for your opinion!

He stood up, smiled and said, "Teacher, your idea is wonderful, actually it's only more than a million dong, but we have to be serious because this is an ethical issue." I immediately said, "It's not exactly true, it should be "The idea of ​​the Head of Department and the Principal fighting back is great" to be correct and objective. He smiled brightly, shook my hand and said: "Okay, let's do it, I'll go and implement it!" After lunch, he went with me to my room and said: "That's good, teacher." She was moved, her voice filled with tears, she apologized and thanked me for not sending it to the disciplinary council."

Please tell me more about the reason why you feel insulted. You are the one who advocates and emphasizes professional ethics, so you should thoroughly understand it from your department first. Once, an employee of the Organization and Personnel Department called me and asked: "Ms. D. came back from a business trip abroad and went to the department to do the admission procedures. She gave gifts to the department, a box of cakes, lipstick for the sisters, and a ballpoint pen for the brothers. We refused and said we would bring them back to the department to celebrate. She said it was just a little bit for fun, but it was so difficult. Can you accept it to make her happy, and not think it's too little, teacher? My department head is very strict, please give me your opinion because we are confused and standing between Ms. D and the Department Head." She "revealed" that a Professor who came back from teaching abroad and said rudely: "I don't bribe, but when I teach, they pay a high salary, I would like to give the whole department 50 USD to set up a fund for filial piety, to visit cadres and relatives in the department when needed, but comrades who are so serious, where can you find the money to set up a fund?" I tell you, I am not stingy, I can give more, but I am afraid that if you do not accept it, you will think wrongly of me. You girls work wholeheartedly, thoughtfully, and selflessly. I said, "That's what you said, we will obey, it's true that if it's too much, we don't dare accept it."

I replied, on behalf of the school, thank you, you and the teachers of our school are all good, you have helped us a lot, very good, know how to work together to maintain the humane environment of the school. You have not let down the kindness of others, know how to appreciate the sharing of others, join hands to set an example, say what you do. Honestly confide like that, welcome the trust "declaration".

At the end of the year, when the list of emulation titles was approved, comrade K's name was not seen, even the title with the lowest reward. When I met Ms. K, I said, thank you and congratulated her for not receiving any emulation titles. She was surprised and asked, "Do you know, who told you that?" I replied, "You know when you approve emulation titles." She was even more surprised and said, "I don't understand." I said, "No one told me, a few months ago, Mr. Cao confided in me and suggested a plan to meet you and talk about it, I support and welcome his way of handling it. It's that simple." She was touched and thanked him, saying that but he was silent, meeting me every day, he didn't remind me of anything, I was happy and thought he didn't know about it, it turned out he was the one who handled it. I said, "I'm happy, because you didn't know? You reminded me, are you happy or are you just worried? Right?" She replied: “Yes, thank you. So that’s what you guys are like. I promise not to let you down, not to let the school down.” I was happy and touched: “Thank you, actually you promised not to let yourself down first.”

Oh, today Mr. Tran Trong Cao, an Englishman, my soul mate, our trusted colleague is no more! The heart of a simple war invalid, a dedicated teacher, an honest and upright administrator of the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities has stopped beating at the age of 69 and 49 years of Party membership.

Mourning for Anh, a kind man, a self-respecting war invalid, a dedicated teacher, extremely responsible for his profession and students, a simple, ordinary man who lived with extraordinary willpower. In the School, in the School Veterans Association, everyone knew that the challenges of life had put a cruel pressure on Anh. He lost a leg due to an American bomb on Route 20 Quyet Thang in the Truong Son range. Teachers who have passed through this place, except for a few comrades, hardly anyone knows that this place was once soaked with the blood of our teacher Cao. He tried hard to study and pass the entrance exam to the Faculty of General Chemistry, tried hard to practice in the disabled people's association, won many medals in national and international competitions for the disabled. He once conquered the Great Wall and participated in the Marathon in the US. One time when he went fishing, it rained, on the way back he was struck by lightning, he was severely burned. Luckily, his luck was high so bombs and bullets, the sky could not do anything to Anh. His desire to live was extraordinary! Duy, after suffering from a serious illness, met Anh in the same Viet Xo hospital, saw him calmly, persistently and humorously fighting cancer, with the harsh pain after many colon and rectal surgeries, and radiotherapy. Still smiling happily in the hospital room, Anh also taught me about the liver - a second heart of a human - like a medical officer. Gradually exhausted, now Anh had to leave. Life and death are the laws, people come from nothingness to temporarily reside in the impermanent, cruel place; and then return to nothingness. For Anh, the harshness of impermanence challenged and "tortured" him, but he lived an extraordinary life.full lessononce a human being among humans, as we have witnessed. He - an ordinary person but lived and acted very extraordinary.

Dear spirit of Mr. Tran Trong Cao, you have gone! Farewell! May you rest in peace in the land of Buddha, Nirvana. I mourn you, I bow my head to see you off. My heart is crying, my eyes are blurred as I write this, my dear friend!