Tongfang Academy
Micro Party Class · Issue 354
An old steed lies quietly in its stall, safeguarding the peace of this land.
“Theoretical cultivation is the core of the comprehensive quality of Party members and cadres. Theoretical maturity is the foundation for political maturity, and political steadfastness stems from theoretical clarity.” For Party members and cadres, fostering a fine academic style and strengthening theoretical education are both fundamental requirements for cultivating Party spirit and an inescapable political responsibility.
Tongfang Law Firm provides a learning platform for all its lawyers in the form of micro-party classes, enhancing their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.
Stay true to our original aspiration and dedicate ourselves to building a mediation brand right “at your doorstep.”
In 1976, Zhou Shuren began serving as the Party branch secretary of the Xinsheng Village. In 2018, after retiring from his post, Zhou Shuren still couldn't help but think about doing more for the villagers.
“I just can’t sit still—I’m always thinking about doing something,” said Old Zhou.
When working in the village, Old Zhou was once in charge of public security and stability work, which laid a solid foundation for his subsequent involvement in mediation.
“So I thought, ‘Let me get back to what I used to do.’ For one thing, it’s familiar territory; for another, it’ll help ease some of the pressure on the ‘two committees’ leadership team and allow me to contribute modestly to rural revitalization and the building of a better home,” said Old Zhou.
The Xinsheng Village has more than 200 households and over 700 residents. Every year, a number of disputes arise over land, residential plots, and family and neighborhood relations. If these disputes are not resolved promptly, they can easily escalate into public complaints and petitions related to public security, thereby creating social instability. In 2018, Zhou Shuren proactively proposed the idea of "establishing a mediation room in his own name to ease the burden on rural revitalization."
“Mediation work, viewed on a small scale, is essential for maintaining social stability; viewed on a larger scale, it’s crucial for enhancing the level and capacity of grassroots governance,” Old Zhou has a very profound understanding of this issue.
In 2019, with the support of the Jidong County Justice Bureau, Jidong County’s first village-level, individually-branded mediation studio was officially established in Xinsheng Village.
Due to logistical constraints, although the mediation room has been officially designated, it hasn't yet been set up. Zhou Shuren has kindly offered his 30-square-meter living room as the mediation room. The Judicial Bureau of Jidong County has equipped the studio with office desks and chairs, filing cabinets, and essential legal books such as the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China and the People's Mediation Law of the People's Republic of China.
This place has become the village’s “rule-of-law living room”—a one-stop hub for mediation, legal education, and consultation. Whenever a family has conflicts or villagers are involved in disputes, they all come here to sit down and talk it over.
Opening the manual for people’s mediation work lying on the table, Zhou Shuren meticulously recorded each dispute—time, location, participants, the person being investigated, and investigation notes—line by line.
“Not a single bit of difference will do—just a tiny bit off and big trouble could easily arise,” Zhou Shuren said, his tone growing increasingly serious.
It’s in this simple mediation room that Zhou Shuren has lost count of how many disputes he’s mediated for the villagers. “Some matters may not seem like much to us, but once they’re not resolved properly, they can easily become sources of greater instability,” he said.
Over the past six years, Zhou Shuren has mediated dozens of cases—including land disputes and family conflicts—and each case has been resolved successfully, achieving the grassroots governance goal of "no conflicts leaving the village and zero disputes being escalated."
Working tirelessly to learn and promote the law, thereby enhancing villagers’ awareness of the rule of law.
Zhou Shuren was born in November 1951 and has long since passed the age of 70. Yet he still insists on studying legal books every single day. In the office cabinet of the mediation room, a variety of legal books are neatly arranged.
“Mediation work must not only take feelings into account but also strictly adhere to the law,” said Zhou Shuren.
In rural areas, land disputes occur most frequently, and if not properly resolved, they can easily lead to conflicts and tensions.
In 2024, a land dispute arose between villager Zhang and Sun. Zhang claimed that Sun had encroached upon an additional five fen of his family’s land. After conducting an on-site measurement, Zhou Shuren confirmed the accuracy of Zhang’s claim and began patiently persuading Sun. Drawing on the provisions of the “Land Management Law of the People’s Republic of China” regarding “rights of adjacency,” Zhou Shuren urged Sun to voluntarily return the five fen of land he had improperly occupied. After receiving proper education, Sun sincerely apologized and promptly returned the illegally occupied land.
“If you don’t understand the law, this conflict won’t be resolved properly,” said Zhou Shuren.
In his mediation work, he translates legal provisions into “local dialects” that the masses can easily understand and remember. Through vivid mediation cases, he subtly enhances villagers’ legal awareness and ultimately resolves disputes.
In addition to the Land Management Law of the People’s Republic of China, Zhou Shuren also diligently studies the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China. He reads through each article one by one, consulting relevant materials whenever he encounters something he doesn’t understand. As he learns, he takes notes continuously, accumulating a total of over 10,000 characters. Whenever he comes across a particularly challenging provision, he rides more than ten li to the town’s judicial office to seek advice—earning him the nickname “a walking legal dictionary” from the town’s younger officials. Not only does Zhou Shuren take the initiative to learn the law himself, but he also encourages the village’s “Five Elders” to conduct monthly sessions on the rule of law. Meanwhile, more than 50 young people in the village, organized by the “Five Elders,” have formed the “Legal Popularization Vanguard Team,” becoming the backbone of legal education and application within the village. Through various means such as legal lectures and public awareness campaigns, the village is cultivating locally knowledgeable individuals who are well-versed in the law, thus establishing a positive cycle of mutual learning and support.
This “mediation + legal education” dual-drive working model has not only effectively enhanced villagers’ awareness of the rule of law but also injected powerful rule-of-law momentum into rural revitalization. As a result, it has been designated by the Jixi Municipal Justice Bureau as a model practice and is being promoted throughout the city.
The “Five-Heart” mediation works silently yet effectively, safeguarding peace and tranquility in the region.
Since starting his work in grassroots mediation, Zhou Shuren has developed a unique “secret formula” for mediation.
“Carefulness, patience, perseverance, fairness, and love—these are the work principles I’ve set for myself,” Zhou Shuren said proudly.
First, he is meticulous and never careless. For every civil dispute, Zhou Shuren conducts a thorough investigation to clarify the facts and identify the root causes, basing his judgments on evidence and adhering strictly to the law—never going through the motions. In September 2023, a young married couple from the village got into a conflict over domestic trivialities. Zhou Shuren carefully analyzed the wife’s character and her dedication to the family, sharply criticized the husband’s indifferent attitude toward the household, explained the severe consequences of domestic violence, and used real-life cases to persuade and educate the husband. The husband expressed remorse for his actions and apologized to his wife, after which the couple reconciled. Second, he is patient and never hasty. When mediating civil disputes, Zhou Shuren never loses his temper. “Many issues may seem minor, but if not addressed promptly, they can easily escalate and become more serious.” For many disputes, Zhou Shuren would try again and again—sometimes twice or even three times—until both parties reached an amicable resolution. Third, he is persistent and unwavering. Mediation work often doesn’t yield results overnight. Zhou Shuren frequently neglects meals and rest, and sometimes even faces misunderstanding from the parties involved. Nevertheless, as a mediator, Zhou Shuren remains steadfast and committed to resolving conflicts and disputes at the grassroots level. Fourth, he acts with impartiality and fairness. In rural areas where relatives are closely connected, Zhou Shuren never lets his guard down when handling disputes; he treats all parties equally and earns the trust and respect of the local people. Fifth, he is careful and never perfunctory. In mediating each civil dispute, Zhou Shuren follows proper mediation procedures, striving to ensure that every case complies with legal standards and can withstand scrutiny.
Since the establishment of the Personal Brand Mediation Studio, every dispute mediated by Zhou Shuren has been resolved successfully. This not only effectively alleviated the workload of the village’s “two committees,” but has also become a “bridge of hearts” connecting the Party and government with the masses.
From village Party branch secretary to mediator, Zhou Shuren embodies the sincere and unwavering spirit of a Communist Party member. Using his studio as a bridge, he integrates the Party’s policies and the spirit of the rule of law into the very fabric of rural life, resolving conflicts at the grassroots level. This steadfast commitment—“retiring from office but not from dedication”—is a true reflection of the countless grassroots Party members and cadres in the new era who are deeply rooted in the community and wholeheartedly serve the people.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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