"This morning my wife couldn’t get up, so I went to feed the pigs instead."
"Isn’t it your son who feeds them?"
"My son got up late today, and I couldn’t sleep."
The village chief could only wave his hand dismissively and, pointing to him to stand aside, said, "Alright, now let’s vote. After you voted, hurry back ho and wash up."
That’s what everyone was thinking. After all, it had co to this. The situation was what it was, and voting was rely a formality.
Zhou Xiaoyun, of course, wouldn’t agree, still holding the sa view and said, "No, we absolutely cannot sell the land. What will our children do after it’s sold?"
"If we don’t sell, this land will always remain just that, unable to turn into money. Generation after generation will remain poor. How do you still not understand? Old Zhou, look at those nearby who’ve sold their land, which one isn’t driving a BMW, living in a western-style house, and not having to work, just needing to take money? What do you see that’s wrong with that?"
"I’m saying you’re the ones who don’t understand!" Zhou Xiaoyun stamped his foot fiercely.
"Then tell us, what do you understand?"
Zhou Xiaoyun, however, was choked with words, unable to say anything.
Yang Zhilin glanced at his strange expression and couldn’t shake the feeling that this man seed to be hiding so secret.
"Alright, let’s vote, and then leave it to the young lady to handle the sale," said the village chief.
Zhou Xiaoyun turned around and walked away again: "You vote. I’m not selling."
"If you don’t vote, it’s tantamount to forfeiting your right. Old Zhou, this is tantamount to agreeing to the sale," soone pointed out.
Zhou Xiaoyun acted as if he hadn’t heard what the village chief had said and hurriedly left towards the door.
As a result, by the ti he rushed back to Grandmother Zhou’s house, he found not a soul there. Even the two visitors had vanished without a trace.
Grandmother Zhou had pretended to leave the village yesterday afternoon, making a false retreat. Today, she truly was leaving.
Gu Nuan and Xiao Yebai helped her carry that wicker suitcase, seeing her off to find a taxi.
It was definitely impracticable for Grandmother Zhou to take the bus alone with her suitcase, so a taxi was the only option. However, this village was secluded, so how easy could it be to find a taxi?
The only solution was to walk to the big road near the bus station.
Therefore, the three of them took the sa road they had initially entered the village, all the way to the bus stop where they had last got off the bus.
When Gu Nuan and Xiao Yebai reached there, they suddenly felt as if everything before had been a dream.
Having stayed in the village for a few days, they had almost beco cut off from the world. They had grown accustod to the sll of pig, cow, and chicken manure in the village, and now, stepping onto the big road and slling the modern scent of asphalt was a completely different sensation.
The simple rural earthy scent and the sharp modern industrial odor were so starkly incompatible.
If it were possible, the two of them felt that the village really shouldn’t sell the land. Wouldn’t it be better to preserve such a pure piece of earth?
Xiao Yebai took Gu Nuan’s phone and called to book a taxi.
Grandmother Zhou and Gu Nuan stood by the road, talking.
"You two, you can stay in my place as long as you want." Grandmother Zhou had already decided not to charge them any more for the room.
Gu Nuan said, "I don’t know how long we can stay."
Knowing she was telling the truth, Grandmother Zhou suddenly looked at the two of them and said, "It seems every family has its troubles. I used to think I was the most pitiful person in the world. Now I feel that’s not at all the case."
"Grandmother was never that," Gu Nuan said. "Grandmother is a wise person."
Grandmother Zhou showed her unbroken white teeth and smiled, "Yes, I can still do so things, which suddenly makes feel that my life still has a purpose. When things are settled, I will properly thank you two."
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