After Aunt Sima left, Nan Feng looked at Yege: “It seems my father was right. The village chief is truly cunning. He’s spreading rumors now that we are spearheading this. This way, if we fail, he can neatly extricate himself from any blame.”
Yege didn’t express any plaint: “I foresaw this. It doesn’t matter. The reservoir will definitely be built.”
“…” Nan Feng looked at Yege. He was so firm?
Disregarding Nan Feng’s doubts, Yege only waved slightly to her: “See you in the afternoon.”
…
On the way home, Nan Feng bumped into several acquaintances, including Aqiu, Aunt Lan, and others.
Everyone who saw Nan Feng congratulated her: “Miss Feng, we heard that you and Yege are taking the lead in building the reservoir. It’s impressive.”
“Miss Feng, once the reservoir is pleted, you will be the heroine of our village.”
“You’re truly bold, taking on such a responsibility. But we believe you can do it.”
“…”
Nan Feng was left speechless.
When she returned home, Nan Quanyou had already prepared dinner. While eating, he told Nan Feng that the whole village knew that she and Yege were going to build the reservoir.
The villagers all said it was Nan Feng’s initial suggestion, and then the village chief adopted it.
Nan Feng, enraged, shook her fists; this village chief was so slick.
…
In the afternoon.
Nan Feng and Yege waited at the entrance of the village for the village chief and Mo Wenxuan.
This time they would go to the town to meet the town’s Lizheng, a person equivalent to the town mayor.
Yege told Nan Feng that the mayor was not an official either, but was elected by the town’s tycoons to handle affairs, equivalent to a local landowner.
Nan Feng felt that Yege knew a lot of things.
As they were chatting, a yellow leaf drifted down, landing on Nan Feng’s hair.
Nan Feng was about to brush off the leaf, but before she could raise her hand, Yege had raised his. He gently removed the fallen leaf for her.
It was a natural action that nonetheless made Nan Feng pause.
Not seeing each other for nearly half a month made her feel like she and Yege had grown somewhat estranged. But now, she suddenly felt their relationship had returned to what it was before.
She thought, Yege wasn’t mad at her, and still regarded her as a friend, right?
Just as she was thinking, the village chief arrived.
The village chief had brought his own mule-drawn cart, with Mo Wenxuan sitting at the back.
Once Nan Feng and Yege got on, the cart became a bit crowded.
Nan Feng and Yege sat on one side, Mo Wenxuan sat on the other.
Yege seemed to do it on purpose – as soon as they got on, he asked Nan Feng to sit on the inside. Afterwards, he sat next to her, facing outside. He didn’t appear too close to her but nonetheless firmly shielded her within.
So Nan Feng could only see the greater part of Yege’s hat.
Yege seemed to like wearing a hat all four seasons.
If there was sunshine or rain, he would use it to block the elements. Without sunshine, he would hang it behind his neck. Nan Feng figured he might be using the hat to cover his hunchback.
Everyone has a desire for beauty after all.
Seeing that Nan Feng was being blocked by Yege, Mo Wenxuan disdainfully looked away, not wanting to interact with Yege or Nan Feng.
The journey was silent.
…
Upon reaching the town, the village chief first went to see Lizheng. He agreed that the village chief’s plan to build the reservoir was feasible and then suggested the village chief visit the Yamen to discuss with the gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper, also known as the flood control officer, was akin to a reservoir manager.
So the group switched to a carriage and headed to the county.
While the village chief appeared prestigious in the village and the town, in the county, he seemed no different than a country bumpkin visiting the city. Upon entering the Yamen, he could barely articulate his purpose, and in the end, Mo Wenxuan had to speak for him.
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