Chapter 220: Rebirth in the Nineties: The Tyrannical Flower, Chapter 221: Changing Faces

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

With a slap.

Chai Zhongxiao swung his hand and gave Chai Chunfang a big slap: "I let you out so you could throw someone else's child into a feces pit? And what's this about dirty work and tiring work? My conflict with Chai Mi is just that I don't have the money to pay her back the two thousand yuan. I told you that day, see if you could get me some money, I have an urgent need. Hehe... your little thoughts, don't think others can't see through them. You don't even trust your own biological father, you're just afraid I can't pay you back... so you went to make a scene at Chai Mi's house. You... hehe."

Chai Zhongxiao ended up spilling the whole thing.

Chai Zhongxiao originally just wanted to borrow some money from Chai Chunfang, and wasn't too embarrassed to open his mouth, but he finally steeled himself and spoke up.

As mentioned before, what was said to Chai Zhongxiao was the same.

As a father, Chai Zhongxiao is extremely qualified toward Chai Chunfang and Chai You De. But toward Chai Mi's father and others, he is not very qualified; he is extremely biased.

As the head of household, Chai Zhongxiao is incompetent.

But in this matter, Chai Zhongxiao feels he hasn't done anything wrong.

"And what's this about burning the bridge after crossing the river? I see burning the bridge after crossing the river, and the ungrateful one is you, Chai Chunfang. You had just left home and didn't even have money for food, it was me who sent you three little lambs, and only then did you have today..."

"Hehe... Chai Zhongxiao, those three little lambs weren't yours, they were my big brother Chai Youqing's..."

"They were given by me..."

"Giving someone else's things as gifts, you really have a way. I got beaten by others, and you beat me too. I helped you vent your anger, and I still ended up being complained about... fine, fine, fine." Chai Chunfang was somewhat desperate: "It's all my fault, okay. Sigh... it's all my fault. I should die... what was I doing helping you vent your anger? You owe Chai Mi for the famine years, afraid Chai Mi would talk about you, you saw Chai Mi scared like a grandson... hahaha..."

"Get out of here! I see you're good for nothing, a poor wretch!" Chai Zhongxiao roared.

The lights at the old house still hadn't come on.

Chai You De next door really had fallen asleep; as for Che Lianyun, she was awake, but only complained: "No skill at all, frying things every day at home..."

Then she glanced at Chai You De sleeping like a dead pig and kicked him: "Damn it, I've had eight lifetimes of bad luck, damn it, I liked you when I was young, you useless good-for-nothing!"

Chai You De didn't react.

As for Chai Mi's family in the back courtyard, there were no lights either.

Chai Mi was tired from the day and had long since gone to sleep.

Su Wan was also exhausted; anyone who's coaxed a child knows this work is especially tiring. So she fell asleep too...

As for Chai Xiu, she didn't come home at all.

And after Chai Youqing came back, since in the evening he was at the same table as the Xiangli Chief and others, drinking some wine, he couldn't hold his liquor, and his snoring shook the heavens...

Late at night, it was quiet to a frightening degree.

Chai Chunfang and Chai Zhongxiao quarreled irreconcilably, both blaming each other, and almost came to blows.

Money—Chai Zhongxiao definitely didn't have any, and couldn't possibly produce any.

Chai Chunfang also couldn't possibly pay compensation, but she was actually afraid inside, afraid that tomorrow morning that group of people would go report her.

Chai Chunfang now had only one hope left: go to her younger sister Chai Chunwei and try to borrow some money or have her help smooth things over.

Chai Chunwei had studied and lived in the city. As mentioned before, after graduating Chai Chunwei became a small clerk; her husband Xing Yanfeng drove for a court leader, was the leader's relative... driver.

Chai Chunfang thought that through this connection, maybe she could suppress this matter.

Among the three sisters, Chai Chunfang actually had the most say, so she told her mother Wang Huirong to see if this could work...

So she got the phone number of her younger sister's workplace, waiting for dawn to call her younger sister...

The night was tormenting.

But, soon.

Dawn broke.

Just as work began in the morning, Liu Xuejun of the County Investment Promotion Office rushed out anxiously; he finally received accurate information: Zhou Fang, who came to Ke County to prepare an investment, would go to a friend's house to give gift money today.

You have to know, in this era everything was just starting out, everything was crossing the river by feeling the stones.

Especially a remote northern county town like Ke County, a place with no industry, no supporting facilities, no resources, and no connections—trying to attract investment was harder than ascending to heaven.

The North's Reform and Opening-up started later than the South's to begin with, plus the location was especially remote; most of the county was hilly terrain, transportation was poor, it was far from the sea, and the population wasn't very dense, so it was even poorer than other places in the North.

In terms of advantages, Ke County was all disadvantages compared to other places, leaving no way out, which became its only advantage.

But for the Investment Promotion Office, it was truly too difficult. After great effort they had negotiated an investment to build a factory with the Zhou Family, but after waiting half a month, they couldn't even find the people...

How could they not be anxious?

"Secretary Wang, have you found out clearly?" Liu Xuejun directly got into the only jeep at the County Investment Promotion Office—an eighth-hand Alto bought from the second-hand car market.

"Leader, I've found out clearly. Zhou Fang is from Sanjiacun; today he's going to give gift money at a friend named Chai Mi's house." Secretary Wang truly deserved the title of secretary—not only could he say one thing, but he could do two: "And Leader, I've looked into this Chai Mi family's connections. Chai Mi's aunt Chai Chunwei is a clerk at a certain unit in our city, with a staffing quota. After that, her aunt's husband is a driver at our city's court."

Secretary Wang said while handing a stack of materials to Liu Xuejun: "Leader, this is the information."

Liu Xuejun looked at it, pondered for a moment, and then had a way to deal with it.

"Drive, first go to the city, pick up Chai Mi's aunt and aunt's husband. Chai Chunwei and Geng Yanfeng are people with staffing quotas; later I'll explain the situation to their leaders, and it just happens to be on the way to drive them back to give gift money."

"Okay, Leader."

The car was fast; originally a two-hour drive, it arrived in just one hour.

After Secretary Wang got out of the car, he went straight to the city's reception office; after finishing the procedures, things quickly went through layers, and he found Chai Chunwei.

Chai Chunwei was at work...

Secretary Wang, upon receiving this news, was somewhat bewildered: her own brother's family had a matter, but she didn't take leave to go back?

Secretary Wang went in and explained the purpose of the visit to Chai Chunwei, but Chai Chunwei said she couldn't get leave, had to work hard, and couldn't go back...

Afterwards Secretary Wang directly handed the introduction letter to Chai Chunwei's leader and secured leave for her; only then did it work out.

Afterwards Secretary Wang also picked up Geng Yanfeng.

The car set off, heading straight for Chai Mi's home.

Liu Xuejun also came up from the countryside; he wasn't some unworldly immortal. At a glance he saw that Chai Chunwei and her husband and Chai Mi's family were not very harmonious.

"Comrade Chai Chunwei, it's like this. For our hometown's investment promotion, every person from Ke County should contribute labor and effort... and I heard Comrade Geng Yanfeng is also a driver; I happen to need a driver too. Just now I had Geng Yanfeng's file transferred back to the county; from now on he'll drive for me, at triple his current salary."

Upon hearing this, Geng Yanfeng instantly got all worked up; he nearly kicked Secretary Wang out and drove off himself, but still insisted strongly: "Secretary Wang, you need some self-awareness. You're just a secretary; I'm the leader's driver..."

Secretary Wang: "Uh... wasn't he the one unwilling to go just now? This person changes face really fast..."

And in the township where Sanjiacun is located, Township Head Huang likewise received notice: the main leaders from the County Investment Promotion Office are going to Sanjiacun today... to give gift money.

Yes, the news was very clear.

The leaders are indeed going to give gift money...

Township Head Huang was a bit dumbfounded, but his instinct told him leaders wouldn't act without reason; leaders giving gift money must mean there's important work to do.

Afterwards Township Head Huang called Liu Zhanggui to ask about the situation.

Liu Zhanggui was even more dumbfounded...

Before eight in the morning, Chai Mi's place was already bustling with excitement.

All because of one piece of news: township leaders and county leaders are coming to Chai Mi's home... to give gift money.

Moreover, the village isn't big, but the megaphone is loud...

In no time, the whole village knew.

Chai Mi sat at home, and good fortune fell from the sky.

"What's up? The Township Head is coming to my house to give gift money?" Chai Mi frowned in puzzlement: "Xiangli Chief, I don't even know the Township Head... why would he come to my house to give gift money? Our family doesn't have any relatives that high up."

Chai Mi was practically the last person to hear the news.

In the morning she got up and was busy cooking; but this morning there were too many hardworking people — over a hundred, not to mention each one uncommonly diligent. They not only swept the courtyard clean, but even the street outside Chai Mi's home was swept spotless...

Only afterwards did Chai Mi hear from Liu Zhanggui that someone from the township was coming.

"Chai Mi, don't be modest; this thing can't be fake. The township called me..." Liu Zhanggui smoked especially frequently today, and he looked especially melancholy: "Chai Mi, what kind of meal should we arrange for them?"

"This thing is eighty percent unreliable. And even if it's real, leaders can't eat at our house." Chai Mi was also a bit dumbfounded, but she was very sure leaders wouldn't eat a meal there.

"Mainly, I only prepared a few tables; I didn't account for anyone else. Even if they want to eat, there's nothing..."

"Hahahaha." Song Qiushui at the side was overjoyed: "Aiya, Chai Mi, you've struck it rich. They give gift money but don't eat — that's damn good. If this happened to me, I'd be happy enough to wake up laughing in my dreams."

"You're something else. Gift money is a debt of human relations; when the time comes, whoever came, don't you have to pay it back?" Chai Mi didn't think this was taking advantage.

Rural gift-giving emphasizes reciprocity.

Within one village, I come to your house to give gift money, then later it all has to be returned.

The essence of gift money is that in the past life was hard; one family couldn't scrape together enough money to host a banquet, so relatives and friends gave gift money to help out, host a banquet, make it lively.

Liu Zhanggui said a few sentences and went out to the village to greet the guests...

Song Qiushui leaned up to Chai Mi and said: "Tsk tsk tsk, you've made it big. I said you were something..."

"Alright alright. This thing definitely has some misunderstanding in the middle that we don't know about." Chai Mi sighed: "A pie falling from the sky — could it hit me? I don't really believe it."

Because the news spread especially fast.

Today's Chai Mi home was especially... magical.

Chai Zhongxiao was dressed like a model worker, clean and standing at attention; Wang Huirong even dug out the red clothes she wore when going out...

However, Wang Huirong's "going out" was thirty or forty years ago, so she actually wore a cheongsam...

Song Qiushui gestured at Chai Zhongxiao and Wang Huirong walking in from outside the courtyard, face full of shock: "Holy shit! Chai Mi, your grandpa and grandma are here."

Then added: "These two are fucking sick in the head. What the hell is your grandma wearing, looking like a demon... she's sixty-something, wearing a cheongsam? Has she gone mad? Chai Mi, did your Old Aunt come back yesterday and drive the old man and old lady crazy? Their getup is somewhat indecorous."

Chai Mi gave Song Qiushui a sidelong glance — wearing denim, big sunglasses, hair a bit curly: "Forget it. The old man and old lady are indeed a bit indecorous, but nowhere near as bizarre as Song Qiushui's getup!"

A spiritual little sister actually thinks the old folks' clothes are bizarre — that's a Sanjiacun oddity too.

"You still don't know my grandpa? Climbing the ladder by attaching to the powerful, shimmying up the pole is his specialty. He's the type who salutes when he sees the Xiangli Chief; with township leaders coming, how could he not come?"

"Hehe, I should get your grandma some lipstick, give her big red lips..." Song Qiushui laughed: "That'd make her look even more like a ghost."

As the two were talking, Chai Zhongxiao arrived before Chai Mi, attitude extremely exaggerated: "Aiya... let me go in and see my big granddaughter... I think of this granddaughter of mine, even in my dreams I want to see her..."

Chai Mi:???

Song Qiushui:!!!

Chai Mi wasn't too angry: "Grandpa, you this..."

Don't be this outrageous, okay?!

"Whether you miss your big granddaughter isn't important. What's important is, that two thousand yuan you owe me — what do we do?"

Chai Zhongxiao let out an "Ah" and instantly froze: "This..."

Chai Zhongxiao has no money, not a single cent.

"Chai Mi, look at you. On this big happy day, how come you only think of money? Me and your grandpa owe you a bit of money, why won't you let it go? Autumn hasn't even arrived yet; the crops aren't ripe, where would money come from... wait till autumn, sell the grain and give it to you."

"Last time you said three days, result was half a month with no payment. I don't believe you." Chai Mi directly refused: "Grandpa, don't say I don't care about face; repaying debts is only right and proper."

Chai Zhongxiao and Wang Huirong, who were happy as can be just now, instantly wilted.

Now the two of them see Chai Mi like chicks seeing a hawk — not a shred of temper.

"How about this... autumn isn't impossible either." Chai Mi smiled: "But I have a condition."

"You say..."

"That plot of land at our Chai Family Ci Tang was passed down by my Lao Taye. The ancestral hall has already been smashed, it's long since been no good. I've been thinking, later I want to renovate the ancestral hall. So, I'll just take over that ancestral hall, how about it?"

"Ah..." Chai Zhongxiao was completely dumbfounded: there's actually such a good thing: "Alright then... you go ahead and take it over. I promised... that money..."

"We'll talk after the autumn harvest." Chai Mi smiled radiantly: "Grandpa, come inside to sign and press fingerprint... words alone are no proof, a fingerprint serves as evidence."