Chapter 119: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 119

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Li Xiulan and Wang Zhanggen returned from the Jizhen and discovered Zhang Zhongtian leading several excavators rumbling into the village.

Shanggou Village's demolition had begun.

A large swath of old houses collapsed with a boom under the excavators' iron claws, kicking up billowing dust and turning into ruins.

The villagers all came over to watch; as the houses fell, they rushed forward to scavenge scrap — whether wood, waste wire, or tiles, anything usable, burnable, or sellable for money was carried off.

Li Xiulan's old house was also slated for demolition.

Zhang Zhongtian knew Li Xiulan was the hardest to deal with, so before demolishing he specially came over to give her a heads-up.

By now Li Xiulan's whole family had already moved into the new house to live, the old house was already emptied out, so she naturally agreed readily.

The demolition work proceeded very smoothly.

Because earlier Zhang Zhongtian had already done the groundwork with every household.

So in just one day, all houses needing demolition were leveled to the ground.

The Town Government Office learned of this situation and was very satisfied with Zhang Zhongtian's performance.

One must admit, Zhang Zhongtian is indeed capable.

Although during the demolition process he pocketed quite a sum — originally the Town Government had allocated over five thousand for demolition funds — he hired five excavators to come demolish together, one excavator costing 150 yuan a day, and in one day leveled all houses to be demolished.

That is to say he spent only 750 yuan total.

Of the remaining four thousand two hundred fifty yuan, one thousand went into his own pocket, one thousand was split among the other Village Committee staff, and the other two thousand plus he took to the Town Government side to grease various connections.

Judging by the result, it could be called a win-win for all.

The villagers were satisfied, the Village Committee was satisfied, the Town Government staff were also satisfied.

But when Liang Yuanchao learned of this matter, his brows furrowed, somewhat displeased.

"This Zhang Zhongtian, he actually dares to embezzle this much money — his guts are truly too big!"

He sat in the courtyard, waving a palm-leaf fan, and said this sentence indignantly.

Liang Yuanchao was by now long idle at home; currently he was merely an ordinary villager of Shanggou Village.

When he previously served as Village Committee Secretary, he never took a single cent from the Village Committee; who would have thought Zhang Zhongtian would now brazenly take so much!

"Why do you care so much? If people can take it, that's their ability!"

Liang Yuanchao's wife Zhou Aidi was hanging clothes nearby and coldly said this sentence.

"What do you mean it's his ability? If he weren't Village Committee Secretary, could he have taken this much money? That money should have belonged to all villagers of Shanggou Village; as a result he took it himself, and the villagers didn't get a single hair's worth of benefit!"

Liang Yuanchao felt the world's morals were truly declining; as a village official, how could he have the gall to embezzle? Everyone's from the same village, they see each other every day — isn't he afraid of being spat upon by the villagers?

"No, I have to go talk to Zhang Zhongtian; I want him to give me an explanation!"

Liang Yuanchao was very indignant; he stood up, put down the palm-leaf fan, and was about to go out.

"Where are you going? Stop meddling in other people's business!"

Zhou Aidi shouted at Liang Yuanchao's retreating back.

Liang Yuanchao, however, walked out without looking back:

"I'm making a trip to the Village Committee!"

Soon, Liang Yuanchao arrived at the Village Committee Office.

At this time Zhang Zhongtian was in the office working at his desk.

Shanggou Village's demolition work had concluded smoothly, but the Highway Construction had only just begun.

Zhang Zhongtian was now scheming, seeing if he could secure the construction rights; if he could get the construction rights, even if it was just constructing the short stretch of highway passing through Shanggou Village, he would definitely make quite a sum!

"Zhang Zhongtian, do you still have any conscience!"

The moment Liang Yuanchao entered, he opened with a tirade at Zhang Zhongtian.

Zhang Zhongtian froze, looked up and saw Liang Yuanchao had come, and immediately wore a stunned, puzzled expression:

"Lao Liang, what's going on?"

Liang Yuanchao kept a straight face:

"I heard that in this demolition you pocketed quite a sum; you'd better spit it out for me — this is the interests of all villagers, how can you privately embezzle it!"

Hearing Liang Yuanchao's direct questioning, Zhang Zhongtian instantly broke into a cold sweat, fearing villagers outside might hear.

He hurriedly went and shut the office door, then asked in a low voice:

"Lao Liang, where did you hear this news from?"

Liang Yuanchao said expressionlessly:

"Don't worry about where I heard it; do you admit to your actions or not?"

Zhang Zhongtian hurriedly defended himself:

"Lao Liang, listen to my explanation. I admit I did take some money, but I actually didn't take much, and what I took wasn't the villagers' interests — I took the relocation funds allocated by the Town Government! The Town Government allocated a total of five thousand yuan for relocation; I hired five excavators, and in one day demolished all houses to be torn down, which cost only seven hundred fifty yuan. The remaining four thousand two hundred fifty yuan — to tell the truth, even if I took it all, no one would have any opinion; and if I didn't take it, it would never fall into the villagers' hands anyway. Of that four thousand two hundred fifty, I only took one thousand, the other Village Committee staff also took one thousand, and the remaining two thousand plus was distributed to the Town Government side. I did this, and I feel there's absolutely no problem. For the demolition matter I ran around east and west, poured my heart and soul into it, spent over half a year — this one thousand yuan I deserve to earn!"

Seeing Zhang Zhongtian speak so righteously and confidently, Liang Yuanchao was instantly stunned dumb.

"This is embezzlement! Do you still have any sense of right and wrong! To actually speak of embezzlement so righteously!"

Zhang Zhongtian, however, laughed:

"Lao Liang, I know you're unconvinced — isn't it just because you didn't get any benefit? For the sake of our friendship, and since you also ran around for the demolition work before, I'll split you five hundred — that's meaningful enough, right? Stop making a fuss, okay?"

Zhang Zhongtian immediately took out five hundred yuan and shoved it into Liang Yuanchao's hand.

Liang Yuanchao stared stunned at the five hundred yuan Zhang Zhongtian handed over.

He simply could not believe that Zhang Zhongtian was actually such a person.

You have to know, back when Zhang Zhongtian was the village accountant, he was honest and straightforward, never doing this kind of lining his own pockets at public expense.

Who would have thought that now that he had become acting village committee secretary, he would actually engage in corruption so brazenly.

He could keep the money for himself, but he actually dragged other village committee staff into it too!

"Zhang Zhongtian, do you deserve those five big words 'Serve the People' posted behind you! You're only an acting village committee secretary, yet you dare do this; if you were made the real village committee secretary, wouldn't you run amok!"

Zhang Zhongtian was quite speechless at Liang Yuanchao's intense reaction:

"Old Liang, don't be so agitated. I admit I took money, but I haven't done nothing for the village either. Li Xiulan, whom you couldn't handle before, I handled here. You need to be flexible, not so rigid!"

Liang Yuanchao said coldly:

"I absolutely will not let you become the village committee secretary of Shanggou Village, will not let you bring disaster to Shanggou Village!"

Zhang Zhongtian couldn't help but sneer:

"How do you plan to stop me?"

Liang Yuanchao said coldly:

"I will run for election again!"

Liang Yuanchao thought that, with his qualifications, as long as he ran, the villagers of Shanggou Village would definitely give him face.

Zhang Zhongtian, however, did not agree:

"I'm afraid it's already too late. The election is next month. I've already gone door to door to greet them, and they will all vote for me then."