Chapter 59

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Niu Chunsheng discovered that Li Xiulan had actually moved the convenience store back to her own home, and he knew things weren't simple. After detailed questioning, he learned that because Li Xiulan refused to sign the demolition agreement, Liang Yuanchao used the village entrance convenience store as leverage. Li Xiulan's temper was very stubborn; she refused to back down, and in the end could only move the store back to her own home.

Regarding this, Niu Chunsheng felt sympathy for Li Xiulan, but also found it very incomprehensible.

"Sister-in-law Xiulan, why are you unwilling to sign the demolition agreement? As far as I understand, this demolition compensation plan is already quite good — it compensates you with money, and also allocates you a piece of homestead land, and the compensation money is enough for you to build a new tile-roofed house."

Li Xiulan just said: "Who knows if this contract might be faked? If I sign the contract, the house gets demolished, but I don't receive the money, wouldn't I become the unfair burden? Liang Yuanchao deceived me last time, making me lose ten acres of cassava field for nothing!"

Li Xiulan had always been nitpicking about this matter; Niu Chunsheng heard these words and only then knew the cause of this conflict.

"Sister-in-law Xiulan, the demolition agreement is uniformly stamped by the town government, and the money is also uniformly allocated by the town government. Liang Yuanchao is just a small village cadre; he can't possibly fake it."

Niu Chunsheng persuaded with all his might, hoping Li Xiulan could be reasonable.

But Li Xiulan instead said:

"Chunsheng, no need to persuade me. I'm now even more impossible to agree to demolition. Now the village entrance convenience store no longer belongs to me; if I agree to demolition, how would I still live?"

Niu Chunsheng could only sigh at this. If standing from Li Xiulan's angle to view this matter, now Liang Yuanchao has taken back the village entrance convenience store and transferred it to someone else — this has already blocked Li Xiulan's way out, indeed making this matter even more without room for recovery.

"Sister-in-law Xiulan, I'll help you go talk to Liang Yuanchao, see if we can get the convenience store back!"

Niu Chunsheng turned to leave, but Li Xiulan grabbed him:

"Chunsheng, don't go. I owe you too many favors already. This matter doesn't need your help. I must keep dragging it out with that dead liar Liang Yuanchao — I won't have it easy, and he shouldn't think he'll have it easy either!"

Li Xiulan's eyes carried resentment and grievance.

Niu Chunsheng saw her reveal a resentful-woman-like expression; his heart was very surprised. He felt the Li Xiulan before him was no longer that once gentle, kind, and considerate Li Xiulan.

Life's storms, ultimately, still ground away the shining points on her, to the point that now she wasn't much different from other rural shrews.

"Sister-in-law Xiulan, wait for my good news. This matter I must go handle!"

Niu Chunsheng broke free from Li Xiulan's grip on his hand and hurriedly ran toward the village committee office.

Li Xiulan wanted to stop him but couldn't.

She watched Niu Chunsheng's back as he ran about for her, and couldn't help being moved in her heart.

Her heart involuntarily compared Niu Chunsheng with her own husband Wang Zhanggen.

If one says Niu Chunsheng is a beam of light shining into her heart, then Wang Zhanggen is a scar in her heart.

This scar can't be wiped away, can't be peeled off; it just keeps tormenting her like this.

"Village Secretary, how can you transfer the village entrance convenience store to someone else? No wonder Li Xiulan disagrees with demolition — you doing this is too unscrupulous!"

Niu Chunsheng entered the village committee office and immediately questioned Liang Yuanchao, expressing dissatisfaction.

"Chunsheng, don't listen to Li Xiulan's one-sided words!"

Liang Yuanchao knew Niu Chunsheng had definitely already gone to find Li Xiulan, which was why he came to confront him.

So he hurriedly explained:

"It's Li Xiulan who refuses to sign the demolition agreement no matter what. I really had no choice, so I thought to use the village entrance convenience store as leverage. Originally I thought, as long as I told her I'd take back the village entrance convenience store, she'd get scared and soften up, then I'd take a step back, she'd take a step back, and everyone would be happy. Actually I never thought about really taking back the convenience store at all, but I didn't expect her temper to be this fierce. I only went and mentioned it to her, and that very night she moved all the things in the convenience store back to her own home, not giving me any room to negotiate at all. What else could I do? I could only rent the convenience store to someone else."

Niu Chunsheng heard Liang Yuanchao's explanation and had a massive headache:

"You shouldn't have rented out the village entrance convenience store so fast. Now it's equivalent to blocking Li Xiulan's way out — she's even more impossible to agree to demolition! How am I supposed to persuade her now!"

Liang Yuanchao wore a worried frown at this.

He admitted that transferring the village entrance convenience store to Li Yunxia was indeed a decision-making mistake. He indeed shouldn't have blocked Li Xiulan's way out this early.

But now things have already become like this; he also has no way to change it.

"Then what do you say we do now?"

Liang Yuanchao's face was full of depression as he asked Niu Chunsheng for his opinion, and he also said:

"Chunsheng, you're more familiar with Li Xiulan. You understand Li Xiulan's temperament better than me. You must help me think of a solution. The Jingzhu Expressway is such a big matter — it can't be ruined because of Li Xiulan this one rat turd spoiling a whole pot of soup!"

Niu Chunsheng let out a long breath of turbid air, took out a cigarette, looking thoughtful.

Liang Yuanchao hurriedly took out a flint lighter and proactively lit it for Niu Chunsheng.

Niu Chunsheng took a long drag, heavily exhaled the smoke:

"Sister-in-law Xiulan is actually just afraid you'll deceive her. She's illiterate, doesn't understand law, doesn't understand reason. She only recognizes what she recognizes. So the only solution to this problem is probably to pay her the demolition compensation in advance."

Liang Yuanchao heard these words and immediately became unhappy:

"How can that work? Three thousand yuan isn't a small sum. I can't take it out! Besides, even if I could take it out, if other villagers find out Li Xiulan got the demolition money first, they'll follow suit and come demand demolition money from me. How would I respond? I can't possibly advance demolition money for every villager, right?"

Niu Chunsheng understood Liang Yuanchao's concerns. This rule indeed can't be broken. If the rule is broken, everyone will think Li Xiulan got benefits by making a scene, and they'll also make scenes.

Many people in the village are like Li Xiulan — not much education, don't understand reason or law. Seeing someone else get an advantage, they also want to get an advantage.

"How about this: another day I'll call Sister-in-law Xiulan to the town. At that time I'll mediate in the middle. We'll give Sister-in-law Xiulan the demolition money first, then have her keep it secret. As long as she doesn't go around blabbing, other villagers shouldn't find out, and won't come trouble you. What do you think?"

Niu Chunsheng finally gave this solution.

Liang Yuanchao instead revealed a bitter smile, then weakly said:

"Chunsheng, your solution is good, but... this money advanced to Li Xiulan, can you help me pay it? You also know my village cadre salary is very low, not much savings, and I have a body full of ailments. Medicine every month costs quite a bit. You're different — you run a shop in town, business is so good. Helping me advance these three thousand yuan isn't really any difficult matter..."

Niu Chunsheng heard Liang Yuanchao's words and finally understood.

Liang Yuanchao just doesn't want to use his own money to advance to Li Xiulan.

He wants Niu Chunsheng to help advance this sum of money — that's why he sought Niu Chunsheng to mediate.