Chapter 65

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

After hearing Li Yunxia and the other villagers fan the flames, Zhou Aidi's expression couldn't help but turn flustered.

"It's not at all what you think! Don't you go spouting nonsense!"

Zhou Aidi was naturally more willing to believe her own husband, because Liang Yuanchao had already explained the ins and outs to her.

However, right then, a single sentence from Li Yunxia plunged her into deep suspicion once more:

"I just went to Li Xiulan's house and saw Village Secretary Liang there too, and the moment I arrived, he and Li Xiulan were acting all furtive and sneaky!"

Zhou Aidi's heart gave a start, and a thought involuntarily rose in her mind:

Could it be that Liang Yuanchao deceived her?

If he wanted to cover up the unclear relationship between himself and Li Xiulan, fabricating some lies to deceive her wasn't impossible!

"Li Yunxia, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Just then, Liang Yuanchao strode in, brimming with rage.

He never would have thought that the moment he returned home, he would run into Li Yunxia leading a crowd of villagers to fan the flames.

Speaking recklessly without evidence is simply going too far!

"Village Secretary Liang, you have to make things clear to us — did you give Li Xiulan the demolition compensation in advance?"

A villager put forth this question at this moment.

They cared even more about the demolition compensation matter.

Everyone wants to get their hands on that sum of money as soon as possible!

So if Li Xiuyun has gotten the demolition compensation now, then they also have to get the demolition compensation right now!

"Liang Yuanchao, you hurry up and explain clearly, what exactly is going on? Why did you run off to Li Xiulan's house again!"

Even Zhou Aidi, at this time, no longer trusted Liang Yuanchao so much; she wore a dark expression, staring fixedly at Liang Yuanchao.

Liang Yuanchao felt a splitting headache.

He knew he could no longer conceal it; if he didn't give these villagers who had come demanding an explanation an accounting, his marriage to Zhou Aidi would certainly be affected by the rumors and gossip, and might even rupture!

So in the end he could only heave a sigh and confess everything:

"I indeed paid Li Xiulan the demolition compensation in advance. If I didn't pay her in advance, she flat-out refused to agree to the demolition! As for you saying I have something going on with her, that is pure, baseless slander!"

"Then what did you go to her house for today?" Zhou Aidi pressed.

"She leaked the news, angered me half to death, so I wanted to go find her and demand an explanation, but ended up being caught in the act by Li Yunxia!"

Liang Yuanchao told everything truthfully.

Then he said to Zhou Aidi:

"I'm your husband, how can you not believe me, yet go believe an outsider's village gossip!"

Zhou Aidi was speechless for a moment.

Li Yunxia spoke up at this time:

"Village Secretary Liang, that's really not honorable of you, giving Li Xiulan the demolition compensation in advance while we have to wait a year or half a year to get ours!"

Liang Yuanchao hurriedly said:

"Wasn't it because Li Xiulan is too stubborn, refusing to sign first and get paid later even if beaten to death? I was forced into a corner and had no choice but to compromise!"

"Oh! So that's how it is! The crying child gets the milk, and us simple, honest villagers are just supposed to starve?" Li Yunxia spoke with sarcastic irony, then added: "We don't care about all that; since Li Xiulan got the demolition compensation, we have to get it too! She's in urgent need of money, and we're in urgent need of money too!"

The villagers behind her chimed in agreement:

"Right right right, everyone's a poor person, who isn't in urgent need of money?"

Liang Yuanchao was pressed by a crowd of villagers demanding the demolition compensation; this was tantamount to roasting him over a fire.

"Can't you stop making unreasonable trouble like Li Xiulan! I've devoted myself wholeheartedly to Shanggou Village for so many years, can't you show a little understanding? It's not like I'm not giving you the demolition compensation! I guarantee, as soon as the Town Government approves it, I'll get the money into your hands at the first possible moment!"

But Li Yunxia said:

"What good is your guarantee? Who knows when the Town Government will actually approve it? It might take several years for all we know! Anyway, you can't give Li Xiulan the demolition compensation yet not give it to us — that's unfair, everyone say, am I right?"

"Right right right, exactly, exactly! Everyone's a villager of Shanggou Village, we should be treated equally, how can you let Li Xiulan get special treatment?"

For a moment public sentiment was boiling, and Liang Yuanchao was overwhelmed.

"To hell with this, I quit!"

In the end Liang Yuanchao flung his sleeve fiercely!

"I'm not doing this Village Committee Secretary job anymore; you want demolition compensation, go ask the Town Government! Don't come bother me! Satisfied now?"

Liang Yuanchao finally threw in the towel and quit.

Li Yunxia and the whole crowd of villagers were all stunned, dumbfounded.

Even Zhou Aidi was quite surprised.

The noisy clamor at the scene came to an abrupt halt, turning deathly quiet.

"I announce that from today onward I'm no longer the Village Committee Secretary. If you have any matters, you can go to the Village Committee Office and find someone else to report to, or go directly to the Town Government to report — all of you, get out of here, don't come to my house to make trouble!"

Liang Yuanchao had also lost his temper.

He had poured his heart and soul into Shanggou Village for so many years, never seeking anything in return, yet never imagined it would end with this result — it truly chilled his heart.

So in a fit of anger he decided to resign.

"Out out out, all of you get out!"

Liang Yuanchao directly issued an expulsion order.

Since he was no longer the Village Committee Secretary, there was no need to give those troublemaking villagers any face anymore.

Li Yunxia ended up getting nothing out of it, and could only leave resentfully along with the other villagers.

"You're really not doing it anymore?"

After the other villagers had left, only Liang Yuanchao and Zhou Aidi remained in the room, and Zhou Aidi asked in disbelief, her face full of unwillingness to believe it.

"I really am not doing it anymore. I'll submit my resignation letter tomorrow!"

Liang Yuanchao pulled a long face,

"This trash village cadre, earning less than a hundred yuan a month in salary, not only has to work like an ox and a horse for them, but also brings upon himself the hatred of thousands and tens of thousands, and now it's even affecting our marital relationship. I really can't take it anymore!"

After saying this, Liang Yuanchao turned around and went back to the room.

Zhou Aidi couldn't help but feel guilty; only now did she realize how much pressure her husband, the Village Party Secretary, had been carrying.

She hurried into the room to comfort Liang Yuanchao, who was lying on the bed sulking:

"If you don't do it, then don't do it. No matter what, I support you. Before, I suspected you and Li Xiulan were having an affair—that was my fault; I thought too much."

"I don't blame you. If anyone's to blame, blame those dog things at the village entrance spreading rumors everywhere, especially Li Yunxia. I really shouldn't have rented the Village Entrance Convenience Store to her in the first place!"

Liang Yuanchao was still angry.

Zhou Aidi gently patted his back:

"But if you're not the Village Committee Secretary anymore, what else can you do?"

Liang Yuanchao said:

"Farming a few acres of land is better than being the Village Committee Secretary!"

The next day, Liang Yuanchao really did go to the Village Committee Office to submit his resignation.

Zhang Zhongtian, the Village Accountant, upon learning that Liang Yuanchao wanted to resign, immediately looked surprised:

"Old Liang, things were going well, why do you suddenly want to resign?"

Liang Yuanchao gave a dry laugh:

"What the hell is 'going well'? Working hard for nothing! I worked with all my heart and effort, and in the end, I only got a mouthful of feces and urine! Whoever wants to do it can do it; anyway, I'm not doing it anymore!"

Having said that, Liang Yuanchao put down his resignation letter, turned around, and left.

Only Zhang Zhongtian was left standing there, dumbfounded and stunned.