Chapter 67: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 67

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Zhanggen never would have imagined that the project Lin Dajun had taken on was actually his own family's project!

He knew Li Xiulan's savings situation all too well; with just the few coins in Li Xiulan's pocket, it would be hard to even build a single-story building, yet now she actually wanted to construct a large two-story bungalow!

This was simply too absurd!

If they ran out of money halfway through construction, wouldn't that mean the project would be left unfinished?

So that afternoon, after Wang Zhanggen parted ways with Lin Dajun, Liu Xiaoli, Zhou Hongwei, and the others, he returned to his small rental house in town and immediately used his Nokia mobile phone to make a call back home.

He called the Village Entrance Convenience Store's phone, and Li Yunxia answered.

"Hello, who is this?"

Wang Zhanggen replied truthfully:

"I'm Wang Zhanggen, where's my wife?"

At this time Wang Zhanggen still didn't know the Village Entrance Convenience Store had already been transferred to Li Yunxia; he still thought the Village Entrance Convenience Store belonged to Li Xiulan, because Li Xiulan simply hadn't told him about this matter.

In the past when Li Xiulan complained of hardship to him, he was always very impatient, not only failing to understand Li Xiulan but even verbally insulting her in various ways; over time Li Xiulan became unwilling to take the initiative to tell him about the family situation.

"Wait a moment, she should be at home, I'll go call her over for you."

Li Yunxia said this.

Wang Zhanggen was slightly stunned, and casually asked:

"Why isn't she at the store minding it at this hour? Why did she have you mind the store? Are you an employee she hired?"

Li Yunxia smiled:

"This store is mine now; her store moved back to her own home."

"What?? How could this be?" Wang Zhanggen's face was full of surprise, and he still wanted to continue pressing for what exactly was going on.

But Li Yunxia said:

"I'm hanging up first; in a bit I'll have your wife call you back. Whatever you want to ask, ask her directly; don't come asking me, lest she blame me for speaking out of turn again!"

Having said that, Li Yunxia hung up the phone.

Then she ran to Li Xiuyun's home.

"Sister-in-law Xiuyun, your husband called back!"

At this time Li Xiuyun was at home teaching Wang Xiaohua to study; the business at this convenience store at home was cold and cheerless, only ten-odd yuan in turnover a day, worlds apart from the Village Entrance Convenience Store's turnover.

But Li Xiuyun had already settled her mindset; she devoted more of her energy to taking care of the child; as long as the store could barely make a living, that was fine.

"He actually took the initiative to call back? The sun really must have risen from the west! What did he call back for?"

Upon hearing that Wang Zhanggen had taken the initiative to call back, Li Xiulan immediately found it somewhat inconceivable, because in recent years Wang Zhanggen had very rarely taken the initiative to call home.

He had already transformed from the once honest, family-oriented man into an utter scumbag.

"How would I know? You go ask him yourself!"

Li Yunxia said this, turned around, and left.

Li Xiuyun had Wang Xiaohua practice writing characters at home by herself, then hurriedly followed after.

The two quickly arrived at the Village Entrance Convenience Store.

Li Yunxia continued doing her business, while Li Xiulan dialed Wang Zhanggen's phone number and called back again.

"Hello, what do you want with me?"

The call had just connected when Li Xiulan coldly asked this.

She no longer hoped to get any care from Wang Zhanggen, so now she treated Wang Zhanggen even more coldly than a stranger.

"You actually moved the convenience store back home?"

Wang Zhanggen didn't answer Li Xiulan's words, but opened his mouth with a hectoring tone to interrogate.

"So what if I did? It's none of your business!"

Since Wang Zhanggen opened with this attitude, Li Xiulan naturally wouldn't give Wang Zhanggen a good face either.

"Are you sick! The Village Entrance Convenience Store has such a good location, why would you move away?"

Wang Zhanggen asked irritably.

"What does it have to do with you? I'll move if I want to move! Stop the nonsense, hurry up and speak, what's the matter!"

Li Xiulan directly retorted back.

Wang Zhanggen was angered half to death.

He felt Li Xiulan's brain must have gotten water in it.

"I'm asking you, are you planning to build a large two-story Western-style house?"

Wang Zhanggen hadn't forgotten the purpose of his call back.

The convenience store matter was a small matter; building a house was a big matter.

If Li Xiulan were really allowed to act recklessly, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"That's right, two stories, floor area one hundred square meters, I've already set the start date with a good construction crew; ground breaks in seven days!"

Li Xiulan said truthfully.

She didn't want to conceal this matter from Wang Zhanggen, because if the money wasn't enough later, she would still have to count on Wang Zhanggen sending money back.

"Looks like you're really fucking sick!" Wang Zhanggen swore again, and flew into a towering rage, "Li Xiulan, you don't even weigh your own capabilities, yet you dare build such a huge house! Do you know how much money it takes to build such a huge house? And how much money do you have in your pocket?"

Li Xiulan let out a cold laugh:

"Wang Zhanggen, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You just don't want to spend money, right? Well, the less you want to spend, the more I'll make you spend! I won't let the money you earn be spent on other women! I know perfectly well how much it costs to build such a big house — just labor plus material costs, it's estimated at thirty to forty thousand! I admit I don't have that much right now, I only have ten thousand plus in savings, but I insist on building it this big. Didn't you agree before to send money back? If you don't, then just wait for it to stall unfinished, just wait for the whole village to laugh at our family!"

Li Xiulan knew very well that Wang Zhanggen cared most about face; she didn't believe Wang Zhanggen would let this building stall, and even less did she believe Wang Zhanggen could endure the outcome of becoming the laughingstock of the whole village!

So she was certain that when the money ran short later, Wang Zhanggen would definitely send money back no matter what!

However, she had not factored in Wang Zhanggen's ability to earn money!

"Big Sis! Are you deliberately trying to kill me! With just over ten thousand in savings you dare build such a big house! Who gave you the courage!"

Wang Zhanggen was jumping with anxiety; he was truly about to explode with anger at Li Xiulan's reckless, stubborn behavior.

"Let me tell you, thirty to forty thousand is just the shell cost. Renovation is needed afterward! If you count renovation, it's at least sixty to seventy thousand! I only earn four to five hundred a month in salary — where am I supposed to earn that much money! Even if I trade my life for it, I can't get that much!"

Li Xiulan paid no heed and just said coldly:

"Anyway, I've already agreed with the Construction Team — breaking ground in seven days. If you don't bring money back, I won't force you. Worst case, when funds run short, it stalls. I don't mind living in a stalled building. After all, it's your Wang Zhanggen's face that's lost, not mine."

Finished speaking, Li Xiulan directly hung up Wang Zhanggen's phone.

Not giving Wang Zhanggen a chance to speak.

This made Wang Zhanggen so angry he nearly smashed his phone on the spot.

But when he raised the phone high, he suddenly realized this Nokia Mobile Phone cost him several thousand yuan to buy, and he was reluctant to smash such an expensive phone.

So in the end he gently placed the phone down, and instead slammed a heavy fist onto the tabletop.

"Bang!"

Everything on the tabletop trembled violently.

"Li Xiulan, you're deliberately trying to anger me to death!"

Wang Zhanggen screamed like a madman.

He was truly about to collapse.