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“Sure, no problem. We will proceed according to this blueprint, and here is the payment of eighty taels of silver, along with the construction agreement,” Wang Jinhe said as she presented the silver notes and the contract she had prepared.
The construction agreement was a customary practice during house construction, so the builders didn’t feel offended by Wang Jinhe’s approach. On the contrary, they were pleased that it would help avoid unnecessary troubles, which was highly beneficial during the construction process.
“I will start preparing as soon as I return today. We will choose an auspicious day for the groundbreaking, which should be in about two weeks. We will inform you when the time comes,” the builder replied. Selecting an auspicious day for the start of construction was an important tradition, and the builder took it seriously.
“Thank you for your assistance, Sir,” Wang Jinhe expressed her gratitude. Grandpa Wang and the rest of the family observed with delight as Wang Jinhe interacted confidently with the builder. She was truly their pride and joy.
“You’re welcome,” the builder replied after discussing some details with Wang Jinhe and her family. He then left their home to arrange for bricks, tiles, and labor.
Ten days later, carts filled with bricks and tiles arrived at Wang Jinhe’s house, and that was when the villagers discovered that she was planning to build a house. The sight of these materials being transported stirred envy among the villagers.
With so many bricks and tiles, they wondered just how big of a house Wang Jinhe intended to build to require such a quantity.
Upon hearing the news of Wang Jinhe’s house construction, Xie Gui suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with anger. “That wretched Wang Jinhe! She ruined my chance to marry and have a son. I won’t let her off the hook.”
Xie Gui’s mother glanced at her son and furrowed her brows. “Didn’t I tell you to be more careful? How did you allow someone to find out? Now look, without Song Rou and her family’s support, how are we supposed to make a living?”
Xie Gui felt agitated. “What can I do if I encounter her in town? Mother, Xiao Tao is pregnant. She recently asked me to marry her. You need to come up with a solution for me quickly.”
Upon hearing that Xiao Tao was pregnant, Xie Gui’s mother became ecstatic and didn’t know what to say. “Really? Is she truly pregnant? If that’s the case, our family won’t care about that child from Song Rou’s family. Who knows, it might be a liability.”
Xie Gui nodded in agreement. “Mother, you’re right. But do we still have money?”
Xie Gui’s mother proudly replied, “Do you think your mother is that foolish? Over the years, I haven’t hesitated to take money from Song Rou’s hands. And once I got it, I saved it up. We have quite a sum now.”
“You’re truly amazing, Mother.”
Xie Gui’s mother looked at her son. “Son, let me make it clear to you in advance. You can let Xiao Tao enter our family, but you two shouldn’t use up too much of the money I’ve saved. We need it for raising the child and supporting our family’s livelihood. We can’t be extravagant like before, understand?”
“I understand, Mother.” Xie Gui had previously spent money lavishly on indulgences, but it was all from Song Rou. Since it wasn’t their own money, he didn’t feel any remorse.
“Mother, I’ll leave this matter to you. I’ll go find Second Uncle. We can’t let that despicable Wang Jinhe’s family build a house. If it weren’t for her, how could Song Rou dare to separate from me?” Xie Gui completely ignored any faults on his part and instead blamed Wang Jinhe for ruining his affairs.
Xie Gui’s mother nodded in agreement. “Son, you’re right. It is indeed that despicable Wang Jinhe’s fault. You should go and talk to your Second Uncle.”
Xie Gui hurriedly went out and found the village chief.
“Second Uncle, you have to help me vent my anger!” Xie Gui started to complain as soon as he found the village chief.
“What happened?” The village chief was somewhat impatient with his nephew.
Song Rou was such a good girl, and he had managed to ruin it all. He felt embarrassed and ashamed of himself.
“Wang Jinhe’s family is building a house, right? I was thinking, Uncle Er, can you stop them from building it?” Xie Gui directly stated his intention.
Upon hearing that it was related to Wang Jinhe’s family, the village chief’s expression became serious, and he looked at Xie Gui with disapproval in his eyes. “I can’t help you with this matter.”
“What? Why can’t you help?” Xie Gui gritted his teeth and asked unwillingly.
“Because Wang Jinhe’s family, although they live within the boundaries of our Xie family village, they are not part of our Xie family village,” the village chief explained. “It was the county magistrate who arranged for them to come here, and the county magistrate specifically instructed us to take good care of their family. If you want me to cause trouble for them, and if their family goes to the county magistrate, what will happen to my position as the village chief?”
The village chief looked at Xie Gui angrily and said, “You are causing trouble for me.”
“Second Uncle…”
“Don’t call me Second Uncle, and don’t come to me for your matters anymore,” the village chief said directly, his words leaving Xie Gui unable to accept them.
“What are you doing, Second Uncle? Isn’t it just dealing with the Wang family? If you don’t want to help, then don’t help. Do you have to sever ties with us like this?” Xie Gui looked at the village chief with dissatisfaction and expressed his discontent.
He felt that the village chief didn’t want to help him at all, not just because of this particular matter.
“Do you still think that you’re right and I’m wrong?” The village chief’s words made him laugh out of anger, and he trembled as he pointed his finger at Xie Gui and spoke angrily.
“Who said you were wrong? I just think that you don’t want to help me, that’s why you’re saying all this. It’s not about what you claim it to be,” Xie Gui said without any politeness.
The village chief had never seen such an ungrateful person before. He trembled as he pointed his finger at Xie Gui and said angrily, “Xie Gui, your words are truly heartless. Do I need to explain to you one by one how many messes I’ve cleaned up for you?”
“It has been a long time since then. All I want now is for you to help me deal with Wang Jinhe. Just tell me if you’re willing or not,” Xie Gui impatiently said.
After looking at Xie Gui for a long time, the village chief finally spoke, “Just go, don’t come to me for your matters anymore. I can’t and won’t interfere.”
Xie Gui couldn’t believe that the village chief would say such words. His face immediately turned dark. “Uncle, you only have one daughter. Do you still want me to take care of you and see you through your old age?”
The village chief’s face turned red with anger. Well, Xie Gui was actually cursing them to die.
“No need. In the future, I will find a husband for my daughter, and I’ll rely on my grandson to take care of me and see me through my old age. I don’t need you anymore. Now, get out of here, you piece of trash!” The village chief was furious and directly chased Xie Gui away, not allowing him to stay any longer in his house.