Chapter 136: Don’t Get Overconfident

Cheng Hongying looked at Qiu Yinuo with excitement. She hadn’t expected the girl to be gone for a whole day without stepping foot in the fields, and yet come back having earned a full hundred work points.

Times had truly changed. Hard work alone no longer guaranteed a full stomach.

Before she could fully bask in the joy, she heard murmurs of discontent.

After all, it was one hundred work points!

That was ten full days of work points!

The most dissatisfied person was Wang Hongxia, who had once suffered under Qiu Yinuo’s hand. There was no way she would tolerate her rival getting one hundred work points.

“Village head, one hundred work points is too much. You can’t be so biased.”

The second person to object was Ding Mu.

Upon hearing the village head reward such a large number of work points, she immediately voiced her displeasure. “Village head, even though she came up with the idea for the factory, she does nothing all day. She doesn’t do any work, and now she’s just involved in buying a tractor. One hundred work points can buy a lot of grain! This doesn’t seem fair.”

From a distance, Cheng Hongying could hear the sourness in Ding Mu’s words.

She spat on the ground and shot back, “Of course it’s unfair. Just thinking about how a scoundrel like you will still get a share of the profits by the end of the year makes me even more upset. My daughter used her brain to set up the factory, while you, a filthy rat from the muck, can only be envious. Now we even saved money on a tractor, and the first thing you do is run your mouth about my daughter? If anything’s unfair, it’s that.”

“Cheng Hongying, who are you calling a rat from the muck? It’s a good thing my son didn’t marry your daughter. If we were family, our Ding family would have fallen to ruin.”

“Ha! Your Ding family was doomed long before, and it’s because your old man married a bitter, sharp-tongued woman like you.”

Cheng Hongying’s logic was flawless, and Qiu Yinuo, standing in front, gave her a thumbs-up, fully enjoying the spectacle as if watching a show unfold.

This only fueled the fire, and the two women began yelling at each other from across the room. If not for the crowd, they would have charged at each other, hair-pulling and all.

Luckily, others intervened to stop them from making the situation worse.

Village head slammed his hand on the microphone, causing a harsh buzzing sound that made everyone cover their ears.

“Listen up! Anyone with a complaint, come talk to me!” he shouted. “If you can also buy a tractor at a discount like she did, I’ll give you a hundred work points too. If not, then shut your damn mouths!”

He glanced sharply at the crowd. “Other villages operate in harmony. But ours? Always in chaos, because of a few troublemakers who stir things up every chance they get.”

This remark made the faces of the two troublemakers change. They usually caused trouble, but deep down, they were still intimidated by the village head. After all, he was the highest authority in the village, and everyone feared those in power.

Some words, once spoken, could not be taken back. Village head didn’t hold back. “What? Does it make you feel powerful? If you’re so capable, when the year ends, don’t expect to get any share of the profits. And if you’re really so capable, then get out of Ping’an Village. We don’t need people who don’t want the village to succeed.”

Wang Hongxia and Ding Mu’s faces changed slightly. Faced with the village head’s wrath, they didn’t dare to speak further.

“Now that I’ve said my piece, let me add a little more. For those working in the canning factory, listen carefully. Don’t sit around and make things difficult for others. We’re collaborating with Taolin Village, and we want both villages to benefit. Anyone who tries to block the flow of money for the village, I’ll kick them out.”

The tone shifted, “But if Taolin Village tries to bully us, I will be the first to object.”

Qiu Yinuo glanced at the village head, who was playing the good cop, with his smile almost splitting his face. Giving someone a slap and then a sweet date was the best tactic for leaders.

The village head called out, “Meeting adjourned!” Everyone quickly gathered around the tractor again.

They looked at it from every angle, and it seemed perfect from every view.

Someone immediately asked, “Village head, does this mean it will be much easier for us to get to town now?”

“We’ll schedule a trip every week.”

The crowd cheered, “Village head, who was driving the tractor?”

Everyone had seen Qiu Yinuo bring the tractor back, but she had her own work to do. How could she possibly act as their driver?

Village Head Sun was momentarily stunned. Oh no, he hadn’t considered that.

Qiu Yinuo spoke up, “Village head, select a few quick-witted people tomorrow, and I’ll teach them.”

Suddenly, a clear female voice rang out from the crowd, “Can it be a female comrade?”

Qiu Yinuo looked at the speaker. It was Liao Qiuhua, the tough girl who had turned eighteen but hadn’t had a matchmaker visit.

Facing Qiu Yinuo’s gaze, Liao Qiuhua wasn’t scared; instead, she stood straighter and met her eyes.

“I can drive, and other female comrades can too.”

Hearing this, Liao Qiuhua’s eyes flickered with a hint of surprise, then she smiled kindly at Qiu Yinuo.

“Yes, Village head, we female comrades can also carry half the sky. I want to sign up to learn how to drive the tractor.”

Her words immediately sparked a rush of other women wanting to sign up.

Village Head Sun, wanting to be fair, said, “Go ahead and sign up. We’ll select two men and two women to learn from Qiu Yinuo.”

“Village head, do we need so many people?”

“Why wouldn’t we? Our village might buy another tractor in the future,” he replied without hesitation, agreeing right away.

“Just two men and two women. That way, if someone is unavailable, there will still be others to fill in.”

Everyone was so immersed in the excitement that no one paid any attention to Ding Mu and Wang Hongxia, leaving them to leave in a huff.

…

In the capital.

After a meeting ended, the first ones to leave were the Zhou family members.

Everyone knew that the Zhou family was one of the new rising powers in the capital. Although Old Master Zhou had retired from his position, the younger generation of the Zhou family was full of exceptional talents, not to mention Zhou Ting, the brightest rising star in the military.

At a young age, he had already become one of the most dazzling figures in the military, making him a target of many seeking to curry favor.

Luo Zongze remained seated in the second row. As he watched the leaders chatting happily in the front, he couldn’t help but wonder: when the time came for him to step down from his position, would his family still have a place in the capital?

“Where were we? Xiao Luo, I heard that Minister Luo has been in a good mood recently. Is there something happy happening at home?”

Everyone turned their attention to Luo Zongze. He stood tall in his crisp military uniform, his back straight.

Some of the people around had relatives in the military or in politics, and all lived in the same government compound. Any little disturbance was usually heard about right away.

Finding his sister was indeed a joyous event, and there was no harm in telling them.

But with the current tensions across the Taiwan Strait, sending his sister to Hong Kong had been a mistake. They might even be accused of something, and even seeking medical treatment there could be risky.

It seemed he would need to go home today and remind Old Master Luo to not get too complacent.