Chapter 8: The Village Chief

“Laifu, what brings you both here so late?” Liu Changquan was quite surprised to see Liu Laifu and his daughter at his doorstep.

“Village Chief,” Liu Laifu said solemnly, “I feel ashamed to say this, but my daughter is looking for a place to stay. We were wondering if the vacant house at the end of the village could be available for her to live in?”

As he spoke, his face was filled with unease. The house belonged to the collective, and Liu Laifu was a man who cared about his dignity. If it weren’t for his daughter, he wouldn’t have brought this up at all.

Liu Yinyin had only been married for a few months before becoming a “widow.” The matter had caused quite a stir in the village not long ago.

Naturally, Liu Changquan was aware of Liu Yinyin’s situation. However…

He glanced at Liu Yinyin and said, “Laifu, Yinyin is still young. She can find a good husband in the future.”

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to let her have the house, but if she were to remarry, there would be no need for her to struggle living alone outside.

Hearing this, Liu Laifu remained silent, but his expression darkened slightly.

Seeing her father’s serious expression, Liu Yinyin took the initiative to speak. “Village Chief, I don’t plan on getting married again.”

Marriage was never something she had considered, and now that she was pregnant, it was even more out of the question.

“What?” Liu Changquan was genuinely surprised. He glanced at Liu Laifu again, but seeing that he had no particular reaction, he couldn’t help but comment, “You’re still so young. You can’t spend the rest of your life alone, can you? Given your circumstances, even if you remarry, no one would gossip about it.”

He assumed Liu Yinyin was simply too shy and worried about the stigma of a second marriage.

Liu Yinyin pressed her lips together and vaguely replied, “Village Chief, to be honest, if it were just me, I wouldn’t want to trouble the village. But… I’m already two months pregnant, and I can’t keep staying at my parents’ house with a child.”

Liu Changquan was stunned. “You… you’re pregnant?”

He hadn’t heard a single word about Liu Yinyin’s pregnancy. That meant she must have kept it a secret, because otherwise, there would have been rumors spreading through the village by now.

“Yes,” Liu Yinyin nodded. “If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t have troubled you with this request.”

By now, Liu Yinyin understood that since the house had no owner, it belonged to the collective. Even if Liu Changquan agreed, the other villagers might not.

Pregnancy, however, was something that couldn’t be faked. Since Liu Changquan didn’t doubt her words, he thought for a moment before agreeing. “Alright then. If that’s the case, you can have that house.”

Hearing this, Liu Yinyin let out a breath of relief, suppressing the excitement in her heart. She tried to appear calm as she said, “That’s great! Village Chief, let’s consider it a rental. How about I pay one yuan per month?”

Since the house belonged to the collective, Liu Yinyin figured that allowing her to live there must have put Liu Changquan in a difficult position.

She didn’t like being a burden to others, so paying rent would be the best solution.

The rent would go to the village fund, making it part of the collective resources.

“You’re quite the polite young lady,” Liu Changquan chuckled. “But there’s no need to pay rent—we’re all from the same village. Your household registration hasn’t been transferred out yet, right? When I have time, I’ll go to the township office. The house at the end of the village, along with the plot of private land beside it, will be allocated to you.”

Both Liu Laifu and Liu Yinyin were stunned by his words.

Liu Yinyin was shocked with joy.

Liu Laifu, on the other hand, couldn’t believe it. “But… won’t the other villagers have objections?”

Liu Changquan thought for a moment and reassured him, “Don’t worry. I have the final say in these small matters. If anyone has concerns, I’ll explain it to them.”

Hearing this, Liu Laifu was deeply grateful. “Then we really must trouble you, Village Chief.”

If his daughter could truly get her own house and land, she would finally have some security for the future.

Liu Yinyin was also immensely thankful for Liu Changquan’s kindness. She made a mental note to remember this favor.

Liu Changquan remained silent for a moment before adding, “But that house has been abandoned for two years. It’s in pretty bad shape now—the door, the roof… You’ll have to fix it yourselves. You should go take a look first. As it is now, it’s not fit for living.”

Liu Laifu quickly agreed, “Alright, we can handle the repairs ourselves.”

He wasn’t too worried about that—there were plenty of strong laborers in the family, and fixing a house wasn’t a big deal.

After Liu Laifu and his daughter left, Liu Changquan’s wife, Li Chunfen, walked out of the kitchen and casually asked, “Why did you just give that house to Liu Laifu’s daughter like that?”

She had overheard most of the conversation while she was in the kitchen.

Liu Changquan glanced at her and replied gruffly, “You already know her situation. She’s pregnant. What’s the problem with giving her a place to live?”

“Aiya, I didn’t mean anything by it,” Li Chunfen said, her eyes flickering. “It’s just that so many people in the village have had their eyes on that house. You refused all of them, but now, all of a sudden, you’re giving it to Liu Yinyin? Why? Won’t people start talking about you behind your back?”

These days, life was tough for everyone. People weren’t just short on food and clothing—housing conditions weren’t great either.

Many families in the village had multiple generations crammed into a single room. Naturally, everyone wanted a house of their own.

Liu Changquan let out a cold laugh and said gruffly, “Why? Because her husband sacrificed his life for this country, for the people. He’s a martyr. Are you saying it’s acceptable for the wife and child of a martyr to be left without food or shelter?”

“If anyone has a problem with it, tell them to come talk to me. And if they want the same treatment, they can go become a martyr’s family themselves! If they do, I’ll make sure they get a house and land, too!”

“Tsk, I was just talking casually. Look at you, making such a big deal out of it.” Li Chunfen knew she was in the wrong and muttered weakly, “Fine, if you don’t like hearing it, I won’t say anything else.”

This stubborn man—once he set his mind on something, not even ten oxen could pull him back. He never knew how to be flexible. That’s probably why, after all these years, he was still just a small-time village chief.

Liu Changquan let out a huff and sighed, “Liu Laifu’s daughter is a good one. Considering her situation, it’s rare that she’s still determined to keep the child. That’s not easy…”

He paused for a moment, cleared his throat, and continued, “From now on, look after her a bit. Don’t let those gossiping village women bully her.”

Those women had sharp tongues—they could turn the dead into the living with their words. Their spit alone could drown someone. What he said wasn’t wrong.

Li Chunfen shot him a sidelong glance and muttered under her breath, “You always blame us women, as if you men don’t gossip just as much.”

When Liu Changquan shot her a glare, she quickly changed her tone with a smile. “Alright, alright, I get it. I’ll make sure to talk to those women and tell them not to spread rumors about a martyr’s family.”