Chapter 3: Message

Qiaoxi Village is a large village, with more than three times the number of locals compared to Qiaodong Village. Not to mention, every household in Qiaoxi Village has built buildings to rent out, and with the influx of renters from outside, the population of Qiaoxi Village has grown even larger.

The predominant surname in Qiaoxi Village is “Liu,” with two-thirds of the people sharing this surname. The Liu family ancestral hall in the village is much more spacious and grand than others.

The day after Chen returned, she received a call from her grandfather, telling her to come for lunch the next day without fail. He even mentioned that her father, who teaches at the provincial normal university, would also be there, adding that staying in touch with family is the key to maintaining close relationships.

It’s no wonder her eldest uncle always refers to her grandfather as “the old immortal” — living so long and speaking without thinking.

She’s twenty-two, not two, does she still need a father? Ridiculous!

Since the family didn’t have enough money to renovate the house, Chen Jin had nothing much to do. After lounging around for a day, she casually threw on a tracksuit and headed out the next day.

Waiting for a bus wasn’t easy. She initially thought of biking there, but her third uncle said it was too hot and offered to drive her on his motorcycle. It was a heavy-looking red motorcycle, and whenever it started, it made a loud “vroom, vroom” sound. Once, she had accidentally touched the exhaust pipe of the freshly parked bike, burning herself so badly her face twisted in pain.

Seeing her leave empty-handed, her usually mild-mannered third uncle said, “You should bring a carton of milk, or go buy some fruit. It’s not polite to show up empty-handed.”

Chen Jin glanced at her outfit and thought she looked fine.

But she couldn’t win against her third uncle, so she went back to her family’s small shop and grabbed a carton of milk. When her third uncle reached out to take it from her, she dodged, saying, “I’ll carry it myself.”

Seeing that her third uncle didn’t insist on tying the milk to the back of the motorcycle, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In the rural areas near Rong City, Southern Province, there aren’t many people farming rice. Most either grow vegetables or fruits, which they harvest and sell in the city, making more money than just farming grain. On the way from Qiaodong Village, there were several orchards and large vegetable farms on both sides of the road, as well as fish ponds.

The heat in July is no joke — being out in the sun all day could peel off a layer of skin. Chen Jin sat on the back of the motorcycle, holding an umbrella to shield herself, but the hot wind still blew directly into her face. She couldn’t understand why Qiaoxi Village’s chief would hold a village meeting in such weather. If it were Qiaodong Village… well, never mind. Their village chief, Guangman, wasn’t this foolish.

She could already picture Guangman’s lazy demeanor and tone: “Can’t whatever it is be said when it’s cooler in the evening?”

The motorcycle stopped at the entrance of Qiaoxi Village. Chen Jin, holding both the milk and her umbrella, said, “Third uncle, I’ll wait for the bus to go back. You can head home.”

Third Uncle nodded, wanting to say something but holding back. After she had walked a few steps, he called her back and earnestly advised, “If you don’t feel like talking at your grandpa’s house, then don’t talk. But don’t follow your eldest uncle’s example and call people crazy at every turn. Alright, go on now.”

Chen Jin: “…Oh.”

It’s going to be hard not to learn from him now. From 1980 to 1987, her eldest uncle took the young men from the village to work in the southern special economic zones. To fit in better, he learned the local dialect. From then on, he couldn’t stop, and his go-to insult changed from “big dumbhead” to calling people “crazy man” or “crazy woman.”

The first to be influenced by her eldest uncle were her cousins, but since she hung out with them all the time, she also gradually picked it up. However, her cousins didn’t have annoying relatives to use these phrases on, so she ended up looking like the main disciple of her uncle’s catchphrases.

After watching Third Uncle turn and walk away, she glanced around, headed to the trash pile near the village entrance, and casually tossed the “milk” in her hand, landing it gently in an empty cardboard box.

It’s not that she has anything against Qiaoxi Village, but the village’s hygiene is truly appalling. People throw trash everywhere, some drainage ditches are clogged and stink, and the houses are poorly built. The people aren’t very likable either.

As soon as she entered the village, the women living across from her grandpa’s house pointed at her and whispered among themselves.

“Grandpa, Grandma.” Chen Jin greeted them as soon as she entered the house, nodding only slightly to acknowledge the other relatives inside. Her grandpa had four sons and three daughters, and all these relatives came with their families to join the gathering. Not to mention her uncles, aunts, and cousins – many of whom were already married – she hardly saw them once or twice a year, so how could she tell who was who?

As for the family of four sitting on the couch, her father’s family, she couldn’t care less about them.

When someone asked why she had come empty-handed, she didn’t respond but instead countered, “What good things did the working members of your family buy? Bring them out for everyone to see.”

She hadn’t even started working yet, and she didn’t spend any of the Liu family’s money. Why should she bring them gifts? Her presence alone was enough of a courtesy – she wasn’t about to buy anything for them.

With this “disrespectful” attitude, she was quite notorious among the Liu family relatives. But everyone was sensible enough to know she didn’t like them and kept their distance from her.

This time, however, was different. The village held a meeting that morning, and the village chief’s message was for everyone to clean up the village’s sanitation. He also mentioned that the city really was planning to build an industrial park.

Although there wasn’t any formal notice yet, the meeting stirred excitement, and everyone began calculating how much compensation their family might get if the land was requisitioned.

As for rushing to build houses? Very few were doing that. Ever since rumors of the government planning to build an industrial park in Qiaoxi Village began four years ago, most of the land that could be developed had already been built on. Those who hadn’t built yet simply didn’t have the money.

Sure enough, these relatives who had gone early to hear the village meeting were already scheming how to prevent Chen Jin from asking the old man for money, even before the money had arrived.

“Chen Jin, Grandpa said you should transfer your household registration here. While it’s still possible, you should hurry and take care of it. You could get a share of the headcount compensation later.”

Chen Jin glanced at the person speaking. He didn’t look very familiar, but he seemed to be a cousin from one of her uncles.

From what she knew, the house and land were all in her grandparents’ names. Apart from her three aunts, the four families of her uncles and her father all had plenty of people. Her three uncles already had grandchildren. Don’t be fooled by how harmonious they seemed now – when the land was really divided, there’d be plenty of chaos.

Maybe her dad and stepmother wouldn’t have the nerve to fight for it, but they definitely wouldn’t be happy.

“I’m afraid if I do transfer back, you’ll end up crying because there’ll be one more person competing with you for the inheritance.”

As soon as she said this, the smiles on several of the elders’ faces faded a bit.

They had been so focused on the prospect of compensation that they hadn’t considered that if there were more people to divide it, their own share would shrink.

Looking at it this way, their four five-story houses weren’t necessarily better than those with just one house but fewer people. And in their hearts, they were doing some calculating:

I put in money and effort to build the house; I’m the eldest son, so I should get the biggest share.

I gave the most money to the family; I should definitely get more than the others, right?

We’re the ones who take care of Mom and Dad the most at home, so we should get the biggest share.

The family has four buildings, just enough for the four brothers to split.

They hadn’t said these thoughts out loud, but from their expressions, Chen Jin could tell that there would be plenty of drama in the future.

At this point, Old Man Liu finally spoke up. He surveyed his gathered children and grandchildren with a stern face, saying, “When the compensation from the demolition comes, everyone will get their share.” He glanced at Chen Jin, who was sitting on a small stool tearing open a biscuit box. “As long as you’re a descendant of the Liu family, you won’t be left out.”

“Xiao Jin, too.”

Chen Jin smiled, pretending not to understand the emphasis the old man had placed on “as long as you’re a Liu family descendant,” and replied cheerfully, “Well, I’ll thank you in advance, then.”

Her lack of courtesy earned her a few rolled eyes. But Chen Jin didn’t care. She continued eating her biscuits and even asked Grandma Liu for a drink. Unlike the other dutiful children and grandchildren who brought things to Grandma Liu, she waited for Grandma Liu to bring something to her.

Liu Shisheng couldn’t stand it and wanted to speak up to educate her, but his wife, Jiang Zijun, pulled him back and whispered, “Your parents are willing to spoil her. You don’t need to interfere.” She turned and gave their children a look, warning them not to follow Chen Jin’s example.

Jiang Zijun only got together with Liu Shisheng after his divorce, so she doesn’t feel like she owes Chen Jin anything. Whenever they meet in their hometown, they both tacitly avoid greeting each other.

Both Liu and his wife are teachers at universities, and their income is decent. However, if they want to raise their standard of living, it’s difficult. Her family background is average, and her in-laws used to collect rent from more than just their house, so the support they received wasn’t much. But now there are rumors of demolition in the village. The old family home has four buildings for rent, plus some land in the village, which together could bring in several million yuan. Even if they don’t get much, a share of two to three hundred thousand would be enough for them to upgrade to a bigger house for their small family.

Rong City is the capital of the southern province, and housing prices in the urban area have been rising every year. They were only able to buy a 40-square-meter unit because of the favorable timing.

Nowadays, everyone dreams of sending their children abroad for further studies. If they receive a substantial amount from the demolition compensation, they also plan to send their child abroad to gain some prestige.

Old Liu asked Chen Jin which company she was assigned to after graduation, and Chen Jin said she didn’t know yet.

“Well, you better think about it carefully. Stay in close contact with your professors and school leaders. If there’s a good company you can join, you should go for it. As for the house in Qiaodong Village, find someone to help you manage the rent collection. With two incomes, you’ll have more than enough to live comfortably.” Old Liu chuckled and added, “And if you’re assigned to a good company, grandpa will buy you a house in the city.”

As soon as Old Liu said this, someone who had just rolled their eyes at Chen Jin couldn’t hold back and complained, “So, if we don’t get assigned to a good company, grandpa won’t buy us a house in the city?”

Old Liu, in a good mood, waved his hand and said, “I’ll buy houses for all of you.”

The cousins from her aunts’ side grinned from ear to ear, but the cousins from the same generation looked dissatisfied. Why should the cousins from the aunts’ side get a share? And Chen Jin—she doesn’t even carry the Liu family name. Usually, when they called her, she wouldn’t come, but now that something good is happening, she shows up eager to join in.

However, there wasn’t much they could do about it. Even though Chen Jin’s parents divorced when she was very young, and she was taken to live in Qiaodong Village, leaving her with a distant relationship with the family, she was the best student in the Liu family, having attended the best university. Old Liu felt proud of her, thinking that with her assigned to a prestigious company, she had a bright future.

Although there are cases where graduates from good universities struggle to find good jobs, the older generation still believed that educated people were superior.

Everyone started thinking about Liu Shisheng and Jiang Zijun’s twin children. Their daughter had entered a teacher’s college, and their son was attending medical school, both just finishing their freshman year. Would the old man be biased and give their family more money during the inheritance?

The thoughts of the people in the large living room varied, but Chen Jin was the most relaxed, eating and drinking as she pleased.

Before long, someone from the village came to notify them that dinner would be served at the ancestral hall. On the way, several other families joined the group.

Chen Jin mingled with the crowd, overhearing many conversations about the demolition.

“Do you think it’s really going to happen this time?”

“I’d say there’s an 80% chance. Didn’t you notice several groups of people driving company cars around the area last week?”

“Someone’s already been out measuring land over on the east side, so it’s probably happening.”

“I won’t be able to rest easy until the official notice comes down.”

“What’s bothering you? Is it about your son’s girlfriend again? Even if the demolition doesn’t go through, your family still collects decent rent. I’d say the girl has a lot of patience.”

“Bah, bah, bah! What do you mean ‘even if the demolition doesn’t go through’? This demolition must happen! When we get to the ancestral hall, I’ll burn some extra incense for our ancestors. This matter has to go smoothly!”

“Yes, yes, my bad. Bah, bah, bah! May the ancestors bless us and make sure the demolition happens.”

The money hadn’t even been distributed yet, but people were already planning how to spend it. Chen Jin found it amusing. If the demolition really happened, she’d have to visit Qiaoxi Village more often, as there’d surely be something to see every day.

“Hey.” Someone nudged her arm.

Chen Jin looked up to see her second cousin Lan Meiying from her third aunt’s side. In the Liu family, Lan Meiying was the only person Chen Jin had a somewhat okay relationship with—not great, but they could chat during family visits.

She hadn’t seen her inside the house earlier.

“I didn’t want to come, but my grandma sent me over,” Lan Meiying whispered. After all, she was only a granddaughter and didn’t stand out much compared to her siblings. In her grandparents’ eyes, she wasn’t as likable as her older brother, younger sister, or cousins. But her grandma insisted that even a small share was better than nothing.

“We don’t even know for sure if the demolition will happen. People are getting excited too early.”

Chen Jin quickly shushed her.

The village was still buzzing with excitement about the demolition. Saying something discouraging now would only get her scolded. Lan Meiying might have been rebellious before, but that was only when she had a justified reason.

She pulled Lan Meiying out of the crowd. “Are you still working at the clothing factory?”

Lan Meiying’s grades in middle school were poor. After graduating, she stayed at home for two years before finding work at a private clothing factory. She was only a year younger than Chen Jin but had already been working for four years.

Lan Meiying looked at her gloomily. “Yeah, I’ll keep working there for now. I’ll see if I can find a better job later.”

Looking around cautiously, she whispered, “I’m saving up to open my own clothing stall.”

Chen Jin glanced at the usually timid Lan Meiying, surprised. Seeing the glint in her cousin’s eyes, she responded seriously, “That’s a good idea. Save up some money first. Plus, since you work at a clothing factory, you already know about clothes. You won’t get scammed when buying stock from the factory.”

Hearing Chen Jin’s approval, Lan Meiying was even more excited, wishing she could rush back to the factory to work overtime and save up more money. She was also starting to think that if her grandparents’ house really got demolished, she might get a share of the money, giving her enough capital to start her business.

Before they reached the ancestral hall, they heard the sound of motorcycles revving behind them. Someone seemed to be calling her name.

Chen Jin turned around to see her third uncle.

Hadn’t she already told him she’d take the bus home in the afternoon? She had only been here an hour and was just about to eat.

Why was her uncle smiling so ridiculously? He was usually a good-natured man, but she had never seen him smile like this before.

“Little Sis, Little Sis! Hurry up, come back with me! Hahaha! Hahaha~”

Chen Jin’s expression was complicated: Why was her third uncle acting so silly?

The noise drew the attention of others. Old Liu, with his hands behind his back, squinted in their direction. When he recognized who it was, the smile on his face faded. “Chen Jin just got here. What’s the rush to take her away? The whole village is about to have a meal together… No, I’ll go talk to him.”

Chen Jin’s uncles and aunts were unfazed. They figured it was better if her uncle didn’t let Chen Jin come around and try to claim any of the Liu family’s money.

“Her third uncle, the village is just about to start the banquet. You should stay and eat before heading back. Xiao Jin, she…”

The third uncle stopped the car, hurriedly turned it around, and urged Chen Jin to get in. “We can eat another day; there’s something happening in the village, and I have to take Sanmei back now.”

“What’s the rush about?”

The third uncle scratched his face, grinning foolishly. “We’ve received notice from above that our Qiaodong Village is going to be demolished, hee hee hee.”

“What????”