Chapter 384: Come to Our Village

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Lao Zheng was a straightforward man. Hearing such impolite words, he frowned at the speaker, finding him vaguely familiar but unable to place him. Offhandedly, he asked, “Who is this person?”

Xiao Wu glared at Wang Xing and introduced him in a mocking tone, “This is the man who tried and failed to beat Brother Jiang for the accountant position.”

Wang Xing was annoyed by the introduction and wanted to have the last word, much like his daughter Wang Niu. He had forgotten the pain once his wounds healed and didn’t remember the village chief’s warning at all.

He said, “I didn’t get the accountant position not because I lacked ability, but because I don’t know how to cozy up to the bosses.”

Xiao Wu had always been irked by Wang Xing and the sycophants from the Jiang family; it was clear to him that Wang Xing’s own failed attempt to bribe someone had been projected onto Jiang Chuan without a hint of shame.

Xiao Wu retorted, “If you were really capable, why didn’t you step up to keep accounts when the grain was being distributed? You were all quiet and shy back then, and now that Brother Jiang has handled things well, you start spreading rumors about him!”

Wang Xing wanted to argue back, but Lao Zheng interjected, “I seem to know about this. There were rumors flying all over your village a while back, we even heard them in ours. I didn’t expect it was Wang Xing spreading them.”

Lao Zheng then gave Jiang Chuan another hearty slap on the shoulder, so vigorous that Jiang Chuan staggered. If not for his increasingly stout figure, he might have ended up on the ground.

Lao Zheng continued, “But no one believes such talk. Wang Xing originally moved from our village to Pushan Village because he was lazy and mooched off our work points. We couldn’t stand it and chased him out, and to think he’s still the same in your village.”

Wang Xing now recognized Lao Zheng. It had been several years since he came to Pushan Village, and he hadn’t returned to the previous village. Plus, Lao Zheng had grown sideburns in recent years, so Wang Xing didn’t immediately recognize him.

Wang Xing had some old grudges with Lao Zheng; he had been caught stealing chickens and even swiped one from Lao Zheng’s home, leading to a beating that he still feared to this day.

Seeing Lao Zheng backing Jiang Chuan, Wang Xing stopped arguing and walked away with a sullen expression, not wanting to get beaten up in front of so many people. With Lao Zheng’s volatile temper, he wouldn’t care about the crowd; those meaty fists would come down regardless.

Watching Wang Xing skulk away, Lao Zheng looked at his retreating back with disdain.

Lao Zheng was a candid man and spoke his mind. He said to Jiang Chuan, “Brother Jiang Chuan, the people in Pushan Village don’t appreciate you and talk behind your back. Why don’t you move to our village? People there don’t gossip needlessly, and you can rest assured, the accountant position in our village is yours if you come!”

Jiang Chuan quickly demurred, “No, no, no, I’m not that amazing. People are just exaggerating!”

Lao Zheng didn’t buy it, saying, “Getting one thousand kilos of corn seed isn’t exaggeration, it’s real ability. Don’t be so modest. If you come, I’ll arrange a house for you, definitely bigger than what you have now!”

Xiao Wu snickered and said, “Lao Zheng, do you even know how big his current house is before you make such a claim?”

Lao Zheng replied, “How big can it be? Just a courtyard with a room, right?”

Xiao Wu said, “That’s not the case at all. Brother Jiang’s house has a full three rooms and a large courtyard. Each of his two young daughters has her own room.”

Lao Zheng was taken aback for a moment and fell silent. Three rooms and a big courtyard—such a setup was only found in the households of the well-to-do in their village. It seemed he had spoken too soon.

Still, he persisted, “Even if I can’t find you a better house than your current one, at least I can find one that’s exactly the same. Our village has plenty of vacant houses. The main point is for you to feel better by moving to our village! What kind of messy affairs do we have in our village like you do here? If anyone dares to speak ill of you, I’ll deal with them with my fists! Rest assured, as the team leader, I do have that much face in the village.”

Xiao Wu was displeased, “Lao Zheng, how can you so openly poach people?”

Lao Zheng, righteous and confident, retorted, “What, if your village doesn’t treat Jiang Chuan well, our village isn’t allowed to be good to him?”

Xiao Wu was at a loss for words, “That’s not what I meant!”