RYEY -Chapter 254 Fainted

This time, they had stirred up a hornet’s nest. Ever since Li Huan became the village chief, the work of the scorekeeper had always been dominated by Aunt Wang.

It was a desirable position—not only did it allow one to manage others, but one could also secretly pocket quite a few perks. No one wanted their work points deducted, so the little benefits naturally flowed into Aunt Wang’s pocket.

“Cuihua, you bastard! This position was given to me by Huanzi—why do you have the right to push me aside? If I made a mistake, I wouldn’t even fart in protest if you removed me. But now, you need to give me an explanation!”

Cuihua had no real reason. She purely wanted to make life easier for his daughter-in-law. Hearing Aunt Wang, her expression stiffened.

“Aunt Wang, when my husband was the village chief, he never used his power for personal gain. Recently, my daughter-in-law was ill and has just recovered. My husband just wanted her to do lighter work for now.”

Hearing Cuihua’s words, Aunt Wang recalled Chen Weidang’s integrity and her anger softened slightly—but giving up her scorekeeper position was absolutely out of the question.

Moreover, even though Zhang Yuefang had married Damao, she was still considered an educated youth in the villagers’ eyes. Educated youths weren’t seen as trustworthy—except for Cheng Qiao, of course, who was naive and sweet and never harmed anyone.

This incident quickly escalated, causing quite a stir not only in Xiangyang Village but also in Xiangqian Village and even the county. Li Huan was summoned to the commune.

The commune secretary personally poured a cup of tea for Li Huan. He had learned from experience: this young man responded better to gentleness than force. To get him to cooperate, a little coaxing was necessary.

“So, what happened exactly?”

“What else could it be? Too many monks, too little porridge. Secretary, I plan to establish a primary school in the village and have those educated youths serve as teachers to raise the villagers’ literacy.”

“A school? Where will the funds come from?”

“Our village hasn’t received subsidies for two years. We could apply for one this year, and I’ll cover the rest from my own salary.”

The commune secretary’s eyes lit up. In his heart, a warm feeling flowed. This wasn’t some rogue village chief—he was clearly an ambitious young man.

“Comrade Li Huan, write a party membership application first. I will be your sponsor. As for the school, I’ll need to check with the Education Bureau. If you’re eager, you can prepare the site in the meantime.”

“Secretary, thank you for your guidance. I will follow the Party’s direction and stay loyal to its path.”

The secretary nodded happily, opened a drawer, and handed Li Huan a stack of papers. Li Huan reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of watches, handing them to the secretary:

“Secretary, establishing a school requires funds. I have these two watches, bought for my wedding with my wife. We only wore them once. I hope you can help me convert them—value: two hundred yuan.”

The secretary looked at the brand-new watches—the protective film still intact—and was impressed by Li Huan’s cleverness. It was clear he was asking for a favor indirectly.

As for the two hundred yuan, the original price plus the watch receipts totaled over three hundred. Yet the secretary didn’t bat an eye and immediately halved it—his generosity was admirable.

Li Huan felt a bit guilty, shrinking his neck. The watches had actually been taken from Cheng Qiao’s treasure chest—they hadn’t cost him a cent.

Under the secretary’s guidance, Li Huan wrote his party application. He then pulled out a pack of Pegasus cigarettes, lit one for himself, and, pretending to have an urgent matter, hurriedly left.

The secretary shook his head, watching Li Huan “forget” his cigarettes—this trick worked on everyone in the commune, and he couldn’t help but admire it.

By the end of June, Li Huan gathered the villagers and converted Xiangyang Village’s abandoned ancestral hall into a school. Zhang Yuefang and Han Chunmei were appointed as the teachers.

Aunt Wang, having secured her scorekeeper position, smiled happily every day. Being a scorekeeper earned six work points daily—being a teacher only earned six points as well.

Initially, the villagers were reluctant to send their children to school. But seeing Cheng Qiao and Li Huan bringing the not-yet-three-year-old Little Cheng Li into the school, they couldn’t stay calm.

Niqiu also came. Since his mother had been imprisoned for three months, the county teacher had previously instructed Chen Tiezhu to take him to school to persuade him to drop out.

But Niqiu had tasted the joy of studying. Hearing that Xiangyang Village would have its own primary school, he pestered Chen Tiezhu to enroll him. Chen Tiezhu, no longer as stern as before, looked weary—but still agreed. His only son had to study; this was good.

Li Huan struck the gong again. Since the villagers were still busy with weeding and fertilizing before the autumn harvest, they hurried to the drying yard upon hearing the village chief.

“Xiangyang Village Primary School will start classes on July 1, with Chinese and Math courses. Chinese will be taught by Teacher Han Chunmei, and Math by Teacher Zhang Yuefang. Each class enrolls twenty students. The first twenty students to register will have free tuition and receive textbooks.”

As soon as he finished, Chen Tiezhu grabbed Niqiu, shouting to register. Gou Sheng’s mother raised her hand too—why wouldn’t you study if it was free and included textbooks?

Li Huan had already planned ahead. The village had over thirty children of primary school age. Older kids had attended literacy classes, but those didn’t grant diplomas. Naturally, they would also come to study.

Thus, forty students in two classes would definitely be exceeded. The two teachers would have to figure out extra arrangements themselves, perhaps by offering extracurricular lessons to the additional children, generating extra income.

Li Huan didn’t need to suggest this—whether it earned money depended on the teachers’ ingenuity. Cheng Qiao gave him a sidelong glance—his methods were indeed devious.

Li Huan laughed happily. Being village chief was wonderful. Within his capacity, he could bring benefits to the villagers, whether through private trade or running a school. Both were acts of service.

Only by doing good deeds did Li Huan understand the value of life. Happiness didn’t come from eating well and drinking well—it came from having goals and beliefs to guide you forward.

“Qiao, it’s wonderful having you. You’re my guiding light on this journey.”

“A stepping stone, maybe.”

Cheng Qiao snorted. Li Huan pinched her mouth, kissed her fiercely, silencing her. Just as the couple was about to enjoy an intimate moment, Mother Li knocked on the door:

“Qiao, Huanzi, quick! Grandma Xuhui has fainted!”

Both were shocked. Grandma Xuhui had been enjoying herself at their home, helping Mother Li with chores. Life had been joyful—how could she have fainted?