Chapter 68: The Road-Building Madman (Part 22)

Chapter 68 The Road-Building Madman (22)

Old Man Li possessed the typical visage of a Chinese peasant: a small, wiry frame and skin as rough and deeply furrowed as a walnut shell, yet remarkably tough. After issuing his stern warning, he began digging into the earth with his hoe, striking the soil with such ferocity that it seemed he harbored a deep-seated hatred for the land itself. Qin Jiangang, Zhao Dengyun, and the others took turns attempting to reason with him, but Li kept his head down, working in silence. He treated their persuasion like spiderwebs brushing against his ears—completely ignoring them.

Li’s wife had followed them to the field. She was a rural woman with completely white hair and a slightly swollen face. With kind, gentle eyes, she trailed behind her husband, saying nothing.

Ouyang Lin, who worked at the Land Resources Office, had seen this kind of situation many times. He quietly pulled Hou Weidong aside and whispered, "He’s a stubborn old man. Just offer him a bit more money. Money can make the devil push the millstone; surely that will convince Old Man Li to move the graves."

Hou Weidong shook his head. "Adding money isn’t realistic. If we pay more now, the price demands for future grave relocations will only escalate. Besides, I’ve done some background checks. This Old Man Li is deeply superstitious. He is convinced that the feng shui of his ancestral graves is excellent, and his stance is unyielding. Even if we offer money, it likely won’t achieve our goal."

Ouyang Lin snorted. "There is no problem that money cannot solve. If it can’t be solved, it simply means the price isn’t high enough."

Hou Weidong lowered his voice. "The township government simply cannot afford to pay such high prices. If we set that precedent, the consequences will be unmanageable."

In truth, Ouyang Lin understood these dynamics well. From a professional standpoint, he knew the situation even better than Hou Weidong. However, he did not want to waste time stuck in Dushi Village, so he was trying to goad Hou Weidong into raising the compensation.

Qin Jiangang and the others had worn their teeth down arguing for a long time, yet Old Man Li continued his labor in the field at a leisurely pace. Finally, Qin Jiangang lost his temper, his voice rising sharply. "Old Li, your son is also a Communist Party member and a leading cadre. He should set an example. If your family’s ancestral graves hinder the construction of this highway, the seven thousand people of Shangqinglin will curse your ancestors once a day. That’s seven thousand curses. Do you think your ancestors can withstand that?"

"Ancestors" was Old Man Li’s trigger. He stood up abruptly, slamming his hoe against the ground with a loud clatter. "Qin Jiangang, you’ve called my Guangzhong a brother for years. Guangzhong has done a lot for the village over these past few years. How can you speak such words?"

Qin Jiangang’s tone softened slightly. "Old Li, we’ve tried to build this road several times. You know the situation. While everyone’s morale is high right now, we must get the road built. Who knows what the situation will be like next year? You must support this work."

Zhao Dengyun added, "Building the road is a great benefit for everyone in Shangqinglin. Old Li will surely support it. Once the road is finished, Secretary Li’s car can drive right to your doorstep, which will be convenient for your whole family."

Qin Jiangang followed up, "Li Shihua is a Party member and a leading cadre; he will definitely support the road construction."

Old Man Li remained unmoved. "I support building the road, and I am willing to contribute money and labor. But there is one condition: the ancestral graves cannot be moved. As long as the road does not pass over my family’s graves, I will pay double the cost. I keep my word."

"Li Guangzhong works outside the village; this matter has nothing to do with him," someone interjected.

Ouyang Lin, having no personal connection with Old Man Li and unaware of his background, issued a threat. "We’ve said plenty of nice things. If you still don’t listen, we will have no choice but to force entry."

Old Man Li glared at him. "As long as I have one breath left, don’t even think about touching my family’s ancestral graves."

The second round of persuasion ended in discord. Back at Qin Jiangang’s house, the group drank and discussed how to resolve the issue of Old Man Li’s graves.

After much deliberation, they identified only three possible solutions: first, patient and detailed ideological work, involving his children to help persuade him; second, secretly increasing the relocation compensation; third, forced relocation.

However, these methods were either ineffective or inadvisable.

Qin Jiangang poured a basin of liquor and said, "The day before yesterday, I went to the town and called Li Shihua. He expressed support for the road and promised to do ideological work with Old Man Li. But judging by today’s situation, his attitude… hmm, it’s doubtful."

Zhao Dengyun remarked, "There is always a way. Director Hou is the office director of the Road Construction Leading Group, and you live up on the mountain. You need to think of more solutions."

Ouyang Lin, an optimistic man, returned after washing his hands outside. "Let’s stop talking about this. Everyone, drink. Once we’re drunk and asleep, solutions will come to us." He had overheard Zhao Dengyun’s comment outside and turned to Hou Weidong. "Director Hou, Old Zhao is telling the truth. Both of us are in Xiaqinglin, and coming up here is difficult—it consumes both fuel and electricity. You need to keep a close eye on this. If you need us to come up, just call the office."

Hou Weidong thought to himself, Why do these two have the same tune? They just want to dump this problem on me. However, the road project had originally been initiated by him, and he now held the title of Deputy Director of the Road Construction Leading Group Office. No matter how difficult the problem, he had to bear the burden. After a moment’s thought, Hou Weidong said sincerely, "I have only just started working, so I lack experience and ideas for solving problems. For such tricky tasks, I still need guidance from you two seniors. I will handle the legwork."

Zhao Dengyun, a former military officer who had transitioned to local government service a few years ago, had gradually adapted to the new environment. Seeing Hou Weidong’s sincerity, he felt it was somewhat unfair to pass this hot potato entirely to him. "Director Hou, don’t be too modest. If there is anything, just say the word. Ouyang Lin and I will definitely come up."

After finishing their drinks, the group dispersed like birds and beasts scattering.

It had been only a little over a month since he started working, yet Hou Weidong’s tolerance for alcohol had improved. Half a jin of liquor went down without any adverse effects, leaving him only slightly excited.

Humming the lyrics, "I have finally lost you, in the crowded crowd," Hou Weidong walked into the courtyard. He immediately noticed that the small room outside the office was open. This was Xi Zhaoyong’s police station, marked with a sign. It was the first day it had been opened.

Curious, Hou Weidong peeked inside. He saw Xi Zhaoyong sitting at the table with his legs crossed, smoking. Squatting opposite him was another man.

Xi Zhaoyong noticed Hou Weidong peeking from outside and waved him in. "Hou Weidong, come in. What have you been doing these past two days? Why haven’t I seen you?"

On the table lay several banknotes, a tattered book—which appeared to be a fortune-telling manual from its cover—a pack of cigarettes of an unknown brand, and some other miscellaneous junk.

Since Xi Zhaoyong was not a township cadre, Hou Weidong spoke more directly, with a touch of self-deprecation. "Still dealing with the mess of road construction. Next year, Yiyang is designated as a year for transportation construction. The Shangqinglin road is hitching a ride on that momentum and has received high attention from the town. Things are going much more smoothly now."

Xi Zhaoyong had served in the military and fought in wars. He was bold and had a broad perspective; he generally did not hold ordinary township cadres in high regard. In Shangqinglin Township, he respected only Hou Weidong. "I caught a grass snake today, weighing over three jin. We’ll play cards this afternoon, and you can come to my house tonight to eat snake meat."

Hou Weidong, in a good mood from the drinking, readily agreed. "Sure. When should I go?"

Xi Zhaoyong replied, "I caught a fortune teller. I’ll call you once I’ve finished handling the official business."

"Sit there! Calculate my fate for me. Let’s see if you’re accurate."

The man squatting there had just tried to stand up, but Xi Zhaoyong roared at him, and he sank back down. He had a long, unkempt beard, which usually gave him an ethereal, immortal appearance. Now, he looked pitiful. "Government, fortune-telling is a scam. I just do it to earn some pocket money."

Hearing this, Xi Zhaoyong knew the man had likely been subjected to re-education through labor or imprisonment, as people from those places often referred to authorities as "Government." "You’ve been sentenced before, haven’t you?"

The fortune teller answered honestly, "I was released the year before last."

"For what crime?"

The fortune teller looked embarrassed. "Rape." Rapists were considered the lowest class of prisoners in jail, and the fortune teller had suffered greatly for this crime. "After being released, I relied on labor to make a living."

Xi Zhaoyong laughed. "Is fortune-telling considered labor?"

The fortune teller smiled ingratiatingly. "Government, I only know how to tell fortunes."