At dawn, the loudspeaker at the entrance of the village began broadcasting the fundraising appeal recorded by Shen Qiqi. Her slightly hoarse but heartfelt voice echoed in every corner of the village.

In front of the bulletin board, Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing had already set up a table with a donation box and registration book on it.

A bright red banner fluttered in the morning breeze, with the words "A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor; when one side is in trouble, all sides will come to its aid" written in large letters.

But the reality is a bit deserted.

The villagers walked by in twos and threes, most of them just glanced curiously, but had no intention of stopping.

Some aunts and grandmas gathered together, pointing at the bulletin board and whispering.

Shen Qiqi's heart gradually sank, as heavy as if it were filled with lead.

Lu Qing shook her hand and gave her an encouraging look: "Don't be discouraged, this is just the beginning."

Shen Qiqi forced a smile, but her heart was beating like a little rabbit in her chest.

At this time, Aunt Wang came over with a twisted waist, and her sharp voice was particularly piercing in the crowd: "Hey, what are you doing? You make it sound like a real thing. What does Uncle Li's family's affairs have to do with us? If your family has no money, don't even think about those nonsense."

Aunt Wang's words were like a stone, causing ripples on the calm water.

Some villagers who were still hesitant also nodded in agreement, making the already deserted scene even more awkward.

Shen Qiqi's expression changed instantly, and a surge of anger rushed to her head.

She took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in her heart.

Lu Qing noticed her mood change, patted her shoulder gently, and signaled her to calm down.

At this moment, Shen Qiqi suddenly stood up and swept her eyes over everyone with determination...

Shen Qiqi stood up suddenly, her eyes like ice-hardened blades, shooting straight at Aunt Wang.

"Aunt Wang, what you said is really disheartening!" She looked around, her voice low but full of undeniable strength. "Uncle Li usually helps everyone repair farm tools. Whenever someone has an emergency, isn't he the first to rush to help? Now that his family is in trouble, if we don't help, do we have a conscience like a dog?"

She paused, her tone becoming more powerful. "Today, I, Shen Qiqi, am putting this down. Whose family hasn't had its share of misfortunes? Now that we've helped Uncle Li, won't there be someone to help us if we run into trouble in the future? Do we have to wait until we're in trouble before we remember the saying that a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor?"

Shen Qiqi's words hit everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

The villagers who were originally whispering fell silent, and Aunt Wang's face, which was painted with cheap rouge, turned purple and she stood there awkwardly.

Some villagers began to reflect with their heads down, and a look of shame appeared on their faces.

Shen Qiqi struck while the iron was hot and continued, "I know everyone might be worried that the money they donated will be misused. I, Shen Qiqi, am here to assure you today that every penny will be clearly recorded in the account and will be made public regularly for everyone's supervision! We won't do anything empty, we'll do it for real, so that Uncle Li can truly feel the warmth of our village!"

She put her hands on her hips, her eyes were firm and confident, and her whole body exuded an aura of "who else but me".

His confident look was very much like that of an orator in later generations, which made everyone's blood boil.

Lu Qing has been standing behind Shen Qiqi, supporting her silently.

He looked at Shen Qiqi's sparkling eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, his eyes full of love and trust.

His Xiaoqi is so outstanding and dazzling.

Shen Qiqi occasionally looked at Lu Qing, feeling his silent support, and a warm feeling surged in her heart.

With him around, she feels more confident and powerful.

It seemed as if an invisible barrier had formed between the two people, isolating all negative emotions and leaving only the sincere feelings between them.

The atmosphere at the village entrance became increasingly heated with Shen Qiqi's passionate speech.

The villagers stopped standing by and watching coldly, and began to discuss the matter one after another, with expressions of emotion gradually appearing on their faces.

At this moment, a discordant voice came from the crowd: "That's what you say, but who knows if you will really spend your money wisely?"

An old man wearing coarse clothes and with his hair combed meticulously walked over slowly with his hands behind his back.

He is the village chief, Old Man Zhang.

He cleared his throat and said with full energy: "I, Old Zhang, understand everyone's concerns. I promise to use every penny of this money on Uncle Li. If anyone dares to interfere, I, Old Zhang, will be the first to not forgive him!" As soon as he said this, it was like a magic needle that stabilized everyone's heart.

When Aunt Wang saw that the village chief had spoken, her expression became embarrassed.

She cursed "bad luck" in her heart, but didn't dare say anything else.

Shen Qiqi cast a grateful look at Village Chief Zhang, thinking: The old ones are still the wisest, and it is the village chief who has to step in at the critical moment.

"Since the village chief has spoken, I will donate fifty cents." An uncle in patched clothes scratched his head and said hesitantly.

As soon as he finished speaking, people started to donate money. Some donated one or two cents, and some donated fifty or one yuan. Although the amount was not much, everyone donated sincerely.

Lu Qing was in charge of registration. His hand holding the pen was shaking and he was very excited.

He looked up at Shen Qiqi, only to see her eyes sparkling with dazzling light, as if filled with a sea of ​​stars.

"I'll donate one dollar!" A loud voice sounded. It was Li Ergou, a strong man in the village. He took out a wrinkled one-dollar bill from his pocket and handed it over with a simple smile.

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