Chapter 158 Liu Family Pickled Vegetables
Upon opening the box, it was indeed filled with pickled vegetables.
Lu Kai picked up a bottle and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! It even has a label? 'Liu Family Pickled Vegetables'? Hey, it looks really authentic!"
Shen Yi pulled a letter from the bottom of the box and tossed it to Lu Kai: "Here, your future wife gave this to you."
Lu Kai blushed and quickly stuffed the letter into his pocket, afraid that someone would snatch it away.
Everyone was too busy to pay attention to him; their eyes were glued to the pickled vegetables.
Shen Yi took out two bottles to keep for himself, and waved his hand, saying, "Distribute the rest!"
The crowd rushed forward and quickly divided the box up.
After everyone had left, Shen Yi took out paper and pen from the drawer and began writing furiously at his desk.
Xu Zhigang peeked over and asked, "You've already written a reply? I'm going into town anyway, can I take it to you?"
"No need." Shen Yi didn't even look up, his pen strokes firm and strong. "It's an application to accompany the troops."
Xu Zhigang was taken aback.
Shen Yi's eyes were firm: "I refuse to believe it won't be approved. I'll rewrite it every time it's rejected, let's see who can outlast whom. Anyway, I have plenty of patience."
Liu Zhixia neatly handed a thick wad of money to Aunt Zhou.
Aunt Zhou's eyelids twitched, and she asked in surprise, "Xia, what are you doing?"
Liu Zhixia's eyes shone as she smiled and said, "Auntie, I want to donate money to the brigade to repair the road!"
Aunt Zhou was even more puzzled: "Isn't the road to the city pretty good? Even tractors can go that way."
“The road is open, but it’s too winding, and it turns into a muddy mess when it rains, making it impossible to drive on. I’m thinking of laying a layer of gravel and straightening the curves, which will save a lot of time when we go into the city.”
Aunt Zhou immediately understood.
The Liu family's business has grown significantly, and they rely entirely on that road for both sourcing and shipping goods. With the rainy season approaching, delivering goods becomes a major challenge; delays can result in financial losses.
But she still asked with unease, "Are you sure you want to throw so much money into this bottomless pit just to build a road?"
Liu Zhixia slapped her thigh: "Don't worry, Auntie, I'm willing! If you want to get rich, build roads first. Good roads will make things more convenient for everyone. This is a good thing that benefits the whole village!"
Aunt Zhou chuckled and readily accepted the money: "Alright! Xia, I admire your generosity. I'll keep this money on behalf of everyone and make sure the road is repaired beautifully! If there's any left over, I'll return it to you."
"Okay. If it's not enough, ask my mother for more."
Aunt Zhou's lips twitched: "Your family is really extravagant now!"
Liu Zhixia left Aunt Zhou's house satisfied.
As soon as she entered the house and met the questioning gazes of her family, Liu Zhixia clapped her hands: "It's settled, Aunt Zhou agreed."
Zhang Xiuying frowned slightly, feeling a pang of heartache: "Girl, is it really necessary to pay for the road repairs out of your own pocket? Shouldn't this be the brigade's responsibility?"
“Mom, our family has made a lot of money now, and the whole village is watching. If we keep it a secret, even if we work with everyone, some people will still be envious and gossip. Using the money to repair the road will not only make things easier for everyone, but also shut up the gossip. Besides, it's so dangerous for Dad and my older brother to deliver goods in the rain. What if they fall and get hurt? Wouldn't you be heartbroken?”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiuying's worries instantly dissipated, and her eyes filled with relief: "Okay, I'll listen to you! This money was well spent!"
I understand the reasoning, but it's impossible not to feel the pain when I see stacks of cash being handed out.
Liu Xiangyang frowned and said, "Little sister, you can't pay for this all by yourself. I'll add some money too!"
Liu Xuejun raised his hand: "I'll give it too!"
Looking at her sensible sons, Zhang Xiuying smiled and scolded, "Alright! We old folks will contribute too! No one is allowed to slack off; everyone has to help out when the road is being repaired!"
The news that the Liu family had funded the road repairs quickly spread throughout the village.
The villagers who had been secretly envious of the Liu family's wealth and wondering how they would squander it were now completely dumbfounded.
Donating the money to repair roads? What kind of operation is this?
Aunt Zhou called a meeting, and the villagers gathered early in the open space, whispering and discussing among themselves.
Upon seeing the Liu family arrive, someone couldn't help but ask loudly, "Old Liu! I heard you donated all your earnings to road repairs? Is that true?"
The noisy crowd fell silent instantly, and countless eyes stared at the Liu family.
Liu Shouren smiled broadly, his face crinkling with wrinkles, and straightened his back: "Really! I did make some money, but one shouldn't forget one's roots. It's only right to use it to help everyone!"
Upon hearing this, the jealousy in everyone's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by deep respect.
Look at their vision!
Aunt Zhou stepped onto the stage and said loudly, "Everyone has seen the Liu family's righteousness. I have already reported to the commune and planned the route. Now we just need manpower! This road is for us to build, and it will make it easier for us to get in and out! I hope everyone will contribute their strength and sign up enthusiastically!"
Who wouldn't be willing to put in some effort as long as it doesn't cost money? The villagers all raised their hands in response.
The next day, the entire village, young and old, pitched in and worked with great enthusiasm.
Several relatives tied a makeshift stretcher with bamboo poles and hemp ropes and carried Xiao Yang back to the village. As soon as Aunt Yang saw the commotion, she screamed, "What are you doing? Why did you dig up the road? Are you rebelling?"
A helpful villager nearby cheerfully explained, "The Yang family is back! The Liu family paid for the road repairs! It'll only take half an hour to get to town now, so convenient!"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Yang's face immediately fell, and she said sarcastically, "Oh, so the Liu family has struck it rich and is now pretending to be great philanthropists? What's wrong with going to the city for two hours? Why waste money like this? If you have too much money to burn, you might as well give it to my son to get married!"
These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing everyone's enthusiasm.
The villagers' smiles froze, and their eyes turned contemptuous.
Who doesn't know about the Yang family's messy affairs? They were greedy enough to ruin their son, and now they can't stand to see others doing well.
The incident at the hospital had already spread throughout the village.
One hot-tempered auntie couldn't hold back any longer and retorted, "Two hours round trip is half a day! Why don't you save that time for something else? They're paying for the road repairs to benefit the whole village, what right do you have to make sarcastic remarks?"
"Exactly! The Liu family's money was earned through hard work, so it's generous of them to donate it! I think you're just jealous! Your sourness is even stronger than our pickled vegetable jars!"
"If you don't want to take this new path, then don't! Nobody's begging you!"
Aunt Yang was so embarrassed by the retort that she wanted to yell back, but she found herself surrounded by cold stares and could only shut up in frustration, letting her relatives carry her son away in a sorry state.
Watching Aunt Yang's dejected figure, the villagers sighed again.
"This person is truly unreasonable. He can't even live a good life himself, yet he can't stand to see others doing well."
"Ignore her, let's get on with our work!"
The incident didn't affect everyone for long, and they quickly returned to their enthusiastic road construction work.
Liu Zhixia was also busy in the crowd with a shovel. She was quite strong, so she naturally participated enthusiastically in such group activities.
Not far away, Lu Huaiyuan hid in a corner, staring coldly at Liu Zhixia's busy figure, his teeth grinding together.
The more prosperous the Liu family became, the more it irritated him.
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