Old Song, supporting his back and leaning on his cane, said in a sinister tone, "So, it turns out that Qiao Lian'er deceived everyone, saying that she was acting improperly without a father to look after her."
"Yes, back then Qiao Lian'er was so confident, thinking that building a bridge would solve everything. Who would have thought that the village would have to contribute manpower and effort?" Shen Shi said with a smirk, her arms in slings and a tuft of hair missing from her head.
The villagers' emotions were stirred up by them, and some people's faces showed dissatisfaction as they whispered among themselves, their voices growing louder and louder.
"Shut up."
Zhao, the village head, shouted sternly, and the discussion stopped.
His sharp gaze swept around, and his square face exuded an air of authority, giving people an indescribable sense of pressure.
"Let me ask you, did Lian'er ask you for a single penny? Did I ask you for a single penny?"
"What did you contribute? Did Lian'er make any absolute statements back then? Did he say that building just one bridge would be enough? Did he say that building a bridge would completely solve the problem? No, he didn't."
"Flood prevention is a major undertaking that requires attention in all aspects. There are problems to be solved at the beginning and at the end. Building bridges is just the first step. Everyone must put in their efforts and make their contributions."
“The bridge is under construction, and you just wait for good things to happen. You only have to do some labor to dig a river channel, and you complain all the time. Let me ask you, what is the purpose of building that bridge? Why is the river channel being dug? It's not for anything else, it's for your own land.”
"Okay, then there's no need to dig anymore, just wait for the disaster."
"But this bridge alone can save you from 60 to 70% of the disaster. This is an unprecedented achievement. What I said earlier is true. The Qiao family's divorce agreement is completely valid and will not be changed. When it is reported to the county government, the county magistrate also supports it. The county government has never seen such a good result before."
After Zhao Lizheng finished speaking, he swung his arm and turned his back to everyone, his chest heaving with anger.
The Qiao family was also there, and seeing Zhao Lizheng protecting Lian'er like this, they were all deeply moved.
Building the bridge was an emergency measure that Lian'er came up with at the time. Under those circumstances, the goal was only to get through the immediate difficulties, so it was impossible for it to be perfect. It was natural that there would be supplements later.
This project has been under construction for half a month without requiring any contributions from the villagers. However, no one can sit idly by and wait. When the project is needed, everyone should contribute their share to disaster prevention. This is also a form of awareness.
The villagers fell silent for a while, and some of them looked ashamed.
Yes, it's for their fields, for their crops; they have to do their part.
Someone spoke up: "If everyone goes down to the river, there will be no one to take care of things at home. Could each household leave a few people behind? The chickens, ducks, and pigs need food, weeds and pests need to be removed from the fields, and there's also the need to gather firewood."
Zhao Lizheng thought for a moment and said, "This was something I didn't think through. Then each family will keep three people, the women, and the men will all have to go down to the river. You can discuss it and those who stay at home should register with Wang Xiucai. They will be digging the river channel and diversion channel by nightfall at the latest. We will take attendance then. There are only half a month left, and no one can slack off."
"If there are special circumstances that require manpower to do something, then let me know."
Wang Xiucai had already set up a table on the dam. After Zhao Lizheng finished speaking, everyone discussed for a while and then went there to register.
At first, everyone thought that the bridge could completely withstand the flood, and they were unwilling and unable to accept the work. Now that they know the reason, they have become more proactive for the sake of their own crops.
Old Song, leaning on his cane, came up to Zhao, the village head: "No matter what I say, it's all because Qiao Lian'er didn't think things through at first and lacked someone to discipline her, so she made a mistake. From the day Qiao Yunni left the Song family, Qiao Lian'er has been considered my daughter. Zhao, I hope you can support me and let me discipline her properly."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
