"Eat it, it's sweet."
Su Jianguo smiled, patted the boy's head, and turned back to the car.
The tractor continued on its way and entered Shenjiabao Village.
As they went deeper, the poverty in the village became increasingly shocking.
The houses on both sides of the dirt road are mostly low and dilapidated, with cracks crisscrossing the walls, some of which are barely covered by tree branches and plastic sheeting.
Several sallow-faced, emaciated elderly people sat on the doorstep, basking in the sun, staring blankly at them.
The air was filled with a complex odor, a mixture of musty smells, feces, and cooking smoke.
"God..."
Su Jianjun exclaimed in a low voice.
"This is so poor, even worse than our village was ten years ago."
Su Jianguo remained silent, but his brows were furrowed.
The tractor eventually stopped in front of the brick house.
The house stands out starkly against the backdrop of its dilapidated surroundings.
The walls were made of red bricks, the roof was covered with tiles, and there was even a wooden door painted green.
A wooden sign hangs beside the door, with the words "Shenjiabao Village Committee" crookedly written on it.
Su Jianguo straightened his collar and went to knock on the door.
After waiting for about a minute, the door creaked open, and a man in his fifties poked his head out.
He was wearing a slightly worn blue Zhongshan suit, his hair was slicked back and shiny, and his face had an unhealthy flush, clearly indicating that he had just been drinking.
Who are you?
The man squinted at the two brothers, his voice carrying a heavy accent.
"Hello, I am Su Jianguo from Sujiatun, and this is my younger brother, Su Jianjun."
Su Jianguo introduced himself politely.
"Excuse me, are you Village Chief Shen?"
The man's expression immediately became wary.
"I am Shen Degui. What are the people from Sujiatun doing in our Shenjiabao?"
Su Jianguo smiled slightly.
"Village Chief Shen, we have some business to discuss with you regarding that abandoned reservoir to the north."
Upon hearing the word "reservoir," Shen Degui's eyes suddenly lit up, but he quickly regained his vigilance.
He looked Su Jianguo up and down, sizing him up.
A brand-new woolen overcoat, shiny leather shoes, and a gleaming Shanghai brand watch on his wrist.
"Come in."
Shen Degui finally stepped aside to make way, his tone softening somewhat.
The interior appeared more spacious than the exterior, but the furniture was very sparse.
A square table with peeling paint, a few creaking chairs, and several empty wine bottles piled in the corner.
At this moment, there was a petite woman.
It was probably Shen Degui's wife who timidly brought over two cups of tea, and then quickly retreated into the inner room.
"sit."
Shen Degui sat down first in the sturdiest-looking chair and gestured for his two brothers to sit down as well.
After thanking his brother, Su Jianguo sat down, while Su Jianjun stood behind him, cautiously observing their surroundings.
"Tell me, why are you people from Sujiatun interested in our Shenjiabao reservoir?"
Shen Degui got straight to the point, but his eyes remained fixed on the watch on Su Jianguo's wrist.
Su Jianguo calmly took a sip of tea. It was a low-quality jasmine tea, bitter and musty.
He put down his teacup and looked directly into Shen Degui's eyes.
"Village Chief Shen, I plan to expand my vegetable greenhouses and need a stable water source. I've heard that half of the Beishan Reservoir belongs to Shenjiabao, and I'd like to contract it out for restoration and use."
Shen Degui's eyebrows almost reached his hairline.
"Contracting a reservoir?"
He suddenly burst into laughter, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
"Comrade Su, do you know how many years that reservoir has been abandoned? How much would it cost to repair it?"
"This is my problem; Village Chief Shen need not worry about it."
Su Jianguo said calmly.
"I just want to know, what's the contract price for the reservoir in Shenjiabao?"
Shen Degui's eyes darted around, and he suddenly became serious.
"Comrade Su, although that reservoir is dry now, it is still the collective property of Shenjiabao. And it's in a great location, a place with excellent feng shui! A businessman from the south even came to see it two years ago and wanted to offer a high price!"
Su Jianjun couldn't help but interject.
"What high price? That reservoir has been dry for years!"
Shen Degui glared at Su Jianjun.
"Young people shouldn't talk nonsense if they don't understand! There are springs under that reservoir; it's just that no one has maintained them for years. If they were repaired, you could raise fish, irrigate—what couldn't you do with that?"
Su Jianguo chuckled inwardly; Shen Degui was clearly trying to raise the price on the spot.
He pretended to be deep in thought.
"Village Chief Shen makes a good point. So, name your price. How much would you charge for a 20-year lease of half of the Shenjiabao section of the reservoir?"
Shen Degui rubbed his hands together, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.
"Well... considering the potential value of the reservoir, and the collective interests of our village... 20,000 yuan, for twenty years."
"What?"
Su Jianjun almost jumped up.
"Twenty thousand? That dump wouldn't even take it for free!"
Su Jianguo raised his hand to stop his younger brother, his face remaining calm.
"Village Chief Shen, isn't your price... a bit too high? As far as I know, the contract price for newly built reservoirs in the county is no more than this."
Shen Degui calmly took a sip of tea.
"Comrade Su, you can't say that. Our reservoir has a long history and a solid foundation; it can be used with just a few repairs. Besides..."
He lowered his voice.
"This price also includes the village's 'coordination fee,' you know what I mean."
Su Jianguo suddenly stood up, his face grim.
"Village Chief Shen, I'm here to do business sincerely, not to be taken advantage of. Jianjun, let's go."
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