On the way, Li Hongzhuang rubbed his hands together, a smile plastered on his face: "Uncle, that kid Yaohui, do you think you can give him a way out?"
Li Yaohui's arm is useless, and he stays at home all day, just like a living dead person.
“After a while, I’ll have him come with me to the county. As long as he’s willing to work, he won’t go hungry,” Zhang Cheng agreed.
Li Hongzhuang immediately beamed with joy and became very talkative.
It took more than half an hour to walk to Shanghu Village.
The village is small, with about a hundred people.
Li Hongzhuang knew this place like the back of his hand; back in the day, he had worked like a slave at his father-in-law's house to get married. He led Zhang Cheng and easily made his way to his brother-in-law Hu Shangquan's house.
My father-in-law and mother-in-law both passed away a few years ago.
"Brother-in-law, you have a really sharp nose!" Hu Shangquan, who was repairing a hoe in the yard, laughed when he saw Li Hongzhuang. "I just touched a turtle this morning, and you already smelled it!"
Li Hongzhuang laughed heartily: "That's great! We're in for a treat today!"
Hu Shangquan's gaze fell on Zhang Cheng, and he looked him up and down a few times: "This must be Zhang Ergouzi, right? He has quite a reputation. Everyone says you have a lot of influence in the county and you're on friendly terms with the officials."
"Uncle Hu, you flatter me. I was just lucky," Zhang Cheng said politely.
Hu Shangquan waved his hand: "Luck? That's not just about being lucky. You're here today, is there something you need?"
"Uncle Hu, I heard that some households in the village are not happy about the electricity being installed in the county and don't want the power poles to be erected in their fields?" Zhang Cheng asked directly.
Hu Shangquan frowned: "Er Gouzi, I advise you to mind your own business."
"How so?" Li Hongzhuang interjected.
"Those households, to put it bluntly, are all one family."
"Who's being so arrogant?" Li Hongzhuang frowned. "Locking off electricity is a good thing. Going against the government? Have they lost their minds?"
"The Hu family. It's not that they won't let you settle down, it's just that they're asking for too much." Hu Shangquan curled his lips, looking helpless. "His eldest son, Hu Tian'an, was a policeman at the Nanyang Street Police Station a few years ago. Relying on that, his second and third sons are also doing quite well in the county, especially the youngest, Hu Chaoyang, who I heard has become a small-time hoodlum in the county, and he's very arrogant."
Zhang Cheng's heart skipped a beat. Nanyang Street Police Station? One of Zhao Daming's men?
"Uncle Hu, is Hu Tian'an at the Nanyang Street Police Station?"
"Yes, his name is Hu Tianan."
What a coincidence!
Zhang Cheng's lips curled up as he looked at Li Hongzhuang: "Uncle, how about we go to Hu Baima's house first?"
"Okay." Li Hongzhuang nodded.
“I’ll go with you. That old bastard Hu Baima has become even more of a scoundrel these past few years, turning on you in an instant.” Hu Shangquan was worried, so he picked up his hoe and followed.
The three of them soon arrived at Hu Baima's house.
The courtyard was bustling with noise as Hu Baima's family of about ten people, young and old, were roasting sweet potatoes around a fire.
The laughter in the courtyard paused when Zhang Cheng and his group entered.
Hu Baima, a man in his early fifties with a face full of fat, grinned when he saw Hu Shangquan: "Shangquan, what brings you here?"
Hu Shangquan smiled ingratiatingly and lowered his posture: "Brother Ma, my brother-in-law and the others have something to discuss with you."
Hu Baima's triangular eyes swept over Li Hongzhuang before settling on Zhang Cheng, scrutinizing him: "Hongzhuang, you've become quite the rare guest since your father-in-law left. And who is this?"
"Brother Ma, this is Zhang Ergouzi from our village, you should have heard of him," Li Hongzhuang hurriedly introduced.
"Zhang Ergouzi?" Hu Baima narrowed his eyes, seemingly pondering the name. A few days ago, his eldest son, Hu Tianan, did mention it briefly, saying that their director had a very close relationship with a young man named Zhang Ergouzi from Zhangjia Village, and suggested that he try to get to know him better.
Thinking of this, Hu Baima forced a smile through his fleshy face: "So it's Brother Er Gou! Come on in, have a seat. Wife, pour some tea!"
The speed of their change in attitude surprised both Li Hongzhuang and Hu Shangquan.
Zhang Cheng didn't stand on ceremony and sat down on a small stool in the yard, taking the roasted sweet potato that Hu Baima handed him: "Uncle Ma, I'm here today to help with the installation of power poles in the village."
"Power poles..." Hu Baima's smile faded, and he frowned. His youngest son, Hu Chaoyang, had told him that this power line installation was a government project, very lucrative, and that he should take as much as he could.
"Brother Er Gou, it's not that I'm being disrespectful, but Boss Zhou's price is indeed a bit too low."
"So, what does Uncle Ma mean?"
Hu Baima held up five fingers: "One rod, that's the price. This is only because of you, Brother Er Gou; otherwise, a thousand less, no way!"
Five hundred for one?
Zhang Cheng laughed: "Uncle Ma, bringing electricity to the countryside is a government project. I'm afraid your asking price might be difficult to negotiate."
“The land is mine, how can the government forcibly seize it?” Hu Baima retorted.
“The government will naturally not force us to buy or sell.” Zhang Cheng slowly broke open a sweet potato. “But think about it, a pole costs 500 yuan. If this power line is to go through Shanghu Village, it will require at least a dozen or twenty poles, which would cost over 10,000 yuan. Rather than that, it would be better to just move the line around Shanghu Village. It would only cost a few hundred meters more in power, and the cost would be lower.”
Hu Baima's expression changed slightly. He had considered this matter, but his youngest son, Hu Chaoyang, had assured him that the power line would not pass through Shanghu Village smoothly unless his family agreed. He had advised his son against such a drastic measure, but his son had said that if things didn't work out openly, there were plenty of ways to get around it secretly.
"Three hundred! No less than that!" Hu Baima gritted his teeth.
“One hundred.” Zhang Cheng held up one finger. “Uncle Ma, if you nod, I’ll pay you on the spot. Six poles in total, six hundred yuan.”
Hu Baima was stunned. One hundred? This kid is here to make fun of him?
"Zhang Ergouzi, what does this electricity supply to the countryside have to do with you?" he couldn't help but ask.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com