"You silly girl, some important people are coming to the island tomorrow. I think they're here to select village cadres. Don't you have any ideas this time?"
Mingjing's eyes lit up. "What? Zhang Ping really got stripped?"
"I don't know, but it won't last long. Village cadres leading a group fight is a big taboo. In serious cases, they could be considered village bullies, and the higher authorities might have to hold a new election."
"Then I'm not interested either."
"What do you think of me? Everyone in the village is saying that this year's village cadre selection is different from before. It's a vote by the villagers, and I might even be transferred to the town as a cadre."
Mingjing smiled and shook her head. "I'm just a fisherwoman. All I know is fishing. I have no interest in being an official."
"You're so unambitious, what's the point of catching fish? How much money can you make? Being an official is the only secure job. You're so short-sighted, little girl."
Old Wang shook his head and sighed.
"Uncle Wang, you're well-liked in this village, why don't you think about trying to win them over?"
Old Wang waved his hand and chuckled, "Are you kidding me? This is something you can get just by being popular? I can't read, so they might not necessarily want me."
"Hey, that's not necessarily true. If this is really a village cadre election, then it'll all come down to personal connections. When the leaders come tomorrow, just do your best, and I'll cooperate with you."
"I remember you went to university when you were young, it was called Yenching University, which is incredibly prestigious even now, so why can't you do it?"
These words really brought Old Wang to life.
Will this work?
"Why not? You can use my name to donate money to the village and do some good deeds. I'll pay for it and you'll get the credit. Why wouldn't you do it?"
Old Wang looked at Mingjing suspiciously, feeling that something was amiss.
"Don't worry, I know you saved me today. I'll get you a job as the village party secretary, as a way of repaying your favor."
Old Wang was still worried and added, "What if we pay the money but the job doesn't get done?"
"No, you can't. Just do your best. Even if you fail, you won't lose anything, right? Be smart. This world bullies honest people."
“Mingjing, you’re right. I might not be the only one chosen. Take your cousin Ming Xingwang, for example. Do you think he would let this opportunity slip by?”
"I rely on this little shop to make a living. If things don't go well and I offend Ming Xingwang, how am I supposed to survive?"
Mingjing smiled, "Uncle Wang, do you think anyone on this island has a more stable foundation than you? Whether it's fishermen or merchants, your little shop is the lifeblood of our village."
If they don't come here, where will they go? They can't possibly go to town or the city to buy a fishhook, can they?
"That makes sense. Okay, I'll give it a try."
If he really becomes the village secretary, he'll have to perform well and try to get transferred to a position in the city. People always strive for higher positions, and he might as well give this small shop to Mingjing then.
Old Wang looked back and pondered, while Mingjing rode his motorcycle home.
As soon as Mingjing arrived home, she heard laughter from inside.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Mingjing parked her motorcycle, and Sun Yunmei pulled her along, saying, "Mingjing, you're finally back! Your aunt gave birth right after you left, with twin big, healthy boys."
"twin?"
"Of course! I was wondering if your aunt's belly was bigger than usual, but it turned out to be twins. She's finally made it through!"
With no men on the island to support the family, Zhang Qiao'er could finally take a break, which made Sun Yunmei genuinely happy.
"I'll pack my things, and tomorrow our whole family will go visit your aunt."
"Do you understand?"
Mingjing breathed a sigh of relief; it's really rare for twins to make it to full term.
"By the way, Dad, how's the house situation going?"
"The building materials have all been ordered. Tomorrow we will first consult the Goddess of the Sea to choose an auspicious day for breaking ground, and then find a bricklayer to dig the foundation."
Mingjing took a sip of well water, feeling quite pleased with himself, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
"Dad, I heard that people are coming to the village tomorrow. What's going on?"
Before Ming Dahai could speak, Old Wang came up again with a flashlight.
"Old Wang, what brings you here so late?" Sun Yunmei asked, puzzled.
"I'm looking for Mingjing," Old Wang said as he stepped forward. "Mingjing, I forgot to tell you something. The reason you were fined this time was all Ming Xingwang's doing."
“He reported that you didn’t register with the Maritime Safety Administration. I forgot to tell you earlier.”
Ming Dahai was furious when he heard this, "You bastard, even his sister wants to report him, he's just like his father, an ingrate!"
"Forget it, the village leaders are coming tomorrow to hold some kind of election. Let's not cause any trouble," Sun Yunmei advised.
"Election? Women's director or village head?"
Ming Dahai shook his head, "I don't know, but I guess it's probably a done deal. The women's director issue has been going on for a long time. I heard that Mingzhu has already been decided internally, but the village director is still uncertain."
Upon hearing this, Mingjing smiled knowingly and looked at Old Wang, "Uncle Wang, you should go back first. Just like we said before, you just need to perform well, and I'll take care of the rest."
"There's one more thing..."
Mingjing kept talking to Lao Wang for a long time.
“This is easy, I can do it. But are you sure you want to do it this way? This is no small matter.”
"Yes, we should take from the people and use it for the people. This is what we should do."
Old Wang nodded, since it wouldn't cost him any money anyway. "Okay, whatever you say, I'll do it. Don't worry, I guarantee I'll get this done for you."
"Yes, not only do you have to do it well, but you also have to keep an eye on those parasites and make sure they don't cause me any trouble."
Old Wang said goodbye and then left.
"Mingjing, what are you whispering about?" Ming Dahai asked curiously as he stepped forward.
"It's alright, Dad. Tomorrow we'll ask the Sea Goddess for permission to visit Uncle and give him two big red envelopes."
Sun Yunmei smiled and agreed, "That's right, two thousand yuan for two children is quite a lot."
“Oh, now that we’re making money, you can afford to give us two thousand yuan. Your older brother suffered a lot because of the mountains in the past, so it’s only right that we give you more.”
Ming Dahai wasn't a very generous person. Considering that they owed him a favor and that he had made them suffer for ten years for nothing, he felt bad and thought about making some money to compensate them.
Sun Yunmei was genuinely happy that her husband was so kind and righteous.
"Dad, we now have two boats, and the house is about to be built. How do you plan to live from now on?"
Ming Dahai and Sun Yunmei exchanged a glance, unsure how to respond.
In the past, when they had no money, all they wanted was to have a full meal and for their son to be successful so they wouldn't have to worry about them. That was their goal in life.
Now that they have everything, they don't know where to go next.
“Mingjing, we’ll go wherever you say we’re going. All the money in our family comes from you, so we’ll listen to you.”
Ming Dahai was at a loss and thought for a long time before speaking.
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