After making arrangements for the two, Lu Yuan returned to the Changhe Brigade with Su Tingxiao.
Remembering that he was supposed to have a meeting with the brigade cadres, but it fell through because of the two educated youths, he asked Su Tingxiao to drive home first, and went to the brigade leader's house himself.
Lu Guoan was still awake, waiting for news from Lu Yuan.
"Were He and Hong, the educated youth, brought back?" he asked.
"Not yet, both of them were injured and were taken to the clinic."
How did you get injured?
Lu Yuan said, "We'll talk about that later. First, let Yuan Chao call all the brigade cadres over. We need to have a meeting; I have something important to say."
Lu Guoan quickly instructed his youngest son to go and fetch someone.
Lu Yuan then recounted how He Shenghua and Hong Xia were beaten and the extent of their injuries.
Lu Guoan was furious. "These bastards are utterly lawless! What's the difference between this and private torture? Is there no justice left?"
"Uncle, calm down. I'll handle this. I won't let them get away with this beating."
Lu Guoan worried, "How should we handle this? This person is no ordinary individual. What can we do?"
Lu Yuandao said, "Don't worry, we have powerful backers now."
Lu Guoan asked, "What kind of backing do we have?"
“My dad,” Lu Yuan blurted out.
Lu Guoan remembered that Lu Yuan had mentioned his father was the director of the provincial military hospital, so he asked, "Who's higher in rank, your father, the director of the hospital, or the commune secretary?"
In their view, the commune secretary was in charge of a dozen or so production brigades in the surrounding area, and was the highest-ranking official in the area. The only officials who could control him were high-ranking officials like the county magistrate.
"Uncle, let me put it this way, even if our county magistrate and mayor come, they have to treat my dad with utmost respect."
Lu Yuan was pleased, not for any other reason than that it felt really good to have a powerful backer in this second generation.
Hiss~
Lu Guoan took a breath, then thought of how Lu Yuan had such a powerful father, yet Lu Guoqing had secretly switched him to grow up in their poor mountain village. He cursed Lu Guoqing for being a heartless person.
Thinking of Lu Guoqing, he sighed heavily again.
"Lu Guoqing just left without a care for his two children. Now everyone knows about his child swapping, and all sorts of nasty things are being said about him. It's the two innocent children who are suffering all of this."
As he spoke, Lu Guoan kept observing Lu Yuan's expression.
Complexion.
“When we were handing out candy before, some villagers spoke without thinking, saying that the two siblings were too ashamed to accept the candy. In the end, Xiaoqin and Xiaojun went home crying and didn’t receive the candy.”
Lu Yuan frowned. "Uncle, you should keep an eye on the villagers from now on and make them watch their words."
"You don't blame them?" Lu Guoan asked tentatively.
"Why blame them? They are who they are, and Lu Guoqing is Lu Guoqing. They're incredibly unlucky to have a father like Lu Guoqing."
Lu Guoqing felt relieved. "You're right. Lu Guoqing is a bad person, and his children suffer because of him."
It's good that they don't blame them. After all, they're relatives. Lu Guoqing ran away, and as the village head and his uncle, he has a responsibility to take care of the siblings. Lu Yuan doesn't blame them, and the siblings' lives are better in the village.
As the two were talking, the brigade cadres soon arrived. There weren't many people, just Zhang Yong'an, the brigade accountant, a militia captain, and a women's director.
The current women's director is Wang Hongmei, Lu Guoan's wife. She used to be Sun Changsheng's wife. After Sun's wife passed away, Wang Hongmei took over the position of women's director.
Once everyone was present, Lu Yuan explained his plan to build a sanatorium in the village. At first, the group didn't understand the benefits of building such a sanatorium and remained unmoved. Lu Yuan then listed the advantages one by one.
"First, the road to the commune will be rebuilt, widened and leveled. Second, the construction of the sanatorium will create some jobs, and I can find a way to prioritize villagers for these positions."
Putting aside other things, he can arrange for kitchen staff to wash vegetables and dishes, as well as cleaners.
Upon hearing that there were job opportunities, the group was immediately excited. This was great news; the village could have a few more people earning wages.
"Also, with such a large sanatorium being built, won't they need to hire people? Won't the men in the village make another fortune?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"Looking at the long term, once the sanatorium is completed, it will be frequented by high-ranking officials, which will greatly ensure the safety of our village. There will be no more incidents like people stealing rabbits. If our village wants to develop, can we roll up our sleeves and work hard without worry?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
The more they listened, the more excited they became. Their faces flushed, their eyes shone, and they couldn't suppress the urge to smile.
"County leaders will be coming to the village tomorrow, and the county head will also be coming in person. Don't be nervous, I will take care of the reception. Just tell everyone to keep the village and their personal hygiene in order, and do whatever else you need to do."
"Okay, okay."
Lu Yuan made some specific arrangements, gave a few more instructions, and then took his leave.
Lu Guoan quickly had Wang Hongmei bring out the remaining candies that hadn't been distributed yet. There were about two or three pounds left.
Lu Yuan grabbed another handful for each of the people present, then picked up the rest and stood up, saying, "I'm going to take some milk candy to Xiao Jun and his sister."
Lu Guoan was delighted and saw him off at the gate with a big smile.
When Lu Yuan arrived at the Lu family home, looking at the familiar house, he felt a mix of emotions. At that moment, he truly realized that he was now a guest here.
He wouldn't hold a grudge against Lu Xiaoqin and Lu Xiaojun, but he couldn't treat them like his own brothers and sisters before, let alone now.
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