"Comrade Yan wants to take a shower, right? I'm just about to boil some water. Please wait a moment!"
Fang Guozhong turned around, picked up the bucket, and walked out past the two of them.
Yan Rushan comforted his wife and said, "I'll go help. Wife, there's a stool nearby. Please sit over there."
"good."
After watching Yan Rushan go out and come back after a while, he and Fang Guozhong each had a bucket of water in their hands; they put the bucket on the open space outside the kitchen, and then moved the only big pot out of the kitchen to wash it.
Fang Guozhong skillfully brushed the rust off the pot with stones, and rinsed it with clean water again and again, finally restoring the pot to its original color.
After washing it clean, they put the big pot on the big stove and poured water into it. When they filled the pot and were ready to light the fire, they found that they had no matches, let alone a ready-made fire.
Yan Rushan:.......
Zhong Yuxiu:.......
Fang Guozhong: "Well, Comrade Yan, Comrade Zhong, please go to the corridor outside to rest for a while and enjoy the cool air. I'm going to borrow a fire from the village and will return it to Comrade Gu when he comes back."
That's all we can do.
Fang Guozhong went to the same house where he borrowed the bucket. After knocking on the door, Xiong Er and the village chief he had met before were both there.
"Village head, comrade, I'm sorry to bother you."
"Comrade, you're welcome. Do you want to borrow something?" the village chief asked first.
Fang Guozhong was a little embarrassed, but he didn't show it on his face. "Yes, we don't have any matches at home, and we don't have any with us. We had to ask the villagers if they had any extra firewood so I could buy two boxes."
He had been planning to borrow it, but he changed his mind; matches were not expensive things, and a few boxes could be bought for a dime or two, so there was no need to owe anyone a favor.
"Yes, yes, we happen to have two boxes at home. I will keep one box as a spare, and the other box can be given to my comrade." Xiong Er said as he went into the house.
The village chief said, "Comrade, please come in. May I ask your name?"
"My last name is Fang, you can just call me Comrade Fang, village chief. There's no need to say that when you go in. I have to go back and get busy after getting the matches. I just arrived here and nothing is complete. There are so many things I need to prepare. I hope you can forgive me, village chief." Fang Guozhong's words were considered tactful. If he wasn't, he would probably offend people.
"You have just settled down, so you have to be busy for a while. If you need any help, just come to me. I am the village chief and I will definitely help if I can." The village chief said with a smile. He was not stupid if he didn't speak now.
These people are obviously capable. Perhaps just a word from them can bring endless benefits to their village.
Making profits for the village is what a village chief should do.
Fang Guozhong said, "The village chief is a good man. We don't need any help at the moment. We appreciate your kindness."
"If you need any help, just let me know. You're welcome. You bought a house in our village. Although you may not live here permanently, you are still considered villagers." The village chief seized the opportunity to praise the villagers' kindness. "Our villagers are warm and hospitable. They didn't know you were coming. If they had known, they would definitely come to your house to greet you."
Fang Guozhong smiled but did not respond; visiting people also depends on the time. He believed that the villagers were hospitable, but he did not believe that everyone was a good person.
Seeing that he didn't respond, the village chief thought he didn't believe him, so he continued, "You don't know, this family's surname is Xiong, and there's an elderly person in the family who is paralyzed in bed. The eldest brother of the Xiong family went out to make a living and never came back. No one knows whether he is dead or alive. Now they rely on Xiong Er to support them. Because of this, Xiong Er has never married and has been single to take care of his mother."
"Even so, Xiong Er has never changed. He takes care of his mother while working in the fields, juggling everything at home and beyond. Life is so hard." The village chief shook his head and sighed. Speaking of the Xiong family, he was truly worried. "Even so, he's always been hardworking and never complaining. Do you think Xiong Er is a good person?"
Fang Guozhong, who had borrowed something from someone before and was now going to buy something from them, smiled awkwardly and said, "You're a good person, but why are you telling me all this, Village Chief?"
The village chief choked, suspecting that this person was pretending not to understand; but he couldn't say these words out loud, so he could only make up an excuse to justify himself.
"The younger generations in our village are well-known for their filial piety. You know, filial children tend to have good character. So, don't worry, everyone in our village is good. Just look at Xiong Er and you'll know."
Fang Guozhong: ...What does it have to do with him?
"Comrade Fang, if you don't believe me, just stay in the village for another half a month and observe."
"We're just staying here temporarily. We'll have to leave when it's time." Fang Guozhong added, "Don't worry, Village Chief. We'll be in the village for a few days. If there's anything the village can't resolve, you can come to me. I also have some friends in Province C."
There is no need for Comrade Yan and Comrade Zhong to come forward, he also has comrades.
The village chief was certain that the man had been feigning ignorance. A smile crossed his face. "That's not what I meant. Please don't misunderstand me. I just wanted to see if you needed help, to make you trust us and me."
"Village chief, comrade, Match is here." Xiong Er didn't hear their conversation and shouted as he walked out of the room.
Fang Guozhong breathed a sigh of relief and waited for Xiong Er to come forward and hand him a box of matches. He took out two cents, thanked him, and then thanked the village chief, politely declining the village chief's kindness, and then left with the matches.
After returning home, Fang Guozhong did not tell Yan Rushan and Zhong Yuxiu about these things.
With matches and firewood, they finally managed to boil a pot of hot water; Yan Rushan asked Zhong Yuxiu to wash first, and then he and Fang Guozhong went to take a shower.
After washing, the three of them felt refreshed and comfortable. They sat in the shade, under the eaves, where they were not exposed to the sun, and they soon felt cool.
Just after it had cooled down for a while, they heard the sound of a car in the distance; the roads in the village were uneven, and the car would make noise and the sound of tires rubbing against the ground. The three of them got up and rushed out. When they reached the courtyard hall, a car drove in.
The car stopped in the parking space. Old man Yan Guofeng, Wang Daya, Gong Zhaodi and the children pushed the door and got out. Then Gu Lingguo opened the driver's door and got out.
The three men stepped forward, Yan Rushan took the child from the old man's arms, and Zhong Yuxiu took the son from Wang Daya's arms; Fang Guozhong didn't dare to hold the children casually, these little kids were weak, and he was really afraid that he would accidentally use too much force and hurt them.
Seeing that no one came to pick him up, the little one in Gong Zhaodi's arms simply reached out to Zhong Yuxiu, "Ah, numb."
"You little brat, you've been pestering your mother since you came here." Yan Rushan walked forward and picked up the people from Gong Zhaodi's arms, one in each hand, and Gong Zhaodi was finally freed.
Zhong Yuxiu couldn't hold two children at the same time, but she could kiss each of them on the face one by one; the children were happy because it was good to be kissed by their mother even if they didn't get hugged by her.
Yan Rushan shook his two fat sons and said unwillingly, "Look at how useless you are." Plasma-wall separation.
Zhong Yuxiu was both angry and amused, not knowing what to say to him; Yan Guofeng shook his head and sighed, saying that he didn't want a grandson like him anymore.
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