Xu Zhengrong was running out of breath, so Gu Xi went to the kitchen to pour him a glass of water. Xu Zhengrong took the glass and drank most of it in one breath before he felt better.
"What are you doing here? Who started it first? Stand up!"
Several people looked at each other, but no one dared to stand up.
Gu Xi pointed at the leading man and said, "He came in with a stick and started shouting for killing. He is the leader here."
He pointed at Aunt Zhao and said, "There is also her. She has a grudge against me. I suspect she wants to take this opportunity to retaliate against me, and she has been instigating them to smash things."
Wang Xu happened to rush back at this time. He looked Gu Xi up and down as soon as he entered the door. Seeing that she was fine and hearing Gu Xi's complaint, he went up to beat her up, but was stopped by Gu Xi's scolding: "Wang Xu, don't do it. The village head and the secretary are here and they will handle it."
Wang Xu immediately put away his anger and walked to Xu Zhengrong's side, with a suffocating sense of oppression on his face: "I have always been a loner. It's not impossible for Gu Xi to change her team when she goes to the countryside. We can go to the Red Star Team next door. If something like this happens again, I will take Gu Xi away."
Then he turned to the troublemakers and said, "Get lost! If you don't, don't blame me for being rude."
The leading man's voice was trembling, but among the twenty or so people who came, someone took courage and said, "Wang Xu, don't be so arrogant. There are so many of us. We are not afraid of you. We are here to seek an explanation. Do you guys dominate this village? You let us share the electricity to satisfy your selfish desires. Don't treat me like a fool."
Wang Xu didn't say a word, he just picked up the stool and smashed it on the man. He used so much force that the wooden chair instantly broke into pieces when it hit the man. The leading man wailed and fell to the ground: "Are you guys going to leave?"
The scene suddenly became quiet, and breathing was almost inaudible.
Wu Yao and Xu Zhengrong hurried forward and held him from the left and right: "Wang Xu, don't be impulsive, we will drive him away immediately. Gu Xi, you quickly stop him."
Gu Xi stepped forward and grabbed Wang Xu's arm: "Since everyone is here, send a representative to explain clearly. I don't want to be splashed with dirty water for no reason."
The troublemaker looked at Wang Xu warily, not daring to speak. Aunt Zhao had dealt with him for the second time, and knew that Wang Xu would not take action again after Gu Xi spoke up: "The village chief notified today that electricity will be provided to the village. I heard that every household will have access, right?"
Xu Zhengrong nodded: "Yes, I made it very clear on the radio today that every household can use electricity. Isn't this a good thing? What are you making a fuss about?"
Aunt Zhao immediately acted as if she had confessed a huge sin to them: "Listen, he has admitted it. Did you ask for our opinion before you connected the electricity? You just want to connect the pig farm to electricity and let us share the electricity bill. You are simply a blood-sucking capitalist."
The people around him also became excited: "Yes, he has admitted it. How shameless! They are a bunch of snakes and rats."
Xu Zhengrong's eyes widened. "When did I ask you for money? Who told me that I wanted you to share the cost? The village will bear the cost of electricity, and you won't have to pay a penny. I even went to the town twice to ask clearly. After the electricity is connected, each household will have its own meter, and there is no need for collective sharing. You will pay for your own use, and the pig farm will also pay for its own use."
Aunt Zhao was stunned: "No money? Give us electricity for free? I don't believe you would do such a good thing, there must be something fishy."
Xu Zhengrong was really angry this time, and slammed the table angrily: "What are you talking about? We discussed this when we first connected the electricity. You would definitely be dissatisfied if we asked you to pay, so the village would bear all the expenses. As expected, you still speak harshly to me even though I don't want any money. If you don't believe it, don't pretend, I can't fool you."
Aunt Zhao was stubborn and said, "If you don't want to pretend, then don't pretend. Who cares? Kerosene lamps are good to use. Who wants to learn the capitalist style of the city? I'll cry when I have to pay the money."
When people are speechless, they will laugh. Xu Zhengrong laughed and said, "Zhao Guihua's family doesn't want electricity. If anyone else doesn't want electricity, please stand up and say it together. Don't say I didn't ask for your opinions."
The rest of the people looked at each other. Only a fool wouldn't pretend to be free. Aunt Zhao was a fool, but they were not. They knew Xu Zhengrong's temper after so many years. If he said it was free, then it must be free.
"Since they don't want money, we will definitely pretend. We are not stupid."
Even Brother Chen, who had fallen to the ground, acquiesced to the power supply: "Why didn't Gu Zhiqing explain the free service at the beginning, causing us to misunderstand each other?"
Gu Xi raised her eyebrows: "I told you I know nothing and asked you to ask the village chief. You refused to believe me and thought I was the one who ordered you to do it. You said the village chief was obsessed with money and that snakes and rats were all in the same nest. Would you listen to me if I explained it to you? You can always find excuses to accuse someone of something."
Several people remembered that when they first entered the house, Gu Xi said that it was not clear, but no one believed it. Brother Chen was helped up while holding his shoulders and aching back. "It was Zhao Guihua who said that Gu Xi came and gave the village chief an idea to set up a pig farm and let Wang Xu and a few friends go in to work. The money was paid by the village, and we worked hard to farm for others."
Wu Yao also snorted coldly: "You are quite good at making up stories. Who told you that? You are illiterate and can't even say the phrase 'making wedding clothes for others'. Who instigated you?"
Zhao Guihua immediately realized that she had been fooled. She slapped her thigh and cried, "Damn Liu Xiuni. She told me two days ago that she saw the village chief in the town saying that he wanted to get electricity. She used me as a gun, this bitch."
As soon as Liu Xiuni's name came out, everyone knew what happened. Xu Zhengrong shouted, "Idiots, you are all brainless. You have been fooled. You need a basis to spread rumors. Did I ask you for money? Who did I provide electricity for? I thought that everyone in our village worked so hard. Children still had to use kerosene lamps to read at night. My sisters and sisters-in-law had to sew clothes, which was bad for their eyes. The village was evaluated as advanced and achieved a good harvest, all for the villagers to live a good life.
No matter how difficult it is, I will borrow money from others and provide electricity to every household. I hope that people in our village can live a good life. We should have what the city has. I set up a pig farm so that I can have more meat to eat at the end of the year. I also hope that the village can have more money so that I can invest in childcare, elderly care, literacy and entrepreneurship.
Raising pigs is too risky. I can't sleep well every day and run to the pig farm as soon as I open my eyes. Is it for my own good? You guys are so disheartening. If there is any profit from the electricity supply and the pig farm, it will belong to the village, and if there is any loss, it will be mine. Do you understand now? "
Everyone was ashamed of what he said. They lowered their heads and stood at attention to be criticized. Someone choked up and said, "I'm sorry, village chief. I'm sorry, Gu Zhiqing."
Then, voices of apology rang out one after another. Xu Zhengrong just looked at them without saying a word. Wu Yao patted his shoulder to comfort him and said, "I dare not say whether this kind of thing will happen in other villages, but it will definitely not happen in Zhengrong. From the first day I came to this village, I watched him become the village chief and lead the village step by step to progress. He has paid more than anyone else. You are so disheartening. Next time, you must not make random guesses. If there are any misunderstandings, everyone should speak out. We accept criticism but not groundless rumors."
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