Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Eight
Morning.
The ancestral hall of Longyang Vige was crowded with people.
Yesterday, the elders of the family, such as the great-uncle, met with Long Xiaoshan, and quickly organized themselves.
Today, the entire poption of Longyang Vige had been gathered for the election of the vige chief.
It was called an election, but it was entirely a formality.
Long Xiaoshan stood as a candidate on the stage, with the vigers of Longyang Vige below him.
With the development of Longyang Group, the vigers'' ie was steadily increasing. The vigers who used to work outside had all returned, and the vige was more bustling than ever before.
Everyone was standing below with smiles on their faces.
Now, within an eight to ten-mile radius, Longyang Vige was the richest. Hence, various peddlers came to Longyang Vige to do business: those blowing cotton candy, slicing sugar cakes, selling candied haws, and baking sesame seed cakes, had set up in a row at the entrance of the ancestral hall, hawking their wares.
The children were the most excited, running back and forth in front of these stalls.
Clenching the five or ten yuan given by their parents, they bought this and that.
They frolicked, and sounds of joy could be heard.
The children of Longyang Vige never had spare money to buy these things before.
But now it was different. Even if the vigers didn''t work for the group, theirnd would bring in tens of thousands of yuan in rent each year.
Not to mention the vige, it was considered a high ie even in the county.
Many vigers from the neighboring viges often came to Longyang Vige to inquire about recruitment.
The vigers of Longyang had an air of pride when they went out and were no longer looked down upon as they were before.
Long Xiaoshan watched all of this with a satisfied smile.
This lively scene had not been seen in Longyang Vige for so many years. It used to be called Widow Vige, with few men, and the vige itself was deste. But his efforts over the past few months had changed the face of the vige.
It filled him with a sense of achievement and contentment.
Seeing that everyone had arrived,
The great-uncle took to the stage.
As the oldest and longest-lived elder in the vige, the vige assembly had always been presided over by him.
Standing on the stage, the great-uncle began to speak.
As he started, the crowd below became much quieter.
The great-uncle said, "Fellow vigers of Longyang, today we have convened this assembly to elect our new vige chief of Longyang. The changes in our vige over the past few months are clear to all, there is no need for me to borate. What it was like before, what it is like now, I just want to ask you all one question, who brought about all these changes?"
"Xiaoshan!" A chorus of shouts came from below.
Everyone was chanting.
The great-uncle nodded, "It seems everyone is clear on this. No need for more words. You all have received your ballots. Write down the name and start voting."
There were two other candidates in the vige, as the rules required at least three.
But this was all prearranged.
The other two were merely going through the motions, like attendants to the Crown Prince.
As ballot after ballot was brought up, next to them were the people counting the votes.
Continuously calling out "Long Xiaoshan, one vote!"
As the vote counting progressed, all votes were cast for Long Xiaoshan.
Half an hourter, the dust had settled.
The elder once again stood up and said, "I now announce that Long Xiaoshan has been elected the head of Longyang Vige with one hundred and fifty-three votes, unanimously. Let''s give him a round of apuse!"
Whir!
The apuse from below was like thunder.
The faces of Couple Long Dashan, standing in the front row below, were blooming with smiles.
He Xiangyue, although she imed she didn''t care about Xiaoshan bing the vige head, felt a tremendous sense of pride deep down. After all, her son was now capable. Half a year ago, her family was nothing in the vige, looked down upon by everyone.
Her son had be a reform-throughbor prisoner.
Look at the family now, not only had her son started a bigpany, but he had also be the vige head.
The elder said, "Now, please wee our vige head to speak."
Long Xiaoshan nodded to the elder, walked up to the podium, scanned the crowd below, raised his hand to signal, and the apuse stopped.
Long Xiaoshan said, "Fellow vigers, I am humbled by your trust in electing me, Long Xiaoshan, as the head of Longyang Vige. I grew up in Longyang Vige, this ce is my root, my home. Now that I have be the vige head, I will surely lead everyone to build our homnd even better. Upon taking office, I will first develop two projects in the vige. One is a school; the vige primary school has been abandoned for many years, and children wanting an education have to travel to other viges or towns, which is very inconvenient. Therefore, building a school is our top priority. Mr. Zhao Jun from Xinyuan County has agreed to invest ten million to build a primary and secondary school in Longyang Vige. Longyang Group will spend a considerable amount to hire excellent teaching staff, with the aim of making the school bigger and better, and to cultivate even more outstanding talent.
Another project is vige renovation. Nowadays, most of the houses in the vige are dpidated and in disrepair, many of which are dangerous. The Group will restrategize the nning within the vige, constructing vi areas, vige squares, cinemas, gyms, basketball courts, and other facilities to enrich the spiritual lives of the vigers... All these projects will bepleted within a year."
The people below were all boiling with excitement.
A new official brings a new approach.
But these new approaches burned with great fervor.
Schools, vis, cinemas...
These were things once beyond the dreams of Longyang Vige''s inhabitants.
Now, from the mouth of Long Xiaoshan, they were about to be realized one by one.
And construction was tomence immediately, withpletion within a year.
The elder stepped forward, cleared his throat, and said, "Xiaoshan has finished speaking, and I have a few words to say. Everyone''s livingfortably now, with hope for the future, but have you ever thought about whether Xiaoshan could have made his farm sessful or made any money without us."
"The answer is obvious; without us, Xiaoshan could still be wealthy. Let''s not even mention our contribution of thend and shares, but think about it, without Xiaoshan, how much would thatnd be worth? The vigemittee now holds 30% of the shares, and to be honest, we''ve gained an excessivelyrge advantage. Boss Guu from Hong Kong Ind invested a billion and only got 10% of the shares. If we calcte it, how much would the vigemittee''s shares be worth? I heard that the township originally nned to allocatend to Xiaoshan for his farm. It would be more convenient there with better transportation. But Xiaoshan didn''t go. He still wanted to consider everyone, to get rich together."
"Tell me, where can you find such a vige head? Shouldn''t we support him and be grateful?"
"We should!"
"Vige head, we all follow your lead!"
"Xiaoshan, you are now our leader."
"If anyone dares to say otherwise about Xiaoshan, I will beat them to death!"
The vigers below shouted loudly, one after another.
In the crowd, Chun Tao and her daughter Jin Lian stood together.
Gazing admiringly at the man on the stage...
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At this moment, a hundred li away in the Weifeng Martial Arts School of Hechuan City, arge crowd of people stood. Wei Zhentian was at the front of the crowd, craning his neck in anticipation. His hair had turned half white, his figure somewhat stooped, supported by two disciples as if he had aged twenty years overnight.
He was a far cry from the imposing martial arts master of just half a month ago.
Suddenly.
A ck Mercedes-Benz S600 turned the corner, and Wei Zhentian''s eyes lit up slightly. He abruptly shook off the disciples supporting him and staggered forward a few steps, saying, "They''re here!"