Chapter 101: The Reluctant Resident

Feng Shuya arrived at Taosha Village, and Secretary Huang accompanied her. They brought along road survey personnel from the Municipal Road and Bridge Company to finalize the route for the road to Shepan Mountain.

To avoid wasting fertile farmland, the road was designed to pass primarily through the mountain forests. Most of these forests belonged to Xiasha Village, with only two households from Shangtao Village affected.

Feng Shuya and Branch Secretary Tao gathered the affected forest owners for a meeting to explain the land acquisition required for the road construction.

"I won't have it!" Tao Shiliang from Shangtao Village immediately stood up. "Damn it, what does his snake-farming business have to do with me? If he wants to occupy my forest land, I won't allow it."

For a fleeting moment, Feng Shuya’s expression darkened, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Shiliang, how can you speak like that?" Branch Secretary Tao felt compelled to intervene.

"Damn it, what do you want me to say?" Tao Shiliang roared. "Go tell your father!"

Tao Shiliang was a member of the fifth villagers' group and came from a well-to-do family. His eldest daughter had graduated from vocational school and worked in the city, his son-in-law held a minor position at the municipal television station, and his three sons were industrious migrant workers. With a solid foundation at home, he was quite confident and rarely showed deference to anyone, not even Branch Secretary Tao.

What was even more infuriating was his hot temper and simple-mindedness; he acted without considering the consequences. At that moment, he stood before the Branch Secretary like a fighting cock, his eyes bulging with defiance.

Branch Secretary Tao was shaking with anger.

"Branch Secretary Tao, let's adjourn the meeting for now," Feng Shuya said calmly. She then turned to the crowd, "However, this road will definitely be built; no one can stop it. The forests were leased to you, not sold; the ownership remains with the collective."

As the crowd dispersed, Tao Shiliang looked smug. "Damn it, if they want to pass through my land, I'll dig it up with a hoe. If I kill one, that's one less to worry about... Others might be afraid of you, but I, Tao Shiliang, am not!"

Branch Secretary Tao shook his head, lamenting that this stubborn man was truly a handful.

Feng Shuya decided to try a private approach, but when she proposed this to the Branch Secretary, he shook his head. "It’s useless. He’s an old stubborn ox; he flares up at anyone who provokes him and doesn't care who he's facing. He thinks his daughter and son-in-law are such high-ranking officials that he doesn't need to show respect to anyone."

"Regardless, if we can't persuade him, we'll have to take a firmer stance." Despite her delicate appearance, Feng Shuya was resolute. "What do his daughter and son-in-law do, exactly?"

After hearing the details from the Branch Secretary, she simply nodded without further comment. She and the Branch Secretary paid a visit to his home, but as expected, he was completely unmoved by either soft or hard tactics. Feng Shuya decided to report the situation to Secretary Huang at the town government before making any final decisions.

Just as they were leaving the village, they encountered Li Ying’s car. Li Ying pulled over. "Oh, why are you back?"

"It's him. He was so worried about things here that he insisted on being discharged," Li Ying said, shaking her head. "I really don't know what to do with him."

"Staying in the hospital was suffocating. These minor injuries are almost healed," Le'er said with a grin. "Director Feng, where are you headed?"

"Sigh... there's a stubborn old man in Shangtao Village who absolutely refuses to let the road pass. I'm going to the town to report this and find a proper solution."

"Who is it?" Le'er frowned.

"Tao Shiliang."

"That old man?" Le'er furrowed his brows as well. "He's famous for being a stubborn ox."

"Exactly," Feng Shuya said with a bitter smile. "He says your business has nothing to do with him and threatened to kill anyone who digs on his land. But don't worry, if I can't even handle this, I might as well just go back to the county."

"Get in, I'll drive you." Li Ying opened the door. As Feng Shuya climbed in, she handed her a stack of papers. "I have a proposal here regarding our poverty alleviation plan. Since this is a poverty alleviation project, we need concrete measures. I wrote this while Le'er was in the hospital; take a look and give me your thoughts."

"Oh..." Feng Shuya excitedly flipped through the pages. "A 'company plus farmer' plan? The company leads the farmers in snake farming... This is truly timely help."

Li Ying smiled faintly as she prepared to reverse the car. The road was narrow, making maneuvering difficult.

"Forget the town for now, let's go back to the village." Feng Shuya waved the papers. "With this, we can try to do some more work ourselves. If it still doesn't work, we'll go to the town then."

After dropping Feng Shuya off in Shangtao Village, Li Ying returned to Xiasha. Le'er got out of the car, holding the company plaque the director had given them.

"Sister, where should we hang this?"

"For now... just keep it at home. When the house on Shepan Mountain is renovated, we'll hang it there." They had bought some supplies in the county, and though Le'er tried to help carry them, Li Ying insisted on taking the heavy bags herself. "We need to clear out a room here... there isn't enough space. We'll have to renovate the upstairs; we'll live up there and use the bottom floor as an office for now."

"Renovate? Great! I'll go ask Carpenter Luo tomorrow and have him help us find some old furniture."

"Hmm... I'll draw up the renovation plans tonight. I don't want it to look like it does now." Li Ying smiled. "I want to decorate it according to my own ideas. Tell Carpenter Luo to look for some old furniture, especially pieces with carvings—even if they aren't complete sets, buy them anyway."

Once inside, Le'er held the plaque against the wall, trying to find a suitable spot.

"Let's not hang it yet. I'm hungry, let's cook."

"Why should you cook? You don't know how. I'll do it."

"You have injuries on your legs, just sit down." Li Ying guided him to the sofa. "Take some time to read. I'll get your books."

Li Ying brought him his books. Feng Shuya’s mother had handled his self-study exam registration and bought him the necessary materials. She wanted him to study Chinese literature; her priority was to elevate his general knowledge rather than teaching him business management just yet.

Business management could come later.

Li Ying prepared a simple meal of fried ham and scrambled eggs. Her cooking skills were quite limited, so she didn't dare attempt anything more complex.

After eating, Le'er looked at Li Ying with a cheeky smile. "Sister, shall we go to bed and read?"

"What are you thinking?" Li Ying blushed. "Your wounds haven't healed yet."

"I just meant reading in bed," Le'er said with a playful glint in his eyes. "It's been many days since I've slept beside you. I just want to read while catching the scent of you."

"Stop thinking nonsense and wait until you're healed," Li Ying said, tapping him lightly on the head. "Do you really think you'd be able to focus on reading in bed?"

She brought him a cup of tea. The weather was a bit chilly, and the bamboo sofa felt cold, so she draped a blanket over Le'er and sat beside him. Le'er hugged her, acting uncharacteristically well-behaved and keeping his hands to himself.

"I'll go get some charcoal tomorrow to start a fire in the room," Le'er said.

There were many characters he didn't recognize, and Li Ying taught him one by one. Helping him complete his self-study exams was a long and arduous task. But every beginning is difficult; once he got started and studied for a while, his learning capacity and speed would surely improve.