Chapter 152: The Village Head Election

Today, emboldened by a few villagers looking to make a name for themselves, the villagers arrived fully prepared, armed with the sickles, shovels, and hammers they typically used for farm work.

The families opposing the village chief were those who had spent years running small businesses outside the village. Having earned some money, they were well-versed in the ways of the outside world and were naturally unwilling to accept the village chief’s one-sided narrative. In this day and age, they believed that making money was the only thing that mattered.

After canvassing every household with the promise that, if things went well, each person could receive a thousand yuan, the villagers—who struggled to earn even ten thousand in a hard year of farming—felt their spirits soar. With most families having two or three children, that meant at least four or five thousand yuan per household. It was a lucrative deal, equivalent to half a year of farming, and they felt compelled to stand up and "blockade" the oilfield construction team.

The villagers' intense agitation was something Village Chief Xu Zhenxing had not anticipated. In the past, he only needed to hold his megaphone and shout a few practical words for them to disperse, but he never expected such fierce resistance this time.

Xu Zhenxing could tell that the instigators were the few "small business owners" who lived away from the village. Had it not been for holidays, they would never have returned. Having made money and bought houses in the city, why had they all returned at once? Was it for the sake of this uncertain thousand yuan?

"Village Chief, I don't mean to suspect you, but have you taken some sort of bribe? Why do you keep speaking so well of others?" shouted a middle-aged man named Wu Qiang from the crowd.

The Wu family was a large clan in Xiaoqiao Village, consisting of nearly ten households. Moreover, they had recently produced a minor official—a deputy section chief at the Xiying County Tax Bureau. Leveraging his connections, he had taken good care of his brothers, helping those with a bit of ability to go to the county seat to conduct business. With their older brother the section chief looking out for them, they had gradually become wealthy.

In the past, the Xu family, with over twenty households, had been the dominant force in Xiaoqiao Village. They were the majority of the population and were known as diligent laborers and capable workers; in the surrounding villages, the Xu family was considered powerful. However, over the years, they had remained focused on farming. Lacking anyone who could branch out into business or government, they had failed to produce a true leader. As a result, the entire clan remained stuck in the village. Despite their growing numbers, their strength had stagnated, and they had long since been surpassed by the Wu family.

The Wu brothers had returned this time for the village committee elections held every three years. Wu Qiang, the younger brother of the tax section chief, who now earned hundreds of thousands a year running a grain and oil station in the county, was the candidate the Wu family intended to push for the new village chief of Xiaoqiao.

They planned to use the oilfield construction incident to build momentum, bolster Wu Qiang’s prestige, and smear Xu Zhenxing, who had been chief for over a decade, to ensure Wu Qiang would ascend to the throne in next month’s election.

In truth, the Wu family’s plan was meticulous. While the brothers all ran businesses in the county, the most successful was Wu Qiang’s grain and oil station. Besides his status as the section chief’s brother, the business was something they were familiar with, and the section chief was particularly "professional" in this field; Wu Qiang’s goods were always the first to sell, and the payments arrived quickly.

Therefore, they decided to pool their resources and establish a grain and oil factory. Land in the county was too expensive, and permits were difficult to obtain, so they had set their sights on a vacant plot south of Xiaoqiao Village. If Wu Qiang became village chief, they could set up the factory in the village's name, avoiding taxes and saving a significant sum. Furthermore, by promising to employ dozens of local laborers, they were certain the unemployed villagers would cast their votes for him.

After all, while county workers earned at least three thousand a month, the villagers would be overjoyed with a thousand.

"Wu Qiang, stop spouting nonsense! This is no joking matter!" Xu Zhenxing felt a jolt of alarm. Wu Qiang had always kept a low profile and never concerned himself with village affairs—what was he really after?

"Is that so? Then how come I heard that the leader of the construction team went to your house this morning? And I heard he was carrying an envelope!"

Having spent years in the county, Wu Qiang was well-traveled. He had handled more envelopes, red packets, and gift cards than Xu Zhenxing had ever seen. He had even sent someone to stake out Xu Zhenxing’s door the night before, complete with a camera to document the events.

"You're talking nonsense! Show me proof! I don't even know the construction team leader! My proposal is based on the principle of stability and unity for the whole village. You want to take these farm tools and fight them? You want to end up in jail? As village chief, that would be my greatest failure!"

Xu Zhenxing’s heart was racing, but as he was facing over a hundred villagers, he could not show his fear.

At eight o'clock that morning, Jiang Shunfa and Zhang Cong had gone to Xu Zhenxing’s house with fifty thousand in cash. Xu Zhenxing had been ready to accept the money. The entire process was quick and simple. Jiang Shunfa and Zhang Cong left the house in less than fifteen minutes, and when they emerged, the bulging envelope was no longer visible under Zhang Cong’s arm.

The two had driven out of the village and had not returned since.

"Heh, you don't shed tears until you see the coffin."

With that, Wu Qiang had his men distribute the photos they had just developed to the crowd. There were pictures of Zhang Cong carrying the bulging envelope and scenes of Xu Zhenxing warmly seeing them off at his door. Any person with eyes could see exactly what had transpired.

Whoosh!

In an instant, the scene erupted in chaos. Villagers began to gossip; could it be that Xu Zhenxing, the chief they had trusted for over a decade, had truly been corrupted?

Wu Qiang and his brothers added fuel to the fire, badmouthing the chief. On the stage, Xu Zhenxing’s eyes turned red with anxiety, and he shouted and defended himself with a flushed face, but the villagers refused to listen. They kept chanting, "We must get the money; we can't listen to the village chief's empty words anymore."

Just then, Jiang Shunfa’s men, led by Da Tou and Xue Bing, surged in from the west side of the village, while Qinglong and his group rushed in from the east. Zhang Rui had also arrived in a battered van, bumping along the road.

The villagers of Xiaoqiao were suddenly thrown into a panic. With dozens of thugs-like men swarming them from both sides, they were certain these were people hired by the construction team. What could they do? Should they really fight?

The villagers were honest people who knew nothing but farming; when faced with such a situation, they were completely at a loss.