"Don't worry, our families have been friends for generations. I won't back down from a favor," Lin Fan reassured her, coaxing Aunt Li until she finally left.
"It's a shame about Aunt Li's son. He only comes back for festivals and gives them a few hundred yuan. What's that enough for?" Xia Xue watched Aunt Li's retreating back, feeling a pang of sympathy.
Lin Fan sighed, "It's no help. He's got a wife and forgotten his parents. He lives in town now and has forgotten he even has old parents at home."
"Xiao Fan, you can't be like that in the future," Xia Xue said casually.
Lin Fan turned to look at her, his gaze burning with determination. "Sister-in-law, I'm not going anywhere in this life. I'll stay right here and live with you."
Xia Xue blushed instantly, chiding him, "What nonsense are you saying? Let's eat quickly, and then we'll move. We'll move after we eat."
The clinic closed in the afternoon, but it would reopen tomorrow as usual. Lin Fan was eager to see his new house rise from the ground and didn't want to waste a moment.
After eating, Lin Fan changed into some old clothes. The small cart was already in the yard, fully inflated. Together, they moved the household items, piece by piece, out to the yard. A broken home is worth ten thousand taels; besides a few inexpensive pieces of furniture added when his brother and sister-in-law got married, everything else was a century-old antique.
Xia Xue, holding a feather duster, saw Lin Fan load the cart to the brim and urged, "Xiao Fan, don't load anymore, that's enough."
"Sister-in-law, don't worry, I'm strong enough," Lin Fan lifted the cart handles, testing the weight. It felt light. "I'll go first. Yueyue sister should be home by now and waiting."
He hadn't even used half his strength as he pushed the cart steadily out the door. Along the way, he told everyone he met, "My family is building a house, so we're moving things out to make space."
"Xiao Fan, you're really doing well for yourself." In the village, any family experiencing good fortune was met with envious glances. Seeing these glances and hearing the words of praise, Lin Fan felt even more energized. "To return home in glory is like walking at night in fine silks." Lin Fan wholeheartedly agreed with this sentiment.
As he reached the cement road bordering the next village, a black car also intended to turn off. "Lin Fan." The car stopped beside him, and the window slowly rolled down. Driving was a woman wearing sunglasses, dressed very fashionably. "What are you doing?" the woman asked, leaning out, her face full of curiosity.
"Huh?" Lin Fan was taken aback. He knew this woman; she was the village Party secretary's younger daughter-in-law, Ge Lili. Ge Lili was a few years younger than his sister-in-law and was considered a renowned beauty. "I, I'm moving," Lin Fan replied after recognizing her.
"My father-in-law said your family is building a house?" Ge Lili, sitting in the car, took off her sunglasses, revealing dramatically made-up eyeliner and eyebrows.
"Yes!" Lin Fan's tone was not friendly. The village Party secretary's family, including his younger daughter-in-law, always ordered people around as if they ruled the world. If it weren't for his elder daughter-in-law, Song Yue, Lin Fan would have thought that genetics were contagious. He had disliked such people since he was young. Now that he was older, he felt he didn't need to fear them, so his tone became firm, without any timidity.
"I heard people in the village say your medical skills are very impressive. It seems to be true," Ge Lili said, putting her sunglasses back on. "I haven't been feeling well lately; I get weak in the legs for no reason. See me when you have time."
"Sure," Lin Fan nodded casually. "Come to my clinic when you're free." Ge Lili, seeing Lin Fan's indifferent attitude, unlike the subservient villagers, frowned. She said no more and drove away.
"Pah!" "What a thing!" Lin Fan spat in her wake. That family was used to taking advantage of others. It went without saying that she intended to get medical treatment without paying. "If you dare to come, I'll charge you one yuan per second!" Lin Fan muttered and continued on his way.
Soon, he arrived at Wangjia Village. Lin Fan, familiar with the way, found Song Yue's house. "Xiao Fan, you're here so quickly." Song Yue, holding a child, had been waiting for him at the door. He efficiently pushed the cart into the yard. "Sit down and rest," Song Yue offered, bringing a stool. However, Lin Fan didn't sit down to rest; instead, he moved everything into the house in one go. Because he had been injured, he couldn't savor the sweetness of it, so he hurried back. After all, the site of his injury hurt just thinking about it.
On the way back, Lin Fan was in good spirits, humming a folk song as he pushed the cart. Just as he reached his doorstep, he heard an aged voice, "Xiao Xue, a home has its rules, and a country has its laws. You need to think carefully." "Secretary Cao, think carefully about what?" Xia Xue's tone was unfriendly, knowing he had a hidden meaning.
Lin Fan recognized the village Party secretary's voice and his anger flared. "Hey, Cao Dewang, what are you doing here?" Lin Fan pushed the cart and barged through the gate.
"It's Xiao Fan." Cao Dewang turned around, hands behind his back, and feigned a smile. "Not bad, you've grown into a young man, just like your brother." Cao Dewang nodded to himself, adopting an air of condescending seniority.
"Move aside, let me pass." Lin Fan pushed the cart forward forcefully. "You..." Cao Dewang, old and frail, quickly stepped aside. His expression immediately turned grim.
"Xiao Fan, wait a moment." Cao Dewang, shamelessly, reached out and called to him. Lin Fan stopped and turned back, asking, "What is it?"
"Your family is building a house now?" Cao Dewang stepped forward, his old eyes scanning Lin Fan. "Yes, what about it?" Lin Fan's tone was unfriendly, and he didn't want to engage with him. He asked again, "Did you report it to the village committee?" Lin Fan deliberately scratched his head and retorted, "Which family in the village reports building a house to the village committee?"
Hearing this, Cao Dewang's eyes widened in fury, and he roared, "Nonsense!" "What do you think the village committee is for?" "You just build a house whenever you want?" Lin Fan was also angry. "It's my own land, and I'm paying for it myself. I'll build it whenever I want!" He countered sharply and mockingly, "What, I heard there are subsidies for building houses in rural areas now. Is the village committee planning to give me money?"
"You!" Cao Dewang was furious, his old face flushed red. "Are you rebelling?" "Who's rebelling?" Lin Fan's voice was resolute. "I won't do anything illegal, and I've never done anything illegal!" "But whoever wants to bully me and my sister-in-law for no reason, there's no way!" Cao Dewang's neck turned red with anger.
"Who's bullying your family?" Cao Dewang yelled, his voice rising. "I'm the village Party secretary, and I manage all the major and minor affairs in Luofeng Village!" "You opened a medical clinic, and if Han Xiangxiang hadn't kept it from me, do you think you could have opened it?" This was true; Han Xiangxiang hadn't told him about Lin Fan opening his clinic. If he had known in advance, he would have tried to extort some benefits. Thinking of this, Lin Fan couldn't help but sigh, "A nest of parasites!" He sneered at Cao Dewang and shouted, "Enough of you!" "How come I heard that those barren lands and desolate hills in our village were reported as wheat fields by you?" "You made quite a bit of money every year, didn't you?" "I advise you, stop while you're ahead!" "Don't let it be that you're gone and still have a large pile of money left!"