Forty-five students and seven teachers ate, drank, and played, completely losing track of time.
Some students refused to leave the courtyard: "Li Weili, I'm just going to live at your place. I'll write my summer homework here. Aren't you the study committee member? We'll do our homework with you."
Li Weili was not about to indulge such behavior: "I am the study committee member, but this isn't school, and it's not within my responsibilities."
"Besides, you're just here to play and not genuinely wanting to do homework. I won't do this thankless task."
"I treated you to a day of food and fun, which is more than enough. If you truly want to stay, ask your parents to bring you."
"My courtyard doesn't entertain guests. There's the Western-style building across the street, village homestays, and also homestays in the village where they do rafting. You can go find those."
"If your grades drop, don't blame me for punishing you next semester."
The teachers agreed: "Today, not to mention the food and drinks, just the rafting alone cost Li Weili five hundred yuan."
"We're also having so much fun we don't want to leave. How about each of you takes turns treating the teachers for a day? That would take up a good chunk of our summer vacation."
The teachers' words immediately sent the students scurrying.
Five hundred yuan? That was two months' salary for their parents, not including food and drinks.
If they dared to speak up, they'd be in serious trouble.
After Li Weili's uncle drove the students and teachers away in his big truck, Li Weili advised her brother: "It's too tiring, and you lose money without necessarily gaining appreciation. You figure it out yourself. I'm going back to rest."
Li Weixin refused. He was tired, but he also wanted to play. Since his sister wasn't taking him, he spent the whole day watching by the stream.
The telephone in Kusan Village suddenly became very busy.
Accountant Zhou took calls and wrote them down.
As he was recording, he had had enough.
How did he become the operator for Wang'er Village?
The old village head sent his assistant to Kusan Village to man the phone.
Accountant Zhou had had enough again. Wang'er Village was monopolizing their phone, how could they handle their own business?
Li Zhengguo also felt this wasn't sustainable. He found the old village head and told him to apply for a phone line in the county.
The old village head was hesitant. For such a small matter, was it necessary to install a phone?
"It's absolutely necessary," Li Zhengguo said, knowing the old village head was reluctant. "After the summer vacation, there will be adults who have to go back to work. The holidays will last at least until October."
"Our phone line is constantly occupied, and our important matters are being delayed. Hurry up and apply; it's much more convenient to have a phone."
Wang'er Village's phone application was processed quickly because Li Zhengguo had informed County Magistrate Ji.
A week later, Wang'er Village had its phone line, and Kusan Village's committee quieted down.
Li Weixin's attempt to organize a get-together for his classmates didn't go smoothly.
Because the classmates couldn't coordinate their schedules, he couldn't confirm a booking time.
He asked his father for help.
Li Zhengguo shook his head: "Solve your own problems. The reason you couldn't coordinate well is your own fault."
If Dad wouldn't help, Mom certainly wouldn't either. Li Weixin turned to his sister.
Li Weili called her brother foolish: "Book the venue first, and choose a Sunday for the booking, because parents are also off then, and they'll feel they have time to deal with any issues that might arise."
"Book the venue and then invite your classmates. If they come, they come; if not, they don't. Who's going to put their warm face against a cold backside?"
"If not many people show up, have An An and Xiao Yu invite a few good classmates to join the fun."
With a plan, Li Weixin had a direction.
As his sister had predicted, not many classmates were invited.
He then had Brother An An and Brother Xiao Yu invite their classmates to join.
After everything was arranged, some classmates called, saying Li Weixin hadn't clearly explained the activities, and now that they knew it was rafting, they wanted to come.
Li Weixin refused. His sister was right; it was thankless work.
It was clearly these classmates' fault for not waiting for him to explain and then deciding not to come, simply looking down on him as a country boy.
Li Weili patted her brother's shoulder: "You're still an elementary school student. When you get to middle school, you'll understand the hierarchy among classmates."
"If I weren't the study committee member, they might not give me face."
Li Weixin was dejected: "If you say so, will this situation continue to happen in the future?"
"No!" Li Weili shook her head firmly: "Mom said that in the future, having a rural household registration will be the most sought-after. So, I'll never feel inferior because I'm from the countryside."
"You, however, because you thought you weren't biologically related from a young age, developed an inferiority complex. Plus, you're a country boy."
"What's wrong with being a country boy? It doesn't inconvenience anyone. If you improve your grades and far surpass them, let's see how arrogant they can be!"
After a bowl of spiritual chicken soup, Li Weixin was full of confidence: "That's right! I'm not an ordinary person. I won't bother with ordinary people. I'll play with those who can, and part ways with those who can't."
Li Weili gave her brother's shoulder a firm pat. "Sister supports you!"
Li Weixin held out his hand. "Give me something substantial."
Li Weili smacked him. "Is that substantial enough?"
Tian Jing, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, smiled and walked away.
After Li Weixin, Chen An, and Li Weiyu hosted their classmates for a day, Wang'er Village's rafting truly became popular.
Tourists came and went daily, and the old village head was beaming with joy.
When they tallied the accounts after the National Day holiday, they had earned over thirty thousand yuan. He, like Li Zhengguo, deposited all the money into the village committee fund.
He stated that there were still loans to be repaid and that if they wanted to share the profits, they would have to wait three years, as the first three years were for recouping costs.
Then, carrying gifts, he brought his assistant to thank Li Zhengguo and his wife.
Li Zhengguo refused to accept his gifts. He had promised County Magistrate Ji that once the tourism projects in Kusan Village were fully operational, he would help the first four villages.
Wang'er Village's early development was also due to its geographical location. He couldn't accept the gifts.
The old village head took his gifts back.
Villagers from Lishi Village, Zhangshan Village, and Zhonghe Village had all come to play at Wang'er Village's rafting.
Upon calculating Wang'er Village's income, the villagers from the three villages became anxious.
They had been forced to hold back for years; wasn't it time to do something?
The newly elected village heads of the three villages met and bypassed their superiors to petition County Magistrate Ji.
They knew that County Magistrate Ji was in charge of the tourism projects in Kusan Village.
County Magistrate Ji told them to find Li Zhengguo.
Facing the requests of the three village heads, Li Zhengguo had no choice but to accompany them to inspect the villages.
Then he shook his head and stated that due to their geographical conditions, these three villages were not suitable for developing tourism projects.
The faces of the three village heads fell. Their previous advantages were gone?
The disadvantages of Wang'er Village and Kusan Village had become advantages?
Li Zhengguo thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Let's showcase our rural folk performances. You three villages even had performances competing against each other before."
"Set up a stage at the village entrance. When tourists come to see it, don't charge them. It will be advertised as promoting rural art."
"Set up traditional wooden buildings on both sides of the stage. The first floor can be like a market where people can browse and buy. The second floor can be designed as pavilions and terraces. The side facing the stage should have railings but no walls. Arrange neat tables and chairs."
"When tourists sit down to rest, they can eat and enjoy the performance. The second floor can also sell tea."
"Wang'er Village's rafting only starts in May Day. This is the season when flowers are in bloom."
"Plant large areas of brightly colored wildflowers along the village entrance and the country roads. Tourists will be drawn in by the flowers."
"Another issue is planting cash crops. Watermelons are not suitable for you to grow, and we are already reducing production."
"Ask County Magistrate Ji to help you apply to plant tobacco. If grown well, the income for a year won't be insignificant."
"However, you must work together, as tobacco companies only approve large-scale planting."
"Once approved, they will come to teach cultivation, curing, and guide the construction of curing barns."