Natural Disaster: Back to the End of the World

Part 38

As things were about to escalate, the village head quickly stepped in to mediate. "Alright! What's all this fuss about? Taosheng, control your son. We don't just start fights around here. And you," he turned to the second uncle, "as an elder, what were those words you just said? If someone can spend money to get votes, then you should be able to get votes too. This whole thing is your family's fault. If you're going to blame someone, blame the timing—why choose now, when Taosheng is back? You should accept it and stop asking for an outrageous amount, like a hundred thousand. If I had known you were trying to use votes to get results, I'd have told you to dream on!"

He glanced at the onlookers, then back at the main people involved. "Are we continuing with the voting or not? If not, the house will be Taosheng's. If we are, let's get on with it. The weather is hot, and it's almost time for people to start working in the fields. If we wait any longer, it'll be dark."

"It's fine. We can skip a day of work. Let's just get this sorted today," someone said.

"Exactly, let's vote. We can skip working in the fields. Since everyone's already gathered, we might as well vote," another agreed.

"Taosheng, does your offer still stand? You really will give out five thousand, right?"

Lei Taosheng smiled and nodded. "Yes! As long as the result is based on the votes, it's a promise!"

Another person asked, "But the votes are anonymous. How will you know who voted for you? What if someone says they voted but didn't actually?"

Many people quickly started discussing this issue.

Lei Taosheng reassured them, "That's easy. Just write a part of the vote on one half of the paper, and tear off the blank part. Then, we'll match the torn pieces with the votes."

"Ah, that's a good method. No wonder you're so smart," someone remarked.

Yao Ziqing nudged his second brother and said, "I wondered why he was so confident. Second Brother, did you expect him to do this?"

He then asked, "So, do we need that five thousand?"

"Yes, why not?" Yao Ziqing's third brother, Lei Lang, chimed in quickly. "Five thousand isn't a lot, but it's enough for a shopping spree. Your snack stash must be running low; let's go stock up."

Yao Ziqing gave his third brother a look. "You ate it all! I had a few chicken wings left, and when I checked this morning, they were all gone!" Even though he had plenty in his space, it was more fun to argue and fight over food with family.

Lei Lang quickly reassured him, "Don't worry. Tonight, I'll take you to the town. Buy as much as you want. I'll foot the bill!"

As they argued quietly, Lei Li submitted the votes written by Yao Ziqing. No corners were torn. He knew they were just joking; their family didn't need the five thousand. There was no need to hold a grudge over such a small amount.

After submitting the votes, Lei Li dragged the reluctant Lei Lang to the fields. They planned to only plant one crop this year and then let the land rest. Seeing the second uncle too scared to argue further, Yao Ziqing lost interest and tugged at his second brother's sleeve. "Let's go home. It's so hot."

Lei Xiao nodded and stood up to leave with Yao Ziqing. As they were about to leave, they heard shouting behind them. Turning around, they saw it was Lu Xueyi, so they stopped to wait for him.

Lu Xueyi ran up and said, "I saw you voted for my dad, but you forgot to tear off the corner. Here, I tore it off for you."

Seeing the small piece of paper in Lu Xueyi's hand, Yao Ziqing found it amusing. He had never seen someone so eager to 'play both sides.' He smiled and said, "No need. It wasn't really our concern. The house was always meant to be yours. We don't need the money."