"What are you doing!" the village chief's voice boomed as Huo Rou stepped out of the car.
"On the main road, you're blocking it, how are others supposed to pass? Hurry up and move aside!" The village chief, upon hearing the commotion at the village entrance, rushed over without even changing his shoes.
The village chief had considerable prestige in the village, and with his arrival, everyone dispersed.
The village chief walked to the front, intending to ask the car owner to move it, and was surprised to see Huo Rou.
"Little girl! You're back?" The village chief was very happy to see Huo Rou.
"I'm back to pack some things, I'm moving," Huo Rou nodded.
"Ah? Where are you moving to? Then from now on, we..." The village chief became instantly anxious upon hearing that Huo Rou was moving.
Ever since Huo Rou arrived in the village, they had been instructed to take good care of her.
Since Huo Rou's arrival, the neighboring village's experimental rice had yielded better results year after year, and the village had received many quotas for trial planting.
He vaguely sensed that this was related to Huo Rou, so he was extremely nervous about her leaving.
Before he could inquire about the details, Li Dayong and Liu Cuihong ran up to him, their faces full of distress, wailing and demanding that he make a judgment.
"What are you two fighting about now?" The village chief was very troubled. Huo Rou's moving situation here hadn't been clarified, and they were adding to the chaos.
"It's this Huo Rou, she works as a prostitute in the city. After Zhaodi and An'an went to the city, she took them to that kind of place..."
Li Dayong grabbed the village chief's arm, wailing with great effort.
Liu Cuihong was not to be outdone, squeezing out a few tears, wiping them away, and accusing the village chief: "Zhaodi's life is ruined! Today we must let everyone know about this bitch's affairs! So that everyone's children won't be harmed by her in the future."
Liu Cuihong's words were very righteous, elevating her personal matters to the interests of everyone.
When it came to their own children, the onlookers started to stir. No one wanted their daughters to be trafficked into that industry!
Besides, if others knew that their village had such a madam-like prostitute, what would others think of them?
Everyone unanimously demanded that this matter be clarified.
The village chief's head was spinning. He looked at Huo Rou, who was calm by his side, and then at the Li family couple who usually mistreated their daughter and favored sons.
"You never treated Zhaodi well, so why are you crying and fussing now, saying it's all for Zhaodi?" the village chief questioned Li Dayong and Liu Cuihong with a dark face.
He didn't believe the Li couple. If Zhaodi had really become such a prostitute in the city, they might even be happy that Zhaodi could bring back more money.
"Besides, Huo Rou doesn't lack money, why would she do that kind of thing? You two stop stirring up trouble here."
The village chief was somewhat annoyed. He didn't know about anything else, but the idea of Huo Rou lacking money? That was a joke!
He had previously heard from a friend in the county finance department, when he was drunk, that a small portion of the village's income from trial planting was deposited into Huo Rou's account each year.
"Zhaodi is my daughter, what's wrong with me seeking justice for her!" Liu Cuihong retorted, "She is the flesh that fell from my womb after ten months of pregnancy! I was hoping she would marry a good family later! She was ruined by Huo Rou."
The villagers were bored and loved to hear sensational news, whether true or false. A lot of people had gathered in a short time.
Seeing more and more people, Old Zhang, looking worried, walked up to Huo Rou and asked, "Miss Huo, why don't we call the police?"
Li Dayong, who was close by, heard the word "call the police" and instantly became scared. He took a few steps back and tugged at Liu Cuihong's arm, "Wife, they're talking about calling the police!"
Liu Cuihong hesitated for a second, then remembered something and said decisively, "Don't be afraid! What can the police do if they come? Even if we're wrong, we've only slandered her, there's no loss."
Li Dayong thought about it and it made sense. His back straightened again.
The village chief was furious at these two scoundrels.
"Sister Huo Rou is not that kind of person, if you keep talking nonsense..." The village chief, after a long pause, finally found something to threaten them with, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll cancel your family's eligibility to sign up for trial planting next year!"
Upon hearing about the trial planting quotas, Liu Cuihong also panicked. Everyone hurts when their interests are touched. She jumped up and cursed loudly, "Why? It was agreed that every household could sign up. Even if you are the village chief, you can't break the rules for Huo Rou!"
The trial planting involved seeds that had been successfully grown in the neighboring Daocheng Village, yielding high output and quality. Who would want to miss out on such an opportunity to get rich?
The onlookers also started to whisper amongst themselves. The village chief was going to use the trial planting quotas to stand up for Huo Rou, which was not a good thing.
Hearing the chattering around them, and suspecting that the village chief and Huo Rou had some kind of relationship, made the village chief even more angry. "You! If you keep talking nonsense, your trial planting quota will be canceled too!"
"Why should we?" someone immediately objected.
"That's right, village chief, the trial planting quotas are given by the county. Why are you canceling ours?"
Liu Cuihong made the most fuss, sitting on the ground and howling. Sometimes she would lament her pitiful daughter, and sometimes she would complain about the village chief's unfairness in depriving everyone of trial planting quotas.
"Enough!" the village chief shouted. He still held some authority in the village, and everyone quieted down, though their eyes showed dissatisfaction.
"Why?" The village chief's gaze swept over those who were making sarcastic remarks and Liu Cuihong, who was sitting on the ground howling without tears. He cleared his throat and said, "I'll tell you why."
"It's because our village has so many trial planting quotas, thanks to Huo Rou!"
This statement caused an uproar.
"How is that possible! Her?" Everyone didn't believe it. Huo Rou didn't have any official position.
"Can what the people from above said personally be wrong?" the village chief asked the crowd angrily.
"Sister Huo Rou, don't take it to heart. These two are probably having a fit again. I'll discipline them." Seeing that everyone had calmed down, the village chief turned to Huo Rou and apologized.
"It's fine." Huo Rou had no connection with Li Dayong's family, and their sudden outburst made her a little strange. "Please don't scare them with the trial planting quotas. Starting next year, this new variety will be fully open for planting in our county, and someone will come to the village to count the total."
"Really?" The village chief hadn't heard this news, but since Huo Rou said it, it must be true!
The quotas that several families were fighting tooth and nail for were going to be opened up?
"Yes," a strong voice came from a car approaching from outside the village.
The village chief looked over. Deputy Director Zhou of the Grain Bureau stepped out of the car and was walking this way.
He smiled at Huo Rou and teased, "Teacher Huo, your secrecy is not very good!"