"Rules are rules, but aren't they set by our own village? Even if we grow a bit of vegetables at home, we don't get to eat much. Sometimes the rations aren't enough, and it's only natural to use those things as a supplement. We can't starve to death just because of the rules, right? And in the past couple of years, we've been allowed to raise chickens and pigs. So, what's the big deal about growing a bit of stuff on our own?"
"Exactly, Village Head. What the girl from the Yun family said makes perfect sense. As long as you don't report it to the higher-ups, who would know what's going on in our village? And most of the land we're using is the village's land anyway. It doesn't interfere with our work. Village Head, instead of picking on the Yun family, you should think about how to solve the irrigation problem for the fields. It's less than three months until the autumn harvest. Not only the vegetables we've planted, but even the corn and sorghum at the back are looking wilted. If the crops don't turn out well, not only will we fail to meet the grain quota, but the whole village will go hungry. We still have half a year to go. Are we just going to sit back and do nothing?"
The Village Head was completely speechless and could only try to dodge the issue.
"Since I'm the Village Head, I'll definitely find a solution for everyone. I won't just sit back and do nothing. I'll go back and discuss it with the Party Secretary right away. Once we've come up with a plan, we'll let everyone know. Don't be impatient. Just wait patiently."
With that, the Village Head made an excuse to continue his inspection and quickly slipped away.
Liu Kui had tried to cause trouble but ended up making a fool of himself. He glared at Yun Que'er viciously.
She was quick-witted. Even when he had confronted her directly, she had managed to refute his accusations. He had truly underestimated her in the past.
Yun Que'er looked back at Liu Kui fearlessly, as if to say, "You've failed again this time."
Liu Kui angrily waved his hand and pointed his finger at Yun Que'er's nose.
"Don't be so smug. Wait until you make a big mistake, and then see who can protect you! Your father will also lose his job!"
Yun Que'er gave a soft laugh. "Uncle Liu, what are you talking about? We're all honest and law-abiding people. Unlike some families who, just because they got rich early and have a few tools for making a living, think they can do whatever they want and offend people everywhere."
Liu Kui was so angry that his face turned red and his neck thickened. He wasn't stupid. He could tell that Yun Que'er was talking about him. He spat on the ground angrily.
"Stop insinuating! Do you think I won't beat you?"
"I'm just saying it casually. How am I insinuating?" Yun Que'er scoffed. "Moreover, our yard isn't as big as Uncle Liu's. We really don't have much space to grow vegetables, so we had to find a way on the back mountain. There's nothing wrong with that. I just don't understand why Uncle Liu is so persistent about this and wants to tell the Village Head."
Liu Kui strode forward angrily, trying to grab Yun Que'er.
Yun Que'er took two steps back and still looked at Liu Kui calmly.
"Uncle Liu, we're just having a friendly conversation. Why are you getting so angry? Actually, I think Uncle Liu should be more open-minded. A couple of years ago, we weren't allowed to raise pigs privately, but later we were. Uncle Liu even got rich by raising pigs and became a butcher, making a fortune. The same goes for the land we're using now. Although it belongs to the public, who knows when it might be distributed to our families. The policies change all the time. We're all from the same village. We should just turn a blind eye and let things slide. Otherwise, if we say something too soon, it might end up embarrassing someone. Am I right, Uncle Liu?"
Liu Kui was so angry that he couldn't even speak. He could only glare at Yun Que'er viciously. After a while, he finally said,
"Distribute the land to our families? You're dreaming! You'd better watch your mouth. Don't bring trouble to your family. Otherwise, you'll have nowhere to cry."
Yun Que'er just smiled and said nothing. She gave Liu Kui a deep look and then turned around and left.
Liu Kui was extremely frustrated. He had wanted to suppress the Yun family with this incident, but he hadn't expected this little girl to be so full of arguments.
For every word he said, she had ten to retort. He didn't know how to deal with her.
The angrier he got, the faster he walked. He caught up with the Village Head in a hurry.
"You're the Village Head. Can't you act like one? Their family's secretly growing on the land is clearly wrong. As the Village Head, can't you do something about it? In my opinion, we should just confiscate their land and make it the village's property. And fine them a hundred or so yuan. Then see if they'll still be so arrogant in the future!"
The Village Head frowned tightly. "It's easier said than done. All the land we have now has been registered, and the higher-ups know about it. Do you think it's that easy to confiscate it? Besides, they're just growing a bit of vegetables. How much land can it be? Even if we do confiscate it, how are we going to distribute it? No matter which family we give it to, they'll all say I'm being partial. If that little girl causes a scene and reports me, who can I turn to?"
Liu Kui was very unhappy. He thought the Village Head was becoming more and more timid.
No matter how powerful the Yun family was, they only had a father who was a teacher at a primary school in the town. He wasn't a high-ranking official. Why was the Village Head so afraid of being overshadowed by the Yun family?
"Are we just going to let this go? You don't know how bold that little girl is. She even said that who knows, one day the land might be distributed to our families. Village Head, you know everything. When has there ever been such news? I think their family is really crazy about money!"
The Village Head stopped in his tracks. "Did she really say that?"
"Would I lie to you?" Liu Kui retorted. "I heard it with my own ears just now. Their family is getting more and more out of control. If you don't do something about it, they might even start targeting you, the Village Head, in the future. You've been the Village Head for decades. Do you really want to be brought down by this family of hooligans? If you don't act now, it will be too late when something happens."
The Village Head's face darkened. He could turn a blind eye to other things, but no one was allowed to touch his position as the Village Head.
Over the years, he had made a lot of money from his position as the Village Head. He had been sitting firmly on his throne, and his family had been living a prosperous life. He couldn't even imagine what would happen if he were to lose his position one day. He immediately got angry.
"How dare they! If anyone dares to have such thoughts, I'll skin them alive!"
Liu Kui continued to fan the flames. "Since that little girl, Yun Que'er, came into their family, haven't they done enough outrageous things? They may seem quiet on the surface, but who knows what they're really thinking? I heard that a teacher from Shili Town was transferred back to his original village to be the Village Head. Don't forget, Yun Motan himself is a teacher. What if he really has such thoughts? Wouldn't that be a threat to you?"