When Li Xiaoning and Cheng Xiaoxi came to Yu Sihai's house again, Yu Xuan went out, and his wife was picking up bean sprouts, with a sad face. The sprouts didn't grow well, and a lot of hairy roots grew, and she pinched them one by one. Seeing that the guests were coming, they hurriedly smiled and gave up their seats, but between the changes in expressions, Li Xiaoning and Cheng Xiaoxi had already caught the inherent gloom on her face.

After Li Xiaoning sat down, he looked at Yu Xuan's wife and said, "Second aunt, it seems that there is something in my heart that I don't want to say. I haven't been here for a few years, and you're treating me like an outsider, right? ”

The smile on Yu Xuan's wife's face looked reluctant and stiff, and said: "No, no, how can I treat you as an outsider?" ”

Li Xiaoning said: "Then the second aunt, if you have anything on your mind, tell me about it." ”

Cheng Xiaoxi also asked: "Is it because of Yu Sihai's resignation?" ”

Yu Xuan's wife nodded, there were already tears in her eyes, she lifted her shirt and wiped it, and said: "Daddy Sihai won't let me say it, but I don't want to say that it's uncomfortable to hold it in my heart." In the past, Sihai was the mayor of the town, and he was paid and often helped us. Besides, Sihai is the mayor of the town, even if it is late for two months and March, they have to give some face, and it will not be difficult for us. What happens after that? Sihai resigned, his salary was gone, his face was gone, and he was sad from now on. ”

Li Xiaoning frowned and said, "Second aunt, what are you talking about, why can't I understand?" ”

Yu Xuan's wife: "The money apportioned above is a lot of money." ”

Li Xiaoning's brows furrowed even tighter: "Didn't Heavenly Qin Youli say that the per capita annual income of our village is more than 20,000?" Why can't you even pay taxes and fees in a year, and you have to rely on your son's salary and face? ”

Yu Xuan's wife sighed and said, "What he said is for reporting to the above, how can you believe it?" That's right, when you're here, it's been a few years better. In the future, it will not work, a year is not as good as a year, and now, the land will not be able to be planted. Tired and tired of working for a year, I can only make enough food and not go hungry. ”

Li Xiaoning was a little angry in his stomach, and forced himself to suppress and asked, "How many people in the village are like this?" ”

Yu Xuan's wife said: "There are a few families with surpluses, and there are not many left. Most families have to pay for it. After working for a year, I can't earn a penny, and I have to post it upside down, do you think this land can still be planted? Then he said, "You see, I have said everything in my heart, but you must not say that I said it." As soon as Sihai resigns, our family will be unlucky enough, and if we let people grab the handle and wear small shoes, it will be even more unsurvivable. ”

Listening to the words of Yu's wife, Li Xiaoning was shocked. Reducing the burden on the peasants, the above repeated orders were also the top priority of the work of the county party committee and county government when he was the county magistrate at that time, why has it become like this now? What surprised him even more was that no one dared to say that the burden was heavy. Yu Guangen and his wife were tight-lipped and never told him the truth. This family, when the man is not at home, has been repeatedly inspired to reveal a little truth, and repeatedly told not to say it to the outside. Now that there is freedom of speech, and the peasants are even more taboo, how can the people in the village be so cautious?

Cheng Xiaoxi asked, "Second Auntie, what are you afraid of?" Afraid of whom? For example, if what you just said is known, who will do to you? ”

Li Xiaoning said: "Yes, tell us all about what you are worried about." ”

Yu Xuan's wife said: "The wolf secretary in the town, he is the son-in-law of the secretary of the provincial party committee, and everyone is afraid of him. Sometimes he came to the village, and people said, "Be careful, the wolf is coming!" ”

Cheng Xiaoxi said: "You mean, the secretary of the town is as terrible as a wolf in your eyes, so you just call him Secretary Wolf, right?" ”

Yu Xuan's wife: "It's not that anyone intentionally assigned him, his surname is wolf." ”

"Oh, I see!" Li Xiaoning said, "It's Lang surnamed Lang, Lang Ping." ”

Yu Xuan's wife said: "His name is Wolf Quande." People scolded him behind his back for being a wolf and lacking morality. ”

Of course, Li Xiaoning didn't believe that the wolf secretary in the town was the son-in-law of the secretary of the provincial party committee, but he knew that the people in the village must believe it. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Then no one in the county cares about him?" By the way, is Zhang Han still a secretary in the county? ”

"What did you say about Secretary Zhang?" Yu Xuan's wife said, "He was transferred to the city as the deputy mayor a long time ago, not long after you left." ”

"Oh." Li Xiaoning was silent, Xinpi County was able to achieve great development back then, it was the joint efforts of him and Zhang Han, he was dismissed at that time, and he thought that Zhang Han was there, at least his hard work would not be destroyed, but he didn't expect Zhang Han to be transferred away, so it's no wonder that it has become like this. After thinking for a while, Li Xiaoning asked again: "Is County Magistrate Yu Langhuan still there?" ”

"She. I was also transferred, but I don't know where I went. Yu Xuan's wife said.

Now Li Xiaoning's heart is completely cold, the main team of the year is gone, no matter how good the policy is, it is not in vain? sighed for a long time, Li Xiaoning comforted his wife and said: "Second aunt, you don't need to be afraid. If there's something you can't do at home, you sue me. Although I don't have a position now, and although I don't have the right to deal with some matters directly, I still have the right to raise suggestions and report problems to the municipal party committee and government, and I can help you when necessary. ”

Yu Xuan's wife said very gratefully: "When you say this, my heart is much more spacious. You see patronizing and talking, and I forgot to give you food. The meal is ready, so I'm waiting for you to come and eat. ”

After eating, Cheng Xiaoxi took out a thousand yuan and put it on the lid of the box, saying, "This is the New Year's money for children......

Yu Xuan's wife hurriedly grabbed the money and forced Cheng Xiaoxi to stuff it into her bag: "No, no, the child hasn't come back!" ”

Cheng Xiaoxi opened the cabinet and put the money in, pressed the lid of the cabinet and said, "The child is the same when he is not there, you can just transfer it when the child comes back." If you refuse, the second aunt, you will look down on us, and we will be unhappy in our hearts. ”

Li Xiaoning said: "This is a little New Year's money for children according to local customs, and you have to keep it for every family, don't push it away." It's time for us to go back. ”

Yu Xuan's wife said, "Let's sit down for a while." ”

Li Xiaoning said: "No. We plan to go back to Yanjing and go back to pack up. Hurry up and get busy. ””

As they spoke, Li Xiaoning and Cheng Xiaoxi walked out of Yu Xuan's house.

"Do you really want to go back to Yanjing?" Cheng Xiaoxi asked Li Xiaoning.

"Of course not, I said it on purpose, in order to lure the four seas out." Li Xiaoning said.

"Oh. So where to go now? It's not the way home. Cheng Xiaoxi asked.

"Let's go to Uncle Wang Guifeng's house again." Li Xiaoning said, "He is a big economic planter in our village, and he was the one who got rich first when I was the county magistrate. ”

Wang Guifeng's residence was built after becoming rich, with six bungalows on the north side, two ear rooms on the east and west sides, and other facilities such as pigsties, chicken coops, and toilets.

As soon as Li Xiaoning and Cheng Xiaoxi stepped into the door, Wang Guifeng came out of the house to greet them. Li Xiaoning stood in the courtyard and looked around for a moment, and said, "Uncle, your courtyard is too spacious, and it feels a little empty. ”

Wang Guifeng said: "Didn't you live with your two sons? Later, the conflict between the daughter-in-law and the mother-in-law deepened, and the eldest son moved to the county. Later, farming lost money, and the second son also led his daughter-in-law to rent a house in the city and work for many years. In order to save travel expenses, I didn't come back for the New Year. Your aunt also passed away the year before last, so I'm all left alone.

From Wang Guifeng's introduction, Li Xiaoning heard a sense of desolation. It turned out that Wang Guifeng's family was one of the poorest families in the village, and the whole family lived in three thatched huts. Later, when he was the county magistrate, he implemented the policy of unsecured small loans in rural areas, and Wang Guifeng contracted dozens of acres of land to grow medicinal herbs and quickly became rich. He still remembers that Wang Guifeng said that he would build six large bungalows, two for each of his two sons, and two for him and his wife, so that the family could live in a spacious and comfortable place. The two sons are more confident. Da'er said, Brother Xiaoning, in a few years, you won't recognize our family. The second son said that it won't take a few years, but two or three years will be enough, and when the time comes, you can bring all the people from the county government, and you can arrange it for you.

At that time, Li Xiaoning saw the bright smiles of Wang Guifeng's family, men, women and children, and felt that this family was full of an exciting vitality. But when I came back today, there was only a lonely old man living in the huge mansion, and there was a desolate atmosphere of decay.

Wang Guifeng let Li Xiaoning and Cheng Xiaoxi into the house and said, "I cleaned up my house on the first day of junior high school and started a fire. You live in a building, I don't know if you are used to living in it? ”

Cheng Xiaoxi said: "It's warm, it's a kind of warmth that is different from heating and air conditioning, and it's not dry at all, it's good!" ”

Wang Guifeng said happily: "If you like it, come to my house for a few days." ”

Cheng Xiaoxi smiled: "I have no opinion, look at our family." ”

Li Xiaoning didn't answer the topic, but asked, "Uncle, I have a question I want to ask you." After we arrived at Yu Sihai's house, Yu Sihai neither went home to eat nor go home to sleep. According to common sense, no matter how busy you are, you are really too busy to eat or sleep, and politely speaking, you should also take the time to come back and meet us. Not really. You live in close proximity, you should know something, what do you think is going on? ”

Wang Guifeng said: "Maybe it has something to do with resignation. Think about it, he is the mayor of the town, and he can be regarded as a decent official. Now when I go home, there is nothing left, can I feel better? ”

Li Xiaoning said angrily: "His resignation has nothing to do with me, why are you hiding from me?" ”

Cheng Xiaoxi interjected: "No matter how uncomfortable it is, we will be a guest at his house, and he should meet him out of politeness!" Uncle Wang, you must know the point, help us solve this mystery. ”

Wang Guifeng shook his head: "I can't tell." To find out what is going on, the only way to find out is to sit in the four seas. Even if he doesn't speak directly, he can always listen to his words and listen to the sound of gongs and drums. ”

Li Xiaoning said: "If Yu Sihai doesn't show up, I won't be able to see him." ”

Cheng Xiaoxi said: "Uncle Wang can help us, okay?" ”