"I didn't ask them to manage everyone, nor did we have control over people from other villages. Even within our own village, aren't we all neighbors and supposed to help each other?" Bai Yonggui said.
"If I let them move in, they'd bring their friends and family. If we refuse then, we'd likely be branded as heartless. Since that's the case, it's better to be the bad guy from the start and not waste our reputation."
Shen Xiaoyan's voice carried a hint of melancholy. These words were the true feelings of her heart.
The reason she spoke these words was because in her previous life, her overly compassionate nature led her to help people.
After helping, she received no reward and instead earned resentment.
From then on, although Shen Xiaoyan still felt soft-hearted, she told herself not to. Not every time could one be a good person.
"So, you're refusing then?" Bai Yonggui's face completely turned cold after Shen Xiaoyan's words, and he asked in a chilling tone.
"That's right, we refuse." Shen Xiaoyan nodded, saying with absolute certainty.
"Zheng Wei, you're a man. She's just a woman and doesn't understand these things. Don't you grasp the seriousness of this matter? Is this the time to be haggling over trivialities?"
Bai Yonggui stopped talking to Shen Xiaoyan and directly asked Zheng Wei.
After he had said those words, he had immediately thought that Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei might refuse. However, out of respect for his position as village head and the fact that they were all villagers, he thought they should at least let them stay for now and deal with the rest later.
But now, who would have thought that Shen Xiaoyan would refuse without even thinking?
Bai Yonggui not only felt his dignity bruised by the refusal, but he was also displeased that Shen Xiaoyan, a woman, could make such decisions.
In his impression, women should always obey men.
The "Three Obediences and Four Virtues" were the rules for women.
Therefore, being repeatedly contradicted by Shen Xiaoyan, he felt a surge of irritation.
However, as he needed their help, he could only indirectly say this to Zheng Wei, hoping Zheng Wei would understand his implied meaning and not spoil his wife too much. Spoiling a woman to the point of arrogance would only bring shame later.
After hearing Bai Yonggui's words, Zheng Wei's already cold face turned to solid ice.
Shen Xiaoyan, standing beside Zheng Wei, could feel the chill emanating from him, comparable to the wind and snow outside.
"Everything my woman says, I agree with. Everything she thinks, I think. What she says, I say."
Zheng Wei looked at Bai Yonggui, finished speaking word by word, and then stared intently at Bai Yonggui, waiting for him to speak.
"You..."
Bai Yonggui pointed a finger, slightly trembling, at Zheng Wei and Shen Xiaoyan. Finally, his finger settled on Zheng Wei.
"Village head, I've said what I needed to say. The rest is up to you. We have other matters to attend to, so we won't be keeping you any longer. We assume you have many things to handle, so we won't detain you."
After Shen Xiaoyan finished speaking, she made a gesture of invitation.
She didn't stand there waiting for Bai Yonggui to leave on his own. After making the gesture, she took Zheng Wei's hand and they left the main room together.
After they left, Lu Taobao chuckled at Bai Yonggui and said, "Don't bother trying this again, it's useless."
With that, Lu Taobao also lifted the curtain and walked out.
In the blink of an eye, Bai Yonggui was left alone in the room, almost unable to comprehend what had happened.
What was going on?
Why was he so confident before coming, and now he was in this situation?
Bai Yonggui stood stunned for a moment before staggering towards the exit.
As he lifted the door curtain and took a few steps, he was startled.
For at the entrance of the main hall, not far from the door curtain, lay two large dogs.
Bai Yonggui had seen these dogs before and knew they belonged to Shen Xiaoyan and her family.
"What are you doing lying here? Trying to guard against me?" Bai Yonggui grumbled with displeasure.
Old Hei and Er Hei panted, their tongues hanging out, exhaling hot breaths.
They could only understand simple commands and not much else.
Therefore, seeing Shen Xiaoyan's mouth open and close, they didn't understand what he was saying.
"I'm truly an idiot, talking to two dumb dogs."
Bai Yonggui said this and then smacked his own head hard.
What kind of brain did he have?
The smack was quite loud. Old Hei and Er Hei both trembled all over, fearing that Bai Yonggui would actually smash his own head.
Bai Yonggui only realized how painful it was after hitting his head.
He grimaced, rubbing his head, and quickly walked through the corridor and out the main gate.
On the way back, Bai Yonggui walked slowly.
This was not only because the road was slippery after the snow, but also because he didn't know how he would explain this matter to the village elders upon his return.
He had been full of confidence when he came, but now he was dejected on his way back.
Bai Yonggui felt that he had completely lost face.
He had lost face in front of Shen Xiaoyan and the others, but that couldn't be helped.
Would he have to lose face in front of the village elders later?
Losing face was a small matter; the real problem was that the issue remained unresolved.
Zheng Wei and Shen Xiaoyan, hand in hand as they returned to the main house, were unaware of Bai Yonggui's current predicament. Even if they had known, they likely wouldn't have thought much of it.
They were not the type of people who would become unhappy just because others were unhappy.
"Sister, you're back? What did that village head want? Coming all the way here in this blizzard."
Yue Qingxin saw Shen Xiaoyan enter and, before she could sit down, hurriedly asked.
"That person was just ridiculous. He said to let all those who are now homeless live here, and not only that, but also to provide them with food and supplies."
Lu Taobao, just entering the door, heard Yue Qingxin's question and blurted out a string of words.
"..."
Yue Qingxin was speechless for a moment after hearing Lu Taobao's words.
After a long pause, Yue Qingxin sighed and said, "I used to think Bai Yonggui was a pretty good village head. How could he have such ideas now?"
Shen Xiaoyan shrugged helplessly and said, "Who knows? Perhaps, in the past, those matters didn't threaten his position as village head, so he didn't care. But now, if this snow disaster truly worsens, it will be very difficult for him as village head."
"That's inevitable. If the villagers have no shelter, no clothes, and no food, who else will they turn to if not their village head?" Yi Zhixie said calmly, a slight smile on his lips.
"But he can't solve his own problems and then come to us," Namuzhong pouted, displeased.
Namuzhong was not only dissatisfied with Bai Yonggui's actions but also very confused.
As the head of a village, was this the only way?