"Elder Chen flatters me," Er Zhu replied. His eyes held no joy or sorrow; he merely nodded gently, maintaining an unflustered demeanor.
"Haha, I believe the villagers have discerning eyes. They will surely choose the right leader!" Liu Changfa's eyes crinkled into slits as he spoke, casting a sidelong glance at Sun Xiao and Lin Weiguo.
"Heh, yes. A young man so admired by Elder Chen must possess extraordinary qualities. The village chief is indeed worthy!"
Just as Liu Changfa was about to continue, Lin Weiguo's voice cut in from behind. The crowd then saw Lin Weiguo approaching with a fawning expression. In the current situation, standing with Sun Xiao would make him a fool!
"Weiguo, you're here too." Elder Chen was surprised and smiled, beckoning to Lin Weiguo, though a flicker of disdain crossed his eyes.
"Yes, I was just passing by, saying hello to Brother Changfa," Lin Weiguo said, bowing respectfully and pointing at Liu Changfa. He had long forgotten about Sun Xiao.
Though Elder Chen understood, he didn't explicitly say anything. The few chatted enthusiastically, exchanging pleasantries.
Not far away, Sun Xiao felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. His face was so grim it seemed about to drip with water! Er Zhu had utterly defeated him! Although he was reluctant to admit it, the facts were laid bare before him, leaving him no choice but to believe! Sun Xiao's eyes blazed with anger, but in front of Liu Changfa and the crowd, he could only suppress it.
"Sun Xiao, when are you giving us the money?" At that moment, the candidates who had just mocked Er Zhu surrounded him, glaring with fury.
"That's right, you still owe us more money! If we offend the big shots, you have to compensate us for the losses!"
"You didn't investigate properly before acting. If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have done it for any amount of money!"
The men grumbled one after another. Hearing their words, Sun Xiao's rage surged like a rocket towards his brain! Losing the election and then having to pay a substantial sum was the most unprofitable deal of his life! And all this was because of a rural woman! Sun Xiao suddenly woke up to the realization that he was an idiot! He had entered the village chief election out of jealousy and spite, and then hired these useless fools to ensure his success...
"Shut up!" The more Sun Xiao thought about it, the more he felt it was a waste. He shot Er Zhu a venomous glance, uttered these two words, and stormed off in a huff.
A few days later, Er Zhu became the new village chief of Shiliu Village with an overwhelming majority, and Sun Xiao permanently left Shiliu Village.
"Er Zhu, I can rest easy leaving Shiliu Village in your hands!" After the handover was complete, Uncle Liu gently patted Er Zhu's hand, his eyes glistening with tears. He had dedicated his life to the villagers, and today, he could finally relax!
"Uncle Liu, rest assured, Shiliu Village will become the most prosperous village in the entire town. I guarantee it!" Er Zhu clasped Uncle Liu's hand, his tone firm.
"Good. When that day comes, Uncle Liu will be able to close his eyes in peace." Uncle Liu wiped his tears, looked back at Shiliu Village, to which he had devoted his life, and sighed.
"Er Zhu, I've brought back all the villagers from Linyuan Village!" Not far away, a young man repeatedly waved at Er Zhu and shouted loudly. Behind him were dozens of buses, creating an impressive scene!
"Everyone, let's go take a look at our new houses together," Er Zhu nodded slightly, looking at the rows of villas in the distance, and said to all the villagers.
"Okay!" The villagers cheered with joy, and under Er Zhu's lead, they arrived at the newly built villa area.
"After the Linyuan Village people move in, we'll move in too," Er Zhu said with a slight smile, gazing at the spacious and grand villas.
"That's wonderful, it's like a dream!"
"No, I've never even dreamed of living in such nice villas!"
"Er Zhu, we'll follow you from now on. Wherever you lead, we'll go!"
The villagers exclaimed in astonishment, their eyes filled with joy and excitement as they gazed at the rows of villas. This day was of paramount importance to Shiliu Village! This day, the entire town was abuzz with excitement! All the laborers from Linyuan Village joined the work at the ranch and the Chinese medicinal herb factory, and the villagers' income rapidly increased!
The next day, as Er Zhu was about to arrive at Wang Xiaomei's house, someone got out of a car parked opposite.
"Er Zhu, I finally caught you!" Er Zhu looked up and saw Sun Jianguo running towards him, panting, and then grabbing him as if afraid he would escape.
"Brother Sun, what are you doing?" Er Zhu looked at Sun Jianguo speechlessly and, without him realizing, pulled his hand away.
"My illness hasn't completely healed yet. You're never home when I come looking for you. How long are you going to drag this out?" Sun Jianguo grabbed Er Zhu's wrist again, questioning him with a wronged and slightly angry tone.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Brother Sun. I've been very busy lately," Er Zhu smiled faintly and scratched the back of his head apologetically. Sister Mei had mentioned it, but he had been preoccupied and forgotten...
"That's not important now. You must treat me immediately. My wife is nagging me again!" Sun Jianguo said, pulling Er Zhu's hand towards his car, muttering complaints.
Huh? Er Zhu blinked and looked at Sun Jianguo, a hint of confusion in his eyes. This wasn't right. His previous treatment should have been almost complete, and it shouldn't have relapsed. Er Zhu saw Sun Jianguo's outline, and suddenly, a dark spot in his cerebral blood vessel caught his attention! Brother Sun had been poisoned! Just as Er Zhu was about to rescue Sun Jianguo, Sun Jianguo suddenly closed his eyes and fainted!
"What are you doing, you brat?" Sun Jianguo's driver heard the commotion, quickly got out of the car, and shouted. At that moment, Er Zhu was holding silver needles in his hand!
...
Half an hour later, at the police station.
"Name!" Zhao Qian looked at Er Zhu opposite her with a cold tone. She had long suspected he was no good. The last time she saw him, he made a woman cry for him, and now he was suspected of murder!
"I've told you, I was saving him. And I warn you, if you don't let me save him now, you will be held fully responsible for Sun Jianguo's death!" Er Zhu's eyes flashed with insight. He watched the dark spot grow larger, his gaze exceptionally cold.
"Enough, stop playing games with me. You killed him, so why should we be responsible?" Zhao Qian slammed the table and pointed at Er Zhu, asking sternly.
"I wronged you last time, but this time we have you red-handed. What else can you say!" Seeing Er Zhu about to speak again, Zhao Qian's anger intensified!