Chapter 76: The Village Chief is Looking for You

When Chen Erbao got home, Fang Yun had already made lunch. Chen Dabao had been wandering around the village all morning and was starving, so he started scarfing down his food the moment he got back.

Chen Erbao had just satisfied Sister in law Shuzhen, and now he was a bit hungry too. Without a word, he started to eat.

Watching the two brothers eat, Fang Yun was filled with an indescribable sense of contentment.

Although many things had happened between her and Chen Erbao, she felt that their family was getting better day by day.

"Brother Da Bao, there are two bags of Gastrodia in my room. Tomorrow, go borrow a three-wheeled cart and head to the east end of the village. Someone will come to pick up the Gastrodia. Just give it to them, and don't let them into the village."

Chen Erbao said, putting down his bowl after he'd finished his meal.

'The people from Medicine King Hall will discover the Gastrodia on Bailong Mountain sooner or later, but every day I can delay it is a win.'

Chen Dabao wiped his mouth, and after hearing Chen Erbao's words, he immediately nodded.

"Don't worry, Er Bao!"

Chen Erbao trusted Chen Dabao with such a small task.

"Er Bao, I ran into Qin Lan from the village chief's family this morning. She said the contracting certificate the chief was handling for you is ready. She told you to go pick it up at her place when you have a moment."

Fang Yun said as she cleared the dishes.

Chen Erbao nodded. 'Chen Daniu is actually quite efficient!'

He left his house and headed straight for Chen Daniu's home.

Along the way, villagers greeted Chen Erbao one after another, their words laced with a sycophantic tone that wasn't there before.

That's how it was in the village. When you had money, you were surrounded by nice people. If you were broke, you'd have to endure countless scornful looks.

Arriving at Qin Lan's house, Chen Erbao knocked on the door. It was Chen Daniu who opened it.

"Er Bao, quick, come in!"

Chen Daniu was even more polite than before, his face wreathed in smiles as he pulled Chen Erbao into the house.

Qin Lan was in the living room making tea. When she saw Chen Erbao, a strange expression flickered across her face, but she quickly returned to normal.

She had been more than satisfied last time and still wasn't hungry!

"Er Bao, have a seat. Brother Da Niu and I were just talking about you!"

Qin Lan wore a simple short-sleeved shirt and denim shorts, and her fair, smooth thighs were hard to ignore.

Chen Erbao's eyes lingered on them for a moment before he walked over to a nearby sofa, sat down, and accepted the tea with a smile.

"Sister Lan, my sister-in-law told me the contracting certificate is ready?"

Chen Daniu walked into a room and came out holding a document.

"Er Bao, this certificate was really not easy to get. If I didn't know so many people in town, it would have been a real hassle!"

The implication was clear: he'd put in a lot of effort for this.

Chen Erbao sneered inwardly.

'This old codger is still trying to take credit!'

'A hassle? And you got it done in two days?'

'If I didn't have something on him, there's no way Chen Daniu would have handled it this efficiently.'

"I really troubled Brother Da Niu. You'll have to come over to my place sometime, and we'll have a couple of good drinks."

'Even though that's what I'm thinking, I can't say it out loud. Chen Daniu is obsessed with saving face, so a little flattery won't kill me.'

Sure enough, when Chen Daniu heard this, he beamed with joy.

"It's a deal, then! When I have time, I'll definitely come over for a drink!"

"No problem!"

Chen Erbao readily agreed. He took out his phone, fiddled with it for a moment, then casually placed it on the table. He then looked up and winked at Chen Daniu.

Chen Daniu understood immediately. 'He's deleting the video right in front of me!'

He finally relaxed, his smile growing even brighter. He took out his good cigarettes and lit one for Chen Erbao.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while before Chen Daniu suddenly changed the subject, probing:

"Er Bao, do you know the new Village Chief Zhao?"

"..."

Chen Erbao thought of Zhao Ruoying's hot temper and was momentarily at a loss for words, so he just gave a couple of dry laughs.

"We've met a couple of times..."

'I haven't just met her, I've met her sister too!' Chen Erbao thought.

Hearing this, Chen Daniu's smile widened.

"That's incredible! You educated, high-achieving students are really something else. Er Bao, I have to give you a bit of advice. This Village Chief Zhao comes from a powerful background. You have to seize this opportunity. A few casual words from someone like her are worth more than ten years of hard work for people like us with no connections!"

'Just as I thought!'

He knew Zhao Ruoying was no simple character. Her aura and personality alone weren't something a child from an ordinary family could develop.

"Brother Da Niu, I only know her family is well-off, but I'm not sure... what exactly does her family do?"

Chen Daniu gave a bitter smile.

"Er Bao, if even you don't know, how would I? You're overestimating me. I'm just a village chief... When she came to Bailong Village to take up her post, the town mayor and the county leaders all came. And man, even the county leaders had to be humble and deferential in front of Village Chief Zhao. I think her family must be, at the very least, the top official in the county, or maybe even from the city!"

Chen Daniu pointed upwards, his expression deep and secretive.

Chen Erbao now had a better idea. He nodded, then found an excuse to take his certificate and leave Chen Daniu's house.

'Now that I have the certificate and one or two million in hand, my plan can begin.'

'First, I need to go to the city and find some professionals to draw up a plan for Bailong Mountain. Then I can start hiring people to begin the work.'

'These things involve all sorts of connections. If I tried to do it all by myself, I probably couldn't pull it off. But...'

'Lin Zhiqing's influence should be enough, right?'

'Her second uncle is a high-level executive at Medicine King Hall, so her family must be impressive too.'

'I should just take the goods to the county seat tomorrow. It's been a few days, and I kind of miss her!'

Chen Erbao found himself craving some Xue Li.

He was just about to head home when someone suddenly called out from behind him:

"Er Bao!"

Chen Erbao turned to see a junior cadre from the village committee. Although he didn't have much power, he was someone who could communicate directly with the village chief.

"Uncle Zhiming, what can I do for you?" Chen Erbao said with a smile.

Chen Zhiming wasn't young anymore, around fifty or so. In his youth, he had been one of the "sent-down youth" with a bit of education, and he later settled down in Bailong Village.

He was a good man, honest and down-to-earth.

Chen Zhiming walked over. "Er Bao, Village Chief Zhao wants you to go to the chief's office. She said she wants to ask about Chen Qing's situation in more detail."

Chen Erbao frowned. "Didn't we clear everything up yesterday? What else is there to ask?"

Chen Zhiming spread his hands. "How would I know?"

Resigned, Chen Erbao could only nod. He turned and headed toward the village chief's office.

'I was planning to avoid Zhao Ruoying for a couple of days, but I never expected her to seek me out. I have no idea what kind of trouble she's going to stir up this time...'

'I think I went a little too far yesterday!'

'I'm a little nervous. If this woman really loses her temper, I'm totally screwed!'

Arriving at the office door, Chen Erbao knocked twice, lightly.

"Come in!"

A voice that commanded authority without being angry came from inside the room.

Bracing himself, Chen Erbao pushed the door open and went inside. He found that there was no one else in the room, only Zhao Ruoying.

She was wearing a formal white blouse and casual trousers. Her hair was piled high on her head, and she wore light makeup. She sat at her chair, processing documents with a blank expression.

Hearing Chen Erbao enter, she didn't even look up as she said coldly:

"Have a seat."