Chapter 13: I am the village chief
Zhang widow's home I have not come before and after three times, she is not afraid of gossip, pulling me from the small store door walked past, Zhang Fang stood at the door, showing resentment in the eyes look, scared me to speed up the pace, followed the widow back.
Her house is very small, there is no hall, only a bedroom and the back kitchen, after settling me in the bedroom, she went to prepare lunch.
The room was very messy, the quilt on the bed was twisted together, exuding an almost rotten smell, what surprised me was that the headboard was cracked, and embedded in the side seams were a few thick blue threads, which were only found in jeans.
I searched the entire village, only Shorty and I have worn jeans, remembering Shorty's panicked appearance and torn crotch in the morning, I somewhat can not believe that he actually stayed in this bed.
Unable to determine what Shorty and Widow Zhang actually did, I was afraid of suffering devastation, how dare I wait for lunch, while Widow Zhang did not pay attention, sneak away.
At noon the sun is very big, do not dare to go to the kiosk to hide, want to go home and afraid of shorty back no boat over, I have no choice but to go to the butcher's place to avoid.
Who expected the butcher to carry a pig's ear, said it was given to the widow Zhang, let me wait and then come back, he clang locked the door and went out, I waited and waited and did not see the butcher to come back, thinking that the two will not be that again, right!
I regret not going to the countryside with the short man, downcast to the road back to the village, sitting under a big tree waiting for the short man to come back.
Until after sunset, shorty rushed back in the dark, but he walked like a pout, like a broken foot, I went up to take a look at him, received a pile of plastic tubes, glaring at him, but unfortunately I could not see his expression, taunted a few sentences and took him home!
Lighting a kerosene lamp, I was ready to question Shorty about what he did at Widow Zhang's house in the morning, but when I looked at him, I realized that his nose was bruised and swollen, like he had been beaten up by someone.
"What's wrong with you, who beat you up, damn it, let's go and exterminate him!"
I pulled up shorty's hand, ready to rush to the countryside overnight to avenge him, but shorty left me alone, limped to the bedside to sit up, looked at me and said.
"Who else, but not the county those three son of a bitch, see I have no relatives in the countryside, pressed on the ground to give me a good beating, he mother, beat the old man's eyes on fire!"
Shorty whined, spit a mouthful of spit with blood, I know he is in a bad mood, and did not ask him and the widow Zhang thing, but he as my brother was beaten up, I have the responsibility to take the blame for him, ready to hand over the village head after the county to get those three bastards.
"Shorty, this revenge do brother's I give you to remember, when I sit in the position of village chief, have to let you beat back, these two days at home to rest, prepare for the big event the day after tomorrow!"
Shorty rubbed his purple face, got up to burn the fire, we both made a good dinner, ate and drank and then went to sleep.
For two days in a row I did not dare to go out, and Shorty accompanied me at home to read the Ten Thousand Dharma Returns to Tibet, until the morning of the third day, when the drums were beating on the other side of the river, and I knew in my heart that I was going to have a meeting, and instructed Shorty to say.
"I'll go to the meeting, you the girl put smart point, if go down there is danger to come up, never show off!"
"Shanzi brother, you will see well, dry after this time, you can for me to Fangzi proposed marriage!"
As soon as shorty said Zhang Fang, his eyes were glowing, I looked at his appearance, secretly thought that he was afraid of dying in a woman's bed in his life, and he got on the boat together, came to the other side, I instructed again and said.
"Be careful, pay attention to any details, just one mistake may take your dog's life!"
Looking at Shorty's departing back, I shook my head and smiled, praying for him for a while before getting up and going to the village office, which was bustling with activity.
Men, women and children were all here, Zhang Fang was also there, seeing that I had come, she gave a blank look and pulled a child into the crowd and disappeared, I was about to chase after her and say a few words to her, but the old village headman waved his hand at me from above.
"Shanzi, here, come up here!"
The crowd was very noisy, the village chief's mouth moved endlessly, but I only heard these words, waved at him and walked up, at this time, the outside of the house suddenly crackled with the sound of firecrackers, thick white smoke instantly diffused into the house, smelling this festive smell, I was very excited.
In front of a row of tables, the village several cadres are seated, the old village chief will pull me to the side, one by one to introduce me, let me shake hands with them, honestly, those cadres are very old-fashioned, are wearing old uniforms about to whiten, among them there is also a person with a small red flower in front of his chest.
They smiled at me, and some got up to pat me on the shoulder, when I walked up to Fangzi's mother, I scratched my head a little awkwardly, but she grabbed my hand and said.
"Shanzi, do a good job, all of us old things will support you!"
The old village chief walked into the middle of it, raised his hand to silence the crowd, and then sat paralyzed in his chair, and started to speak in a pie-eyed manner.
I don't remember what he said then, but I know that he spoke for close to an hour, and the crowd's applause crackled like firecrackers, one after another, and when he got tired of speaking, he took a few sips of tea before pulling me into the center and saying to the crowd.
"Here's a welcome to the new village chief to say a few words to everyone, everyone applaud!"
The applause was intense, I could see that my impression in the hearts of the crowd was not bad, clearing my throat, I said somewhat nervously.
"Hello everyone, you all know that my name is Li Shan, my parents left early, weekdays thanks to the care of all the townspeople to live until today ......"
I said a lot, from gratitude to the management of the village, and then to the future, the old village chief was very pleased to look at me, the applause was more intense than the crowd clapping.
In order not to lose face, these words I have been brewing for a few nights, wait until noon is finally finished, outside the house and lit firecrackers, at this time, Fangzi her mother came up, took over the speaker and said.
"Everyone do not go, the village at noon to eat and drink, there are cultural performances in the afternoon, we have to congratulate the old mayor of the village to rise high, to meet the new mayor of the village to take office!"
The crowd roared and applauded, I overheard Zhang Fang standing with a few female classmates, they were pointing at me and didn't care, but her mother looked at her and held up the loudspeaker and yelled.
"Zhang Fang, why don't you go and help your father open up, you don't see what day it is today!"
Zhang Fang was very dissatisfied stomped his foot, huffed and puffed and ran out, but the surrounding crowd laughed, a few moments later, her father and son carried several boxes of Beijing instant noodles, the back of a few people holding a plate of leather eggs, the old village chief pulled me off the stage, and distributed all of these things to the crowd.
I thought it was meat and wine, but I can not imagine is a packet of instant noodles plus a skin egg, the heart was a little disappointed, but the old village head sent a lot of fun, I also had to be hard to distribute down.
See almost, the old village head will pull me to the commissary village dry eating place, pointing to surrounded by a few village cadres said.
"We should also eat, Shanzi ah, today is a good day, I can warn you, in doing, you each must toast a cup of wine!"
Fangzi's mother came in and uncovered the lid on the meal, I took a look, in the middle of it was a pot of rib soup, surrounded by some homemade vegetables, thinking that the village cadres usually ate this, it would be too shabby.
"A few old brothers, the village is rare to eat meat with extra meals, today I lend my flowers to the Buddha, and jointly toast everyone!"
The old village chief said while holding up his bowl of wine, I had to stand up and share a bowl with the crowd, then the old village chief gave me a detailed explanation of the duties and rights of the job before letting me make a toast in the end.
Like this beer, I can dry more than a dozen bottles, a circle down and do not see dizziness, at this time, Zhang Fang to send food in, but the old village chief called her, let her drink with me.
Zhang Fang also do not know is ate gunpowder or what, looking at the old village head, pointing to my nose, said: "uncle, not I say mountain brother, he is a goat, can not do this village head!"
"Oh ......" the old village chief laughed, looked at Zhang Fang asked her where I goon, do not think that little ninny said in front of the crowd.
"Uncle, this is what you want me to say, mountain brother obviously like me, dead and dare not admit, you say he is not a wimp?"
The old village chief waved his hand, unwilling to listen to Zhang Fang any longer, and poured a bowl of wine before saying, "Nizi, I'm not favoring anyone, but this emotional matter, we are old, you young people make up your mind, I believe that our village, under the leadership of Shan Zi, the days of the masses will surely become more and more prosperous!"
"Good" I take advantage of the wine, will bowl a put, full of table plates and bowls clanging and jumping, looking at Zhang Fang said: "Fangzi, the old village head of this sentence I love to hear, we are the people want to live a good life, what love ah love, can be eaten?"
Zhang Fang stifled her face, pointed at the room full of leaders, stomped her foot, dropped a sentence: "You ...... you ...... you are all the same!", then huffed and ran out. , then ran out with a puff of air.
Wine over three rounds, a table of food also see the bottom, the masses are watching the show, a few village cadres but excuse the head up to go home, the old mayor Xing Xu is happy, drink too much, I shouted to Fangzi her father, will be the old mayor of the village to the bed, because of the fear of shorty, had to go home early.
Waiting to come to the reservoir, but the short man has long been sitting in the boat waiting for me, look at his excited look, I will know that he fished a good thing.
Shorty rowed the boat to the middle of the reservoir, from his pocket to touch out a four-square, fingernail-sized things to me.
I took it and looked at it, the thing was a kind of sauce yellow color, there was a warm feeling when I touched it, turned it over and took a look at it, there were words underneath, but unfortunately, they were carved in seal script upside down, so I couldn't recognize it for a while.
"Brother Shanzi, this thing is a seal, you do not know, there is a skeleton with a mask under the water, thief fucking scary!"
I put away the seal, hold up the water, rubbed a few some hot face, thought about it to shorty said: "We go to the police station to call the police!"
