After October, Nanyang County entered winter. The biting northwest wind swept through the Guanyin Valley with broken branches and withered leaves. The Dongwa River, which had not yet frozen, also put away its former beauty. It flowed left and right, as if sighing over the years and feeling the vanity of life.
The villagers of Dongwa Village also packed up their farm tools. The yard was piled with chopped firewood. Corn cobs were hung neatly on the walls and locust trees. Thick curtains were hung on the doors of the houses, and the windows were tightly sewn with colorful newspapers. People took out the cotton-padded clothes from the bottom of the cupboard, and the women hastened to pickle the spicy cabbage. Winter was really coming.
When Lu Yiwei came to Dongwa Village, he had lived with the old village elder, Lao Han. Later, when Li Haidong's new house was built, he moved in. Lu Yiwei was the secretary of the Dongwa Village Party Branch, so he should have lived in the village committee. However, Dongwa Village was so poor that there was no decent office space. It had always been set up in the old village elder, Lao Han's house. Later, Lao Han's son got married and there was no office space. He often fought as a guerrilla, so Lu Yiwei made up his mind and paid for Li Haidong to build the five tile-roofed houses.
After the houses were built, Li Haidong left the house in the middle for Lu Yiwei to live in. He chose the west house, and the east house temporarily became the "authority" of Dongwa Village.
That morning, Lu Yiwei was still asleep when he heard a series of hurried knocks on the door. Lu Yiwei rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked impatiently, "Who is it?"
"It's me," the old village elder, Lao Han, said in a muffled voice, then coughed violently.
Lu Yiwei looked at his watch. It was already past nine in the morning. He crawled out of bed reluctantly, shivering from the cold. He quickly put on his pants, put on a coat, got out of bed, and quickly opened the door with his shoes on. Then he quickly climbed into bed.
After the old Village Elder entered the door, he didn't even look at Lu Yiwei. He squatted down on the ground and started smoking his copper pipe.
Seeing this, Lu Yiwei picked up the Hongtashan beside his pillow and tossed one to Old Han before lighting one for himself.
Old Han took the cigarette and threw it to Lu Yiwei, saying, "You smoke it, I'm not used to it. My dry tobacco is the best, it's strong."
Lu Yiwei laughed and said, "I say, Old Han, it's time for you to change your stubborn mind. What era is it now? Why are you still smoking this antique?"
Old Han didn't think much of it. He got up and sat on the edge of the bed. He lifted his foot and knocked the ash off his cigarette, then skillfully filled the pipe. He picked up Lu Yiwei's lighter and lit it up. "Look, I'm also keeping up with the times. I didn't have a lighter in the past. I always used foreign fire."
Old Han saw that Lu Yiwei didn't respond, so he moved his butt and said, "I'm here today to keep up with the times. The village committee election is coming soon. I wonder if Secretary Lu has any thoughts?"
Dongwa Village only had 50 households and less than 200 people. Because there was no profit to be made in the village, the competition for the village committee election was not fierce. In addition, young people went out to work and only came back once a year. Only the old, weak, sick, and disabled were left in the village. That was why the village chief was always Old Han. He had been the village chief for more than 20 years. Lu Yiwei said, "You are a person of virtue and prestige. You should be the next one!"
"No!" Old Han suddenly widened his withered eyes and stared at Lu Yiwei. He felt a chill run down his spine. Old Fool pressed down on the pot with his weathered hand and said, "I'm not going to be in this year's competition. I'm already 66 years old. I'm getting old. Even if I have the ambition, I can't do it. I should give this position to a young person with drive. "
Lu Yiwei put on his clothes and moved closer to Old Han. He said suspiciously, "Uncle Old Han, how can you say I'm old? I can do it for another two years. Besides, who else in the village can be the village chief other than you? "
"You!" Old Han turned around and pointed at Lu Yiwei with his pipe. His eyes were full of hope and desire. Lu Yiwei was stunned.
Coming back to his senses, Lu Yiwei hurriedly waved his hands and said, "No, no, the Village Chief has to be a villager. Even if I wanted to be the Village Chief, it wouldn't be in line with the villagers' election laws. Besides, there are plenty of young people in the village who are still young. I shouldn't get involved blindly.
Old Han was a little anxious. He took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on the brick bed. "Secretary Lu, let me ask you a few questions on behalf of the villagers."
Lu Yiwei washed his face and said, "Go ahead."
"The town committee sent you here to lead the Dongwa villagers to become rich?" Old Han had always been a person who could not say a word. Today, he was a little agitated and said what he had been suppressing in his heart.
Lu Yiwei stopped washing his face, turned his head and said doubtfully, "Yes."
Old Han saw that Lu Yiwei had admitted it, so he asked, "Good. Now that your 30-mu orchard is profitable, are the villagers rich?"
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