Chapter 54 Falling into the Ditch

Chapter 54 Falling into the Ditch

What?

Tang Fulin got the most votes?

Everyone was stunned.

Not only was Uncle Tang shocked and surprised, but Liu Youfa was even more surprised.

He couldn't believe it, "What? What's going on? What's happening!"

He turned to look at Tang Bingde and asked, "Captain, did you help Tang Fulin campaign?"

Tang Bingde didn't bother to argue with him. His temper was like that; if he wanted to do something, he would just do it, and if he didn't want to do something, he wouldn't bother explaining himself.

I've been the captain for so many years, don't you know my temper by now? Do I need to explain myself?

I don't have time for this nonsense.

Liu Youfa still wanted to protest loudly, but Tang Bingde had a stern look on his face, as if he would tie him up if he dared to cause trouble.

Liu Youfa stormed off in anger to complain to Secretary Liu.

Even the speedy supervisor who came over to monitor was stunned. What was going on?!

Ji Hongyue, with a serious face, announced in a clear broadcasting voice, "In this election for the second production team captain, the elected person is—Tang Fulin! Congratulations to him! Please fulfill your duties as the production team captain."

Tang Bingde found his speech too long and time-wasting, so he quickly interrupted him.

This situation seemed a bit strange. Did the Lius have an internal conflict?

But this wasn't his fault. He announced the results based on the votes, and Tang Fulin would be the new captain of the second production team.

Although they tacitly took turns being the captain, everyone still looked at the bean vote count on the surface.

Now that the bean vote count showed Tang Fulin, it was the Lius' own problem, not his.

This was the choice of the second team members, so having Tang Fulin as the captain was perfectly fine.

He immediately held a three-sentence meeting for the second team and then asked Dad Tang to speak a few words.

Dad Tang was not good at speaking, so he moved his lips, trying to find his voice, and asked, "Are you sure you chose me? If you did, I will definitely be fair when assigning tasks. If anyone has any issues, feel free to bring them up with me."

Tang Yuan led the applause, clapping loudly. My dad is amazing!

This was the will of the people, hehe.

She didn't fully understand some of the village's intricacies, as the original character was still young and not involved in decision-making, and the adults didn't tell her much.

The meeting was simple, and Tang Bingde was impatient to continue, "Alright, the captain is chosen by you. Fulin is a lucky and capable person, so follow him and work hard."

With the help of the Fish Immortal, it was a stroke of luck from heaven.

After saying this, he dismissed the meeting, "Go home and eat. After eating, go to work and harvest the crops!"

Tang Bingde left right away without any delay.

Tang Yuan was very happy, constantly praising her father for being great. Everyone choosing him meant he was excellent.

Dad Tang was still in a daze. Why did they choose him?

What was so good about him?

Uncle Tang said sourly, "Second brother, you're quite skilled."

Really good at hiding your tricks.

Dad Tang was still confused, "Big brother, what's going on? Why did they choose me?"

Uncle Tang: Still pretending!

He turned and left in anger, unable to eat breakfast.

In his mind, his second brother wasn't as smart or articulate as he was, nor could he resolve conflicts among the team members or assign tasks effectively. He wouldn't be able to gain their respect.

If his second brother respected him as an elder brother, he should have offered to give up the captaincy.

As the squad leader, wasn't he more experienced?

But Dad Tang showed no intention of giving it up, which made him furious, and he couldn't maintain his composure, so he left.

Tang Yuan ignored the angry Uncle Tang, pulled her father, and called Feng Chen and Ji Hongyue to hurry home for lunch.

They were going to the mountains in a couple of days.

On the way, she saw Liu Laosan standing by the roadside and smiled at him, knowing that her father's election must have something to do with Liu Laosan and others, but neither she nor her father needed to thank them.

Thanking them might make it seem like there was some secret plan.

Liu Laosan smiled sincerely. In his eyes, Tang Fulin would be a good captain, while Liu Youfa definitely wouldn't be!

He turned to go home for lunch.

Actually, Liu Laosan also had the qualifications to be a candidate for the second team captain. If they really chose from the Lius, this time it would have been better to choose him.

But he didn't often flatter Secretary Liu, nor did he try to please him. Moreover, he had recently been poisoned and requested a change of medicine, so Secretary Liu naturally wouldn't choose him.

However, although Liu Laosan didn't have Secretary Liu's favor, he had good relations within the village, especially among his family members.

He was usually honest and diligent, never shirking or slacking off. He even took on the tough jobs like pesticide spraying, and he was always willing to help others in need. Naturally, people spoke more highly of him than they did of the secretary's son and nephew.

Even though they were all Lius by blood, who else could benefit except for the secretary's son and nephew?

For ordinary members, fairness in work distribution, labor points, and grain allocation was most important.

So he privately rallied those with whom he had good relations, suggesting that they should elect Tang Fulin as the second team leader!

Those who had good relations with him shared similar values and had often complained about Secretary Liu and his family.

Moreover, Tang Bingde, as the head leader, had never shown any special favoritism towards those surnamed Tang while making those surnamed Liu do the dirty work. The tough jobs were always rotated, including for his own son and nephews.

The head leader surnamed Tang was good, so choosing a team leader surnamed Tang would also be good.

With this rallying, they decided to vote for Tang Fulin together.

While Secretary Liu was having breakfast, his nephew Liu Youfa rushed in, claiming that Tang Bingde had rigged the bean vote to push Tang Fulin up and pull him down.

Secretary Liu was taken aback, "How did he rig it?"

The bean vote was conducted with each member dropping beans into a jar. Only prior coordination could influence the outcome; there would be no issues during the actual voting.

Liu Youfa kept repeating that Tang Bingde had rigged it, insisting that it was impossible for Tang Fulin to win while he lost.

Secretary Liu was somewhat stunned. He knew Tang Fulin was capable, but he used to be quite reserved and not good at speaking. Now, under Tang Bingde's intentional grooming, he had become more active and could lead people in plowing fields, pest control, and planting rice.

It was supposed to be Tang Fulin's turn next time, but why now...

No, it wasn't Tang Bingde's doing. Tang Bingde didn't engage in such coordination, nor could he go door-to-door persuading the Lius to vote for Tang Fulin.

This was the Lius themselves choosing Tang Fulin.

Ah, miscalculation. It was a mistake to nominate Youfa. This kid was good at talking but not very diligent in work, and the members' eyes were sharp.

Better to have nominated Liu Laosan.

But Liu Laosan was from a distant branch of the family and was known for being straightforward, not prioritizing family interests. He might advocate for fairness and question why the team planted so much cotton, why they used less fertilizer and pesticides than others, and why they couldn't take on herb tasks from the commune.

That would be quite troublesome.

For Secretary Liu, finding an obedient captain was more important than one with ability.

After all, how much skill does farming require? Just follow the quotas for public and household grain.

The main task is to manage these ignorant members who fuss over trivial benefits.

But he still felt anxious, sensing a weakening of his control over the team and the family.

Was it... because of the heavy rain during wheat harvest?

If it were before the bean vote, he could still say something, but now that the vote was over and Tang Fulin had taken office, he couldn't reverse the result.

To make Tang Bingde hold another election?

Impossible. Tang Bingde was stubborn but followed rules. If the agreed process led to this result, he wouldn't cooperate with a redo.

Forget it, they could choose someone from the Liu family next time.

Or...

Liu Youfa continued, "Uncle, why don't I find some faults with Tang Fulin and get him removed?"

Finding faults with the team leader or sub-leader was too easy.

Tang Fulin assigns work to the members, and they could complain about unfair distribution, giving more to one family and less to another. Or they could sabotage his tasks, making it impossible for him to complete them, forcing him to resign.

Why choose a captain from a large family in the countryside? Because their influence can suppress troublemakers.

If you choose someone without family support, regardless of their ability, if everyone refuses to cooperate, they won't be able to function.

Even if you seek help from commune officials or the police, it won't work.

The law doesn't punish the majority.

The only solution is to remove the captain and replace them.

This idea isn't clever, but it works well.

Secretary Liu: "Let's see how he handles things first. We're all part of the same team; we shouldn't fight among ourselves."

Speaking of infighting, those Lius who voted for Tang Fulin this time were infuriating.

Secretary Liu suddenly realized that Liu Laosan was not as simple as he appeared; he was quite smart.

When he led people to demand pesticide changes and Secretary Liu refused, he knew not to directly confront him, fearing opposition from the clan.

But by encouraging others to vote for Tang Fulin instead of Youfa, he avoided direct confrontation with the secretary and simply showed dissatisfaction with Youfa.

Secretary Liu couldn't blame or retaliate against him for this.

Was Liu Laosan acting on his own, or was someone teaching him secretly?

Taught by Tang Bingde?

When did Tang Bingde start playing such tricks?

Secretary Liu felt his control slipping away, perhaps starting from the wheat harvest?

No, looking back, it began when they reduced cotton planting this year, then the wheat harvest, and planting rice...

Is it Tang Bingde who wants to seize power?

No, Tang Bingde has been ineffective in his resistance for so many years. It's more likely that someone gave him advice this year.

Then it must be Ji Hongyue.

Talking about the Fish Immortal, isn't it just because he's been in contact with Ji Hongyue all along?

It's no wonder they think Ji Hongyue is the Fish Immortal. Who would have thought Tang Yuan was mediocre before but is now shining brighter and brighter?

Moreover, Tang Yuan keeps attributing her success to Ji Hongyue.

Look at her, she's giving her father advice again. Her father is great at getting things done, but his management skills rely heavily on being straightforward.

He leads a group by saying, "Follow me; I'll lead the way." He takes on the hardest tasks first, never letting others work while he watches. The team members admire him for it.

This approach works well. Didn't ancient emperors win respect by leading from the front when expanding their territories?

For a small team leader managing a few dozen people, this is fine. But as a production team leader managing over a hundred people, it's not enough.

Besides leading by example, one must also be clear in rewards and punishments and strive for fairness.

Just follow what the head of the larger team does.

"Dad, how are you going to light those three fires?"

Dad Tang: "What fires?"

Old Lady Feng smiled: "The three fires a new official lights."

She is happy too, believing Dad Tang should lead the team and get more experience to eventually take over as the head of the larger team.

Dad Tang: "I'll just lead them in their work."

Tang Yuan: "Aren't you going to replace the three small team leaders?"

Team Two also has three small team leaders, mostly rotating between the Tang and Liu families.

Dad Tang: "Not replacing them? If I replace them right after becoming the leader, wouldn't they feel bad?"

Tang Yuan grinned mischievously, "Dad, aren't two of the current small team leaders from our Tang family? Talk to one of them and replace him with Liu Laosan. Let Liu Laosan help gather support from the Liu family, so Liu Youfa won't cause trouble when you're elected."

Dad Tang: "That can't be necessary, right? We're all part of the same production team, trying to harvest crops. I lead by example and distribute tasks fairly. How could they target me?"

To Dad Tang, even without anyone watching, everyone would still work hard to harvest more grain. Without harvesting, how could they divide the food?

How could harvesting crops involve tricks?

Anyone who tries tricks during the harvest deserves to be struck by lightning.

If Tang Yuan asked him to do something or plant certain crops, he would do it without hesitation. But replacing a small team leader involves others, and the person replaced would definitely be unhappy. He finds it difficult to say no to people and dislikes causing trouble, let alone actively removing someone from their position.

Ji Hongyue: "Uncle Tang, you should listen to Yuan Yuan."

Old Lady Feng and Mother Tang also urged him to listen to Tang Yuan.

Mother Tang even nudged him discreetly.

The couple had a tacit understanding. Dad Tang instantly thought of the Fish Immortal. Ah, it must be the Fish Immortal guiding his daughter.

He must listen!

Originally, Tang Yuan and Feng Chen planned to go to the mountains to check on the rice and other crops. However, with Dad Tang becoming the second team leader, Tang Yuan decided to stay for a couple of days to see how things went and support her father.

The work for the three production teams is usually divided by the head of the larger team. Each team leader then distributes the tasks to the three small teams, which in turn assign them to the team members.

Following the usual practice, the team leader leads one of the small teams and appoints a deputy to assist him. After all, the production team leader needs to oversee the entire team and cannot always stay with one small team.

Dad Tang isn't really stupid. He discussed with the second small team leader about serving as his deputy and openly shared his concerns about appointing Liu Laosan as the second small team leader.

The original second small team leader wasn't very capable and didn't enjoy the role much. He had conflicts with several Liu family members, who were difficult to manage and always found fault with task assignments.

Seeing Dad Tang offer him the deputy position, he immediately agreed, delighted.

Appointing Liu Laosan as the second small team leader wasn't difficult either. Unlike the election for the production team leader, the small team leader is appointed by the team leader, and the second small team members vote by raising hands. A majority vote is sufficient for appointment.

Tang Yuan had previously taught him to ask for those who disagree to raise their hands instead of those who agree.

Most people are reluctant to raise their hands, especially if they disagree. Raising a hand to show disagreement is more likely to offend others, thus encountering less resistance than asking for agreement.

Coincidentally, Liu Youfa, a member of the second small team, was stunned. Where did Tang Fulin learn these tactics?

He had planned to assert his authority on the first day.

Now that Tang Fulin appointed Liu Laosan as the second small team leader, how could he start trouble?

If he caused trouble, it would become a conflict between him and Liu Laosan.

Damn it, he already had a conflict with Liu Laosan, didn't he?

Why didn't Liu Laosan choose him and instead chose Tang Fulin? Is he crazy?

Is he declaring war?

He wanted to mobilize people to find faults with Liu Laosan, but... Liu Laosan had a good reputation within the family. Seeing Tang Fulin appoint him as the small team leader, many families showed their approval.

He couldn't lead any trouble for the moment.

He felt so frustrated.

Dad Tang saw that everyone was happy—ignoring the sullen faces of Liu Youfa and his group—and he smiled. "It's getting late. Everyone, get to work quickly. Don't let Team One get ahead of us!"

At his shout, the others immediately urged each other to hurry up. Team One had already started; they couldn’t fall behind.

Feng Chen put on his basket and said to Tang Yuan, "Feel better now? Uncle Tang is very smart. You don’t need to worry too much."

Usually, it’s parents who worry about their children being naive and getting taken advantage of, but his wife was always worried about her father.

Tang Yuan smiled. "Yeah, I feel better now."

She nudged Feng Chen with her shoulder and whispered, "I was actually thinking of having you threaten Liu Youfa a bit."

With his high combat skills, threatening Liu Youfa not to mess with her father would be effective!

But now, it seemed unnecessary.

Feng Chen chuckled. How could she be so adorable?

He quickly held her hand. "Let's go catch some fish."

They decided to bring back some fish to improve their family's diet.

Tang Yuan had another plan in mind. "Hurry up, we still need to go into the mountains to pick some wild fruits."

She wanted to go on a date with him, have a picnic in the countryside!

On the way, people greeted them warmly.

Ever since the wheat harvest when Feng Chen demonstrated his strength and Dad Tang spread the word that he was kind-hearted and didn’t compete for work points, the villagers no longer called him idle or a troublemaker. Instead, they admired him for supporting his family through hunting.

Some even hoped he would come to work only during urgent tasks and stay away otherwise.

After all, without him, they could still finish the work, and having one less person meant more work points for everyone else.

Today, they went to a small valley to catch fish.

Yesterday morning, Feng Chen had set up several large fish traps, and with the rising water levels, there would be more big fish.

After the start of autumn, the mornings and evenings were cool enough to wear jackets, but the daytime heat was intense, requiring short sleeves.

However, the mountains were much cooler, especially near the water, where the breeze brought refreshing coolness, making Tang Yuan squint in pleasure.

Feng Chen caught and cleaned the fish, while she prepared the fire for roasting.

She had brought salt specifically and found some wild onions, garlic, and sour jujubes to use as seasoning. The roasted fish would be delicious.

She also brought a large blue-and-white printed cloth, given to her by Grandma Feng, to use as a tablecloth. She laid out slices of soft jujubes, sour jujubes, wild pears, wild hawthorns, pomegranates, and mountain grapes mixed with sugar as a fruit platter.

Additionally, there was wild grape juice, which Feng Chen had squeezed for her using cheesecloth, adding plenty of sugar because it was too sour.

The freshly roasted fish on large leaves emitted an enticing aroma, making mouths water.

She lifted her wooden cup, carved by Feng Chen from a root of the wingnut tree, with a natural shape and simple design, but with a smooth rim and handle, free of any splinters.

Tang Yuan loved this cup, just like the other gifts from Feng Chen, considering them tokens of affection.

She smiled, eyes curved. "Feng Chen, today let's pretend it's a date to celebrate your birthday belatedly. Happy birthday! Cheers!"

A few days ago was Feng Chen's birthday, but since his father died in an accident two days before he was born and his mother passed away due to complications two days after giving birth, he never celebrated his birthday, only visiting his parents' graves.

This year was no different.

Grandma Feng made handmade noodles early that day but didn’t mention it was Feng Chen's birthday.

In those times, most people were poor, and children rarely celebrated birthdays. Only elders over fifty had their birthdays celebrated by their children.

Tang Yuan knew that Grandma Feng had been arranging for Feng Chen to visit his parents’ graves around that time.

Considering his parents' memorial day, she didn’t wish him a happy birthday then, as it wouldn’t be appropriate.

But after those days, Tang Yuan felt it was important to celebrate and remember the living without suppressing joy.

Her grandfather had told her and her grandmother not to be too sad after his passing, and to resume normal life after the mourning period, even on his memorial day, as he preferred seeing them happy.

Truly loving elders would do no less.

Looking into her sparkling eyes, Feng Chen felt a sudden surge of emotion, surprise, and joy, followed by a lightness in his heart.

Coincidentally, today was indeed his birthday.

Like his predecessor, he had never celebrated his birthday in his previous life.

In the post-apocalyptic world, people lived under constant threat, uncertain of their survival, and thus abandoned many luxuries, including romantic gestures and birthdays.

Even in this new world, he hadn’t thought about celebrating his birthday, as it wasn’t a habit.

But Tang Yuan’s effort to celebrate his birthday and say "Happy Birthday" filled him with surprise and joy.

In a world where everyone lives roughly and focuses solely on survival, someone taking the time to create a special moment and care deeply about your feelings is truly meaningful.

This was his first picnic and his first birthday celebration.

Despite her usual carefree demeanor, with her hair sticking up and face smudged, she managed to create a unique romance for him.

His heart swelled with happiness.

Though his emotions remained internal, his handsome face still looked calm and composed, but his dark eyes sparkled with joy.

"Wife..." He felt his mouth go dry and couldn't help calling her "wife" prematurely.

Tang Yuan thought it sounded so old-fashioned. Besides, they were only engaged, not married yet.

Since the big shot was so unsophisticated, she decided to spice things up a bit.

She leaned forward, snuggling into Feng Chen's arms, and hooked her wrist around his, smiling, "Come on, let's have a toast."

Knowing that Feng Chen had strong self-control and wouldn't cross any boundaries, she often teased him without any reservations.

Sure enough, Feng Chen was stimulated by the toast. He took a sip, then wrapped his hand around her neck, pulling her closer.

Tang Yuan's heart fluttered as she tilted her head in response, but instead of a kiss, she was startled by a scream.

"Help! ——"

What a buzzkill!

How could anyone even think about kissing now?

Tang Yuan quickly got up, causing the birds in the mountains to fly away in a flurry.

"Help! ——" The voice now carried a hint of crying.

Tang Yuan recognized the voice, "Is... Tang Xiang?"

Although she didn't like Tang Xiang, she couldn't just leave her there.

They packed up their things and put the fish in a basket for Feng Chen to carry.

Tang Yuan gulped down her juice and grabbed a stick with a few grilled fish on it, handing one to Feng Chen and keeping one for herself.

"Eat while we walk; it won't taste as good when it cools down."

The elegance and romance from earlier were all pretense; this was the real Tang Yuan, always practical.

Feng Chen couldn't help but smile slightly, taking the fish and eating it as they walked together.

"Help! ——" Tang Xiang's cries grew more urgent, as if urging them to hurry.

Feng Chen followed the sound and led Tang Yuan over.

Climbing up a hill and around a steep slope, they saw Tang Xiang and Song Huazhang had fallen into a deep ravine.

Song Huazhang was leaning against the wall, bleeding from his head, motionless, seemingly unconscious.

Tang Xiang knelt beside him, pressing a handkerchief to his wound, crying in distress.

"Tang Yuan, why did you take so long?" Tang Xiang's tone was harsh, laced with tears and resentment.

Even though they were in the mountains, hearing the cries and not coming immediately seemed so cold-hearted!

When she and Song Huazhang entered the mountain, they had seen Tang Yuan and Feng Chen.

Uncle Feng refused to give up Feng Chen's share, but Yang Shujuan, although reluctant, still managed to get some from her cousin.

Tang Xiang and Song Huazhang would take a day off every few days to gather herbs in the mountains.

Gathering herbs was indeed very hard work, and Song Huazhang didn't want her to suffer, offering to give her five to ten yuan every month.

But Tang Xiang was a proud protagonist and wouldn't accept money easily from a man.

She insisted on earning her own money through gathering herbs, not wanting to be looked down upon.

So Song Huazhang had no choice but to accompany her.

Previously, she had gone to West Mountain, but the good stuff there was mostly picked clean, so she decided to try her luck here. After all, Feng Chen and Tang Xiang always came back with plenty of goods from this area.

This was their first time venturing into the backside of the mountain, which was known for its steep slopes, and they ended up falling into the ravine.

Tang Yuan peered down. Although Song Huazhang looked bad, she believed the protagonists had great fortune and would likely be fine, facing only minor dangers.

At most, they might suffer a bit, but nothing too serious.

On the other hand, she, the villainess, might end up in terrible luck if she got involved with the protagonists.

For example, if the protagonist fell into a ravine, it might actually be her, the villainess, who broke her leg.

This wasn't an exaggeration. In the original story, the protagonist mocked Tang Xiang for marrying a cripple to exchange for Tang Wu, but in the end, it was the protagonist who ended up marrying the cripple.

There were many such examples where mocking Tang Xiang always led to misfortune for the protagonist, while Tang Xiang remained unscathed.

Feng Chen held Tang Yuan's arm firmly, reminding her, "Be careful not to slip down."

It had rained recently, making the ground slippery, and one wrong step could lead to a fall.

Tang Xiang, frustrated and anxious, shouted, "Are you just going to stand there? Help us!"

Tang Yuan shrugged, "Sorry, we don't have any rescue tools. We should go back and get help for you."

Tang Yuan didn't want to get too involved with the protagonists. A little verbal sparring was fine, but saving lives... better not.

They didn't bring a long rope or anything. Although the big shot could climb down and rescue them, she didn't want Feng Chen carrying Tang Xiang!

With that, she carefully helped Feng Chen walk away.

"Tang Yuan!" Tang Xiang's head spun with anger, feeling like she might have a concussion.