Chapter 273: Opportunism

Chapter 273: Playing Both Sides

The village chief put on a show right then, with perfect expressions, reading the news like he really meant it.

The surrounding villagers listened, but gradually, something didn’t sit right with them.

"Hold up, Chief, the Fu Tinghua mentioned in the newspaper—could it be our Fu Tinghua from the Fu family?"

Everyone turned their eyes to Fu Tinghua.

Fu Tinghua: "......"

So why did he have to give that injection this morning?

"Of course it's him! And the town mayor called to say that the big shots are going to pave a cement road for our village. They said, since this is the hometown of a top-notch technician, it oughta look decent," the village chief said with a big grin.

Now, the villagers grew even more excited.

A real cement road? Now that’s something.

Even the cement roads in town were all busted up and nobody’d fixed ’em in years.

And now, their village was gonna get one?

In this era, that was a huge deal.

"Tinghua, I always said you were somethin’ else."

"Of course! I knew since he was a child that this kid was gonna go places."

"Yes, yes. When you hit the big time, don’t forget us neighbors, alright?"

"Good Lord, our Tinghua actually made it into the newspaper!"

One after another, they called him "our Tinghua," making Fu Tinghua wanna bolt.

Su He watched the scene, trying not to laugh.

Wu Yanhua arrived late to show up to see what the fuss was about. Hearing people talk about the newspaper, she quickly asked, "What’s going on? Who made it into the newspaper?"

Someone quick to suck up to the Fu family immediately replied, "Oh, Auntie Wu, it’s your Tinghua! He’s in the newspaper. You wouldn’t believe how big a deal your boy is!"

"That’s right! Not only did Tinghua make the papers, but because of this, the big shots are even talkin’ about building a road for our village!"

"Yanhua, you hit the jackpot to have such a wonderful son."

"Absolutely! I could tell from the time he was knee-high that Tinghua would grow up to be someone remarkable."

Soaking up the praise, Wu Yanhua stood a little taller.

Back then, the family had prioritized spending money on Fu Tinghua’s education over their eldest son’s marriage, getting an earful from the whole village for years.

People had accused them of favoritism, saying they were willing to delay their eldest son’s marriage just for the younger one.

At the time, Wu Yanhua had been catching heat, as most villagers believed education was useless in their rural setting.

But later, when Fu Tinghua excelled in his studies—not only graduating high school but also attending university—everyone finally shut their mouths.

"Tinghua, you really—you made it, kid. I’m proud of you."

Upon hearing the news that Fu Tinghua had got featured in the newspaper, Wu Yanhua's eyes turned red.

Her son had truly made her proud—now, out of the entire family, he was the most successful.

"Mom," Fu Tinghua said, seeing Wu Yanhua like this, and just patted her back.

By now, Fu Tinghua had already grown a head taller than Wu Yanhua.

"Tinghua, how about our village holding a commendation ceremony for you? The town mayor said he’d like to attend too," the village chief suggested, seizing the moment.

"I still have work this afternoon and need to return to the city soon," Fu Tinghua replied a little helplessly.

"Oh, that’s too bad. Then when will you be back? I’ll organize the ceremony accordingly," the village chief asked again.

"It’s just a regular news feature—no need to make a big deal. It’s too much hassle," Fu Tinghua said, wanting to avoid such formalities.

"Of course we must hold one! The whole village should see you as an example to learn from. Nowadays, many parents in our village still refuse to let their kids go to school, insisting they help with farm work instead. How can that be right? They say knowledge changes fate, and aren’t you proof right here? You’re a role model for the entire village!" the village chief couldn’t help but say emphatically.

Hearing this, Fu Tinghua realized he couldn’t get out of it.

"Then I’ll try to come back next weekend," Fu Tinghua agreed.

"Good! Just show up—I’ll handle the rest. Every household must send a representative—no skipping."

After some more small talk, the village chief finally left.

For Shangyao Village, today was truly an exciting moment.

Meanwhile, neighbors and acquaintances all crowded around Fu Tinghua and Wu Yanhua, eager to chat and get on their good side.

Even Su He wasn’t spared.

Aunt Liu, who had once been beaten by Su He, knew how to play the game. Seeing the Fu family’s rising influence, she immediately approached Su He with a fake smile. "Miss Su, congratulations! I was just a big-mouthed busybody before—please don’t hold it against me."

Back then, she had insulted Su He to her face, calling her fat and ugly in front of her two children, and Su He had given her a beating.

Though she had laid low afterward, resentment still lingered in her heart.

But now, not long after Su He’s husband returned, he was not only in the news but had also secured government support to pave the village roads.

Truth be told, if the Fu family still held a grudge against the Lius and refused to associate with them, those trying to suck up to the Fus would likely bully the Lius too.

In many ways, rural life was its own small society.

If Aunt Liu hadn’t brought it up, Su He would have almost forgotten the whole incident.

"It’s fine. Just be more careful with your words in the future. I do have a bit of a temper—hope you don’t mind," Su He replied with a smile.

"Of course, of course! I’ll definitely mind what I say from now on," Aunt Liu quickly assured her.

She would never dare to openly talk trash about others again—not only could it backfire, but if the other family suddenly rose to prominence, she’d have to scramble to make amends.

Even those who had once bullied Zai Zai and old lady Wang were now on edge.

Because of that incident, she had even had to give up a chicken—one that laid eggs—and the loss had got her down for quite some time.

Seeing Su He surrounded by the crowd, old lady Wang pulled her eldest son aside and asked, "Do you think Su He still holds a grudge against our family? Should we send them another chicken?"

Her daughter-in-law was shocked her mother-in-law even had this kind of realization.

After all, her mother-in-law was known for being cheap.

The last time they sent a chicken to Su He, she’d complained for days afterward, full of regret.

"I think it's a good idea. Now her husband, Fu Tinghua, is someone the whole village is trying to get on the good side of. We’d better not cross them, especially since even the village head values him so much."

Old lady Wang's initial intention to send a chicken grew even firmer after hearing her daughter-in-law's analysis.

"Alright, I'll go talk to her." With a clenched jaw, old lady Wang shoved her way through the crowd to Su He.