Chapter 364: Chapter 364: Officially Assuming Office
"What are you talking about, what’s not natural about it? Isn’t it just normal eye contact between people?"
"No, let me tell you, I’m very sensitive, and I always feel like there’s some issue between you two. Tell me the truth, what’s going on? Are you having an affair with that woman?"
"My conscience is clear, Jia Xin, don’t forget who she is, a woman with a child and a husband. How could I do something like that? Besides, even rabbits don’t eat the grass by their burrows."
"Oh, rabbits don’t eat the grass by their burrows? Why does that sound so awkward to me? So what about me, am I not from this village? Does that mean I’m not grass by the burrow? How come you had no problem ’eating’ me?"
"Can you be the same? You’re clearly different from them. You left the village early on, and strictly speaking, can you still be considered part of this village?"
He once again embraced the charming woman in his arms; her body was soft and seemed almost to collapse against him.
This scent, this scene, along with the atmosphere, indeed made it hard for Liu Zheng to keep his composure. He bent down, lifted Liu Jiaxin into his arms, and then walked inside.
The next day, before dawn, Liu Jiaxin hurriedly left the place because she had to rush back. There were many things to take care of, and furthermore, if she waited until daylight to leave, it seemed that it would indeed cause gossip.
Liu Zheng, after 8 o’clock, found the clinic quiet, as if all the villagers knew that today was an important day and none came over.
After locking the clinic’s gate, he went towards the village committee’s direction. On his way, people kept congratulating him, suggesting that the announcement must have already been officially posted.
Upon entering, most of the villagers had already gathered in the yard, waiting for the appearance of an important person. When Liu Zheng appeared, everyone clapped to welcome him.
It was somewhat embarrassing for Liu Zheng; he simply nodded and smiled at them, and then he entered the village committee’s office.
The members of the village committee were already waiting for him. As the saying goes, "New kings bring their courts," so with the appointment of a new village chief, the previous one’s team was generally not retained.
"Liu Zheng, no, I should call you Chief Liu now. I am formally handing over all the work of the village to you. Soon, someone will handle the related procedures for you. As for the choice of the next candidates, that’s up to you."
Only the position of village chief is an official post in the village, so the roles beneath it are somewhat like team leaders. Essentially, the village chief has the authority to appoint or dismiss them without reporting to higher levels.
All morning, Liu Zheng’s head was in a whirl. The village accountant kept showing him various accounts and events of the past years.
However, what he particularly remembered was that the village’s fund projects were now down to only 8,000 yuan.
8,000 yuan! In today’s world of material wealth, that amount of money could hardly do anything. Thus, for Liu Zheng, this was a significant problem.
"Is this it? Is there nothing else?"
After accepting the remaining 8,000 yuan and some other items, Liu Zheng looked up at the village chief and asked.
"Right, the village started a collective pig farm a couple of years ago, and we also borrowed some money from the rural credit union. We still owe them about 200,000 yuan."
"What did you say? We still owe over 200,000 yuan?"
Liu Zheng’s eyes widened in shock. This wasn’t just a matter of leaving him with no money, but a massive debt had been left as well. This was a mess for him to inherit right after taking office.
"Yes, it’s normal for the village to be in debt like this. As long as the village exists, the accounts won’t get muddled. Don’t worry, they won’t press us too hard."
"Uncle Li, if I had known it was such a mess, I wouldn’t have taken over if you beat me to it. Now you’ve really put me in a tough spot."
"What’s wrong, regretting it now? Let me tell you, it’s too late for regrets now; it’s meaningless. This funding is just for this year, and next year more funds will come to the village. How they’ll be distributed will be up to you. Okay, do you have any other questions? If not, let’s allow everyone else to go home and wait for further news."
"Oh, I don’t have any more questions. Everyone can go ahead and disperse. If there’s anything unclear or needed, I will definitely come to consult again. Thank you all."
Liu Zheng stood up, said his goodbyes one by one, and then all the people left, leaving only the village chief and Liu Zheng in the village committee office.
"Liu Zheng, I know what you’re thinking. I didn’t tell you about these account issues before because I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to accept it. Actually, this kind of situation is quite normal."
"But chief, have you thought about it? Our village’s farming is not making ends meet, it might even be operating at a loss. How are you going to repay these loans?"
"Ah, it’s a vicious cycle. As long as we have the farm, whether it’s making a loss or not, the industry is still here. So, as long as there’s an industry, there’s a pillar of support. With that support, the accounts naturally won’t go bad."
"But if you keep going like this, the debt will only get bigger. Then how are you going to clean up this mess when the time comes?"
"No worries, there will be a way when we get to the mountain, and the bridge will straighten out when the boat reaches it. You see, I’ve been the village chief for so many years, carrying this debt my whole life. So I’ve naturally gotten used to it."
Liu Zheng truly wanted to cry but had no tears. Now, even considering pulling back was impossible. It seemed that, regardless of how tough it got, he had to face this ordeal head-on.
