Carrying a Jurassic on me
Chapter 1042 - 546 Giving Money Away

Chapter 1042: Chapter 546 Giving Money Away

"Brother Fei, how’s this Jeep ride? Beats your car, doesn’t it? Would your car even dare make this trip?" Dang Wenzheng was driving, still managing to joke around with Yan Fei in a playful tone.

Xiang Changqing couldn’t help but remind him from the side, "Watch the road! If the car breaks down, you’re pushing it yourself!"

This was on the way to Sophora Tree Bay. Originally, Lin Baoguo had said he would accompany Yan Fei, but Mayor Chen was leading the people from the township to inspect Sancha River Village after it had been flooded, and coincidentally, Sophora Tree Bay was located in the southeast corner of Sancha River Township, so the planned small team trip turned into a large convoy.

The floodwaters had just receded. Many low-lying areas of the road had been soaked for so long that they were now barely passable by car. This trip to the countryside was made in two Jeeps.

Dang Wenzheng was right, Yan Fei’s ’Mercedes Benz S600’ was impressive, but should he dare to drive it here, the road would certainly bring it to a halt. Only the sturdiest Jeeps could barely manage these roads, otherwise, it was time for a tractor.

With his hands on the wheel, Dang Wenzheng’s mouth never seemed to tire, chatting away with Heizi about the times they used to huddle in the dead of night, lying in wait to catch thieves in this area.

It felt like it hadn’t been long ago, but the changes over the past two years were immense, particularly for Yan Fei. The kid from the Old Yan Family, who nobody had high hopes for, had now become the legitimate Boss Yan.

The number of buildings in Sancha River Town had increased over the past two years, yet as everyone jostled about in the bumpy, uneven dirt road and looked at the barely changed villages on either side, and then at the fields that had been flooded, they slowly lost the urge to speak.

"This autumn, life’s probably going to get tough," said a local government worker who was also in the car.

They were mostly young people, and none of them were farmers, but living in a small town made them familiar with the countryside situation. Seeing the fields still pooled with water and the crops soaked therein, it was hard to feel cheerful.

To an outsider, everything might still look green and lush, with only a few crops laid flat. However, the farmers occasionally seen rolling up their pant legs and inspecting the fields wore faces full of worry and sighs of distress.

The seemingly lush crops, once the water in the fields receded and they were exposed to the sun for a couple of days, would immediately turn brown and wither—the roots had rotted, how could they possibly flourish?

Before the wave of migrant work began, a rural family, regardless of size, depended on the output of their fields. A good harvest meant an easier second half of the year; a poor one meant not just half a year of hardship, but a perpetual cycle of robbing Peter to pay Paul, where solutions only paved the way for new problems.

"Thank goodness none of us get carsick, otherwise, we’d probably be knocked out by now..." Heizi muttered under his breath.

Nobody else spoke up. They were all already in a bad mood, and this was a road that needed to be carefully traversed by following the ruts. Any slight mistake, and everyone in the car would be lurching from side to side, worsening the already foul mood.

After all the jostling, they finally arrived. Mayor Chen, Director Lin, Minister Pan, and a few others who were still in their prime and had yet to reach their twilight years, got out of the car looking surprisingly spirited despite the rough ride.

Before anyone had a chance to speak, the villagers at the entrance came forward to greet them. The leading old man wiped his hands on his clothing and extended both hands to shake Mayor Chen’s, but Chen had already reached out from afar, "I told you not to make such a fuss, why did you bring so many people? We’ve just been through a disaster, everyone should be busy with what they need to do!"

The old man’s face blossomed into a chrysanthemum-like smile, "What are you saying, Secretary Chen? How could we not welcome you when you visit? Aside from water and mud, there’s nothing to do in the fields; everyone in the village is idle right now!"

Now that Mayor Chen had taken on both party and government roles, most people fed by the public coffers had switched to calling him Secretary, except for those like Yan Fei, who stuck to the old habit of calling him Mayor, though it amounted to the same thing.

Mayor Chen didn’t say much more, his expression growing somewhat solemn, "Let’s go, let’s first visit the family that was affected!"

At that, the old man’s smile faded, and he quickly stepped aside to clear the path, "Just ahead, not far. The village doesn’t have proper planning, and the roads aren’t good. The car can’t go through, so I’m afraid Secretary Chen, Director Lin, and Minister Pan will have to walk a bit!"

The outside world had changed rapidly in the past few years, but the changes in the countryside were minimal. The houses were still low-lying, and chickens, ducks, geese, and dogs ran all over the village. One had to be careful not to step in chicken droppings on the road.

Some grass ash had been spread on the village road, presumably for lack of better materials, and also because the visit from the town officials was announced at the last minute, leaving no time for preparations.

The old man on the road continued to apologize, "We didn’t expect you to come so early, not even a single person from their family came out to welcome you. Our rural folks have no manners, please don’t take offense..."

There was no taking offense. With the head of the household gone, leaving behind a woman at home who probably hadn’t even hosted visitors before, there were no expectations for formal greetings.

It seemed someone had run ahead to inform the family because by the time the group arrived at the doorstep, the entire family was outside.

The woman couldn’t say much, but the son-in-law of the family, somewhat more presentable, invited everyone in for tea and water.

The visitors didn’t plan on staying long. After Mayor Chen asked a few questions about the family’s situation, he pushed Yan Fei forward.

Yan Fei was direct, extending a wad of cash, "This incident has left me feeling terrible as well. Please take this. Without a breadwinner, your family is surely going to struggle. Don’t worry about your student’s education. After next year’s college entrance exams, just bring your admission letter to me—I’ll cover the tuition fees!"