Chapter 225

Under normal circumstances,

after pasting the couplets and setting off the firecrackers, the villagers would stroll around the village, chatting with familiar friends about the harvest of the whole year, as well as interesting stories from all over.

Even without listening in, it was clear that the most talked-about topic in the village this year was undoubtedly Lin Mo, who had just bought two luxury cars.

During breakfast, Lin Changshui suggested, “Son, why don’t you take Jinwen and Xiaoxiao out for a walk later, get to know everyone better, this is our roots!”

The older generation was more traditional and wanted Lin Mo to mingle with the villagers as much as possible.

If this had been earlier, Lin Mo indeed wouldn’t be too keen to go out.

Since he grew up in Rakshasa City, he wasn’t really familiar with these people, and even if he went out, he wouldn’t be able to chat with them.

The young people who could stay in the village without going out to work generally had a small family fortune. It wasn’t about living in villas or driving luxury cars, but basically, they would have a house in the county town and could earn two to three hundred thousand a year.

Earning two to three hundred thousand at home was indeed a considerable income, after all, you didn’t have to pay rent, nor bear the high cost of transportation, as well as other living expenses.

If you had two elderly people at home spoiling you by cooking and taking care of the children, it really was a heavenly life.

They didn’t usually think much of someone like Lin Mo who went out to work, unless he did exceptionally well.

At this moment, Xu Qin also chimed in, “Yes, son, go out for a walk. Our village is really well-developed now. When you pass by your third grandma’s house, take her some things. It’s not easy for her, living alone with no son or daughter.”

“When your father and I were building our house, she even lent us 200 yuan. We must remember this kindness.”

The third grandma was a widow supported by the village, rumored to have once had a son and a grandson, but Lin Mo wasn’t often in the village and didn’t know the specifics.

But he vividly remembered that as a child, whenever he came home for the New Year, the old lady would always stuff some candy into his hands when he passed by her door.

And it wasn’t just him, almost anyone who passed her door got some.

He didn’t understand it as a child,

but now, he thought that the old lady was probably overwhelmed by loneliness and wanted to make her house a bit more lively during the New Year.

“Sure, I’ll take a walk after I finish eating.”

Lin Mo readily agreed without any reluctance.

Now that he had money in hand, his mentality was different.

Breakfast was simple: wontons, noodles, and sweet rice balls. The real highlight would be the New Year’s Eve dinner in the evening.

After breakfast, Lin Mo, holding his daughter and holding hands with Li Jinwen, stepped out of the house.

The weather today was great, with clear skies and a bright sun.

The warm sunlight felt good on the skin.

The location of Lin Mo’s house was right by the main road.

Calling it the main road might be an overstatement as it was just wide enough for two cars to pass by each other.

Thanks to the road connectivity policy, the roads in the village were well-maintained, unlike when Lin Mo was little, when everywhere was full of puddles, and new clothes and shoes would get dirty in no time.

At this time, there were many people on both sides of the main road, in groups of threes and fives, everyone lighting up cigarettes and chatting away.

Lin Mo and Li Jinwen walked leisurely forward, occasionally greeting an acquaintance and wishing them a Happy New Year.

When they reached the village committee’s compound, they saw that the stage had been taken down and the courtyard was tidied up, with some village officials busy moving fireworks and firecrackers from a truck.

Lin Xiaoxiao, seeing so many fireworks and firecrackers, couldn’t help but get excited and asked eagerly, “Daddy, daddy, when will they start setting off the fireworks?”

“They should wait until it gets dark, around after we finish the New Year’s Eve dinner,” Lin Mo answered, then with a smile, he added, “It seems like the village head has prepared quite a lot this year, well-prepared indeed.”

Li Jinwen wasn’t a new bride anymore and naturally knew the stories between the two villages. She said softly with a smile, “That’s right, after losing for so many years, everyone’s been holding their breath. The village head came to our house in the past few days, pushing mom and dad in their wheelchairs to the village committee to watch the play, but he also had this in mind.”

“Even the Women’s Director has approached me, saying that the village has always wanted to change the name of Zhangzhuang. She says the higher-ups aren’t completely against it, but the village needs to achieve something.”

“What are achievements? Isn’t that about the village’s GDP going up, the employment rate going up, and the bachelor rate coming down?”

“She asked me if I could invest in starting a couple of factories in the village, nothing too big, just enough to employ about a dozen workers, and she even mentioned wanting me to work at the village committee.”

Lin Mo looked up at the sun, yawned, and reflected, “These people, now that they see our family has some money, they all start making moves. Back when our family didn’t have money, we had nothing to do with them.”

“But now I really understand, whether you have money or not, living in the village is the real life.”

“If you have money, you live a little more lavishly, and if you don’t have money, you won’t starve with a bit of private land.”

“Sunbathe every day, don’t think too much, and don’t have that many troubles, it’s truly wonderful.”

“Nothing like when we were in Rakshasa City before, living in anxiety every day, fretting over losing two hundred yuan in a day, sleeping restlessly at night, every day worrying about rent, utilities, and daily necessities.”

Li Jinwen nodded in agreement.

As she clung to Lin Mo’s arm, a renewed sense of happiness filled her heart.