A Makeover

"What a rascal!"

Zhong Xuan chuckled and said, "Then I'll do as Brother Xu says."

Xu Mao had almost finished everything, and when it came to the final decision, he began to show respect for the elders.

This habit of not seeking credit for one's work is extremely pleasing to the eye.

Xu Tian was delighted to see Zhong Xuan readily agree: "Brother Zhong, don't worry. Staying at the government office here is just a formality. I've already spoken to the young men in the village, and they'll all recommend you for the position of village elder."

"When you're all grown up, I'll find you again for a good drink."

The selection of village officials is always a major event in the village.

The imperial court also attached great importance to this.

Therefore, they are usually jointly recommended by the prominent people in the village, and then appointed by the county government.

But as Xu Tian said.

The county government also relies on the village elders to govern the village, so they usually won't refuse.

As for the Ma family...

"The village chief of Xiahe Village is still surnamed Xu, so the Ma family can't turn the tide."

Xu Tian snorted coldly in his heart.

Ever since Ma Lei returned to the village, the Ma family has become increasingly arrogant, which he has long been dissatisfied with.

The current village chief's surname is Xu. The Xu family is numerous and powerful, even surpassing the Ma family in strength. If the Ma family tries to cause trouble during the election, he has plenty of ways to deal with them.

Xu Mao didn't mention the old man's affairs again. Instead, he looked at the dilapidated thatched hut with concern and said, "Uncle Zhong, now that you've become a husband, it's not proper for you to live in a thatched hut. As a junior, I took the liberty of exchanging the old Zhong family house in the east of the village for this place. I haven't had a chance to properly congratulate you before, so please accept this as a small token of my appreciation."

The Zhong family's old house?

That's quite a generous gesture.

Zhong Xuan couldn't help but glance at Xu Mao a few more times, secretly praising him in his heart.

"No wonder this man was able to serve as the village head of Xiahe Village for ten years, and his prestige grew day by day."

He only had the idea of ​​moving to a different house yesterday.

Xu Mao took care of the matter early in the morning.

As a village chief, in addition to being able to keep the people in the village in check, it is also an extremely important skill to maintain good relations with all parties.

Although Xu Mao was only average in martial arts, his conduct as a person was impeccable.

Zhong Xuan: "My dear nephew, you're very kind."

That year, the Dragon King caused a great flood, and Zhong's father sold the Zhong family's house to a wealthy family from another village for the price of three bags of millet.

Zhong Xuan was down on his luck and had no money to redeem himself.

Being able to return to the Zhong family's old house now can be considered a triumphant homecoming.

On the day.

Xu Mao then led a dozen or so strong young men from the village to Zhong Xuan's house. Instead of taking anything away, they proceeded to smash and destroy the property.

This was certainly not some kind of deliberate revenge.

It is a custom of the Qing Kingdom.

This is called a complete makeover.

In other words, passing the imperial examination meant instant success and prosperity. The old items were no longer sufficient for one's current status, so the villagers would smash them and then send a new set of furniture to the person who had passed the examination.

This was originally a privilege reserved for those who had passed the imperial examinations, but Xu Mao granted it to them ahead of schedule.

Never mind whether it's against etiquette or not.

It's never wrong to be overly polite.

Zhong Xuan was surrounded by a large group of people and arrived at the one-courtyard house at the east end of the village.

Looking at the old house that has weathered decades of vicissitudes, Zhong Xuan was filled with emotion.

They live in the same village.

I can actually understand the feeling of leaving home young and returning old.

"Uncle Zhong, if there's anything you're not satisfied with, I'll have those guys change it for you."

Xu Mao said with a smile.

He spent more than twenty taels today.

Even though he was a wealthy neighborhood chief, it was still a considerable expense.

But Xu Mao was clear-headed; to secure his position as village chief, the support of the village elders was just as crucial as that of the Xu family.

If Zhong Xuan can become a village elder, his position will be secure.

Twenty taels of silver was well spent.

"My nephew's consideration is truly thorough."

Zhong Xuan looked at the brand-new, gleaming furniture and nodded in satisfaction.

He certainly knew what Xu Mao was thinking.

However, practicing martial arts requires financial support from his family. The one or two taels of silver he earned from being instructed at the martial arts school each month was not enough for him at the mid-stage of the skin-training stage. Therefore, he needed to find a way to make money. Rather than going to the city to earn money by doing manual labor, it was more comfortable to be supported by others in Xiahe Village.

Therefore, the Xu family and the Ma family must choose one of them.

Given the situation involving Boss Ma's family, he would naturally choose the Xu family.

Now that he had made his decision, Zhong Xuan would no longer adopt that coy, hesitant attitude.

It's just business; no need to overthink it.

The excitement subsided.

Zhong Xuan was the only one left in the Zhong family mansion.

The familiar, mottled courtyard walls evoked memories; the year he became a student at the age of fifteen was just as lively as it is today.

Only the person experiencing it knows whether it's hot or cold.

Zhong Xuan was once arrogant, but now his heart is as firm as iron.

Standing in the courtyard.

He set up his sword stance and began practicing his skills again.

......

......

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

at this time.

The area in front of Shenming Pavilion was crowded with people.

The village head Xu Mao and three village elders sat in the pavilion, while ten village leaders stood at the front of the crowd. These were all prominent figures in Xiahe Village.

Besides.

There was also a middle-aged man in a green robe sitting side by side with the village chief Xu Mao, his official air almost overflowing.

"Registration Officer Feng, Elder Liu of the village has passed away, leaving a vacancy for the village elder. Therefore, we have invited Registrar Feng to preside over the ceremony today."

Xu Mao said politely.

Don't underestimate the clerk just because he's only a ninth-rank official, a nobody in the capital.

But an official is an official, and a citizen is a citizen.

Even the lowest-ranking official is still an official, and ordinary people can't afford to offend them.

The registrar was in charge of documents, household registration, taxes, and so on. As an important assistant official in the county government, he wielded considerable power.

The clerk in front of us, Mr. Feng, had served as a clerk for more than ten years before being promoted to clerk, and he was quite influential in Baisha County.

"Um."

Registrar Feng nodded slightly.

Xu Mao was already used to this. He cleared his throat and then said to the villagers of Xiahe Village, "Elder Liu has passed away. The seven-day mourning period has passed and he has been buried. However, the position of village elder cannot be left vacant, so I would like to invite all of you to come to the pavilion to discuss this matter."

"There are three people in our village who are qualified to become village elders."

"I think that since Mr. Zhong became a government-subsidized student a month ago, his virtue and learning are beyond reproach, making him the most suitable person to be a village elder."

What do you all think?

Xu Mao had been the village head for over a decade and was well-versed in these village affairs, so he didn't mention the other two by name and went straight to the point to avoid causing any trouble.

The voice just fell.

A young man from the Ma family started shouting:

"Old Zhong wasn't even a village head before, but now he's a village elder. I'm not happy about it."

I just finished speaking.

Immediately, several more people jumped out, some surnamed Ma, others relatives of the Ma family.

Seeing this scene, Ma Fu, who was sitting under the pavilion, smiled slightly.

Xu Tian wanted Zhong Xuan to become the village elder, but Zhong Xuan refused to allow it.

Xu Mao remained expressionless. He had long anticipated that the Ma family would interfere, and was about to get up and speak.

But then, Feng, the registrar who was supposed to be dozing, suddenly spoke up:

"Since there are still objections to this matter, let's wait and see. I'll head back now."