Volume One, Chapter 18: The Little Village Chief Decides to Stay
After finishing speaking, Zhao De Zhu looked around at everyone present. His gaze first burned with anger, then softened into regret, and finally settled into deep sorrow.
He lowered his head and picked up the shattered pipe, attempting to piece it back together.
But how could the cracked edges ever truly be joined again?
“Alright, I understand!”
He looked at each person in the room, seeing their resolute eyes—determined to follow Lu Yang’s lead. His expression was complex, impossible to read.
“I hope you all remember the choice you made today. Don’t come looking for me if things go wrong.”
“Even if you do, I, Zhao De Zhu, will not say another word.”
Having spoken, he turned his gaze to Lu Yang, closed his eyes, and pondered for a moment before opening them again.
“Lu Yang, you’re going to university. At least you’ll have a stable job in the future.”
“But all of us live off this land beneath our feet and the trees on these hills.”
“I hope you won’t be impatient or shortsighted. Don’t treat the lives and deaths of our people as an essay to be written however you please.”
Lu Yang hadn’t expected the old village chief to be so stubborn, refusing to give him any chance to explain.
“Old Chief, I really don’t—”
“Enough!”
Zhao De Zhu raised his hand to stop him, then looked once more at the broken pipe in his hand and sighed deeply.
“It can’t be mended! It can’t be mended! Ha ha ha!”
With that, he threw the pipe violently to the ground, turned, and shouted loudly.
“We’re leaving! From now on, those three teams can take their broad sunny roads; we’ll take our own narrow plank bridge!”
“Old Chief!”
Lu Yang tried to stop Zhao De Zhu, but Lu Yong Guo behind him grabbed him firmly.
“Little Chief, it’s no use! The old chief won’t care about us anymore!”
Though the old chief was traditional and sometimes even overbearing, the villagers had relied on him deeply for years.
Not just for major matters, even trivial concerns were brought to him.
Everyone there had countless memories involving him.
But now he was gone, no longer looking after them.
Their hearts felt empty.
Yet none of them chased after him.
Because they knew they still had the Little Chief.
And he hadn’t abandoned them—he still stood here, like the towering mountain behind them.
Silent and still, yet inspiring unwavering trust and authority.
Lu Yang crouched down and picked up the shattered pipe.
It seemed that now, he could no longer leave even if he wanted to.
Staring at the broken pipe for a long while, Lu Yang finally exhaled deeply.
---
All right!
Now, at last, I can focus on accomplishing something great.
Lu Yang slipped the pipe into his pocket.
Society was evolving; people were progressing.
He believed that soon, the old chief would realize that the Little Chief was the one who was right.
“Everyone, let’s continue the meeting!”
Lu Yang led the way back to the gathering, seemingly unaffected by the old chief’s departure.
But Lu Yong Guo, who was like a worm inside Lu Yang’s belly, watching his every move, noticed something different.
Lu Yang’s shout was sharper, firmer than before.
He keenly sensed that Lu Yang might have made a momentous decision that could alter the fate of their three teams.
“Little Chief, um…”
But he dared not ask, fearing his question might sway Lu Yang’s resolve.
This was university!
The city!
Work!
A bright future!
If the Little Chief changed his mind because of his questions and requests, and thus missed this wonderful opportunity, he would feel guilty forever.
Ahead, Lu Yang stopped, turned back, and smiled at him.
“Dong Gua, you guessed right—I’m not leaving!”
“What?”
Lu Yong Guo felt his eyes moisten.
It was like his beloved girl had chosen to stay.
No, this excitement was even stronger than that.
Because there might be many girls willing to stay for a man in this world.
But in this world, there was only one Little Chief!
He jumped up as if to proclaim to everyone like a giant.
“Fellow villagers! The Little Chief is staying! Ha ha, he’s staying!”
Boom—
Like a bomb exploding, the sound spread rapidly.
More voices joined in the eruption.
“Ha ha, the Little Chief isn’t leaving!”
“The Little Chief is staying with us!”
“He’s not going to university!”
“He’s going to lead us to prosperity!”
---
The voices grew louder, spreading far and wide.
Zhao De Zhu, having just rounded the corner, stopped, his expression stiffening slightly.
“Zhao Lao Si, did I hear that right?”
Zhao Lao Si stood there stunned as well.
Though he hadn’t even finished elementary school, he knew what university meant.
It meant living in an apartment building, marrying a beautiful wife, and being a cut above farmers like them.
But Lu Yang was giving up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay behind and pursue capitalism.
“Is he… is he crazy?”
Zhao De Zhu said nothing, standing quietly as he listened to the cheers.
He could imagine them tossing Lu Yang into the air and catching him again, as if they had found a treasure trove.
His heart stirred with jealousy, regret, helplessness, and anger.
But he only calmly said, “Let’s go. Let them fend for themselves.”
Zhao Lao Si worried, “Old Chief, what if they succeed?”
Zhao De Zhu snorted coldly, “Succeed? To what extent? Big landlords? Big capitalists?”
“I’ve seen too many cases like this. They won’t end well.”
Zhao Lao Si thought for a moment, then became anxious again.
“If their elders suffer, what will happen to all those kids in the future?”
Zhao De Zhu sighed, “What can we do? Tighten our belts, endure a few years, and wait for them to come out.”
---
Unlike them, the members of the three teams were full of hope for the future, actively offering ideas.
“Little Chief, it’s okay if we can’t borrow the school auditorium. Our team already has several houses. With so many of us, we can just build a few more.”
Lu Yang considered it, “But the grain harvest is in a few days; that’s a big matter, and we can’t afford delays.”
Lu Yong Guo said, “Little Chief, summer days are long; we don’t rest at noon. We can finish building in two or three days.”
Since this was entrepreneurship, hard work was necessary. Lu Yang nodded.
“Since we’re building anyway, I’ll draw up a plan shortly. You can follow my design for easier upgrades and renovations later.”
Lu Yong Chun was surprised, “Little Chief, you’re amazing—you even know how to design houses!”
At first, Lu Yang had led everyone in making handicrafts, weaving mats—not the usual crisscross pattern but bamboo and mahjong mats.
But processing bamboo required a similar workshop environment.
Lu Yang smiled, “There’s plenty more I can do. You’ll find out in time.”
The old chief also liked to talk about the future, but many didn’t believe him; some even muttered complaints.
Yet with today’s Little Chief, somehow, when he spoke of the future, everyone felt as if they could see it—the happiness that awaited them—and they applauded enthusiastically.