Chapter 795: Chapter 795 'Official' Grandeur When Li Haiping arrived with the village chief, it was already midday.
Lin Fan sat at the table in the courtyard and smiled, "Mayor Li, long tno see." "County Magistrate Lin, if you wanted to see me, you could have just calleddirectly instead of sending a notice from the county." As the mayor of Lotus Town, he had been Lin Fan's superior before, but now Lin Fan had becthe Deputy County Magistrate and had truly turned the tables. Li Haiping quickened his pace and shook Lin Fan's hand.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I had the county call to handle it officially. I just wanted to inquire about the village connectivity project funds that were supposedly disbursed a while ago, yet there are still households in the village without concrete access roads. I thought we should hold an onsite meeting to look into this matter." After gesturing for Li Haiping to sit down, Lin Fan smiled at the standing village officials, "After all, meeting the needs of the people should be our primary pursuit as officials. You must have noticed the dirt roads in disrepair when you arrived; isn't it rather unacceptable that not even a vehicle can access them?" "Village Chief Xu, what's the explanation for this?" Li Haiping had realized something was amiss as soon as he arrived and stared angrily at Village Chief Xu. "This... this road is indeed planned... but it's been the busy farming season... we hadn't managed to repair it... I was actually about to start organizing labor to begin work in these two days..." Village Chief Xu bowed, hardly daring to breathe, fully aware of the presence of the Deputy County Magistrate, his superior's superior, and also the grandson-in-law of Old Xu, a connection he had never imagined could exist.
"Is it really because of the farming season, or did someone embezzle the funds meant for the project? Perhaps it would be best to have the discipline inspection and supervision departments take a look at this situation, especially since the elderly here struggle with mobility, and these are urgent matters that nobody can predict." Lin Fan narrowed his eyes, looking at the sweating Village Chief Xu. Smatters remained unspoken under the table, but bringing them to light would reveal that no one's hands are clean.
"Please... County Magistrate Lin... don't bother the discipline inspection comrades. Our village is full of relatives... it's not going to take two days... we'll start the repairs right now... I'll go find people to start work immediately, and I guarantee that within three days, the roads will reach the households... We'll also smooth out the courtyards, replace sroof tiles, and paint the walls at the stime." Village Chief Xu hastily gestured, recalling Lin Fan's tat the town, how he had dealt with Victory Village Chief Cai Kui's case. No one was ignorant of that, and now, holding his fate, the consequences were imaginable.
"Village Chief Xu is truly a capable official, acting efficiently. There're ready shovels and hoes by the wall. Why don't you take the lead and set an example, letting the villagers know you're committed to this role!" Lin Fan narrowed his eyes, and hearing this, Village Chief Xu immediately nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I'll go now... right away... I will start with the village officials right away... guaranteed to finish in two days!" "Alright then!" Lin Fan nodded with a smile and then turned to Li Haiping, "Now that our official business is concluded, let's move to personal matters. It's my girlfriend's grandmother's birthday today. We've prepared shome-cooked dishes. Why don't you stay and have a bite, Mayor Li? It won't breach any regulations." "Since County Magistrate Lin has put it this way, it would be disrespectful ofto decline. I'll join in, and offer a birthday blessing, wishing the elder longevity like the eastern seas." Li Haiping understood clearly that being asked to stay was entirely to support the Xu Family. After all, by the end of this meal, the whole village would know what had transpired, ensuring no one would dare to trouble them ever again.
Thus, a feast began in the courtyard. Besides Lin Fan and Li Haiping, Liu Shengrui and Xu Jingyi naturally took their seats there. As for the few uncles, they could only sit at the lower end of the table. It seemed a usual family banquet but had already revealed Lin Fan's significant status at home. Huizhen, seated next to him, had never held her head so high, reveling in the comfort of having such support.
"Why can't I sit there too? He's my brother-in-law!" Li Huifang pouted, standing inside the doorway. She was supposed to sit there too, but her mother had held her back.
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"Lin Fan is now the Deputy County Magistrate... if this were ancientm times, he would be a seventh-rank county magistrate. You must not make a scene!" Li Huifang's mother gripped her wrist tightly, looking nervously at Lin Fan.
"You know he's succeeded now, but have you forgotten how you treated him before?"
Li Huifang glanced at her mother, "Didn't you always say a son is a gem and a daughter is grass? Well look at your worthless son who doesn't even dare to enter the courtyard, while your 'grass' has brought you a solid backing. Now think about how you're going to apologize to my brother-in-law." "Ah... If I had known he would rise to such a high position... I would have supported him from the start!"
Recalling past events, she too regretted not realizing earlier, while Gong Bingi, standing in the conner holding a child, couldn't take her eyes off the jovial Lin Fan. Those big eyes seemed on the verge of tearing up, wondering if Lin Fan understood her earlier behavior.