I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel-Chapter 198 - 195: Publicity Officer

"Fourth Aunt, it’s not entirely that way. Where’s my brother?"

"Your brother took some people to the site to inspect the school location." Liang Yan Yan also had a joyful expression. She was not the slightest bit upset about getting less money due to building the school.

"Is this decided?"

"It’s decided. The whole village has put their fingerprints on the agreement."

Wow, her brother is efficient.

Jiang Mingyue thought that with her brother’s recent momentum, getting the villagers to agree wasn’t hard, except for the second branch of the Jiang Family.

Jiang Mingyue’s look was clearly asking, and Liang Yan Yan was becoming more and more fond of this niece.

"Initially they didn’t agree. Wu Cuilan shamelessly wanted to place her husband and son, one eyeing the accountant position, the other the deputy director position at your second brother’s brick factory. Tsk! No self-awareness at all, I feel embarrassed for them.

But later, your uncle brought a group of villagers to their door, and Xu Feng’s old face couldn’t hold up, so that was when the second branch finally put their fingerprints down. This family is getting more disgusting by the day. Without your eldest uncle giving them money, not only is their life getting worse, but their family also fights each other to death."

Jiang Mingyue sensed gossip in the air, thinking that she might go have a look later, maybe there will be unexpected harvests.

"By the way, Yueyue, I went to deliver something to you this afternoon, but you weren’t there, so I left it on the windowsill outside your room. Did you see it?"

Jiang Mingyue was momentarily stunned.

Liang Yan Yan understood, "Sigh! I knew it, when I went Xiao Ran was playing outside the courtyard, there was no one at home, so I just left it there, thinking you’d see it when you came back, so I didn’t tell Xiao Ran. I recently got a piece of fabric, perfect to make a dress for you, try it when you go back, if it doesn’t fit, let me know, and I’ll make alterations."

"Thank you, Fourth Aunt, I’m sure it fits, your craftsmanship is impeccable."

They chatted about other things and occasionally she thanked her again.

"Xiao Hui used to be timid, didn’t even dare to look up at people while walking. It was that birthmark’s fault, fortunately, the medicine you gave her made the birthmark vanish like it was never there. Her face is so fair now. Yueyue, Fourth Aunt truly appreciates you, I may not be capable of anything else, but this dress is meant as a token of my appreciation. Should I find anything nice in the future, I’ll think of you, so don’t refuse when the time comes."

"Alright." She understood a mother’s heart.

Still, it would be better if Fourth Aunt could let go of Fourth Uncle and live her own life well.

Fourth Uncle has been missing for eight years, and Fourth Aunt has waited for eight years, raising a daughter with a birthmark alone, enduring disdain from all sides, whether at her in-laws or her parents, she wasn’t well received, but Fourth Aunt stayed true to herself. Such a good woman shouldn’t end up like this.

The main issue is that Jiang Zhengqing returns to the village a year later with a wife and two children. At that time, Fourth Aunt will be quite devastated. She vaguely recalls that in the book, it was said Fourth Aunt couldn’t handle it and had a major meltdown for half a month, ending up mentally breaking down and drinking pesticide to die on a rainy night.

But in his defense, Jiang Zhengqing is somewhat innocent. He didn’t simply disappear back then; he encountered some men molesting children. He suspected those children were abducted, so he tried to report it. It never occurred to him that his second brother, Liang Zhenghui, tripped over a broom, causing a disturbance and alerting the group. While escaping, Jiang Zhengqing saw those men holding iron rods, and since his brother couldn’t run fast, he used himself to distract the group, securing his brother’s safety, and urging him to report and rescue the kids afterwards. But Liang Zhenghui, that scoundrel, promptly disregarded it, preferring one less brother to compete for family inheritance.

Jiang Zhengqing got caught by the group and was beaten nearly to death. That group thought they had silenced him permanently, but Jiang Zhengqing was lucky. He was found by a father and daughter who were picking herbs in the mountains. The old man, with superb medical skills, saved Jiang Zhengqing who barely clung to life.

However, the wounds were too severe and took half a year to completely heal. And because his head was injured, he forgot who he was.

Later, when the father and daughter returned to the capital, they took Jiang Zhengqing with them. Jiang Zhengqing, still looking decent, was at the right age, reliable, and literate. The old man recruited him as a son-in-law and gave him a new name Fu Xiangqian. Three years later, his memory recovered, but the situation was already set in stone. With a wife and two kids, he ultimately chose to continue pretending to have amnesia. Six more years passed, and after a bout of illness, he became physically weaker and began dreaming of Qingshan Village nightly. Ultimately, he confessed, and his wife urged him to return and resolve previous ties, saying it wouldn’t be fair to the person in the countryside. If that person had remarried, that would be the best outcome, but if they were still waiting, the matter couldn’t be left unresolved.

But everything got worse when he returned. Liang Yan Yan committed suicide, and Xiao Hui, due to her birthmark, always lacked confidence and had no one by her side. The only relative she had wasn’t there anymore, and Xiao Hui couldn’t survive either. She went up the back mountain at midnight, not even carrying a lantern, walking the edge of cliffs like she was courting death. Eventually, she misstepped, and by the time Jiang Zhengqing brought people to find her, her body had been gnawed down to pieces by wolves, leaving only scattered bones.

The only way to recognize it was Xiao Hui was from scattered clothes, shoes, and her hair braid.

Thus, Jiang Mingyue genuinely hopes Fourth Aunt will meet someone whom she likes, though it’s just her hope. Fourth Aunt’s heart is surely stuck on Jiang Zhengqing, which is a bit troubling.

But she hasn’t thought of a way to help Fourth Aunt yet. Maybe once Fourth Aunt has a job, and as Qingshan Village continues to develop, she can change her mind.

After all, some things, if the lover’s heart has gone, there’s no need to torture oneself.

She waited for quite a while before her brother returned with people, happy to see her.

"Yueyue, you’re here just in time. We discussed the basswood mushrooms you brought in the other day and all agreed. I’ll have an announcement posted at the village committee entrance to recruit people we’ll need in the future."

Jiang Mingyue: "...Don’t rush it yet. Since the village has decided it’s feasible, I’ll go back and write a plan. If you all agree, we can operate according to the plan."

"Okay, we’ll follow your lead."

Jiang Mingyue wanted to correct what she said, but she didn’t mention it in front of others, and she remembered the school issue.

"What’s your assessment?"

"Still, Yueyue, we think the north side of the village is best. We walked around the outskirts of Qingshan Village and compared them all, and we all agree the location you suggested is most suitable. It offers a broad view and is away from the rice fields and Lan River. Building the school there won’t occupy any cultivated land, using that wasteland is very fitting."

"Yueyue, coordinate with Wenquan later to outline the campus too."

"I know you’ll never refuse, always helping unconditionally, whether it benefits me or the villagers. But we discussed it, and you can’t always work for free. For now, let’s have you as the publicity officer for the village committee, fifteen yuan a month. How does that sound?"

That’s quite a lot! Doesn’t feel anything particular.

"Yueyue, you don’t need to come to the village committee every day, just come when there’s something." Fourth Aunt explained.

Looks like they really did discuss this.

"Alright! I’ll take the position." And let Mrs. Jiang be pleased.