Chapter 8

Wang Baoyu perked up his ears and listened carefully. He was very curious about what else Gong Xiangjun could do for Chi Licaiz.

All he heard was Gong Xiangjun saying, "In three months, you can go to the town to take up your new position. The town family planning office director's position is currently vacant."

Chi Licaiz's face immediately lit up, and he said, "Xiangjun, I trust you to handle things. After you go back, come to my place and take another two thousand yuan to give to Mayor Li to express my gratitude."

Hearing this, Wang Baoyu understood that the village secretary, Chi Licaiz, was about to work in the town, thanks to the connection of Gong Xiangjun's uncle. He couldn't help but curse in his heart, "Damn, being an official is still good. Without a sound, he has already earned two thousand yuan. How much can this buy!"

But the next words of the two men made Wang Baoyu truly realize that their relationship was indeed extraordinary.

He heard Gong Xiangjun say, "Secretary, how was the deer penis you gave you last time?"

"Ah, this!" Chi Licaiz spoke hesitantly, shivered twice, pulled up his pants, and sighed, "There's no need to hide it from you, my brother. Your sister-in-law wants it every night. Even if I eat deer penis three times a day, I can't keep up. Now, I just quit."

Gong Xiangjun chuckled and said, "Your sister-in-law has a good appetite!"

Chi Licaiz frowned and said, "You're right, she can't be satisfied no matter what!"

Gong Xiangjun laughed and said, "I found a book at my uncle's place. It says that there's a lot of knowledge in this area! To satisfy a woman, you need skills. It's not just about being hard, but also about lasting."

Chi Licaiz's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he asked uncertainly, "Is there really such a book?"

"Yes, and it even has pictures!" Gong Xiangjun's smile was a bit lecherous.

"Get me one when you have the chance, so I can study it. I don't want to lose face at home and suffer from that old woman's complaints," Chi Licaiz said.

Wang Baoyu couldn't help but laugh. It turned out that the usually serious and high-and-mighty village secretary had such a hidden problem. He wondered if it was about not being hard enough or not lasting long enough.

From Chi Licaiz's appearance, although his nose was big, the tip was thin and pale. Wang Baoyu remembered that a book said a man's nose corresponds to his below-the-belt parts. From this, it seemed that Chi Licaiz's problem was not being hard enough.

After the two men gradually walked away, Wang Baoyu carefully took a detour back. By then, the strong men had already dug a large pit, six feet three inches long, two feet one inch wide, and two feet one inch deep. In a newly made dark red coffin, the dry bones of Ma Shunxi's father were placed. These bones could only be arranged in a basic order because some had already rotted and couldn't be distinguished.

The burial, filling of the grave, and the three bows and nine kowtows by the relatives were all carried out in an orderly manner under the direction of Jia Zhengdao. After the ceremony, everyone was in high spirits and returned triumphantly.

After reburial of Ma Shunxi's father, the group returned joyfully in a carriage. The remaining affairs naturally involved the villagers gathering for a feast.

At this moment, Ma Shunxi's home was bustling with activity. Since it was the village chief's matter, no one dared to refuse. Today, almost all the villagers in the village came. Of course, if they came, they had to bring a gift. Although the villagers, who faced the black earth and the sky, earned their blood and sweat money, most did not come empty-handed. If they didn't, the village chief might cause trouble with land allocation, so it was considered a way to pay for the feast.

Speaking of the feast, it was truly excellent. There were two chickens, two fish, fresh vegetables, steamed, stir-fried, braised, and cold dishes, making up a solid sixteen large plates. Ma Shunxi was greedy, but he cared most about face, so he never skimped on such occasions.

Ma Shunxi and the village officials sat in the east room, and the dishes began to be served. Chi Licaiz, the village secretary, glanced at the plates on the table and praised, "Brother Ma is really filial. Look at the effort put into this!"

Hearing this, Ma Shunxi quickly filled Chi Licaiz's cup with a full glass of white wine and said earnestly, "This is what we should do. Parents raise their children, and children should know how to repay them!" As he spoke, his eyes seemed to be a bit moist, as if he were speaking from the heart.

Ma Shunxi's courtyard was large, with over fifty tables of feasts, but they still couldn't fit. The rest were set up on the dirt road in front of the courtyard. The villagers didn't care much about the dining environment; they spent money and ate as much as they could first.

At this moment, men, women, and children gathered inside and outside the house, eating and drinking, shouting and toasting, playing drinking games, and arguing. The scene was even more lively than the New Year, and no one noticed the occasional cool breeze.

Wang Baoyu, following his godfather, was attending such an occasion for the first time. What was special was that Jia Zhengdao never paid for the villagers' gifts. First, such occasions were mostly when others needed his help, so he didn't need to spend money; second, the villagers often asked Jia Zhengdao for help with small matters, such as setting dates for weddings and funerals or writing couplets, and he only took some snacks, not money.

In fact, Wang Baoyu also understood that his family's land was leased out, and the rent they paid for the grain was not enough to eat. Jia Zhengdao's work of looking at feng shui was sporadic and didn't earn much, barely enough to make ends meet. There was no spare money to participate in such events.

Jia Zhengdao, as a distinguished guest, sat with Ma Shunxi and other village officials in the east room, enjoying good cigarettes, good wine, and good tea. Wang Baoyu couldn't sit at the officials' table, but out of respect for Jia Zhengdao, he couldn't be sent to eat outside. Eventually, he was arranged to sit in the west room with the officials' wives, receiving VIP treatment.

In the west room, Ma Shunxi's wife, Zheng Fenglan, accompanied the officials' families. A round table was set up for twelve people, and when the mealtime came, the village secretary's wife even called her mother over, making it a bit crowded with Wang Baoyu. As the saying goes, "Three women make a play," and if a dozen women sit together, it's like a "sparrow meeting," with the noise level even exceeding that of the men. Wang Baoyu, sitting with them, looked like "a single green in a sea of flowers," standing out.

Everyone chatted animatedly, and Wang Baoyu, having no common language with them, didn't speak. He had just relieved himself in the mountains and was already hungry, so he started eating first. The first dishes served were two cold dishes and four vegetable dishes. The women's appetites were better than he expected. Before Wang Baoyu could eat much, the women were already using their chopsticks like a whirlwind, quickly emptying the plates. Especially the plate of sugar-coated cold lotus, which was very popular, was quickly divided and finished, and the empty plate was naturally placed under other plates to make room for the next dish.