Chapter 123: Ancient Moon Village Has Been Named an Exemplary Community!

The icehouse took ten full days to build.

On the day it was finally completed, Wen Mubai put on an elaborate show of paying the workers in front of everyone.

Then, as soon as he turned around, Geng Zhengfei returned the money to him.

Now that the icehouse was finished, construction on Tang Banxia’s dispensary could begin as well.

While the weather was still warm and the ground had not yet frozen, it was best to finish the work as soon as possible. Tang Banxia left the entire matter to Wen Mubai too.

He was, after all, a skilled hand.

As for Tang Banxia, what concerned her now was the village’s selection as an exemplary unit.

The results would be announced within the next couple of days. Although Secretary Yu had dropped some hints, no one dared relax completely until the very last moment.

Take Huang Xiaocui, for instance. Over the past few days, she had gone to Tang Banxia several times for emergency heart pills.

Whenever anyone asked, she said her heart rate was too fast.

Accountant Liu had also come to collect a large supply of emergency medicine, just in case.

Whenever anyone asked, he said he was afraid something might go wrong and his old bones would not be able to take it.

Even Song Weimin, as sly as a fox, had several times looked at Tang Banxia as though he wanted to speak but could not bring himself to do so.

Tang Banxia had truly had enough.

There was nothing she could do about the matter, anyway.

After sending Huang Xiaocui and Accountant Liu away with sugar pills, she packed her things and headed into town to seek refuge with her beloved elder sister.

Her beloved elder sister was delighted beyond words. She immediately put Tang Banxia to work, making batch after batch of candied walnut kernels, spicy meat sauce, mushroom meat sauce, and countless other things.

“These hands of mine are meant to save lives, heal the suffering, and protect all living beings, yet you have me cooking for you?” Tang Banxia stared at her with wide eyes. “Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

Tang Xinyi popped a freshly made, still-scalding candied walnut kernel into her mouth, then casually reached over and felt Mo Ling’s conscience.

“No,” she said.

Mo Ling, meanwhile, was gazing fervently at the meat sauce and wisely chose not to involve himself in the sisters’ quarrel.

Tang Banxia: QAQ~

The tyranny of blood relations! She hated it!

After being exploited in humiliation for several days, Tang Banxia had become completely numb to it.

The moment she heard that Ancient Moon Village had been named an exemplary village, she hurriedly packed her belongings and fled back to the countryside.

The city was terrifying. She would never come again.

Behind her, Tang Xinyi laughed so hard she could barely stand upright.

Tang Banxia returned with Xu Sheng. Before she left, Tang Xinyi had spoken to him, so Xu Sheng took leave from work, bought a few harmless odds and ends in the county town, and then naturally joined Tang Banxia on the same ride home.

After parting from Xu Sheng, Tang Banxia watched her stride away and fell into a brief daze.

There was no denying that the state had been exceedingly tolerant of her. Even when she had stubbornly insisted on staying in this little mountain village, even when she had repeatedly made outrageous demands and the lists of medicinal materials she submitted had grown longer and longer, the authorities had fulfilled every one of them.

She shook her head and gave a bitter laugh.

That was the state, after all.

If you treated it with complete sincerity, it would repay you with genuine trust.

So she could not keep loafing around anymore.

It was time to begin preparing the third-generation improvements to the Paralysis Powder.

She would start once the village had finished its selection.

At the thought of the award, she turned around and went to the brigade office, where she happened to run into Song Weimin. He had just rushed back from the commune without stopping.

Once inside, he announced the good news, and the entire brigade office erupted in celebration.

When Tang Banxia entered, Sister Cui and Accountant Liu were both enthusiastically eating sugar pills, their breathing labored as though they were in serious distress.

After swallowing the pills, the two of them miraculously calmed down.

Tang Banxia found the whole thing impossible to evaluate.

The moment she entered, Song Weimin bowed deeply.

“Educated Youth Tang, thank you!”

Thank you for everything she had done for Ancient Moon Village, for leading the villagers toward a better life, and for bringing him this achievement.

Even now, there were still people who refused to accept him as brigade leader. But with the title of exemplary village, his position beneath him had become secure.

His mother had been right. Educated Youth Tang was the village’s lucky star, a bodhisattva sent down to save them.

As for Bodhisattva Tang, she felt she had not done anything extraordinary.

Everything she had done was simply based on improving her own living conditions.

Song Weimin stopped there and did not elaborate. He merely invited her to accompany them to receive the award.

Tang Banxia naturally agreed.

Thus, the next day, she dressed herself up from head to toe, held Song Yu’s hand on her left, followed by Wen Mubai, and rode proudly to the county town behind Song Weimin.

Every year, the exemplary brigades were selected, but each county had only three available places, while the villages under its jurisdiction numbered well over a hundred.

In previous years, the villages selected had all been famous prosperous communities in the county. One work point there was worth thirty cents.

In Ancient Moon Village, however, a work point was still worth only fifteen cents. The gap was twentyfold. Seen in that light, the village’s selection this year had astonished countless people.

Yet it was not difficult to understand. Thanks to that handbook of common knowledge, Ancient Moon Village and Changshan Commune had made quite a name for themselves.

It was said that the handbook had recently gone through several additional printings and was selling exceptionally well. Orders had even come from other provinces and from the capital itself. That was undeniable political achievement.

The county leaders would have to be insane to push such a good thing away. Having gained so much from it, they naturally had to leave a little benefit for Ancient Moon Village.

When they arrived at the county government’s grand auditorium, Tang Banxia and the others encountered Secretary Yu and Lin Yu.

Changshan Commune had also been named an exemplary commune this time, so naturally they would not be absent.

Upon seeing the people from Ancient Moon Village, Secretary Yu waved them over.

“Weimin, Educated Youth Tang.”

“Secretary Yu.”

Tang Banxia nodded in greeting.

At this moment, Secretary Yu could not have been more fond of Tang Banxia. With the title of exemplary commune in hand, he would have far more room to maneuver.

Most importantly, whenever the county wanted to establish a factory in the future, an exemplary commune would be the first place considered. Would his political achievements not rise accordingly?

Secretary Yu’s gaze made Tang Banxia’s skin crawl, so she hurriedly pulled Lin Yu toward a corner.

Lin Yu pushed up his round spectacles.

“Look at you, frightened half to death.”

Tang Banxia pouted.

“I preferred the old Secretary Yu, the one who never smiled.” She glanced back. “This one is grinning like a flower. Forgive me, but I simply cannot accept it.”

Amused, Lin Yu explained why Secretary Yu was acting that way.

When Tang Banxia heard the reason, she nodded.

“No wonder.”

Everyone had been striving with all their might for the title of exemplary unit. Who would have thought there were so many benefits?

If she were in their place, she would fight for it too.

After they chatted for a while, the county leaders arrived. One of them first went onstage and delivered a speech, after which the award ceremony began.

This event honored not only exemplary communes and villages, but also exemplary work units and individuals.

The enormous auditorium was packed to the brim.

At first, Tang Banxia watched with great interest, but before long she began to grow bored.

There was no helping it. Every time an award was presented, the recipient would go onstage to speak, yet speech after speech contained nothing new. They were all strings of thanks—to the state, to the Party, to the leaders, to the policies, and so on.

After hearing enough of such formulaic remarks, anyone would grow weary. Tang Banxia even noticed the leaders in the front row yawning.

She rolled her eyes, leaned toward Song Weimin, and whispered to him for a while. Then she gave him an encouraging look.

Song Weimin wore a conflicted expression. After turning the matter over in his mind, he finally gave Tang Banxia a slight nod.

Tang Banxia whispered, “Good luck.”

He would lose face, but gain real benefits.

Wen Mubai, seated beside Tang Banxia, was curious.

“What did you say to him?”

Tang Banxia did not answer. She only smiled mysteriously.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

At last, it was time to present the awards for exemplary villages.

Ancient Moon Village was the final one on the list.

Another hour later, the name of Ancient Moon Village was called from the stage. Song Weimin drew a deep breath, gathered his courage, and made the necessary preparations in his heart before walking up with steady steps.

He accepted the certificate, bowed slowly, and began his speech...