Chapter 101: Shadows of the Village
by xennovel“That would trouble you too… Student Xu!” the Village Chief said.
The Village Chief and his group headed toward the Xie Family Courtyard.
They cleared a path for Xu Chen, letting him walk in the middle.
As they walked, the Village Chief instructed those around him:
“Once we’re there, check out the Xie Family Courtyard. If it’s too messy, jump in and clean it up quick.”
“If they’re short on furniture or appliances, grab a couple and bring them over…”
Xu Chen led the way, feeling a wave of awkwardness inside, but he kept quiet.
…
The Old Xie Family Residence.
An elderly man at the door held a brush, still writing mourning couplets.
In the courtyard, the funeral troupe played a few tunes and now sat on benches, taking a break.
“Bing Ge’s” brothers split up—one half smoked in the yard, the other half stayed in the main room with Xie Bingran.
As soon as Xu Chen stepped in, they all turned and called out, “Xu Chen!”
The Village Chief and his group followed Xu Chen, and seeing the setup, they felt a bit uneasy.
Their looks toward Xu Chen carried a hint of strangeness.
Xu Chen went straight to Xie Bingran’s side, squatted down, and spoke softly to her.
He mentioned something like, “Town and city leaders are coming to see you, so you’ll need to play along a bit.”
Xie Bingran listened quietly and nodded slightly.
Xu Chen stood up, and only then did the Village Chief step forward, take an incense stick, and pay his respects to the deceased.
The Village Committee members followed one by one, their expressions sincere and their manners impeccable.
The Village Chief bent down and said with deliberate concern:
“Xie family’s girl, please accept our condolences. I’m here on behalf of the Village Committee to visit you and see off the elder.”
“If you face any troubles ahead, just let me or the Village Committee know—we’ll help sort them out.”
Xie Bingran knelt with her head down, showing no reaction, as if she hadn’t heard a word.
She and her grandmother had lived in the village for years, yet this was the first time the Village Chief or Committee had shown up.
They’d never cared during the hard times before.
Xu Chen looked at the Village Chief and said calmly:
“Village Chief, if you’re giving condolence money, make sure to note it down properly…”
“And have the elderly man at the door write a mourning couplet and set up a separate wreath.”
The Village Chief paused, his face turning awkward.
Condolence money was the “contribution” or “comfort fund” for the funeral.
Clearly, the Village Chief hadn’t prepared any.
Worse, local customs required recording it before the incense offering.
Earlier, with Xu Zhiquan handling things, there was no ledger keeper around.
But now, the elderly man sat at the door with the account book open, and the Village Chief had led his group right past him, which looked improper.
Yet here they were in the hall, and the money was neither given nor not given…
The Village Chief frowned and glanced back at his Village Committee members.
But they stayed silent, avoiding his gaze…
After a few awkward seconds, the Village Chief bent down and whispered:
“Xie family’s girl, I’ll have the Village Committee arrange for someone to renovate this old house and add some furniture and appliances…”
He started to say more, but seeing no response from Xie Bingran, he stood up uncomfortably.
Xu Chen smirked inwardly but didn’t bother with it.
The Village Chief and the Village Committee members left with complicated expressions, one after another.
Xu Chen glanced down at Xie Bingran, her face still marked by grief and exhaustion, and he felt a pang of sympathy.
He said half-jokingly:
“Bing Ge, when the city leaders come for condolences, they might want to shake your hand.”
“Just don’t go for another over-the-shoulder throw and take them down.”
His words nearly made the brothers nearby burst out laughing.
Xie Bingran tilted her head up, her tear-reddened eyes flashing a cold glint at Xu Chen, but she finally managed a small smile.
Even in the mourning hall, her grandmother would probably want to see her granddaughter smile.
…
…
At the village entrance.
The Village Chief and his Village Committee stood by the road, looking uneasy.
A crowd of curious villagers had followed, gathering to watch the scene.
The Village Chief thought about sending them away but instead organized them into two neat rows to act as a “welcome team.”
Xu Zhiquan had a cigarette in his mouth, while Li Rui stuck close to his side.
The two didn’t join the Village Committee group; instead, they stepped back into the crowd of villagers.
The Village Chief had invited “President Xu” to stand up front, but Xu Zhiquan laughed it off and declined.
It was best to be cautious in meetings with leaders.
The leaders were mainly here to console Xie Bingran, so the Village Committee standing upfront made sense—Xu Zhiquan up there would look out of place.
He needed the right moment.
Xu Zhiquan knew Town Chief Feng would handle the introduction, so staying low-key in the back was smarter for now.
Xu Chen, feeling uneasy and curious, stood at a distance near the alley, where he could just see the village entrance.
…
The Village Chief looked eager, glancing toward the distance now and then.
He kept checking his phone and smoothing his stiff, gelled-back hair.
After a short wait, several black sedans approached from afar.
Leading was a Buick Regal, followed by two Audi A6s, with more Buicks trailing.
The cars pulled up and stopped.
The Village Chief hurried forward, bowing slightly.
From a distance, Xu Chen saw several people step out of the cars—a sizable group.
It seemed Bing Ge really had some pull…
Among them, Xu Chen recognized two: both PE teachers from First High School.
One was Chen Dahai’s uncle, Teacher Chen Ming, who Xie Bingran had thrown and broken his arm.
The other was Xie Bingran’s current coach, a young female PE teacher named Tian Fangfang…
From the City Sports Bureau came a leader named Gao Guangya.
This tall Sports Bureau official had some unspoken family ties with Teacher Chen Ming and Chen Dahai.
The most important figure was the deputy mayor, Wu Yongming, who oversaw sports and development reforms.
“The core leader” was easy to spot—everyone clustered around him.
From afar, Xu Chen saw the leader with a kind expression, shaking hands with the Village Committee members and villagers.
Town Chief Feng Wenjiang was also easy to identify—a refined, gentlemanly man who resembled his daughter Feng Qingqing.
Soon, Xu Chen spotted his father Xu Zhiquan stepping forward; under Town Chief Feng’s introduction, he finally met the leader.
Compared to the Village Chief’s obsequious bowing, Xu Zhiquan appeared composed and even projected the aura of a successful businessman.
The leader initially seemed uninterested, but upon hearing that Xu Zhiquan had come out of pure goodwill, funding and organizing Xie Bingran’s grandmother’s funeral, he grew more serious.
Xu Zhiquan then pulled out his business cards at the perfect moment, handing one to the leader and another to his secretary.
The leader smiled warmly as he took the card and examined it carefully.