Besides, the next payment from the town that Ma Defu had mentioned was nowhere in sight. Ma Debao had only just started to get back on his feet, yet he'd had to front a great deal of money again, all so Minning Village could truly develop.
That in itself wasn't a problem. But Ma Defu, who was wholly devoted to developing Minning Town, felt he owed his younger brother, so during one of the town's recruitment drives to speed up construction, he gave Ma Debao a chance to bid on a project.
Neither brother had expected Ma Debao to win the bid. But after he did, trouble followed. Some people grew jealous and reported him to the county authorities. Then, while Ma Defu was pushing to speed up the town's water-lifting project, county officials took him away for an investigation.
After the investigation, Ma Defu thought of how Wang Yue had looked down on him. He didn't want to stay there any longer, so he accepted his father-in-law's offer and moved to Yinchuan to live with him.
And because of the investigation into Ma Defu, the county authorities learned that the town owed Ma Debao a great deal of money. They used the opportunity to recover it.
After his older brother left, Ma Debao got his money back, but he felt no joy at all. Suddenly, he thought there was nothing worthwhile about staying in the town.
The woman he loved hadn't come back, and his own brother had left. His parents had returned to their hometown, too, and he no longer wanted to stay there.
Still, Ma Debao had always respected Shui Hua, so before leaving, he went to see her.
When Shui Hua heard that Ma Debao was thinking of leaving, she asked in confusion why he didn't