We'd known from the start that this demolition and relocation business was going to cause a lot of trouble. After all, it involved a large amount of family property, so everyone cared about it and took it seriously.
After that, more property owners came to ask about the situation. Those who had voted wanted to know how the vote was going, and those who hadn't voted wanted to know, too.
Because of the rules set by the demolition office, there were also plenty of people waiting to see how things would go. If the result of the vote suited them, many people might not vote at all, to avoid being blamed later by those who supported other plans.
For us, that meant we had to find ways to ensure a high voter turnout.
It was no easier than the information sessions we'd held before.
By the time we finished work, several empty bottles had accumulated in the room the residents' committee had lent us, and the water cooler's jug was nearly empty. Even though the demolition office was subsidizing us, we still felt a little embarrassed. We helped Director Mao and the others tidy the room and replace the water jug.
I couldn't talk about it at work, so after I got home, I asked Chen Xiao Qiu what had happened with her matter.
It had already been several days since Chen Yihan had returned from Huixiang. But he'd been busy with his regular work, and then Li Xingfang's situation had delayed things further. Chen Xiao Qiu hadn't mentioned it to me at all.
I didn't know whether the uncle and niece had already spoken, and Chen Xiao Qiu simply didn't want to tell an outsider.
The wind chime kept weighing on my mind.
I vaguely remembered someone telling me