Ye Yaodong breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. It was only the beginning of the year, and with the final payment settled now, he could save everything he earned this year. He would have a little more money to spare, too, instead of being left desperately short after handing over that sum.
He picked up the bowl of porridge beside him, which had cooled to lukewarm, and gulped down several mouthfuls with a few strips of pickled mustard stem, emptying the bowl. Then he grabbed a meat bun wrapped in newspaper from the table, said a word to his parents-in-law, and headed straight out again.
He needed to get the housing sorted out first.
The thought gave him a bit of a headache. If he seriously set out to do something, it never really involved just that one thing. The road to his destination was full of stumbling blocks and thorny undergrowth, with no shortage of matters cropping up one after another.
He was unfamiliar with that little village nearby and had never been inside it. At most, he had passed by, and he had no idea who the village chief was.
As soon as he entered the village, he saw a group of old women sitting in the sun. He looked at them, and they stared straight back, making his scalp prickle. Their lively conversation fell silent, and the children running and playing nearby hurriedly moved away.
Ye Yaodong gave an awkward smile. Were they taking him for a human trafficker? Were there any traffickers this handsome?
He rubbed his cheek, feeling that his looks ought to win over young and old alike. His confidence immediately returned, and he walked up with a smile.
"Grannies, enjoying the sunshine? The sun's been pretty nice these last few days. Get some