Chapter 121

A few days later, a convoy of large trucks adorned with bright red ribbons slowly rolled into Huangbai Village.

This village, tormented by pesticide contamination for nearly a decade, was finally seeing the end of its nightmare.

The local Youth League Committee had organized a group of volunteers to help the villagers relocate. As bundle after bundle of luggage was loaded onto the trucks, the people of Huangbai Village looked at one another, then turned as one to the camera and bowed deeply.

“Thank you! Thank you all!”

“We’re finally moving out!”

“No more drinking poisoned well water, no more eating toxic grains and vegetables.”

Off-camera, a few villagers who had refused to relocate unless they received a hefty resettlement allowance were being firmly blocked from entering the village.

There are always people that selfish. When the village land was first polluted, they didn’t want to stay and wait for death, so they abandoned their families and went to the city to work, living it up while leaving their loved ones to suffer.

But a few days ago, when they got word that the city had decided to relocate the entire village to a mountainous area, they came rushing back like sharks smelling blood.

And the first thing they did? Not helping their families pack—but storming into the village office to demand answers. If the city was forcing them to move, and not even to the city but to some godforsaken mountain they’d never even heard of, why was the resettlement allowance so little?

A mere 100,000 yuan per household—what could that even cover? These days, building a simple two-story house in the countryside costs more than that, even if it’s just a bare-bones structure!

The village officials were so furious they nearly passed out. They wanted nothing more than to smash these troublemakers over the head with a brick.

When the village was in crisis, these people ran off to the city to enjoy themselves, ignoring the suffering back home. Now that the government had finally agreed to help them relocate, even found a new place to live, and the production team had raised donations to furnish their new homes—brand-new refrigerators and washing machines included, all free of charge—these people still weren’t satisfied?

Don’t think the officials didn’t know what was going on. If these people really got a large sum of resettlement money, they wouldn’t spend a dime on their families. They’d blow it all on themselves, eating, drinking, and partying.

In their minds, even if their families back home starved, the government wouldn’t just sit by and let them die. The state would step in eventually—so what was there to worry about?

With people like this around, always complaining that others hadn’t done enough for them, practically demanding to be supported for life, how could Huangbai Village ever hope to improve?

So, this time, the village officials had already discussed things with the respected elders. As long as one family member signed the agreement, that was enough. As for those selfish brats who’d abandoned their families?

If they were willing to move to Langshan, then fine—start a new life there. If not? Then go back to wherever they came from.

When their loved ones were sick and dying, they didn’t care. Now that their families had finally found a way out, they had no right to interfere.

Even their own families had given up on them. As soon as word got out that they were coming back to stir up trouble, the families rushed to deposit their resettlement money into the bank.

Most of them had never even been to Langshan and had no idea what it was like. They’d heard they’d have to clear land and farm it themselves, and that the first year might not yield much. That 100,000 yuan resettlement allowance was their lifeline for the next few years—no way were they handing it over.

“This is forced demolition! We’ll report you to the higher-ups!” shouted a few of the villagers blocked outside.

Wang Qun couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

Since he started this show, how many times had he been reported or complained about? Go ahead and report him—like he was scared?

Wei Sheng was even more ruthless. He had the livestream camera turned directly on them.

You want to report us? Go ahead—say it loud and clear for the whole country to hear!

And while you’re at it, explain to everyone why, while your parents and relatives were eating poisoned food and drinking toxic water, you were living it up in the city without a care in the world.

Oh, and didn’t you say the 100,000 yuan resettlement allowance wasn’t enough? Why don’t you tell the camera what you think you *deserve*?

Have some shame! You really think the world owes you something?

Demolition compensation? Who said anything about demolition? Real demolition happens when land is cleared and sold for a high price—then, yes, large compensation is justified.

But the land in Huangbai Village? It was completely poisoned by the old pesticide factory. Even the groundwater was undrinkable. Even if the entire village was cleared out, who would want to buy it?

“In any case, we absolutely refuse to move to Langshan!”

“Yeah! Don’t even think about tearing down our houses!”

Who’s tearing down your damn houses? The village officials couldn’t help but laugh.

“Fine! We won’t tear anything down. If you don’t want to move, stay here. No one’s stopping you.” The officials looked at them like they were complete idiots.

These fools! They didn’t understand the situation at all. Or maybe their greed and selfishness had rotted away what little brainpower they had left.

They didn’t stop to think. Other villages might be relocating for compensation. But not theirs. They were moving because it was no longer livable. If they stayed, they’d all die. That’s why they begged the government for help—to find a place to move.

Strictly speaking, even without the government’s help securing that 100,000 yuan allowance, Huangbai Village would still have had to move.

And now, not only had the government helped them relocate, but they’d also gone out of their way to secure funds that no one was even entitled to in the first place. And these people still had the nerve to complain it wasn’t enough? How could anyone be so shamelessly greedy?

When they realized they couldn’t intimidate the village officials, these few troublemakers turned back and tried to stop their own families from leaving.

“Mom! Huangbai Village is practically part of the urban fringe now. With the city expanding, it’s only a matter of time before this land becomes valuable. Don’t let the village committee fool you! They must’ve taken bribes from some shady developer to trick us into leaving so they can sell the land at a high price!” Huang Kang shouted angrily, grabbing his mother’s arm just as she was about to lock the door after packing everything up.

Even though she’d already decided to move, this had been their home. Out of habit, Aunt Huang had reached to lock the gate one last time.

Pulled back by her son, Aunt Huang froze for a moment. She turned to look at his plump, rosy cheeks, then down at her own hands—cracked and bleeding from years of pesticide exposure. A wave of sorrow washed over her. She stared at her son for a long moment, then suddenly raised her arm and slapped Huang Kang hard across the face.

The blow was so fierce it knocked his head to the side.

The sharp, echoing slap stunned everyone nearby.

That was Huang Kang—Aunt Huang and her husband’s only son, their pride and joy. It was said that back when he was in school, Aunt Huang had taken a job at the pesticide factory just to support him, while Uncle Huang hauled barrels of chemicals, doing all the heavy lifting. They scrimped and saved, never even letting Huang Kang do chores.

Later, after the factory was forced out by the villagers’ protests, the couple still dragged their sick bodies out to the fields to grow vegetables, just to keep their son in school. Uncle Huang, it was said, wouldn’t even buy the cheapest painkillers. When he developed a malignant tumor, he refused treatment and died in agony at home.

After her husband died, Aunt Huang was terrified her son would get sick if he stayed in the village. She sold everything—used her husband’s funeral money, all their savings, even the gold earrings he’d bought her—to scrape together enough for Huang Kang to buy a place in the county. It was only enough for a down payment on a tiny, run-down apartment, but at least it was a start. Even if they had to work in the city, it would be better than staying in the poisoned village.

But who could’ve guessed? Huang Kang didn’t use the money to buy a home. Instead, he invested in some bubble tea franchise.

And got scammed in a “pig-butchering” scheme. Not only did he lose the down payment, he ended up deep in debt.

For the past two years, Huang Kang had been hiding from his creditors, and the debt collectors had even started calling Aunt Huang. The stress and anger took a toll on her already frail health, and she finally collapsed.

Not long ago, she coughed up blood. Realizing she might not have much time left, she called her son, hoping he would come back to the village and take her with him. She didn’t care if they had to scavenge for trash in the city—as long as she could spend her final days by his side.

But to her shock, Huang Kang refused without a second thought.

In that moment, Aunt Huang gave up on him completely. She regretted everything—regretted raising her son into such a lazy, irresponsible man.

Her son didn’t care about her, her husband had passed away, and Aunt Huang had resigned herself to waiting for death in her old home. But who would have thought—just then, the village received incredible news: they were being relocated!

Though she said she was done with her son, deep down, she still held on to a sliver of hope. She called him right away to tell him the village was finally moving. Everyone would have a new lease on life.

Her plan was to use the 100,000 yuan Resettlement Allowance to help her son pay off his debts. Once the debts were cleared, the two of them could move to Langshan together. She’d heard the mountains there were beautiful, the land fertile. Maybe they could clear a few more acres, raise a couple of pigs. They wouldn’t be rich, but they could live a simple, peaceful life.

But who could have guessed—this ungrateful bastard! When he heard the government was helping them relocate, not only did he show no gratitude, he actually urged her over the phone not to move. He told her to dig in her heels and refuse to leave. A hundred thousand? Not enough! Unless they got a million, no way were they moving…

Listening to her son’s shameless, selfish words, Aunt Huang wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear from shame.

She and her husband had spent their whole lives being kind and honest—how had they ended up with such a heartless, cold-blooded son?

From that day on, Aunt Huang truly gave up. She stopped answering his calls, packed up her things, and focused only on moving to Langshan with the rest of the village.

But she didn’t expect that once she stopped engaging with him, her son would rally a few other villagers trying to extort money and start stirring up trouble.

Looking at her son’s pale, chubby face now marked with a bright red handprint, Aunt Huang suddenly laughed.

Did Huang Kang really think she’d not die if she stayed in the village?

No—he knew. He always knew.

He just didn’t care. In the face of money, his own mother’s life meant nothing to him.

“I’m moving, no matter what. If you want to stay, then stay.”

With that, Aunt Huang tossed the house key into her son’s arms and walked away without looking back.

She might as well pretend she never had a son. After all, she’d always farmed and fed herself. Even after moving to Langshan, she could still rely on her own two hands. What difference did it make?

And she wasn’t the only one. Similar scenes played out in several other households in the village.

Huang Kang actually got off easy—just one slap from his mother.

Another unfilial son in Huangbai Village wasn’t so lucky. He tried to stop his parents from relocating, insisting they stay and die in the village just so he could extort a bigger Resettlement Allowance from the government. His father was so furious he grabbed a hoe and chased him around the village—twice! In his panic, the son tripped into a ditch and broke his leg.

“Serves him right! Let that broken leg keep him from running around shaming his old man!”

And so, the relocation team gained one more patient with a fracture. Luckily, the production crew had medical staff on hand, and they set the bone and bandaged him up right away.

His father declared that since the leg was broken, there was no need for him to go out looking for work anymore. He could just stay in Langshan and help them farm and raise pigs.

As for Huang Kang, who had come to “rescue his allies”: “…”

Truck after truck, loaded with luggage, rolled out of Huangbai Village. Behind them, three buses carried away all the villagers.

Through the bus windows, the villagers watched the familiar scenery slowly fade away, their hearts a mix of emotions.

Aunt Huang sat by the window, staring at the stubborn figure of Huang Kang standing at the village entrance. Her face was expressionless.

From this moment on, she was a lonely old woman with no son.

But who could have predicted that just a few days later, at the welcome banquet held for them in Dongxiang Town…

“Hello, Auntie Huang! I’m Lang Dongyang, 26 years old, a forest ranger with the Dongxiang Town Forest Fire Prevention Office. I heard you moved here alone? Don’t worry—from now on, I’m your assigned Godson!”

Aunt Huang: “…”

(End of chapter)