56: Approval procedures

The next morning, Wu Fan was woken up by the barking of dogs, the crowing of roosters, and the chirping of birds.

Behind the old house was a bamboo mountain, densely covered with crisp, tall bamboo.

When Wu Fan was little, he loved to play on the back mountain, especially during bamboo shoot season; digging for shoots was great fun.

His mom and dad were already up, and seeing Wu Fan rise, they began to prepare breakfast.

His mom made a pot of steamed dumplings, and his dad was stoking the fire under the earthen stove.

The wood burned under the earthen stove was old bamboo, cut into slices. After burning, the embers were put into a charcoal pot to become charcoal.

Once the steamed dumplings were ready, his dad would put the charcoal fire into the fire pot, which was very practical for warming hands or feet.

This was a unique way of keeping warm for people in the mountains.

When Wu Fan was a child, he also liked to put sweet potatoes or rice cakes in the fire pot to roast them.

When they were cooked, they would come out fragrant, crispy, and especially delicious.

After breakfast, Wu Fan drove to the town and bought two packs of Chinese cigarettes and two bottles of liquor, heading straight for the Village Director's house.

The Village Director was named Wu Hongwei, around 60 years old.

He had been the Village Director for nearly 30 years.

In Wujiabao Village, it could be said that he held absolute power. The cadres in the Village Committee were basically all people he trusted and promoted.

Wu Fan wanted to build a house on the left side of his old house, so he had to establish good relations with Wu Hongwei, needing him to provide a certificate and stamp it.

Illegal construction was out of the question.

When he arrived at the Village Director's house, Wu Fan was still shocked by the grandeur of his house.

Tall walls and a gleaming big iron gate.

Wu Fan knocked on the big iron gate, and an unfamiliar old woman peered out and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Wu Fan politely explained his purpose.

However, the old woman didn't open the door; instead, she turned and went inside to report.

After about two or three minutes, the iron gate opened with a clang.

Wu Fan then drove into the courtyard.

This courtyard was truly enormous, with pavilions, bridges, and flowing water in the right corner, along with various green plants and precious potted landscapes.

For a moment, Wu Fan almost thought he had entered a Suzhou garden.

Wu Fan got out of the car, and just as he picked up his things, the large wolfdog chained to the left side of the big iron gate began to bark, "Woof, woof, woof!"

Wu Fan stopped and glanced at the large black wolfdog; it was well-fed and shiny, probably eating meat every meal, right?

Out of a feeling of resentment towards the rich, Wu Fan even had an evil thought: if he butchered and ate this large wolfdog, the taste would surely be exquisite.

He chuckled to himself, finding his own thought quite absurd.

Entering the main hall, a painting of the "Three Friends of Winter" hung in the center of the main room, with an unidentifiable artist's signature and red seal.

Wu Hongwei had graying hair, meticulously combed into a Big Slicked-back Hair, and his eyes were bright and piercing.

He looked at Wu Fan and paused, clearly not recognizing him.

This was understandable; Wu Fan had attended primary and middle school in town, then went out of town for high school and university, and then moved to Island City.

He really hadn't spent much time in Wujiabao Village.

Wu Fan greeted him first, saying, "Hello, Director, I'm Wu Fan, Wu Xiong's son."

Wu Hongwei blinked, then said "Oh," as if he instantly understood.

As the Village Director, he was very familiar with the people living in the village, especially those of Wu Fan's father's generation, as they were roughly the same age as him.

He raised his hand and pointed to a rosewood chair nearby, saying, "Sit."

Wu Fan nodded and placed the Chinese cigarettes and liquor he was carrying in the corner by the door.

Wu Hongwei righteously said, "Why did you bring things? You can take them back later."

His words were stiff.

Wu Fan looked up and saw a faint smile on his face. He turned and sat down in the main seat of the hall, picked up his teacup, gently blew on the tea leaves inside, and then took a sip.

Wu Fan immediately understood; these were his official, polite words.

"Director, just a small token, please don't mind it!"

Wu Fan went over, offered him a Chinese cigarette, and then sat down on the rosewood chair.

He actually didn't like smoking Chinese cigarettes; he had specifically bought them today for the Village Director's house, fearing that anything less would be unsuitable to offer.

Wu Hongwei held his teacup and remained silent.

Wu Fan continued, "Director, I'm here because I have something to trouble you with."

Wu Hongwei took a sip of tea and said unhurriedly, "Tell me."

Wu Fan paused, "I want to build a house on the empty land to the left of the old house. What procedures do I need to follow?"

Wu Hongwei said assertively, "This is simple. As long as you get the procedure done here with me, and then get approval from the county, it's fine."

"However, the procedure in our village is not easy to handle; it requires a meeting of the Village Committee to decide and also needs to be publicly announced in the village."

After he finished speaking, his gaze lingered on the gifts Wu Fan had brought.

Wu Fan pondered, fearing that the gifts he had given were not substantial enough.

"Director, I came in a hurry this time, and it was indeed abrupt. I bought some things in Shanghai, but they won't arrive until tomorrow. I'll bring them to you then."

Wu Hongwei waved his hand repeatedly, saying, "No need, no need. Your family's house is indeed old and dilapidated; it's right to renovate it if you have the money."

Wu Fan sat for a while longer, chatting briefly, but Wu Hongwei completely avoided the topic of the house-building procedures, and the atmosphere became a bit awkward.

Wu Fan thought there was no point in sitting any longer, so he stood up and bid farewell.

Wu Hongwei politely said, "Take your things back," but he remained seated and did not move.

Wu Fan went straight out the door, got in his car, and left.

He didn't go home but drove to the town's supermarket, bought a case of liquor and ten packs of Chinese cigarettes, spending nearly 30,000 yuan.

Early the next morning, Wu Fan once again entered the Village Director's courtyard.

He didn't say much. After greeting Wu Hongwei, he placed the items behind the door and immediately took his leave.

While the family was eating lunch, Wu Hongwei unexpectedly paid them a visit in person.

After entering the house, he looked around and said, "You can go ahead and build the house. I will take care of all the procedures and approvals for you."

His dad saw Wu Hongwei enter and immediately offered him a cigarette and a chair.

However, Wu Hongwei did not sit down and did not accept his dad's cigarette.

Wu Fan glanced at his dad's cigarette; it was a cheap brand.

Wu Hongwei probably found his dad's cigarette too inferior.

He patted Wu Fan's shoulder and said, "In the village, if you need anything, just come find me."

Wu Fan nodded, but a hint of disdain was hidden in his eyes.

His mom had already made him a cup of tea.

However, Wu Hongwei said he had matters at the Village Committee and had to leave. He walked out with his hands behind his back, his back straight, head held high, and chest out.

His dad looked at Wu Fan, asking with an incredulous expression, "The house approval, it's just like that?"

He clearly still couldn't quite believe it.

Wu Fan couldn't possibly tell his mom and dad that he had given him so many things.

So he played dumb, saying, "The Director saw that our housing situation was truly difficult and felt pity. Otherwise, how could it have gone so smoothly?"

His mom and dad looked at each other, nodding semi-believingly.

After lunch, Wu Fan prepared to go out to find a construction contractor introduced by his paternal uncle in town.

As he stepped out the door, he unexpectedly encountered a beautiful woman, which startled him.

It seemed returning to his hometown also presented opportunities for new conquests...