Can Your Third Uncle Be Village Mayor

Su Li was about to answer when Bai Lu lifted the curtain and came in, saying, "Madam, Third Aunt has arrived."

Third Aunt Sun Shi had come. Since she was family, unlike ordinary villagers, she could not be ignored.

Su Li said, "Please invite Third Aunt in to talk."

Third Aunt Sun Shi soon came in, carrying a gift. Su Li and Mrs. Chen glanced at the gift in Sun Shi's hands and understood the situation pretty well.

Sun Shi’s visit was most likely about the position of village head.

Sun Shi entered with a smile, greeted everyone, then sat down and said, "Shi Rong bought some fresh things while running errands with his uncles outside. I thought I'd bring some to you all. Also, try the pickled vegetables and sausages I made myself."

Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Chen praised Sun Shi’s cooking. After some small talk, Sun Shi tucked her hair behind her ear and said to Su Li, "A Li, I heard the village chief asked you to recommend a neighborhood chief. Who do you plan to choose? Can you give Third Aunt a hint?"

Su Li smiled and said, "I'm still thinking about it, haven’t decided yet."

Sun Shi said with a chuckle, "I think Fourth Uncle is the most suitable, but unfortunately, his household registration isn’t here, so he can’t serve."

Su Li said, "Yes, Third Aunt, I also think Fourth Uncle is the best choice, but it’s a pity."

Sun Shi looked at Su Li and tentatively said, "A Li, being neighborhood chief is a cushy job. Don't let outsiders take the benefits. Those villagers outside may flatter you now, but if you let one of them be chief, they might turn their backs on you. Don’t blame me for speaking bluntly; I say this because we’re family, your own niece and sister-in-law, no outsiders. It’s harsh, but true. Although we’re from the same village, everyone has selfish interests. Whoever becomes chief will definitely look out for their own. Your family may not care about the perks, but when it comes to levies and labor duties, having a chief in the family makes things easier to negotiate. Take our family as an example: just Shi Rong and your Third Uncle as labor, and even so, we’ve been called upon for hard labor multiple times. If we had a chief in the family back then, we wouldn’t have had to do the hard labor, just the easier jobs."

What Sun Shi said wasn’t pleasant, but everyone present knew it was the truth.

Su Li nodded and said, "Third Aunt is right. We paid for this neighborhood chief position; we can’t just let others have it for free. Fourth Uncle and I work hard for our money, and the money for building the school didn’t just fall from the sky. Now that there’s an unexpected return, it should belong to our family."

Hearing Su Li say this, Sun Shi quickly agreed, thinking to herself, luckily Su Li wasn’t the type to blindly throw benefits away in the name of righteousness.

But since Su Li meant the chief should be a family member, and Fourth Uncle’s household didn’t qualify, and Yuanbao was a fool, that left only their third branch!

Sun Shi immediately felt hopeful and said to Su Li, "A Li, Third Aunt won’t beat around the bush. Just asking you, how about letting your Third Uncle be the neighborhood chief?"

"Third Uncle wants to be neighborhood chief?" Su Li looked at Sun Shi, "Is it Third Uncle’s own idea?"

Sun Shi was very honest in front of Su Li now, no longer scheming, shaking her head, "No, it’s my idea."

Su Li sighed and said, "Third Aunt, I’ll be honest, don’t be angry. I did consider Third Uncle and Shi Rong, but they’re both too honest. Being neighborhood chief means dealing with officials above and villagers below. With Third Uncle or Shi Rong’s way with words, you can’t get anything out of them. Do you think they can handle this job?"