Chapter 233 -

With Li Mianmian sobbing on her knees and Boss Lu groveling in the dirt, the bandit threat vanished instantly. Boss Lu’s wife barked a sharp command, and her guards dragged both Li Mianmian and Boss Lu away like trash, leaving the stage completely clear.

The Magistrate, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, hurried to the front of the platform and banged his gavel. “Quiet! Everyone, quiet! We will now proceed with the candidates’ speeches for the leadership of Unit Fifty!”

Master Qian stepped up first, fanning his fat face while grinning greedily. “If you vote for me,” he declared, patting his large belly, “I will double the grain collection from every household! Naturally, half will go toward filling my personal pantries to ensure your leader is well-fed and strong!” The crowd immediately erupted into angry boos and curses at his shameless greed.

Master Sun pushed Qian aside, holding his chin up foolishly. “You simple folk should be honored to have a man like me leading you,” he sneered. “My first decree will be building a grand wooden statue of myself in the center of Unit Fifty, funded by taking a piece of your daily food rations!” The villagers laughed in disbelief at his self-absorbed stupidity.

Lady Zhang stepped forward next, glaring down her nose at the crowd with utter disgust. “Look at all of you, dirty and starving,” she huffed coldly. “When I become leader, none of you common folk will be allowed near the main hall. You will hand over your finest harvests to my house, and in return, I might consider letting you stay in this unit.” The onlookers jeered, thoroughly disgusted by her arrogance.

Finally, the Magistrate called out Su Yueqing’s name.

A sudden, expectant hush fell over the vast square. Su Yueqing rose from her seat, her simple green robes swaying gently in the morning breeze. She walked up to the edge of the stage, looking calm, delicate, and deeply dignified.

“People of Unit Fifty,” Su Yueqing began, her clear, powerful voice easily reaching every corner of the plaza. “For years, people like the ones standing behind me have treated Unit Fifty as their personal pantry. They look at your hard work and see only food for their own stomachs and gain for themselves.”

The crowd nodded, listening intently to every word.

“I am not here to take from you,” she declared, her eyes shining with fierce resolve. “I live among you. My family works this same dry soil. If you choose me as your leader, no one will ever steal your grain again. Our trade will belong to us, our shelter will be protected, and every single family in Unit Fifty will be treated fairly!”

A thunderous roar of cheers erupted across the entire square. Villagers clapped, shouted her name, and raised their fists in celebration, completely won over by her speech.

Seeing the overwhelming support, the Magistrate had no choice but to raise his hands and officially declare Su Yueqing the winner and new leader of Unit Fifty.

Below the stage, the Fu family erupted into loud cheers along with the rest of the crowd. Madame Fu wiped tears of joy from her eyes, while Fu Sheng stood tall, his heart bursting with pride as he gazed up at his wife.

“Look at Sister Su!” Fu Tong yelled over the roaring crowd, throwing his arms up in victory. “I always knew she was born to boss people around, but now she actually gets paid in tax grain to do it!”

Fu Li immediately turned and gave Fu Tong a sharp pinch on his arm. “Shut your mouth, Fu Tong!” she scolded, though a huge grin cracked across her face. “Show some respect to the new leader!”

“Ouch! Fu Li, you violent turtle!” Fu Tong whined, rubbing his sore arm.

The whole family burst into bright, happy laughter, the surrounding villagers joining in as the celebratory energy swept across the square.

On the platform, the Magistrate stepped forward, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. He signaled his assistants, who brought out a heavy wooden tray covered in red cloth.

“Congratulations, Leader Su,” the Magistrate said, his voice bowing with forced politeness as he presented the tray to Su Yueqing.

On the tray lay the heavy iron keys to the main gates of Unit Fifty, official wooden seals of authority, and a thick ledger detailing the administration of the land.

“These keys grant you control over Unit Fifty’s entrance and storehouses,” the Magistrate instructed, pointing to the items. “As leader, you are now responsible for maintaining order, settling local disputes, and ensuring the monthly tax quota of three hundred bags of grain and twenty silver coins is gathered and handed over to the central office by the end of every month.”

Su Yueqing accepted the iron keys and the ledger, her hands firm and steady. “Unit Fifty will fulfill its duties,” she replied, her gaze cool and sharp. “And in return, I expect the central office to keep its distance and leave my people in peace.”

The Magistrate swallowed hard, nodding quickly before declaring the assembly officially over.

As Su Yueqing stepped down from the stage, her family swarmed around her in warm embraces. Yet, just as Fu Sheng reached out to take her hand, a loud gasp rippled through the back of the dispersing crowd.

Through the parting sea of villagers ran a frantic figure dressed in brilliant red silk wedding robes, his chest heaving as his wild, desperate eyes searched the crowd until they locked onto Fu Teng.

A heavy silence fell over the square. Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at the edge of the crowd.

An Yu stood there in his bright red wedding robes, breathing heavily. His hair was messy, and his face was pale. He did not care about the hundreds of people staring at him. He did not care about the Magistrate or the election. His eyes were locked on Fu Teng.

Fu Teng completely froze. His heart beat fast in his chest as he looked at the man he loved. “An Yu… what are you doing here?” Fu Teng asked, his voice shaking. “You are supposed to be getting married today.”

“I don’t care about the wedding!” An Yu cried out, his voice cracking with emotion. He rushed forward through the crowd until he stood right in front of Fu Teng.

The Fu family stepped back in shock, watching them quietly.

An Yu reached out with trembling hands and grabbed Fu Teng by the arms. He was terrified, but he did not care who saw him anymore.

“I was a coward, Fu Teng,” An Yu whispered, tears spilling down his face. “I was scared of what people would say. I was scared of the world. But when I put on these wedding robes, I realized I couldn’t do it. I can’t marry someone else when my entire heart belongs to you.”

Fu Teng stared at him in complete shock. He had no idea that Zhao Yue had already decided to break off their engagement last night, so seeing An Yu ruin his own wedding day just to run to him made his mind go completely blank.

“An Yu…” Fu Teng stammered, his eyes wide. “What about your family? What about your bride?”

“I don’t care about any of it,” An Yu said desperately, lifting Fu Teng’s hand and pressing it against his own wildly beating chest. “My heart has only ever beat for you. Please… don’t leave me.”

Fu Teng felt the heavy wall of sadness inside his chest completely crumble away as he looked into An Yu’s tear-filled eyes.

An Li rushed forward, grabbing An Yu by his shoulders and giving him a sharp shake.

“Are you insane?!” An Li yelled, her voice ringing out loudly across the square. “If you knew all along that you liked Fu Teng, why did you go through with all this wedding nonsense in the first place?! You stressed everyone out for absolutely no reason at all!”

An Yu shrank back slightly under her furious glare, unable to offer a single word in his own defense. He knew he deserved every bit of her anger.

Fu Teng’s heart pounded against his ribs. Overwhelmed by the sudden confession in front of the entire unit, he looked toward his family. He saw Madame Fu watching them with a sad expression. Then his gaze drifted to his father, Master Fu, who stood completely baffled, his brow furrowed as he stared at the scene, not having the slightest clue what was going on.

“I… I need to talk to my family first,” Fu Teng stammered, pulling back slightly from An Yu’s grasp. He looked at An Yu with raw, conflicting emotions. “We need to handle this properly.”

“I have to confess to everyone and I owe Zhao Yue an apology but please let’s do all these at the Fu mansion not outside here I don’t want people watching.”

They all nodded slightly as they made their way back to the Fu Mansion