"I, I'm just doing my job."
Tian Mengyao pouted, "Since I arrived in your village, I've been walking everywhere."
"Before I came, I was thinking of buying an electric scooter once I got paid, who knew..."
As Tian Mengyao spoke, her eyes suddenly reddened.
Lin Fan understood perfectly. With the messy finances of the village committee, getting paid was harder than reaching heaven.
Unless he found a way to make money himself, he wouldn't get a cent even if he worked himself to death.
"Never mind, it's Luofeng Village that owes you. I'll pay for the car."
Lin Fan scratched his head and asked, "With your family's situation, shouldn't you have money to buy a car yourself?"
"I..." Tian Mengyao was speechless.
She was too embarrassed to admit that she owned an Audi A8, a top-of-the-line model that cost almost half a million yuan.
If she drove a luxury car around every day, the villagers would surely be wary of her, so she hadn't brought it with her.
"Business is business, and personal matters are personal. They're different,"
Tian Mengyao couldn't find a better explanation and could only say that.
Lin Fan said, "Oh," and then smiled, "I have one condition."
"Tell me."
Seeing that he didn't seem like he was going to cause trouble, Tian Mengyao didn't think much of it.
Lin Fan took a breath and said seriously, "When the car arrives, I want to learn how to drive. It will be convenient when I take my driving test."
"Of course, no problem." Tian Mengyao agreed readily, "You bought the car, so you can practice however you want."
"If not, I can even teach you."
Lin Fan puffed out his chest, wanting to say something but holding back.
"What, you look down on me?"
Tian Mengyao glared at him, indignant, "I got my license after the college entrance exam. I've been driving for four years now. Teaching you is a piece of cake, hmph~"
Lin Fan hadn't paid attention to most of what she said earlier, but her final "hmph," with its melodious and lingering tone, both sweet and alluring, made his heart flutter.
"No wonder."
Lin Fan chuckled, "So you were using my ear as a steering wheel back then? No wonder you were so skilled."
"Who..." Tian Mengyao's face instantly turned red.
She hadn't expected Lin Fan to bring up the old incident and tease her about it in person.
"Lin Fan, I'm warning you, you're not allowed to tell anyone about this!"
Tian Mengyao was innocent, but not truly clueless.
She knew very well that if this incident got out, the consequences would be dire.
To be blunt, if the villagers of Luofeng Village found out, her term as village secretary would likely be over.
"I won't, I absolutely won't. It's our little secret."
Lin Fan waved his hands in surrender, his tone somewhat ambiguous.
"It's good that you know."
Tian Mengyao snorted, "Since you've agreed, I'll be going now. I still have a pile of work waiting for me at the village committee."
Lin Fan got up and said, "Wait a moment. Take this bank card. Withdraw as much as you need, and just report the expenses to me later."
As he spoke, Lin Fan went into the inner room, took out the Centurion Black Card from the cabinet, and handed it to Tian Mengyao.
Tian Mengyao took the bank card and said gratefully, "Thank you, Xiao Fan. Then I won't be polite."
The moment she took the bank card, she suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable and then turned and ran off.
Lin Fan watched her receding back and chuckled, "Little girl, be sure to leave some for me!"
Perhaps it was because the end of the year was approaching, but the medical clinic's business was much slower than usual.
By two in the afternoon, Lin Fan found himself with nothing to do, which was a rare occurrence.
"Sigh, if only Sister Wang Ying hadn't left!"
Lin Fan sat in the master chair, rocking back and forth, and chatting with Wang Ying on WeChat.
Both of them missed each other dearly.
After ten minutes of intimate conversation, Wang Ying said she had to go help her mother in the kitchen, and Lin Fan was once again left idle.
"Right!"
Lin Fan suddenly remembered the golden compass he had brought back last time was gathering dust under his bed.
The Centurion Black Card had been given to that little girl Tian Mengyao, and there probably wouldn't be any left!
Since that was the case, why not take advantage of his sister-in-law and Song Yue's absence and go to the gold shop in town to see if he could have it made into jewelry and get some cash.
With that thought, Lin Fan didn't dally. He ran to the inner room, crawled under the bed, and hooked out the shoebox hidden at the very back.
"Whoa, it's really heavy."
Lin Fan opened the shoebox, took out the golden compass, locked the door, and excitedly headed to Shimen Town.
Around three, or before four in the afternoon.
Lin Fan stood on the commercial street in the town center and noticed that it was much livelier than usual today, as if it were a festival.
He thought for a moment and then smacked his forehead, "That's right, it's almost New Year!"
The young people who had been working outside had started returning one after another, explaining why people were dressed more fashionably at first glance.
The commercial street of Shimen Town usually didn't see so many young people.
"Xiao Fan, are you here to buy something in town?"
Luo Dazhuang saw Lin Fan from a distance and waved with a smile.
"Brother Dazhuang, business is good at the end of the year, you've even come to the commercial street to sell meat."
Lin Fan walked over to the meat stall, pointed to a rack of ribs, and then laughed, "Save this rack of ribs for me. I'll pick it up later."
"Got it!"
Luo Dazhuang happily agreed.
He secretly envied Lin Fan's current life.
Pork prices were high this year, and anyone who came to buy would ask about the price first.
Those whose families weren't doing well would either complain about the price or pick and choose, afraid of being cheated by the merchant.
But look at Lin Fan, he didn't ask about the price or the weight, he just bought it.
He's rich!
"Xiao Fan, you're really doing well now!"
"What doing well? I'm just running a small medical clinic to make a living. Do you think I'm some kind of gangster?"
"Just making a living?"
Luo Dazhuang gave him a thumbs-up and praised, "I heard from people in your village that the new house you're building is a villa!"
"Tsk tsk, when the house is done, will you buy a car too?"
Lin Fan nodded, "Something like that. I do have that idea."
After chopping and packing the ribs, Luo Dazhuang lowered his voice and said earnestly, "Xiao Fan, I have a humble request. If you agree, I'll give you a big fat pig and even prepare it for you."
"Hiss~"
Lin Fan was very surprised. A pig wasn't cheap!
He thought for a moment and suddenly remembered that Luo Dazhuang had asked, "Can you take me to the city next time?"
With that in mind, Lin Fan shook his head repeatedly, "Brother Dazhuang, let's just forget about that last request."
"I was going there to see a patient. You shouldn't tag along."