Vientiane Throne of Civilization

Chapter 2026 Return to the Village
After getting off at the Elf Forest stop, the whole family, including Jenny, returned with two backpacks and some basic daily necessities.

Before they even left the train station, they unconsciously frowned.

I hadn't noticed it before, but now I see that the train station area in their Elf Forest is covered in mud and footprints.

The train station has cement floors and even paved tiles, but the ground in the Elf Forest is all original dirt roads.

Even on sunny days, your feet will inevitably be covered in mud, and on rainy days, you'll leave a puddle with every step.

In the blink of an eye, the entire train platform will become a mess.

The cleaning staff at the platform clean almost every day, but they can't keep up with the speed of the sprites here.

This situation is practically nonexistent in urban areas where the ground is entirely paved.

In the past, they would usually make a day trip to Da Zhou and not stay long. Since they were all in groups of elves, everyone did the same thing, so they didn't really notice anything.

Now that I've lived in the city of Da Zhou for a while and gotten used to its cleanliness, seeing the muddy footprints all over the ground makes me feel a sense of loss.

As they walked out of the train station, the moment his shoe sank into the ground, Jenny's father felt a pang of regret.

Damn it, I just bought these shoes last week!

He wouldn't even wear those shoes when he went to work at the quarry; he would only wear them in the evenings or on his days off when he went shopping with his wife and children.

He now realizes he made a really stupid decision; he shouldn't have worn his new shoes back to the village!
Although it didn't rain today, the forest is naturally damp, and the moisture stored in the soil won't dry out quickly. The ground in the forest is still incredibly muddy.

Looking at the ring of mud around his shoes, he despaired and resigned himself to his fate...

The Jenny family are grassland spirits, and their village is noticeably quieter than it was before they left.

They were not surprised by this.

After all, the elves in the village were the ones most influenced by Jenny and his friends.

Many of the grassland elves, including the Carter family who were their neighbors, had moved to the Great Zhou and were even living in the same apartment building as them.

Some of those still remaining in the village may genuinely not want to leave, while others simply don't have enough money.

Renting a large apartment for a large family is indeed a considerable expense.

On the way home, I ran into a few familiar villagers along the way. We greeted each other and chatted for a bit.

They mostly asked them about things in the city, and were also curious about why they had come back, their tone revealing a hint of envy.

After all, more and more elves know how good the apartments in Dazhou City are. In the eyes of many elves in the village, moving into the city and living in a big apartment is a sign of getting ahead and living a good life.

Jenny's father couldn't help but show a hint of pride in this.

As things stand, their family is the best off in their village.

He also said that he came back this time to pack up the things he didn't have time to take with him before.

They didn't chat much. Nowadays, there aren't many truly leisurely elves in the Elf Forest. If you want to live a good life, you always have to find a way to make money. Basically, when you meet them, you chat briefly before going about your own business.

After being approached by several villagers, Jenny and his family finally arrived at their old house.

From the outside, the house looked unchanged, but when they opened the door, the musty smell emanating from inside immediately turned the whole family pale.

Goodness, I was originally planning to stay for a couple of days to think things through regarding my son.

Now? He wants to go back now.

Jenny's father stepped back two paces to let the smell, which had been lingering for months, dissipate, and at the same time turned his head to scan the surroundings.

After all, it was the place where he grew up, and he still had some affection for the village. During this time, his gaze fell again on the musty house, and then he looked down at the new shoes that were now unrecognizable.

He didn't actually have that deep an emotional connection to the village...

At the same time, Jenny was standing there with an innocent look on his face. Unlike his parents and grandparents who had just moved to Da Zhou, he had been living in Da Zhou for several years.

He understood all too well how his father felt; he felt the same way every time he went home to visit his family.

With a simple exchange of glances, the father and son immediately understood each other's meaning. Then, Jenny's father turned to look at his wife and parents who had come back with him.

"You two go inside and see if there's anything that needs to be done. Jenny and I will go find the chieftain."

His wife and the others simply nodded in response, clearly indicating that they already knew the reason for their return.

To put it bluntly, they gave the village another chance.

What if they come back this time and everyone thinks that the village is actually not bad?

But the village clearly failed to seize the opportunity.

The instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm is inherent in all living things, and elves are no exception. They also want to live in more comfortable houses and have a better life.

In the elven village, it's quite easy to meet the chieftain, and even easier for the village elves to do so.

To put it bluntly, the clan chief is just an old man in the village. More than half of the elves in the village played at the clan chief's house when they were young and often got some food from him.

Upon seeing Jenny and his son, the clan chief smiled and poured them tea, treating them like his own children.

"Why did you come back suddenly?"

Clearly, people in the Elf Forest have become accustomed to the large number of elves going to the Great Zhou to work and earn money, and bringing their entire families with them along the way.

Their sudden return surprised the villagers.

Now that he had met the clan chief, Jenny's father found it difficult to speak.

"Actually, the thing is..."

As they spoke, Jenny's father recounted their desire to join the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Hearing their words, the clan chief's expression became noticeably serious.

"Your whole family wants to join the Great Zhou? Why do you suddenly want to join the Great Zhou?!"

Faced with this question, Jenny's father looked troubled, and seeing this, Jenny took the initiative to speak up...

"Father, let me speak."

After taking on this task, Jenny's thinking remained clear.

From the family's life to the grandparents' health, and from living conditions to rent issues, Jenny explained everything clearly, emphasizing the necessity of joining Da Zhou.

After listening, the clan chief was speechless.

"Sigh, you're such a filial child, this matter..."

The clan chief hesitated for a while, then finally nodded.

"I agreed."

(End of this chapter)