Me! A high-ranking official!

Looking at the brief message on his phone screen, he frowned slightly, feeling a vague sense of unease.

His nominal mother-in-law was no ordinary person. She was currently at a crucial stage in her career advancement, and it was said that she was very likely to become a vice-provincial-level official, with a fairly good chance. At this critical juncture, for her to suddenly condescend to meet him, her nominal son-in-law, was it a blessing or a curse? Was it a trap, a warning, or was there something else going on?

He stood there pondering for a moment, then suddenly let out a long sigh, simply stuffed his phone into his pocket, and put the matter out of his mind.

"Go ahead, what's there to worry about!" He sneered inwardly. In the end, this absurd marriage wasn't something he actively sought out. Rather, the Zhou family approached him to ask for his cooperation in order to quell a potential scandal that could affect his career. Logically, he was the victim who was dragged into it! It was entirely out of a man's sense of responsibility that he felt he should take responsibility for the matter since he had inadvertently taken advantage of the girl, which is why he helped them cover up the lie.

He believed he had done everything he could in this matter. If the other party was polite when they met tomorrow, that would be fine. But if they really disliked him and wanted to control him, he could simply break up and get a divorce. He would be free of worries, so what was there to be afraid of?

Once he understood this, his mindset immediately calmed down, and his steps became much lighter.

Seeing that it was already past noon, and knowing that Li Gan would be taking his sister back to the village in the afternoon, he immediately took action.

First, he took a taxi straight to a prefabricated house rental and manufacturing company on the outskirts of the county. After looking around the site, he picked out two ready-made high-standard insulated prefabricated houses and immediately asked the boss to arrange a car to deliver them to Luojia Village. Then, he went to a furniture market and an appliance store without stopping to buy some practical furniture and two new air conditioners for the prefabricated houses. He also requested that the delivery be expedited and that they be installed at the same time.

Since it was about settling Li Gan's sister, which was a private matter, he naturally couldn't use a single penny of the village collective's money. So, from the temporary house to the appliances, all the expenses were paid out of his own pocket. His main characteristic was that he was decisive and efficient in handling matters!

After finishing all that, he checked the time and then made a detour to the Dizi Auto 4S store in the county. Lately, he had been riding that old electric bike back and forth between the village, town, and county every day, enduring wind and sun, which was a huge waste of time. With the business in the village expanding in the future, there would be many more places where he would need a car, so he decided to make a quick decision and directly bought a ready-made black SUV with full payment, got a temporary license plate, and drove the new car all the way back to Luojia Village.

As soon as he drove into the village committee's courtyard, he saw that the trucks delivering the prefabricated houses had arrived. Luo Haitao and Liu Zhijun were shouting and directing the workers to steadily hoist two brand-new prefabricated houses onto an open space next to the courtyard. The deliverymen for air conditioners and furniture were also waiting nearby. As soon as the prefabricated houses were on the ground, they immediately went to the site to start installation and testing.

Just as things were getting lively in the courtyard, Li Gan finally arrived with his younger sister, Li Xiuxiu.

Li Xiuxiu had just turned twenty-one this year, a time when she was in the prime of her life. She was a sophomore at the Capital University of Economics and Business, with a bright future ahead of her. However, fate played a cruel trick on her, and she was suddenly diagnosed with a serious illness. She had no choice but to suspend her studies and return to her hometown for treatment. After going through a life-or-death ordeal, the young girl was thin and tall, with a pale face, showing the weakness of someone recovering from a serious illness. At this moment, she was timidly hiding behind Li Gan, curiously looking at everything in the courtyard with her clear but fearful eyes.

Li Gan, with his sharp eyes, spotted Zhao Jianguo immediately. He grabbed his sister and strode over to him, excitedly tugging at her sleeve and exclaiming, "Xiuxiu, come quick! This is Brother Zhao, whom I've been talking about every day! Your illness this time is all thanks to Brother Zhao for his money and effort. Hurry up and thank him properly!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuxiu's eyes instantly reddened. She stepped out from behind her brother, her knees buckled, and she was about to kneel down on the ground without hesitation.

"Oh no! That won't do!"

Zhao Jianguo reacted quickly, grabbing her arm and lifting her up. He turned to Li Gan and scolded, "Ganzi, what are you doing! Xiuxiu has just recovered from a serious illness and is still very weak. You're making her perform such a grand ceremony? Besides, I already told you last night that I treat you like a brother. Why are you being so formal with all these thank-yous?"

Li Xiuxiu was helped up, tears still streaming down her face. Her voice trembled as she whispered, "Brother Jianguo, please don't blame my brother. I knelt down willingly. If it weren't for you, I would be dead. I, Li Xiuxiu, will remember your great kindness. I will repay you even if I have to be your slave for the rest of my life!"

"Silly girl, why are you saying all this? Hurry up and wipe your tears." He smiled and said, "I helped you because your brother is a loyal and righteous man. I don't expect anything in return from you two siblings. Just focus on getting better and try to go back to school as soon as possible. That's the best way to repay me."

Several villagers who were helping out witnessed this scene and were deeply moved, whispering among themselves with admiration: "Our Secretary Zhao is truly a man of great kindness and loyalty!"

"Indeed, these days it's hard to find such a good official even with a lantern!"

Ignoring everyone's praise, he turned and waved to Li Gan, instructing, "Alright, stop standing around. Ganzi, hurry up and pack up your things and my luggage, and move them all to the newly furnished prefabricated house. It'll be just right for us to each have a room!"

He deliberately put on a stern face and complained, "You snoring like thunder in the middle of the night keeps me awake. Now that we've got a temporary house, I'm going to move you out so I can finally have some peace and quiet!"

Upon hearing this, Li Gan immediately became anxious: "Brother Zhao, how can you do that! No matter how good the prefab house is, it's still temporary. My sister and I can live in the prefab house, how can you move out of the brick house to live in this place!"

He lifted his leg and lightly kicked him in the butt, laughing and scolding, "Are you out of your mind? You can't even see the basics! Xiuxiu has just recovered from a serious illness, and her resistance is at its weakest. Although this prefabricated house is made of environmentally friendly materials, it's newly built and still has a bit of a smell. It's not as warm and breathable as a brick house. What if she gets sick again if you let her move in?"

Li Xiuxiu understood Zhao Jianguo's good intentions and quickly waved her hand, saying, "Brother Jianguo, no need, really no need! I'm fine with the prefab house. I've smelled it, it's fine, there's hardly any smell!"

"Xiuxiu, listen to your brother." He put away his smile, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Now that we're at the village committee, do as I say. We'll talk about other things after you've fully recovered!"