Xiaxiang City, located in the northern part of Jiangdong Province.
It governs two districts and four counties.
Its total population is around five hundred thousand.
As previously ntioned, Xiaxiang City is the lowest-ranking city in terms of GDP in Jiangdong Province.
And in this county of Guanghe.
It is the poorest area in Xiaxiang City.
Ten years ago, it was already a poverty-stricken county in Jiangdong Province.
As of today.
It remains the only provincial-level poverty-stricken county in Jiangdong Province.
The population of Guanghe County is around one million, governing eleven towns, three streets, and one provincial-level economic developnt zone.
To visit Guanghe County.
Chen Fang had not contacted the county committee office in advance.
He planned to spend two days walking around.
It was also to get a sense of the local customs of Guanghe County.
Expectations are full, but reality is stark.
Chen Fang hadn't even entered the city yet when he took a blow to the head.
The two drove off the highway and followed the road leading to the county town.
They had just been driving for about ten minutes.
When the road ahead was blocked.
At the junction, a person wearing a yellow safety helt, seeming like a construction worker, waved a small flag, directing vehicles to detour through a village road nearby.
At that ti, Yu Zhengchuan didn't think much of it.
He followed the other vehicles into that narrow village road.
After driving for about three or four minutes.
The speed gradually decreased.
Chen Fang, who had been dozing off, woke up and asked, "What's happened?"
Yu Zhengchuan pointed forward and said, "There's a traffic jam, no idea what's going on."
Driving on the road.
Traffic jams are an uncertain factor.
Not particularly surprising.
They followed the flow of vehicles, inching forward slowly.
Soon.
The two saw several young people standing in the center of the road.
These young people, dressed in yellow vests, were saying sothing to each car passing by.
As Yu Zhengchuan's car approached,
one of the young n ca over and tapped the window.
Yu Zhengchuan, unsuspecting, lowered the window and asked, "What's the matter?"
The young man looked inside, with a lazy deanor, and said, "Pay up, ten per person, that's twenty in total."
Yu Zhengchuan was startled.
He asked, "What do you an? What is this fee for?"
"It's a road-buying fee, hurry up and pay, stop dawdling," the young man said impatiently.
Chen Fang was also confused.
He asked, "Young man, which unit are you from? Isn't this a village road? Why are you collecting money?"
The young man glanced at the license plate, then seed to have an epiphany, and asked, "Is this your first ti in Guanghe County?"
"It's the first ti,"
Chen Fang replied.
The young man nodded and said, "Twenty-five per person, we'll settle for fifty in total for you two."
Damn.
How co they're hiking the price right here?
Chen Fang was just about to lose his temper.
From a distance, another middle-aged man shouted towards them, "Big Dog, hurry up, what are you dawdling for? The traffic's already backed up."
The young man, hearing this, imdiately reached his hand in.
He said, "Hurry up, hurry up, there's a long line behind us too."
Yu Zhengchuan looked at Chen Fang.
Chen Fang nodded and said, "Pay him."
Yu Zhengchuan took out fifty yuan.
Chen Fang passed it over to the young man's hands with so heartache.
The young man, satisfied, tucked the money away.
He waved his hand and said, "Alright, you may leave now."
"Isn't there a receipt or an invoice?"
Yu Zhengchuan asked.
The young man glared unhappily and said, "Are you leaving or not? If not, I might detain you and the vehicle."
Yu Zhengchuan felt his anger rise upon hearing this.
He was just about to retort.
When Chen Fang punched him lightly.
He could only drive away sulkily.
They passed through the village road.
And returned to the provincial road again.
At that mont, they saw a car with out-of-town license plates parked by the side of the road.
The driver stood by the side of the road, urinating.
Chen Fang pointed at the car and said, "Stop behind him."
Yu Zhengchuan had just parked the car steadily.
Chen Fang got out of the car.
Just as the driver who had been "relieving himself" finished, shivered, and was about to get into his car, Chen Fang quickly pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took out one, and thrust it into the driver's hand, smiling as he said, "Buddy, can you tell how to get to the county committee's compound?"
A cigarette paves an easy path for conversation.
The driver, in his thirties, also enthusiastically pointed out the way for Chen Fang.
Chen Fang voluntarily reached for the lighter and helped the driver light his cigarette, asking, "Big brother, may I ask, I'm visiting Guanghe County for the first ti, what's the deal with the toll on that village road just now?"
"Are you talking about Zhanglou Village?"
The driver asked as he took a puff of his cigarette.
Chen Fang quickly nodded his head, saying, "Yes, yes, exactly, Zhanglou Village."
"Co here a few more tis, and you'll get used to it. The people of Zhanglou Village have blocked the provincial road. All passing vehicles have to go through their village, and they've hired so young guys to collect money from each vehicle that passes. The entire village relies on this highway robbery for a living," explained the driver.
Upon hearing this,
Chen Fang frowned.
He asked, "Doesn't the relevant departnt in Guanghe County manage this? How could they allow road tolls like this?"
The driver chuckled and said, "Manage? How can they manage? Arrest all the villagers? Far from managing, even if soone calls the police, they just turn a blind eye. Aren't they all in cahoots?"
"So, do the passing drivers willingly pay the money?"
Chen Fang asked.
The driver laughed again.
He said, "Willingly? How could that be? No one's money cos from being blown by the wind. Who would want to pay? But you have no choice but to pay, otherwise you can't go through. Just a few days ago, there was a driver from out of town who outright refused to pay. Not only was he brutally beaten, but his car is still held in the village now. Can you really choose not to pay?"
After saying this,
The driver tossed his cigarette butt away.
He got in his car and drove off.
Chen Fang stood there, still finding it sowhat incredulous.
This kind of thing had actually happened right before his eyes.
It also cast a shadow over his trip to Guanghe County.
"Should we call the county committee office?"
Yu Zhengchuan asked.
Chen Fang waved his hand and said, "It's okay, we'll continue forward. The problems with Zhanglou Village might just be the tip of the iceberg. Now that our identities are exposed, we might not see the whole picture."
There was foresight in this decision.
Chen Fang chose not to alert the snakes.
It allowed him to see even more shocking things.
About three or four kiloters further on,
The two saw several small roadside restaurants.
Each restaurant had a sign that read "Free parking, stop here for a al."
Before the car even arrived,
The restaurant people had caught wind of their approach and stood at the roadside, waving to the passing vehicles.
"It's about ti for a al, why don't we stop road-side for a bite before heading into town? It's also a good opportunity to try the local cuisine,"
Chen Fang suggested.
Yu Zhengchuan was also hungry.
So he drove the car to the entrance of one of the small restaurants.
A grubby-looking burly man warmly welcod them…
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