In the courtyard, everyone is afraid of the little boy who is so smart!

Every time he finished writing a correct character, he would quickly raise his head and stare at Grandpa Huang, with a hint of nervousness and caution in his eyes.

Afraid of missing even a word, afraid of remembering any name wrong, his serious and rigorous look was like a guard of fairness and justice.

After a long wait, Mr. Huang slowly opened the box with his hands trembling slightly.

There was concentration and caution in Grandpa Huang's eyes, and his wrinkled hands were searching carefully in the box.

Check each of the notes, some flat and some wrinkled, to make sure none are missed.

Then, holding the box steadily in both hands, he walked step by step towards where the big guys were gathered.

Although his steps were a little slow, they revealed an unquestionable firmness.

Uncle Huang stood in front of everyone, put the box down gently, and asked everyone to come forward and check it with a frank look.

After everyone had seen it, he turned around and slowly walked towards Zhao Shuzhuo. At this time, Zhao Shuzhuo was standing quietly by the side, his eyes calm and peaceful.

Mr. Huang came up to him and said softly:

"Shuzhuo, look, everyone's votes have been read out."

Zhao Shuzhuo bowed slightly, with a grateful smile on his face, and nodded gently to Uncle Huang.

Then, he picked up the notebook beside him, cleared his throat, and said to everyone in a steady and powerful voice:

"The votes have been counted. Next, I will copy the results onto the blackboard so that everyone can see them clearly."

"If you have any objections, you can raise them now and we can discuss them together."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around gently and walked to the blackboard standing beside him, which was covered with mottled marks and the vicissitudes of time.

He paused for a moment, as if silently sorting out the next steps in his mind, then raised his hand, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote each person's name on the blackboard one stroke at a time.

Every time he wrote a name, he would pause briefly to recall the corresponding number of votes, and then write down the number neatly next to the name.

After writing, he turned slightly and said calmly to everyone:

“I won’t write about those with less than ten votes. There are simply too many of them, especially those with only one vote, to reflect a representative tendency.”

"There is really no special meaning in listing them all. But there are five people who have more than ten votes, and they deserve our special attention."

Zhao Shuzhuo's voice echoed in the air, and everyone seemed to have heard a unified command, and they all turned their eyes to the blackboard.

Wang Jianguo naturally followed the crowd's gaze and saw the names of five people and the corresponding number of votes clearly displayed on the blackboard.

At the top was Zhao Shuzhuo, with twenty-nine votes written prominently next to his name; the number seemed to carry a silent majesty.

Next to them were Cheng Si and Cheng Hai, both with 25 votes. The two names were listed side by side, as if silently declaring that they were evenly matched.

Looking further down, next to Shan Haizhu's name was written fifteen votes, while Qin Jun had twelve votes.

These names and numbers are quietly displayed on the blackboard, as if waiting for everyone's scrutiny and judgment.

Zhao Shuzhuo slowly put down the chalk, gently shook off the chalk dust on his hands, and took a step back so that the villagers could see the voting results on the blackboard more clearly.

The villagers' eyes were focused on the blackboard. After a brief silence, discussions gradually arose among the crowd, and the whole atmosphere became relaxed and active.

At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded in the crowd:

"Brother Shuzhuo, the number of votes is obvious. You have the most votes. The position of village chief must belong to you!"

"In terms of ability and character, you are the best candidate in our hearts. We are all convinced that you should be the village chief."

The person who spoke was Yu Xiaoguang, a villager from Jianye Village. He was tall and strong, with a simple smile on his face and his eyes showing his sincere admiration and trust for Zhao Shuzhuo.

As soon as Yu Xiaoguang finished speaking, ripples of agreement spread among the crowd, as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake.

"Yes, Captain, I've been telling you guys before, why choose the village chief? Just let Shu Zhuo take the position."

"As expected, this voting result is exactly what I want. You are the most suitable person to take the position. No one should fight for it or snatch it away."

An old man with gray hair stroked his beard and said with a smile on his face, his eyes full of expectation and longing for the future of the village.

Zhao Shuzhuo raised his hands slightly, palms downward, and gently swayed them rhythmically, as if conducting an invisible symphony, trying to quiet down the noisy scene.

With a gentle yet firm expression on his face, he slowly scanned every villager present. When the noise of the crowd gradually subsided, he slowly spoke:

"My fellow villagers, your deep affection and friendship towards me is clear in my heart, and I cannot express my gratitude in words."

"It's all my fault for not being able to explain myself clearly. To be honest, I have to juggle several duties now. I am busy like a spinning top every day. I really can't do everything in two places."

"Even if I wanted to, I would never be able to take on the role of village chief. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the villagers who voted for me."

"Your trust is a great encouragement to me. Although I cannot serve as the village chief, please rest assured."

"Even if I don't have this title, I will do my best. As long as the village encounters difficulties, I will spare no effort to help solve them. I will never break my promise."

After saying that, Zhao Shuzhuo turned and walked towards the blackboard. His steps were steady and powerful, and every step seemed to be stepping on the hearts of the villagers.

The moment he picked up the eraser, his hand paused slightly, as if he was bidding a final farewell to the name on the blackboard that represented the trust of many villagers.

Then, he gently waved the blackboard eraser, again and again, slowly erasing his name, leaving only faint traces of chalk.

At this time, only four people's names were standing prominently on the blackboard.

Zhao Shuzhuo turned to face everyone again and said calmly:

"Everyone has seen that Uncle Cheng and Brother Cheng Hai currently have the same number of votes, and they are neck and neck."

"This is really a difficult situation. Next, let's ask Fourth Uncle Cheng and Brother Cheng Hai to come forward and say a few words."

"Tell me your ideas and plans, so that you can fight for the position of village chief. After all, this is related to the future development direction of our entire village, so we must treat it with caution."

Cheng Si and Cheng Hai slowly came to the front of the crowd amid the enthusiastic support of the crowd.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the two of them. The scene was silent, as if everyone was waiting for a wonderful speech to begin.