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墨書 Inktalez
“Ambassador, several seals died last night.” Jiang Chao knelt before Zhang Yaoming, trembling with fear and showing great reverence.
Zhang Yaoming glanced coldly at the person on the ground, as if looking at a corpse. “Is that so?”
“Ambassador, it has been too cold these past few days, and those Seal People are desperate to die. Besides, there are no medicines available… Fortunately, with the cold weather, the meat can be preserved for a few more days.” Jiang Chao repeatedly bowed his head, trying to defend himself.
If Jiang Chao had previously viewed Zhang Yaoming as a partner, he had now been completely suppressed. This Zhang Yaoming was a madman—no, even a madman would be better; he was nothing short of a devil. During this time, Jiang Chao had witnessed how those people were tortured step by step to the point of wishing for death, especially after Zhang Yaoming was beaten by Li Yan. His health had not recovered, and his temper had worsened.
The snow had been falling continuously, and many people were running out of food. The contributions of rice and grains from the followers had dwindled. Jiang Chao had already sent people to intensify grain collection, but no one knew when the weather would improve; everyone was hoarding supplies.
He also sent people to raid several households, but those bastards acted like underground guerrillas. They didn’t know where their supplies were hidden, especially in the nearby villages where no one even dared to light a fire. He couldn’t understand how they managed to solve their food problems. Jiang Chao gritted his teeth in frustration and ultimately decided to visit Flower Fragrance Village, hoping for some income.
Flower Fragrance Village was actually established by the Savior Cult. Initially, it aimed to provide these women with a means of earning food while also trying to win over local villagers for the benefit of the Savior Cult, primarily for intelligence gathering.
As for what kind of intelligence, it was naturally about the wealth of that area and any households with reserves. Once they obtained this information, they would organize people to raid overnight. Relying on these tactics allowed the Savior Cult to expand rapidly. Jiang Chao had considered taking over; if he hadn’t helped him back then, would Zhang Yaoming have achieved his current status?
However, despite all his calculations, he never expected that Zhang Yaoming was such a lunatic. There was a woman in Flower Fragrance Village who tried to escape with a man behind their backs; in the end, they caught her and not only that but also went to that man’s village, killing his entire family and bringing back his thirteen-year-old daughter.
Jiang Chao thought they would simply release her as per usual practice in Flower Fragrance Village, but this time Zhang Yaoming did not do so. He ordered that child to be boiled alive. Jiang Chao would forever remember the smell of that meat once it was cooked—a scent that made him want to vomit yet excited him at the same time. Yes, killing was no longer something new; wasn’t it? They were the true rulers who could decide how these people would die.
At first, they were reluctant and afraid to eat it. Zhang Yaoming said, “If you don’t eat it, then you’ll be the next one eaten.”
That day, several core members of the Savior Cult, suppressing their nausea, forced themselves to swallow the meat. They didn’t know what it tasted like; they only felt disgusted—a feeling that was indescribable. Some even questioned whether they could really eat human flesh.
Many who returned home afterward found it impossible to sleep; perhaps they would break down eventually. Some even cried secretly. Zhang Yaoming was an absolute tyrant who would not allow any “deviation” under his control.
The next day he gathered them together and said he wanted them to witness a spectacle. He had someone chop off that woman’s limbs and placed them in a jar; this was what was known as the legendary Seal People, who could only live such a miserable existence without limbs.
Of course, even if they died, they could still serve a final purpose—their flesh soaked in medicinal liquid all day long while listening to an old Chinese medicine practitioner mumble about how this medicine was highly nourishing…
From then on, anyone who dared betray the church would be turned into a Seal People. This served as both a warning and a deterrent. Every time Jiang Chao saw the way Zhang Yaoming looked at him, he couldn’t sleep at night. No, this couldn’t go on any longer; he needed to think of a way out. Yes, think of a way—only by staying alive could he achieve great things!
As October approached, everyone grew weary of eating potatoes and corn for an extended period. Zhang Hong came with several men to find Li Yan. In this bitter cold weather, adults could endure it but not children. So everyone discussed whether they should kill a chicken every ten days or so and make a big pot of chicken soup with some cornmeal so that children could have some meat while adults could get some nutritious broth.
Of course, other meats are fine too. As for these chickens and meats, each household will provide them in turn. If someone doesn't have any, they can exchange with others. To ensure fairness, those who are unwilling can opt out; this is also to prevent some people from being dishonest. After all, everything that goes into our mouths is precious.
Li Yan thought every bit of it was good. This way, not only would the first batch of meat be fresh, but if a big pot of soup was made and no one drank a drop, it wouldn't be worth it.
Zhang Yunshen also came over. At first, the Li family members didn’t understand why these big men were bringing a woman like Zhang Yunshen along. Eventually, they realized they were too embarrassed to speak up and had Zhang Yunshen take on the role of the bad guy.
“I say, village chief, we are all rough folks, so I’ll speak plainly. My family has only five or six chickens. I’m happy if my kids can eat a bit every few days, but no one comes for free. You know what I mean. What I’m saying is that the ten or so children at the orphanage shouldn’t participate; after all, they are all the eldest's children. We don’t want the village chief's family to be all men who can work and not care about a few mouths to feed. My family’s Heizi and my old man work hard from dawn till dusk. Don’t blame me for speaking harshly; it’s just the truth.” After saying this, he didn’t dare to leave.
Zhang Hong awkwardly smiled and said, “It’s all my wife’s doing; she insisted on having Zhang Yunshen represent us. Village chief, please don’t mind.”
“It’s fine. Since you’ve made your decision, just go ahead and handle it. I’ve said before that although I’m the village chief, things have gotten chaotic with the G family, let alone in the village. From now on, you can discuss and decide these daily matters among yourselves; I’m just here for reference,” Li Yan said with a smile and shook his head. He had anticipated this situation long ago.
He could dominate these people and make them listen to him in everything, but in return, he would have to sacrifice his freedom and resources. Once they got used to relying on him, if he did something they were unhappy with, he would become the villain. Li Yan was just an ordinary person who wanted to live life with his loved ones and friends.
Especially with the matter of Hybrid Rice Varieties reminding Li Yan once again that perhaps because he had space, his thoughts differed from those of ordinary people. After all, he had an escape route; even if he lost land and food, as long as the space existed, he could live well—better than others. Gradually, he began to forget himself and felt that contributing more was no big deal without realizing that in others' eyes, he had become a fool.
“Well then, village chief, since that’s settled, I’ll head back. By the way, I’ll make a note of you. Liu Tao and his group should be included too; as long as they provide rice or noodles,” Zhang Hong said cheerfully, a glint of shrewdness flashing across his seemingly honest face.
“No need; you don’t have to put my name down. As for Zhao Di and Liu Tao’s group, I’ll arrange that naturally. Zhang Hong, go tell everyone that although I’m the village chief, I’m just an ordinary villager too. This village belongs to everyone; whether there’s food to eat depends on our own abilities—even I sometimes go hungry. My burden isn’t small either; it’s a big family we’re talking about; everyone has it tough,” Li Yan said while giving him a knowing look before adding, “You can go now; I won’t see you off.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hong was immediately startled and hurriedly tried to remedy it. “Village chief, you can’t say that! You’re our leader! Everyone is counting on you! I’m just a simpleton who doesn’t understand anything; I only sought out cement because I trusted you back then. Look at now—within a hundred miles radius, our village is the safest! I Zhang Hong admire you!”
“Zhang Hong, you’re thinking too much,” Zhou Miao said with a hint of seriousness yet still smiling. “It’s not easy for us to know each other; I've known Li Yan since we were young. He’s what you’d call a homebody—some might say he doesn’t fit in with others. Luckily we met you guys; when something big happens we can discuss it together—I think that’s great! Besides, we’re not those kinds of people who like to seize power recklessly. If we get along well enough then great; if not, that’s fine too—there will always be some people in this village who don’t get along well but still stay here together; at worst we just won’t interact.”
“Haha.” Zhang Hong's smile had already stiffened—what did Li Yan mean? Did they plan not to take responsibility when something happened in the future? “We’re all from the same village; we’re all family here—what’s mine is yours! Anyway, I’ll take my leave now; my kid's mother is still waiting for me.”
“Is this really okay?” Yu Tian asked with some concern since what was said had become rather firm.
The old man remained silent until Zhang Hong walked out of the courtyard before saying: “Yu Tian, taking care of yourself is the greatest filial piety to our ancestors. In this world where even filial piety has disappeared—what else is left?” Although he didn’t fully agree with Xiao Yan and Miaozi's actions, at least they did one thing right: they didn’t take on responsibilities that weren’t theirs. One should cook according to how much rice one has; youth must remain steady—especially during such times.
Zhang Hong's proposal wasn’t bad either; Yu Tian caught several chickens and brought some eggs along with other items to Liu Tao's group the next day—the chickens were meant for hatching eggs while the eggs were for nourishment. Although they were already working on greenhouses and sheds since their wealth was still limited upon arrival. Li Yan also gave them some coal balls and daily necessities—this was done by Li Yan and Yin Le taking several people out deliberately so everyone would think they found them outside.
Many regretted not going along; some who couldn’t get any grapes claimed they were sour behind their backs: “They’re no better than us—they have everything! They fought hard for these things after all—they're just lonely folks anyway; if they die it’s just death for them! If I were in charge here—even if there was nothing to eat or drink—I wouldn’t let him go! Besides what use are these things they brought back? The Li family will definitely take their share! It’s quite pitiful when you think about it.”
"Exactly, those from the Li Family are really unreasonable..."
"Did you all see? Did Li Brother take even a penny from your family?" Tang Zhaodi shouted angrily at the women, "How shameless! Without Li Brother, could you even eat in peace? Hmph, ridiculous! And you say you won't let your man go out. Who was it that complained just a few days ago about not having firewood and cursed your man for being useless and not going out of the village to find some?"
"You!" The women who were joking around became furious, hurling insults that started off mild but escalated into something much worse. Some tried to mediate, but as the insults flew, the situation quickly turned from a small argument into a full-blown brawl.
Perhaps being cooped up in the village all day had made them anxious and fearful, and this opportunity allowed all their pent-up frustrations to explode.
As the men and women clashed, Li Yan and Zhou Miao had no choice but to step in with the old man. The men still cared about appearances, but the women did not hold back. One woman shouted directly at Li Yan, "You're the village chief; you need to say something about this today. Why should we listen to you? It's just a wall! My husband has been working hard for days. Tell me, who in this village hasn't contributed? Just because your man is strong and can fight? Ridiculous! If this were before the apocalypse, your dog of a man would be in deep trouble! Ah, you're hitting me!"
The woman stared at Li Ming in shock, almost unable to believe it. She was already known as a notorious shrew, and now she was ready to confront him. "Who do you think you are? Today I'm going all out against you."
As it looked like Li Ming was about to be scratched, Li Yan kicked out fiercely, her cold voice carrying a heavy warning: "Anyone who wants to die can come over."
Though her voice was soft, it brought the already chaotic scene under control. While everyone thought the woman was too aggressive, they also felt that Li Yan had gone too far; after all, she was a woman and her kick was no light matter. The woman's man turned red with anger but dared not speak up as his partner continued to berate him.
"A few days ago, I spoke with Zhang Hong and asked him to inform everyone present. As village chief, I make decisions after discussing them with everyone; I do not force anyone to work. If you are unwilling, I respect that. But one thing: this village was built by me for one purpose—to provide my family with a safe place. Please listen carefully; it is for my family. As for you all, you chose to stay voluntarily. If anyone no longer wishes to remain here, I welcome you to leave." She glanced at the woman who had been shouting; the woman's face turned pale—leaving meant certain death.
"If you think I am an incompetent village chief, I will announce something: you can elect a Vice Village Chief. In the future, if you have any issues, you can approach him as long as it does not infringe on my family's safety or that of the village; I will not interfere." After saying this, Li Yan left with her still dissatisfied little friend.
The crowd was left with varied expressions on their faces.
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