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墨書 Inktalez
Qi Chong was not a selfish person; he immersed himself in sweetness every day and had no reason to let his younger brother remain single. Although he didn't particularly like Wu Dayong, Wu Shengnan was a good person. Innocent and adorable, she was straightforward and candid.
As for Wu Dayong, after some time, he wasn't as bothersome anymore. Men tend to develop a sense of camaraderie after fighting together.
In the afternoon, Qi Chong attended the Villagers' Meeting alone. Yu Chunmiao wanted to come but had too much work at home. She preferred not to take on extra tasks over joining the crowd.
The turnout at the meeting surprised Qi Chong; he had expected only the men to show up, but women, children, and the elderly were present as well.
"Is there anyone whose family didn't come?" he asked loudly.
Lin Qiujiu stood up and said, "He Guangping didn't come, and Zhang Guihua's family has no adult men, so they didn't come either."
After thinking for a moment, Qi Chong replied, "Aunt Lin, please inform Zhang Guihua when you have time. Her family is special; I've arranged some work for her."
Instead of standing on the Banyan Tree platform, he walked among the villagers. "There are still less than two months until we harvest the late rice. I plan to take everyone up the mountain to set traps and hunt some game to earn some money. This money will help offset our grain taxes so that we can all have a good year."
"I have rules: only men aged ten to forty from each household can go into the mountains. If a household doesn't have a suitable man, they can send a woman instead; I have work for them as well."
"Also, regardless of how many people each household sends—men or women—the distribution of money will be the same. If anyone feels this is unfair, they can choose not to participate; I won't force anyone."
As soon as he finished speaking, the villagers began to murmur among themselves. It was true that some families had more men than others, and some had none at all. This was undoubtedly unfair; families with more men would be less willing to participate.
Qi Chong paced back and forth, listening to their discussions; this was something he had anticipated.
"I agree that it isn't fair," he said. "But I must do this. Why? To address that bit of selfishness in your hearts."
Hunting in the mountains couldn't be a long-term solution; no matter how many wild animals there were, they couldn't withstand long-term hunting by everyone in the village. If everyone continued to be selfish as before, then this would be the only help he could offer.
He crossed his arms and walked back and forth in front of the villagers, looking down at his feet as he spoke. "I've thought about your long-term livelihood; it may not lead to great wealth, but at least you won't go hungry, you'll be able to pay taxes, and you'll have clothes to wear."
"If we support each other, even the children at home could afford an education. But the premise is..."
"I know it can't be selfish." The village chief interjected with a voice that belonged to Xu Popo's grandson, Xu Wei You.
His family had two brothers plus their father who had just turned forty—indeed one of the families with more men in the village. However, they only had two acres of rice field and one acre of dry land, which was hardly enough to eat from. With marriage on the horizon and another mouth to feed soon after—his younger brother was already sixteen and would need to marry in a couple of years as well—things were looking tight for them.
If I don't take a risk now, I'll truly rot away in this village.
While the villagers were discussing, Lin Qiujiu stood up and said, "My husband doesn't have time to go up the mountain with you, but if you're hunting wild boars, he will help with the killing and selling without asking for a single penny in return."
"Can't you see? Qi Chong wants to lead everyone to prosperity, but three years ago, you hurt his feelings. If he doesn't test your intentions, how can he dare to gamble with you?"
Qi Chong nodded slightly at Lin Qiujiu in gratitude.
Lin Qiujiu was usually one to inquire about family matters and started off as a mere joke, but gradually she began to understand the hardships faced by each household. She wasn't heartless; she was simply powerless.
After the meeting, Qi Chong kept Lin Qiujiu back for a conversation, inquiring about the situations of various families in the village. He learned who had many elderly members, who was the poorest, and who had sick individuals, gathering all the information clearly.
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