Chapter 50: First, Eat Your Fill

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: First, Eat Your Fill

"Haven’t you had lunch?"

Vili asked casually. Only after the words were out did he remember that in this world, few people aside from nobles and wealthy merchants ate lunch. Even the Ferren Family had only changed this habit after their fortunes improved, and only at Vili’s insistence.

A look of embarrassment crossed Old Yor’s face. "We common folk are a rough lot. We can endure hunger."

Vili’s expression grew a little serious at this. He suddenly recalled that when he had seen the villagers earlier, every one of them had looked sallow and gaunt, as if they hadn’t had a proper meal in a long time.

"Does everyone usually not have enough to eat?"

Compared to building roads, having enough food seemed like a far more critical issue. In an age without machines, manpower was the most important resource for construction. If people couldn’t eat their fill, Fandou Village would never be properly developed.

"None of us have any surplus grain at home. If the Lord Baron hadn’t given us some wheat bran after we moved to Fandou Village, we all might have starved to death by now."

Revealing the poverty of Fandou Village to the Village Chief right away seemed to make Old Yor extremely ashamed.

Wheat bran... That was an incredibly difficult food to swallow. Vili thought back to the first meal he’d eaten after arriving in this world. At least that meal had some actual wheat mixed in. ’A meal of pure wheat bran would probably feel like it’s slitting your throat.’

"So you didn’t have anything to eat before you moved to Fandou Village either?"

Vili asked doubtfully. Fandou Village was newly established; these villagers must have lived somewhere else before.

Old Yor stole a glance at Vili’s expression. "We were originally all villagers from the same place. We made a living by growing grain and vegetables. In past years, even though the yields were low, we could still barely manage to feed ourselves. But this year, our village was suddenly hit by a pest infestation. All the vegetables and grain were destroyed. Not only did we have nothing to eat, but we couldn’t even scrape together the taxes owed to the Lord Baron."

Old Yor continued, "Because we couldn’t pay our grain tax, the village was forcibly disbanded. Some villagers were sent to the border to work as laborers building fortifications, others were sent to other villages, and the rest of us were chosen to come here and build the new Fandou Village."

Hearing this, Vili finally understood why the villagers were so gaunt. He also understood the other emotion he had seen in their eyes besides fear: a deep-seated resentment.

Although it was Baron Kels who had forced them from their original homes, they would naturally extend that resentment to him. In their eyes, he was also one of the culprits responsible for them losing their homes. It couldn’t be helped; it was just human nature.

In fact, as a Lord, there was nothing wrong with what Baron Kels had done. The entirety of Diamond Town and its surrounding lands belonged to Baron Kels himself. When villagers were given the Baron’s land to work, they were responsible for producing a yield for him. However, these villagers had failed to save their grain and vegetables, which meant Baron Kels’s investment in this land yielded no return. From the Baron’s perspective, these villagers had, in a way, squandered his property.

Therefore, the Baron’s decision to disband the village was seen as perfectly just and proper by the entire nobility. Baron Kels was already considered a merciful Lord. Other lords in this situation would have directly expelled the villagers from their territory, turning them into homeless vagrants with no way to survive. Some particularly cruel noble lords might even kill them to vent their anger.

Here, the law was meant to bind the nobility, but within a lord’s own territory, his will was the ultimate rule.

"Even though the village was disbanded, didn’t any of you have money saved up?"

Vili asked.

Old Yor gave a bitter smile. "Every last coin we had was taken to compensate the Lord Baron for his losses."

Vili was speechless. ’The nobles of this world really are determined to strip the last layer of skin from the commoners.’

"This is a real headache. If no one has enough to eat, how can Fandou Village ever be built up..."

Vili muttered, as if complaining to himself. He had to find a way to feed everyone first.

Hearing this, however, Old Yor hurriedly declared, "Lord Village Chief, you don’t need to worry! Everyone will definitely work hard to cultivate the land and build Fandou Village. We won’t let this delay the village’s development."

Old Yor was terrified. If Vili became dissatisfied with them, he could drive them all away and recruit new villagers. Then these fifty-odd men, women, and children would become vagrants. And it was very difficult for a vagrant to survive.

Vili glanced at Old Yor, knowing the old man had misunderstood him.

"Feeding everyone is more important than building the village."

Old Yor couldn’t quite comprehend Vili’s words. It never even occurred to him that the Village Chief might want them to have enough to eat. In Old Yor’s mind, a Village Chief like Vili wouldn’t care if they lived or died; his only concern should be producing more beans.

’Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to town...’

Vili had already made his decision.

The villagers not having enough to eat was a problem. The villagers feeling resentment toward him was also a problem.

But the two combined wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for him. The villagers wanted to eat their fill—that was a need. If he could satisfy that need, he could both ensure they had the strength to work and win their loyalty. It was a matter of killing two birds with one stone. ’It’s not a problem if subordinates have desires; the real problem is when they have none.’

As for spending some money, that was truly not something Vili worried about. Not to mention the five hundred Gold Rums he’d been awarded, his own hunting and gathering Abilities alone could bring in a steady stream of income if he wished.

"Go find a young man for me. The three of us will make a trip to Diamond Town."

Vili instructed Old Yor.

Although Old Yor didn’t understand why Vili had suddenly made this decision, he chose to obey. "I’ll go get my grandson, Yadon. He’s a quick-witted and clever boy."

Vili returned home, drove out the horse cart he had borrowed from Aunt Shaven, and grabbed two leftover steamed buns on his way out.

Not long after leaving his house, Vili saw Old Yor approaching with a young man about his own age.

He was wearing a tattered, short-sleeved shirt, so thin that his skin seemed stretched tight over his bones.

’This must be the grandson, Yadon, that Old Yor mentioned.’

"Quick, greet the Lord Village Chief."

Old Yor urged.

"Greetings, Lord Village Chief."

Yadon cautiously sized up the Vili before him, a pang of bitterness in his heart. They were the same age, yet their statuses were worlds apart.

It was a deeply unpleasant feeling.