Chapter 52: The Ecstatic Settlers

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Ecstatic Settlers

As the Village Chief of Fandou Village, shouldn’t Vili be racking his brain to squeeze every last bit of value from the villagers? Why would he spend so much of his own money to buy grain and give it to them?

Old Yor and Yadon were instantly bewildered. Their Lord Village Chief, already an enigma, now seemed even more unfathomable.

Vili paid no mind to their confusion. To him, building a prosperous village was the most important thing. Draining the pond to catch the fish—overly exploiting his people—was an incredibly foolish act.

"Pick up the pace. Let’s try to get back to the village and finish distributing the grain before sunset."

Vili instructed Old Yor.

"Yes, Lord Village Chief."

Old Yor had now recovered from his confusion, and his heart was instantly filled with joy.

’If all this wheat was distributed, it wouldn’t just immediately improve the current situation in Fandou Village, it would also restore everyone’s will to live. As an elder of the old village, it had broken Old Yor’s heart to see it shattered, but he had been powerless. Now, Vili’s actions allowed him to see hope for the villagers’ future. Perhaps this twist of fate wasn’t as terrible as he’d imagined after all.’

Hearing Vili’s words, Yadon was even more excited than Old Yor. He wasn’t thinking as broadly; he just knew that if this grain was distributed, his family would get a share. That way, his grandfather, parents, and sister could all eat better, and life would become a little easier.

All at once, the grandfather and grandson, whose hearts had been so heavy just moments before, felt as if the sun had broken through the clouds.

Old Yor cracked his whip more frequently, and the horse’s pace gradually quickened.

「About an hour later, the three of them returned to Fandou Village.」

The moment Vili returned to the village, he was met with envious gazes from the other villagers. They saw that the Village Chief’s carriage was loaded with ten full burlap sacks, which they all recognized as bags for holding grain.

’With that much grain, how long would it take for the Village Chief’s family to eat it all?’

"Stop here at the entrance to the village."

Vili told Old Yor to stop. "There’s more space here. It’ll be easier to distribute the grain."

"Go tell all the villagers to gather here. Oh, and bring a scale. We’ll need it to portion out the grain."

It was a small task, so naturally he sent Old Yor and Yadon to do it. They would surely be more than willing.

"Yes, Lord Village Chief."

The two got off the carriage and hurried off in different directions into the village.

Yadon ran quickly, shouting to the villagers who were busy with repairs, "The Lord Village Chief says everyone is to drop what you’re doing and gather at the village entrance at once! Be quick about it, don’t keep the Lord Village Chief waiting!"

As Yadon’s voice echoed through the village, the people exchanged glances, each seeing the resignation in the others’ eyes.

The Village Chief had just taken office; he was probably about to do something to assert his authority. For the villagers, this was hardly good news. However, despite their reluctance, everyone obeyed the order. Some even jogged home to retrieve infants from their cradles. The Lord Village Chief had said *everyone* was to attend, and that naturally meant infants were no exception.

At the village entrance, Vili stood before the carriage, watching as more and more villagers gathered. No one dared to get too close, however. They all maintained a distance of at least three meters from him as a sign of respect.

"Lord Village Chief, everyone’s here!"

Old Yor had counted twice, even including the babes in their parents’ arms.

Just then, Yadon ran over carrying a large scale. "Lord Village Chief, I brought the scale."

"Thank you. You were quick. Good work."

Vili’s words of encouragement made Yadon flush with excitement.

None of the villagers dared to whisper to one another; the crowd was completely silent.

Vili saw this, hopped onto the carriage to stand on higher ground, and addressed the villagers in a loud voice. "Old Yor has told me about your living conditions. As the builders and developers of Fandou Village, you can’t be expected to work on an empty stomach. So this afternoon, I had Old Yor and Yadon accompany me to Diamond Town, where we purchased five hundred pounds of wheat."

Vili slapped the burlap sacks on the carriage. "This is it. And now, I’m giving it all to you!"

A hush fell over the crowd.

Everyone who heard the news had the same reaction as Old Yor and Yadon.

Disbelief. Shock. Everyone thought they had misheard.

’The Village Chief is handing out wheat before he’s even collected the Bean tax? Is he toying with us?’

Their deeply ingrained worldview made Vili’s words seem unreal.

Vili sighed inwardly at their reaction and continued, "The grain will be distributed by headcount. Every adult man, sixteen and older, will receive ten pounds of wheat. Every adult woman will receive six pounds. And every child under sixteen will receive four pounds."

’Even though many of the infants and young children couldn’t work, Vili still generously gave each of them four pounds of grain. Unlike their parents, these little ones would grow up identifying with Fandou Village as their home. They were the future, and they needed to grow up strong and healthy.’

"Don’t just stand there gawking. Old Yor, Yadon, you’re in charge of distributing the grain."

Vili hopped down from the carriage and stood to one side.

"Yes!"

Old Yor’s face was beaming, his voice full of vigor, showing no trace of his earlier frailty.

Old Yor’s booming voice snapped the dazed villagers back to reality.

’It’s real. It’s actually real! The Village Chief is really giving everyone grain!’

’If this much grain was given out, their immediate struggle with hunger would be over!’

The eyes of some mothers holding infants immediately reddened. They had been feeding their babies wheat bran and milk so diluted it was like water. It had broken their hearts, but they’d had no other choice. Now, at last, the children in their arms could finally eat their fill.

Everyone’s face flushed, and they all wanted to shout for joy, but they didn’t dare be too unreserved in front of the Village Chief.

Thus, a strange scene of fervent excitement and hushed silence unfolded.

"Everyone, form a proper line! We’re going to distribute the grain!"

There was a hint of pride in Yadon’s voice. Carrying out the Lord Village Chief’s command, he felt as if he were taking part in something truly honorable.

At his words, the villagers instantly formed a long, orderly line, with no crowding or shoving.

Vili stood off to the side, his gaze sweeping across each of the villagers’ faces.

’They were the same people, and yet, compared to before, they were completely different.’