Chapter 53: Title: Micro Lord

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Title: Micro Lord

"Why is Vili giving wheat to these people?"

Not far from the crowd, Vilia held a quiet Wally in her arms and asked Lake, who was beside her.

When Yadon had shouted for everyone in Fandou Village to gather, the Ferren Family had heard it too. Since their son was assembling the villagers, they naturally had to come and see.

Because Mrs. Shaven still needed to tidy up their new house, and because she had no interest in this sort of thing, only Lake came to the village entrance with Vilia.

"Vili wants to make sure everyone has enough to eat. He’s a kind boy, and he’ll be a good Village Chief."

Lake explained to Vilia. In truth, there was something else he left unsaid: Vili was actually winning their loyalty.

The cost of ten bags of wheat was nothing to the Ferren Family now, but Lake still felt a pang of regret. After all, they had only just escaped a life of poverty. But despite his reluctance to part with it, he firmly believed Vili was doing the right thing.

"Six jin of wheat, hold it steady!"

Yadon was already covered in sweat, but he still didn’t feel tired.

Old Yor’s clothes were also soaked through, but his heart was filled with exceptional joy.

The villagers had been summoned suddenly, and with no preparations made for distributing the wheat, there were no sacks to hold it. So, the men present put their minds to work, taking off their linen tops to use as makeshift bags. One villager, whose shirt wasn’t big enough, even took off his son’s shirt and pants to use as sacks.

Because the process of receiving the grain was orderly, the wheat was distributed quickly.

But after the wheat was handed out, the villagers didn’t leave immediately. They all stood in place, as if waiting for something.

"Lord Village Chief, all the wheat has been distributed. There are still sixty jin of wheat left. What should we do with it?"

Old Yor was elated. With this wheat, as long as they were frugal, the villagers could get through the current difficult times. Winter wouldn’t be so frightening anymore. Come next spring, when the beans were harvested, they would no longer have to worry about starving to death. These five hundred jin of wheat had solved their most pressing problem.

"Distribute the remaining wheat among the elderly, anyone over fifty years old."

Vili was already starting to establish a welfare model for Fandou Village.

Old Yor nodded. This way, he would get a little extra himself.

"Lord Village Chief, please say a few more words. Everyone is waiting for you."

Old Yor glanced at the villagers and spoke to Vili again.

Vili nodded and jumped back onto the horse-drawn cart.

This time, as he looked down at the villagers from above, he saw them all looking up at him. The rejection in their eyes was gone, replaced by profound gratitude.

For villagers who only wanted to fill their stomachs and survive, the act of giving them food was the greatest kindness.

"I’ll make two points."

Vili’s voice was steady and firm. "First, regarding the matter of planting beans. Fandou Village was built because of Baron Kels’s needs. He wants his granaries filled with beans. Therefore, we must make bean cultivation our number one priority. When spring arrives next year, we must hand over enough beans to the Lord Baron."

Vili knew very well that Baron Kels was the one he truly had to satisfy.

After hearing Vili’s words, some of the villagers below began to nod unconsciously.

"I know there’s another question on everyone’s mind: after paying the bean tax, how many more beans will you have to give to me."

As the Village Chief, Vili also had the right to collect a bean tax.

"I’m telling you now, I won’t take a single bean! After you hand over the portion for the Baron, all the beans you grow belong to you. Whether you keep them for yourselves or sell them is your choice!"

The moment Vili’s words fell, the villagers let out a collective gasp of surprise.

This meant things were exactly the same as in their old villages. After paying taxes to the Lord Baron, they wouldn’t have to pay a second time. In that case, being forced to move from their villages to Fandou Village hadn’t caused them any loss at all.

Seeing the villagers who could no longer contain their excitement, the corners of Vili’s mouth curved up slightly.

’How many beans could these villagers possibly give me? A single harvest would probably yield less than what I get from two trips into Bole Forest. In that case, I might as well let the villagers keep the beans for themselves.’

Although Fandou Village was built to grow beans, Vili had already set his sights on the long term. He wanted to build Fandou Village into a miniature Diamond Town, a place that, like Diamond Town, had not only agriculture but also commerce. He wanted to make this the most prosperous village under Diamond Town’s jurisdiction. This wasn’t just a fantasy. There was plenty of land, and as long as he had the money for expansion, his vision wouldn’t be difficult to achieve.

Now that he had waived the bean tax, he could easily make up for it later through taxes on other crops or commerce. The prerequisite was that Fandou Village had to be expanded.

Baron Kels had always supported the expansion of villages. It was a good way to increase his own tax revenue, so he would never stop it. In fact, he would encourage it—provided, of course, that he didn’t have to pay for the expansion himself.

"Now for the second point..."

Vili continued, "In the future, we may have to put in more sweat to further build Fandou Village, so I want everyone to be well-fed and strong. Because every two months, I will provide you all with a supply of grain. So, you don’t need to be too frugal with these five hundred jin of wheat."

This time, the silence in the crowd was finally broken. The villagers could no longer suppress their excitement and began to shout for joy.

So the wheat was a continuous supply! They had never imagined that the Lord Village Chief would be so generous.

The cheering villagers’ faces were beaming with a passion for life and hope for the future.

They wouldn’t have to starve anymore. This new life was even better than the old one.

Vili smiled too. As long as he could win the people’s hearts, a bright future for Fandou Village was not just a dream.

Just as he was thinking this, text from the Title Attribute Panel suddenly appeared before his eyes.

"Gained the respect and gratitude of all villagers in Fandou Village, obtained the title—[Micro Lord], reward: 0.5 attribute points"

"Acquiring the title [Micro Lord] grants the Ability [Reputation (Level 1)]. As the highest authority in Fandou Village, your emotional state will inspire intense respect or fear in all villagers."

[Vili Ferren—Constitution: 2.6; Intelligence: 1.2; Remaining attribute points: 1.3]

Vili was dazed for a moment. ’I can even get a title for this?’

"Reputation... Am I already on the path to becoming a Lord...?"

Vili felt that his life, just like that of the villagers, was finally starting to get on track.

’If Fandou Village continues to develop, will I get even higher-level titles?’

Vili was suddenly filled with intense anticipation for the future of Fandou Village.