Li Yao let Wang Yuanbang remove the rag from Fang Mingtai's mouth.
"Sister-in-law Li, I'm sorry, I..."
"You don't need to apologize to me," Li Yao said, "You should go back and apologize to your family, because you caused them to not get any sweet potatoes, and could only watch other families eat their fill every day while you were hungry. "
Fang Mingtai lowered his head.
Li Yao's words made him feel utterly ashamed and full of regret.
Li Yao had discovered so many sweet potatoes and not only didn't hide them for herself, but took them out to share with everyone - she was a great benefactor to all the villagers of He Wan.
And yet he had suspected her of harboring ill intentions.
He really was not human!
"Sister-in-law Li, I was wrong," Fang Mingtai said, "Please give me a chance, I promise I won't act rashly again!"
Li Yao had not intended to keep him tied up for long anyway, so she let Wang Yuanbang loosen his bonds, then brought two roasted sweet potatoes over to him.
Holding the still warm roasted sweet potato, Fang Mingtai peeled off the charred skin, and when the soft, sweet, delicious flavor exploded in his mouth, he suddenly couldn't hold back the tears that welled up and streamed down his cheeks.
"Sister-in-law Li, from now on I'll listen to whatever you say! Whatever you ask me to do I'll do, I absolutely won't say another word!"
"There's no need for that," Li Yao said. "Just work hard."
"Mm!"
Fang Mingtai quickly joined the ranks digging up sweet potatoes.
Just as everyone was busily digging away, all the villagers of He Wan had gathered in the open area in front of the Zheng family's door.
"Li Yao said that no matter old or young, everyone can go," Zheng said. "She'll provide two meals a day, and give 10 wen in wages each day afterwards."
"Even the little kids?"
"Anyone who can walk!"
In other words, even the toddlers of two or three years old, and the old men and women in their sixties and seventies, would earn 10 wen a day?
Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, feeling as if they were dreaming.
"Our Eldest Sis is a kind person," Wang Xueshi timely added. "Only she would help you all like this for no reason."
"Yes, Eldest Sis really is a wonderful person!"
"Let's all go then. Anyway there's not much to do in the fields now. We can eat every day and even earn money."
"An opportunity like this is rarer than finding a torch at night. Our whole families will definitely go."
"Hmph, she's not necessarily so kindhearted!"
A dissonant voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
Looking back, who else could it be but Zhu Yougui?
"Zhu Yougui, if you don't want to go then don't go," someone said. "Don't make snide remarks here."
"I'm doing this for your own good," Zhu Yougui said. "Have you thought this through? How many people are there in the whole village? Not counting those not at home, at least 1000 right? Just the wages alone would be 10,000 wen a day! The meals, let's say 5000 wen a day. That mountain area will take at least half a month to clear, 15 taels a day - over 200 taels for half a month! Do you really think she'll pay that much when the time comes?"
Hearing this, it did seem to make sense. After all, 200 plus taels of silver was not a small sum, even rich families couldn't just take it out on a whim.
Even if Li Yao had that much money, would she really spend so much just to clear some land and build some roads?
Seeing that some people were starting to believe him, a smug look appeared on Zhu Yougui's face. He continued, "In my opinion, she's just trying to get you to work for free. In the end it was Zheng who told you about this. If she doesn't acknowledge the debt, what can you do?"
"Zhu Yougui, are you asking to be scolded?" Wang Xueshi yelled.
"Yelling loudly is useless," Zhu Yougui said. "If you dare to say that if Li Yao doesn't pay, you will pay instead, then I'll take back everything I said."
Wang Xueshi was taken aback by this. Even with her faith in Li Yao, she didn't dare make such a guarantee!
"Right, where is Li Yao anyway? Why doesn't she come to tell us herself?" someone asked.
"I'd believe it if she came herself."
"That does make sense. It would be hard to do anything if she doesn't acknowledge the debt later."
...
Seeing the villagers engaged in spirited discussion, Wang Jiafu also started to feel anxious. He truly hadn't expected this situation.
"Let me say a few words," Fang clan chief Fang Shian stepped forward.
"I won't say much. I just want to ask you all, how many households still have enough food to last until the new year?"
Hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Out of the hundred plus households in He Wan village, the number that could confidently claim this could be counted on one hand. The majority had already started eating wild vegetables every day.
"Li Yao has invited everyone to work, she doesn't discriminate between men and women, young and old. She is willing to provide two meals a day for elderly in their sixties and seventies, and for toddlers who have just learned to walk," Fang Shian said. "I don't know what you all think, but I feel that even if she didn't pay a single wen, we would still come out ahead. At the very least, we can eat our fill these two weeks."
After he put it this way, everyone suddenly understood.
Indeed, what time was it right now? Just being able to eat their fill was an enormous blessing, so what was there to worry about wages?
"Our whole family is going!" one villager loudly proclaimed. "Elder Fang is right. What times are these, when beggars are being picky about free rice?"
After his rousing call, the other villagers also began to voice their intentions.
In the end, Wang Jiafu roughly calculated that every family was going except Zhu Yougui's, and the anxiety in his heart finally disappeared.
He had truly been worried that if too many people didn't go, there wouldn't be enough sweet potatoes and they would go hungry.
As for Zhu Yougui, since he was a fellow villager after all, as village chief he naturally still had to give a reminder.
"Zhu Yougui, are you going or not?"
"Not going," Zhu Yougui said with a mocking smile. "It's clearly a scam, only fools would go for it."
"Auntie He, what about you? If you want to go it's the same as everyone else," the village chief asked Zhu Yougui's mother.
Mrs. He was just about to agree when Zhu Yougui glared fiercely at her. "Wasn't it enough that you did free road work for the village last time? Let's go."
Mrs. He didn't dare defy him, she could only sigh deeply in her heart and leave with Zhu Yougui.
The villagers were already used to this kind of thing and didn't interfere.
Wang Jiafu first recorded the names of those who were going. He assigned 100 able-bodied people for road work, the rest would go clear land. He would lead the road work team, while Eldest Sis would lead the land clearing.
Over 1000 villagers set off in an impressive line toward the back mountain.
After everyone had left, Wang San'er immediately brought several boys his age and started patrolling the village.
They all carried crude bows and arrows on their backs, and held "swords" whittled from bamboo blocks in their hands, feeling extremely majestic.
Especially Wang San'er. His bow and arrows were made by Li Yao, much better than what others had. His weapon wasn't a bamboo arrow, but a long fireplace poker from home.
Most importantly, he was also leading his little pig.
Although not as impressive as a warhorse, sitting on a rock on the hillside overlooking the village really made him feel like a grand general.
From now on, I'll protect He Wan village!
