The refugees suppressed their urge to rush forward, standing still, their bodies trembling slightly from the intense desire and restraint.

The porridge was ready, steaming hot. Chen Yan and Old Man Sun directed the villagers to use large wooden ladles to scoop the piping hot porridge into rough wooden bowls, which were then set aside to cool.

It was left to cool for a good half hour until the porridge became warm and palatable.

"Bring these over, one bowl for each person," Jiang Chan ordered. The villagers carefully carried warm, full bowls of thick porridge mixed with vegetables to the refugees.

The refugees, their hands trembling, reached out their withered, bony hands to receive the wooden bowls. The moment they did, scalding tears streamed down their faces once more! They didn't even have time to say thank you before they eagerly buried their faces in the bowls and began to gulp them down!

They ate too fast, choking and coughing repeatedly, their faces covered in tears and snot, yet they still clung tightly to their bowls, refusing to let go! The children were even more ravenous, their small bodies bursting with astonishing eating speed!

For a moment, only the slurping sounds of porridge being drunk, swallowing, and suppressed sobs could be heard. Jiang Chan watched quietly.

This scene was all too familiar. Soon, the two large pots of porridge were completely devoured. The refugees licked the bottom of their bowls, still wanting more, but the hunger and despair in their eyes were finally replaced by a glimmer of life and gratitude.

The leading man put down his bowl, which he had licked clean, and bowed deeply to Jiang Chan again, his voice choked with the emotion of someone who had survived a near-death experience: "Thank you... thank you so much! I will never forget your life-saving grace!"

Jiang Chan looked at him, then glanced around at the refugees whose faces had finally regained some life, and said, "You can stay."

A single sentence, like a thunderclap! Not only were the refugees stunned, but even the villagers behind Jiang Chan were taken aback! They exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with complex emotions. The fairy... was going to take in so many people?

Zhao Si looked up in disbelief: "You...you esteemed person...are you telling the truth?"

“Really.” Jiang Chan said calmly, “I’m short-handed here to clear land and farm, and I also need people to build walls and keep watch at night. Stay here and build your houses yourselves. You’ll be paid according to your work; the more work you do, the more food you’ll get.”

She paused, her gaze sharpening as she looked at Zhao Si: "Food will be provided, but I won't be supporting a freeloader. Follow my rules. Be honest and upright. If you dare to slack off, try to cheat, or have any ulterior motives..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her cold gaze said it all—the consequences would be dire!

"Understood! Understood! My sir!" Zhao Si trembled with excitement, and with a thud, all the refugees behind him knelt down in unison!

"Thank you for taking me in! Thank you for saving my life!"

"We will definitely work hard! We will never dare to slack off!"

"We'll obey! We'll do whatever you say!"

The sound of kowtowing rose and fell. This time, they expressed their gratitude and submission in the most humble way.

Jiang Chan frowned: "Get up! No kneeling! I said we're paid according to our work, not charity! Anyone who kneels again, get out now!"

The refugees trembled with fright, hurriedly scrambled to their feet, bowed their heads, and dared not kneel any longer, but the gratitude and awe in their eyes deepened.

Night fell. The twenty-odd newly arrived refugees were temporarily accommodated for the night in a few relatively intact dilapidated houses in the deserted village, and Jiang Chan had someone send them old linen cloths to keep them warm.

At the riverside campsite, the atmosphere was somewhat subtle. Although there was still plenty of food at dinner, the atmosphere was not as lively as usual.

As the villagers ate their meals, their eyes would occasionally dart toward the deserted village, filled with doubt and a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Fairy...are you really going to let those people stay?" Old Man Sun finally couldn't hold back any longer. Taking advantage of a break in cleaning up after dinner, he leaned close to Jiang Chan and asked in a low voice, "They...they're of unknown origin...what if..."

“Yes, young lady,” a woman whispered in agreement, “these days…you can’t see into someone’s heart…”

“We have plenty of grain… but it can’t withstand this kind of distribution…” another man muttered.

Chen Yan also walked over, looking at Jiang Chan with a complicated expression: "You... really trust them?"

Jiang Chan was looking at the faint glow of the campfire in the deserted village when she heard this and turned her head: "I can't trust it."

Everyone was taken aback.

"Then you still..." Old Sun said anxiously.

“We’re keeping them here not out of kindness,” Jiang Chan said calmly. “First, we’re short-handed. Clearing land, planting more crops, building walls, and keeping watch all require manpower. We can’t protect this place with just a dozen or so of us.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Secondly, it's a waste for the vegetables in the greenhouse to rot in the fields; it's better to hire some labor. Thirdly..."

Her gaze sharpened: "Zhao Si, the leader, and the men behind him, bowed to us and begged for food when they were in their most desperate moment. They did not kneel or kowtow."

The crowd was puzzled.

"When a person is in dire straits, bending low but not kneeling shows they still have a bottom line, they know shame, and they still consider themselves human." Jiang Chan's voice carried a hint of coldness. "But those who readily kneel and kowtow, burying their heads in the ground, trampling their dignity underfoot..."

"Those kinds of people are either completely tamed sheep, or... they have been suppressed for too long. Once they gain power or encounter greater oppression, they will become the fiercest wolves. When they bite back, they will be even more vicious because they want to make up for the dignity they have lost."

“Zhao Si and his group would rather starve to death than easily kowtow. If we use force and rules to suppress these kinds of people and let them see a way to survive and hope, they will be more likely to follow the rules and more likely to be… used.”

Her words, like a cold knife, dissected certain corners of human nature.

Old Man Sun and the others listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion, but felt a chill run down their spines. They thought of themselves... and realized that they often wanted to kowtow to the fairy maiden.

Chen Yan was deeply shaken!

He looked intently at Jiang Chan. This woman's insight into people's hearts and her grasp of the ways of the world and human nature were terrifyingly cold and precise!

“So,” Jiang Chan withdrew her gaze, her tone leaving no room for argument, “keep them here, they’ll work in exchange for food. Follow my rules. Anyone who dares to cause trouble or set a bad example…”

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear—kill!

"Understood, young lady!" Old Man Sun and the others quickly responded, not daring to say anything more. From the direction of the deserted village, the faint sounds of suppressed coughing and the restless murmurs of a child in their sleep could be heard.

The riverside night is no longer as purely peaceful as before. There are now more than twenty mouths to feed, and more unknown variables.

But it also brought an added possibility… of settling down here and weathering the storms. Jiang Chan gazed at the leaping campfire, her eyes deep and unfathomable. The gates to this idyllic paradise amidst chaos had opened. Whether it would be a blessing or a curse depended on whether these rules… could be upheld.