Chapter 311 Welcome the New Residents of Dahe Village
Zhao Lizheng returned to Dahe Village with three thousand catties of grain, his face beaming.
He shouted, "Tiezhu, gather the whole village for a meeting, quick!"
Zhao Tiezhu ran off in a flash, shouting at the top of his lungs, and notified every household.
In less than fifteen minutes, all the villagers had gathered under the big locust tree; young and old alike had come.
Standing on the rock, Zhao Lizheng looked around and frowned: "Tiezhu, you're not good at handling things."
Zhao Tiezhu scratched the back of his head, puzzled.
The village head shouted, "We need to call over the people from Xindahe Village as well."
Zhang Wulai scoffed lightly: "A bunch of vagrants, what are we calling them over for? Don't let them bring our illness to us again."
"If I hear the word 'refugee' again, I'll make sure you get a beating!" the village head said coldly. "Since they've moved into Dahe Village, they're people of Dahe Village, and we can't treat them differently. Today, the county magistrate even praised Dahe Village for its magnanimity. Zhang Wulai, you should learn to be a person with magnanimity too, understand?"
Zhang Wulai: "..."
To expect a scoundrel to have class is just making things difficult for him.
The group of refugees were somewhat flattered when they were called to the meeting.
More than three hundred people stood timidly at a distance behind all the villagers.
After everyone had arrived, the village headman spoke: "This is the first collective meeting since the population of Dahe Village increased. Now, let's invite Madam Sui to speak."
Cheng Wanwan: "..."
She's just here to join in the fun, she doesn't want to be the center of attention, okay?
But all eyes were on her, especially on the refugees, who all wanted to catch a glimpse of Lady Sui's beauty.
She had no choice but to walk up and stand on the big rock.
Standing on high ground, looking down at more than a thousand people, you can clearly see that the original Dahe Village residents are dressed in clean and warm clothes, while the new Dahe Village residents are dressed in thin clothes and are stamping their feet in the cold wind, but there is hope in their eyes.
"First of all, on behalf of the people of Dahe Village, I welcome every new resident of Dahe Village. Thank you for bringing new vitality and hope to Dahe Village," Cheng Wanwan said gently, with a warm smile on her face. "From today onwards, you officially become a part of Dahe Village. I hope that the old residents of Dahe Village can open their arms to accept new fellow villagers, and I also hope that the new residents of Dahe Village can love this village, love every inch of the land beneath their feet, and love everyone around them, just like we do."
"Dahe Village has mountains and rivers, fields and land. As long as you can endure hardship, put in the effort, and work diligently, this land will surely reward you handsomely..."
"A single chopstick is easily broken, but a bundle of chopsticks won't break easily. We are a whole, so I'm sure none of you want to be the worst one. If you want to become an excellent person, if you want to become the strongest chopstick in a bundle, you have to keep learning... learn farming, literacy, arithmetic, martial arts, embroidery... As long as you want to learn, Dahe Village will give you the opportunity..."
"With the joint efforts of all of us, Dahe Village will surely become the most perfect and happiest home..."
"Clap clap clap!"
The village head was extremely pleased.
He knew that Da Shan Niang had a way of speaking; she could always make people's blood boil and their eyes inexplicably sting.
He was the first to lead the applause, and the people in the soap workshop, who had experience with this, followed suit. Then, the applause grew louder, and everyone, including the newcomers, had tears in their eyes and spontaneously joined in the high-five.
Before this meeting, they were refugees, homeless and wandering.
After the meeting, they became residents of the new Dahe Village, becoming part of the village...
"stop!"
The village head raised his hand, making a stop gesture, and the thunderous applause gradually subsided.
"Alright, now let's begin the first item on the agenda: land allocation and grain distribution!"
The village head clapped his hands, and the men in the village pushed over a cart loaded with grain. More than 3,000 jin of grain had been divided into small sacks and piled up on the open ground, attracting a lot of attention.
Zhao Tiezhu walked onto the stage with the list and a large stack of land deeds, and began calling out names one by one.
“The head of the household is Bao Hong, there are three people in total, thirty catties of grain, and six mu of land.”
"The head of the household is Chang Zhuzi, a single household, with ten catties of grain and three mu of land."
"..."
Because they were refugees, the largest household they had was only five people, either their parents had died, or their husbands, wives, or children had died.
This comparison highlights the happiness of the people in Dahe Village.
Although they didn't have much money, at least the whole family was alive and well, which was better than anything else.
There were over three hundred people in total. Everyone received grain and was allocated land. Although they hadn't received the land deeds yet, they had already been written and their fingerprints were just put on them. Once they earned enough money, they could redeem the land deeds...
Grain and land are the foundation of a farmer's livelihood.
The words of Lady Sui earlier had put them at ease, and now, their hearts were truly at peace, they felt a sense of security, and they had a place to belong.
"Next, we will proceed to the second item: commending the patrol team!"
The village head shouted loudly, startling the main members of the patrol team standing on the perimeter.
Should we commend them? What did they do that deserves to be commended?
The patrol team in Dahe Village initially required each household to send one person to participate and take turns on duty. Later, when the village became wealthier, it started paying the patrol team wages, which led to the formation of twenty groups, each with more than ten people, who took turns on duty.
The group leaders are the main members of the patrol team.
"Not long ago, Dahe Village was attacked by refugees. I'm sure you all remember this very well."
The villagers of Dahe Village nodded in agreement.
The people of Xindahe Village all lowered their heads in shame.
It seems like they're settling scores later...
"All patrol members who perform exceptionally well will each receive a reward of fifty copper coins!" the village head announced magnanimously. "Tiezhu, read out the names!"
Zhao Tiezhu unfolded a piece of paper and slowly read aloud: "Wang Yongcheng, Zhao Sanniu, Zhao Yougui, Zhao Shagen, Zhang Dagang..."
He read out a long list of names, a total of forty names.
Forty people stood in a row under the big locust tree, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring sight.
Cheng Wanwan was singled out by the village head to receive a reward of fifty copper coins each. The men were inexplicably moved as they held the heavy handful of money in their hands.
Some patrol members who weren't called out felt regretful, wondering why they hadn't been braver that night.
The reward of fifty coins was a small matter; what mattered was the feeling of being recognized in front of more than a thousand people, a feeling they also wanted to experience.
Zhang Wulai chewed on a piece of dry grass and scoffed, "I didn't expect that kid Da Gang could actually get a reward. Not bad, just like me."
In the crowd, several young girls looked at Sun Shuiqin with envy: "Her father-in-law and husband are both members of the patrol team, so they can do whatever they want in the village."
"That's right, Shagen dotes on her, he doesn't let her do any work."
"If you're so capable, you're just as beautiful, so you can find a man who will love his wife."
Hearing these words, Sun Shuiqin didn't feel particularly happy; her gaze lingered on Zhao Ergou.
"Our village patrol team has protected the village, so this money is rightfully theirs," the village headman said loudly. "Now that our Dahe Village has more and more property, the patrol team also needs to be expanded. Participants will take turns on duty three times a month, for two hours each time, and will be paid thirty coins. Please sign up enthusiastically."
In other words, you can earn thirty coins for working six hours.
This is not just a job, but also a responsibility and an honor.
A large number of people raised their hands, including some strong and healthy residents of Xindahe Village.
Zhang Wulai sneered: "The patrol team is here to guard against vagrants like you. How dare you try to infiltrate the patrol team? What a pipe dream!"
The dozen or so men silently lowered their raised hands.
It's already a miracle that Dahe Village didn't seek revenge later; they can't possibly keep dreaming of such a thing...
"Zhang the Scoundrel, I think you're asking for trouble!" the village head roared. "I don't want to hear the word 'vagrant' again. If you say it again, I'm really going to beat you up! Uh, this time the patrol team is expanding by twenty people. Anyone can sign up, including people from Xin Dahe Village!"
The people of Xindahe Village stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
The village head's word carries absolute authority, meaning they can become patrol members.
Thirty copper coins a month! Since they started fleeing the famine and became refugees, they haven't even touched a copper coin in the past three or four months...
In an instant, all the men among the refugees raised their hands, and the people from the original Dahe Village also raised their hands without being outdone.
The raised hands, like a grove of trees, are upright, growing, persistent, and full of hope...
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