The morning sun shone on the village as usual, but the village was not as peaceful as it was today. The villagers were either restless or talking in hushed tones in their homes, their minds focused on the thorny issue of unequal distribution of resources.
Lin Yue hadn't slept all night; her eyes were red and swollen, but her gaze was resolute. She sat at her simple desk, which was covered with sheets of paper densely packed with records of the villagers' labor and family circumstances. Her brow furrowed, her slender fingers darting between the pages, scrutinizing the information repeatedly, trying to find a perfect solution. In her mind, this information was no longer just simple words and numbers, but concerned the lives of every villager and the harmony of the entire village. She knew that this solution had to be fair and just; otherwise, the conflict would only escalate further.
“Chen Yu, look here. The statistics on the amount of labor vary greatly, and the villagers also have different standards for measuring the value of labor. This is the most difficult part to handle.” Lin Yue looked up at Chen Yu, who was organizing the data, her voice tinged with fatigue and worry.
Chen Yu approached, his gaze equally grave. He wore a slightly faded shirt, the hem slightly rolled up—a casual gesture he'd made while busy. Looking at where Lin Yue was pointing, he pondered for a moment before saying, "Yes, we need to find a way to measure this that everyone can accept. Perhaps we can divide labor into different types, such as sowing, weeding, and irrigating, and then assign a relatively reasonable value coefficient to each type." Chen Yu's voice was steady, every word revealing his effort to find a solution.
Lin Yue nodded slightly, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes: "That's a good idea. However, determining this coefficient requires discussion with the villagers, involving them so they'll be more likely to accept it." She bit her lip, knowing full well that this would be a long and difficult process.
As the two were talking, Aunt Liu rushed in. Her hair was a little messy, her forehead was covered in sweat, and her eyes showed anxiety: "Lin Yue, Chen Yu, you have to think of a solution quickly! The villagers outside are starting to make a fuss again, and everyone is getting impatient." As she spoke, Aunt Liu wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
Lin Yue and Chen Yu exchanged a glance, then immediately got up and followed Aunt Liu to the square in the center of the village. A large number of villagers had gathered there, all talking animatedly. Some villagers were red-faced and shouting loudly; others looked worried, shaking their heads and sighing.
"Everyone, please quiet down!" Lin Yue raised her voice, trying to calm everyone down. Her gaze swept firmly across the faces of each villager, her eyes holding a convincing power.
The villagers' voices gradually subsided. Lin Yue stepped forward and said loudly, "I know everyone is very anxious right now and hopes to resolve the distribution issue as soon as possible. We have been working hard these past few days and have come up with a preliminary plan, which we would like to discuss with everyone."
An elderly villager stepped forward, leaning on a cane, his voice hoarse: "Lin Yue, tell me quickly, what's the plan? We can't let things continue like this." His eyes revealed a longing for fair distribution and a hint of expectation for Lin Yue.
Lin Yue took a deep breath and began to explain their ideas: "We plan to divide labor into different types, such as sowing, weeding, and irrigating, and then set a value coefficient based on the hardship and importance of each type of labor. At the same time, we will also consider the number of people in the family. Finally, we will calculate the share that each family should receive based on this."
Upon hearing this, the villagers began to discuss it amongst themselves. Some frowned and expressed their doubts: "How is this value coefficient determined? If it's not determined fairly, then it won't work!" Other villagers nodded in approval: "It sounds reasonable enough; it's better than the current chaotic distribution."
At this moment, a young and strong villager stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression somewhat disdainful: "Hmph, what do you educated youth know? Things in this village aren't that simple. Don't make things worse." His words were echoed by some villagers, and the atmosphere in the square became tense again.
Chen Yu took a few steps forward, his eyes fixed on the young villager, and said firmly, "We know this isn't easy, but we're trying to find a fair solution. If you have a better idea, you can speak up, and we'll discuss it together. But just complaining here won't help solve the problem." Chen Yu's voice was loud and clear, carrying an undeniable authority.
The young villagers were intimidated by Chen Yu's imposing manner and looked away somewhat uncomfortably, but they still muttered, "Anyway, I just think it's unreliable."
Lin Yue felt somewhat helpless seeing the villagers' reactions, but she didn't give up. She raised her voice and said, "We know you have doubts, so we hope everyone will participate in determining this coefficient. We can list out the details of each type of labor, and discuss the value of each step together. Only in this way can we develop a plan that everyone can agree on."
The villagers listened to Lin Yue's words and fell into deep thought. At this moment, Captain Li, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward. Captain Li was a burly man with a resolute face, and he enjoyed high prestige in the village. He looked at the villagers and said, "I think Lin Yue's method will work. We can't just keep arguing here; we need to work together to find a solution. We're all from the same village; we can't let this little thing cause us to fall apart." Captain Li's words resonated with many villagers, who nodded in agreement.
Over the next few days, Lin Yue, Chen Yu, and Captain Li organized the villagers to discuss the determination of the labor value coefficient. They set up several large tables in the village warehouse, wrote down various types of labor and related information on paper, and posted them on the wall. The villagers sat around the tables, discussing the matter amongst themselves.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
