Chapter 349

Chapter 349: Serving as an Official

When Wang Chen left Little Ya’s home, his heart was heavy with concern.

He hadn’t anticipated finding such hardship within Datian Village.

Little Ya’s grandfather was advanced in years.

Although he was an experienced hunter, the magical beasts in the mountains were formidable foes.

His age and declining health meant his fighting skills and reflexes were no match for his younger days.

This recent trip to the mountains had been ill-fated, nearly costing him his life.

Yet, despite the dangers, Little Ya’s grandfather couldn’t afford to rest at home.

Without sufficient provisions, the family of three wouldn’t make it through the harsh winter.

Wang Chen turned to Little He and asked, “Are there many families like this in the village?”

Little He paused before responding, “There are a few.”

In a village of nearly four hundred households like Datian Village, disparity was inevitable. Where some families thrived, others struggled to survive.

Some families, once prosperous, had fallen on hard times due to accidents or the disappearance of their main providers, plunging them into hardship.

Little Ya’s family was a case in point.

When her parents were alive, food and clothing were never in short supply.

Now, the siblings depended solely on their grandfather’s hunting for survival; it was a wonder they managed at all!

Little He also shared another insight with Wang Chen.

Most of the poor households in the village were those with different surnames.

For villagers bearing the Huang, Xu, or Chen surnames, their clan would step in with rice and grain to prevent starvation.

But those from outside these clans were left to their own devices.

Little Ya’s family was among these outsiders!

Grasping the gravity of the situation, Wang Chen, accompanied by Little He, returned to the village chief’s residence and dispatched letters of crane paper to several village elders.

The three elders arrived promptly.

Without preamble, Wang Chen relayed the recent events.

After listening, they exchanged glances, and Elder Chen promptly declared, “Village chief, the Chen family is prepared to assist the Old Lu family, ensuring they have enough to eat and stay warm this winter.”

Elders Huang and Xu quickly added, “We are also willing to help!”

How much food could three people possibly consume in one winter?

Even if Wang Chen had to cover the cost himself, it would be a manageable expense.

To use such a modest outlay to curry favor with Wang Chen was an astute move indeed!

They were all shrewd individuals!

“This isn’t just about one family,”

Wang Chen gestured dismissively and said, “From what I understand, there are several such families in our village.”

The three elders immediately fell silent.

Assisting one household was one thing, but aiding dozens was an entirely different matter.

Wang Chen did not expect them to exhibit lofty virtues. In fact, he had already made a decision: “My idea is to list these struggling households separately and have the village provide unified support, with the related expenses drawn from the public treasury.”

“Let’s ensure they have food, clothing, medical care, shelter, and burial assistance—let’s call them five-protection households.”

“As for the standards for these households, you will set them, and we will follow these standards moving forward.”

“What do you think?”

The three elders exchanged glances and then lowered their heads, murmuring, “We will follow your orders.”

Wang Chen’s tone was not one of negotiation.

It was decisive.

If Huang Deqi, Xu Miao, and others were still around, they would surely dare to argue with Wang Chen or feign compliance while secretly resisting.

But now, with the heads of the three main families removed, the elders had neither the courage nor the strength to oppose Wang Chen, so they could only swallow their discontent.

Wang Chen understood their thoughts well and smiled, “I know that most of these struggling households are outsiders. If I ask you three families to support them, you would surely be unwilling.”

The three elders instantly changed their expressions, repeatedly denying and expressing their willingness.

Wang Chen was too lazy to watch their performance: “Let’s settle this. I will cover the support costs for the first batch of five-protection households this winter.”

He had seized a large amount of supplies from the Gray Wolf Bandits, including rice, beast meat, clothing, elixirs, talismans, and weapons—countless items.

Just a little bit would be enough for these struggling households to get through the winter.

However, relying solely on Wang Chen’s personal funds was not a long-term solution, as he couldn’t stay here forever.

Therefore, it was necessary to establish a rule that everyone could accept.

“I plan to form a guard team responsible for the village’s safety and regularly hunt in the mountains.”

“The income from the prey will go to the public treasury as future support for the five-protection households.”

“Of course, the members of the guard team won’t work for free; they will earn points based on their contributions.”

“We can call them work points.”

“Villagers who perform labor in the future can also earn work points.”

“Work points can be exchanged for supplies from the public treasury—more work means more rewards, and it’s fair and reasonable.”

“As for the standards for scoring and exchanges, you will discuss and decide among yourselves.”

“What do you think?”

The three elders were stunned.

Five-protection households, guard teams, work points…

Their aging minds struggled to process such a flood of information.

However, after thinking it over, they found Wang Chen’s suggestions quite feasible.

Although absolute fairness did not exist and even the best rules would have some bias during execution, as long as the most basic needs were met, the villagers would likely be willing to accept it!

“Also…”

Before Wang Chen finished speaking, he continued, “I plan to establish a school for early education in the village, inviting all the children to enroll, taught by knowledgeable elders.”

The school would serve as an enlightenment institution. In the past, if children in Datian Village wanted to go to school, they had to travel fifty li to Wancheng.

Not only was the journey long, but the tuition in the city was also excessively high.

As a result, most villagers taught their own children.

But the education level varied greatly, resulting in a huge disparity.

Change was necessary.

“Let’s name this school Datian Primary School, and the students who enroll will receive a free lunch.”

“I will cover the initial expenses, and future costs will be drawn from the public treasury.”

“What do you think?”

Serving in an official capacity naturally means benefiting the people!

Initially, Wang Chen viewed Datian Village merely as a stepping stone to enter the West Sea Sect, thinking little of making a contribution while holding the title of village chief.

However, after witnessing so many events unfold, his mindset changed.

Wang Chen felt he needed to accomplish something worthwhile for Datian Village before leaving so that when he looked back on this time, he could feel no regret!

The three elders were again in a daze.

They felt overwhelmed, their once steadfast beliefs greatly shaken.

Elder Chen suddenly became serious and respectfully bowed to Wang Chen, saying, “Your noble heart cares for the villagers, and your kindness is profound. I am willing to lend my frail strength to meet your expectations!”

He jumped into the water, and the other two couldn’t help but stumble from the shore in surprise.

They all expressed their willingness to help too.

They were almost about to pat their chests and declare their loyalty.

Wang Chen smiled, “Good!”