Protect Our Patriarch

"Although that's the case, this development project costs tens of thousands of Top Gold." Liu Yuanrui calmed down and had some doubts. "I heard that Wang's Clan has been declining in recent years..."

How can Wang's Clan afford so much funding?

"Don't worry, Yuanrui." Wang Shouzhe calmly said, "I have made arrangements for this."

Liu Yuanrui's expression froze. Is this a matter of worry or curiosity? I'm just curious... But he understood the etiquette and rules, so he immediately stopped talking.

Of course, Wang Shouzhe knew very well that his engagement with the daughter of Liu's Clan was a morale-boosting event for Wang's Clan. After all, Liu's Clan was quite powerful and could provide support for Wang's Clan.

Even the elders of the Clan held this mentality.

But for Liu's Clan, the eldest daughter of the clan was going to marry a descendant of a declining clan, which inevitably caused some grievances and emotions. However, this marriage was arranged by the ancestors of both sides, so the younger generations naturally couldn't oppose it.

Therefore, Wang Shouzhe was quite calm about this marriage. He neither felt joy nor rejected it. Wang's Clan could only truly become powerful by its own efforts, not by relying on others.

Even though he knew that the descendants of Liu's Clan would inevitably feel some resentment, he understood it very well. After all, from the surface, the difference between Wang's Clan and Liu's Clan was too great. If he were in their shoes, he would also feel unhappy about marrying into a declining clan.

"Oh? Shouzhe gege, there are a lot of people coming over there." Liu Ruolei, who had sharp eyes, saw a group of people coming towards them through the window of the carriage.

And behind that group of people, from a distance, there were more people coming this way.

"Those people are all commoners from Ping'an Town." Wang Shouzhe smiled and said, "I suppose they heard the news of our recruitment and came to respond."

"So many people coming to apply?" Liu Yuanrui was surprised. "Shouzhe gege, how high is the wage offered by Wang's Clan? Stop the carriage, I want to take a look."

His curiosity was piqued. This dredging and filling project was already a massive undertaking. If the wages were increased, the cost would be too high. How could Wang's Clan afford it?

Since Liu Yuanrui wanted to see, Wang Shouzhe naturally wouldn't stop him. He ordered the carriage to stop, and the other family members also stopped and guarded around the carriage.

This imposing scene naturally made the commoners not dare to approach. They could only bypass from a distance and gather at the construction site.

"Don't push, come one by one to register." Two boys, around fourteen or fifteen years old, who still looked a bit young, maintained order. "Our Wang's Clan provides work as relief. The rewards are generous. As long as you are willing to work, we guarantee that your whole family can have enough to eat."

"Come here to register. Our Wang's Clan provides food and accommodation." Two little girls moved tables and chairs and began to register the applicants. "For able-bodied laborers aged sixteen to forty, the monthly wage is half a dan of Chen rice. Healthy women receive 20 catties of Chen rice per month. For youths aged twelve to sixteen, they receive 20 catties per month."

The two little girls spoke clearly and quickly registered people. It seemed that explaining one by one was too troublesome, so they found a clever young man to repeat these words one hundred times.

As for the advertisement board, the two girls weren't that foolish. Most of the tenant farmers and self-sufficient farmers couldn't read.

These young people were naturally Wang Shouzhe's younger siblings. Wang Shouzhe didn't want them to be idle and wanted them to participate in such a major event in the family, which would help them develop a sense of honor and a correct worldview.

"You, what's your name? Where are you from? Did you bring your household registration document?" Even Wang Luoqiu, the future "slaughterer of gods and exterminator of Buddhas," was doing her job seriously, registering each applicant.

However, her gaze was sharp and serious, as if she was scrutinizing each applicant, with an attitude that she wouldn't let go of anyone with bad intentions.

"I am called Ouyang Gousheng, a villager from Liuzigou Village, Ping'an Town." A skinny young man tremblingly handed over his household registration document.

"You're only fifteen? You can only be considered a half-worker. You will be paid according to 20 catties of Chen rice per month." Wang Luoqiu said.

"Ah, miss." Ouyang Gousheng looked disappointed and pleaded, "Look, I am physically strong and used to doing hard work. Can I be paid according to half a dan? My mother hasn't had a grain of rice for two days."

"No, rules are rules." Wang Luoqiu, although young, had principles. "However, we provide food and accommodation here. I can advance you 20 catties of Chen rice to ensure that your mother won't starve."

"Thank you, thank you, miss." Ouyang Gousheng repeatedly thanked her and tears of joy streamed down his face.

"Take these two bamboo tokens and you can receive 20 catties of grain." Wang Luoqiu gave him two tokens. "Remember, you will start working from today and receive your ration after work. Also, make me proud and do your job well. If you perform well, I will record your full work."

"Yes, I will definitely not be lazy." Ouyang Gousheng held the two bamboo tokens as if he was holding two lives.

"Take this work token. There is a porridge shed over there, and you can drink porridge for free with the token." After registering the work token, Wang Luoqiu raised her hand to chase him away. "Go, don't delay my work. Next, name, place of origin, age!"

Ouyang Gousheng left with the work token and the two bamboo tokens, thanking her profusely.

Wang Luoqiu was efficient and never wasted time. She could finish with one person in just a few moments.

"Wang Luoqing, what are you doing so slowly? Can't you work more efficiently?" Wang Luoqiu turned her head and was about to get angry, but she saw that she had almost fainted. She had already finished with five people, but Wang Luoqing was still entangled with the second applicant.

Unable to bear it, she walked over and glanced at the fair-skinned young man. She took a look at his place of origin document. "Scholar?"

"I am indeed." The young man nodded slightly, quite proud.

"Can you handle physical work like this?" Wang Luoqiu was skeptical.

"I am a scholar. How can I do such laborious work?" The young man said, "I am well-read and can be a supervisor. I only need ten dan of grain as remuneration per month."

In this era, the literacy rate among commoners was very low.

Therefore, scholars still had a way out. Government institutions, prestigious families, and others all needed knowledgeable people to serve as backbone.

"Our family doesn't need a supervisor." Wang Luoqiu responded coldly, "You can leave."

"You, you, how dare you look down on scholars? Little girl, let me tell you, only by reading can one understand the principles... You are still so young..."

Before the scholar finished speaking, he was sent flying and fell face-first into the mud.

"Even more talkative than Wang Shouzhe." Wang Luoqiu snorted, "Someone."

"Sister, I'm here." Wang Shoulian, like a dog's leg, ran over.

"Chase this guy away and put him on our Wang's Clan blacklist. He will never be employed." Wang Luoqiu ordered with a powerful aura, then went to do the registration herself.

Seeing her stern and serious face, some applicants who were planning to take advantage quietly left the line.

Not far away, Wang Shouzhe and the others had already arrived.

Seeing this scene, Wang Shouzhe's mouth twitched slightly. This troublesome girl, she really has a lot of presence. If someone who didn't know saw this, they would think that this little miss was the head of the family.

Following them was Liu Yuanrui, who was stunned as he watched everything. "Shouzhe gege, isn't the wage of one laborer too low?"

And that little miss is quite fierce, she seems to have some opinions about scholars, and he, Liu Yuanrui, prided himself on being a scholar... It feels a bit dangerous.

"Yuanrui, whether it's too little or not, you can ask the applicants in the queue." Wang Shouzhe said.

Liu Yuanrui wasn't pretentious either. He went up and asked a few of them, and they all said it was enough. They thanked Wang's Clan for standing up at a critical moment and providing them with a meal. Many of them even complained about Liu's Clan and Zhao's Clan.

When Liu Yuanrui came back, his face looked unpleasant. "Liu's Clan and Zhao's Clan, as expected of nouveau riche families who seized power, they have no conscience. Fortunately, Shouzhe gege took action and came up with the idea of using work as relief."

"Brother, you were not very supportive of Shouzhe gege's idea before." Liu Ruolei, his sister-in-law, started to support him. "Now, with the national policy in place and the top families using the shortage of food to carry out land consolidation, if the price of grain is completely deregulated, the lives and deaths of countless common people will be controlled by a few top families. They have ways to manipulate the rise and fall of grain prices."

"Also, don't despise the amount Shouzhe gege is offering. Now everyone is short of food, and it's already impressive that Shouzhe gege can provide work as relief."

Liu Yuanrui blushed and glared at Liu Ruolei. This annoying sister-in-law, why does she always undermine your brother's position? Before you came, didn't you say that you would teach your future brother-in-law a lesson?

Before he had a chance to reprimand his sister-in-law, he saw Liu Ruolei walking towards Wang Luoqiu.

She quietly approached Wang Luoqiu and asked with some curiosity, "Little miss, what's your name?"

"You, you..." Wang Luoqiu was about to get angry, but she saw that it was a well-dressed and beautiful young lady. She immediately restrained herself a bit, but she couldn't help but be impatient. "I am Wang Luoqiu. Whose child are you? Go away, play somewhere else and don't disturb me while I'm working for the rise of our family."

"I am called Liu Ruolei. Oh, your handwriting is so ugly." Liu Ruolei covered her mouth and chuckled. "Why don't you ask the questions, and I'll do the registration? It will be faster this way." She took the initiative to help.

Wang Luoqiu almost fainted from anger. How dare she say that her handwriting was ugly?

Hmph, the mighty Wang's Clan of Ping'an, even Wang Shouzhe himself wouldn't dare...

Then, she saw the handwriting of the young lady, uh... it seemed to be very beautiful. She quickly swallowed her words.

Then she thought about it. This name, Liu Ruolei, sounded very familiar. Immediately, her eyes widened, and she said in surprise, "You are the rumored young lady of the Liu family?"

"That's right." Liu Ruolei smiled and replied, thinking that she had quite a reputation. She became even faster at registering the applicants.

"But you look so young. How can you have a child with Wang Shou... I mean, my fourth brother?"

"Ah?" Liu Ruolei blushed and stomped her feet, feeling embarrassed. How could this little miss say that she looked young?

No, that's not the point...

The point is, how can this little miss say that she looks young?

Tch, that's not the point...

What was the point again?

...