Chapter 241

Shuiqing and Fan Jin originally planned to distribute these knives to the people of Shanshui Village.

Their own family had already bought electric batons early on. Compared to knives, electric batons are not only more convenient to use but also more lethal—mainly because they don’t shed blood, which avoids causing visual fear and are more suitable for family use.

However, at that time, they did not expect to have the men from Zhulin Village, so they temporarily decided to keep twenty knives for themselves.

Shuiqing looked at Li Wu and said, “Brother Wu, our family will keep twenty of the knives, and you can take the remaining fifty back and let the old village chief decide how to distribute them. You don’t need to ask for our opinion.”

When Li Wu and the other men from Shanshui Village first heard that Bai Manshan had given dozens of knives to Fan Jin’s family, they were extremely excited.

After all, iron is a precious material, let alone forged into knives. Considering the cost of the blacksmith’s labor, each knife cost a lot of silver. Such expensive items were naturally valuable.

Good and expensive items are always tempting, but it’s not appropriate to ask for them directly.

Even though they didn’t ask, Shuiqing offered to give them away!

She, a woman, was far more straightforward than these men.

Li Wu looked at the extremely sharp knives and stammered, “Sister-in-law, these are given to you by Master Bai. They’re very valuable, and we…”

“Master Bai gave them to us mainly for Ziqian’s safety. You also said the outside world is unstable. If our village is really targeted, it won’t just be a few people coming; it will be dozens or even hundreds of people coming to rob us.

And with so many people, our family alone certainly can’t handle it. We mainly have to rely on you all. So it’s not a matter of value, but of usefulness. The rest of the knives can only be most effective in your hands!

If our village is safe, Ziqian will be safer. If he’s safe, then we are worthy of Master Bai’s gift!” Shuiqing, having given many motivational speeches before, spoke with such passion that the men were all excited.

“Young Master Bai, rest assured, if any villains come, we will fight with all our strength and never let them harm you!”

“We will protect your safety!”

“Sister-in-law is right. We are a whole. If our village is safe, they will naturally be safer. If they are safe, isn’t Young Master Bai safe too?”

Yes, Master Bai gave the knives mainly for the safety of his only son!

They might not have much, but they have strength and can protect their families and village.

Li Wu gratefully assured Shuiqing, “Sister-in-law, rest assured, my father will distribute them fairly.”

Sister-in-law didn’t even keep enough for her own family. Wasn’t that just to make the best use of these knives? They must live up to this selflessness!

Shuiqing naturally trusted the old village chief. Among all the people in the village, she trusted the old village chief the most.

This old man was not only fair but also kept a humble and progressive attitude, always willing to seek others’ opinions and learn from experience to make the most appropriate arrangements.

Unlike some stubborn old men who insist on their own ways, even knowing they’re wrong and refusing to change. They are hard to change, and if anyone has a different opinion, it’s seen as questioning their authority and challenging their status!

“I trust the old village chief.”

Li Wu and Li Qiang felt extremely comforted by this simple sentence.

They were proud and honored.

With fifty knives and the money earned from selling goods, the men from Shanshui Village headed to the old village chief’s house.

But unexpectedly, the old village chief was not at home.

It was said that there was trouble at Fan Qian’s house, and the old village chief went to mediate.

The men were thinking about the knives and wanted to see what was going on at Fan Qian’s house, so they didn’t even go home but turned around and went to the area allocated to Fan Qian’s family.

When they arrived, there were already many people surrounding the place—people love watching drama more than working.

Sun Jinhua was sitting on the ground, looking completely unbothered, mumbling, “Our Dazhu and Erzhu are injured and can’t work, so their portions should be reduced. That’s the only fair way!”

“The length is calculated according to the total number of people in the household, not just those who can work! Your Dazhu and Erzhu are injured and can’t work, but other families’ men are also out and can’t work. They aren’t asking for reductions, are they?”

“If we calculate based on who can work, then everyone would have to reduce their share, right? If everyone reduces their share, and then the leftover sections are redistributed evenly, wouldn’t it end up being the same?” Although the old village chief was advanced in age, his thoughts were clear. His aged eyes looked at Sun Jinhua, then turned to the crowd gathered to watch, and he asked clearly.

“Yeah, the old village chief is right!”

“Isn’t it the same, then? Sun Jinhua, what are you making a fuss about?”

“My family also has old and young who can’t work. I haven’t complained either.”

Sun Jinhua’s arrogance diminished a bit, and she lowered her head without a word.

Fan Sanzhu, standing by her side, immediately shouted, “Men who go out to work can earn money! If they earn money, it doesn’t matter if their families do more work. But my brothers Dazhu and Erzhu can’t earn money or work. Counting them as two people is truly a loss!”

Hearing this, the other villagers became displeased and started talking all at once: “Dazhu and Erzhu not being able to earn money isn’t our fault!”

“It’s not like we caused it.”

“We didn’t make it happen.”

The Fan family remained unmoved. They were only concerned with what the old village chief would say. They would be satisfied only if their share was reduced.

The old village chief looked at the head of the Fan family, Fan Qian. Although since arriving, it was either Sun Jinhua causing a scene or Fan Sanzhu shouting, and Fan Qian hadn’t said a word, the old village chief knew that Fan Qian was the one truly in charge.

In other words, without Fan Qian’s consent, his wife and children wouldn’t dare to make such a fuss!

It might even be that he orchestrated this scene.

“If we calculate based on earning money, then should Zhang Tuzi’s family and Ding’s family also have their share reduced? Neither of their families has anyone earning money outside, yet they are counted by the number of people. Your brothers Dazhu and Erzhu, at least, earned some money outside. So how should we deduct?”

Hearing this, Zhang Chunhua immediately got excited and started clamoring for a redistribution.

Fan Qian remained silent for a moment.

He wanted his family to benefit, but he didn’t want other families to gain from it. Moreover, if his family’s share was reduced, and considering the village’s many households, the redistributed work wouldn’t be much. But if three families’ shares were reduced, naturally, the others would have more work and be unhappy, and they would blame it on the Fan family.

Fan Erzhu, with his arm in a sling, blurted out without thinking, “We don’t care about other families. We just want our share reduced!

My elder brother and I are both injured. My elder brother is still bedridden. Besides, even if we don’t work, what can you do about it?”

They were still working for now, but if they were really pushed, they could simply refuse to work. Let’s see if that would cause a panic!

Fan Qian glared at his second son and cursed in a low voice, “No brains!”

Their goal was to get others to build the wall, not to not build it!

Their house was at the forefront, at the entrance of the village. If there was any danger, they would be the first to bear the brunt. If the wall wasn’t built or had gaps, their family would suffer first!

“Dad, are we afraid of danger, but they aren’t? I don’t believe the old village chief has any other way to hold our family accountable.”