parentshiftbook Chapter 7 The Lord is doing this for our own good
Chapter 7 The Lord is doing this for our own good
The next morning, Su Lan led a dazed Tia to the dock.
Yesterday's speech went surprisingly well, and he worked through the night to write a new draft, intending to continue his efforts and further enhance his prestige.
The ship repairmen were scattered in three rows.
The first seven people in the front row were junior craftsmen, and the last two rows were farmers and fishermen, totaling 18 people.
Su Lan had looked at the list, and the number of people was much larger than expected.
The craftsmen, in particular, dug out four of them at once.
It was truly an unexpected delight.
Reed was giving a speech to the team.
"Your reward is twice that of the royal city's artisans! The lord has bestowed such a generous gift upon you, yet he still instructed me to ensure your safety. You must always be grateful for the lord's benevolence!"
Upon seeing Su Lan's arrival, he stepped forward and was about to bow in greeting.
It's better to be lucky than early. Just when Su Lan was wondering how to start, the opportunity came knocking!
He helped Reed up and walked straight to the front of the crowd, his voice suddenly rising.
"Wrong! Reed is only half right; this is not a reward!"
Everyone was taken aback; they didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said.
After all, working for the lord is a matter of course anywhere in the kingdom, and receiving copper coins is already considered an extraordinary favor from the lord.
Seeing the expressions on the faces of his subjects, Su Lan knew that his plan had been largely successful.
He immediately took the bag of gold coins from Reed and held it high.
"Here lies all the wages paid by the Storm Petrel, a total of 10 gold coins. I won't keep a single penny!"
"It's the reward you earned with your sweat and toil; it should rightfully go into your pockets!"
He looked around and saw that a considerable number of onlookers had been drawn to the scene. He then abruptly threw the money bag aside, stepped onto the wooden box with one foot, and loudly announced:
"From today onwards, there are two rules for Black Reef Fjord!"
"First, labor deserves reward! You are all my subjects, and you will surely be paid for working for this territory. Anyone who dares to withhold payment will be personally thrown into the sea to feed the monsters!"
Those around him looked on with suspicion, clearly not believing that their high-ranking lord would take gold coins out of his pocket.
It's probably just another staged performance.
But because of Su Lan's status and the guards beside her, no one dared to utter a sound.
Su Lan didn't mind and continued, "Second, the amount of food you eat corresponds to the amount of sweat you produce!"
"The Storm Swallow needs thirty logs and sixty iron ore to repair. Now, those who go into the forest to cut down trees will receive an extra ten copper coins per log! Those who go to the cliffs to mine will also receive an extra ten copper coins per ore!"
The scene instantly erupted in cheers.
Farmer Evan, however, was the quickest to react; he immediately grabbed a hoe and rushed out.
He could mine five pieces of ore a day if he put in his best effort, which would earn him a full 50 copper coins.
You can only cut down three trees, which only costs 30 copper coins.
Although Evan is illiterate, he can do simple arithmetic, so he definitely wants to grab the mining job first!
But the lord's next words put him in a dilemma.
"But don't forget... the monsters are lurking on the northern cliffs, and pollution is spreading through the western forests. Only those with the ability and courage deserve this money!"
There was a moment of silence, then a commotion erupted.
Someone couldn't help but shout, "I knew all lords were the same! There's no such thing as a free lunch! They're trying to kill us!"
He thought everyone would agree, but to his surprise, the first response was from a dissenting voice.
"The previous lord ordered us to cut down trees and mine, but didn't give us a single copper coin..."
Most people who were still wavering suddenly realized the truth after hearing this.
That's right. Before, we got nothing and even had to bring our own food to work.
The lord now not only promises to pay the reward, but also intends to give additional bonuses.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, there's no way they could lie.
Then what are they complaining about?
"The lord is reminding us to be careful; he doesn't deceive us, he's a good person!"
"That's right! There are only some hermit crabs on the north cliff. If a few of us work together, keep an eye on each other, and dig slowly, we can manage!"
"I plan to go west. I'm healthy, and I recover quickly from pollution; a day or two shouldn't be a problem!"
Everyone responded enthusiastically and soon dispersed.
Only Evan remained standing there, at a loss.
Meeting the lord's amused gaze, he swallowed hard.
To Evan's surprise, the lord did not punish him. Instead, he walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder.
"What are you still standing there for? Since you don't want to leave town, go work on the boat for the craftsmen. I can't just take money and not put in the effort."
"Yes...yes, my lord!"
Evan seemed to wake from a dream and turned to run back to the boat.
Halfway through the run, he suddenly remembered something, turned back, and bowed deeply.
"My lord, I was wrong just now. You were doing this for our own good, unlike the previous lords!"
Su Lan smiled and nodded.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Su Lan also got off the wooden box and walked away.
He only breathed a sigh of relief after boarding the ship and arriving at a secluded place.
Being a lord is tough.
Not only do they have to give speeches, but they also have to be careful with their approach, gradually instilling their ideas in the people to avoid taking too big a step and hurting themselves...
Rubbing her stiff cheeks and stomping her feet, Su Lan looked around and found Tia staring at her.
He waved his hand and asked, "What are you looking at?"
"So handsome!" Tia murmured, her eyes sparkling.
Su Lan didn't hear clearly: "Huh?"
"It's nothing!" Tia exclaimed in surprise, pulling out her large tail and hugging it to her chest, adopting a cowering posture. "I... I also worked last night, can I get paid?"
"What's the reward?" Hearing the noise, Seraya opened the door and invited the two into the room to talk.
"Good morning, Su Lan, and Tia too. You're all all prickly-faced, didn't you sleep well last night?"
Tia took off her black robe: "Sister Seraya, I'm digging a little nest tonight. The lord's manor is huge; it'll take several days to dig!"
Seraya patted Tia's head to encourage her, then looked at Su Lan.
Su Lan was definitely not here to just stroll around.
"I have brought in all the craftsmen in the territory. According to Barrow's estimate, it will take about five days to repair the ship."
"Thank you very much. I do have some urgent business to attend to, so I'd like to leave as soon as possible."
Seraya poured Su Lan a glass of water, waiting for what was to come.
Su Lan took a sip: "To be honest, I came here for two reasons. First, to show the craftsmen the way, and second, to ask if you still have any soil alchemy medicine."
"That..." Seraya suddenly hesitated, "Wait while I look for it."
She got up and went back to the inner bedroom.
A rustling sound came from inside the drawers.
A moment later, Seraya came out carrying several medicine bottles and placed them in front of Su Lan.
Which one do you think looks like it?
"Huh?" Su Lan was a little confused.
Seraya crossed her legs and lay horizontally on the chair.
"I'm not an alchemist, I can't tell these things apart. These are all goods that came in from that ship last time."
Seeing Su Lan's suspicious look, she paused and added, "Merchant ship, bought."
"walk slowly."
Anyway, Su Lan didn't believe it.