Free Web NovelChapter 189: Chapter 189
Chapter 189
This Governor of Red Earth City was very good, and his furen was exceptionally intelligent. It was said that she used to be a young miss in the capital of the Du Region, so she learned many things. Thanks to the assistance from both of them, even vegetables that couldn’t be grown before are now flourishing everywhere.
Just from this perspective, the people of Red Earth City felt they no longer needed to rely on or even beg people from other cities. In the past, when trying to buy a handful of rice, those people treated them like worthless beings, refusing to sell or hiking up the prices, toying with their feelings just to vent their frustrations.
When they tried to buy from the next city, they faced bandits ready to rob them. As ordinary villagers, how could they escape such crises? Ultimately, they had to accept the humiliation.
Seeing the serious and angry expressions on their faces, the neighboring townspeople, who were initially furious, gradually had their anger extinguished and were replaced by fear.
In the past, they had indeed mistreated the people of Red Earth City, but could they be blamed? The people of Red Earth City were incapable, and their Governor was practically a slave to their own Governors. It was only natural to take advantage of the situation and grab what they could when it was time, wasn’t it?
These people didn’t think they were in the wrong at all. They were just common folks trying to make a living too. When given the chance to raise prices, who wouldn’t want to do it? Besides, if the people of Red Earth City didn’t want their goods, they could just buy elsewhere. So, while their aggression had toned down, they were still unwilling to admit fault.
"How can you think like that? We are just ordinary villagers. If we can earn a little more, it means our families can be happier and more well-fed. It’s just negotiation. Now you make it sound like we’re criminals," one villager from another city, who had been driven out, complained softly.
"Indeed. It’s not just Red Earth City. We have to negotiate with people in our own cities too. We are all traders, both within and outside the city. After all, we’re all from the Bai Region," another added in support.
"Oh, really? All from the Bai Region, are we? Your behavior now is truly despicable. Who would have thought you could be such chameleons? You call it negotiation, but your idea of negotiation is to take our lives, isn’t it?" One of the soldiers laughed.
He was a city soldier, and although he had a better salary and living conditions than the average villager, whenever his wife went to buy goods from other cities, she was bullied every time. Even his son had been beaten when he returned home.
This resentment made him one of the soldiers who didn’t follow the previous Governor when he fled. He preferred to die in Red Earth City rather than be scorned by people from other cities. At least he would die in his hometown and in the line of duty.
Many people who shared this sentiment stayed in Red Earth City as well. Some, who didn’t want their children to die or had relatives in other cities, tried to escape. That wasn’t their fault either. Everyone had their reasons. However, if you asked everyone in Red Earth City, they would likely say with one voice that they hated these neighboring townspeople!
"That’s-that’s..."
"And what does this have to do with the medicine this time?! That’s a trade issue, but giving medicine is about saving lives. How is that the same?" Unable to find any other excuse, the villagers shouted in frustration. It was clear they were grasping at straws, but they didn’t know what else to say.
"This is about treatment? How is it different? It’s about an exchange. Our Governor isn’t a bad person. He’s willing to let you have the medicine, but only as citizens of Red Earth City. It’s you who are selfish, wanting our resources but unwilling to become part of Red Earth City. That’s clear exploitation," a soldier retorted, refusing to yield. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"Hmph! The Governor of Red Earth City is truly evil. He uses this excuse because he wants us to become labor slaves. Don’t think I don’t know what you plan to do once we become citizens of Red Earth City."
"Exactly. People say you work us harder than slaves. Some collapse, some are beaten. If we can’t work, we’re thrown into prison. The evil of you Red Earth City people is too much. We will never accept this." ƒrēewebnovel.com
"Wait until the authorities investigate. The capital must already know about this. You and the Governor you respect so much will be punished for such vile acts," several villagers showed troubled expressions.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to be Red Earth City citizens, but they all felt it was a trap—a trap to harm them. It was retaliation from the vengeful people of Red Earth City. These people didn’t genuinely want to help them; they wanted to torment them.
Conversely, when the soldiers heard this, they raised their eyebrows in surprise. What was this about torturing people? What was this about forcing people to work so hard they passed out? What was this about imprisoning and torturing people who moved to Red Earth City?
Were these people’s thoughts completely out of line? As soldiers of Red Earth City, they felt this was utterly unfair. The Governor of Red Earth City not only didn’t mistreat them but also provided good jobs for them.
Some had made a lot of money, and many families that had moved to Red Earth City were able to establish themselves within a few days. How were those people being tortured? Were they being tortured with delicious food, big houses, and beautiful clothes?
This misunderstanding was actually a false rumor spread by the leaders of other cities to prevent a mass exodus of people. They claimed that the people of Red Earth City were extremely evil, but in reality, this wasn’t true. The people who had actually moved to Red Earth City almost praised the Governor of Red Earth City.
Although they initially felt lost because they didn’t know where to start, having been forced to sell their land from other cities, they still received help from the beginning with temporary housing for 30 days, after which they had to find their own way.
This pressure made many work hard initially. They didn’t know how fair the Governor would be, so they didn’t realize they would earn enough as long as they worked diligently.
In the end, some did fall ill from overworking, but that wasn’t due to the Governor or the people of Red Earth City exploiting them. They had overexerted themselves out of worry. However, it didn’t take long for them to realize they weren’t being exploited at all. They received good pay and were allowed to work according to their skills.
Even women had jobs suitable for them, and children had small tasks they could do. In the end, the money they earned was more than they had ever made. Working together as a family was much different from relying solely on the men to work. Their lives improved greatly. Moreover, the Governor’s attitude was very unusual but had positive effects.
Ultimately, every family was now happy. There was no severe gender discrimination like before. Everyone worked hard and contributed to the family income. Although many were still used to the belief that household chores were women’s work, many families were starting to change their mindset.
Since mutual respect and peaceful coexistence were better, why should they remain stuck in division? Especially women, who had become stronger, soon realized that their value wasn’t dependent on their husbands. They could find work and earn money too. Even widows, whose husbands had died from the epidemic, could still survive and support their families. All of this was the opportunity that the Governor of Red Earth City highlighted.
Women were no longer afraid of divorce!
Of course, this situation existed only in Red Earth City. It must be said that it was quite difficult to change long-standing cultures and beliefs that had been ingrained for hundreds or even thousands of years.
As for Red Earth City, change came easily. This was entirely due to the hardships they had endured in the past. When they found the true path to a better life, they didn’t hesitate to embrace it.
If this idea were brought to the capital, would the women, who spent their time lounging and fighting over husbands, be willing to get up and work? Their husbands already earned enough to keep them comfortable. So, this idea couldn’t spread there. Who would want to change if it didn’t make things better?
For men, changing would mean losing power and working just as hard with no improvement? For women, even though power might increase, why would they need it? Competing for power within the household was already chaotic enough.
This is the difference. The people of Red Earth City faced hunger and death from lack of food every day. When they found the right path, they jumped at it without hesitation. They didn’t worry about who had more or less power. They weren’t comfortable to begin with, so there was no comfort to cling to. In the end, if working this way meant more food, they simply changed.
Back to the present situation, the soldiers kept their doubts about the rumors to themselves but didn’t argue. If these people had such strange ideas and didn’t want to become citizens of Red Earth City, it was just as well to let them believe that. The soldiers didn’t want to share their resources or well-being with these people either.
In the end, the villagers who had been shouting until their voices were hoarse quieted down. They couldn’t do much more. Many people who wanted the medicine had already become citizens of Red Earth City. Even though they were supposedly tortured nearly to death, they managed to survive. Only these holdouts refused. In the end, they could only hold onto hope, hearing that someone had reported this to the capital and that it would soon be dealt with appropriately.
They didn’t realize that soon even the capital would face the same epidemic. Even slight contact would transmit the disease to the people there. As the outbreak spread severely across all regions, even the Du Region and other neighboring Regions faced the same fate. They had to rush to find a formula for the cure. Ultimately, only Red Earth City had both herbs and the people who knew how to make the medicine.
In Red Earth City, after expelling people from other cities, their space increased significantly. Those people had initially settled in the city’s central area, near the market and the Governor’s manor, making it quite crowded. After they left, Yueqian, now with over 20 guards, walked around inspecting the area.
Mu Heng continued his duties as the Governor, managing security and building routes. Therefore, after finishing her task of sorting ingredients for the medicine, Yueqian took charge of further developing the area.
“This area should be turned into a market. Although there aren’t any villagers selling their own goods yet, the shops I’ve set up have increased their production,” Yueqian suggested. Her followers nodded and quickly took notes.Previously, Red Earth City didn’t have a market. They didn’t engage in much business and only waited for the arrival of caravans from other cities. When it was time, they would gather together. There was no established market like in other cities.
