Chapter 820: Get Lost If You Don't Want to Stay

However, it was obvious that the discussion was completely useless; it didn't achieve a damn thing.

The reason for this was that everyone had their own hidden agendas. The methods they proposed were basically only beneficial to themselves, or at most, to a small handful of people.

Some said that the amount of labor each family contributed should be decided based on the extent of the damage to their crops.

Some said that whoever's crops were adjacent to the woods should be the ones to keep watch; those whose land wasn't adjacent didn't need to go.

Some said, "My crops suffered very little damage, so it doesn't matter whether my family participates in protecting the seedlings or not. Participating is a favor; not participating is my right."

Some suggested that every family contribute one person, then divide them into groups to take turns keeping watch.

To be fair, this person's suggestion sounded relatively equitable.

After all, they were all from the same village, the crop lands were redistributed every year, and wild boars couldn't be eradicated. No matter whose crops they were, there was always a possibility of suffering the greatest loss.

If they couldn't pool their efforts, it would be absolutely impossible for an individual to guard the crops across so many different plots.

However, this person's suggestion was met with opposition from the previous group.

And so, everyone started shouting and arguing all over again.

Finally, someone suggested that the village's few militia members and hunters continue to keep watch, and any game they caught—like wild boars or Asiatic black bears—would serve as their payment for guarding the fields.

This proposal finally gained the approval of the vast majority.

But this proposal was opposed by all the hunters and militia members.

The main issue was that while this suggestion sounded generous on the surface—since wild boars and bears were worth a decent amount of money, especially bear gallbladders, which could fetch a fortune—were these things actually that easy to kill?

If a hunter were injured during the watch, who would be responsible? Who would pay for the medical treatment? Even worse, if someone died because of it, whose fault would that be?

It had to be admitted that although the hunters' arguments sounded selfish, they were completely valid.

One had to realize that neither wild boars nor black bears were pushovers.

When encountering these two creatures during a normal hunt, many hunters using single-barrel shotguns were terrified; when outmatched, they would stay as far away as possible. Encountering them while protecting seedlings would certainly be even more frightening.

Mainly because wild boars always came down the mountain in herds. In other words, even if one held a Type 56 assault rifle, no one could guarantee they wouldn't get hurt.

Furthermore, as for the job of guarding the fields, it didn't matter during the day when visibility was good, but at night, one had to build a makeshift shelter in the field to keep watch.

Moreover, in the darkness of the forest region, if there was no moon, the pitch-blackness was truly such that you couldn't see your own fingers in front of your face.

No exaggeration—having a gun was useless because you wouldn't even know where to aim.

These were the facts!

In short, after a bout of shouting and arguing, not only did they achieve nothing, but many people were left genuinely fuming.

The main reason was that quite a few people demonstrated the phrase "selfish and self-centered" to the absolute fullest.

Of course, this was a common human flaw: the primary goal was to "take the benefits for oneself and push the responsibilities onto others."

Basically, they didn't give a damn about anyone else, as long as it was "the fellow Daoist who dies, not me."

So until the end, although everyone babbled a great deal, it was all fucking nonsense. To put it bluntly, it wasn't even fit for human speech.

Perhaps having guessed this outcome long ago, Sun Dafu and several other village officials spent the entire time observing everyone's expressions, but they remained as silent as mutes, simply watching quietly.

At this point, Wang Li couldn't help but ask Wang An

"Fourth Brother, how do you think we should handle this seedling protection? If we just listen to these people ramble, I reckon we could ramble until tomorrow and still not get the head or tail of it."

Hearing this, Wang An said with a chuckle

"Holy shit, you actually know the phrase 'head or tail'? You're actually getting educated, hahahaha..."

Seeing that Wang An wasn't talking business but was instead messing around, Wang Li said with some urgency

"Fourth Brother, look at you. I know the twelve zodiac signs too. I'm asking you about the seedling protection."

Wang An smiled again and said

"Just handle it however it's handled. Anyway, this isn't for us to decide. Let's see what the Village Chief thinks."

To be honest, Wang An was actually very interested in this "seedling protection" matter.

On one hand, hunting in the mountains was like fishing—it was truly addictive.

Consequently, if Wang An didn't wander into the mountains for a few days to hunt some game, he felt an itch all over his body.

On the other hand, although the number of people helping with work at home had decreased by more than half, there were still over twenty people working.

The daily meat consumption of these twenty-plus people was quite significant.

And regardless, protecting seedlings was much safer than hunting deep in the mountains. At the very least, it was close to home; once game was caught, it could be hauled straight back in the quad bike.

If they caught enough game, they could sell it at the market or to various unit cafeterias, which would be a substantial source of income.

Moreover, Wang An's dog pack had fully matured. Even without counting Wang Li's four dogs, Wang An's eight dogs were already quite formidable.

Overall, protecting the seedlings was a matter of a hundred benefits and zero harms for Wang An; he would definitely participate.

Just as Wang An finished speaking, Village Chief Sun Dafu stood up from his stool and roared expressionlessly

"I've heard the gist of what you all said, and I'm fucking disappointed. Every single one of you only knows how to look out for yourselves. What? You don't want to stay in Kaoshan Village anymore? If you don't want to stay, then get the fuck out!"

At this time, unlike in later generations, the Village Chief still held considerable power. Therefore, Sun Dafu's words weren't just empty boasting; he truly could make it impossible for you to stay in the village.

As soon as Sun Dafu spoke, the villagers—especially the few who had been arguing the loudest—all lowered their heads.

No one was an idiot. Everyone knew in their heart whether their words were reasonable or whether they were right or wrong. Now that Sun Dafu had pointed it out without mercy, they naturally felt they had lost face.

Fortunately, Sun Dafu didn't call anyone out by name, which saved some of their dignity.

After a pause, Sun Dafu continued with a long face

"Alright, those whom I'm referring to know who they are, so I won't name names. But mark my words: from now on, you all fucking unite and think about the interests of everyone."

(End of Chapter)