Chapter 45: Fury

After eating, Zhao Hai intentionally left Merlin in the house, asking her to help him brew some Kaya. While sipping the Kaya, Zhao Hai said to Merlin, "Grandma Merlin, what do you think we should do now? How can we make those slaves feel at ease about learning to read and write?"

Merlin thought for a moment, glanced at Zhao Hai, and asked, "Young Master, do you really want to hear my opinion?"

Zhao Hai hurriedly replied, "Of course, Grandma Merlin. You have always been in charge of people in the Buda family. I have never managed anyone before, so in this regard, I don't have your experience."

Merlin smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Young Master. I think you are being too kind to those slaves right now. You should be a bit more strict."

This caught Zhao Hai off guard. Not quite understanding, he asked, "Grandma Merlin, are you saying I should be stricter with them? Why?"

Merlin smiled and explained, "Young Master, you must realize that a person in power does not only have a gentle side; he also has a stern side. If one is too gentle, subordinates will think he is easy to bully. Of course, these slaves won't be like that, but they will think you are too good to them while they fail to live up to that goodness. This makes them feel they have let you down, which is why they lack spirit when learning to write. In their eyes, working for us is their value, while learning to read is a reward we bestow upon them. Now, we are only giving them rewards without giving them any tasks to perform, which makes them feel uneasy."

Zhao Hai was stunned. He truly hadn't thought of it from that angle. He had assumed these slaves were like students on Earth; to be honest, no student views learning as a reward. Everyone wishes they could only attend class two days a week and rest for five.

Zhao Hai had overlooked one crucial point: in this world, almost all technology and knowledge were closed off to slaves. Slaves were merely tools for labor. In the eyes of some nobles, slaves were not even considered human.

Zhao Hai thought for a moment and said, "I understand. Thank you, Grandma Merlin. Let me think about how to handle this."

Merlin nodded with relief. She understood his meaning. It was undeniable that the current Zhao Hai was truly excellent—at least in her eyes—but she also had to admit that he still had much to learn.

Zhao Hai sat there for a long while, contemplating how to handle the situation. To be honest, this was his first time encountering such a matter; he had never dealt with anything like it before.

After a long period of thought, Zhao Hai finally stood up, let out a long breath, and turned to Merlin. "Grandma Merlin, let's go out. I want to see them."

Merlin nodded. The two left the thatched hut and walked toward the slaves. The slaves were currently practicing writing on the grass, clearing away the sod to reveal the soil beneath, and using corn stalks to write in the dirt.

However, Zhao Hai noticed that the slaves seemed somewhat listless, a far cry from the excitement they had shown when they first began learning to write.

Zhao Hai walked over with a somber expression and said calmly, "Everyone, stop for a moment."

Seeing Zhao Hai approach, the slaves immediately dropped their corn stalks and knelt on the ground to pay their respects. But this time, instead of gently telling them to stand up and speak as he had done before, Zhao Hai said in a heavy voice, "I heard that you haven't been very serious about your writing lessons these past few days?"

His voice wasn't loud, and it was extremely calm, yet the slaves couldn't help but tremble. They immediately cried out in unison, "Please punish us, Master!"

With a voice as cold as ice, Zhao Hai said, "You have never understood one thing. Letting you learn to write is not just a reward; it is so that you can better serve the Buda family. Even if you were fools, you should understand the current situation of the Buda family. The Buda family needs every single one of you to do your absolute best to serve it. Your *absolute* best, do you understand? But what abilities do you have now? Aside from manual labor, what else can you do? What skills do you possess? What are your specialties? If I give you a book, how many words can you recognize? Right now, you know nothing and understand nothing. If those undead could be under my control, one undead would be worth ten of you, and they wouldn't even require me to waste food to sustain them! In terms of strength, you cannot compete with horses. Why do you think I want you to be more than horses? Because you can learn to read, and horses cannot. Only by learning to read can you better serve the Buda family. If it were just for manual labor, why would I have you learn to write? Is it because you don't want to learn to read because you don't want to serve the Buda family better?"

All the slaves knelt there, trembling with fear. This was the first time Zhao Hai had ever spoken to them with such harsh words, and they were truly terrified.

Zhao Hai took several deep breaths to steady his emotions before continuing, "I said that if you do well, I can restore your status as commoners. But do you think that once you are commoners, you will automatically live a good life? Wrong. If you have no ability, even as commoners, you will be the lowest class of commoners. Remember this: the Buda family needs people with ambition, people who are determined to live a better life, not useless trash who only think about eating and waiting to die."

Then, Zhao Hai glanced at Ju. "Many of you want to be like Ju. Why did I allow Ju to regain her status as a commoner? She only knows how to weave straw, and many of you can weave straw too—some even as well as she does. So why did I restore Ju's status? I'll tell you: because Ju dared to stand up and say she could do it. She wanted to change her life, to make it better, to save her brother, and to ensure her brother and her children could become commoners with a fair chance at education, rather than relying on charity. I hope you can learn from Ju. I hope that one day when you see me, you will only bow to me and call me 'Young Master,' rather than 'Master.' The Buda family needs one hundred people who serve with all their hearts, not one hundred slaves. Do you understand?"

All the slaves knelt there and shouted in unison, "We understand, Master!"

The slaves were actually quite moved. This was the first time a noble had spoken to them this way; it was the first time someone had treated them as human beings, and the first time someone had hoped they could become true people. Although Zhao Hai had lost his temper, they felt no resentment in their hearts. On the contrary, they were filled with gratitude and respect for him, because Zhao Hai had planted a seed in their hearts—a seed of self-reliance.

After hearing them, Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Stand up. I don't like people constantly kneeling before me. Remember, study your writing well. This is not a reward; it is an order."

The slaves shouted again, "Yes, Master!" and then stood up.

Although they had been kneeling on the ground for a long time, a new aura seemed to surround them as they stood. Their previous withered and shrunken appearance seemed to vanish instantly, replaced by a sense of strength.

Merlin stood behind Zhao Hai with a slight smile, her eyes full of gratification. She hadn't expected Zhao Hai to do so well today—even better than she had imagined. He hadn't just given the slaves a stern warning; he had made them feel deeply grateful to him. Merlin was extremely satisfied with his performance.

Zhao Hai glanced at the slaves who were now standing straight, nodded, and turned to Merlin. "Grandma Merlin, I'll leave the rest to you. Don't let them study all day long; that will just make their minds dull and prevent them from remembering anything."

Merlin smiled and said, "Don't worry, Young Master. I know what to do. This isn't my first time teaching students."

Zhao Hai laughed heartily and turned back toward the thatched hut. Wood and Stone followed behind him. Meg, this time, did not follow Merlin but instead followed closely by Zhao Hai's side, her face full of admiration.

Meg felt that Zhao Hai was incredibly handsome today, especially when he was delivering those words. It was as if he were glowing, possessing an inexplicable power that drew her gaze, making it impossible for her to look away for even a second.

When Zhao Hai returned to the room, he let out a long sigh of relief. Those words he had just spoken had been carefully prepared; he had even pre-designed where to pause and what expressions to use. Of course, toward the end, he had become somewhat genuinely emotional, which made his performance even more authentic. But it was undeniable that the speech had been meticulously planned.

As Meg followed him into the room, seeing his expression, a smile involuntarily spread across her face. She found herself liking being by his side more and more. It was as if Zhao Hai possessed a power that could settle her mind, giving her a sense of tranquility, peace, and profound security.

Only then did Zhao Hai notice someone behind him. Startled, he turned around to find it was Meg. He felt a bit embarrassed; he was a shut-in who had rarely interacted with girls. The last time Meg had hugged him, it had left him at a loss for words whenever he saw her for several days. Now, seeing her standing behind him, he felt even more awkward.

Flustered, Zhao Hai said, "Ah, Meg, why did you come in? Is something the matter?"

Seeing his reaction, the smile on Meg's face widened. She quickly replied with a laugh, "What's wrong, Young Master? Am I not allowed to enter this room?"

Zhao Hai hurriedly said, "You can, of course you can. You can come in anytime. Please, sit and have some Kaya."

Looking at Zhao Hai, Meg couldn't help but giggle. "Young Master, that Kaya was prepared for you. I wouldn't dare drink it, otherwise, my mother would scold me."

Zhao Hai quickly replied, "She won't. I am inviting you to drink it. It's perfectly fine."