Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

When Wang Chen left Ya's family home, his mood was rather heavy.

He hadn't expected that there were such struggling families in Datian Village.

Ya's grandfather was already very old.

Although the old hunter was experienced, the Monster Beasts in the mountains were not vegetarians.

With his advanced age and weakened body, both his combat strength and reaction abilities were incomparable to his youth.

This time he ventured into the mountains and encountered bad luck, nearly losing his life.

But no matter how dangerous, Ya's grandfather couldn't just lie at home and rest.

Without enough food, a family of three would not be able to survive the cold winter.

Wang Chen asked He, "Are there many families like this in the village?"

He hesitated for a moment, then replied, "There are some."

With nearly four hundred households in Datian Village, there were bound to be rich and poor, those who had plenty and those who could barely lift the pot lid.

There were also some whose lives had been decent but, due to an accident or disappearance of the family breadwinner, had seen their circumstances plummet and life become difficult.

Ya's situation was just like that.

When her parents were alive, having enough food and clothing wasn't a problem.

Now, the siblings depended entirely on their grandfather's hunting for their livelihood; it would be quite strange if they lived well!

He also revealed another situation to Wang Chen.

That was the fact that most of the village's poor households were outsiders.

If villagers with the surnames Huang, Xu, or Chen found themselves without food or clothing, their clans would offer some support in rice and grain, enough to prevent them from starving to death.

But the outsiders were left to fend for themselves.

Ya's family happened to be outsiders!

Having understood these situations, Wang Chen took He back to the Village Head Residence first, and then sent Crane Messages to several village elders.

The three elders quickly arrived.

Wang Chen didn't waste words and recounted what had just happened to them.

After listening, the three of them looked at each other, and Elder Chen immediately said, "Village Chief, our Chen clan is willing to help support Lu's family, ensuring they have enough to eat and wear this winter."

The other two, Elder Huang and Elder Xu, quickly caught on, "We are willing too!"

How much food could one old man and two children consume in a winter?

Not to mention the Chen clan, even if he had to pay out of his own pocket, it would be no problem at all.

To use such a small expenditure to gain favor with Wang Chen was an absolute bargain!

They were all very shrewd!

"It's not just about one family."

Wang Chen waved his hand and said, "As far as I know, our village has quite a few households like this one."

The three elders immediately shut their mouths.

Helping one family was one thing; helping dozens was quite another.

Wang Chen didn't expect them to be altruistic, and in fact, he had already made a decision, "My idea is to separately list these struggling households and have the village collectively support them, with the related expenses coming out of the public coffers."

"Assurance of food, clothing, medical care, housing, and funeral expenses—we'll call it the Five Guarantees Household policy."

"As for the standards of a Five Guarantees Household, you all will set them, and we will follow these standards in the future."

"What do you think?"

The three elders looked at each other and then bowed their heads, "We will do as you command, sir."

Wang Chen was not asking for their opinion.

It was a decision.

If Huang Deqi, Priest Xu, and others were still around, they would have dared to argue with Wang Chen, or to be outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant.

But now, with the heads of the three great families disposed of, the elders had neither the courage nor the power to stand against Wang Chen, so they had to swallow their grievances.

Wang Chen was very aware of their thoughts and said with a smile, "I know that most of these struggling households are outsiders, and you three clans would be reluctant to subsidize them."

The three elders immediately changed their expressions, repeatedly denying it and expressing their willingness. Explore more adventures at empire

"Let's settle this matter once and for all, I'll cover all the welfare assistance costs for the first batch of the 'five guarantees' households this winter," Wang Chen said, uninterested in watching their performance.

From the Grey Wolf Bandits, he had confiscated a large quantity of goods: rice, beast meat, clothing, pills, talismans, and weapons too numerous to count.

Just a small portion of it would be enough for those struggling households to get through the winter.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

But relying solely on Wang Chen to foot the bill was not a sustainable solution, as he couldn't stay here forever.

Therefore, it was essential to establish a set of rules that everyone could accept.

"I plan to set up a Guard Squad, responsible for defending the village on a daily basis, and then regularly organizing hunting expeditions into the mountains."

"The income from the hunts goes into the public fund, which will be used to support the 'five guarantees' households' expenses in the future."

"Of course, the members of the Guard Squad won't work for free. Their efforts will be recorded as points."

"Let's call them work points."

"In the future, villagers who contribute labor can also earn work points."

"Work points can be exchanged for goods from the public fund—the more you work, the more you earn, fair and just."

"As for the scoring and exchange standards, you can discuss and decide them amongst yourselves."

"What do you think?"

The three elders were stunned.

'Five guarantees' households, Guard Squad, work points...

Their already decrepit brains suddenly had to process such an overwhelming amount of information, inevitably resulting in sluggish reactions.

But upon careful consideration, Wang Chen's suggestions seemed to have a high feasibility.

Although absolute fairness does not exist and there would undoubtedly be biases in the implementation of the rules, as long as the most basic needs are met, the villagers are likely to accept them!

"Moreover..."

Wang Chen wasn't finished yet: "I plan to build an academy in the village to enroll all school-age children, taught by the knowledgeable elders."

The academy served to provide foundational education. In the past, children from Datian Village had to travel to Wan City, fifty miles away, for schooling.

Not to mention the long journey, but the tuition fees in the city were also quite high.

Therefore, most villagers taught their children themselves.

But the quality of education varied greatly, with a huge disparity between the highest and lowest levels.

It must be changed.

"Let's name this academy Datian Primary School. Students who come will get a free lunch."

"I will arrange the initial funding, and future expenses will be allocated from the public fund."

"What do you think?"

To be an official is to bring benefits to the people!

Initially, Wang Chen considered Datian Village only as a stepping stone to enter the West Sea Sect and had no intention of doing anything as the village head.

Now, after everything that transpired, his thoughts had changed.

Wang Chen felt that he needed to do something before leaving that could bring positive changes to Datian Village. When he looked back on this chapter in the future, he would have no regrets!

The three elders were baffled once more.

The more they listened, the more their scalps tingled, and their long-held beliefs were greatly shaken.

Elder Chen suddenly became solemn and respectfully bowed to Wang Chen, "Your Excellency cares for the villagers with kindness and benevolence. This old man is willing to offer my humble support and not let you down!"

He suddenly made a move, and the other two could no longer stand idly by on the shore.

They hastened to express their readiness.

It was just short of thumping their chests to show loyalty.

Wang Chen smiled, "Good!"

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The second update is here.