Chapter 158: What Is Yu Haojie Thinking?
“I have an announcement to make today.”
Seeing Yu Haojie’s serious expression, the crowd couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
To them, his family had become their lifeline. They weren’t worried about paying for food or supplies—they were terrified that one day he might announce that he wouldn’t be selling to them anymore.
“Second Brother, is there something important? You look too serious.”
Yu Yongjun, now fully recovered, was finally able to move around. While he couldn’t do heavy labor yet, he could at least join his family in planting seeds. He didn’t want to stay cooped up in the cave any longer.
Seeing Yu Haojie’s grim face, he felt a little anxious.
“It’s good news. What are you all afraid of?”
Yu Haojie chuckled, amused by their reactions, and then shared his plan to hire them as workers.
When he mentioned that he would be paying fifty wen a day for men and thirty wen (1000 wen = 1 taels) for women, the entire crowd was stunned into silence.
For former officials like Bai You and Liu Mingxia, this wasn’t a particularly high wage—back in their old lives, they would’ve considered it pocket change. But now, things were different.
Here in the wilderness, they lived with the constant fear that their crops might fail, their savings might run out, and eventually, they’d be left with no choice but to fight wild animals for survival.
But now, Yu Haojie was offering them steady work and daily wages. How could they not be ecstatic?
Even though fifty wen a day wasn’t much, it was infinitely better than having no income at all.
“Are you serious, Haojie? How much land do you plan to cultivate? Do you really need to hire so many people? I know you have money, but it’s just the three of you—why plant so much food? You already have plenty of rice and grain stored. Wouldn’t it be enough to just grow a small vegetable garden?”
While everyone else was thrilled, Yu Zhengqing was baffled.
From his perspective, hiring workers to plant so much land made no sense.
To Yu Haojie, his eldest brother was nothing more than a useful tool. Even though Yu Zhengqing now treated him with more care, it wouldn’t change the fact that his past self and family had died because of him.
Despite recognizing that Yu Haojie’s plan would help everyone survive in the long run, Yu Zhengqing couldn’t shake his confusion.
His concern, however, was not well received by the others.
The crowd, who had been so excited moments ago, slowly lost their smiles and began to look at him with frustration.
Human nature was cruel that way. No matter how much Yu Zhengqing had helped them in the past, the moment he stood in the way of their financial security, he became the enemy.
It wasn’t that they were ungrateful—but when faced with the choice between sentiment and survival, self-preservation always won.
“Lord An, what are you trying to say? Do you not want us to have work?”
Liu Mingxia had always been grateful to Yu Zhengqing. But with money on the table, his patience evaporated.
“I don’t mean it that way,” Yu Zhengqing frowned. “I’m just wondering what my brother is thinking. He plants food, then sells it to you. You work for him, and the money you earn goes back to him when you buy food. Isn’t this just a cycle? What’s the point?”
His words made sense, and for a moment, the crowd hesitated.
Was Yu Haojie just playing tricks? Wouldn’t they just be giving the money back to him in the end?
“Yeah… this doesn’t seem to make sense. Aren’t you at a loss, Yu Second Master?” Bai You asked cautiously.
They had already begun to rely on both Yu Zhengqing and Yu Haojie. If either of them cut off support, they’d be in deep trouble.
They didn’t want to offend either brother.
But rather than Yu Haojie, it was Yu Luo who stepped forward.
“You’re wrong,” she stated firmly. “The difference is huge. First, the food we grow isn’t just for you. We can sell it to other people in the wilderness as well. Second, your money is finite. Every coin you spend brings you closer to poverty. That means even if you need something, you might not buy it because you’re afraid of running out of silver. But with jobs, everything changes.
If a family has three men and two women working, they’ll earn 210 coins a day—that’s over six taels of silver per month. Six taels is more than enough to buy rice and flour. In fact, you’d have enough left over to buy boots for winter, cotton for warm clothes, or even some spices beyond just salt.
You won’t have to hoard your money in fear. You’ll have an income, and we’ll have land that keeps producing food. It’s a cycle where no one loses.”
The crowd slowly nodded in agreement.
“Yeah! If we can save six or seven taels a year, we won’t have to worry about running out of money or starving!” Liu Mingxia’s eyes lit up.
“I see now,” Bai You murmured. “This isn’t just about farming—it’s about creating a system where we can sustain ourselves.”
“Exactly!” Yu Luo affirmed. “All you have to do is dig a reservoir, prepare the land, and plant the crops. That’s all we’re asking for.”
Yu Zhengqing remained silent.
He could tell that Yu Haojie had completely ignored him. Even though they were brothers, it was clear that the trust between them was gone.
And yet, what puzzled him the most was…
Why was Yu Haojie doing all this in the first place?
He had already said before—they wouldn’t be staying in this wasteland forever.
So why was he investing so much effort into building something here?
