Chapter 164: Willing to Be Exploited Out of Desperation
Ye Jiamei crossed her arms and looked at the group with a smirk, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
“I really didn’t expect my daughter to be so ruthless, exploiting even people like them without hesitation.”
Yu Luo rolled her eyes at her mother.
She had known this would happen. Just moments ago, her mother had been wary of these men, yet now, seeing their pitiful state, her sympathy was starting to overflow.
But at least her mother’s kindness had its limits—when necessary, she could be just as ruthless.
“Mom, stop being sarcastic and help me carry these tools over.”
The mother and daughter bickered as they picked up hoes and shovels, walking toward the group of men.
About a hundred meters from the cave, the group of men was gathered under a tree, whispering amongst themselves. When they saw the mother and daughter approaching, they immediately fell silent, their eyes fixed on the tools in their hands.
When they saw the brand-new hoes and shovels, their expressions changed—eyes filled with an almost fanatical light.
For years, they had struggled to survive in this barren land with nothing but their bare hands and crude stone tools. If they had tools like these back then, they might have already cultivated farmland, instead of constantly fighting wild beasts for food and losing many of their companions.
“Miss, Madam!”
The men hurriedly stepped forward, eager to take the tools, their voices filled with genuine respect.
Yu Luo raised an eyebrow, pleased with how quickly they understood their place.
“These farming tools… they’re all brand new. Miss and Madam really trust us this much?”
Ye Jiamei scoffed, “They’re just tools. As long as you work hard and sincerely, you’ll never go hungry.”
Hearing this, the men became even more excited and said in unison, “We’ll work hard!”
“Have you decided on a location for the water reservoir?”
A dark-skinned man stepped forward respectfully. “Miss, we discussed it and decided to dig in this lower-lying area. But we’re worried that after the reservoir is built, it might attract wild animals…”
He hesitated for a moment before adding, “So after the pool is dug, we could build a stone wall around it to keep beasts away. However, this will take an extra day of work.”
Yu Luo’s eyes gleamed with appreciation.
She didn’t just need obedient workers—she needed people who could think ahead and anticipate problems.
“What’s your name?”
“My surname is Tao, given name Ming.”
Ye Jiamei couldn’t help but chuckle. “Tao Ming? That sounds like ‘fleeing for your life.’ Who gave you such an unlucky name?”
Tao Ming answered honestly, “My father. He was illiterate and had too many children, so he just picked a name randomly.”
Ye Jiamei felt a bit awkward. “Uh… sorry. I tend to speak my mind. No offense.”
“Madam, it’s fine. I really haven’t had much luck in life. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have ended up exiled here.”
Yu Luo nodded. “Your suggestion makes sense. We’ll do it your way. Since you’ll be building a wall, we’ll extend the deadline by one more day.”
“Thank you, Miss!”
After the mother and daughter left, the group of men remained standing there, clutching their tools in silence.
Finally, Tao Ming murmured, “This time… we might actually survive.”
The others nodded. They were ready. Even if they were being exploited, they were willing—because this was their chance to live.
