Chapter 244: I’m Serious
As soon as Yu Luo said those words, the men surrounding them were stunned—not just them, but even Luo Yi and the others looked at her in disbelief!
Never mind the one tael per month she promised, just feeding these people three meals a day would require an unimaginable amount of silver!
No, no, even if their Miss was incredibly wealthy, where would she even find enough food to sustain over ten thousand people every single day?
“R-Really? Miss, are you serious?”
“Y-Yeah! Miss, you… are you sure? We’re talking about over ten thousand people! Even if each person only ate half a pound of food per day, that’s nearly ten thousand pounds of grain daily!
Ten thousand pounds! Miss, are you really serious?”
Ten thousand pounds?
Hearing the voices of disbelief around her, Yu Luo silently did the math in her head.
Ten thousand pounds of food… that really is a lot!
Oh heavens, and that was just grain—not even counting vegetables, fruit, and meat.
If she calculated it based on ten copper coins per person per day, then for one year, each person would cost three taels, six coins, and fifty copper.
For 16,700 people, the total annual cost would be around 60,000 taels of silver!
Yu Luo quickly ran the calculations in her head and let out a breath of relief.
60,000 taels per year for food didn’t seem too bad. Even if she fed them for ten years, that would only be 600,000 taels!
Besides, once they started farming, they could produce a portion of their own food.
Her real financial burden would be their monthly wages—twelve taels per person per year.
And out of these over ten thousand people, she’d need to select leaders, who would be paid even more.
Roughly estimating, if she calculated it based on 17,000 people, she would need to pay 200,000 taels annually in wages.
Adding food expenses, the total annual cost for these 17,000 people would be 350,000 taels of silver.
Hearing that number, it sounded like a lot… but then she remembered all the authentic Zhu Daguang paintings she had sold.
350,000 taels?
That’s nothing.
And once her new city was built, she could start attracting businesses and stimulating the economy. Even if she had to invest in the first few years, she would start making a profit later on!
Not to mention the coal mine, the tourism industry she was planning, and her mother’s medical skills—all of these were profitable ventures!
As she thought about all this, Yu Luo firmly nodded at the stunned men around her.
“I’m serious.”
The moment she spoke, the men who had been waiting anxiously froze.
Then their faces lit up with overwhelming joy, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
After being enslaved as miners, they had spent years surviving on a few dry buns a day—forget about meat or vegetables, and monthly wages were unheard of.
Now, hearing Yu Luo’s offer, not a single one of them could contain their excitement!
Just moments ago, they had been lost and uncertain about their future. But now, it was as if a goddess had appeared before them, showing them a new path!
For a few seconds, everything fell into complete silence.
Then—
Someone cheered.
And in an instant, the entire group erupted into shouts of joy, their voices shaking the wasteland.
They surrounded Yu Luo and her guards, their eyes filled with hope and admiration.
Further back, the rest of the group still had no idea what was happening.
They couldn’t see or hear clearly, but the waves of cheers and excited shouts made them even more curious and confused.
Yu Luo watched as the exhaustion and despair on the men’s weathered faces were replaced with happiness. She couldn’t help but smile along with them.
Just as she was celebrating the fact that her new city could finally begin construction, Luo Yi suddenly tugged on her sleeve, his brows furrowed.
“Miss, shouldn’t you discuss such a big decision with Master and Madam first?”
As soon as Luo Yi spoke, the cheering quieted.
The men who had been so excited just moments ago froze, their expressions shifting to nervous anticipation.
The joy on their faces faded, replaced by anxious uncertainty.
Yu Luo could see the thought in their eyes—”Did we celebrate too soon?”
And they weren’t wrong.
Given her age, it was understandable that others would doubt whether she could make such a major decision.
Even her own guards seemed unsure about her words.
“That’s right, Miss… You look quite young. Are you really able to make such a big decision? Would your elders even allow it?”
The leader of the group, seeing the awkward look on Yu Luo’s face, suddenly felt a deep sense of disappointment.
Just now, he had been thrilled by her offer, but thinking about it rationally, the realistic obstacles seemed impossible to ignore.
“Yes, Miss! You’re not just joking with us… are you?”
Doubtful voices rose from the crowd.
More and more men from the back of the group started moving closer, surrounding them. Some even took the opportunity to sit down and rest, sensing that things might not be as certain as they hoped.
As the number of people gathering increased, Yu Luo straightened her posture and turned to the leader.
“If I said it, then I meant it. I don’t make empty promises.”
After saying that, she turned to Luo Yi and the others.
“Right now, there’s no place to settle this many people, so take them to Stone Mountain for now. I’ll go inform my family and arrange for supplies to be sent over as soon as possible.”
With that, Yu Luo leaped into the air, using lightness skill to head toward Stone Mountain.
The moment she left, the men panicked!
“Wait! Why is she leaving?! What does that mean? Was she just messing with us?!”
“Miss is serious. She left you in our care, didn’t she? With so many of you suddenly arriving, of course, she needs to make proper arrangements and send over supplies. Otherwise, what will you eat, wear, or sleep in?”
Luo Yi’s icy tone immediately silenced the doubters.
He didn’t raise his voice, but his commanding presence and sharp logic made the noisy crowd fall silent.
“You, take charge of them and follow me.”
He turned to the leader, his voice firm.
The man nodded quickly.
“Y-Yes! Everyone, follow me!”
Even though many of them still felt uneasy, this was their only chance.
If Yu Luo really could follow through with her promise, their future wouldn’t be filled with uncertainty anymore.
