98: Quota allocation

Village Head’s cloudy eyes shifted, and he asked cautiously, “Young Master, feel free to give any instructions.”

Chu Qinhui noticed the old man’s nervousness and softened his voice, “This is also a good thing for Fuhe Village. My father sympathizes with the Villagers’ hard work in farming, so he gave the Village Chief’s Family a quota for Spirit Awakening.

This will allow your Family to have a Contract Master, who will receive a monthly salary to assist the Villagers with farming.”

Hearing Chu Qinhui’s words, the Villagers behind the Village Chief couldn't help but gasp. They now wished they were the Village Chief, as having a Contract Master could lead to the entire Family achieving a breakthrough.

Village Head’s fingers trembled involuntarily, “Young Master, is… is that true?”

Chu Qinhui nodded, “It is naturally true. Go back and discuss it thoroughly. After you decide on a candidate, go up the mountain tomorrow for the Spirit Awakening and contract a Source Beast.”

“Alright, alright, I will definitely choose carefully when I get back. Young Master, would you like to stay in the village for a meal?”

Chu Qinhui waved his hand, “I still have other matters to attend to, so I won’t bother you.”

Village Head watched Chu Qinhui’s disappearing figure at the end of the village, sighing inwardly. He truly lived up to being a Young Master of a Noble Family now. Compared to his previous sickly state,

the scholarly air about him had significantly diminished, replaced by a cold aloofness that kept people at a distance, or perhaps, it was arrogance?

After thinking for a long time, Village Head couldn't find a suitable description from his limited vocabulary.

He came back to his senses and found that the Villagers had already started trying to stand on the sturdy ‘road’.

At first, they were cautious, afraid of damaging the road. After a moment, they seemed to truly realize its hardness and began running and jumping on it.

Village Head walked back and forth on the road with his cane a few times before returning home, still pondering Chu Qinhui’s instruction to select one person to become a Contract Master.

Although happy, he was also very troubled. He had quite a few descendants in his Family, and deciding who to give this quota to was truly not an easy matter.

After dinner in the evening, the Village Chief’s entire Family gathered in the main hall.

Village Head had three sons and two daughters in his lifetime.

His two daughters had married into neighboring villages, and they had already been excluded.

The remaining three sons had all married and had children. The eldest son had one son and one daughter, the second son had two sons, and the third son had just been married for a year and had a child still in swaddling clothes.

So, the candidates in Village Head’s mind totaled seven: his three sons, and four grandchildren, excluding the one in swaddling clothes.

Village Head tapped his pipe, explained the matter of selecting someone to become a Contract Master, and then asked,

“What are your thoughts?”

For a moment, the atmosphere in the entire room became stagnant.

The daughters-in-law’s eyes darted around, and their hands unconsciously squeezed their husbands. Basically, in such situations, they only had the right to listen, not to speak.

The only female who could speak was perhaps their blind mother-in-law; it was not an insult, their mother-in-law was truly blind.

Village Head’s eldest son was honest and sturdy. He responded dully, “Father, you decide.”

Village Head pressed the tabletop, his cloudy gaze falling on his second son.

The soft flesh at his second son’s waist was pinched painfully by his wife, causing his suppressed expression to be somewhat distorted. However, facing his father’s long-standing authority, he still imitated his elder brother,

and said with a forced smile, “I’m the same as Eldest Brother, I’ll listen to your arrangements, Father.”

Village Head nodded, said nothing more, and turned his gaze to his third son.

The third son was thinner than his two sturdy elder brothers. Seeing his father looking at him, he glanced at everyone in the main hall,

“The Chu Family has a Young Master Fan, who is twelve years old, about the same age as our Xiao Ling. If Xiao Ling becomes a Contract Master, there might be a possibility of forming a marriage alliance with the Chu Family.”

Village Head trembled, startled by the ambition in his youngest son’s words. Everyone else in the room looked at Chen Minghua (the third son) with shock, not expecting him to have such a different way of thinking.

Village Head’s gaze fell on his only granddaughter, Chen Ling, who stood beside her mother, his eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny,

“Although they are similar in age, how could that Young Master fancy our Xiao Ling?”

“Father, how long has the Chu Family been a Noble Family? Their foundation is probably not deep enough. Our Xiao Ling is just the right age, and in terms of appearance, she can be described as graceful and beautiful. Young boys of this age are most easily swayed.

No matter what, our Xiao Ling and that Young Master Fan can be considered childhood sweethearts. If she becomes a Contract Master, the gap between them will be even smaller.

If the Chu Family wants to form a marriage, this timing is definitely not suitable for marrying up. The most suitable choice would be a girl from one of our three subordinate villages with a clean background. Among them, no one is closer than our Family.

Now, giving this Spirit Awakening opportunity to Xiao Ling is merely a step to help push things along.

Once Xiao Ling truly forms a marriage alliance with the Chu Family, will our Chen Family’s sons still worry about becoming Contract Masters?”

Village Head was somewhat moved by his youngest son’s words. The Chen Family’s daughters also looked at Chen Ling, their intense gazes making Chen Ling blush and lower her head.

Village Head pondered for a long time, then sighed,

“I still don’t think it’s secure enough. If the Chu Family truly fancies Xiao Ling, they would still propose it even if Xiao Ling didn’t become a Contract Master.

Moreover, they said that after the Spirit Awakening, the contracted Source Beast would be one that assists Villagers with farming. Clearly, she would be doing very public work in the future.

Having a young girl like Xiao Ling go farming every day is truly inappropriate and might make the Chu Family look down on her, ruining a potentially good marriage.

Unsuitable, unsuitable.”

After listening to his father, Chen Minghua was silent for a moment, then replied,

“Then the most suitable one now is Xiaohui. He is only fourteen, young enough, and after becoming a Contract Master, he will have enough potential for development and more time to help our Chen Family.”

Chen Yinghui was indeed the eldest son of the first branch, the legitimate eldest grandson of the Chen Family, and was also Village Head’s first choice.

This time, Village Head nodded, “Let’s decide on that. Xiaohui, now that this quota is given to you, remember to care for and cherish every member of our Chen Family. This will be your responsibility in the future, understand?”

Chen Yinghui, who was standing behind his father, excitedly walked to the center of the main hall and kowtowed several times to his grandfather, father, and two uncles.

“Xiaohui will definitely care for, cherish, and assist his Family in the future, and not be an ungrateful person.”

Village Head nodded, “Good child, get up. Go wash up properly later, and put on new clothes tomorrow. Don’t offend the esteemed guests.”

“Okay.” Chen Yinghui was so excited he didn’t know what to do with his hands and feet.

The eldest son’s Family was happy. Whether it was given to Xiao Ling or Xiaohui, they were both their children, and both husband and wife were pleased.

However, the faces of the other two brothers and their wives showed some unwillingness, especially the second son’s wife. She clearly had two sons herself, and by all accounts, her womb was more capable. Why couldn’t it be given to her two children? In the end, it was still the old man’s favoritism.

But just as everyone in the main hall had their own thoughts, a loud knocking sound suddenly came from outside the Village Chief’s house.

“Big Brother, Big Brother, we’ve come to see you!”