Building a House

With enough silver on hand, Lily Evans wasted no time organizing the house-building project as soon as she returned to Clearwater Village.

Many villagers had their farmlands destroyed and couldn't replant in time. Worried about their livelihoods, they eagerly signed up to work when they heard Lily Evans was building a house, hoping to earn some money to get through tough times.

With so many able-bodied villagers, the wages would normally be driven down—there were more people than jobs, and if you didn't want the pay, someone else would gladly take it.

Since so many wanted to work, the village chief led the crowd to negotiate with Su Li about the house construction.

"Lily, our village is struggling right now. If you need workers, please hire our own folks," the village chief suggested.

Lily Evans replied, "Of course. Our village has suffered, and now is when we need money the most. I'll make sure the job opportunities go to our own folks first."

The village chief nodded approvingly, "Lily, you really understand the bigger picture. As for the wages, I won't make things hard for you. Although it's spring planting season and we're usually busy, the flood ruined our fields, so let's set the pay at the usual off-season rate."

Off-season wages were fifty copper coins a day for men and thirty for women helping with cooking. During busy farming times, the pay would double—one hundred coins for men, sixty for women.

This was the result of the village chief and everyone discussing it together. After all, Lily Evans had saved everyone during the flood, and nobody wanted to take advantage of her.

But Lily Evans just smiled and shook her head, "You and everyone are looking out for my family, but I can't shortchange anyone. It's the busy farming season, so let's pay the busy-season rates."

Lily Evans wasn't short on money at all—she didn't care about paying a little extra. But she knew that for her fellow villagers, this money was life-saving, so she didn't want to haggle over it.

"What?" The village chief could hardly believe his ears. "Lily, that's double the wage! Are you sure about this?"

Some honest villagers worried for Lily Evans too, saying, "Lily, we're all idle right now. Just having work is enough for us, so you can pay the off-season rate."

"No way! It's spring planting season, so it's busy. How could you pay off-season rates? Are you out of your minds? Only a fool would turn down money! Lily Evans' family is building a house, so they must have money. If you help the rich save money, they might just laugh at you for being silly!" shouted Doggie Lee, one of the villagers.

"That's right, follow the rules! How can you break tradition?" Doggie Lee's younger brother, Ernie Lee, chimed in. "Lily Evans, I heard your family's building a huge courtyard with three entrances and three exits—are you hiring outside labor or sticking with our village workers?"

Doggie Lee glared at his brother, "Why are you sticking your nose in? I'm talking about wages, not the courtyard!"

Ernie Lee snorted, "Well, if Lily Evans is hiring, of course I'm interested. Who wouldn't want a job right now?"

The villagers started debating loudly, some siding with Doggie Lee, others with Lily Evans. The village chief had to step in and mediate.

In the end, Lily Evans insisted on paying the busy-season rate, and the villagers gratefully accepted. The house-building project in Clearwater Village officially began.

As the days passed, Lily Evans supervised the construction, making sure everyone got their fair pay. The villagers worked hard, and the new home started to take shape.

Thanks to Lily Evans' generosity and leadership, the villagers of Clearwater Village felt hopeful for the future, even in the wake of disaster.