Chapter Twenty-Six: Dividends

After the mass wedding in Mo Family Village, the event caused a sensation in the local area. Although it didn’t entirely change the impression people had of Mo Family Village, at least some villages now regarded it as an equal when marrying off their daughters.

Especially when Mo Dun announced that every newlywed relative would be allocated a house, many families immediately placed Mo Family Village at the top of their list for prospective sons-in-law. My goodness! That’s a three-room house with blue bricks and tiles! No one knew what possessed the young master of Mo Family Village to be so generous, but such a dowry was considered top-tier anywhere—and even in later generations, it would still be one of the essential criteria for mothers-in-law choosing a son-in-law.

Moreover, Mo Family Village had recently earned a tidy sum, with cartloads of grain delivered free of charge into the village. Li Yi, flushed with success, brought matchmakers to inspect the village granary, and when these matchmakers spread the word, villages within dozens of miles knew that Mo Family Village had grown prosperous.

“Good day, young master!”

As Li Yi and Mo Dun strolled through Mo Family Village, villagers greeted them every so often, and Mo Dun smiled in response to each. The village had undergone a dramatic transformation; the once-collapsing houses had been torn down, the roads were neatly paved comparable to official highways, drainage ditches were installed on either side, channeling river water from outside the village to wash away dirt. It was clean now, with none of the former stagnant filth.

“Uncle Li, you’ve worked hard!” Mo Dun said sincerely, gazing at the changed village.

“This is everyone’s effort. It was you who gave them hope, and that’s why things have changed,” Li Yi replied with satisfaction. Previously, Mo Family Village had been sluggish and disordered, with villagers struggling day to day, never having time to care for the village.

Now, things had finally turned around—even if work was tiring, every household took care to keep their homes spotless inside and out.

“Has the money been distributed?” Mo Dun asked.

“Young master, it’s already done—one hundred coins each, delivered personally door to door by Brother Fu,” Li Yi replied. With Spring Festival approaching and the live fish business booming, the village had struck it rich. Mo Dun wanted to improve conditions and, after much thought, decided a bonus was most practical.

“Bonus.” This new term puzzled the villagers, but it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. One hundred coins per person might not be much, but every man, woman, child, and newlywed received it. For poor families, it was a timely blessing—they could buy clothes for their children, or new farming tools. At last, Mo Family Village could enjoy a proper New Year.

“Bonus!”

Guo Xiaomei held two hundred coins in her hands, her eyes shining. This was the bonus for her and Li Xin. She hadn’t expected that, having just married into the village yesterday, she would receive a bonus today. Mo Family Village’s generosity won her heart instantly.

“Perhaps I should introduce my sister as well—Li Xin said there are still plenty of young men in Mo Family Village.” Guo Xiaomei made up her mind.

A hundred coins per person might not be much, but with over five thousand villagers, it totaled five hundred strings of coins. Neither Mo Dun nor Uncle Fu minded this sum; their goal was the village’s collective prosperity. Once the money was handed out, everyone was loyal to Mo Dun. Those five hundred strings united the village, and the investment was well worth it.

As Mo Dun walked, he caught the sound of commotion ahead.

“That's Master Yu dividing the pork. Those newlywed lads wanted to express their gratitude for moving into new houses, so each chipped in to buy a big fat pig for the villagers. Each pig weighed over two hundred pounds,” Li Yi said with satisfaction.

Clearly, it was Li Xin who proposed the idea, with Li Yi’s strong support.

“Brother Xin is truly considerate!” Mo Dun felt a quiet pride. Seeing villagers think of others was a spirit worth encouraging.

“Let’s go take a look!” Mo Dun said, suddenly eager.

“Ah, young master, it’s filthy in there!” Li Yi called after him, but Mo Dun quickly left him behind.

Li Yi smiled wryly as he followed. Only then did he realize the young master was still just a child.

“One, two, three!”

When Mo Dun arrived at the butchering site outside the village, he saw Li Xin and several young men hefting a pig weighing over two hundred pounds into a large pot, with firewood burning fiercely beneath. Over a dozen slaughtered pigs were neatly arranged on the tables, steaming hot, while Master Yu, cleaver in hand, divided the meat among everyone.

“Aunt Ma, your teeth aren’t so good, let me give you some fatty meat!” Master Yu said merrily to the elderly woman in front.

“Brother Dong! Here’s yours!”

...

Master Yu’s knife skills were excellent; every cut was precise, and he knew how many mouths each family had, so there was no need for weighing—those who deserved more got more, those who needed less got less.

Suddenly, Mo Dun noticed the little girl Zi Yi standing in front of Master Yu, drooling. When she saw Mo Dun, she smiled and waved.

“Young master! Look, Uncle Yu saved us a big piece of fat!” Zi Yi was thrilled by the glistening slabs of fat before her. In this era, fat was extremely scarce, and its price far exceeded lean meat.

“Ugh!” Mo Dun felt nauseated at the sight of the fat. He had always been a fan of lean meat and simply couldn’t stomach the fatty cuts.

“Don’t take so much fat—except for this piece of pork belly, swap everything else for lean meat,” Mo Dun said with a frown, pointing at the hefty five-pound slab of fat.

“Ah! But young master, that’s fat!” Zi Yi protested, pained by the loss, unable to understand Mo Dun’s reasoning.

“That pork belly’s for you,” Mo Dun replied, surprised. He thought to himself that if she lived in modern times, she’d never want fat, always scheming to lose weight.

“Alright,” Zi Yi reluctantly gave up. At least she got the pork belly, and if the young master wanted some later, she could share a piece.

Master Yu, under Mo Dun’s direction, skillfully carved out the pig’s loin and handed it, along with the pork belly, to Zi Yi.

“Save me a portion of pig liver, and some intestines, kidneys, and bone,” Mo Dun instructed, indicating items others considered worthless. Master Yu handed each to Zi Yi.

Zi Yi accepted them reluctantly. The young master was so noble, giving up the best meat for the villagers and choosing only scraps.

Only Master Yu understood Mo Dun’s taste—back in Chang’an, Mo Dun wouldn’t even eat the fatty parts of fish, so fatty pork was out of the question.

“Alright, stop pouting. Once it’s cooked, I’ll let you try it—you’ll see which meat tastes best,” Mo Dun teased her.

Since arriving in the Great Tang, Mo Dun had always shared joys and hardships with Mo Family Village, living and eating together without exception. Now that the village was safe, he decided to finally treat himself and no longer endure the coarse barley meals he could barely swallow.