Chapter 22: Rewards and Recognition

Ning Ye nodded, choosing not to elaborate further. He led Lin Qinshu and the others to the rooms that had been prepared. Upon entering, he realized that Zhang Zihe was indeed a thoughtful man.

The rooms were not only spotlessly clean, but various daily necessities had already been purchased and stocked—presumably done first thing in the morning.

After settling Lin Qinshu in, Ning Ye stepped out of the room. "Wang Wu, don't just stand there like a fool. Gather all the brothers. I intend to reward you all properly."

Wang Wu, who had been keeping watch outside the courtyard, replied, "Sir, this is only what we should do. There is no need for this."

As he walked, Ning Ye responded, "Business is business. Since you have done the work, I must provide the rewards; otherwise, how could I face you in the future?"

The large estate was divided into an inner and outer courtyard. At the gate of the inner courtyard, Wang Wu had already stationed two men. After instructing them to call the others to assemble in the outer courtyard, Ning Ye and Wang Wu headed there first. It did not take long for everyone to gather.

When it came to rewarding merit, everyone was incredibly excited. It was easy to see the anticipation on their faces. After all, they had already accomplished the goal of staying alive, and everyone wanted to live even better—especially since they had worked hard and earned it.

Ning Ye glanced at the men. Despite their significant injuries, they had remembered his training and stood in perfect formation.

"Gentlemen, after your heroic efforts the day before yesterday, your performances were witnessed by both Wang Wu and myself. Therefore, today is the day we discuss rewards."

At that moment, a man called out, "Report! Sir Ning, I would like to know if this reward can be exchanged for a favor from you?"

Ning Ye looked at the man with interest. If he recalled correctly, this fellow was named Hu Laosan. He was a skilled hand in both training and combat, though he was not one for words; he rarely spoke, and if no one initiated a conversation with him, he could go an entire day without uttering a single sentence.

"The rewards are yours to begin with. If you do not want these material things, as long as your request is not unreasonable, I can grant it just the same."

Hu Laosan spoke up: "Sir, I hope to be able to bring my family here to serve you alongside me."

Ning Ye was slightly stunned. Hu Laosan had not left his side for over half a month; if he truly had family, why hadn't he mentioned it before?

"You don't need to ask me for this. If any of you still have family, you may bring them over. I will arrange housing for you, and your salaries will be enough to support a family."

Hearing this, Hu Laosan said nothing more.

Ning Ye began calling names one by one. As for the rewards, they were, of course, cold, hard cash. An entire tray was filled with gleaming silver. For men who had risked their lives, the due rewards could not be skimped on.

Although he was scattering large amounts of silver, these men were now thoroughly bound to him. Whether it meant climbing a mountain of blades or diving into a sea of flames, they would respond to his single command. Ning Ye believed this was well worth it.

Soon, it was Hu Laosan’s turn to collect his share. He received twenty taels of silver, along with the crossbow Ning Ye had previously promised.

Ning Ye solemnly placed the crossbow into Hu Laosan’s hands. "I hope you can make the most of this. From now on, Hu Laosan will be your deputy captain. Does anyone have any objections?"

The entire group shouted in unison, "None!"

Ning Ye nodded with satisfaction. "You may spend the money I have given you however you wish, but remember: do not engage in any illicit deeds. Otherwise, I will not be lenient."

As each man looked at the real silver in his hands, their expressions were filled with excitement. The heavy, tactile sensation was entirely different from mere promises. Before this, many of them had inwardly suspected that Ning Ye was only feeding them empty dreams, but now, that skepticism had crumbled.

After dealing with this matter, Ning Ye had much more to do. The first task was to see the state of his hundred acres of fertile land. Summer had just begun, so if he wanted to plant, there would be no problem.

However, once he actually arrived, Ning Ye realized he had oversimplified things.

Lin Qinshu, who had accompanied him, looked at the vast stretches of abandoned land and did not know what to say. Although the hundred acres appeared to be rich black soil with good fertility, and a water source was nearby, the land had been neglected for some time and was now overgrown with weeds.

The crops originally planted there had no chance of survival; the weeds had simply taken over. If he wanted to farm, he would have to clear the entire area first.

Yet, looking out over the expanse of land that belonged entirely to him, Ning Ye remained quite satisfied. Even if it took some time, it was merely a matter of human and material resources.

"Husband, how long will it take to clear so much land? I fear there is no hope for it this year."

Ning Ye replied calmly, "We don't have to do it ourselves. If we need hands, Qingyuan County has plenty of people waiting. As long as there is a meal to be had, we can find as many people as we need."

Lin Qinshu said with some concern, "Husband, these are all refugees. What if they do something..."

"People only resort to extreme measures when they are pushed into a corner with no way out. As long as they have a path to survive and work to do, they will work honestly."

Ning Ye understood what kind of creatures humans were. These refugees were originally just honest, hardworking peasants. As long as they had a livelihood, they would not do anything extreme. Unfortunately, in this feudal era, human life was often the cheapest commodity, and no one cared for them.

"Since you have already decided, I will follow your lead."

Lin Qinshu had not come here just to spend time with Ning Ye; she wanted to choose a piece of prime land to plant flowers. If she could have her own flower field in the future, she could earn an income from selling the blooms—not to mention that she personally loved flowers.

Ning Ye strongly supported this idea. Apart from pleasing Lin Qinshu, the flower field would also serve as a source of raw materials for perfume. Such products were genuine, high-profit goods.

The only question now was waiting for the right moment to introduce them and give this crowd, who had never experienced true fragrance, a small shock.