In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 588 Great news

Chen Dao took out a slip of paper from his pocket and read out the names written on it one by one: "Chen Hai, Chen Gong, Chen Feng, Chen Chang, Chen Chao, Chen De... The wages of these ten people will be halved from now on, from 500 coins to 250 coins."

Upon hearing this, the people whose names were called were devastated, as their wages were suddenly reduced by half, which was unacceptable to them.

But having made a mistake, they dared not raise any objections, and even if they did, no one would support them.

Just look at the villagers' reaction at this moment. When they heard that the wages of these ten people would be halved, those villagers who were usually hardworking all expressed their support.

“That’s how it should be done. These ten people are unwilling to put in any effort when they work. Why should they get the same wages as us?”

"Exactly! We work ourselves to the bone and get 500 coins, while they can slack off every day and still get 500 coins. That's not fair."

"Hmph! They deserve it. Daoge'er treats them so well, and they still try to slack off!"

"That's right! They've got jobs that others would kill for, and yet they still try to cheat and shirk their responsibilities. They should have their wages docked."

"That's right! Our Chenjia Village doesn't support lazy people!"

"..."

The other villagers were undoubtedly pleased that Chen Dao had withheld the wages of Chen Hai and nine others, because they also looked down on these lazy people.

"Deducting wages is just a warning."

Chen Dao looked directly at Chen Hai and the others below the stage and solemnly said, "If you change in the future and work hard, your wages can be increased. But if you continue to be passive and slack off, then you can never work in the village again!"

Chen Dao's words were undoubtedly extremely serious.

He always had goodwill towards the villagers of Chenjia Village, and was willing to provide them with wages that would ensure they had enough to eat and wear.

But this doesn't mean Chen Dao can tolerate someone like Chen Hai who cheats and shirks his responsibilities.

In Chenjia Village, jobs are never guaranteed; Chen Dao will never pay a penny to anyone who slacks off.

"Brother Dao is right. Those who slack off should be kicked out of Chenjia Village."

"Our Chenjia Village doesn't support lazy people."

"That's right! Everyone is working so hard, but they're the ones slacking off."

"Hmph! If you ask me, we should just let them go. Giving them 250 coins is more than enough!"

"You're hopeless! You finally have a good life, and you're still thinking about slacking off!"

"..."

Faced with the accusations from Chen Dao and the villagers, Chen Hai and the others lowered their heads even further. People have a sense of shame, and even though these lazy people might be a little thick-skinned, they couldn't withstand the accusations from so many people.

Of course, what they feared most was Chen Dao's punishment.

They too had experienced hunger and knew all too well how unbearable it was. It was Chen Dao who provided them with wages, allowing them to live a life of basic sustenance. Therefore, they understood very well that they absolutely could not lose this wage, otherwise…

They will soon return to the state of hunger they once had.

"Those who slack off should be punished, while those who work hard should naturally be rewarded!"

On the high platform, Chen Dao continued, "From now on, your wages will be divided into two parts. The first part is a basic wage of 500 coins. As long as you work normally and don't slack off, you can receive it every month."

The second part is the full attendance bonus of 300 coins. You can receive this 300 coins if you work every day except for holidays and are not late or leave early!

Of course, whether it's the basic wage or the full attendance bonus, the prerequisite for receiving them is to work diligently and not slack off!

Wow!

As soon as Chen Dao finished speaking, the excited voices of the villagers rang out on the drill ground.

"500 coins plus 300 coins, doesn't that mean... we can earn 800 coins a month?"

"That's right!"

“800 coins. There are five people in my family. Does that mean… I can earn 4 taels of silver a month?”

"My family of three earns a little over two ounces a month."

"That's great! Brother Dao is so generous."

"..."

The villagers were all excited, especially those families with more able-bodied members. An income of 800 coins a month meant their families would earn three or four taels of silver a month—an income that…

It's already comparable to the income of some small landowners.

After all, even small landlords in those days relied on the weather for their livelihood, and their income stability was far less than that of the villagers in Chenjia Village.

As for the conditions for receiving the benefits mentioned by Chen Dao, the villagers didn't care too much.

Having just escaped poverty, they hadn't developed a pampered nature. They wouldn't do things like shirking their duties or dawdling, so they weren't worried about not getting paid.

"Everyone's calculations are correct; the wages from now on will be 800 coins."

Chen Dao smiled and said, "800 coins isn't much, but I think it should be enough for your food and drink needs!"

"That's enough! Enough is enough!"

"Hahaha! 800 coins, I don't even know how to spend them."

"Hehe! There are only three people in my family, but we can still earn more than two taels of silver a month. I can eat meat every day from now on!"

"Me too."

"..."

The villagers were overjoyed.

Thanks to the half-price grain and relatively low meat prices in Chenjia Village, their previous wages of 500 coins were enough to make them live a comfortable life. Now that the wages have increased by 300 coins, their lives will be even more prosperous in the future.

Maybe we could eat enough meat every day!

Thinking of this, the villagers' smiles became even brighter, and even the management of Chenjia Village, including Chen He, Chen Lian, and Chen Hou, showed joyful smiles.

They knew that Chen Dao was never one to show favoritism; if the villagers' wages had increased, theirs would surely increase as well.

Their wages were already significantly higher than those of ordinary villagers, and now they're going to raise them again...

Living conditions will definitely improve significantly in the future. While we may not yet have enough fine clothes and delicacies, we can foresee that we will have plenty of food and clothing.

"All right!"

Chen Dao concluded, "That's all I have to say. Everyone, you can all go home now. Those who want to work can go to work, and those who don't want to work can take a day off and have a good rest."

After saying that, Chen Dao turned around and walked down from the platform, returning home with Chen Cheng.

The villagers quickly dispersed, but instead of going home to rest as Chen Dao had suggested, they went to various parts of the village to share the joyful news with their friends.

"Old Wang, great news! Fantastic news!"

Upon returning home, Liu Qiaoshou immediately sought out Wang Ling and eagerly shared with him, "My wages are going to increase."

"The wages have gone up?"

Wang Ling was taken aback. Liu Qiaoshou had always held two positions: one was a craftsman in Chenjia Village, and the other was the owner of Qiaoshou Furniture Shop.