Chapter Fifty-Nine: Household Registration

The speaker was a middle-aged man with a face full of flesh, named Wang Yuan, the son of Wang Gensheng. Back in Wangjia Village, this fellow was already a local bully, accustomed to flaunting his power and looking down on others. Even after arriving at the fishing village, he remained unruly, either provoking trouble or bullying others. Considering that many from Wangjia Village had joined the fishing crews, Qin Zhen had always tried to reason with him. Yet unexpectedly, this only made Wang Yuan more brazen.

Facing Wang Yuan’s accusation, Qin Zhen did not answer directly but walked over to the villagers from Zhao’s Hamlet. Looking at Zhao Ming, who was bruised and battered, Qin Zhen frowned and asked, “Why were you fighting?”

“They think our people are getting paid more and couldn’t accept it. We went over to talk, but that scoundrel grabbed a stick and started beating us,” Zhao Ming replied through gritted teeth, his body covered in bruises.

Clearly, Wang Yuan and his gang had not held back.

Seeing that Qin Zhen ignored him, Wang Yuan felt slighted, picked up a stone and threw it at Qin Zhen’s feet, shouting, “Qin Zhen, I’m talking to you! We all came to the fishing village for fairness! Why should Zhao’s people get more pay? Are you playing favorites because your surname is Qin?!”

This blatant provocation made Li Han and the others burn with anger. Shan Hai was about to roll up his sleeves and step forward, but Qin Zhen stopped him.

Looking straight at Wang Yuan, Qin Zhen smiled and said, “That’s right, I am playing favorites. If you don’t want to work, get out!”

Wang Yuan was taken aback. He had been planning to haggle with Qin Zhen for more pay, but hadn’t expected Qin Zhen to be so unpredictable.

“For the same fishing work, why do the people from Zhao’s Hamlet get twenty more coins than those from Wangjia Village? It’s because, when Scarface was causing trouble, the brothers from Zhao’s Hamlet helped us fight! When pirates attacked, they stood with us against the enemy!” Qin Zhen helped Zhao Ming to his feet.

Addressing everyone, especially those villagers who had come from other places to seek work, he declared loudly, “They have shed blood and risked their lives for our fishing village! They are our people! For that alone, they deserve extra pay!”

Hearing this, those who had felt the arrangement unfair now lost their anger and nodded in agreement. After all, those men had risked their lives for the fishing village—wasn’t it right for them to earn a bit more?

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“I don’t care!” Wang Yuan shouted hoarsely. “You have to pay us the same! We worked just as hard, so we deserve the same pay!”

Under his instigation, the men from Wangjia Village also started clamoring, reaching out to demand more money from Qin Zhen. Some outsiders joined in too—why not shout along if it meant a chance to earn more?

Qin Zhen almost laughed with exasperation. How could these people be so shameless?

“Didn’t you hear the explanation?” Li Han’s temper flared. He picked up a wooden club, ready to drive out these troublemakers.

“So you want a fight, is it? Don’t think we’re afraid just because you have more people! Wangjia Village has never backed down from anyone!” Wang Yuan, used to being domineering, showed no fear and led his people to confront Li Han.

“Wait.” Just as the two sides were about to clash, Qin Zhen stepped forward. It wasn’t that he feared Li Han might suffer, nor was he avoiding trouble.

Now, the fishing village’s defense team had grown from fifty to over a hundred and twenty, nearly all men who had fought pirates—each one armed with knives and bows. Dealing with this group of troublemakers would be effortless.

However, the matter with Wangjia Village inspired Qin Zhen to think deeper. The problem was not a lack of wealth, but inequality—an age-old human flaw.

Even if they settled things with Wangjia Village today, tomorrow it might be Lijia Village, or Zhangjia Village stirring up trouble. It was meaningless. He needed a solution, one that would settle the issue once and for all.

With over a thousand people now in the fishing village, it was time to establish proper rules—no more muddling through as before.

“Here’s what we’ll do,” Qin Zhen said as he stepped forward, thinking aloud. “You complain that outsiders get paid less than our own people. I have a solution: from today on, if someone from another village works with us for a full month, they can officially join our fishing village and become one of us.”

“Not only will they earn the same wages and enjoy the same benefits, but they’ll also be able to buy property here, and their children can attend our school for free.”

Though the village now housed over a thousand people, few truly intended to settle and take root here. Most, like those from Wangjia Village, saw the fishing village as a temporary stop—a place to earn some wages before moving on.

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At its core, the conflict arose because outsiders lacked a sense of belonging, and clannishness ran deep—each group stuck together, giving rise to all manner of disputes.

The solution was simple: break up these outside groups and fully absorb them into the community.

At Qin Zhen’s words, the crowd erupted. The benefits of the fishing village were well known—villagers earned higher wages, and ate better too. Both groups got two meals a day, but the outsiders usually received only steamed bread and rice porridge, while villagers enjoyed fish and soup. Outsiders could buy these better meals, but only if they paid extra at the canteen.

Besides this, every household received enviable benefits. Whenever fish were brought in from the sea, villagers could buy them at prices far below the market. If they fell ill, they could visit the village clinic for free. Most envied of all, the children could attend school and learn to read at no charge.

Such things were rare treasures in these times!

It was said that the village’s textile workers even had paid leave—eight days off each month. The fishing and defense teams enjoyed even better benefits: if injured on duty, the village paid for medicine, and if they couldn’t recover, the village would support them for life!

Everyone within miles envied the fishing village folk. Many regretted their own fate and begrudged their lack of opportunity.

Now, hearing Qin Zhen promise that anyone who worked for a month could become a full member of the village, everyone’s minds began to race.

“Master Qin, is this true? You won’t deceive us, will you?”

“Could there really be such a good thing in this world?”

Meeting the villagers’ hopeful yet skeptical gazes, Qin Zhen smiled and replied, “I, Qin Zhen, have never gone back on my word.”

Then he turned to Wang Yuan’s group, his tone firm. “What do you think?”

“So, we have to work here another month before we get the same pay as you? No way!” Wang Yuan’s greed was insatiable. He hadn’t come to resolve anything; he was simply here to make trouble. “You have to pay us now, at your rates—don’t short us a single coin! If you don’t, I’ll go to the magistrate and report you!”