"She didn’t say we need to compensate! She just wants us to farm as usual, loosen the soil, plant, water, and weed, just as we normally do. She explained it clearly, it’s not complicated at all. If there’s anything we really can’t handle, just send her a message, and she can come to teach us immediately, without even needing to rent an aircraft."
She suddenly remembered Selene Kane’s repeated instructions before leaving and quickly added a sentence.
"She said it herself, no matter the outcome, we don’t need to pay. If the crops succeed, she’ll pay us; if not, she won’t hold us accountable. The seeds are free, just give it a try."
"Oh, right," she paused, raising her voice a bit, "the pay is seventy Star Coins a day."
"Seventy, seventy?!"
The village chief’s eyes widened suddenly, ears standing up.
Currently, an ordinary Beastman earns only fifty Star Coins a day.
They still have to work extremely hard, hunting, mining, carrying heavy loads, until their backs are bent over.
And farming?
Working hard all season, from spring to fall, turning soil, planting, pest control, harvesting, too busy for their feet to touch the ground.
In the end, they earn just over a thousand Star Coins, not even enough to pay for a few kids’ tuition.
Now it’s seventy a day, that’s two thousand one hundred a month.
That’s more than double the income!
The days finally have some hope, they can even wake up with laughter.
He hurriedly clenched the seeds tightly in his hand, afraid of crushing them, quickly wrapping them carefully in cloth and stuffing them into the pocket close to his body.
He then straightened his face, stood tall, and said seriously, "I’ll arrange for people to plant right away. There aren’t many seeds, we have to prioritize the most difficult households. Those at the end of the village have many kids and are really struggling, some families have seven or eight kids, needing to eat every day and barely holding on. Let them work first, as a means of emergency relief."
"Okay."
Claire Joyce nodded without any objections.
She was alone; no ties, no worries.
Her father was sick, but there’s no need for school or tuition.
Life was hard, but they could still barely get by.
But those families were different, with females giving birth one after another.
For each family, having a dozen kids was common.
Currently, several of them were heavily pregnant, ready to give birth at any time.
Their Beast Husbands kept bringing more to the family, claiming to help out.
In reality, most of them just came for the free meals and slipped away after a few days of work.
Others always say that families with multiple husbands are thriving, full of life, and have something to rely on in the future.
But Claire couldn’t see it at all.
Even though those females weren’t worried about food and clothing, supported by husbands,
each one had a belly so swollen it seemed it would burst, needing to support themselves with walls when walking.
Holding one in arms, carrying another on the back, and still chased by a group of noisy cubs on the ground.
She didn’t feel envious; instead, she felt a sense of relief.
Being by herself meant a cooler but more free and easy life,
able to come and go as she pleased without worrying about or being held back by anyone.
It was quite nice.
The village chief led her into the first house.
The female of this household was from the Rabbit Clan, with big round eyes and a small mouth.
Yet now she lay on a worn-out wooden bed, unable to move, her belly round as a ball.
The quilt covering her was stretched taut, with a pile of mended small clothes by her feet.
"Village Chief? Claire? What brings you here?"
She struggled to sit up, her voice weak, barely a whisper, yet she managed to squeeze out a smile.
She tried to get up, but her belly was like a heavy stone blocking her movement.
Yet even so, determination still glowed in her eyes.
"This one’s a little lion cub... it’s really too big."
She forced a bitter smile, her fingertips lightly brushing over her swollen belly.
"Having multiple births is hard enough, but to have a pure-blooded little lion, with a frame larger than other cubs. Now, this belly is almost wider than me."
Claire stood to the side, her throat suddenly tightened.
She swallowed hard, her gaze unconsciously dropping to her own slender and fragile waist.
In that moment, she seriously asked herself for the first time.
Is childbearing really a blessing a female should look forward to?
Just then, a few Beast Husbands returned from the woods carrying heavy prey.
Their bodies were covered with dried blood, clothes torn in places, faces marked by the weather and ferocity.
Yet upon seeing the female inside the house, their sharp demeanor gradually softened.
"Female Master, is the child still safe?"
One of them asked in a rough voice, his tone concerned.
Claire’s heart suddenly tightened.
Clearly, it was she enduring the days and nights before childbirth, suffering and unable to sleep for nights on end.
Yet the first concern they always have is for the unborn child?
The village chief didn’t notice her change, waving his hand, casually exchanging a few words, and then explained his purpose for coming today.
"Someone above wants to build a nursery to take care of newborn cubs. If you are willing to send your children there to be raised collectively, you’ll receive a monthly stipend. What do you think?"
Before he finished speaking, the eyes of several Beast Husbands immediately brightened, their hands rubbing together with excitement, the worry on their faces suddenly vanished.
With many children at home and limited prey, there was not enough meat to go around, and they worried about food every day.
Now, the older cubs attended school, leaving the fields understaffed, and the household even more stretched.
This opportunity was like a gift during a time of need.
"Willing! So willing! Thank you, village chief!"
They shouted in unison.
A pregnant female from the Rabbit Clan leaned on the head of the bed, gently stroking her belly with one hand.
"The baby is really blessed... When you arrive on the day, our family will finally have a full meal, and no longer worry about that thin soup in the pot."
Claire stood in the corner, a sudden chill ran through her, the hairs on her arms standing on end.
Without a word, she turned, pushing the wooden door open and stumbled outside.
"Phew."
As soon as she stepped out, she took a deep breath of cool air.
The cold air filled her lungs, but still, it couldn’t suppress the suffocation in her heart.
In the past, she always envied Selene Kane’s good fortune.
Marrying a strong and considerate male, living a comfortable and decent life.
Childbearing...
It was really terrifying.
It wasn’t an honor or a blessing, but using a female’s body as a vessel for life.
Thankfully, those males didn’t agree to marry her back then.
Otherwise, would she have ended up like these people, lying in bed all day with an ever-growing belly, suffering in silence at night?
The sun was setting in the west, its rays slanting onto the village path.
A few Beast Husbands carried hoes, treading through the mud toward the fields.
The village chief held Claire’s hand with his cane, visiting a few more households.
The situations at those houses were almost identical.
Females sat quietly inside, mending or cooking.
The Beast Husbands readily agreed, "Yes, sending the kids to the nursery is a good idea."
But as soon as they turned away, their gazes would inevitably drift to their wives’ bellies, calculating the potential workforce the next child might bring.
No household had a female who wasn’t heavily pregnant, lying weakly in bed.
When the husband brought a bowl of thin porridge, they silently consumed it, their eyes empty.