Chapter 367: Compensation

After Mu left, he went straight to the home of that herdsman. He wanted to represent the Herdsman Department to offer condolences to the family of the deceased. This herdsman was just an ordinary Citizen, living in an ordinary house, and he only had one wife.

His wife learned the news of her husband's death from her brother-in-law. In truth, the impact did not seem that great to her, because she had originally been bought when trading with other tribes. After she returned and her health improved, and she had grown a little older, she was betrothed to the herdsman.

The concept of family existed in her mind, but not much, because her entire worldview and outlook on life had already been established in the tribe where she lived before. These years had only brought a few small changes. As for what love was, she was completely ignorant.

When she heard her husband had died, she felt little sorrow, but was very flustered and somewhat afraid. Because her husband was dead, in her concept, it meant she had lost a strong protection and source of livelihood. She was not thinking about demanding compensation or protecting her rights, but rather thinking about how to find another man to rely on; otherwise, she alone would be unable to raise her four children.

Her eldest son, Sangtang, was only eight years old and was in the third grade of Huaxia's primary school. He would soon be promoted to the Intermediate class, but he was still a long way from being able to live independently and obtain resources for survival. How to get through the days ahead was a huge problem.

Her brother-in-law had a good relationship with his older brother, but it was impossible for him to support her whole family. He just found a large pottery vat, put his brother's corpse inside, and buried it together with several other herdsmen. During this time, the woman and her two-year-old daughter just stayed at home and did not step out once, while her son and two daughters were taken to participate in the entire funeral process.

When Mu saw the woman, he first spoke of this tragic news and expressed his apologies. At this moment, the woman began to cry loudly. Mu thought it was because the loss of her husband made her overly sad, so he had to offer words of comfort, while saying that he represented the entire Agriculture Department and had brought a lot of grain, supplies, and so on, as compensation for their family.

The woman immediately stopped crying at this, then looked outside the door, wanting to see where the grain that had been sent was. She had not listened to a single word of the other preferential policies Mu mentioned later.

Mu also noticed this. After a dry laugh, he took the woman outside to let her see the two large carts of grain and one cart of various daily necessities outside the courtyard. The woman rushed over like a madwoman, touching the grain bags, and then asked with wide eyes, "Are these all for my family?"

Mu was a bit embarrassed. He had thought of all kinds of scenes—people crying and making a scene, or insisting on someone paying with their life—but he just hadn't expected such a scene. However, this was also a good thing for him, as it meant the matter could be resolved easily.

Mu hurriedly said, "That's right, this is the compensation for you. From now on, the same amount of grain will be sent every year until your eldest son is an adult and working. We will also give your family two mu of private land to farm. By the way, your son is named Sangtang, right? Where is he?"

The woman thought for a moment: "It seems he went with his uncle; I don't know what he went to do."

The woman didn't pay much attention. As long as these two carts of grain were sent every year, it would be much easier for her to support herself and her children. She also worked in the Establishment System factory, mainly weaving various bamboo products. She had been chosen and bought back precisely because she had this skill. Her pay could feed her and her son, but the pay was still relatively low; she could survive, but it would be very tight.

As for the two mu of land, she didn't think it was small at all. Two mu was a lot; one mu was over six hundred square meters. She was even afraid she wouldn't be able to farm two mu, but the output would definitely be enough for them to eat.

It was just that her brain was not very sharp. After looking at the grain enough, she turned to Mu and asked, "My man is dead, so can you find me another man?"

"Ah???"

Mu's brain didn't turn for a moment. He thought he had misheard. Her man had just died, and not only was she not sad, she even wanted to find another one. A Clerk nearby, who knew the situation of this family better, hurried over and whispered a few words into Mu's ear, introducing the woman's situation. Only then did Mu suddenly realize. Before he came, he had only glanced at the family's personnel situation and names, and hadn't paid attention to anything else.

These women who were bought back only after they were adults were mostly somewhat out of place with Huaxia and often did some strange things, such as liking to run to the rooms of other stronger, wealthier men even after they were married, which had caused a lot of trouble. The effects of their education were also not very obvious.

Mu cleared his throat: "About this matter, there's no need to rush. We still have to make arrangements, don't we? After all, your man just died. We will also take care of your family's life. Don't worry for now; we will arrange it when there is a suitable one."

This was also true. For the sake of Huaxia's birth rate, they could not let a woman of optimal childbearing age remain a widow for nothing, unless she absolutely refused for the sake of love.

The woman thought it was indeed so, so she stopped asking about this matter and just said, "Then can you help me carry this grain into the house?"

Mu and the others hurriedly lent a hand to help.

Sangtang's studies were at the top of his class, and his two younger sisters were also in the first and second grades respectively. In school, besides various knowledge, the thing they learned the most was "Heaven Earth Sovereign Kin Teacher." This was also their deity, so they understood what their father's death meant to them, and they could also truly feel the sorrow.

The younger sisters were crying incessantly. Sangtang helped his uncles dig the pit. Inside the vat was his father, who no longer had a human shape. Besides pain, he also had hatred in his heart for Shaoyin and the others. If it weren't for them, his father wouldn't have died.

After piling up a high grave mound for his father, he knelt in front of it for a long time, but he didn't know how to express his sorrow.

It wasn't until it was almost dark that he was pulled up by his uncles to go home.

Mu felt like he was sitting on pins and needles in Sangtang's home. They wanted to leave, but they couldn't do so without seeing Sangtang arrange everything. This woman looked unreliable; if she didn't explain everything clearly to her children, wouldn't their work have been in vain? Sangtang, who was studying and would soon be promoted to the Intermediate class, and who had good grades, was their target for condolences.

When Sangtang brought his sisters home, he saw Mu and the others. His uncles saw their superior and hurriedly greeted him.

Mu also stood up and told them the temporary results, saying that the formal trial would have to wait until the laws were perfected. His tone held regret for not being able to severely punish the murderer immediately, but he also mentioned the compensation he had fought for.

The few of them didn't have much of a reaction to this result; their guesses were about the same. However, Sangtang remained silent throughout.

At this moment, the woman ran out. She pointed at her brother-in-law and said, "My man is dead, and this is his younger brother. Why not just arrange for him to be my man?"