Summit Farmer
Chapter 1404: The Path of Development_1

Chapter 1404: Chapter 1404: The Path of Development_1

"This is the accommodation you’ve arranged for me?"

After the meeting, Alexis White and the others had the rare occasion of treating Peter Brown to a meal, a courtesy that past resident village leaders had never enjoyed.

Although there weren’t many dishes, the wild game spread across the table was still quite impressive.

Everyone was also drinking wine, which was made from wild fruits by the villagers themselves. It was of medium alcohol content, but the portions were generous, served in large bowls that everyone held as they drank.

Peter Brown’s physical condition meant that he wasn’t at all afraid of drinking. Any effects of the alcohol that entered his body were naturally expelled.

One of the Hawkins Family brothers had thought of getting Peter Brown drunk and then dealing with him, only to find that Peter’s alcohol tolerance was shockingly high. Despite drinking for such a long time, Peter didn’t capitulate—rather, it was the others who were drinking with him that knocked out one by one.

Since Alexis White had been busy arranging Peter’s accommodation, he drank less and was quicker to recognize the situation, and with that, the last bit of his reluctant respect was thoroughly conceded.

Director Wang was too awesome—exceptional in fights, equally exceptional in drinking. What was there he couldn’t do?

Looking at Peter Brown, Alexis White even thought that perhaps Peter really could lead them all out of poverty.

In truth, he and his brothers weren’t bad people; they were just a bit tougher in the village. They respected the strong, and in front of them, Peter perfectly displayed the power of a strong person. They couldn’t beat him in a fight or match him in drinking; Alexis White genuinely acknowledged Peter’s strength at this point.

When they arrived at a courtyard in the village, Peter looked at the house and asked a question.

"This is Matthew Carter’s place. Matthew worked away from home and his family’s situation is relatively better. Last year, Matthew died from a fall at the construction site. Now only his wife, daughter, and an elderly person are left. Their house is somewhat better off in the village. I’ve already spoken to them; from now on, they will take care of your meals, and the costs will be covered by the village."

"There’s no need for the village to cover the costs. I’ll pay for it myself."

Peter had brought funding with him, and as most food in the village consisted of wild game and vegetables, it wouldn’t cost much. Besides, Peter had brought quite a few items with him.

Surprisingly, Seth Nelson had been very generous this time, allocating 10,000 dollars in development funds. In Nelson’s view, if Peter failed to develop the village and instead used up the money, then it would be time for him to deal with Peter.

Peter understood the situation very clearly. He hadn’t really thought about using the money for development; for someone like him, there were many ways to develop a village. With the money at hand, why not use it? It wasn’t a big deal anyhow, as food expenses were included in the accounting, which would be settled based on actual expenses.

Before Alexis White could say more, Peter said, "The village isn’t wealthy either, let’s leave it like this."

"Carter’s wife, come out and welcome Director Wang."

As Alexis White shouted, a woman dressed in relatively better clothes came out of the house. At first glance, with her unkempt hair and dirt-streaked face, it was really hard to guess her age.

Then a girl came out as well, and at first sight, she was in a similar state with clothes that even revealed some skin. However, her large, expressive eyes were fixed on Peter, and they were indeed beautiful.

"Director Wang, I’ve already prepared everything."

"Director Wang, if you need anything, just tell them."

"Alright, thank you for the trouble."

Peter didn’t bother with further pleasantries.

Watching Alexis White leave, Peter said, "My name is Peter Brown. I’ll be in your care from now on."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all," the woman hurriedly waved her hand.

Ashley Barnes was curious about Peter Brown, a young man, thinking that having the young man live in her own home could indeed bring in an extra income for the family, which wasn’t a bad thing at all.

Alexis White had said before that they would be given some money, and now that she had heard Peter Brown himself was willing to pay, Ashley Barnes felt much more at ease, thinking that perhaps with a bit more work and good service, their living conditions might even improve.

It was only after Peter Brown followed her inside the house that he realized it wasn’t very bright inside, even a bit dark, with an old lady sitting by a hearth, a wood-burning stove dug into the ground.

"Director Wang, you can stay in this room, it’s the best one we have in the house," she said.

Peter Brown saw the walls partitioned with wood, covered with bags that seemed to hold rice, tacked onto the wood so one couldn’t see into the other rooms.

Looking at the blankets on the bed, Peter Brown saw they had many patches but weren’t dirty.

Looking at the other beds, Peter Brown understood that these were their own blankets, now repurposed to accommodate him.

Of course, Peter Brown wouldn’t use their blankets, for if he did, they would basically have to use straw mats as covers.

The family’s living situation didn’t seem to be all that easy.

"I’ve brought all these things; I’ll just use my own," he said.

Peter Brown set down the very large quilt bag and backpack he had been carrying on his back.

At this, the woman and her daughter curiously watched Peter Brown unpack his belongings, which were bulkier than the usual bundle, and, indeed, included things like bedding.

After removing the pre-arranged bedding and other items, Peter Brown spread out his own things on the bed.

"Here is a bag of rice I brought. From now on, we will all eat from this bag of rice every day, and I’ve also brought some meat and vegetables, could you please use these to make the meals?"

As he spoke, Peter Brown started taking everything out one by one.

When the mother and daughter saw Peter Brown taking out rice, vegetables, and all sorts of condiments, their eyes widened, especially when they saw the rice and meat come out, causing the girl to involuntarily swallow her saliva.

"Director Wang, I will cook something tasty for you every day with this," the woman said.

Peter Brown shook his hand and said, "It’s not just for me; we’ll eat together. Here is 1,000 dollars. Keep it for now, and if there’s any game or something, help me buy some to cook."

Seeing Peter Brown pull out so much money at once, the woman hesitated to take it, saying, "It’s too much, we won’t use it all."

Peter Brown stuffed the money into her hand and said, "Let’s leave it at that."

After finishing these arrangements, evening had already fallen, and Peter Brown washed his face and feet and went to bed.

Sleeping in this dilapidated house, Peter Brown had time to reflect on the situation he had come into.

Peter Brown hadn’t expected to experience this kind of realization.

So many things had happened in the course of one day and Peter Brown was indeed overwhelmed, never having imagined that he would so suddenly move from a life of luxury to this way of living. It seemed that he would not finish understanding it all in a short time and would need to be prepared for a prolonged effort.