After that sound, the once quiet trading village suddenly became noisy and chaotic.
The refugees in different groups all stood up at the same time. Even the small group of educated ones hurriedly got up and tried to squeeze toward the place where the smell of food was coming from, hungry and desperate to get something to eat.
They were truly starving. They had escaped all the way to the gates of the Plumera capital, but they were still blocked from entering. Every day, they survived only on leftover garbage thrown out from inside the city. Many had already died from hunger or illness. The ones still alive had already reached their limit.
Now, smelling the hot porridge in the air, everyone became restless. They wanted to rush over and devour the food right away.
The groups that were standing in order immediately lost their shape. With red eyes, some people tried to run toward the food!
The old servants in charge shouted loudly, trying to keep order. But the hungry refugees, tempted by the smell of food, lost all sense of reason.
Even the refugees who had been chosen to help manage things stared with bloodshot eyes at the kitchen, completely forgetting their responsibilities.
Seeing that things were about to get out of control, Uno, Dos, Tres, and the rest who had returned to Elara's side after delivering the stone mill, quickly appeared around her. Their backs faced her protectively. Each of them held two sharp knives in their hands, coldly watching the crowd.
Then Damon let out a cold snort and suddenly appeared in front of the refugees who had lost their minds over food.
With a kick, a pull, and a throw, the sounds of bodies slamming into the ground and painful screams echoed. The refugees, who were on the verge of a riot, snapped back to their senses. Seeing Damon dragging some refugees like sandbags across the ground, they swallowed hard. Fear quickly pushed away their hunger, and everyone stepped back.
"I already said—if you don't follow the rules, don't blame us for what happens! Break the rules and you'll be punished! If anyone dares to take one more step, don't even dream of eating today!"
Maybe it was because Damon looked so fierce and strong, but the hunger-controlled refugees started to think clearly again.
Looking at the people still groaning in pain at his feet, no one dared to move forward anymore.
Damon slowly looked around with eyes hidden behind his thick hair and beard. When he saw that everyone took a few steps back, he calmed down a little and spoke loudly:
"Don't forget, since you signed the body contract and entered the village, everything must follow the village rules!"
"Just like before! Each group must line up in order! No cutting in line! No pushing! Children, elders, and women must be in the front! No one is allowed to snatch! If you break these rules, you'll be thrown out!"
The refugees were silent for a few seconds, then they fought through their hunger and lined up again properly.
The old servants, who had almost lost control, let out a sigh of relief. They quickly shouted again to manage their own groups.
Seeing the order slowly returning, Damon continued:
"As before, the managers get two scoops of bean porridge and one scoop of vegetables. Everyone else gets one scoop of porridge and half a scoop of vegetables. No one is allowed to take more or steal extra!"
Some of the refugee managers were about to feel happy, but Damon suddenly turned and stared at them. "Since you all forgot your duties just now, you're no longer managers. Go back into the crowd."
He pointed to the ones who had red eyes and were ready to grab food themselves earlier instead of managing their group.
The expressions on those people's faces froze. Under Damon's sharp gaze, they didn't dare say a word. Regretfully, they stepped back into the group and watched as Damon picked others to take their place.
The new ones who were chosen were overjoyed and almost knelt down to thank him.
Damon reminded them to always remember their responsibilities. Then he ignored them and dragged the three people still crying in pain to the front of the food line. He threw them down there as a warning, letting everyone see what happens when rules are broken!
After doing all that, he turned to the old servants who were already carrying out the food.
There were many refugees in the trading village, and all of them had been starving for days. Damon understood this well and didn't plan to shortchange them. After receiving the three boxes of gold and silver delivered by Uno last night, he had sent people early this morning to buy a huge amount of beans and vegetables.
Now the buckets of porridge were thick and hot. The vegetable buckets smelled rich and fragrant. Though there weren't many types of vegetables, with white and green bits mixed in, and only tiny bits of meat visible here and there, still…
Since this group of people had already been accepted, and they would be part of the trading post from now on, Damon naturally wouldn't treat them badly. As long as they didn't cause trouble, he would make sure they had enough to eat and enough strength to willingly work and train, gradually becoming loyal to the owner of the trading post.
When he saw that the refugees had learned their lesson, held back their hunger and thirst, and were lining up properly, Damon then allowed food to be served. At the same time, there were people beside him who recorded each person receiving food to prevent anyone from getting food twice.
After handling everything, Damon returned to Elara's side. His fierce and powerful presence completely disappeared. He stood in front of her with his head slightly lowered, hands clasped tightly behind his back.
"Miss, I'm sorry. These people were just brought in, and I haven't had the chance to train them yet, so earlier… But I promise this won't happen again."
He spoke a bit fast, his head still lowered, not daring to meet her eyes, as if worried she would be disappointed by how the refugees almost lost control.
But then Elara gently patted his strong arm. Her face under the white veil turned to look at him, and her clear voice carried no blame or displeasure, but instead a hint of a smile. "Alright, I believe you."
After speaking, Elara glanced at the refugees who were now lining up for food according to the rules. Then she looked away and turned to walk toward the back of the trading post. She didn't notice how Damon suddenly lifted his eyes to look at her right after hearing her words.
The refugees, who had been drifting around for who knows how long, finally had a proper meal today. The food was thick and warm.
Some of them held their bowls and started crying while eating. Others only took a couple of bites before carefully carrying their bowls to their children, pouring the food into their children's bowls. Then they gently patted their heads, watching them gobble down the food, and their eyes turned red.
Some elderly people, after receiving their bowls, tried to pour their food into the bowls of their sons or grandchildren, only to be pushed back gently.
When the porridge and food finally reached the refugees' hands, the trading post, which had been filled with fear, panic, hunger, and thirst, began to feel a bit more grounded.
During the allowed mealtime when they could find their relatives, they grouped up in threes and fives with their family and children. They carefully and emotionally ate the hard-won hot food.
Every single grain and bean was chewed slowly for a long time. It was as if they wanted to fully taste it, or as if they couldn't bear to swallow something that meant survival.
Elara had just arrived at the back gate of the trading post with Damon and Mathias when they suddenly heard a loud cry from behind.
"Thank you, Lady Elara, for the porridge!"
"Thank you, Lady Elara, for the food!"
"Thank you, Lady Elara, for saving our lives!"
"Thank you, Lady Elara, for saving my whole family from dying of hunger!"
"Thank you, Lady Elara, for your kindness!"
"Thank you, Lady Elara! You are our great benefactor..."
Elara stopped walking when she heard the shouting. She turned her head and saw the refugees who had received food holding their bowls carefully with red eyes. Some held their children, others supported the elderly, and they all knelt and bowed toward her.
Elara looked at their grateful and tearful faces, and her heart felt a bit complicated.
Even if these refugees had never gone to school, they should've understood the truth the moment they signed the contract. She wasn't simply being kind or giving out charity. She let them sell themselves to her, and in return, she gave them a chance to live.
In reality, it was more of an unfair deal.
Yet even so, the refugees still showed her deep gratitude. Even with just one meal, just one serving of warm food, they cried and thanked her so sincerely.
Elara felt conflicted inside. She could only think about how terrible the situation in Plumera State had become. The people had already lost all hope in their hearts. Even trading their freedom for a bite of food now seemed like a favor so big that it made them feel deeply thankful.
She sighed lightly in her heart. Then she nodded toward the kneeling refugees in the distance and continued walking with Damon and Mathias into the trading post while slowly calming her thoughts amidst the cries of thanks.
Now that she had seen enough of the trading post and was satisfied with Damon's arrangements, it was time to move on to the next step. She planned to discuss the development plans with him and also teach him how to make tofu and soy pudding, so the Bai Trading Post could begin full operation soon.