Bringing in new older members.

It was near the end of autumn when Ming returned on the wagon with Mr Thomas bringing the results of his task.

The next weekend Chu and Mr Thomas returned with him to the village. They conducted the meetings in the village home. This time Mr Thomas was the one who conducted the interviews with Chu sitting at the side like a bystander.

It was the same as the first time he looked for new helpers.

The young men in the slums were not the kind he wanted. By now he was aware of the village culture. The only males who were residing in the slums were those who had committed crimes or had high hopes of joining a bandit gang.

Village households were quicker to outcast their daughters rather than a boy who could provide an added income. His luck was not so fortunate as to find another Clod or Ming.

This was not to say that every year the slums would be filled with an influx of girls. The village was too small as to discard large batches of children. There was also the fact that some families kept their children either because of love or future material gains.

The last winter saw a boost in income for most families. Thus it was measly pickings this year for him. His biggest fear was being usurped or killed because of his young age. He would have gladly settled with his current companions but his future plans called for more helpers.

Nurturing loyal helpers and companions was the one thing he was not going to skim upon at this 'young' age. This was the main reason he preferred to make use of people like Doug and company before setting them loose.

The first person Ming brought over was an old lady named May and her husband. This was the same woman Ming had paid during the winter to help cause a distraction in the Slums.

Old lady May and her husband Jim were actually not that old. They had just clocked over forty in age. Chu nearly fell of the stool in shock at that revelation.

He could have sworn when they entered that these two individuals were nearing their eighties. On seeing them he was about to administer some serious bitch slapping onto Ming.

He was still fresh and new to the world that he kept forgetting the basic things. Life expectancy in the village was not high and slum dwellers were always going to have a rickety and fragile appearance.

May and her husband Jim were two-year veterans of the Slums. Jim was a trapper who caught a bout of sickness one year from being stuck in a blizzard one winter. Since then he suffered with a severe rheumatoid type pain in his hands.

Unable to make the payments for their village home, they moved to the slums.

Mr Thomas asked some other questions before deciding to take them in from tomorrow. Chu had prepared those questions in advance.

The couple would live and take care of the village house, negating that travel during winter from the barn. The following spring they would assist Clod in the field preparation works. When the couple left Mr Thomas assure Chu that with a little rest and good food, they would be adequate helpers in the farm.

Chu agreed eventually but stipulated that the newcomers would spend time in the village or in a planned newly constructed house near the fields.

Just like for any job requirement he planned on a probationary period before assimilating the new helpers into the current party.

The next person was a girl.

This time it was Mr Thomas who couldn't hold back his scoldings.

"What are you trying to build, a farm or a brothel?"

"What do you expect from the labor pool we have to work with?"

Came the helpless reply.

The girl was around Ming's age and moved confidently unlike the customary timid manner normally displayed.

This girl Rose was new to the slums. She had run away from home after overhearing a plan by her family to sell her off. From their conversations this girl had a no-nonsense attitude who had no hesitation carrying out her mind.

Ming found her beating the crap out an old man one night for trying to sneak into her shack. Knowing that sooner or later she would find herself in even worse trouble, he decided to offer some help.

Chu was currently trying to build up a support staff to aid in farming and other ventures he was planning. Come next summer, all the fields were going to be cultivated. Hence his reason for seeking manpower.

He was confident he would make a profit if he sank some of his money into the farm. Not to mention the fact that securing a stable food source was a main priority. Chu personally experienced starvation and vowed to never take it for granted.

Unlike Chu who came from a world of equality between genders, Mr Thomas still had the Empire's mindset. That belief that women were inferior to men in holding certain positions was however, slowly being eroded by the constant interactions with girls like Lucy and Dyna.

Such dedication and hard work to achieve outstanding results could make any man in the same position feel ashamed.

Now this girl standing before him piqued his interest. Something in her eyes and tone called out to his years of experience in the Military. She displayed a pride and courage that was a requisite for a soldier.

Mr Thomas was well aware that Chu was enlisting farm helpers but he decided to make an exception.

"Hey Rose, you interested in learning to defend yourself and protecting others?"

The glint in the girl's eyes answered his question.

He turned to Chu.

"Boy, I think I will be taking this one."

Chu could only shrug helplessly.

"You should be careful how you word those sentences coming out your filthy mouth, old man. In this place that could come across with a different meaning."

Mr Thomas gave him a knock to the head as he dragged the blushing girl out with him. With the meeting done he had to sort out this girl's business.

Having found some new workers he was ready for the next expansion. Chu prepped the village home to receive the new tenants. He brought food and firewood from the farm and bales of cloth swiped from the Trading Post.

Three extra hands were still not enough, but an idea crossed his mind during their interviews. He would use the old couple to draft in more members. This time was when the most heartless of families shed their loads to survive the upcoming winter.

The couple had lived in the slums for some years, making them well acquainted with the people and ways of life. Having them scout out new members would not be too difficult. All he had to do was mention his requirements and use a probation time to 'feel' them out.

Mrs May was provided with some sewing kits to begin making quilts and clothing. The quilts were orders for him, the clothing for them. The barn residents had long since began making their own clothes from bales of quality cloth purchased at the Trading Post.

Only the patched robes that they sported during the visits to the village conformed to a poor farming household. At the farm in the evenings they dressed in comfortable attire like those worn in the cities.

Before Chu returned to the barn, he instructed Mrs May to keep a lookout for any trustworthy characters from the slums. If she found girls who were willing to work sewing in the winter and farming next spring, she was free to welcome them into the village home.

He had Mr Thomas make it clear they were not running a charity, come next spring everyone would have to payback this kindness.

His money disappeared just as quickly as he made it. Getting his household up to par with clothing, utensils and other basic items was slowing draining his funds. No matter the discount, he still had to pay.

One piece of interesting news spoke of the Mong bandits being obliterated. They had been chased and separated to the south and met their end in small skirmishes over the grasslands. Because of this, the news concerning them and the wolf demon was shrouded in hearsay.

Nobody knew if the true culprit had been found.

'Who suspected to look for a little girl living on a farm?'

The only certainty coming from the nobles, Military and others who participated was that they did not encounter any news of a Sersen.

In the eyes of the Empire that was all those of standing wanted to hear.

The slow travel of information shocked Chu the most. This report in the form of a rumor, reached the village at the end of autumn. The confrontation actually occurred before summer. He so missed his wonderful information age.

Rose returned with them to the farm. Mr Thomas had visited her family and using his bearings as a soldier 'convinced ' her father to let her work in his farm. When Rose exited the house he stuffed a pouch of coins into the man's greedy hands. The man immediately sent his wife scuttling off to the tavern. It did not take much for a man of the 'world' like Mr Thomas to know the father was a habitual drunk.

Such acts by her family a girl should not have to bear witness. Better that she think her family was reluctant to see her off than to be sold instead for money.

Her new family was one in which the members had no time to be jealous or be envious of each other. Everyone had their own job which was just as important as the other.

Sometimes at lunch time the dinning tables were near empty, Miki would be out hunting with Dyna in the grasslands, Mr Thomas and the others in the forest cutting trees or out hunting. At dinner time it was always full and noisy with all sorts of recaps on the day's events.

Rose fitted in very well among her new companions.

With winter upon them the main activity of the farm was the completion of the fence around the barn. Although they had extra hands, the section east of the barn was still outstanding.

After some discussion they decided to used this time to harvest the lumber and place it on site. During winter they could continue the building effort without having to enter the forest. Clod would construct a temporary stockade for the time being.

He showed Clod a rough sketch for a small watchtower just a little higher than the wall and large enough to hold two persons. He wanted to have them constructed near the entrances.

These were not necessary at the moment but he was planning ahead for the future.

The reason he made the palisade so far from the barn was to make room for upcoming construction work. As he did before with Mr Thomas, he would slowly assimilate new helpers into the farm.

This way it would be very easy to have them conform to the rules and operation of the farm. New workers meant new homes. He did not want to end up overcrowding the barn.

He did not want to alienate new members, nor did he want to share their secrets with everyone. If he introduced someone as a fighter, the others should not need to know what abilities the individual possessed.

'A business approach and structure.'

He had one load of pelts to deliver to the Trading Post and they would be ready to hunker down for the winter.

Chu sat down and tallied his progress for the year. For a 'twelve' year old man it was acceptable.

He was under the shade of the tree as yellow and red leaves fell down intermittently. Not far away in the training ground, Mr Thomas was demonstrating some breathing techniques to Rose.

He felt he was like an old man whittling away the time.

The pattering of feet awoke him from that comfortable feeling.

"Chu, Chu I found something big!"