Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

The village has quite a few houses, and strictly speaking, most of them are buildings that meet basic needs, not just haphazardly constructed dilapidated thatched huts. At first glance, it seems to be a relatively wealthy village. After all, it's very close to the Coral Palace and has a safe geographical location. If it weren't for war, it could be considered a model of a peaceful and prosperous rural life in the feudal era.

However, it was precisely because of the war that Shen Liang discovered that at least a third of the houses were vacant. Those widows and orphans who had lost their husbands or children might be relocated to other places by the Coral Palace under the military control system, saving their houses as war reserve resources.

After all, Umijima Island had taken in many people from Narukami Island who had come to escape the Eye Hunting Order, and many of these people lived in Mochigaki Village. Since many of those who escaped the Eye Hunting Order were holders of the Eye of God, they were key talents that could be recruited, and these houses themselves could not be wasted.

Although Shen Liang felt that this act of taking all the houses as resources was quite cruel to the relatives who had lost their husbands and children, Haiqi Island was almost destitute, and attracting talent was more important than appeasing the people.

Absolute poverty is the real sin; even compassion and humanity are conditional.

Chapter Twenty: This is white rice.

The person announcing a death would mark themselves by holding an upside-down black umbrella and wrapping half a white ribbon around their neck. This was usually done by the obituary officer of the shogunate, but now that Umijima Island and the shogunate were at odds, this task fell to the young shrine maidens.

"roll!"

"Please, please, bring him back! He's not dead! You haven't even seen the body, how dare you say my husband is dead! He's not dead, I beg you, Lady Coral Palace..."

"Don't you priestesses know magic? Don't you know how to protect him? It's all your Coral Palace's fault! It's all your fault! Did you kill him? Did you? He wouldn't have died if you hadn't come!"

Some people wailed and cried, some cursed viciously, some couldn't believe it, and some even tried to push them out the door the moment they saw them, covering their mouths to prevent them from speaking, until finally they collapsed against the door frame, unable to cry anymore.

Even Quan Gongsi couldn't say a word to those who had lost their loved ones.

“These people will calm down after a while. They won’t listen to anything right now, they just curse, curse us, curse Inazuma, curse the war, they even dare to curse the dead and the Thunder God in the sky. At times like this, it’s best to just listen.” Lu Zi said to Shen Liang as she walked out of the house of a peasant woman who had fainted from crying. She seemed to be trying to lighten the mood, but her own expression wasn’t very pleasant either.

Despite his constant meekness and submissiveness, Shen Liang did not feel resentful.

"How does it feel?" Coral Palace Heart Sea asked in a low voice.

"Nothing to say."

“Speechless, huh? That’s right. You’re from Liyue, so you really have nothing to say.” Coral Palace Xin Hai straightened her slightly wrinkled skirt, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she had regained her calm and resolute little shrine maiden demeanor. “Actually, I have nothing to say either.”

"Yeah."

“Reason tells me that this is a necessary death, something we told everyone before we even entered the war. Our war is not for anyone’s selfish desires, nor is it evil; it is simply to defend our land, our beliefs, and our dignity.” A melancholy smile appeared on Coral Palace’s face. “But emotionally, I feel sorrow and anger at the death of every soldier, because their deaths stem from Coral Palace’s incompetence. We are clearly righteous, yet we must pay the price. I have no face to say in front of these poor souls that this death is glorious and necessary.”

“But it is precisely because it is just that a price must be paid,” Shen Liang said. “Otherwise, justice would not be precious.”

Coral Palace Heart Sea remained silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Ryoko is really cultured."

"Have you finished your work?"

"Just one more to go."

"The last one, that's so special. Could the deceased have been some kind of high-ranking general or vanguard?"

"No, he's just an ordinary warrior, but I..." The little witch stopped and pushed open the door of a dilapidated farmhouse with brand-new white paper hanging on it, "I don't want to face it."

As Shen Liang stepped into the house, he was immediately struck by the darkness, for it was already five in the afternoon and there were no candles or oil lamps lit.

The house was a mess, with farm tools carelessly thrown in the corners. A straw-woven tatami mat was laid near the brazier in the center of the house; the tatami mat was already quite worn, with withered yellow straw underneath.

A woman with disheveled hair stood in the center of the house, holding a black pot over a brazier, calmly stirring some kind of soup in it—Shen Liang couldn't see what was in the pot because it was too dark.

She was wearing a kimono that was so dirty it was unrecognizable, her hair was not tied up properly, her cheeks were so thin they were almost fleshless, her eyes were red and swollen from the smoke, and she was hunched over. She looked like a mentally deranged madwoman.

But she wasn't crazy. When she saw Coral Palace Xin Hai walk in, she hesitated for a moment, then looked at her black umbrella before slowly saying, "Lord Coral Palace is here. I'm fine, and I have food. The village gave me the grain for the relief. I don't need any help."

Shen Liang suddenly realized something and looked sharply at the Coral Palace Heart Sea.

The little witch's breathing quickened. She stepped forward slightly and, using a tactful tone she had carefully considered all along, finally spoke: "It's not about your husband."

"Oh, that's..." The woman stopped mid-sentence, suddenly turning her head and staring intently at her.

Coral Palace Heart Sea dared not look into her eyes. "Ichiro Inamori, of the 2nd Platoon of the 3rd Division, Manta Squad, was killed in action on the afternoon of December 14th at the age of 23. Mrs. Inamori, please accept my condolences. This is your son's... keepsake."

She handed over the obituary and a set of blood-stained armor with both hands.

"In view of the epidemic prevention and control on the front line, the remains of Ichiro Inamori have been purified by the Coral Palace. The Coral Palace will return the ossuary in the future... Please accept our condolences."

Besides "Please accept my condolences," Coral Palace Xin Hai couldn't think of anything else to say... She suddenly felt that what she said wasn't tactful enough.

How can we be tactful about it?

Your son is dead? Someone come and tell her your son is dead too, how can you be tactful about that!

"Don't be too upset, Mrs. Inamori. Think about your child, you still have a future," Ruko couldn't help but say. She was genuinely afraid that this woman had truly lost her mind, so she could only immediately echo Kokoro's words, "The future will still need you as its mother."

future……

Is it the little girl at the village entrance?

Shen Liang recalled the little girl who was playing in the water at the village entrance, her face flushed from the cold, and eagerly waiting for her brother to come back and cook something delicious for her.

All three people were watching Mrs. Inamori, fearing she might do something irrational because of the bad news. But Mrs. Inamori only stared blankly for a moment, then continued to scoop the soup from the pot and drink it slowly. She even choked because she swallowed it too quickly due to the scalding heat.

How can you eat anything at a time like this?

Coral Palace stared at her, slightly unable to accept it, and placed Inamori Ichiro's obituary on the cracked windowsill. She was somewhat relieved, feeling that Mrs. Inamori's heart was surprisingly hard-hearted.

She had thought of countless ways to comfort this poor woman, but Mrs. Inamori just continued eating her porridge... Wasn't she also eating her husband's pension?

Coral Palace Heart Sea was troubled again. Her emotions were extremely conflicted, so she could only turn around and leave.

"It's already evening, would Lady Coral Palace like a drink?" A woman's voice came from behind.

“No need,” Coral Palace Xin Hai glanced at the charred pot and her heart softened. “Eat slowly, don’t be too sad.”

"I'm so sorry for the poor hospitality, Lady Coral Palace. Although my husband and children are gone, and I can't go on living, this is porridge in exchange for my compensation." The woman slowly finished the porridge in her bowl, leaving half a pot, and then looked at her and the protagonist, her eyes haggard and seemingly empty. "There's white rice in it, we can't waste it."

Coral Palace Xin Hai was speechless, and Shen Liang strode away from the room.

It was completely dark.

Chapter Twenty-One: Miss Xinhai, Be My Dog

White rice is worthless, and it's not expensive in Teyvat either; a pound of fine rice costs 400 Mora in Liyue Harbor.

And it would be even better on Earth. In China, a kilogram of polished rice costs only five to ten yuan, and in Japan, a kilogram often costs only five hundred yen.

But this doesn't mean that white rice is inherently cheap. Even in China, finely milled white rice has only become affordable in the last thirty years. For more than two thousand years before that, people ate crudely processed rice, millet, wheat, beans, and hemp, without removing the bran or eating the chaff.

Rice flour has always been yellow in Chinese history. Back then, there was no concept of refined processing, and the yield of yellow rice flour was obviously much higher than that of refined rice and flour. Being able to eat white rice flour was a blessing that progress in productivity made it possible for ordinary people to enjoy.

Shen Liang didn't initially think that Haiqi Island's productivity would be so low, because he had eaten white rice on the Southern Cross fleet. The fact that even ordinary people like sailors could afford white rice meant that this continent was theoretically not going to suffer from famine.

But theories are just theories. Just as most people on Earth can afford refined food and the food wasted in American waste disposal sites can feed hundreds of millions of people, tens of millions of people in Africa are still starving and making flatbread out of mud to deceive their own stomachs. Even billions of dollars allocated by the United Nations every year cannot help.

Not to mention a small island that betrayed its country.

"So, I don't know what expression to wear to face the future. She calls me 'Sister Shrine Maiden,' but I have to tell her that her father and brother are dead, killed because of our decisions." Coral Palace Heart Sea looked at Shen Liang. "Many people think I'm weak, and the Palace Master often laughs at me for this. I know she wants me to be less naive, because war itself requires bearing a price, a price that everyone has to bear together, not just a few shrine maidens like us—but I think that's wrong, that's shirking responsibility."

“It’s not about shirking responsibility. What you palace officials said is right. The pressure of war cannot be placed on one or a few people. Everyone who steps onto the battlefield should be aware of this.” Shen Liang felt that she was being extreme.

"Enlightenment? That sounds nice, but how many people truly understand what enlightenment means?" Coral Palace Heart Sea remained silent for a moment, then sneered. "Do you think they joined the army for justice or honor? Actually, no. It's because we want to resist. They don't understand anything. Do people really understand why war is started? They only know that war has come and Coral Palace has started requisitioning grain, and if they don't join the army, their families will go hungry! They only know that the military pay is higher than farming, and they only know that even if they become martyrs, they will receive a pension, but if they don't go to the battlefield, Coral Palace will tax them by the head! They can't afford to pay this year's taxes!"

"But is it our Coral Palace that is at fault? The shogunate cuts off our food supplies. If they don't increase taxes or collect grain, we can't raise an army. Without an army, there is no resistance! We can't even protect the remains of our gods. We can only watch as the shogunate insults our faith. If we lose again this time, what else will we have to hand over to others?"

“The people are not enlightened; they just trust us and therefore fight for us. So we should not betray their trust, and I must do everything I can for them.”

She reached out her hand to Shen Liang, and Shen Liang seemed to see the light and shadow of the rice paddies shimmering in her eyes.

"Ryoko, help me. We can ensure that the people of Umijima won't starve without relying on the shogunate."

Shen Liang was about to speak when the sudden scene before him caught his attention.

[A suitable candidate for the Stigmata has been detected]

Name: Coral Palace Heart Sea

[Current progress: 30%]

Coral Palace's Heart Sea trusts you; being near you now makes me feel better even faster.

It's here! It's my system that's always been practically invisible!

This was the first time the system had generated any information since it was acquired. The information was still concise, but Shen Liang finally managed to glean some insights from it.

The first Stigmata candidate has finally been born, is it Coral Palace Heartsea?

How was it born?

Shen Liang carefully considered the circumstances surrounding the system's appearance.

—Just now, Coral Palace Heart Sea finally formally invited me to work for her. She finally made up her mind to trust me and want to happily farm with me to save the famine. Is it because of this?

—Is this mindset what led her to "accept" me? So, is "acceptance" a necessary condition for becoming a suitable candidate for the Holy Mark?

—So what does 30% progress mean? Does it mean the Stigmata will appear when it reaches 100%? Come to think of it, I don't even know what Stigmata are!

Shen Liang's thoughts raced as he used the process of elimination to find the special features of the Coral Palace's Heart Sea.

—If recognition alone makes someone a suitable candidate for the Stigmata, then why didn't Hokuto-nee become one? Hokuto-nee treats me like a brother, or at least Manyo-nee would be fine!

—Or is the core issue not the Eye of God, but the "level of recognition"? Coral Palace's Kokoro only triggers the event when her level of recognition for me reaches the "trust" level? Then why doesn't Ruko trigger it? Ruko's gaze towards me goes beyond trust; she's practically an idol, isn't she?

—Or is it a dual-judgment mechanism?

"Are you going to refuse?" Coral Palace Xin Hai's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. Seeing that Shen Liang didn't reply but instead fell into deep thought, she was a little unsure.

Seeing these scenes, Coral Palace Heart Sea didn't think Shen Liang would remain unmoved. Surely a boy of this age would still have a heart full of passion? But if he really didn't... there didn't seem to be anything she could do.

Threatening our distinguished guests? That goes against the Coral Palace's hospitality, and it's unwise...