I Reincarnated as a Farmer with Blessings from the Gods

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    Chapter 8

    Preparing for the Winter Wind

    A man like Mr. Gray was truly the epitome of a corrupt leader, a parasite of society.

    Yet, at least he had a son who was known for his kindness and quiet acts of generosity. Though it couldn’t erase the father’s evil deeds, it gave people some hope.

    Still… Mr. Gray’s stinging words and despicable behavior didn’t end there, even on a day that was supposed to be special for everyone.

    "Ah, how could I forget..." His snake-like smile widened again, making everyone hold their breath. "This is my family’s personal donation, along with the minimum amount the village is required to contribute to the church." He handed over a few copper coins before pulling out a filthy cloth bag containing two silver coins.

    The audacity. Those copper coins came from the donations he had just shamelessly taken moments earlier.

    "I’m quite generous, wouldn’t you agree, Sister? Surely the gods will understand." The two silver coins were calculated based on the number of villagers, which was the result of rounding down. But according to the rules, the church was supposed to receive two silver coins and sixteen copper coins.

    "Of course, the gods will surely understand, Mr. Gray. I’ll be sure to record this in my report to the central church in full detail.” Sister Anne’s smile twitching slightly. “If Mr. Gray insists that this amount is correct according to the agreement with the church, I’ll report it exactly as it is."

    Her meaning was crystal clear.

    "Oh, my dear Sister, please add these copper coins as well. The cold weather must have muddled my memory. Surely no one would hold it against me on such an important day..."

    In the end, the missing sixteen copper coins were reluctantly handed over. Mr. Gray’s twisted expression brought a sense of satisfaction to many. After all, what use was money in the midst of the fierce snowstorms that would arrive in just a few months? No one in the village understood the village chief’s behavior.

    Once the remaining donations were gathered and placed at the altar, the prayer to the gods began. The prayer, which lasted nearly an hour, was strange and unfamiliar to Kit, who stood stiffly throughout the ritual as he had never heard of it before.

    Not long after, Kit was whisked away to change into a white ceremonial robe. To his eyes, the robe appeared rather dull and stained, but it was the cleanest garment available in the community.

    The naming ceremony was simple. Clean holy water was used to anoint Kit’s face while the nun announced his new name to everyone and the gods. Kit knelt before the altar, thankful that the robe was long enough to cover his knees from the cold stone floor.

    "Having endured many hardships, he has survived thanks to the generosity of the Redwood community and the blessings of the gods…"

    "The name of this child is David. Let all be aware and may he be loved, just as his name implies."

    As the boy knelt, he felt a warm breeze and sunlight on his skin, despite being inside the closed-off church. As the ceremony continued, a radiant light from the altar shone down on him. The white dove statue atop the altar spread its wings as the multicolored stained glass behind it cast a beautiful glow over the small boy.

    For a moment, everyone held their breath at the sight. Was this the power of the gods, or the perfectly timed calculation of an experienced nun? People speculated quietly among themselves, their thoughts diverging in different directions. Only the two nuns saw the vision—a vivid image of countless young sprouts and blooming plants spreading across a vast land, as if springtime had arrived.

    "Lord Gaiel? Impossible..." Sister Anne raised her head and stared at her companion, her eyes wide in shock. She quickly regained her composure but couldn’t help muttering the name of one of the gods under her breath.

    "Perhaps it’s Lady Foris... We’ll discuss it later," Sister Lisa whispered back, ensuring the ceremony proceeded smoothly to the end.

    A child blessed by two gods was incredibly rare. The two nuns knew they needed to investigate further before drawing any conclusions. One thing, however, was certain: the pure, divine energy they felt confirmed that this child’s future was destined to be extraordinary.

    The newly named David kept his eyes closed serenely throughout the ceremony, entirely unaware that he had received a grand blessing from the gods.

    Would his future truly be as bright as the two nuns believed it would be?

    .....

    The day of joy concluded smoothly, as everyone tried to push the selfishness of Mr. Gray out of their minds. The little boy, David, was still called by his old name by the orphanage family, and it quickly became his nickname.

    "Ethan, why don’t you call me David instead? Please?" The six-year-old boy, small and frail, looked at him in confusion as Kit lifted him into his arms. However, the boy continued to call him Brother Kit, laughing along with the other children.

    "Brother Kit, Brother Kit, Brother Kit." Even Lin, the group’s little ringleader, joined in. The new name bestowed by Sister Anne became merely a formal title—no one close to him wanted to use it.

    The donated supplies included about three sacks of coarse grains, three jars of stored animal fat, and dozens of used but still decent cloth pieces.

    With these donations, the problem of food supplies was finally resolved. Both nuns and the three older children sighed with relief. This year was far better than anything they had ever hoped for.

    "Sister, since we’ve solved the food problem, maybe we should keep the discovery of those rare mushrooms a secret for now. We can dry them and save them for emergencies rather than reveal something so valuable and invite trouble."

    "I agree with Kit. It’s better if the news doesn’t reach that snake Gray’s ears. This way, the little ones won’t suffer." James added immediately. Even Anna nodded in agreement.

    "If that’s what you all think, then I won’t argue. But… the medicinal herbs for reducing fever we were supposed to get from the villagers was all confiscated. It’s troubling." Sister Lisa sighed again. "My power alone won’t be enough to help everyone survive the winter. Some of the children will definitely fall ill, and without medicine, their conditions could worsen."

    Tears welled up in her eyes. Throughout her life, she had seen hundreds of children pass away. It should have numbed her heart by now, but instead, it only hurt more deeply.

    The thought of losing even one more innocent life was unbearable.

    Kit quickly began analyzing the structure of the orphanage. He traced the direction of the cold wind and identified which parts of the walls were too thin to retain heat. The bedrooms, living room, and playroom where the children spent most of their time would need immediate attention.

    The rough stone walls gave off an icy chill, making Kit wish he could replace them with wooden planks. But considering the church’s current financial situation, that was simply impossible.

    Animal pelts… were far too expensive, especially in this season. Even the collection of rabbit fur they had saved for years wasn’t enough for all the children. Every night, they curled up together into a tight cluster to share body heat. Luckily, Anna had sewn the rabbit fur into a large, soft mat, just big enough for everyone to sleep on. Even the two nuns had to share a room and sleep on a mattress made from tightly packed dried straw to save on pinewood fuel for the fireplace.

    Only the nuns’ office, dressing room, bathing area, infirmary, and restroom were separate from the main living quarters.

    Whenever Kit thought about the path leading out of the restroom, he couldn’t help but grimace… He longed to scrub the place clean until it sparkled, but given the current circumstances, that would have to wait.

    (I guess I’ll have to endure the smell for now. My nose is starting to get used to it. Poor me...) Kit thought to himself before turning his focus back to solving the issue of keeping warm during the harsh winter.

    To the west, where strong winds blew, the large stone church served as a natural barrier, so that side of the wall received less cold wind. The real problem lay in the north, where the bitter, snowy winds would sweep through relentlessly during the second and third months of winter. The northern walls of the children’s bedrooms and living areas would need to be fortified as much as possible.

    Their enemy this time wasn’t a wild beast or a terrifying monster but nature’s formidable cold.

    "Sister, if we can’t prevent illness, how about addressing the root cause instead? I’ve been thinking. Maybe we should use our remaining funds to buy dried straw and insulate the outer walls of the bedrooms and living areas… That would be more effective than spending it on a small amount of herbs."

    "That’s a great idea, Lisa. Dried straw isn’t too expensive right now. A large bundle costs only one copper coin. If we use it to line the walls, it should help significantly…" Sister Anne paused as an idea struck her. "…But why not insulate the inner walls, Kit? Wouldn’t that be even warmer?"

    "I’m worried some of the younger children might be allergic to the straw dust and develop a fever. Also, with the fireplaces inside, the sparks..."

    "...could cause a fire."

    Sister Lisa finished the sentence, her eyes gleaming with approval. She looked at Kit like he was a seasoned adult with remarkable wisdom.

    "In that case, it’s settled. Tomorrow, I’ll head to the village to arrange for the purchase of dried straw. James, Anna, and Kit will come with me. Agreed?"

    "Agreed…" Sister Lisa said confidently. "And regarding that matter, I’ll start drafting a letter to Russel to borrow the Godstone."

    The ‘matter’ Sister Lisa referred to was undoubtedly the verification process to identify which god had blessed the little boy who had become so important to this church. Borrowing the Godstone for the test wasn’t difficult; it just required time.

    Everything was proceeding according to the thoughtful plans of this little boy, full of reason and logic.

    No one realized that the decision-making power of this church had quietly shifted into Kit’s hands.