Village Hall (1)
Truthfully, Patrick found life on Dunbrook Island far more satisfying than he had expected. There were many things missing, and even more inconveniences. Yet the villagers overflowed with warmth, the climate was mild, and no one went hungry. In short, if one looked only at the conditions, it was a paradise for anyone seeking a rural life.
‘Still, if possible······.’
But after beginning his dealings with Oren and having Josh tailor clothes for him, Patrick realized one thing: the more the villagers possessed, the richer his own life became.
― I bought some spices, Teacher. Why don’t you try the taste? Ah, shall I share some tea and cream as well?
― Goodness, if you’re making clothes for the Teacher, use this, Tailor. I brought some linen that’s all the rage on the mainland. I’m glad I can put it to use like this!
Once money began circulating through the island from selling oysters and liquor, the quality of the “gifts” the villagers gave Patrick rose accordingly. For someone who could not shop on the mainland himself, these luxury items shared by the residents were invaluable. Of course, once he occasionally acquired money or precious goods, he could ask Oren, the soldiers, or sometimes the kind-hearted Village Chief to procure what he wanted, but that method still felt inconvenient.
‘If only there were a proper merchant shop on the island, things would be so much easier.’
Then, last night, it struck him. Why not simply bring a merchant shop in?
‘The reason there are no proper stores on our island is that the villagers’ income isn’t high enough yet. The population is small, and development is low. So merchants don’t feel any real incentive to open a shop here.’
But what if the villagers’ income increased? What if the population grew and, in turn, the demand for goods to buy in this village rose? What then?
Patrick imagined it. If he rose late and went down to the village, the scent of fresh bread would waft from a shop that also served as a tearoom. Sitting at an outdoor table, he would spread butter on a slice of warm bread, take a bite, and wash it down with an iced americano floating with ice cubes. Just then, the owner of the shop across the street would spot him while opening up and call out.
― Oh, Teacher! The shoes you ordered arrived today! The hair oil is due this afternoon as well. I’ll see you later!
He would nod once in acknowledgment and gracefully consider his schedule for the day.
― Let’s see······ I should harvest honey in the morning, check the fields in the afternoon, and then go pick up the new shoes! I can wear the new tailcoat to Maksim’s party tonight!
Grin―
Just imagining it made him happy, didn’t it? A simple rural life in harmony with nature by day. A glamorous party life as a well-dressed gentleman by night! That was exactly the rural dream a twenty-first-century civilized person longed for. Fundamentally living leisurely and quietly buried in nature, then, when that life grew dull or one needed new stimulation, driving out to a city overflowing with skyscrapers, bustling shopping districts, and every kind of service to enjoy what nature could not provide before returning.
The men’s cosmetics he had stumbled upon seemed to have become a huge hit. That must be why so much money had come into his hands. He could squander it on furs, beautiful fabrics, bundles of paper, spices, and fine furniture. But what if interest in men’s cosmetics plummeted afterward? What then?
‘So this money is an investment for the future.’
Even if no more money flowed in from outside, if he could raise the villagers’ standard of living, the money circulating on the island would keep growing.
The construction of the Village Hall proceeded far faster than Patrick had anticipated.
“I’m thinking of fixing up this place. Heh heh.”
What the Village Chief showed him were several empty houses on the outskirts of the village. The people who had lived there had all left for the mainland, leaving the houses unoccupied. Ownership had reverted to the village, so there would be no problem using them however they wished.
“If we tear down the walls between the houses and repair them, it should be much better than starting construction from scratch. We can also save the trouble of choosing a location. What do you think, Teacher?”
“It sounds excellent.”
There were four houses in total. Each one was not particularly large, but when four such houses stood together, the story changed. Four houses, two storehouses, and once the walls came down, a garden spacious enough to feel quite vast.
“There’s even a kitchen garden?”
Patrick’s eyes sparkled as he surveyed the site where the Village Hall would stand.
“Yes. It’s nothing but weeds now, but everyone used to grow simple crops for their own meals in these gardens. Ah! If you go around the back, there are quite a few fruit trees as well. There are even large trees whose fruit the neighborhood children pick while playing without making a dent.”
Following the Village Chief’s words, Patrick went around behind the houses and found it was true. Fig trees, walnut trees, grapevines, European pears, peach trees, and olive trees.
“We should think about how to make use of these trees and the kitchen garden for the collective benefit of the village.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
The Village Chief answered today as well with his benevolent smile. Within that smile, a faint trace of respect seemed to flicker, but Patrick did not notice.
Summer in the countryside felt both busy and leisurely. The moment one turned around, crops had grown, and one had to endlessly repeat the work of drying, steaming, and pickling them for preservation.
“Damn bell peppers! Eggplants! Tomatoes! Pumpkins!”
For several days now, Patrick had been living the life of an eco-friendly vegetarian, stir-frying diced mixed vegetables and eating them with tomato sauce. Without doing so, he simply could not bring himself to consume all these vegetables alone.
“Why won’t they decrease no matter how much I eat, why!”
To be precise, they were increasing little by little. Even though he was eating so diligently, they kept growing. Good heavens.
“Patrick, the robe you ordered has been completed······ Why are you like that?”
Josh, who had brought the robe he had spent the past fortnight painstakingly embroidering, froze slightly upon seeing Patrick lying on the wooden bench after a meal, flailing toward the sky.
“Oh! My robe!”
“I-I came as well······.”
“Kuh― Look at that color? It’s exactly mine! ······What about food?”
“Not yet.”
“Really? Is there anything to eat?”
Josh, who had been staying at the Village Chief’s house, had moved his residence to the Village Hall, saying he could no longer impose. Although repairs were still in full swing, the buildings that had been finished first were in a state where it was not difficult for one person with little luggage to live in them. Even the Village Chief, who had tried to dissuade him, could not stop Josh when he said, “This way, I won’t feel self-conscious even if I work through the night.”
“Still, the villagers have been helping a lot.”
“Tsk tsk― Take this and eat. It’s only vegetables, but if you stir-fry them roughly and season with just salt, they’re decent enough.”
“Th-thank you!”
Josh’s face visibly brightened at being given a few of the troublesome vegetables.
“Um, excuse me······ Then, could you perhaps spare a few onions as well?”
“Onions?”
“Ah, even just the skins would be fine······.”
At Josh’s words, Patrick’s expression crumpled.
“Just what kind of life have you been living?”
“Pardon?”
“No matter how little food there is, onion skins······.”
This was why city folk were like this. Patrick’s prejudice toward Eltron, where Josh had supposedly learned his trade, was growing rapidly.
“Th-that’s not it, Teacher! It’s just that the yellow dye ran out······.”
“······Dye?”
“Yes. If you add alum to onion skins, you can dye fabric a vivid yellow.”
“Oh······?”
Patrick’s back finally lifted from the bench.
“Is there anything else?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean dyes. Anything else? Things that grow in the mountains or fields!”
“Uh······ Safflower gives red. Dyer’s knotweed gives blue, and Japanese knotweed gives green. Dyes obtained from grasses or flowers may not be as vivid in color, but they have a warm feel that everyone, young and old, male and female, likes.”
“That’s it!”
“Pardon?”
The first side-income class to be taught at the Village Hall had been decided.
A crowd of villagers had gathered in front of the large wooden board posted in front of the Village Hall.
“Let’s see, so······ residents······ education······ apply······ please!”
“Oho! So you really can read now?”
“Hahaha! It was worth rubbing my sleepy eyes and scribbling on those slates until I was exhausted!”
Though still clumsy, the others looked enviously at their friend who had escaped illiteracy after learning to read at the night school. While resolving to sign up without fail if the next night school opened, they also pricked up their ears to understand what this “resident education” was.
With the repairs to the Village Hall nearing completion, the first thing they had done was this resident education.
“Since our Teacher came up with it, it must be good, but I was wondering what exactly they’ll be teaching.”
“Is it reading and writing, perhaps?”
“Yes, there’s reading and writing too. Look here. There are arithmetic classes as well!”
“Then isn’t it the same as the night school? Just a different name?”
A hint of disappointment passed through the eyes of several people standing at the back. They had already learned reading, writing, and numbers. For some, learning was like drinking salt water. The more you drank, the more water you wanted. Then came news that made their ears perk up.
“It’s not quite that. There’s a dyeing class.”
“Dyeing?”
“Yes, that tailor who came from the mainland is going to teach it. He’ll be teaching fabric dyeing!”
“What? Is that true?”
“For free?”
“It’s not free······ The tuition fee, let’s see······.”
“It’s a bit burdensome······ Hmm······.”
“They accept payment in kind too? I’ll have to discuss it with my wife first. If I learn it, I could earn a bit of pocket money in the winter, couldn’t I?”
“Is there anything else?”
“Ah! Here, oh! It says there’s a beekeeping basics class? Looks like Maksim will be teaching it. Heh heh, do we have to call Maksim ‘Teacher’ now too?”
To catch two rabbits at once—activating the Village Hall and reviving the village—Patrick had planned something like a community center.
‘It’s private education, private education.’
What he had realized while teaching the children and running the night school was that this society had far too little experience with education. People grew through learning. That was true of study, of skills, and of character as well. People grew by finding things worth learning from those better than themselves and by taking those worse than themselves as cautionary examples. Growth did not mean only personal maturity. Social maturity and economic maturity were also growth.
Of course, Patrick had not meticulously planned and pushed all of this through. His thinking was simple.
1. The villagers learn something that can make money.
2. They use it to earn money.
3. When they have more money, they want to spend it.
4. Then shops will open in the village.
5. From then on, HAPPY rural life!
That was why, watching the villagers gathered in front of the board with sparkling eyes, Patrick clenched his fists tightly.
‘Hurry up and earn lots of money so shops will open in the village!’
Selfish altruism. Self-centered devotion. He was truly an ironic existence.