The same was happening in several villages as the ladies shared with their families what Alayna had told them. This was something that they can do on their own but human nature is very scary, it was very difficult to trust someone with their money.
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In the end, those that agreed to join this stokvel program decided to make Alayna their banker as she was too rich to scam them of their few cents.
Elena was also excited and she nagged Alayna about joining one of the groups and Alayna agreed. She was also planning on joining one of the groups but one with a lot of money. She wanted a monthly one where she can contribute spirit stones instead of money.
She didn’t need them to cultivate as the system was very good to her and just helps her with the torturous process. She needed the spirit stones to buy things, she realized that with spirit stones she could exchange for more points than money.
And in the future when she travels to other places, she could also buy a few things that can’t be bought with money and her life will become much easier by doing that.
She was going to let Elena spread the news and let more people be curious enough to want to join.
The following day Alayna was in a good mood as a lot of people joined the stokvel and it was for different money groups. During this week, the news gradually spread and everyone knew about the stokvel issue.
The men complained a lot as they had not been included but Alayna couldn’t be blamed as the people she thought about when she thought of this idea in the first place were women.
In the end, Alayna was forced to form other groups of men which weren’t bad. for all those who were not peasants and contributing anything less than one silver, she charged them.
The job was tiring on its own and there was no way she was going to do this for free. She even thought of finding someone to do the books but with the money, she will keep it. It was safer with her than with anyone else.
With so many people joining, even the cultivators were tempted to join. As the spirit stones were different from silver and gold, they could only do the monthly contribution at the moment as not all of the cultivators’ present could afford to take spirit stones every week.
Alayna joined one of the groups and the people were elated to know that she was also participating. When her day off arrived, she left by herself this time as she didn’t want any tail.
Her reason for going solo was so that she may take a look at the other side of the town. She still has a lot of uneaten vegetables and she wanted to give them to the people who needed them the most.
Just like every place, town, or city, there were areas where the rich people live, the poor ones live, and where the destitute ones live. Some of the poor people were even better as they could afford places to live and some food to eat although it wasn’t much.
Others weren’t that lucky and they lived every single day as if it is their last. It was difficult to find food, clothes, or a roof over their head. If Alayna had not met her adoptive father, she would have been dead by now but she was lucky enough.
She went to the slum area; this area was one of the lowest and people there lived one harsh life. Alayna’s eyes teared up as she looked at the thin people lying in the road, begging for food.
Some even hugged her legs begging for food and the scene was quite too much for her. If she takes out some money and gives it to one person, some stampede will surely happen.
Although her heartache she shrugged the person away and continued to look at the place. These people could only survive by begging, most of them were the elderly, the young, and the sick.
They weren’t suitable to work and no one would want them to work for them. She came across a dilapidated temple and several people dressed in rags were holding wooden bowls while some monks were busy serving them with some watery porridge.
She couldn’t even see the grains in it and this was enough to show just how poor everyone here was. The rich were busy spending their money on several things that were unnecessary while the poor were suffering.
This wasn’t their duty as every man works for himself but giving a helping hand wouldn’t kill anyone.
"Benefactor, welcome. How may we help you?" a middle-aged monk asked politely as he looked at the beautifully dressed woman without any servants with her.
She smiled faintly as she looked around, even when she was suffering and homeless, she didn’t live like this. This was to the extreme and her heart ached so much.
"Thank you, I was just going around and taking a look. I have some vegetables with me that I want to donate, do you mind?"
Hearing this, the monk was very touched. They didn’t reject any food; it was very hard to find something to feed these people after all.
"We would love to have anything as long as the benefactor is willing to part with it," the monk excitedly spoke.
She was very happy to hear this and she followed the monk inside and took out the vegetables she had bought last time and they were all placed in several baskets.
"Thank you very much for doing this, a lot of people will be saved," the monk sincerely thanked her.
She smiled happily, being able to do something good for others was a good thing.
After talking for some time with the monk, she left the place with peace of mind. On her way, she couldn’t help but overhear some people complaining about how these officials were busy taking the money meant for the destitute for themselves.
She was even thinking about donating some money to the temple but when she thought of how anyone can be corrupt, she decided to trust herself. What if she comes up with a solution herself and manages it herself?
This way she doesn’t have to worry about anyone stealing the money and misusing it.
What she needed now was to make some plans and make a budget and see how much was needed and what was needed at the same time too.
She didn’t return fast to the forest but checked several places as ideas kept on gushing in her mind.
Tired and a bit thirsty, Alayna found a street food stall and find an empty table. She ordered a plate of rice and mincemeat and waited patiently for it. As she was sitting there, someone recognizes her and called her name.
Alayna was wondering who was calling her but then she saw this noble lady who happened to be in her stokvel group, the highest one in her carriage. She waved her hand at her as there was no way she was going to go all the way to that carriage and leave her food.
Whoever wanted her, will come to her. The lady also saw that Alayna wasn’t showing any intention of coming to her and since she wanted the other, she gritted her teeth and came out of the carriage.
Although she hated being treated like this, Alayna was a woman of ideas and she wanted to be friends with her. Being a housewife wasn’t easy at all, making some money on the side will make her feel secure.
"How are you, Madam?" Alayna asked with a smile as she looked at the lady who was not before her.
"I am doing okay and you?" the lady asked back as she sat next to Alayna.
This was her first time to sit publicly in places like this, she used to hate places like this as she feels like they lower her status, and being mixed with commoners wasn’t her thing.
But things started changing when she came across this person who didn’t discriminate against anyone and she was amazed by that.
"Just hungry, I heard that the food here is very delicious. You should try it," Alayna urged the lady as she didn’t want to eat alone.
In the end, the two ladies ate and enjoyed their food and their presence attracted a lot of people and soon nobbles began to try some food on the streets and the stall owners were very grateful to the trendsetters.
After eating, the lady sent Alayna back to the forest and on their way, the lady began to tell her the reason why she wanted to meet.
"I am thinking of doing some business but I just can’t think of what to do. Everyone is doing everything and there seems to be nothing for me left to do. I am becoming tired of waiting for my husband to return home and give me money, I want to do something that is mine even if it is like a partnership or something like that," Madam Gibson slowly spoke as she looked eagerly at Alayna.