Chapter 122: I Heard There Are Labor Reform Prisoners Here
The ethereal bird had just taken flight, its message whispered: a desire for festive joy, for a day at the carnival. A subtle prompt for more to come, perhaps? So be it; let another chapter unfold.
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Gao Yiye instructed Gao Sanwa, "Gently lift the curtain just a little, not too much. The Solar Car goes faster the more sun it gets. I certainly don't want to end up like Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu, those two idiots who crashed into a wall their very first time driving."
Gao Sanwa chuckled, "I don't want to be an idiot either. The Heavenly Lord himself said 'two idiots,' so Brother Chuwu and Brother Daniu will never shake off that nickname now."
Gao Yiye retorted, "Good that you know. Once you're saddled with a nickname like 'idiot,' you'd have to pay double the betrothal gifts just to find a wife."
Gao Sanwa merely chuckled, "Why would you need betrothal gifts to marry a wife? Wouldn't it be much better to just eat those things yourself?"
Gao Yiye rolled her eyes. "What do kids know, honestly? Alright, let's go."
Gao Sanwa gently pulled back a sliver of the sunshade.
Under the relentless grip of the great drought, the one thing in abundant supply was the sun. That relentless orb hung in the sky day after day, and the moment the sunshade was pulled open, the Solar Car surged to life, slowly rolling forward.
The villagers toiling in the autumn wheat fields all turned their heads to watch, and even the labor reform prisoners on the hillside, felling trees and crafting doors, windows, and furniture for the villagers, paused their work to stare.
Dozens of pairs of eyes, all fixated on the Solar Car.
They had initially hoped to see if the two clumsy oafs would overturn the car today, but instead, they witnessed the Saintess herself in the driver's seat, with Gao Sanwa behind her, meticulously controlling the sunlight's exposure.
The villagers exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, what's happening? Weren't Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu supposed to be driving today?"
"Why is the Saintess driving instead?"
"Sanwa is on it too!" Gao Sanwa's mother, Gao San Niang, scrambled onto the compound wall, shouting, "Sanwa, what are you doing? Is that a divine decree from the Heavenly Lord?"
Gao Sanwa panicked. "Shhh! Shhh! Mom, don't shout so loud! I'm supposed to be in class at the School Well. If the teacher hears, he'll know I skipped!"
His shout, however, ensured that, as expected, the entire village now knew he had skipped class.
Gao San Niang's face contorted with rage. Snatching up a rattan stick, she stormed out of the compound.
"Sister Yiye, I need to accelerate!" Gao Sanwa cried out in a panic. "My mom's coming for us!"
Gao Yiye burst out laughing. "I've already mastered turning; now we can pick up some speed!"
"Alright, then, let's make a quick escape!" Gao Sanwa pulled back the sunshade even further, and Solar Car No. 1 shot forward with a whoosh, carrying Gao Yiye and him onto the sole cement road outside the village, speeding toward Zhengjia Village.
Gao San Niang had no hope of catching them. She stood there, stomping her feet and shouting after them, "You rascal, you still have to come home tonight! And when you do, you'll be getting a beating you won't soon forget!"
Gao Sanwa, oblivious, called back, "Meat tonight? Wow! That's wonderful! Mom, wait for me to get home before you start dinner, don't eat it all!"
At that, the entire village burst into laughter.
The vehicle sped along the cement road. Solar Car No. 1, being the crudest prototype, lacked a proper cabin and didn't even have a windshield. As its speed increased, the rushing wind lifted Gao Yiye's long hair in a graceful stream behind her head.
A profound sense of exhilaration welled within her, making her want to laugh out loud.
She had been bound for far too long!
But I am, after all, the most mischievous girl in Gao Family Village, hahahaha!
Li Daoxuan watched the girl as she sped along, a deep sense of contentment settling in his heart. A gentle smile touched his lips. *So it seems, after all this, I truly prefer to see others happy, not sad.*
Perhaps, saving others wasn't just about rescuing them; it was also about rescuing himself, a man adrift in the endless, fast-paced currents of modern life, unable to find genuine joy.
Could it be that my own well-being is also factored into the Salvation Index?
Li Daoxuan took a bite of the Leshan Bo Bo Chicken skewers in his hand. "Whoa, a little spicy," he thought. He'd inadvertently drifted too deep into thought just now. *Hold on, hold on. Thinking too profoundly leads to philosophy, and once a person gets lost in philosophy, they tend to go mad.*
For the sake of his own sanity, it was best not to delve too deeply into anything.
Just eat the skewers!
Just as he popped a gizzard skewer into his mouth, he suddenly noticed a group of ragged, forlorn figures approaching on the main road. They were coming from the southwest, a direction that led straight to the county town.
Li Daoxuan mused, *Couldn't be new artisans again, could it? Ha, when it comes to artisans, the more the merrier, that's for sure.*
However, he quickly realized his mistake. This group was clearly not made up of artisans. They approached the entrance of the Gao Family Village compound, but no artisans emerged from within to greet them, indicating they had no referrer.
The sentries on the compound wall immediately fixed their gaze on the approaching group. "Halt! Who are you?" they called out.
At present, Gao Family Village was strict about not allowing unknown individuals into the compound. Wandering freely through the village was permitted, but entering the fortified walls was strictly forbidden.
Startled by the sentries' sharp command, the group immediately cowered together, afraid to make any sudden moves.
Among them, the one who appeared youngest and most daring raised a hand. He called out loudly, "Excuse me, is this Li Family Fortress of Gao Family Village?"
Everyone in the village had long been instructed by San Shier to refer to their home as Li Family Fortress when speaking to strangers. Thus, the sentry nodded. "That's right," he replied. "This is Gao Family Village, the Li family's compound."
The newly arrived group immediately erupted in excitement. "We've finally made it!"
"We found it, Li Family Fortress of Gao Family Village!"
"This is wonderful!"
The sentry, sensing something unusual, stared at the group with wide, unwavering eyes. Another sentry, meanwhile, quickly ran off to summon San Shier.
San Shier peered over the wall. "Who are you? What brings you here? I am the Li family's steward; you may speak freely with me."
The group of ragged figures raised their heads, speaking over each other in a jumble of voices. "We are from Caojia, Shijia, and Daizhuang villages, near the county town. We've suffered from the drought and have no food, so we went to the county town to beg. But the gruel the Magistrate provides is so thin, it keeps us from starving, but we're never full. We heard from a kind sugar merchant that Master Li of Gao Family Village is a benevolent man..."
Hearing this, Li Daoxuan thought, *So they've come seeking food.*
San Shier shared the same thought and was about to instruct the helpers to bring out some food for the group when he heard them continue, "The kind sugar merchant told us that Gao Family Village employs long-term workers known as 'labor reform prisoners,' and that if they work diligently, they can eat their fill every day. So, we've come here, Steward, please, take us on as labor reform prisoners."
Li Daoxuan burst out, "Pfft!"
San Shier froze.
Beside him, the clerk Tan Liwen, the two sentries, and a few other helpers couldn't hold back. They all burst out laughing with a sudden "pfft!"
Seeing their laughter, the group below grew anxious, assuming they were being ridiculed by the Li family's retainers.
Master Li might be a benevolent lord, but as the saying goes, it's easier to meet the King of Hell than deal with his petty demons. Retainers were notorious for their bullying, and with that burst of laughter, they feared their chance at work might be gone.
The group spoke in a frantic rush, "Steward, we work very efficiently and diligently! Anything you ask, we can do perfectly. How about you let us be labor reform prisoners for three days first, just a trial period? If you're satisfied, then you can make us permanent labor reform prisoners."
Li Daoxuan laughed so hard that the Bo Bo Chicken skewers fell from his mouth, splattering onto the floor. There he was, the venerable Heavenly Lord, getting down on his hands and knees, wiping the floor with a napkin, a picture of comedic resignation.
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