Chapter 123: This is Truly a Good Place
San Shier looked at the throng beneath the fortress walls, all volunteering to become labor reform prisoners, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He sighed, then tilted his head back, seriously contemplating the Heavenly Lord's usual stance on such peculiar situations.
A plan quickly solidified in his mind.
He opened the fortress gates and stepped outside, facing the tattered throng. "Listen, everyone, you seem to misunderstand. A 'labor reform prisoner' refers to someone who 'has committed a crime and is now repaying that crime through labor.' These are criminals, you see."
The crowd froze, bewildered.
A few seconds later, a collective realization dawned on them.
A young man brandished a stick. "Steward," he called out, "if I beat you senseless right now, wouldn't that be a crime? And then I could repay it with labor, right?"
San Shier reeled back several steps. "Are you an imbecile? Stop that! My point is, you are all good, honest people. There's no need for you to do the work of criminals. I will make other arrangements for you."
A collective gasp went through the crowd, their faces lighting up with hopeful delight.
San Shier cleared his throat loudly, bringing the commotion to a halt. "Our Gao Family Village has a great many tasks that require strong hands, and we are in need of a large number of temporary laborers. Since you are all eager to work, there's no reason we would turn you away. Hmm... how about this: let's discuss the payment first, and then we'll talk about the jobs..."
San Shier announced, "Firstly, you will receive food and accommodation."
"A roar of excitement erupted!" The crowd cheered in unison, "Food! And lodging!"
San Shier chuckled, shaking his head. "Look at you, getting so worked up just hearing 'food and lodging'! *Ahem*, those provisions are typically for labor reform prisoners. But you aren't criminals; you're honest, temporary workers. So, in addition to food and lodging, you'll also be given wages."
The crowd erupted in cheers again: "Wages too!"
San Shier added, "The wages won't be much, mind you."
The crowd cheered, "The wages aren't much!"
"Wait, hold on," they seemed to realize. "That's not something to cheer about!"
The cheers instantly died, replaced by awkward, sheepish smiles.
San Shier continued, "The wages will be twenty *jin* of flour, two *jin* of pork, and two *liang* of salt per month."
The crowd was stunned speechless once more. *This* was what he called 'not much'? Good heavens, this was an unbelievable fortune!
"A roar erupted once more!" The crowd recommenced their cheering, "It's wonderful that the wages aren't much!"
"Master Li is truly benevolent!"
"The steward is such a kind man!"
San Shier shook his head, a smile playing on his lips, and turned his back to the refugees, ensuring they wouldn't see his face. He simply couldn't stop his lips from stretching into an utterly gleeful grin, nearly splitting his face to his ears.
Back when he served as Magistrate Zhang Yaocai's strategist, he had constantly faced the people's scorn, wanting to help them but utterly powerless. Now, to witness a crowd erupt in such jubilant cheers because of a few words from him – it was truly a joyous feeling.
"Thank the Heavenly Lord," he thought, "for giving me the confidence and the means to be a good person, just this once."
His moment of private mirth concluded, San Shier turned back, deliberately adopting a solemn, authoritative expression. "Now that wages are settled," he declared, "let's discuss your tasks."
The crowd cheered as one: "We'll do any work, no matter what it is!"
San Shier nodded. "Very well. You'll be mixing cement and laying cement roads."
A collective cloud of confusion seemed to hover above their heads. "???"
San Shier began, "Just follow me, and I'll show you how to—"
He hadn't even finished his sentence when the head of Strategist Tan Liwen suddenly popped out from behind him. "Esteemed patron," Tan Liwen interjected, "Why use an ox cleaver to carve a chicken? There's no need for you to personally attend to these minor details; simply leave them to me."
San Shier slapped his forehead. He'd almost forgotten he was no longer the strategist, but the one *employing* a strategist.
He quickly cleared his throat. "Strategist Tan," he instructed, "arrange food and lodging for these people, teach them how to mix cement and lay roads. Ensure everything is handled perfectly."
Tan Liwen bowed, then beckoned to the crowd. "All of you, come with me."
The crowd dutifully followed Tan Liwen.
San Shier's grin returned. "Hehehe, hahaha, this, my friends, is what we call: 'making every family prosperous and sufficient!'"
Li Daoxuan's gaze shifted from San Shier, now tracking Tan Liwen.
Strategist Tan was busy organizing food and accommodation for the new arrivals. The food was straightforward enough: a quick trip to the watchtower's second-floor warehouse provided more than enough to sate their hunger. Lodging, however, proved to be a quandary.
After all, these were complete newcomers, without the benefit of introductions that the artisans had. Strategist Tan didn't dare house them directly within Gao Family Fortress. What if some proved to be troublemakers? The original residents of the fortress wouldn't be safe.
His gaze drifted towards the plastic houses outside the fortress, where the labor reform prisoners resided. He mused, "Should I house these temporary workers alongside the labor reform prisoners? That doesn't seem quite right either."
Li Daoxuan, observing Tan Liwen's dilemma, also began to ponder. *Gao Family Village's reputation has already spread,* he thought. *Interactions with the outside world will only grow, and perhaps more and more people will come seeking to join our 'labor reform' program. If this continues, I truly need to consider how to accommodate these new arrivals.*
*I need to create a dedicated area for incoming migrants!*
*It can't be too far from the fortress, otherwise it will be difficult for me to monitor.*
*And the farmland surrounding Gao Family Fortress must not be encroached upon.*
He scrolled relentlessly, panning his view across the landscape within the diorama box, searching for a suitable location. Soon, he found it: a rocky slope by the bamboo grove southwest of Gao Family Fortress. The soil there was too thin for cultivation, but some tender green grass shoots had already sprung from the crevices, a direct result of his "divine rainfall" a few days prior.
"This is the spot!"
Li Daoxuan retrieved the large sample box that Ningyang Toy Company had sent him, rummaged inside, and pulled out over a dozen plastic houses. With a flick of his wrist, he arranged them on the rocky slope...
In the blink of an eye, a cluster of brightly colored houses materialized on the rocky incline.
The villagers, hearing a peculiar sound from that direction, all turned their heads to look. The moment San Shier and Strategist Tan saw the freshly appeared houses, they understood instantly: the Heavenly Lord was providing homes for the newly arrived refugees.
"The Heavenly Lord is benevolent!"
Everyone swiftly bowed in a deep, reverent gesture towards the sky.
Only the bewildered newcomers stood dumbfounded, completely unaware of what had just transpired.
Though they couldn't comprehend it, they were profoundly awestruck.
Strategist Tan smiled. "Spend a few days here, and you'll understand everything," he told them. "Come with me now; let's go see how your new homes will be allocated."
As he walked, he instructed a nearby attendant: "Go to the Craftsman Well and tell the blacksmiths to forge some iron pots, a few vegetable knives, and other essentials for these newcomers, so they'll have the means to cook."
"Also," he added, "check with the bamboo weavers. Get some bamboo baskets, creels, and other useful items for them."
"And pay a visit to the carpenters. Have them custom-build a few beds..."
The refugees listened to his meticulous, thoughtful instructions, and couldn't help but marvel to themselves: *We have truly come to the right place. This Gao Family Village, they even care for people like us with such consideration. What a truly wonderful place this is.*
Comments