Chapter 227: Hong Chengchou Arrives
Zhao Sheng, much like Xing Honglang when she first saw the cement formula, immediately regarded this paper as a celestial recipe. And naturally, a celestial recipe demanded meticulous preservation.
He quickly began to roll the paper!
However, his physical prowess was leagues below Xing Honglang's.
Ten Zhao Shengs combined wouldn't be a match for Xing Honglang. Rolling the enormous, thick paper proved an immense struggle. He had barely managed to roll a small section when his strength gave out. Gasping for breath, his hands loosened, and the paper scroll sprang open, sending Zhao Sheng tumbling backward.
He landed on the ground with a thud, and the large sheet unfurled, covering him completely.
He squirmed beneath the massive paper, creating a small bulge.
"Oh, help! Someone... help me!"
A crowd of villagers from Qingjian County rushed over, carefully re-rolling the paper. Two men helped Zhao Sheng to his feet, their faces flushing with embarrassment as they addressed the sky: "Forgive us, Heavenly Lord, Master Zhao is a scholar and unaccustomed to such tasks. We shall handle these matters from now on."
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "No matter. Simply help him carry this paper back. Study it diligently, and be sure not to misinterpret any steps."
A group of villagers carried the rolled paper back to the Valley of Exiles, solemnly unfurling it. But they were illiterate, highlighting Master Zhao's invaluable role. He read the large sheet aloud to the villagers, word by word.
These villagers were all seasoned farmers with extensive experience in agriculture. Upon hearing that the corn cultivation method required starting anew with the use of celestial fertilizer, they were initially daunted. Fortunately, the people of Gao Family Village and Zheng Family Village already possessed experience with chemical fertilizers, so Li Daoxuan dispatched two individuals to instruct them further, and everything would be set.
With the corn matter settled, Li Daoxuan's attention could shift to the red chili peppers Xing Honglang had brought back. He could have directly provided chili to the diorama box before; the only reason he hadn't was purely because it hadn't crossed his mind. Now that Xing Honglang had introduced it to Gao Family Village, it was certainly worth examining.
"Xing Honglang, bring out those red chili peppers. I wish to examine them closely."
After Gao Yiye relayed the message, Xing Honglang was quite delighted. She had brought back a small item, and to her surprise, the Heavenly Lord had immediately taken notice of it. It seemed she had brought the right thing. She quickly produced all the red chili peppers, cupping them in her hands and raising them as high as she could.
In truth, raising them high was no longer necessary. Li Daoxuan could now use the "Focus" function, zooming in on the chili peppers to examine them up close.
Excellent, it was indeed the familiar red chili pepper! And Xing Honglang had even brought back dried ones.
This was understandable. Chili peppers had only recently been introduced to their dynasty, arriving even later in the northwestern regions. Even in a major city like Xi'an, fresh red chili peppers were hard to come by; one could only purchase dried chili peppers that had been cultivated in the south, then dried and transported to Xi'an as a "spice."
This alone was enough!
The Heavenly Lord's countenance beamed. He commanded: "Once everyone finishes work this evening, we shall all celebrate together. This festival shall be called the 'Heavenly Lord Hot Pot Festival'!"
Everyone was momentarily stunned, but they quickly recalled the "Heavenly Lord Sudden Whim Festival" from last time, where he had bestowed braised beef that everyone had enjoyed immensely.
"How wonderful, we're having a festival today!"
"Let's work even harder!"
"The sooner we finish today's tasks, the sooner the festival begins!"
The villagers were brimming with vigor...
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the villagers completed their day's work and returned home. Normally, at this time, they would rush to prepare dinner, but today was different. They were celebrating the "Heavenly Lord Hot Pot Festival," and naturally, every action was guided by instruction.
Under Gao Yiye's direction, the villagers brought out numerous pots, setting them up by the village's large pond and boiling water.
Meanwhile, the "hot pot delivery" Li Daoxuan had ordered also arrived. He had requested a dazzling array of ingredients, and now, he cut a small piece from each portion and placed it into the box.
The villagers watched as a large piece of chicken instantly materialized from the sky, followed by a large piece of pork, then tripe, congealed duck blood, duck intestines, bean sprouts, cabbage, mushrooms...
"Wow!" many villagers exclaimed, their mouths already watering profusely before they even began to eat.
Li Daoxuan chided with a smile, "What's the rush? You still need to prepare the hot pot base... Add these ingredients one by one into the pot with water: chili, Sichuan peppercorns, old ginger, garlic, salt..."
He rattled off a long list of items. The villagers possessed most of these, but many lacked others. After all, during these famine years, the common people simply lacked the resources to cultivate such spices.
But it didn't matter. What the villagers lacked, Li Daoxuan had. He bestowed small amounts of whatever was needed, allowing them to add it to the pots themselves.
In an instant, hundreds of large pots throughout the village were simmering with hot pot broth, and the air filled with fragrant aromas.
Just as the scene erupted in joyful celebration, Li Daoxuan suddenly noticed something amiss...
On the official road running alongside the cement path connecting Gao Family Village to Zheng Family Village, a procession appeared. It was a considerably large retinue, with mules, horses, carts, and soldiers, a magnificent sight. In its midst, a grand banner was carried, inscribed with the character "Hong," and beside it, in smaller script, "Shaanxi Grain Intendant."
Li Daoxuan muttered, "Hmm? An official grain transport convoy?"
Leading this convoy was a man in the prime of his life, dressed in fourth-rank official's robes. His face was lean, and his eyes gleamed with piercing intelligence—clearly not someone to be trifled with. Surrounding him were over a hundred household guards, all tall with sharp, discerning gazes, appearing formidable in combat.
Li Daoxuan pondered, "A fourth-rank grain intendant, surnamed Hong, escorting provisions... Could it be *that* person I'm thinking of?"
He wasn't mistaken. The arrival was none other than the renowned Hong Chengchou, one of the most formidable figures of the late Ming Dynasty. Though a slender civilian official, his military achievements few martial officers could rival.
Several days prior, Hong Chengchou had received orders from Hu Tingyan, the Governor of Xi'an, to gather grain and transport it to Xi'an, to serve as military provisions against the increasingly volatile rebels in northern Shaanxi.
Thus, Hong Chengchou set out from Hancheng in the Tongguan Circuit, escorting the grain. His planned route to Xi'an involved passing through Heyang County, Chengcheng County, and Pucheng County.
The journey began smoothly enough, but upon entering Heyang County, Hong Chengchou learned that rebel bandits had swarmed the mountains, gathering over ten thousand men and loitering outside Heyang County city.
He wasn't afraid of the rebels, but there was no need to engage them with grain carts; that would be foolish. So, he decided to bypass Heyang County city, cutting directly through the desolate wilderness into Chengcheng County. This detour led him to Zheng Family Village, and then along the official road beside the cement path, straight to Gao Family Village.
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