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Chapter 506: Futures Are Built Through Hard Work

With the terrifying golden hand looming above, the militia soldiers' flintlock rifles pointed, and Bai Yuan's stark reminders of their captive parents, wives, and children, the five thousand rebels dared not cause any further trouble. They dutifully obeyed, moving according to the instructions from Gao Family Village.

They marched through the rich farmlands of Heyang County, then past the flourishing Gao Family Village, marveling at its prosperity, before finally reaching the Labor Reform Valley in the Huanglong Mountain range.

Thus began a "deeply moving" family reunion.

"Oh, husband, you've finally come!"

"Wife, are you and our son well?"

"You unfilial wretch! How could you abandon your old mother in Hequ County and run off with Wang Jiayin? Kneel! If I don't break your legs today, my name isn't your mother!"

The valley erupted in chaos. There were heartwarming reunions, but also sons being chased and beaten by their angry mothers wielding rattan canes. After a frenzy of shouting and tears, it took a full two hours for the commotion to subside.

Once the initial surprise and joy of their arrival faded, the rebels began to assess their current situation.

The valley was vast, filled with colorful houses, and the living conditions were surprisingly decent.

Their parents, wives, and children, who had arrived earlier, had not been abused. On the contrary, they had food every day and were able to fill their bellies. However, apart from the young children, everyone was required to work. Most of the women were assigned to operate a strange machine called a "steam-powered textile machine." Using these peculiar devices, they mass-produced high-quality cotton fabric from raw cotton, which was then transported out.

Other women were responsible for binding books. They would brush paste onto the spines of stacks of pages, wrap them in covers and backings, secure them with cotton thread, and set them aside. Once the paste dried, they would be loaded onto carts for delivery.

The elders who couldn't manage the weaving were assigned to wash vegetables, cook meals, or work as cart drivers, transporting fabric and weaving bamboo products to create small household items for everyone.

The most peculiar arrangement concerned the children!

This Labor Reform Valley actually arranged for the children to study.

My heavens! Studying!

Was this the treatment prisoners were supposed to receive?

The rebels doubted their own eyes as they watched their children sitting in clean, tidy classrooms, reciting the "Three Character Classic," the "Hundred Family Surnames," and "Elementary Math." Surely they were mistaken? This had to be a mistake, right?

"This place isn't normal,"

one rebel muttered to himself. "Even the government couldn't give us such good living arrangements."

He glanced at the tall, colorful walls surrounding the valley, and the soldiers patrolling the ramparts with flintlock rifles. "Aside from the lack of freedom, everything else felt like a dream."

"Hey, newcomer!" someone called from the crowd. "Over here."

The rebel looked in the direction of the voice. A distinctive-looking labor reform inmate, surrounded by a large group of followers, was beckoning to him.

The rebel thought: *This man is clearly the boss here. I can't afford to offend him.*

He quickly lowered his head and approached. "Big Brother, do you need something from me?"

The boss grinned. "I came from the Guyuan border army. Everyone calls me Chen Baihu. I'm in charge here. All you newcomers, you'd better listen to me obediently, understand? If you don't, my men will make you understand with their fists."

The rebel jumped in fright and quickly bowed. "Boss Chen, my name is Liu Bawan. From now on, I'll follow you."

Chen Baihu chuckled. "Clever kid. You were quick to call me boss. Alright, you're dismissed for now."

Liu Bawan bowed, turned to leave, but then remembered something. He turned back to Chen Baihu and said, "Boss, there's one thing I don't understand, and I must ask."

Chen Baihu replied, "Ask away."

Liu Bawan asked, "Isn't this a big prison? Why are they giving our children lessons, teaching them to read and write? This... I truly don't understand."

Chen Baihu laughed heartily. "Isn't the reason simple? All of you, young and old, men and women, will work for the Heavenly Lord from now on. The Heavenly Lord spared your lives, and this is how you repay him. Since that's the case, the more capable you are, the better. Let your children read more books, so when they grow up, they can contribute more to the Heavenly Lord."

A shock went through Liu Bawan's heart as he heard this. *This place thinks so far ahead! They've even considered what our children's generation will do once they grow up? This... this is far better than my previous bosses. They only ever thought about what to eat tomorrow. If they occasionally thought further ahead, it was what to eat the day after tomorrow. Only when they were truly far-sighted, like an eagle, would they consider what to eat three days from now.*

Liu Bawan whispered, "Boss, this isn't government territory, is it?"

Chen Baihu scoffed, "Nonsense! Of course it's not the government's. Could the government ever be this good?"

Liu Bawan asked, "Then this is Xing Honglang, the Great Boss's territory?"

Chen Baihu burst into laughter. "Great Boss Xing is just a minor leader here. The true great boss here is the Heavenly Lord. Below the Heavenly Lord are the thirty-six Heavenly Spirits and seventy-two Earthly Fiends, adding up to the 108 Generals of Gao Family Village."

Liu Bawan was left dumbfounded. "That... that powerful? Xing Honglang alone is already so famous. Who are the other 107 bosses?"

Chen Baihu shrugged. "I don't know all of them either. I only know there's Old Devil of Guyuan, Lao Nanfeng of Guyuan, and Dian Dengzi from Qingjian."

Liu Bawan didn't recognize the first two, but at the mention of "Dian Dengzi," he was startled. "I know that man! A truly formidable boss."

"Formidable, my ass," Chen Baihu scoffed. "Here, he doesn't even rank high."

"Achoo!" Zhao Sheng, currently overseeing the development of the water fortress at the Gudu Ferry, sneezed loudly. "Who's talking behind my back?"

Liu Bawan asked, "Anyone else?"

Chen Baihu replied, "I'm a prisoner just like you. How could I know all the leaders? Don't ask me. You'll find out slowly enough yourself."

The new labor reform inmates were soon shown the ropes by the older ones. The next morning, bright and early, they were marched out to join the road-building army.

With the addition of five thousand able-bodied laborers, the manpower at the Gao Family Village labor reform camp became extremely abundant.

Because the labor reform inmates were managed more strictly – unlike ordinary workers who could work when they felt like it, take leave, or even resign – they couldn't be picky about tasks. They had to do all the dirty and tiring work, and if they were caught slacking off, they would be beaten and disciplined by Chen Baihu and the other older inmates.

As a result, the labor reform camp's work efficiency soared to an astonishing degree.

Even Gao Family Village's elite construction team couldn't match the work output of the labor reform camp. All day long, the valley echoed with their chants: "Deep in mountains, treasures lie concealed, / We break open the gates, a new path revealed. / Hammers strike rock, hard against hard, / Hoes dig earth, lined up in rows. / Every callus a step on the road, / Our future is forged, as it has always been."