Chapter 545: Another Bridge for You
"Sunji Town in Linyi County?" Gao Chuwu scratched his large head. "That name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?"
Lao Nanfeng's head popped out from beside him, a grin spreading across his face. "Back before we entered Puzhou, when we were still running the Yongji water fortress, we dealt with the people of Linyi County. We even hired them to dig limestone for us. Many of them seemed to be from Sunji Town."
Gao Chuwu exclaimed, "Ah! I remember now."
The people of Sunji Town had endured considerable hardship. When the bandit leader Old Zhang Fei had invaded, he seized Sunji Town and tore down its walls, leaving the small settlement vulnerable to any future marauders.
Many of Sunji Town's residents had also been forcibly conscripted by the roving bandits.
Fortunately, during the battle at the Yongji water fortress, Xing Honglang had eliminated Old Zhang Fei. It was only then that the conscripted locals regained their freedom. They scraped by, earning meager food by working for the water fortress, barely surviving. After the bandits retreated, some of them returned to Sunji Town.
Xing Honglang's contingent had just reached the outskirts of the town when, before they could even speak, a large crowd of townspeople rushed out to greet them. "It's Chief Xing's army!"
"Bah! 'Chief Xing,' you say? That's General Xing!"
"Right, right, General Xing is now an imperial general!"
Their enthusiasm drew in the more hesitant villagers. Emboldened, those less familiar with Xing Honglang also dared to follow, circling Xing Honglang's forces, gazing with a mix of fear and curiosity, wanting to approach yet still wary.
"General Xing, are you here to do business in Sunji Town?"
"Are you going to build another water fortress here? Yongji water fortress was too far from my home, so I came back. If General Xing builds a fortress here, I can work for you again."
"It's wonderful that General Xing is here! I'll have work again!"
The townspeople cheered excitedly, as if it were a festival.
Xing Honglang, however, felt a little awkward. "I'm just passing through on my way north to suppress bandits this time."
"Oh? Just passing through?"
The disappointment among the common folk was palpable.
The most comfortable work they had ever known was working for Xing Honglang. It was truly fair and honest: as long as they worked diligently, they received their rightful wages, with absolutely no delays, defaults, or deductions—none of that messy business.
This was exactly the environment every laborer dreamed of!
Xing Honglang pondered. These people needed help, but how could she provide it?
Just then, the Puppet Heavenly Lord, perched on Gao Chuwu's shoulder, spoke. "Across the Yellow River here lies Heyang County."
Everyone rejoiced. "Ah, the Heavenly Lord is here!"
The Puppet Heavenly Lord continued, "And across the river, it's very close to Qichuan Ferry."
Xing Honglang nodded. "Yes, if you cross the Yellow River from here, you reach Sanji Village, which is only a dozen *li* from Qichuan Ferry."
The Puppet Heavenly Lord declared, "Then it's simple! Connect this place with Qichuan Ferry so the people here can easily receive supplies and job opportunities from Qichuan Ferry."
After years of development, Qichuan Ferry in Heyang County had become a major naval stronghold for Gao Family Village. It boasted not only a vast dock, a naval force, and a comprehensive cargo system, but also housed the "Second Steel Mill," a vital armory for Gao Family Village's cannon production.
Centered around that steel mill and Qichuan Fortress, a considerable town had developed.
To think a prosperous town lay just across the river, yet Sunji Town remained so impoverished, simply because of the Yellow River's formidable natural barrier in between—what an absurd situation!
The Puppet Heavenly Lord declared, "I shall grant you another great bridge."
The residents of Sunji Town looked utterly bewildered. "What does it mean to 'grant a great bridge'?"
Xing Honglang and her companions, however, were overjoyed. "What? We've long heard that the Heavenly Lord bestowed a great bridge at Longmen, but we weren't fortunate enough to witness it. Now, the Heavenly Lord is granting us another bridge! Hahaha! Quickly, everyone, rush to the riverbank to see this miracle!"
The militia immediately sprinted toward the river, with the bewildered villagers of Sunji Town following close behind. Soon, everyone gathered at the riverbank.
The mighty Yellow River rolled on, as if descending from the heavens, its waters surging with a terrifying power palpable even from the shore.
From Li Daoxuan's perspective outside the box, however, it was merely a small ditch.
He quickly checked his computer. The Yellow River at Sunji Town was indeed a suitable location for a bridge; a later generation would build a major bridge there, the "Linyi Yellow River Bridge," costing 2.32 billion Renminbi.
Fortunately, constructing such a feat within the diorama box wasn't nearly so challenging.
All it required was a pile of building blocks!
The same process began. First, the soil on both riverbanks was compacted to ensure the stability of the earthen structures, preventing collapse and landslides. Then, with a resounding *boom*, Li Daoxuan produced a strong plastic beam and drove one of the bridge piers deep into the ground.
Xing Honglang and the others erupted in loud cheers.
The common folk of Sunji Town, however, shrieked in alarm. But seeing that Xing Honglang's group remained unafraid, they realized this golden giant hand wasn't a monster, but a "kind and righteous immortal." There was no need to fear; they might as well join the cheering.
The golden hand continued to lay down sections of the bridge, *click*, *clack*, fitting them together. This bridge was far longer than the Longmen Yellow River Bridge, requiring additional piers in the middle. Li Daoxuan inserted the long plastic piers into the river's center, driving them deep beneath the riverbed, then patted them down to ensure they were firmly embedded and wouldn't sway.
Section after section, the bridge deck was built.
After a considerable time, the long Linyi Yellow River Bridge stood proudly over the Yellow River.
Both Xing Honglang and the villagers of Sunji Town watched in mesmerized awe.
The Heavenly Lord's divine power!
It defied all description.
The Puppet Heavenly Lord chuckled. "I have already informed Bai Yuan at Qichuan Ferry. He will soon bring his people over from that side. As for the people of Sunji Town, you can begin building roads. You need to construct a cement road from the eastern bridgehead to the entrance of Sunji Town, and another cement road from the western bridgehead to Qichuan Ferry. Only when these cement roads are completed will you truly benefit from this bridge."
The common folk of Sunji Town didn't quite grasp the profound implications, but they understood one thing: road construction meant work, and working for Xing Honglang meant full stomachs.
Everyone cheered in unison, "Road construction!"
"We have work!"
"Wow, this bridge is incredible! I'm going to run back and forth across it!"
"Idiot! This bridge is at least several *li* long, and you haven't eaten all day. You'd be exhausted to death running back and forth!"
The common folk cheered for their livelihoods.
But Xing Honglang, Lao Nanfeng, and the others were contemplating something far more significant. This bridge wouldn't merely offer convenience to the people of Sunji Town; the Heavenly Lord was opening up a land route between Heyang County and Puzhou City. The Gao Family Village Militia could now reach Puzhou much more swiftly.
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