Chapter 62: He Offered Too Much
It was only upon returning to their home in Chengcheng County that San Shier and Mrs. San discovered everything had been plundered.
Days earlier, the chaos stirred up by Wang Er from Baishui County had led to the ransacking of every residence in the "rich district." The entire neighborhood was in ruins, several houses reduced to charred timbers that still smoked. Despite San Shier's reputation as a decent man who often spoke out for the common people, his home had not escaped the looting. The door was kicked in, and every movable item had been stolen, leaving the place utterly bare.
Several other benevolent families he knew had suffered the same fate. When rebel forces descended, they didn't distinguish between good and bad. Blinded by the fervor of slaughter, they had no inclination to discern. A cruel landlord met the same blade as someone who built bridges and repaired roads, or a quietly virtuous person. When trouble strikes, everyone piles on.
Mrs. San considered for a moment. "I might as well not stay at home. I'll just seek lodging at the City God Temple."
Mrs. San continued, "I used to frequently visit the City God Temple to offer incense and provide the Daoist priests with robes and provisions. If I bring some silver now, they'll surely be happy to let me stay."
San Shier chuckled. "That's true enough. With money, there's nothing that can't be done."
Mrs. San patted the jar containing the divine medicine. "Once I settle into the City God Temple, I'll don a Daoist robe and use the Heavenly Lord's divine medicine to treat poor folks who can't afford a doctor. That way, I'll be saving the world."
San Shier mused, "I only fear the temple's Daoists might not permit it..."
Mrs. San laughed. "The City God is a Daoist immortal, and the Heavenly Lord is too. They are both part of the Daoist lineage, so why wouldn't they permit it? I've never heard of a temple dedicated to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable forbidding offerings to the Grand Supreme Elder Lord."
His eyes glinted mischievously, and he grinned. "Exert yourself, save as many poor people as you can. If anyone is struggling to survive here, persuade them to come to Gao Family Village. Our village needs a large workforce, you know."
Mrs. San retorted, "As if you needed to tell me that."
With their plan set, the couple proceeded to the City God Temple. As expected, for a fee, lodging was a trivial matter. The Daoist priests warmly welcomed their generous patroness.
Having settled his wife, San Shier turned to his own tasks.
He walked to a private academy on the east side of the city.
To be precise, it wasn't a private academy in the traditional sense, but more of a "family school." It lacked official accreditation, run by a penniless scholar who hadn't even managed to marry, setting up a few tables in his home to teach a handful of children from nearby families.
The scholar, dressed in a patched blue Daoist robe, brightened with surprise upon seeing San Shier. "Master San, ever since Wang Er of Baishui stirred up trouble days ago, your esteemed daughter has not returned to class. I was quite worried and visited your home, only to find... sigh... it quite alarmed me..."
San Shier replied, "Thank you, Master Wang, for your concern. At the time, my whole family fled the county town and sought refuge in Gao Family Village. My daughter remains there, not daring to return to the county."
Master Wang bowed. "Peace is all that matters, peace is all that matters. That Wang Er from Baishui is truly detestable, delaying your daughter's studies. When she returns to the county, I will certainly do my utmost to help her catch up on everything she's missed."
San Shier shook his head. "My daughter may not return to the county for a long time."
Master Wang sighed. "Alas!"
That single sigh carried a profound sense of disappointment; one less student meant one less tuition fee. The patches on his robe were not for show; Master Wang's life was indeed far from easy.
San Shier shifted the topic. "Master Wang, I've come to ask you for a great favor: to stay in Gao Family Village for a period and help resolve my daughter's educational needs. You will be handsomely rewarded."
Master Wang shook his head. "This... I'm afraid... is not appropriate. I still have several other students, and if I were to go to Gao Family Village and abandon them, my conscience would not allow it." How could he easily venture out of the city? What was the situation like outside the walls? Rebels ran rampant, killing everywhere. The Chengcheng County magistrate was dead, the military inspector Cheng Xu had turned into a cowering mess, and the Shaanxi governor was doing nothing. Was he to risk his life by leaving?
San Shier knew it was time for silver to make an appearance.
He reached into his satchel, pulled out a fist-sized ingot of silver, and placed it on the table.
The moment the silver appeared, Master Wang visibly shrunk. "Oh? Master San, what... what is the meaning of this?"
San Shier explained, "Asking Master Wang to travel dozens of miles to Gao Family Village, enduring the fatigue of the journey—how could I not offer some compensation for your efforts? This silver is for your comfort, Master Wang. As for your other students, I'll visit their homes and refund their tuition."
Master Wang exclaimed in alarm, "How can this be? Though the tuition fees from those students are modest, I have already accepted them, and I am responsible to them to the very end! How could I abandon them halfway just because you offered more money... Master San, such conduct is certainly not the way of the sages, it disgraces scholars! We scholars possess our pens, our resolve, and our fists, we would never—"
San Shier reached into his satchel again, and with a flourish, produced another silver ingot, even larger than the first. The two massive ingots lay side-by-side, glittering with a silver light that dazzled the eyes.
Master Wang declared, "I'll go!"
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Meanwhile, in Shuangqing City.
Li Daoxuan carefully carried a large box over to the Diorama Box.
He gently opened the lid, revealing a miniature Hakka Walled House Tank. The custom-made Hakka walled house was finally complete.
This walled house was a proportionally scaled-down replica of the famous "Chonglin Shiju," measuring 0.54 meters long, 0.64 meters wide, with walls 4.5 centimeters high. Inside, it featured 262 rooms, 9 halls, and 18 courtyards. (See image in chapter review)
While real walled houses don't have a chassis, this "model" that Cai Xinzhi made for Li Daoxuan required one. Thus, its base was adhered to a massive composite material pressure plate. The plate was thick and sturdy, with a set of motors, an electronic control system, and two rows of 6-centimeter diameter tires mounted beneath it.
The inner partition walls of the walled house were made of thin iron sheets. However, the roof and exterior walls did not use iron sheets because Li Daoxuan, as the client, repeatedly changed his mind during the production process, making various "perverted demands" such as "sun protection" and "lightning resistance." Therefore, the roof and exterior walls were made from composite pressure plates, coated with a waterproof layer, with thin iron sheets used only for interior walls to save space.
Cai Xinzhi surely lost at least 500 yuan on this order.
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