Chapter 64: Assigning Homes
Once the Hakka Walled House was in place, the surrounding Lego block walls became obsolete.
The walled house itself boasted ramparts ten yards high, making the two-yard-high Lego walls entirely superfluous.
Moreover, when those walls were first erected, they encroached somewhat on the farmland. With September drawing near and autumn planting on the horizon, the fields absolutely had to be cleared for use.
Li Daoxuan reached into the box and removed the Lego blocks. The Coca-Cola cans that served as temporary housing for Li Da could, of course, be taken out as well. The large pond made from Lock&Lock containers wasn't urgent to remove and was left on the empty ground beside the walled house, continuing to provide water for the villagers.
Gao Yiye and the Village Chief began allocating homes to everyone.
The village now numbered over one hundred and fifty souls. Divided by family, including three generations, there were actually only about forty households. However, the Heavenly Lord was benevolent, allowing "a married couple" to count as one household.
This meant that grandparents could be counted as one household and receive a set of rooms. Parents counted as one household and received a set of rooms. Children, if not yet adults, were grouped with their parents; but if they were adults, even unmarried, they could be allocated their own dwelling.
With this arrangement, these one hundred and fifty people occupied a total of sixty-four rooms, leaving a large number of rooms vacant.
As the most esteemed Saintess, Gao Yiye was assigned the top floor of the tallest building deep within the walled house, allowing her to easily look up and speak with the Heavenly Lord from her balcony. (PS: This building, a three-story watchtower, offered a panoramic view of the entire walled house, its architectural style somewhat resembling the gate towers found on city walls.)
An atmosphere of bustling excitement filled the entire village.
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San Shier had returned!
He arrived with a scholar, the young men Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu, and two sculptors. Of course, Wang Er, who was responsible for escorting them back, also accompanied the hurried group to the outskirts of Gao Family Village.
Mr. Wang was in a state of unspeakable distress!
After receiving silver from San Shier, he had thought he'd struck it rich. Little did he expect that not far from the city, San Shier would turn into a patch of woods, where a group of fierce men emerged to greet them.
And the leader of these men was none other than the notorious 'Big Cong Deng', whose wanted posters adorned every official bulletin board!
Mr. Wang’s soul nearly leaped from his body in fright. *Had he been tricked into a bandit den?*
Trembling uncontrollably, yet daring not to speak, he meekly followed along, not even daring to entertain thoughts of escape.
His mind raced with calculations: *Why would these rebels trick me into joining them? Could it be to make me a strategist in their mountain stronghold, like Wu Yong?*
*I am a man of integrity; I refuse to become a bandit in the mountains. Wu Yong’s ultimate fate was rather tragic.*
*I'll play along for now, and the moment I get a chance, I’ll flee back to the city.*
He mulled over these fanciful notions for what felt like an eternity, walking from dawn until noon. Hot and exhausted, he felt on the verge of collapsing when San Shier suddenly declared, "We've arrived! Hmm? The village seems to have changed again."
Wang Er also blinked in surprise. "Oh? Your Gao Family Village truly changes every time I visit. The first time there were no walls, the second time there was a two-yard-high wall, and this third time, there's actually a gigantic fortified manor."
San Shier didn't need to be a genius to guess that the Heavenly Lord had worked his magic again, but this was not something to elaborate on with Wang Er.
Smiling, he cupped his hands to Wang Er. "Hero Wang, now that we're here, there's no need for you to see us off further."
Wang Er returned the gesture. "Then I shall return to the mountains."
San Shier pulled a bag of salt from his pouch. "Hero Wang, you wouldn't accept my silver last time. This time, please take some salt. While silver money is of little use to you in the mountains, this salt... it is truly indispensable."
Wang Er involuntarily licked his lips. San Shier was right; the bandit army was truly short on salt. They had raided official granaries last time, so they could hold out for a long time on grain, but salt was a troublesome matter.
People couldn't endure long without salt.
Under such circumstances, feigned politeness was impossible. He reached out and accepted the bag of salt, cupping his hands in gratitude. "I owe your Gao Family Village another debt of gratitude. In short, great kindness needs no verbal thanks. If you ever have a need for me, Wang Er, just send someone to the mountains to call out."
The two parties parted ways. Wang Er led his subordinates back into the mountains and disappeared from sight.
His departure left the others unfazed, but Mr. Wang suddenly sagged completely, as if his skeletal frame had come loose, and he collapsed onto the ground.
San Shier turned back, utterly bewildered. "Mr. Wang, what are you doing?"
Mr. Wang replied weakly, "I thought Master San was tricking me into becoming a bandit in the mountains. Only when I saw Wang Er leave did I realize it wasn't so. I sighed in relief, and now my legs simply refuse to hold me upright."
Everyone paused, then burst into laughter.
"Mr. Wang, look at what ideas you're cooking up," San Shier said, helping him up. "We are all law-abiding citizens; we wouldn't stoop to banditry. Come on, Gao Family Village is just ahead. Once you arrive, you'll see how wonderful it is there. It truly can be called a secluded paradise."
The group soon reached the outskirts of Gao Family Village.
As they came into view, Li Daoxuan could see them. His little people had been away for two days, and he truly had been worried. He watched them return with the warmth of a parent's concern for a child traveling far.
He immediately spotted a man in a green Daoist robe trailing behind San Shier, recognizing him as the scholar, which made him watch with even greater delight.
Gao Chuwu was the first to exclaim, pointing at a dilapidated thatched hut on the hillside. "Hey, isn't that my house? How did it end up on the hillside?"
He ran toward his house, taking three steps at a time. Just as he reached the doorway, it opened, and Gao Chuwu's parents, a middle-aged couple, carefully emerged, carrying their large wooden bed.
The three met face-to-face at the entrance.
Gao Chuwu urgently asked, "Father, Mother, what on earth happened? How did our house end up on the hillside?"
Gao Chuwu's father chuckled merrily. "The Heavenly Lord has given everyone in our village new homes! Look, they're in that big fortified manor over there. Your mother and I are just moving the furniture over... You've come back at the perfect time; quickly, take over for your mother. We'll move this bed, father and son."
Gao Chuwu quickly took his mother's place, and the father and son carried the bed, running swiftly.
As they ran, Gao Chuwu's father continued to laugh, "Son, you have your own house now too! The Heavenly Lord said that any adult villager, married or not, can be assigned a house. The Village Chief put your room next to your mother and my room, hehehe. Later, you can move your bed into your own room."
Gao Chuwu chuckled foolishly. "Oh? I have my own room? Does that mean I can get married?"
His father burst out laughing. "Who would marry a simpleton like you?"
Gao Chuwu retorted, "Even if I'm a simpleton, I'm strong! I'll do more heavy work for the Heavenly Lord and receive many, many rewards. Then I'll have money to get married."
"Here comes your reward!"
Gao Yiye called from a distance, "Brother Chuwu, the Heavenly Lord says you performed meritorious service escorting Master San to and fro! He rewards you with five catties of white sugar, fifty catties of flour, ten catties of pork, ha—"
The final "ha" was because the Heavenly Lord had declared these gifts were for his wedding, but Gao Yiye couldn't help but burst into laughter by that point, cutting off the last part of her announcement.
Gao Chuwu exclaimed, "Eh? Eh eh eh? So much? Wow! Mother, please help me find a wife! We can use these rewards as a bride price!"
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