Chapter 7 Where Did These Little People Come From?
Li Daoxuan suddenly noticed five extra figures in the box. Yes, *extra*.
Just this morning, after he'd bought provisions for the little people, he had specifically counted them. There were forty-two in total, not one more, not one less. (For those who've forgotten, please see Chapter 5.)
But now, the box held forty-seven.
The five newcomers seemed to have somehow slipped into the diorama box from its very edges.
They wore identical, deep red uniforms, with plain sabers at their waists and iron rulers in their hands. Each had a white circle on their back, emblazoned with the character 'Ya,' clearly marking them as ancient constables.
Li Daoxuan's attention had been fixed on the villagers when the newcomers arrived, so he hadn't seen the precise moment the five constables 'slipped in.' By the time he registered their presence, they had already reached the village entrance.
Li Daoxuan was utterly baffled. *How did these five constables get into my diorama box? This is bizarre!*
Imagine someone keeping hamsters: they'd counted forty-two, only to suddenly find five more in the cage, a completely different breed besides! Wouldn't that leave you dumbfounded?
He circled the diorama box, scrutinizing every angle. The box was sealed tight on all four glass sides. The only possible entry or exit point was the top lid, but Li Daoxuan had distinctly closed it after pouring in the Divine Rice.
No, the ventilation holes were tiny and high up; the little people couldn't possibly use them.
This was utterly nonsensical!
As he continued to puzzle over the mystery, he noticed the five new constable figures were now arguing with the villagers. He quickly pressed his ear to the box, listening intently.
One of the constable figures was blustering, his voice sharp: "You wretched commoners, continually defaulting on your taxes! Are you trying to rebel?"
Another constable waved his iron ruler menacingly. "If you don't pay your taxes," he snarled, "I'll drag every last one of you to jail!"
The Village Chief figure stepped forward, a forced smile plastered on his face. "Sirs, sirs," he pleaded, "it's not that we refuse to pay; we simply have no money, no grain. Everyone is on the verge of starvation! Just look at the weather – not a drop of rain for months, and all our crops have withered away..."
The constable figure sneered. "Drought is no excuse! The court's taxes must be paid in full, regardless of the circumstances. Otherwise, it's rebellion!"
The Village Chief figure's face crumpled in despair. "Sir," he begged, "look at everyone in our village: every single one is yellow-faced and emaciated, so weak a breeze could knock them over. Do they look like people who have money? We're starving to death; we truly have no way to pay taxes!"
The constable figure snarled, "You wretch! I'm going to search the village myself right now! If I find you hiding grain and refusing to pay, you can rot in jail!"
He roughly shoved the Village Chief figure aside and strode swaggering into the village.
Li Daoxuan watched this unfolding scene, a flicker of curiosity stirring within him. *Hmm? What's going on? Are these constable figures and villagers acting out another storyline?*
When he'd first acquired the diorama box, a scene was already playing out: a band of bandit figures were burning, killing, and looting in the village. He'd initially assumed the little people were electric, following a programmed script, so he'd reached in to intervene, swatting away the bandit figure.
He'd thought there wouldn't be any more 'performances' after that. Yet, here they were, enacting a storyline of corrupt constables oppressing innocent civilians?
What on earth was going on?
Could anyone imagine a box of hamsters they owned periodically engaging in elaborate role-play, acting out entire dramas?
A profound, utterly bizarre, and inexplicable feeling stirred within him.
This box isn't as simple as I thought. It's probably not just a mere habitat for a bunch of little figures.
The five constable figures stirred up a commotion in the village, randomly barging into homes, ransacking chests and cupboards, filling the air with noise and chaos.
The Village Chief figure's expression grew tense. Most villagers' homes weren't a concern; everyone truly had no grain. But Gao Yiye's house... that was half-filled with egg-sized Divine Rice! If the constables found it, then...
The more nervous he became, the more he unwittingly exposed the target.
The constables quickly noticed that the villagers' gazes, consciously or unconsciously, kept darting towards a dilapidated house, as if something illicit was hidden inside.
All the young people in the village were guarding that dilapidated house. Two of them even pressed their backs against the door, as if fearing something might spring out if it opened.
The constables' attention immediately locked onto that dilapidated house.
"Get out of the way!" one constable figure barked, striding towards Gao Yiye's home.
The villagers instantly became incredibly tense, their expressions shifting. The Village Chief figure instinctively stepped in front of the constable.
The constable figure shoved hard, and the Village Chief figure stumbled awkwardly to the side.
The constables darted to the front of the house in a flash. "Get lost!" they barked.
Several young people clenched their fists, but no one dared to strike, nor would anyone move aside.
A constable figure delivered a fierce kick. Gao Yiye and Gao Chuwu, who were pressing their backs against the door, were sent sprawling to the side by the sudden impact. With the wooden door losing its support, the Divine Rice inside immediately pushed it open and slid out.
With a whoosh, the constable figure standing closest was immediately buried in the rice. The other constables behind him were also startled, leaping back in unison.
The constable buried in the rice vigorously shook his head and poked it out. Seeing himself submerged in egg-sized grains of rice, he couldn't help but be startled. The other four constables also gaped, too astonished to close their mouths for a long moment.
The villagers, unsure what to say, all remained silent.
The scene thus fell into an eerie silence. After several seconds, the constable buried in the rice grains finally yelled, "What are you staring at? Get me out of here!"
The other four constables quickly stepped forward, pushed aside the rice grains, and pulled the constable figure out.
One constable figure stammered, "Gao Family Village is actually hiding something like this? This... rice... what exactly is going on? Why is it so huge?"
The Village Chief figure, emboldened by desperation, declared, "This is Divine Rice, bestowed upon us by the Heavenly Lord, for saving our lives. If you dare touch it, the Heavenly Lord will take your lives!"
The five constables exchanged glances, uncertain whether to believe him.
The scene froze once more, no one speaking for what felt like an eternity.
Li Daoxuan watched quietly until this point, unsure if he should intervene. The scene was undeniably eerie. *If I want to protect my forty-two little people, I should probably reach in and swat these five new constable figures dead, shouldn't I? Just like I swatted the bandit figure last time.*
But, would that be appropriate?
Where did these five constable figures come from? How did they get into the box? And would more little people keep appearing later?
There were still so many things he hadn't figured out!
Recklessly intervening now might not be the optimal solution.
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