Chapter 74 Labor Reform
Bai Yuan scoffed, "No wonder! My brilliant strategy trapped the bandits in the courtyard, surrounding them from all sides and giving us a decisive advantage, yet when they charged towards the immortal cannons, their casualties weren't as heavy as expected."
Zheng Daniu scratched his head, a bewildered look on his face: "Huh? You guys could still recognize your neighbors while fighting in all that smoke and chaos? I... I completely forgot about that."
Everyone looked at him.
You simpleton, just go marry Gao Chuwu already!
San Shier bowed deeply towards the sky, reverence etched on his face, before lowering his head. "Among those remaining, many are your neighbors, kin, or even relatives, right? You held back during the fight because you didn't want to kill them, and the Heavenly Lord spared them to accommodate your feelings."
The two or three dozen kneeling figures pressed their foreheads to the ground, utterly silent.
Those cowering in the passage, their courage shattered by the "divine fire," didn't dare utter a single syllable.
San Shier continued, "Since the Heavenly Lord himself has spared them, we naturally cannot simply execute them all. Deciding what to do with these people has become quite a troublesome matter."
He furrowed his brow, pondering deeply, finding it difficult to come to a decision.
"What?!" A collective gasp of confusion rippled through the crowd. "Labor Reform?"
Gao Yiye explained, "Labor Reform, as the Heavenly Lord decreed, is to atone for one's past transgressions through labor."
This time, everyone understood.
Gao Yiye continued, "The Heavenly Lord said that Gao Family Village is in dire need of rebuilding, with countless tasks requiring manpower. Rather than killing these individuals in front of their neighbors and relatives, causing resentment, it is better to organize them to compensate for their misdeeds through labor."
"Those undergoing Labor Reform shall be called 'Labor Reformers.' They will be provided with food, but no additional rewards, until their transgressions have been fully atoned for, upon which they will regain their status as commoners."
Those huddled together, shrinking in the passage, abruptly lifted their heads: "What? They'll even give us food? Is this a punishment or a reward? Being a Labor Reformer sounds... surprisingly good."
A chorus of grateful thuds filled the air as they frantically prostrated themselves, expressing profound thanks.
Gao Yiye then turned to San Shier: "As for where this labor is needed, that shall be arranged by Advisor San."
San Shier, his name called, visibly brightened, his back straightening a little. "We still need to produce vast quantities of cotton cloth, forge numerous sets of iron armor, and build doors and windows for the new fortress rooms that currently lack them. Quarrying stone, felling trees, chopping firewood... the tasks are innumerable, and indeed, we require a tremendous amount of manpower. This group of Labor Reformers can be put to work on these very things."
The villagers now had no objections. The two or three dozen who had been kneeling gradually rose, deeply moved by the thought that the Heavenly Lord had even considered their feelings, choosing not to incinerate their relatives and neighbors.
But... where would these Labor Reformers live? That presented a new problem!
If they were allowed to live inside Gao Family Fortress, everyone would still feel uneasy. After all, they had just been fighting fiercely; to immediately welcome them into the fortress and have them live alongside the villagers felt alarming. Who wouldn't fear having their throats slit in the middle of the night?
Li Daoxuan perceived their hesitation. Solving this problem wasn't difficult at all! He retrieved the Lego bricks he had taken out of the Diorama Box a few days prior and placed them back inside. This time, however, he didn't arrange them into a fortress wall, but rather a small, enclosed circle with a tiny opening.
While everyone was still racking their brains, they looked up to see colorful "walls" suddenly descend from the sky, forming a large circle on the open ground outside Gao Family Fortress, roughly the size of a wide alleyway.
Everyone instantly grasped the Heavenly Lord's intent.
San Shier gestured with a sweep of his hand: "You will live within that walled enclosure. At night, you'll sleep soundly; by day, you'll diligently undergo Labor Reform. Since the Heavenly Lord has spoken, you are guaranteed food, but there will be no additional rewards, not a single copper coin. Only when you earn the Heavenly Lord's recognition and regain your status as commoners will you receive extra compensation for your work."
The group secretly thought to themselves: *Just having food is reason enough to thank Heaven and Earth. Who needs extra rewards?*
They still didn't know who the Heavenly Lord was, but hearing the Gao Family Village residents constantly mention "Heavenly Lord," and realizing that the one who had spared them was also the Heavenly Lord, they simply offered their thanks.
The group shouted in unison: "Many thanks for the Heavenly Lord's grace!"
After their shouts, they rose and surrendered all their weapons.
They were then escorted by the Gao Family Village residents to begin their first Labor Reform project: clearing the battlefield.
The bodies of those killed by stones were stripped, carried out of the fortress, and buried in pits dug on the hillside. The corpses burned by the lighters were relatively more troublesome; their clothes couldn't be removed, and carrying them meant getting hands covered in black soot and tar, the stench sickening.
But... it was Labor Reform! They couldn't pick and choose their tasks. If they didn't want to do it, they still had to.
The villagers suddenly realized that having a group of Labor Reformers to order around was quite beneficial! The previous times the Heavenly Lord eliminated bandits, the Gao Family Village residents had to clean up the battlefield themselves, carrying bodies and digging pits — how disgusting.
Now, with the Labor Reformers handling it, they only needed to supervise from the sidelines. Wasn't that an incredibly satisfying feeling?
Indeed, completely slaughtering enemies was ill-advised; leaving some for Labor Reform was the true wisdom.
As this thought struck them, some of the quicker-witted individuals couldn't help but delve deeper: *If Gao Family Village had even more Labor Reformers, enough for every task to be handled by them, wouldn't I never have to work a day in my life? I'd just spend every day supervising Labor Reformers doing this and that...*
*Oh dear! Once that thought took hold, it simply wouldn't stop.*
The villagers fell into deep self-reproach, chastising themselves with sharp mental slaps for their shameful thoughts.
After a good while, the Labor Reformers finally finished cleaning the battlefield.
Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu escorted them into the large enclosure outside Gao Family Fortress.
Once all the Labor Reformers were inside, Li Daoxuan gently flicked his finger. The small opening left in the Lego circle sealed shut, locking all one hundred people within.
That settled it perfectly. They would be released at dawn tomorrow, safe and secure.
Seeing the Labor Reformers securely contained, the villagers also breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to return home for a peaceful night's sleep.
Just then, a man knelt before Bai Yuan and San Shier, calling out loudly: "Master Bai, Advisor San, you've forgotten... we still need to rescue Brother Wang Er!"
Everyone stared intently. *Ah, it was Bai Mao, who had come to deliver the urgent message.*
Only then did they remember: the matter wasn't over yet.
Embarrassing! It was a little disgraceful. Someone had risked their life to warn Gao Family Village, and after the defensive battle was won, they had completely forgotten about Wang Er. That was certainly a loss of face.
San Shier's old face flushed crimson as he cast a pleading look at Bai Yuan.
Bai Yuan chuckled, "With the Heavenly Lord's blessing, what's to stop us from going into the mountains to rescue Wang Er? I'll immediately gather our forces and plunge into the mountains to bring your Brother Wang Er out. It'll be a piece of cake."
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