Chapter 94: New Toys Arrive
As dusk settled, the toy samples arrived.
Li Daoxuan's attention was first drawn to the 1:200 scale miniature catapults that could actually fire. They were smaller and far more intricately made than the ones he'd bought last time, making them much easier to transport and operate.
The miniature crossbows were also incredibly fun. Pulling back their rubber bands, they could launch one-centimeter plastic arrows—utterly adorable. These would be exceptionally effective when handed over to the villagers for defending against bandit armies.
Next, his focus shifted to the 1:200 scale antique-style plastic houses and small castles.
The little people of Gao Family Village were hardworking and brave, and they could craft most things themselves. However, constructing structures like "castles" and "houses" proved remarkably difficult for them.
The more than a hundred labor reform prisoners were still living in a circle Li Daoxuan had created with Lego bricks, completely without roofs. Previously, without rain, the lack of a roof wasn't an issue. But in the past few days, Li Daoxuan had been "bringing rain" into the box, making the Lego enclosure rather awkward.
While a timely rain after a long drought was wonderful, it wasn't quite as "timely" when your house had no ceiling.
Li Daoxuan even had to find a plank to lay across the Lego enclosure, helping to shield them from the rain.
Now, with the small plastic houses provided by the toy company, it wouldn't be a bad way to settle the labor reform prisoners.
Gao Yiye immediately hurried off to deliver the message.
The labor reform prisoners on the hillside, who were cutting trees in the rain, quickly dropped their tools upon hearing the news and expressed their gratitude.
Li Daoxuan reached into the box, scooped out all the Lego bricks, tossing them aside, then picked up the 1:200 scale antique-style plastic houses and slowly lowered them.
The labor reform prisoners looked up and saw a house descending from the sky. With a soft thud, it landed on the ground, swayed twice, then settled firmly. Then another house descended from the sky with a soft thud...
Over a dozen houses descended one after another, spreading out across a barren patch of land unsuitable for farming, just outside Gao Family Fortress. Remarkably, they formed a brand new small village.
The labor reform prisoners exchanged bewildered glances, uttering, "This..."
Even the Gao Family Village residents watching from a distance were utterly dumbfounded. "What's going on?" they wondered.
Li Daoxuan actually wanted to place more houses, but he didn't have many samples. The toy company had only sent him a dozen or so small house samples. So, these dozen would do for now; he could always buy more from his online cart later.
"The labor reform prisoners shouldn't expect to occupy a whole house each," Li Daoxuan declared. "Twelve people will squeeze into one room. Only when their labor reform is complete can they regain their free status.”
Upon hearing this, the labor reform prisoners immediately protested. A chorus of voices quickly rose: "We feel perfectly fine now! We wouldn't mind being in labor reform for life, no need to regain our free status!""
Li Daoxuan: "..."
Damn it, a bunch of unambitious slackers.
He wanted to vent his frustration at them, but then he reconsidered, deciding against it.
They had recently transitioned from an uncertain existence of sporadic meals to eating every day, so of course they felt great now. However, if he later found the best performing labor reform prisoner, reduced their sentence, released them early, gave them rewards, and established them as a labor reform model, allowing the other prisoners to see that person living a happier life, then these labor reform prisoners would immediately change their minds and strive for sentence reductions to regain their free status sooner.
Want to just chill out and lie flat? Dream on! Get back to the grind!
It was just like cat owners, seeing their pampered felines sprawled carefree on the balcony soaking up the sun, would always want to slap a thirty-year mortgage on them, send them to work at a cat café, and earn their own treats.
Little kitties, you can't escape the overwhelming malice of your cat parents! Wahahahahahahaha!
Li Daoxuan, like a villain, placed his hands on his hips and laughed uproariously at the sky!
Gao Yiye looked up at the sky, then turned to the labor reform prisoners beside her and, with a serious expression, said: "The Heavenly Lord is laughing heartily. It seems he is very pleased with all of your performance."
The labor reform prisoners were overjoyed. "So long as we diligently perform our labor reform, the Heavenly Lord will be happy?" they exclaimed. "That's wonderful! We must make sure to do this promising work of labor reform diligently for the rest of our lives, to make the Elder even happier.”
----
Autumn winds and autumn rains brought a gradual chill!
Every autumn, with the arrival of the first rain and the drop in temperature, it was the perfect time to sow winter wheat.
This year, however, there was no autumn rain, not a single drop to be seen.
Liang Shixian, the newly appointed magistrate of Chengcheng County, now felt a throbbing headache, a real mind-numbing ache.
Sitting in his county yamen office, he leafed through the documents presented by his secretary from Shaoxing, who had traveled a thousand *li* with him to take up the post. His brows were tightly furrowed.
"All the granary's stores were looted by Wang Er?" Liang Shixian asked. "Which means, as soon as I arrive, I have to clean up Zhang Yaocai's mess, making up for the taxes he couldn't collect? And I'll have to collect even more than he did, otherwise there won't even be enough grain to fill the granaries.”
The secretary nodded. "Yes, sir."
Liang Shixian nearly flipped the table. If he hadn't considered himself an elegant scholar, he truly would have.
He frowned deeply. "No rain falls from the sky, yet I'm expected to collect even more taxes? Wouldn't that be inciting rebellion? Zhang Yaocai's death was not unjust. I have always cherished the common people as my children and maintained clean sleeves. I cannot act like him.”
The secretary wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "However, if you, esteemed Magistrate, cannot collect the taxes, you too will be dismissed from office and apprehended. The outcome would not be much better than Zhang Yaocai's. Either the bandits will cut off your head, or the Emperor will. In either case, your head is destined for the chopping block.”
Liang Shixian raised an eyebrow. "Have I walked into a dead end?”
The secretary nodded with a grave expression. "Indeed! Esteemed Magistrate, perhaps we should resign our posts and return home. Though we may not keep our official caps, at least we can keep our heads.”
Liang Shixian's brow furrowed. He had to find a way to resolve this.
Liang Shixian, a man of vast learning, immediately activated an analytical mode in his mind. His accumulated knowledge, life experiences, and governmental expertise whirled and intersected. Different solutions for overcoming difficulties spun like a revolving lantern in his thoughts.
Then, with a 'ding', his thoughts settled on one particular solution.
"This matter, it seems, must be tackled by approaching the local gentry and wealthy households.”
The secretary: "Eh?”
Liang Shixian said: "Let's apportion it! The grain the common people cannot pay, we will apportion to the gentry and wealthy households of Chengcheng County. They will contribute some silver to make up the deficit. I will consider myself indebted to them. Once this crisis passes, I will certainly look after them with great care.”
The secretary replied: "This might be the only way out of this dead end, but I wonder if these gentry and wealthy households will be willing to help.”
Liang Shixian scoffed lightly. "The document you just presented states that a few days ago, Wang Er of Baishui stirred up trouble, drawing in bandits from all directions. The gentry and wealthy households have also suffered unspeakably. Even Bai Family Fortress was breached and thoroughly plundered by the bandits. Clearly, they too have been severely harmed. Going to speak with them now, it's possible we might reach an agreement. Who knows? Someone! Prepare my horse! I shall make a tour of the surrounding villages and towns, select those gentry and wealthy households who appear well-off, and have a good talk with them.”
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