Chapter 933: Worry

Dawdling along, they finally arrived at Zhigui's home. Today is called the weekend, and students have a one-day holiday, just like all other Workers, so Zhigui's sons and daughters were playing wildly around the courtyard.

The first thing they saw was not their own father, but Baoxi and the others, who looked like savages. This group of children of varying ages quickly ran back into the courtyard and then peeked out from inside the Phylum.

Baoxi's expression changed slightly. Children of the Suiren Clan this old should already be out gathering with the women; when they get a bit older, they should be learning to hunt with the men. Even if they are the descendants of a Leader, they must master these necessary skills.

Yet the children here in Huaxia seem to have no such requirements at all; they are just left here to play. Not to mention what others are like, Baoxi feels that if the children of all these Huaxia officials are like this, then the future of Huaxia is finished, because if the Leader's sons do not work and do not learn survival skills, how will they lead the tribe in the future?

Zhigui explained with some embarrassment: "These are all my children. Today is their weekend, they are on holiday and resting, so they are playing at home."

Baoxi turned his head instantly to stare at Zhigui: "On holiday and resting? Is it that kind where you work six days and take one day off?"

Zhigui tugged at his own sleeve: "They don't work; they are currently in school. They need all kinds of knowledge, and in the end, we see what each is suited for, and that is what they will do in the future. If their studies don't go well, by that time their bodies will be basically fully grown, and they can go hunting, farming, anything at all. We won't let them just live their whole lives without working."

Baoxi nodded in approval. Now that makes sense. Children should study when they are young, and go to work once they have learned enough. If the children of Huaxia neither study nor work, Huaxia will be finished in the future.

The courtyard gate was suddenly opened wide. A young lad dressed very neatly and cleanly—actually, a child who looked about twelve years old—hurriedly came out, then bowed and performed a salute to Zhigui: "Father."

Zhigui nodded, pointed at his son, and said to Baoxi: "This is my third son. He is still studying and has not gone to work yet. Next year, it will be time for him to leave school and work."

Afterward, Zhigui said to his son: "This is Baoxi, the Tribal Chief of the Suiren Clan. He has come to our home to take a look. Go and manage your younger brothers and sisters."

Zhigui's son also saluted Baoxi very politely, saying: "Greetings, Tribal Chief Baoxi."

Baoxi nodded, feeling somewhat uncomfortable: "Mm, greetings to you too."

Zhigui's son, very tactfully, said to Zhigui: "Father, then I will go and tidy up first."

"Go, go." Zhigui waved his hand, then made a gesture of invitation to Baoxi: "Tribal Chief Baoxi, let us go inside and take a look."

Baoxi felt very uneasy. He was thinking, if he went inside and there were also many trees planted there, what should he do? Could he accept this strange idea of Huaxia?

Fortunately, after entering, he only saw one large tree near the wall, and under the tree were placed a large table and several stools.

"Zhigui, why plant a tree here? I see this tree is so big; it must have been here before, right?"

Zhigui's forehead began to sweat again, and he hurriedly fabricated: "That is not the case. It is just so that after this tree grows up here, it can shade us from the sun. In the summer, there is wind outside and it is cool, but the sun is hot, so planting a tree like this can provide shade."

"It was planted when it was very small, and it has only just managed to grow this big now."

The reason was reasonable, and there was nothing he didn't understand. Baoxi felt this courtyard was quite pleasing to the eye; after all, he would also choose to sit where there were trees. In the summer, it is not easy to find a cool place, unless one crawls into those pitch-black, cold mountain caves.

But in reality, this tree was already quite large when it was transported and planted; it had grown for at least ten years or more. However, people of this era do not know how to tell how many years a tree has lived, or perhaps they wouldn't care how long a tree of similar size has lived.

In any case, thousand-year-old trees are not rare here; any random tree has a lifespan of over a hundred years. Who would have nothing better to do than to think about how long trees of similar size have lived?

Afterward, Baoxi began to observe the entire courtyard. What shocked him even more was that the house was actually very tall, much taller than the one he lived in. Outside the courtyard, he had only assumed the ground inside was higher, and had not figured this point out.

Baoxi pointed his finger at the house: "Why is it so high? Isn't it very empty inside? Isn't such a high wall a waste?"

Zhigui hurriedly explained: "Tribal Chief Baoxi, this is called a building. It is a two-story house, with a bottom floor and a top floor. The middle is separated, so it can house more people. The courtyard here is only this big, but if we build higher, we can house more people."

"Then why not build it higher and higher? If it were built high enough, couldn't all the people of Huaxia live inside?" Baoxi paused and said thoughtfully: "Oh, that wouldn't work either. Wouldn't it be up in Heaven if it were that high?"

Zhigui felt very helpless. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't even bother to pay attention, but this is the Tribal Chief of the Suiren Clan, and his own greatest leader had specifically arranged this task, so he had to explain.

"If we build it too high, it might collapse; it wouldn't be safe. Like this, with two stories, we have no problems and it is safe. At most, it can only be three stories. We wouldn't dare build any higher. If the house collapsed while we were sleeping, then everyone would die."

Baoxi pointed at the building: "Can I go in and take a look? I cannot imagine what a building should be like. Huaxia's houses are too strange."

Zhigui hurriedly pointed to the stairs outside the courtyard: "Here, this is called a staircase. If you walk from here, you can reach the second floor."

Upon hearing this, Baoxi took the lead and stepped onto the stairs, while Zhigui followed closely behind with a bitter expression. If anything were to happen to Baoxi, he would never be able to explain it clearly.

Moreover, as soon as Baoxi went upstairs, he leaned directly on the railing to look down, not afraid at all, which made Zhigui tremble with fear. He knew the balcony railing was very sturdy, but what if?

Afterward, Baoxi pushed the door open without any ceremony. Zhigui wanted to speak up to stop him, but it was too late. There was no etiquette at all. If this were a person from Huaxia, he, as the Minister of Rites, could have given a severe reprimand and lesson.