Chapter 9: Burning the Wasteland

The Village Chief waited eagerly for Wen Gu to return, and only felt at ease after hearing Wen Gu say that the Daoist Priest had other plans and would not let them suffer a loss.

He did not doubt it in the slightest.

They still held Qingyi Daozhang in awe at present.

It was just that with so many people in the Village needing to survive, he always had to consider more for the Village.

Wen Gu helped them sound out the Daoist Priest, and they were also willing to talk more with Wen Gu about the upcoming plans.

Now that the time was ripe, they could not keep hiding in the Village; they needed to go out, go to the Town to search for the necessary building materials and supplies, and prepare for the upcoming construction of the fortress.

As for which day to take action, it still depended on the weather.

If the weather was suitable, they would have to clear the wild obstructions, roughly screening the obstacles along the way from the Village to the Town first.

The method was also very simple—burning the wasteland.

The people in the Village had relied on the land for generations and were no strangers to burning the wasteland. There were different coping experiences for burning the wasteland in the spring and in the autumn.

Now, they were first doing the preparatory work.

Copper coins no longer held their former value; in the Village, everything was bartered, or exchanged by helping with some task.

However, with more work coming up and more people being utilized, it was too complicated to keep track of. The few people in charge did not know how to arrange it for a moment.

Wen Gu suggested: "Then why not record Work Points? Calculate the reward points based on the amount of labor and the time spent working, and distribute the Village's earnings according to the points."

Now that supplies were managed collectively by the Village, the few people in charge were not muddled, and they could try this method for now.

Wen Gu made the suggestion to record points based on merit and use the 'zheng' character to keep count.

Excessive numbers and symbols might not be suitable here; drawing the 'zheng' character was closer to the customs of the people.

It was just that they needed to find someone in the Village who was fair and also literate and numerate to take on this position.

The few people in charge felt it was feasible after hearing it. It was equivalent to using another kind of practical "money" to replace the old copper coins. How much one could earn depended entirely on how much merit one had performed.

It was just that there was a dispute over the candidate.

Recording Work Points was equivalent to managing everyone's money, just like the accountant at a restaurant.

Then this accountant had to be carefully selected; all our money would be under his management, and if he practiced favoritism or embezzled everyone's money...

No matter what, one's own money could not be recorded as less!

Don't look at the fact that there weren't many types of supplies in the Village now; there were plenty of matters. The more it was like this, the more the accounts needed to be clear, otherwise, if a dispute arose, it would lead to bloodshed.

For a time, the room became lively.

When it came to matters involving money, everyone's muddled thinking immediately became clear; they all had their own thoughts and preferred candidates.

It was just responsible for bookkeeping, not copying books, so there wasn't such a high requirement for learning; who couldn't draw the "zheng" character? Even if they couldn't, going back to learn it wasn't difficult.

After Wen Gu made the suggestion, he held his Medicinal Herbal Tea and sat there quietly watching.

He listened to the few people in charge suggest candidates and matched them with the people he knew. This was also a way to understand the villagers.

There were quite a few candidates, which showed that there were many people in the Village with a little talent; why had they been hiding at home all this time? They should come out and do things!

After the few people in charge argued, they had the best candidate—

The nephew of Zhang Erzhuang, who was the former accountant of the County Town restaurant and currently the Village's accountant and storyteller: Zhang Xin.

Young Zhang was fifteen or sixteen years old, and the villagers all said he had read himself silly, was rigid and pedantic, and didn't know how to be flexible.

If it were in the past, everyone could still say this was the air of a scholar, but now that the world had changed, someone like this would not have lived until now without the care of his uncle, Zhang Erzhuang.

Zhang Xin was slightly better at arithmetic than his peers; he used to live in the County Town and came to the Village to take refuge, and he couldn't talk to the villagers either.

Once the decision was made, they called both Zhang Erzhuang and Zhang Xin over.

The Zhang Family had been away from the Village for many years and had returned to take refuge, always acting cautiously. Suddenly being called over by the few people in charge, they were confused and worried in their hearts.

When they understood the details, they were naturally pleasantly surprised.

Just recording Work Points, without having to move things, and without having to face those monsters—what a leisurely job!

Zhang Erzhuang thought that his nephew had a stiff personality and was prone to offending people, so he said: "Why don't I take on this job in the early stages, and he can follow along to learn first?"

The few people in charge sitting there looked at the more shrewd Zhang Erzhuang, and then all looked at Zhang Xin, who was standing next to him with a blank face.

In other matters, everyone would naturally think that the experienced Zhang Erzhuang was more reliable, but in this matter, everyone leaned towards this upright and dull nephew.

He had to be stubborn!

He had to be rigid!

He had to be upright!

It had to be exactly as it should be; not a single point could be wrong!

Zhang Erzhuang: "..."

Fine, at least this job was obtained by his own nephew; as long as he did this job well, their family would also have a foothold in the Village.

Compared to this job that many people coveted, Zhang Xin's attention was mostly on Wen Gu at the side.

Wen Gu put down his teacup and stood up, first performing the etiquette between scholars.

Zhang Xin was so moved that his eyes filled with tears for a moment, as if he had returned to the time when he was studying in the schoolhouse.

When he came back to his senses, he was full of melancholy again.

The villagers didn't care about these "pedantic rituals," and after a long time, he had almost forgotten his identity as a scholar.

The Village Chief told him about the point-recording job and asked him: "Do you have any questions about this matter, any opinions?"

Zhang Xin, who had just been led by Wen Gu to find his scholarly spirit again, was so excited that his face turned red. He swept away his previous depression, and a great sense of heroism rose in his chest.

"No opinions! I read the books of sages, and I should serve the people!"

When the high-spirited young Accountant Zhang went out and left, his face was radiant.

The point-recorder was finalized.

The few people in the room continued to discuss, occasionally asking for Wen Gu's opinion. This scholar was indeed capable of solving difficult problems.

When it came to building bricks, tiles, and stones, Wen Gu asked them:

"Has the village considered building a mud brick kiln?"

The village chief had actually thought about it before, but shook his head, "It's not cost-effective."

To fire bricks oneself, making mud bricks requires contact with water and mud, and the Evil Plague and Poisonous Insect are more active in water; the villagers dare not go near those damp mud pits and puddles, let alone dig mud to make bricks.

Firewood also has to be used sparingly; they cannot afford the consumption.

By comparison, it is better to go directly to the Town to dismantle some bricks and haul them back.

Wen Gu nodded in agreement.

The scale of the village is still too small.

Even if they had the technology, the villagers have no experience in building a mud brick kiln; they would have to grope their way through it, it would be time-consuming and laborious to produce things that might not even be good, and there is the risk of being afflicted by evil.

The number of people is already small; if they were to consume manpower on this, it would indeed be unnecessary.

By comparison, it is enough for them to go to the Town to haul a few carts of bricks and stones when the temperature drops.

Wen Gu asked again: "Have you ever thought about moving to the Town? The houses in the Town are better."

As a commercial settlement under the County Town, the Town has frequent trade, whether with the County Town or with the various surrounding Villages.

The houses built by wealthy households in the Town even use blue bricks, which are much better than the thatched mud huts in the Village.

"At first, some people did want to move to the Town, but later the Daoist Priest said that the Evil Qi there was heavy, so everyone gave up the idea."

The village chief said with a smile: "Once our village builds a Wubao, it will definitely be safer than the Town!"

There is another reason for not going to the Town: they are familiar with the surroundings of the village; if they really encounter a sudden situation, they know exactly where to hide and where to take cover.

The terrain and topography of the Town are not conducive to defense; there are roads on all four sides, which is to facilitate the various Villages going to the Town. But it does not have a surrounding wall like the County Town, so living there is not reassuring either.

Wen Gu listened earnestly to the thoughts of the local residents and observed their style of conduct, which is conducive to him better integrating into this world.

After the matters were discussed, Wen Gu walked out of the village chief's house, and just as Liu Liehu also came out, Wen Gu called out to Liu Liehu to ask about the situation in the Town.

Liu Liehu is more familiar with the town closest to the village; he had previously gone there to search for rice, grain, and other daily necessities.

"Actually, most of the grain currently stockpiled in the village was searched from other nearby villages," Liu Liehu said, "After the outside world became chaotic, it was only when the Daoist Priest first arrived that we followed the Daoist Priest into the Town."

He told Wen Gu that there are many people in the Town afflicted by evil, making it more dangerous, and one must be fully prepared.

While speaking, Wen Gu looked up and saw a Falcon flying overhead.

"Is that the Falcon you tamed, Liu Liehu?"

"Yes." Liu Liehu is quite proud of this.

This is one of the hunting skills passed down in his family for generations. Some people train hunting dogs, while his family trains hawks and falcons.

A Falcon flying in the air can know whether there is prey around, or whether there is danger or an unknown situation.

Liu Liehu once trained birds for the children of wealthy families in the Town and the County Town, so he knows a thing or two.

Wealthy families also tame flying messengers to transmit letters, which are carrier pigeons. So when he was training his own Falcon, he told them not to catch carrier pigeons.

Liu Liehu said: "They generally won't catch pigeons... unless they can't help it."

When the world first started to become chaotic, it was probably because the situation was critical and all parties were transmitting messages frequently; one could see pigeons flying in all directions in the sky every day.

Liu Liehu's Falcon couldn't help it for a moment and caught a few.

Among them were the flying messengers used by the nobles to transmit messages.

And it was from there that he obtained the news, knowing that it was going to become chaotic, and that an Epidemic Poison was spreading.

After secretly informing the village chief of this matter, the village chief immediately had his grandson Doumiao, who was an apprentice at a pharmacy in the County Town, return; Liu Liehu took two village men with him to pick up the person, and incidentally bought some medicinal materials not found in the mountains in the County Town and the Town.

Wen Gu felt a bit tempted listening to Liu Liehu's account.

But that is Lao Liu's heart and soul.

What else? Snatch the Falcon?

He said: "Being able to warn of danger and transmit messages is truly good. Are there any other such birds? I want to take one north."

Liu Liehu said bluntly: "Even if there were, they require a specialist to tame them; you cannot control them."

Wen Gu asked him: "Is there no other way?"

Liu Liehu's eyes flickered; he did not say it immediately, but he definitely had some ideas.

The village observes the weather and wind direction every day, and finally waited for the right time to burn the wasteland.

On this day, everyone in the village walked out of their doors.

To do a big thing, one must have a sense of ritual.

First, invite the Daoist Priest to set up an altar and perform a Dharma Assembly.

Afterwards, mobilize the villagers to boost morale.

Influenced by the Storybook, the villagers were indeed not as panicked and bewildered as before when they walked out of their doors. Each family had also divided up their tasks, and their goals were clear.

Wen Gu looked at the fields in front of him that had been invaded by weeds.

The vegetation that grew wildly in the spring and summer seasons became desolate, and the Poisonous Insect, rats, and ants in the wild gradually retreated.

Looking around, large areas of plants had turned withered and yellow.

Qingyi Daozhang, who had just finished the Dharma Assembly, saw Wen Gu staring ahead and looked over as well. He saw nothing unusual.

What ghost of an idea is this Gou Shusheng pondering again?

The Daoist Priest asked: "What are you thinking about?"

Wen Gu said: "When I was on a Study Tour, I heard that there is some kind of light-body technique that can allow one to fly directly over these wild grasses?"

Qingyi Daozhang: "..."

Xiao Liu Liehu, who was eavesdropping on the side: "There is such a technique? How do you fly?"

Wen Gu said: "Walking on leaves, or, stepping on your left foot with your right foot to go up to the sky—can one fly over?"

Xiao Liu Liehu's eyes lit up: "There is actually such a divine art in the world?!"

Qingyi Daozhang: "..."

What on earth have you been learning during your Study Tour, you Gou Shusheng?!

You can spout even more nonsense than I can!!!