When Shansier and his Third Mistress returned to their home in the county seat, they found that everything in the house had been thoroughly looted.
Following the rampage led by Wang Er of Baishui a few days prior, every single dwelling in the "wealthy district" had been ransacked. The entire street was ruined; several houses had been burned down and remained mere piles of charred wood.
Shansier was genuinely a good man who often spoke up for the common folk, yet his home could not escape the fate of the sack. The door was kicked in, and everything portable had been hauled away, leaving the place utterly empty.
Several other decent, kind-hearted families he knew had suffered the same fate.
When the rogue armies arrived, who had time to distinguish between good people and bad? Eyes bloodshot with killing rage, they had no interest in screening anyone. A wicked plutocrat got the blade, a bridge-builder got the blade, and a modest, neutral fellow got the blade all the same.
A Temple for the Mistress
The Third Mistress thought carefully. "I simply won't stay at home. I'll go and lodge directly at the City God Temple instead."
(P.S.: Chengcheng County possesses a truly high-class, magnificent City God Temple, located at the western end of West Street. First established during the Tang Dynasty, it has been repeatedly ruined and rebuilt; the current temple dates from the Ming Dynasty reconstruction. It occupies a vast area and was rated a AAA-level scenic tourist area in 2013. Friends living nearby should visit. In Chapter 34, when the two Sculptors were introduced, it was revealed in dialogue that one of them had sculpted a City God statue for this very temple. Readers who have forgotten can flip back to check.)
The Third Mistress continued, "I used to frequent the City God Temple to offer incense and often sent rice, flour, and robes to the Daoist priests. If I bring a generous amount of silver now, the priests will surely be delighted to let me stay."
Shansier laughed. "That is certainly true. Is there anything that cannot be accomplished with silver?"
The Third Mistress patted the jar containing the divine medicine. "Once I'm settled in the temple, I will don the robes of a Daoist and use the miraculous medicine granted by the Tianzun to treat the poor folk who can't afford care. That way, I will truly be saving the world."
Shansier hesitated. "I only fear the temple priests might not allow it…"
The Third Mistress chuckled. "The City God is a Daoist deity, and the Tianzun is also a Daoist. They are of the same lineage, so why would they disallow it? I've never heard of a temple dedicated to the Primordial Heaven-Honoured One (Yuanshi Tianzun) forbidding people from offering incense to the Grand Supreme Elder Lord (Taishang Laojun)!"
Shansier's eyes lit up. "Ah, that is a sound principle."
He rolled his eyes and gave a knowing, low chuckle. "Work hard, and save as many poor people as you can. If anyone there can no longer survive, persuade them to come to Gao Family Village. We are desperately in need of strong labor hands in our village."
The Third Mistress smiled knowingly. "Did you really think I wouldn't think of that myself?"
With the plan decided, the pair went to the City God Temple. Sure enough, money solved everything; securing lodging was easier than boiling an egg. The Daoist priests respectfully ushered the "Golden Sugar Daddy"—no, wait—the Golden Sugar Mommy into residence.
Having settled his wife, Shansier now had his own business to attend to.
He proceeded toward a private school on the east side of the city.
The Negotiation of Conscience
To be precise, it wasn't a formal private school, but a family academy (jiashu). It lacked official certification, being run by a poor scholar—a man who couldn't even afford a wife—who had merely set up a few desks in his own house and recruited the children of nearby residents as students.
The scholar, Wang, was wearing a patched blue Daoist robe. Upon seeing Shansier, a look of delighted surprise crossed his face. "Third Master, after that chaotic business with Wang Er of Baishui, your daughter has not attended class for quite some time. I was extremely worried and even sought you out at your home, but I saw… alas… I was truly terrified…"
Shansier bowed. "Thank you, Teacher Wang, for your concern. My entire family fled the county and sought refuge in Gao Family Village. My daughter is still there and dares not return to the county seat."
Teacher Wang cupped his hands. "To be safe is good, to be safe is good. That villain Wang Er is truly despicable, interrupting your daughter's studies. When she returns to the city, I will certainly dedicate myself to making up all the lost lessons."
Shansier shook his head. "My daughter might not be returning to the city for a very long time."
Teacher Wang let out a sound of deep disappointment: "Ai!"
That single "Ai!" was thick with disappointment. One less student meant one less tuition fee. The patches on his robe were not decorative; Teacher Wang's life was genuinely difficult.
Shansier shifted the subject. "Teacher Wang, I have come to you today because I need a great favor. I wish to invite you to temporarily reside in Gao Family Village to resolve my daughter's schooling problem. You will be handsomely rewarded."
Teacher Wang quickly shook his head. "This… I'm afraid… is improper. I have several other students, and if I abandon them to go to Gao Family Village, my conscience could not bear it."
Why would he willingly run out of the city? What state were things in outside the walls? Rebels were rampaging everywhere, murdering people. The County Magistrate was dead, the Patrol Commander Cheng Xu had wilted into a quivering mass, and the Governor of Shaanxi was doing nothing. Was he supposed to sacrifice his life?
Shansier knew exactly what needed to be introduced to the conversation.
He reached into his bundle, pulled out a silver ingot the size of a fist, and placed it on the table.
The moment the silver appeared, Teacher Wang seemed to physically shrink by half a head. "Eh? Third Master, what… what is the meaning of this?"
Shansier smiled. "To ask Teacher Wang to trek dozens of li to Gao Family Village—a taxing journey—how could I not offer some compensation for your efforts? This silver is to reward your hardship. As for your other students, I will personally visit their homes and refund their tuition fees."
Teacher Wang was immediately agitated. "How could you suggest such a thing? Although the fees those few students pay are small, having accepted them, I must see the commitment through! How can I abandon them midway simply because you offer more money? Third Master, this conduct is utterly unsaintly! It is an offense to the scholars! We educated men possess our brushes, our ambition, and our fists, and we absolutely will not—"
Shansier reached into his bundle again and SWOOP! pulled out another silver ingot, even larger than the first. The two enormous blocks lay side-by-side on the table, shimmering with silver light that blinded the eye.
Teacher Wang's voice cracked: "I shall go!"
A Modern Marvel
Meanwhile, in Shuangqing City.
Li Daoxuan carefully carried a large box over to his diorama tank.
He gently opened the lid to reveal a miniature Hakka fortified roundhouse (weiwu). The custom-made Hakka enclosure was finally complete.
This enclosure was scaled down precisely from the famous "Chonglin Shiju" and other similar structures. It measured 0.54 meters long and 0.64 meters wide, with the perimeter walls rising 4.5 centimeters tall. Inside, it contained 262 housing units, 9 halls, and 18 internal courtyards. (See the image in the chapter comments.)
While real enclosures lack a chassis, the model designed by Cai Xinzi for Li Daoxuan required one. Thus, the base was glued onto a gigantic composite pressed board. The board was thick and solid, and a set of motors and electronic control systems were mounted beneath it, along with two rows of large tires, 6 centimeters in diameter.
The inner partition walls of the enclosure were made of thin sheet metal, but the roof and outer walls were not. This was because Li Daoxuan, the client, had repeatedly modified his requirements during the construction process, throwing in bizarre and demanding specifications for "sun protection" and "lightning protection." Therefore, the roof and outer walls were constructed from composite pressed board and coated with a waterproof sealant. Only the inner walls utilized thin sheet metal to save space.
Cai Xinzi, the contractor, was certainly losing at least 500 kuai on this single order.