"Sister, how is the wound on your neck?"
Mi Guo asked anxiously after seeing her sister finish eating.
Gu Qingcheng then remembered the wound on her neck. She untied the cloth strip, took out a glass mirror, and looked. Wow, the wound had completely healed, not even a scar left.
Seeing Mi Guo's surprised look, Gu Qingcheng thought for a moment and then realized, "Oh, it must be the effect of the 'Dali Pills' we ate that allowed it to heal so quickly."
"Ha, I forgot about that. I was still worried about leaving a scar. Fortunately, I didn't!" Mi Guo was relieved.
"A scar wouldn't be a big deal anyway. It's on my neck, not my face," Gu Qingcheng said dismissively.
After eating and drinking her fill, Gu Qingcheng went for a stroll in the village.
Phoenix Village was increasingly resembling a prosperous large village. Centered around the public gathering space, neat wooden houses spread out in all directions. From a high vantage point, they looked imposing.
Yesterday's statistical report from the construction team showed that Phoenix Village now had over 400 wooden houses, but it had not yet reached the initial goal of one wooden house per household.
Most families in Phoenix Village were broken families, often single-parent households with mothers and children, or fathers and children.
Therefore, while the speed of house construction could not be increased, the village arranged for two such families to share a house, with the two fathers or two mothers raising their children together, to prevent everyone from continuing to live in makeshift shelters.
This, of course, was only a temporary measure. Once houses were built, and if conditions allowed, it would be one house per family for independent living. After all, living together with people from different surnames, even with mutual politeness, would lead to many inconveniences. Moreover, who wouldn't want their own independent house, a place they could meticulously decorate, a haven for both body and soul?
Gu Qingcheng understood the deep attachment the common people of the Great Zhou Dynasty felt for their homes and was determined to fulfill everyone's dream of owning a house.
The craftsmen worked tirelessly every day, laying foundations and assembling houses. They were now skilled at building houses. A house of similar size to Gu Qingcheng's could be completed in less than 20 days. The secret to accelerating construction, being an all-wood structure, was having enough lumber. Assembling lumber of varying lengths and thicknesses, setting up wooden frames, and covering them with thatched roofs…
The carpenters were exceptionally busy, building frames and furniture; the blacksmiths were equally occupied, forging axes, sickles, knives, swords, and various other weapons. Everyone worked at full capacity every day, striving to do their best.
The entire village was in the initial stages of infrastructure development but had already taken shape. Looking at the village she had built from a barren mountain with her own hands, Gu Qingcheng felt a sense of satisfaction.
As she walked along the village paths, all the villagers greeted her enthusiastically, and Gu Qingcheng returned their greetings one by one.
As she approached the area of the academy, she heard the clear sound of reading coming from within. They were teaching the most basic "Three Character Classic": "At birth, man is inherently good. Nurtured by nature, we are near alike. Through habits, we are far removed…" Huang Wenming's clear leading voice stood out, followed by a chorus of childish voices.
In the women's school run by Yu Guixiang, the voices of numerous young girls blended together, sweet and cheerful, like a morning cherry, refreshing and sweet…
Listening to these sounds, Gu Qingcheng's thought of returning soon to pick up her parents and live together again resurfaced. She believed her parents would absolutely love it here. This place was truly a paradise. Thinking that she could use her own abilities to create a paradise for her parents, allowing them to live without worries, Gu Qingcheng felt exceptionally proud.
After walking around the village, she went to the fields outside. The green shoots in the fields were already over half a person's height, looking like a bountiful harvest was imminent. Liu Ding, who was working in the fields, no longer had dark circles under his eyes. Just last month, he had finally confessed his feelings to Qin Yue again. His persistence and sincerity had touched Qin Yue, and she had agreed to try dating him. Liu Ding was instantly invigorated. Although Qin Yue had not fully committed, it was much better than her previous outright rejection.
Liu Ding was weeding at the edge of the field. Ever since Qin Yue agreed to date him, he felt light as a feather every day, not tired from work, and slept soundly. Seeing Gu Qingcheng, Liu Ding enthusiastically stepped forward to greet her, "Young Master Gu, you're out in the fields so early?"
"How are the green shoots growing?" Gu Qingcheng examined the plants. The leaves were thick and dark green, indicating good growth. However, she didn't understand whether they would tiller and mature, so she still had to rely on experienced farmers like Liu Ding.
"Don't worry, Young Master Gu. We've added plenty of farm fertilizer. This year's yield will definitely be high. And it's a good thing that this area is remote and far from the emperor's reach. The locust plague in the lower mountains was so severe, but we escaped unscathed. Speaking of which, if we sell this millet after harvesting, we could make a fortune!" Liu Ding became very excited when discussing crops.
But Gu Qingcheng shook her head and said, "All the grain must be stored up in case of unexpected needs." Gu Qingcheng didn't elaborate, but those who had experienced natural disasters knew that having grain reserves brought peace of mind. Liu Ding understood without further explanation and chuckled, "Understood."
Gu Qingcheng walked into the fields where sweet potatoes and potatoes were planted and found that the vines of both crops had grown particularly thick. She squatted at the edge of the field, dug into the soft soil with a twig, and saw that the sweet potatoes were already half a fist in size, and the potatoes were also robust. Based on this, a yield of several thousand catties per mu was definitely not a dream. Gu Qingcheng was immensely pleased.
After this round of inspection, she had gained over 50 "satisfaction points." While this was not much compared to the tens of thousands she had earned at once, it was merely a walk around the fields, and the system had so generously awarded her 50 satisfaction points, indicating how strong her emotional fluctuations had been.
"Golden Finger, can you tell me how much longer until the temperature rises drastically?" Gu Qingcheng rarely chatted with her Golden Finger. During this period, due to the peaceful life, aside from awarding satisfaction points, the Golden Finger had been silent and had not issued any new main quests.
"Host, this cannot be determined. The climate here is not controlled by me," the Golden Finger refused Gu Qingcheng's inquiry heartlessly. Gu Qingcheng had actually expected this answer but still held onto a sliver of hope. If the Golden Finger could reveal a specific timeframe, she could make arrangements. However, the town in the lower mountains was starting to stir. If she and Mi Guo left, could Dai Fa manage the situation? Currently, the loyalty of the villagers was acceptable. Those with insufficient loyalty had been expelled from the village. But unexpected events could still happen, just like with Xiao Long. At the time, his loyalty had been within the acceptable range, yet he had still betrayed the village. Human ambition was like seeds buried in the soil; once they had the right soil, air, and moisture, they would take root and sprout again.