Gu Qingcheng's reason for keeping things confidential was to prevent excessive speculation and to avoid anyone seizing the opportunity to cause trouble in her absence.
She had already conducted loyalty tests on the village's core group of sub-team leaders and found them trustworthy.
However, with the current large village population, not everyone had undergone the loyalty test, and she couldn't afford to waste points on them. Therefore, she couldn't guarantee that every individual harbored no ill intentions, as exemplified by Xiao Long.
He appeared harmless and upright on the surface, abstaining from women, only to reveal his true colors for the sake of power.
Seeing that Gu Qingcheng had finished explaining her itinerary and shifted the focus to grain production, Liu Ding reported that their grain would be ready for harvest in about half a month. Sweet potatoes and yams would also be ready around the same time, with an estimated bumper harvest.
Gu Qingcheng instructed them to harvest promptly and protect the collected grain well.
She also cautioned that if the floodwaters continued to rise for a period, the Great Zhou Dynasty would face an extreme shortage of grain and fodder, and the scene of widespread famine might reappear. The grain harvested now would be the villagers' hope for survival in the future.
Hearing Gu Qingcheng speak so gravely, everyone became anxious. Gu Qingcheng had never before described the situation with such seriousness, and they all became vigilant.
After all, they were people who had experienced the suffering of famine, and their faces immediately turned grim.
Gu Qingcheng continued, "Just like the extreme cold disaster we previously endured, this time we may experience a catastrophe shifting from extreme cold to extreme heat.
I didn't mention it before because I didn't want everyone to worry unnecessarily.
Regardless, we have been continuously advancing and implementing related contingency measures, which should be sufficient."
"Young Master Gu, how did you know about future disasters? Will the floods in Wangchun City not recede soon?" Wu Sheng asked with confusion.
"My father is an astrologer. He deduced it by observing the changes in celestial phenomena. He also correctly predicted the previous extreme cold, and our family was well-prepared for it, so we were unharmed.
He said there would be extreme heat and floods in the future. Initially, I didn't believe him, but after the current changes, I now understand that he was right."
Gu Qingcheng scratched her head, attributing the "credit" to her esteemed father.
Since everyone hadn't met her father yet, she could let their imaginations run wild.
Upon hearing that Gu Qingcheng's father was an astrologer, everyone looked at her with even greater reverence.
Although the news of impending famine made everyone in the village uneasy, seeing Gu Qingcheng so calmly making various preparations greatly reassured them.
Gu Qingcheng had become their pillar of strength; with her, their hearts would not waver.
"Young Master Gu, we understand. We will follow your instructions," Wu Sheng said quickly.
The others echoed his sentiment.
It was Gu Qingcheng who founded Phoenix Village, providing them with enough to eat and wear. Now, facing a disaster, Gu Qingcheng had already made plans and would undoubtedly lead them through the crisis.
This was what everyone thought.
Seeing their expectant gazes, Gu Qingcheng calmly stated:
"This is how it is. It's more or less settled. When the time comes, pay close attention. The grain famine I spoke of is not a joke. You must protect these soon-to-be-harvested grains as if they were your own lives, preventing outsiders from stealing or damaging them, and ensuring a bountiful harvest.
After I return, I will make proper arrangements for the grain to ensure everyone has enough to eat and we successfully overcome the famine.
Also, the villagers in other teams must speed up land reclamation. Over a hundred mu is far from enough. Our goal is to develop a thousand mu of land next year, all to be planted with grain."
"Yes!" everyone responded promptly.
"It's good that you all understand. Also, if the floodwaters worsen after I leave and inundate Zhan Chun Town, our village will become a place where disaster victims flock to.
My principle is not to refuse disaster victims, but we cannot allow them to disrupt the village's production and life.
We will establish a proper resettlement area outside the village and urge them to build their living quarters themselves.
Those willing to join our Phoenix Village will receive our help. Those unwilling to join must engage in equal material exchange and trade with us, and will not receive the welfare benefits of Phoenix Village. This matter is entrusted to Dai Village to handle."
"Yes."
Dai Fa heard everything clearly and stated that he would follow Gu Qingcheng's instructions without fail.
Gui Xiang asked worriedly, "Will our children still attend school as usual?"
The childcare director Zhang Chunhua followed up with, "Young Master Gu, what about the children in our institution? Should they be sent back to their parents?"
"None of this will be affected. Everything will continue as normal. Don't worry, don't panic before I return. Respond to whatever you encounter in an orderly manner.
Yan Xin, in addition to having the hunting team go up the mountain to continue hunting and stockpile meat, all other team members at home must remain vigilant. If anyone dares to intrude, strike them mercilessly!"
"Yes!"
Everyone accepted their orders.
After everyone left, Gu Qingcheng specifically asked Qin Yue to stay.
Qin Yue didn't know why Young Master Gu wanted to keep her behind and couldn't help but wonder if Gu Qingcheng had any objections to Liu Ding's relationship with her.
However, Gu Qingcheng handed her a sealed manila envelope and said:
"Qin Yue, the letter contains very important instructions. If the village encounters a major crisis, at the critical moment of life and death, you must open it and follow the instructions inside. It might save the lives of our villagers!"
Qin Yue's back tingled upon hearing this.
Seeing how serious Gu Qingcheng was, she naturally dared not be negligent.
She asked hesitantly and apprehensively:
"Young Master Gu, will our village really encounter terrible things? Is it going to be unstable again?"
Gu Qingcheng nodded and said, "Although I wish I could comfort you and say everything is fine, from now on, the overall situation is unfavorable.
This flood is no ordinary flood; it carries great hidden dangers. We are facing another test of survival. Everyone must take it seriously.
However, once we get through it, we will be fine. At least, compared to other people who are unaware and unprepared, we are already on an ark."
"Noah's Ark? What does that mean?" Qin Yue asked, confused.
Affected by Gu Qingcheng's somber tone, she took the manila envelope, holding it as if it were a heavy mountain.
This was the hope for Phoenix Village's survival. She hoped it would never need to be opened and the envelope would remain unused.
Seeing her nervousness, Gu Qingcheng chuckled lightly:
"How to explain Noah's Ark? Well, there was an astrologer who had a peculiar dream:
The end times were coming, with natural disasters and floods. All cities and villages were submerged, and almost all the common people drowned.
At that time, God sent a ship to pick up the innocent. The name of this ship was Noah's Ark."
Gu Qingcheng quoted from a classic, weaving a story.