"Okay, when I'm done cutting grass, I'll take you guys," Gou Sheng said happily.
Children were also part of the village's labor force. Nowadays, even children had to do what they could; there was no lying around.
"No rush, you guys pick slowly. Once you've picked enough, I'll make sugar-fried chestnuts."
Gu Qingcheng watched Gou Sheng hop away, feeling a sense of fulfillment. Her efforts seemed worthwhile, at least giving children like Gou Sheng a chance to survive.
The most important task today was building houses. From early morning, the various teams were busy with their assigned tasks. Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo were more fortunate, not having to chop wood on the mountain themselves. Qian Wang brought carpenters to help them build their houses.
Since they were wooden houses, building them wasn't too difficult. Four holes were dug in the ground, wooden stakes were driven in, and then, like the communal bathhouse yesterday, the frame was erected and the walls were made of bamboo fences. The bamboo fences were double-layered, filled with mud in between, which provided better insulation against the cold and made the interiors much warmer than makeshift shelters.
After a day of labor, with the whole village working together, about a third of the houses were completed. Those families whose houses were finished first could enjoy a more comfortable night's sleep. It was a simple start, and brick and tile houses would be built later. However, with the wooden houses up, they looked like a village from a distance, and the cooking smoke rising from the chimneys made the scene less desolate than when they first arrived.
Although the wooden houses were built, there was a severe shortage of daily necessities, such as beds, tables, and chairs. Carpenters were therefore in high demand. However, there were only two carpenters here, and even with a few temporary helpers, they couldn't keep up with the work.
In the evening, after Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo had cleaned their new house and moved their only low wooden table into the main room, Dai Fa arrived with the artisans to find her. There weren't many skilled artisans in the village; they had managed to find eleven in total, including blacksmiths, carpenters, bamboo artisans, leatherworkers, and masons. They were considered important technical talents in Phoenix Village.
"Young Master Gu, we have all found apprentices we wish to train," said the blacksmith Wu Sheng.
"Good. Mi Guo, go ring the bell to summon the team leaders to a meeting here. I'll have the team leaders assign people to you," Gu Qingcheng instructed. Apprentices had to be selected from each team, which would further reduce their numbers. Gu Qingcheng feared the team leaders might have reservations, so she wanted to discuss it with them directly.
As expected, the team leaders arrived one after another. As soon as they heard that people would be taken from their teams, they all complained about their difficulties, citing a shortage of hands and the risk of not meeting their targets. No one wanted their team to be short-handed. Seeing Gu Qingcheng about to take people, Liu Ding quickly said, "Young Master Gu, my team only has eighteen people to begin with. If three are taken away, we'll be too short-handed. Please don't take anyone from us."
"Your tree-chopping is important, but our land reclamation is also crucial. If we don't clear the land, what will we plant in the future?" Qing Yang argued. Everyone was afraid of having fewer people on their team, which would slow down their work and lead to them being looked down upon. This competitive spirit was a good thing, but the shortage of people was a real problem.
The responsibility now fell to Gu Qingcheng. She was the one who had promised the artisans they could choose their apprentices freely, the one who had required the team leaders to complete a certain amount of work each day, and now she was the one who had to take people away. Everyone looked at Gu Qingcheng expectantly. Mi Guo was also worried, wondering how her sister would resolve this issue.
Gu Qingcheng thought for a moment and then said, "This is easy. We're short of people? Tomorrow, we'll go down the mountain again and recruit more people. That will surely replenish the numbers for all the teams."
"Oh, what a great idea!" Mi Guo looked at her sister with admiration. She always managed to find solutions to difficulties. The team leaders nodded in agreement. Thus, the artisans got the people they wanted, and the team leaders were satisfied. Everyone was content after Gu Qingcheng made her promise.
Gu Qingcheng gave everyone a sweet pastry, which were actually mooncakes. The pastries were palm-sized and very substantial. The crust was flaky and shone with a gentle sheen of oil, making them look delicious. The team leaders who were single ate theirs on the spot.
"Wow, there's salted egg yolk inside! It's so fragrant, so sweet. Are these pastries only found in the imperial palace? I've never eaten anything so delicious!" Wu Sheng, who was also single, heard this and quickly shoved his pastry into his mouth. He took a big bite, the rich oil and sweetness overwhelming him as he ate, completely engrossed. The team leaders with wives and children at home, upon hearing how delicious the pastries were, didn't want to eat them all themselves and tucked them away to share with their families.
These were loose mooncakes Gu Qingcheng had bought from the Mountain Cat Supermarket. She had bought a dozen or so to reward them and to win their loyalty, and she hadn't expected them to go wild over them. She remembered when they had mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, her family had to cut one into several pieces to share. It wasn't that they couldn't afford mooncakes, but they were afraid that eating a whole one would be too high in calories, leading to weight gain and elevated blood sugar.
After they left, Gu Qingcheng bought a chicken and cheese pizza and shared it with Mi Guo as a late-night snack before they went to rest. The new wooden house had three rooms and a living area. She and Mi Guo each had a bedroom, and there was another room that could serve as Gu Qingcheng's study or a guest room, allowing them to accommodate an extra person if needed. Of course, this was temporary; they would eventually build brick and tile houses to improve their living conditions.
"Sister, if we go down the mountain tomorrow, should we ask some villagers to come with us? I think having them share their experiences firsthand would be more persuasive! What do you think?" Mi Guo suggested.
"Sure," Gu Qingcheng agreed, realizing it was a good idea. "Who do you think would be suitable to ask?"
"I think we could ask Qin Yue and Liu Cui," Mi Guo immediately thought of them.
"Why them?"
"They are sisters-in-law. Before they came up the mountain, they were living in such misery. Qin Yue was helping me with the fire today, and she told me that they were both planning to hang themselves. They had no food or drink, and couldn't possibly resort to selling themselves. Just when Uncle Dai went to recruit people, they made a bold decision and came along, only to find salvation and a better life. From what I know, they lived in the camp for about ten days and met many people there. Many people know their story, so if they go together, it will definitely be touching." Mi Guo spoke eloquently.
"You've chosen well. The more miserable their past, the better their present life seems, and the easier it is to gain people's trust. You go and inform them to come down the mountain with us tomorrow. Oh, and also notify these few people to come down as well; they are eloquent and persuasive," Gu Qingcheng named a few villagers she trusted. Mi Guo, happy that her suggestion was accepted, happily took on the task.