The villagers of Phoenix Village knew this would be their permanent home from now on; who wouldn't work diligently? Having experienced the hardship of homelessness, they cherished the value of having a home even more.
Gu Qingcheng wrote and sketched for about half an hour before putting away her writings and calling Mi Guo down the mountain. The two of them walked with light steps. Seeing no one around, Gu Qingcheng simply picked up her pace and started to run. Their stamina was beyond ordinary, and they didn't feel tired. They reached the foot of the mountain in about 45 minutes. After descending, the nearest town, Zhanchun Town, was about a half-hour's walk away.
When Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo arrived in town, it was around 10 AM. As they entered, they discovered a blacksmith shop and immediately bought all the iron tools they could find, including hoes, saws, and axes. The blacksmith, seeing them buy so many farming tools, couldn't help but ask curiously, "You're buying so many iron tools, will you be able to use them all?"
"Of course, we will. We are a new village here, Phoenix Village, and we need a lot of farming tools to clear land and plant crops," Mi Guo replied.
"Oh, Phoenix Village. I've heard of it. Didn't you all just go up the mountain yesterday? So many people, the townspeople initially thought you might be bandits on the run. Everyone was terrified. Please forgive me, I didn't mean to disparage you!" the blacksmith said with a hearty laugh, clearly a straightforward person.
"Heh, Brother Blacksmith, we are honest villagers. The land on the mountain was allocated to us by the government for settlement. We will not interfere with your normal lives," Gu Qingcheng said. Seeing that the blacksmith was aware of Phoenix Village, she took the opportunity to promote it, lest the villagers down the mountain misunderstand.
"Heh, it's inconvenient for you to travel up the mountain. If you need to buy anything, just buy more," the blacksmith said, also taking the opportunity to promote his products.
"We want to set up a blacksmith shop on the mountain. Brother, can you sell us this furnace?" Gu Qingcheng asked casually.
"A smelting furnace? I suppose I could sell it to you, but you wouldn't be able to move it!" the blacksmith replied. "If you really want one, you can buy some raw materials, and I'll help you set it up on the mountain."
"Really? That's great!" Gu Qingcheng said happily. "Your labor won't be undervalued." The blacksmith wasn't worried about helping Phoenix Village, thinking that the villagers would eventually buy tools from him anyway. If they had their own blacksmith, they would eventually produce things themselves, and he couldn't stop that. It was better to earn some wages and make a friend.
Gu Qingcheng, carrying a pile of farming tools, walked out of the blacksmith shop and found a secluded corner to put them into the storage cabinet. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The two continued their stroll. Gu Qingcheng bought 100 catties of cured meat. The shop owner asked why they were buying so much. Gu Qingcheng explained that they were new immigrants to Phoenix Village. The shop owner said enthusiastically, "If you buy a bit more, I can help you deliver it up the mountain." Hearing about a new village on the mountain, the shop owner wanted to scout the area and see if there would be future business. Gu Qingcheng's eyes lit up, and she said, "Alright, I'll buy 300 catties then, and you can help us deliver it all up the mountain."
"No problem," the owner said happily. "I'll prepare the goods first. Let me know when you want to go up the mountain, and we'll go together." Gu Qingcheng then went to a dried goods store and bought some dried mushrooms, tremella, and other similar items. Seeing the large quantities she was buying, the shop owner also agreed to help deliver them to the mountain. The mountain path, which took over an hour to walk, was not a problem for them. As long as they could make money, a little hardship was nothing.
Gu Qingcheng observed that this southern town was quite prosperous, and the people didn't seem to be in distress. So, when she went to buy quilts, she inquired with the shop owner and learned that the south did indeed experience extreme cold, though only down to minus 30 degrees Celsius. Apart from some elderly and young children who couldn't withstand the sudden cold, most people had weathered the test. It was understandable; for people in the north, minus 30 degrees was normal, and as long as they took precautions, it wasn't lethal. No wonder the people in this southern town looked relatively calm, without sadness or worry on their faces.
Gu Qingcheng remembered that there were about 10 or so children in the village, so she bought some cotton-padded clothes, pants, shoes, and other clothing for children. She didn't know children's sizes, so she explained the situation to the shop owner, who advised her to buy one size larger, as children grow quickly. If she bought the exact size, it would only last one season, but a larger size could be worn for an extra year.
Because they were buying in substantial quantities, all the shop owners agreed to help deliver the goods up the mountain. The main reason, however, was to attract more business. Gu Qingcheng had also stockpiled a considerable amount of goods. The reason she continued to buy was to avoid suspicion when retrieving items from the storage cabinet later. She had to acquire these items first, so she could then feign ignorance and continuously replenish from the storage cabinet.
Seeing that it was almost time, the two found a small eatery in town for a meal. Although the eatery was small, some of its home-style dishes were quite good, like the stir-fried chicken they ordered. The chickens at this time were free-range farm chickens, with naturally delicious meat. Stir-fried chicken, in this context, meant it was cooked without other seasonings, simply stir-fried with garlic, soy sauce, salt, and ginger, and it was incredibly tasty. The staple dish was mixed noodles. The noodles were boiled in plain water, then drained and placed on a plate. Pork lard, soy sauce, chopped green onions, peanut paste, and fried peanuts were added and mixed thoroughly. It was fragrant and very appetizing.
After finishing their meal, the two prepared to head back up the mountain. The bosses from down the mountain had also arranged for their employees to deliver the goods as promised. The delivery men had excellent stamina, carrying heavy loads. They only rested for half an hour before continuing their journey up the mountain with their burdens.
One of the delivery men chuckled, "Customers, this mountain has never had much good firewood or delicious fruit, so it's always been ignored. I never expected you to establish Phoenix Village here. It's truly surprising. You'll have everything to live for on the mountain; what are you planning to do to survive, by buying goods? You must be very wealthy."
"Not exactly. We need to clear and cultivate the land ourselves. The government wouldn't allow us to live off our reserves indefinitely." Gu Qingcheng didn't want Phoenix Village to gain a reputation for being lazy, as that would surely attract trouble. After all, in this world, there were no villages where one could eat without working. If there were, they must be exceptionally wealthy. At this time, making Phoenix Village seem incredibly wealthy would be like a child carrying gold through a bustling marketplace.
An hour and a half later, the delivery men, laden with goods, arrived at Phoenix Village. The first thing they saw upon seeing the village was triangular shelters erected everywhere. Villagers were busy working, creating a scene of prosperity. The delivery men were quite astonished, saying, "It seems this village will be quite lively in the future. No wonder our bosses asked us to deliver goods up here; they'll surely be our major customers!" The villagers, though curious about the arrival of so many delivery men, were busy with their work and didn't dare to slack off or gather to watch.