Gu Qingcheng immediately decided to hold a roasted whole lamb event a week later, inviting everyone in the village to participate.
The village would provide 50 sheep for roasting, along with some drinks and flatbread, essentially covering all food and beverages.
The villagers were overjoyed, as it had been a long time since they had shared a meal together.
Although they knew a communal meal would be expensive, the lively atmosphere was unforgettable and truly fostered camaraderie.
Gu Qingcheng felt that it was better to share joy with others than to enjoy it alone. She possessed unlimited resources and had stockpiled sufficient means of production, but no matter how much she ate, she only had one stomach, and no matter how comfortably she slept, she only had one bed. Sharing with everyone, as long as it made her feel good, why not?
After dealing with these village affairs, Gu Qingcheng instructed the 10 scouts to report on their situation downstairs.
After listening to the reports from the 10 scouts, Gu Qingcheng finally concluded that there were five groups of bandits scattered across different mountains around Wangchun City, and they were all beginning to gain power.
The bandit stronghold on Xiangwu Mountain was only considered mid-level, but there were even smaller bandit dens than those on Wushan Mountain.
Some had as few as twenty bandits, while the larger ones had about a hundred.
They were like cancerous tumors, dispersed among the towns and villages of Wangchun City, causing immense distress to the villagers' lives.
They engaged in arson, murder, and looting, committing all sorts of atrocities, while the government officials remained inactive, indulging only in their own drunken revelry.
Gu Qingcheng searched within the system and pinpointed the locations of the five bandit dens.
She first used a pen to draw a map of these five locations on paper, marking the number of bandits in each place. With this information, she had a clearer picture.
Then, she announced that over the next few days, she and Miggu would go out to scout. Once they had precise intelligence, they would discuss with everyone how to eliminate the bandits one by one.
Yan Xin was particularly excited because ridding the land of bandits had always been his ideal.
Furthermore, he believed that eliminating bandits could yield a wealth of resources and rescue people from dire straits, providing a great sense of heroic accomplishment, so he strongly agreed with Gu Qingcheng's decision.
Gu Qingcheng clearly explained the pros and cons, stating that if they didn't eliminate the bandits, the increasingly prosperous Phoenix Village might become a target.
In that case, the difference between proactively attacking and passively defending was significant. Rather than wait, it was better for them to take the initiative, not only to eliminate the bandits but also to hone the skills everyone had learned.
Yan Xin agreed, saying, "Besides hunting, the most important way to practice our skills is to protect the village.
Our going out to attack bandits now is ultimately to learn the skills to protect our own village and prevent our families from suffering tragic fates."
Yan Xin's statement was met with the agreement of everyone present.
Many of the small team leaders had participated in bandit suppression before. The moment they recalled the tragic fate of the women they had witnessed in the bandit dens, they understood how inhuman bandits were, and a sense of urgency and responsibility arose within them.
Gu Qingcheng knew that every battle needed a just reason to set out; otherwise, it would affect morale and directly impact the outcome of the battle.
Now that this stance had been established and the hearts of the people were aligned, things would be easier.
The next day, Gu Qingcheng and Miggu descended the mountain to investigate the bandit situation.
Gu Qingcheng was quite pleased to have the system's map for guidance. By following this map, she could accurately locate the bandit dens, so she wouldn't take detours or have to inquire with outsiders; she could find them directly.
Her primary focus during the reconnaissance was to remain hidden and avoid being discovered by the bandits.
Each time Gu Qingcheng approached a bandit den, she would set out during the darkest and windiest part of the night. She had various convenient tools for nighttime travel, so the reconnaissance was not high-risk and was quite efficient.
Upon reaching each mountain stronghold, she would use a drone for reconnaissance.
The drone's infrared remote sensing function allowed her to accurately ascertain the exact number of people in the stronghold.
She only needed to record the numbers and terrain in detail to formulate an attack plan.
After five days, Gu Qingcheng and Miggu returned to Phoenix Village, their mission a success.
At the first checkpoint, the hunting team on guard immediately greeted them, saying, "Young Master Gu, you've been back so many days; everyone was worried sick."
Gu Qingcheng chuckled and replied, "Thank you all for your concern; we are fine."
Upon returning home, the first thing Gu Qingcheng and Miggu did was to take a bath and then catch up on much-needed sleep.
Camping outdoors meant enduring the elements and not being able to bathe, so they would simply find a grassy spot to rest. If it was sufficiently hidden, Gu Qingcheng would set up a wild camping tent and use a sleeping bag, so their experience was not particularly harsh.
Miggu took the opportunity to enjoy the comforts of modern wild camping.
He was curious about his sister's equipment, noting the horse lantern and the alcohol stove for cooking instant noodles. He greatly admired this set of gear.
However, Gu Qingcheng told him that these were celestial items and should not fall into mortal hands. He could only drool with envy.
Fortunately, as long as he was with his sister, he could use these items.
Although Gu Qingcheng's life in the wilderness had basic provisions, nothing compared to the comfort of lying in a warm bed at home.
Therefore, both of them slept until the next morning.
When Gu Qingcheng woke up, she was still groggy and momentarily unsure of her whereabouts.
Catching the familiar aroma of meat from the kitchen, Gu Qingcheng remembered that she hadn't eaten since returning home, and her stomach immediately rumbled.
After a delicious breakfast of bread and pan-fried ribs with Miggu, Gu Qingcheng felt completely revitalized.
She didn't rush to summon everyone for a discussion but instead went around the village for a patrol.
When she reached the supply and marketing cooperative, she saw Qin Yue talking with Liu Ding. Qin Yue no longer showed her previous resistance, and her words to Liu Ding were filled with a touch of concern.
Liu Ding, on the other hand, looked completely dazed, his eyes fixed on Qin Yue's smile, showing no sign of the shrewd farmer he was.
Gu Qingcheng smiled at the sight and, not wanting to disturb their sweet romance, turned and walked away.
Gu Qingcheng strolled to the childcare center next to the academy and saw that the courtyard was already filled with furniture. The children's beds, cradles, and dining tables and chairs were all in place.
Gu Qingcheng suddenly recalled that she had said the childcare center would open in six days, and today was the fifth day, which explained why everything was so well-prepared.
Just then, Zhang Chunhua emerged from the courtyard. Upon seeing her, she quickly saluted and said,
"Young Master Gu, we haven't seen you these past few days, but since you gave the order, we have only been focused on bringing in the furniture and other items. Everything is ready now; we just await your final instructions."
"Excellent. The childcare center can officially open tomorrow, and I will invite everyone to witness the ceremony," Gu Qingcheng said. "Have you mobilized the children sufficiently?"
"Yes, as soon as they heard that children could be taken care of here, everyone was delighted. We have already registered 20 children," Zhang Chunhua reported.