Chapter 92
The next day, Huo Shu got up as soon as the sky began to lighten.
When he walked out of the courtyard, the wind in the air carried a chill from the mountains and forests. Although it was already the fourth month of the lunar calendar, in this mountain-forest surrounded area, the morning temperature was noticeably cooler than in Tongzhou City.
Dew still hung on the grasses and plants not far away, and the wind carried a refreshing forest scent.
They did not raise any poultry here, there wasn't even the sound of a rooster crowing. The morning was very quiet, so quiet that the calls of cuckoos from the mountains could be clearly heard.
The sounds were hollow and distant, making it feel as if they had truly become mountain folk.
The bonfires lit around the open ground last night had almost gone out, with only faint embers still flickering gently in the approaching dawn light.
The eastern part of Yuchang was mostly undeveloped land. In these wild, desolate mountains, poisonous insects, miasma, and frequent wild animal sightings were common.
When Huo Shu first arrived here, he had even encountered wolves. Now, everyone still lacked sturdy houses for shelter—camping out in the open, it was necessary to light bonfires around the perimeter to prevent wild animals from appearing at night.
There were also people on night watch, so they weren't afraid of the fire spreading.
"Up already? How is Xiao Taozi?"
Huang Manjing saw Huo Shu standing in the yard. Being in a new place, she felt somewhat unaccustomed. With Taoyu falling ill last night, she hadn't slept well at all.
Seeing some light outside the window, she simply got up.
"He woke up for a while in the latter half of the night and only fell asleep again as dawn was breaking. He'll probably sleep for a while longer."
Huang Manjing breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that he's fine. He's been exhausted these past days, it's fine to let him sleep a bit more."
Ji Yangzong, his eyes still blurry, was washing his face behind them. Hearing them talk about Ji Taoyu, he came over with his washcloth to listen.
Huo Shu nodded.
"Then I'll go prepare breakfast."
Huang Manjing turned and headed towards the kitchen. Huo Shu initially thought to say she didn't need to trouble herself, as the people they bought here would handle it.
But he thought that being new here and already feeling unaccustomed, if she didn't do the things she was used to, she might feel even more unsettled, so he decided not to say anything..
"What's the plan for today?"
Ji Yangzong came forward and asked Huo Shu for the arrangements: "I can then tell everyone what to do."
This was Huo Shu's thought: "It's already the fourth month now. The land here is still wild. It will take a lot of time to reclaim it, so we probably can't make it for spring planting this year."
"Given that, it's better to have everyone cut timber first and build proper dwellings. Once everyone is settled, we can then open up the land."
Ji Yangzong agreed. Once the sky was fully light, he gathered everyone together.
Hearing the arrangement, the villagers all agreed.
"Last night, I kept hearing wolves and apes howling in the mountains. It scared me so much I hardly dared to close my eyes all night. I only managed to sleep a little when I was utterly exhausted just before dawn."
"Everything here is good, except for the fear of wild beasts coming down from the mountains. And we're all sleeping outside; those leather shelters definitely can't withstand animal attacks. If we build proper dwellings first, not only will they shelter us from wind and rain, but we can also sleep soundly."
Everyone agreed it was a good plan.
Despite their agreement, some people looked worried, as each family had its own difficulties.
As for tools for cutting down trees and making beams, those who had them had brought these tools along when they left home. By pooling resources and borrowing from each other, they could manage.
However, after more than ten days on the road, the travel money some had brought was almost completely spent. Even those who had some left couldn't support themselves for long.
They had come here with nothing. There was a lot of work to be done. Reclaiming land and planting crops this year was definitely out of the question. Calculating from now until the autumn harvest next year, that was over a year. They didn't know how they would get through it.
In this place, far from any village or town, even if they still had a little money, they didn't know where to spend it.
Running out of food was pretty much the same as losing their life.
"I know everyone's worries. For now, focus on building the houses. Those short on food can buy from my supplies. I'll have someone go to the nearby county town to buy some and bring it back for everyone. Those without money can borrow first and repay in full after next autumn's harvest."
Huo Shu had already thought of all this. He had stockpiled a considerable amount of food, enough to last a good while. Furthermore, Yuchang was relatively stable at the moment, with no warfare.
They could still go out and buy food, though it was a bit of a hassle since they were far from densely populated county towns or prefectural cities.
But A-Yu and Shi Yi had already familiarized themselves with the surroundings. There was a village fifty li (25 km) away. On fast horses, they could make the round trip in half a day.
If they weren't buying anything else, just food, they could even buy it from that village.
They could also go pre-order grain ahead of time in the autumn.
"Basic necessities like candles, oil, and salt are also available. If you need anything else, you can register it here first. Then, on days ending with a ten [of the lunar month], we'll make a special trip to the city to buy what everyone needs."
After speaking, Huo Shu said to the person beside him: "A-Yu, go bring out the tools from the warehouse."
Soon, several people carried out two large boxes filled with items: axes, sickles, saws, hoes... all sorts of farming tools and ironware that farmers could use.
"Those who have their own tools, no need to say anything. Those who don't can borrow them for now. Having more tools available will also mean we can build the dwellings faster."
The farming tools were all bought and stored here in Yuchang by Huo Shu's arrangement through A-Yu and Shi Yi. For farming and livelihood, these essential items were indispensable.
Seeing that Huo Shu had thought everything out so thoroughly for them, everyone's feelings of anxiety and worry settled down.
They didn't dare imagine how difficult life would have been if they had fled as refugees on their own, without following Huo Shu.
They would never have such a well-organized situation.
So, everyone came forward to register with Ji Yangzong and receive farming tools, eager to start cutting timber.
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