Chapter 149: Sent to the Labor Offenders Village
Chapter 145 of "The Great Ming in the Box" opens showing developments: Ground Rabbit hadnāt been in Gaojia Village for long. Though heād often heard villagers talk... Keep reading!
Ground Rabbit hadnāt been in Gaojia Village for long. Though heād often heard villagers talk about the Deity, heād never seen the Deity manifest personally and remained skeptical, half-believing, half-doubting.This time, however, was his first firsthand encounter with the Deity manifesting.
That enormous arrow on the groundāwhat immense power could have pushed aside the scattered stones to etch such a massive symbol!
Suddenly, Ground Rabbit remembered how heād been shoved from behind when spying on Gao Chuwu practicing his punches. Could it have beenā¦?
āAhhhhh!ā
Thoroughly terrified, Ground Rabbit slammed to the ground, prostrating himself like a child whoād been beaten with a bamboo stick by his mother and now knelt in apology. āDeity, I was wrong! I shouldnāt have spied on othersā martial techniques. Please spare this lowly one!ā
Li Daoxuan had already taught him a lesson. Since the principle is no double punishment for one crime, he smiled and withdrew his hand.
Ground Rabbit stayed face-down for several seconds. Noting no calamity came from the Deity, he sighed in relief and sprang up instantly. āBrothers! Follow Old Rabbit! With the Deity guiding us, weāre taking back Old Shi Siās things!ā
The short-term workersā morale surged. āThe Deity protects us!ā
Ground Rabbit charged ahead toward the arrowās direction, leading the pack. The arrow adjusted constantly, guiding them behind the hillside.
Ground Rabbit spotted a group of men ahead starting a fire, likely preparing to roast meat. āHey! Fools! How dare you rob us short-term workers? Take my blade!ā
He drew his rusty sword and rushed at them.
The men by the fire startled, scrambling to their feet and grabbing wooden clubs.
Ground Rabbit closed the distance in three strides and bellowed, āHEAVEN! RABBIT! BREAK! DOMINANCE! SWORD!ā
He swung his rusty sword in a grand arc to deliver a mighty strikeā
The blade never landed.
His foot caught on a rock, and he slammed face-first onto the ground.
Short-term workers stampeded over himāseveral boots landed squarely on his backā¦
By the time Ground Rabbit struggled up, groaning āOuch!ā, his comrades had already subdued all five bandits. Old Shi Si was recovering his flour bag from the grass, clutching it protectively to his chest.
Ground Rabbit:āā¦ā
Fearful of being humiliated and mocked, he was instead met with earnest gazes. āMr. Rabbit, the fools are caught and the goods are back! What now?ā
Huh? Still calling me āMr. Rabbitā?
Rushing with pride, Ground Rabbit picked up his rusty sword and approached the bound bandits.
He glared for a long moment. āNothing to eat? That why you robbed us?ā
The five cowered, heads lowered. In such harsh times, stealing food invited deathāany word could bring a fatal club strike. They stayed silent.
Ground Rabbit: āOutlaws ārobbing the rich to aid the poorā is one thing, but robbing the poor? Wrong!ā
He pulled Old Shi Si forward. āSee him? Worn-out clothes, barely any flour saved for a kungfu teacherās gift! How could you steal that? Want to be real heroes? Storm the capital! Rob the emperor! Then Iād call you five brave men!ā
One bandit finally snapped back, āYou talk so big! Why donāt you rob the emperor first?ā
Ground Rabbit:āā¦ā
That stunned him. Once, he planned to follow Big Brother Wang Er on a heroic quest across the land⦠including robbing the emperor! So why, after arriving at Gaojia Village⦠was he stuck laboring?
Huh? Huh? Huh?
What happened?
I, Ground Rabbitāa famed heroāwhy am I here⦠laboring?
His rusty sword clattered to the ground.
Ground Rabbit crouched, clutching his headā +999 mental contamination. Thinking became impossible.
Seeing their āleaderā incapacitated, the short-term workers took matters into their own hands. āHey Old Shi Si, they beat you! What to do with them?ā
Old Shi Si: āMe? I⦠Iām hardly qualified.ā
āJust say: beat them or free them?ā
Old Shi Si: āThe Deity⦠must be watching from above! We should ask His guidance!ā
Everyone looked hopefully skyward.
Li Daoxuan had no intention of micromanaging. If he handled every small crime, expanding his territory would be unbearable. His people needed to think!
With no divine command coming, they had to brainstorm. Gears turned⦠and a lightbulb went off above Old Shi Siās head! āGot it! Labor Offenders Village! Arenāt those people criminals serving penance? Make these five join them!ā
The others cheered. āThatās how it should be!ā
They hauled up the bandits. Passing Ground Rabbitāstill bewildered on the groundāOld Shi Si gave him a pull. āMr. Rabbit, weāre going back.ā
Ground Rabbit mumbled, numbly picked up his ancestral rusty sword, and trailed behind.
Li Daoxuan approved. Excellent! By demonstrating principles, then letting them innovate, theyād forge a new legal spirit beyond āThe Great Ming Codeā.
A legal mindset was vital!
That phrase always rang true: āPeople on modern streets donāt randomly slash you. Not because theyāre saintsābut bound by law!ā
The short-term workers delivered the five bandits to the fort entrance and reported to Thirty-Two. Thirty-Two agreed instantly: āGood! Throw them into Labor Offenders Village!ā
Kicked through the entrance, the bandits were left standing inside, utterly confused. Why no jail? Why no punishment?
Wasnāt this a death sentence?
They stood paralyzedāunsure if escape was even possible.
A labor offender waved at them. āYou five for reform? Saw you getting kicked in. Come here! Iām generousāIāll teach you the rules.ā