Chapter 92: Would You Stay?
Chapter 90 of "The Great Ming in the Box" begins revealing exciting developments: Li Daoxuan fixed the nozzleâs position, letting the nebulizer work on its own, and then... Donât stop now!
Li Daoxuan fixed the nozzleâs position, letting the nebulizer work on its own, and then he became free to wander his gaze around.Coincidentally, he noticed a middle-aged man in the crowd who was quite strange; he didnât celebrate with the other villagers in the light rain but walked alone out of the group with a dazed look, taking heavy steps one by one towards Gaojia Fortress.
Li Daoxuan shifted his attention and saw the middle-aged man kneel at the fortress gate and kowtow several times: âDeity, please save this lowly person.â
âEh?â Li Daoxuan said: âIs this one of my figures?â
He could recognize each of the first forty-two figures in the box, but after Thirty-Two lured over a hundred more with flour, he lost track of most of them. Later, nearly two hundred labor offenders arrived, making him completely forget their faces.
For a moment, he wasnât sure if this figure kneeling before his statue was his own. Only when he saw the pack on the manâs back did Li Daoxuan realize: âThis isnât my figure; heâs a wild figure who just ran in from outside.â
âDeity, save me! Deity, who rescues from suffering, pull this lowly person out of the sea of misery.â
The middle-aged man kowtowed rapidly, then began rambling about himself. He turned out to be a permanent worker in the official workshop of Chengcheng County, just like Li Da, a lowly artisan household.
After seeing two clay sculptors get rich, he firmly remembered the name Dao Xuan Deity. With great effort and guidance from a lay believer he finally reached here, seeking only the deityâs mercy.
Li Daoxuan spoke: âYiye, call Li Da to the fortress gate.â
Gao Yiye, playing outside in the rain, immediately set aside her child-like mood, found Li Da in the crowd, and ran with him splashing to the fortress gate. Their cotton clothes were half wet, but the thickness prevented any risk of indecency.
As soon as they arrived, Li Da recognized the middle-aged man and exclaimed: âLuo Leg Hair?â
The manâs surname was originally Luo, but thick leg hair earned him the nickname Luo Leg Hair from coworkers since they lacked education and gave awful nicknames.
Seeing Li Da, Luo Leg Hair stiffened entirely: âLi Da, what are you doing here? You vanished after Wang Erâs rebellionâwe thought you were deadâŚâ
Li Da sighed: âAh, itâs awkward⌠I used Wang Erâs uprising to escape, to stop being treated like a dog daily.â
Luo Leg Hair was shocked: âArenât you afraid? That makes you a ârunaway peasant,â without your artisan registration. You canât return to cities now.â
Li Da chuckled: âHere I eat like royalty and live blissfully every dayâwho needs cities? Let someone else take the artisan registration. Being a runaway peasant here beats being an artisan household.â
When he first arrived, his dream was to become a free commoner.
But after living here awhile, he found status unimportantâjust staying in Gaojia Village brought happiness without care for labels.
His words left Luo Leg Hair thoroughly baffled.
Li Da asked: âHow did you come? Escape like me? Abandoning your artisan registration?â
Luo Leg Hair looked embarrassed: âI⌠heard from two clay sculptors that they got rich under Dao Xuan Deityâs blessing. So I⌠followed clues to get here.â
Li Da paused, then laughed aloud: âSo thatâs itâyou came just in time. Youâre Chengcheng Countyâs best paper maker; your arrival is perfect.â
Luo Leg Hair stared blankly: âHow is it perfect?â
Li Da pointed at Gaojia Fortress: âThis fortress is newly built with over two hundred rooms, but no paper to paste on the windowsâall bare. Third Lady plans a trip to the county to buy some for villagers. Your coming now? Perfect timing.â
Luo Leg Hair sighed: âYou mean, make paper for villagers to paste on windows?â
Li Da nodded: âYes, isnât that your specialty?â
Luo Leg Hair stammered: âBut⌠I only have ten days⌠to return to the official workshopâjust ten daysâŚâ
Li Da scoffed: âWhy go back? Youâve no wife or kids. Since youâre out, stay like meâsettle as a runaway peasant and enjoy life.â
Luo Leg Hair shook his head wildly: âNo, I canât be a runaway peasant⌠Iâm not brave like youâŚâ
As he spoke those words, Gao Yiye beside him suddenly declared: âThe Deity has issued an oracle: If you agree to stay and make paper for Gaojia Village, teaching villagers the techniques, youâll receive one hundred catties of rice or flour, ten catties of meat, one catty of salt, one catty of sugar, and one catty of oil every month.â
Hearing this, Luo Leg Hair froze completely and turned stiffly to Gao Yiye: âMiss⌠did⌠you⌠just say what?â
Gao Yiye smiled.
Luo Leg Hair trembled: âTruly?â
Li Da laughed loudly: âHow could it be false? I get the same monthly, with extra rewards for achievementsâbut⌠Luo Leg Hair, your frail self might struggle for that, hahaha.â
Luo Leg Hair asked: âBut who is this miss?â
Li Da said solemnly: âShe is the Saint Lady of Dao Xuan Deity Teachings, the divine envoy proclaiming heavenly edicts to all, Miss Gao Yiye.â
Luo Leg Hair gasped: â!!!â
Li Da teased: âLook how provincial you seem, hahahaâI was just as crude when I arrived. So, stay and be a runaway peasant?â
The choice wasnât hard. Luo Leg Hair instantly abandoned his artisan registration and became a glorious runaway peasant.
Gao Yiye said: âCome with me. The Deity assigns you a house near Li Da and the two clay sculptors. All craftsmen in our village now live in the artisansâ well.â
Li Da chuckled: âThe Hakka roundhouse has nine halls and eighteen wells. We craftsmen have one well exclusively, the âartisansâ well.â Itâs equals to othersâbut folks there get the most supplies monthly, hahaha.â
Baffled, Luo Leg Hair trailed Gao Yiye and Li Da into Gaojia Fortress.
To him, the Hakka roundhouse was a tall, majestic fortress brimming with dignity, making him feel insecure inside.
After winding through corridors, they reached the artisansâ well.
Luo Leg Hair spotted two clay sculptors seated under an eave manipulating strange-figured statues, âcrafting miniature figure faces.â
At the sight of Luo Leg Hair, they laughed knowinglyâas if saying âyou showed upââthen ignored him to focus on their customizing, too busy for small talk.