The meat wonton wrappers were springy and chewy, while the lean meat filling inside was savory and delicious. Coupled with the broth, the meal left one completely satisfied.
After finishing, Gu Qingcheng wiped her mouth and remembered something else. She asked Mi Guo to inform all the squad leaders to come for a meeting first thing tomorrow morning. She also asked Dai Fa to come over, as there was something she needed to discuss with him.
The mountain hollow was dark, and the mountain wind was quite cold. Mi Guo, holding a torch, went to carry out the order.
He circled the village and returned half an hour later, saying he had informed everyone.
Gu Qingcheng took a bronze bell from the storage cabinet. The bell was quite heavy. She had obtained it from the entrance of a village when stockpiling goods in Jinsha City, thinking at the time that copper was a precious metal and never expected it to be useful now.
"Mi Guo, tomorrow morning hang this bell on a tree nearby. From now on, when we need to notify everyone to gather, we will use the bell as a signal.
For example, if I want to inform them about a meeting, I will strike it once. Two consecutive strikes mean a meeting for the entire village. The sound of the bell travels far, so we won't have to trouble ourselves with sending runners."
"Mmm, that's a great idea, sister. How are you so smart?"
"It's not me who's smart; it's just that the circumstances dictate it," Gu Qingcheng sighed.
If only it were the modern era. Just create a group chat and `@everyone`, and it would be done by typing a few words.
"This method is excellent. Those squad leaders won't stay in one place during the day, so it's quite difficult to notify all of them. But once the bell rings, everyone will know and naturally come here."
Mi Guo still had that look of admiration, as if his sister was incredibly smart.
The siblings had just finished discussing when Dai Fa arrived.
"Uncle Dai, thank you for coming so late. I apologize for troubling you." Gu Qingcheng said apologetically.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. I always feel like this is my own home. Even though there are endless tasks to do every day, seeing this home improve day by day makes me feel no fatigue." Dai Fa seemed to be in good spirits, proving his words were true.
Gu Qingcheng had absolute faith in Dai Fa's abilities. In her dreams, Dai Fa could become a city lord, and such a person could never be useless. Therefore, she was willing to seek his advice.
Gu Qingcheng first explained the matter of using the bell as a signal. Dai Fa also thought it was a good idea, as it would ensure timely notification and save labor.
Gu Qingcheng then took out a piece of paper filled with writing. Mi Guo recognized it as what his sister had been writing that morning.
"Uncle Dai, this is the village rules and regulations. Please take a look and see if it's suitable. I believe everyone here is a stranger, coming from all walks of life. Without rules, we can't establish order. It's much easier to set rules now than to deal with problems later."
"Alright, let me see." Dai Fa picked up the paper, and Mi Guo held up two torches to illuminate the writing clearly.
**Phoenix Village Rules and Regulations**
I. Strictly prohibited are seduction and gambling, forming gangs for gambling, private slaughtering of oxen, assaulting elders, and neglecting hygiene and appearance.
II. Prohibited are the abolition of outdated marriage customs, rituals for childbirth, expenses for religious gatherings, and extravagant funeral rites.
III. Strictly prohibited are the theft of grain, dismantling of fences, letting livestock roam freely, using shrimp to measure weight, trampling on sown fields, gathering duckweed to harm fish, and poisoning fish. Violators will be fined from 300 to 1,000 wen; those who report the above offenses will be rewarded with 400 wen.
All the above articles shall be engraved on a stone tablet for eternal prohibition. Violators will be fined. All should heed this.
These prohibitions clearly included punishments for violations, with rewards for informants in addition to fines.
"Excellent, Young Master Gu. With these village rules and regulations, the villagers will have constraints, and the village will be much more peaceful." Dai Fa was now completely convinced that Gu Qingcheng was from a noble family. Otherwise, how could someone so young know so much?
Gu Qingcheng wasn't entirely familiar with this kind of thing, which was why she had asked Dai Fa to discuss it. She was surprised by Dai Fa's praise and felt much more confident.
In reality, she had to thank her upbringing in the information-saturated era of the internet. Although she only visited her grandparents in the countryside during holidays, the advanced internet had provided her with some information on this matter. Additionally, her mother, Hu Lanfang, was a community cadre, and her work bore similarities to managing a village. Gu Qingcheng, being close to her mother, had been influenced by her. Without this accumulation of knowledge, Gu Qingcheng wouldn't have these ideas now.
Dai Fa found the plan feasible, and it was settled. Gu Qingcheng also discussed the tasks for the next day with him before letting him go back to rest.
Before going to sleep, Gu Qingcheng handed a hot water bottle to Mi Guo. Mi Guo, clutching the hot water bottle to his chest, happily returned to his makeshift shelter to sleep. He actually wanted to hide in the shelter and secretly watch the food channel.
Gu Qingcheng slept and felt much more refreshed. However, the mountain wind was too cold at night, so she snuggled into her quilt, also holding a hot water bottle. She closed her eyes to rest, simultaneously planning her next steps.
Gu Qingcheng found herself missing her parents. This was the first time she had been away from them for so long. Fortunately, Mi Guo was with her; otherwise, she would have run back alone long ago. But now, she was a mature adult and had to build a warm and safe home for her parents with her own hands, so she had to stay here.
Gu Qingcheng wrote down all the recent events in a letter and put it into the storage cabinet. Soon, the letters in the storage cabinet were empty, likely because her parents had been waiting for her daily correspondence. After a while, Gu Qingcheng noticed that a packet of instant noodles was missing from the storage cabinet. This was a signal she had arranged with her family, indicating that her parents agreed with her actions. She couldn't help but smile. Her parents' support in everything she was doing here made her feel like she had a backing.
In Jinsha City, Hu Lanfang was muttering to herself, wondering whether to go south to find her daughter. From her daughter's letters, it was clear that Phoenix Village was located in the wilderness, essentially building a village from scratch. The beginning was always the hardest; how could it be easy? She told Gu Zhaobei that she wanted to go and help. Although she couldn't help with other tasks, she had extensive experience in management. Working in a community in a big city, dealing with all sorts of people daily, Hu Lanfang had been thoroughly trained and was not afraid of dealing with villagers who were mostly uneducated and uncivilized. Hu Lanfang was full of confidence.
"Alright, let's not go and add to our daughter's troubles. I know you miss her, and don't I miss her? But isn't this a great opportunity for her to gain experience? Look at her progress. She's learned to endure, to deal with people, and to discern them. Building from scratch is hard, but it's also good. She has to consider every detail and aspect, which greatly develops personal abilities. If she can eventually establish the village, she will possess the ability to handle complex matters independently. This is the best opportunity for her to train; we mustn't interfere. If we go, she will become reliant, and her potential won't be unleashed."
"Fine, then let her train well." Hu Lanfang knew the reasoning behind it and could only grit her teeth and steel her heart.
Wang Cai and Ke Le seemed to understand their conversation. One rubbed against their legs, while the other jumped onto Hu Lanfang's lap and meowed. Fortunately, these two little ones provided some companionship and added a bit of fun.