Flea infestation was too severe, affecting the children, who scratched themselves to the point of sleeplessness and even broke their scalps at night.
As for the fleas on their bodies, there was no need to even mention them. When two people stood close enough to talk, they could see fleas from one jumping onto the other…
Gu Qingcheng made up her mind: this time, she would take the opportunity of a collective bath to eradicate the lice and fleas from everyone's bodies.
Mi Guo felt a bit anxious. Seeing everyone oppose her sister’s well-intentioned offer, she felt angry, thinking they were ungrateful.
Having insects on their bodies and smelling bad, now her sister was offering them a chance to be clean and pest-free. What was so bad about that?
Mi Guo was about to retort.
At that moment, Gu Qingcheng spoke:
“Everyone, I bought a batch of cotton clothes and new shoes from down the mountain yesterday. Whoever fulfills the two conditions I mentioned can come to Mi Guo to collect a new set of clothes, from tops and bottoms to shoes.”
“What? Young Master Gu, why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ll wash, I’ll wash right away!”
Upon hearing that they could receive new clothes, the villagers were overjoyed.
It was just about getting rid of insects, wasn’t it?
Whether it was effective or not, they would let Young Master Gu fuss about it. As long as he was satisfied, that was all that mattered.
It was just about taking a bath, wasn’t it?
They weren’t against bathing; it was just that there were no conditions for it during their flight, and over time, they had even become accustomed to not bathing.
Fine, they would bathe then!
Bathing wouldn’t cost them a limb!
Now, not only would they not lose a limb, but they would also receive a new set of clothes. Why wouldn’t they?
On both sides of the male and female bathhouses, medicine for killing lice and driving away insects was placed. This medicine was purchased by Gu Qingcheng from the Mountain Cat Supermarket.
Finding insect repellent that no one was using, she searched for a long time in the Mountain Cat Supermarket, only to find some sold in the pet section.
External parasite treatments that could kill lice and fleas on pet fur, and were harmless to animals, would likely also be usable on humans.
Following the dosage instructions on the weight-based scale, she mixed it into a paste. She instructed everyone to brush this paste into their hair and apply it to their bodies before bathing to kill the insects.
The bathhouse could accommodate six people at a time. Six people would enter simultaneously to apply the medicine, and after waiting outside for 30 minutes for the medicine to be absorbed, they could then enter the bathhouse.
This process would continue until everyone had bathed.
Those who had finished bathing could collect a new set of clothes from Mi Guo by presenting the mahjong tiles they received after leaving the bathhouse.
Gu Qingcheng had arranged everything meticulously. The squad leaders helped by applying the medicine and maintaining order.
Driven by the lure of new clothes, everyone complied obediently.
To let everyone experience the joy of bathing, Gu Qingcheng also provided shampoo and body wash free of charge.
Of course, these were removed from their original packaging and placed into large bamboo containers for liquids.
The first group of people who went to bathe discovered not only hot showers but also a fragrant liquid that could be used for washing their hair, which produced white foam when rubbed.
“Is this soapberry?”
“No, I don’t think so. Soapberries do foam, but they aren’t this fragrant. It feels so comfortable. If I had known bathing was this pleasant, I wouldn’t have needed Young Master Gu to keep urging me.”
After a while, someone inquired and learned that the fragrant liquids came in two types: a green one for washing hair, called shampoo; and a red one for washing the body, called body wash.
Bathers used the shampoo and body wash to clean off the dirt from their bodies. Initially, black water came off, and later, the water turned clean. Moreover, their armpits and groin areas were scrubbed until they squeaked.
It was the villagers' first time using these products for bathing, yet they instantly fell in love with them. Who wouldn’t love soft, fluffy hair and a fragrant body?
“Good heavens, my dear mother, do you know how much these body wash and shampoo cost?”
Halfway through the bathing session, those who came later exclaimed in amazement as they washed.
“How much do they cost? A few dozen copper coins?” the person bathing asked curiously upon hearing this.
“One jar costs 300 copper coins. Tsk tsk, so expensive. It must be a good product. If Young Master Gu weren’t providing it, none of us could afford it!”
With the mystery revealed, everyone suddenly felt that the fragrance on their bodies had a monetary value.
Gu Qingcheng called upon the quick-handed women in the village to help boil hot water. Over a dozen stoves were simultaneously boiling water, finally managing to keep up with the demand.
Gu Qingcheng vaguely recalled from her history studies that the ancient Romans loved bathing, to the point where the entire nation could be said to have an obsession with cleanliness.
In their lives, bathing had become a fundamental custom.
Wherever they went, they brought bathhouses with them. Ruins of Roman baths were scattered across every corner of the Roman world.
Therefore, some called them "Romans soaked in baths."
It was estimated that by the 4th century AD, there were over 1,000 public baths in the city of Rome, with 11 of them being exceptionally large. The Baths of Caracalla could accommodate 1,000 people at once, and the later Baths of Diocletian could hold 3,000. Throughout the empire, almost every town and village had at least one public bath.
Through bathing, the ancient Romans also improved public health and reduced the incidence of disease.
Gu Qingcheng planned to stipulate that the villagers of Phoenix Village should learn from the ancient Romans and bathe at least once every three days. This rule would be written into the village bylaws. After all, with time, everyone would develop the habit and come to love bathing, so forced regulations would no longer be necessary.
As Gu Qingcheng strategized, she realized that when a person's daily needs, such as eating, drinking, and eliminating waste, became a collective behavior, it also became an issue that required management. What a hassle!
Since public bathhouses were built, public restrooms were also a necessity.
Qian Wang had already had people dig three large rectangular pits on the mountainside five meters below the public bathhouse, following Gu Qingcheng's instructions. Wooden planks were placed horizontally on top of the pits for stepping, and bamboo fences were erected around them, forming simple latrines.
Later, they would have to urge everyone not to defecate or urinate indiscriminately, polluting the village environment.
Gu Qingcheng realized that shaping people's behavior habits was not an easy task. These would likely also need to be included in the village bylaws, otherwise, they would be difficult to manage.
The village's bathing carnival continued until evening, and finally, all 250-plus residents had bathed.
Everyone, to their disbelief, also received brand-new clothes from Mi Guo.
What amazed them was that the full sets of clothing provided by Young Master Gu were indeed new. They were filled with new cotton, light, soft, and warm—the most comfortable clothes they had ever worn in their lives.
The villagers were as joyful as if it were a festival.
Seeing everyone's smiling faces, Gu Qingcheng felt incredibly pleased and was rewarded with 300 satisfaction points from the system, sourced from: the pleasure of cleanliness and hygiene.
Gu Qingcheng was truly satisfied because she no longer had to endure the pungent odor that permeated the air.
Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo also took a bath at the end.
Thinking that they could now bathe every day, Gu Qingcheng was almost moved to tears with happiness.
Only heaven knew how she had endured the days without a place to bathe during their journey.
After her bath, Gu Qingcheng changed into a new light-brown coarse cloth cotton-padded jacket. Although the attire was ordinary, it could not hide her extraordinary, transcendent aura.