The brother and sister followed the village chief, Chen Bihua, out of the house.
Wang Lan suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment.
All that could be seen in this Hope Village were rows of single-story earthen houses, some large and some small, standing side by side.
The weather was gloomy.
Smoke curled up from the chimneys of every household.
It appeared exceptionally peaceful.
Chen Bihua led the two along a dirt road.
Passersby would greet Chen Bihua warmly, and Chen Bihua would also greet them with a smile, replying, "Hello to you all too."
Some people who recognized Sun Muchen stopped on the spot and bowed deeply, saying, "Hello, Teacher Sun!"
Sun Muchen replied with a smile, "Hello!"
Everywhere you look, there is a sense of harmony.
However, this harmony made Wang Lan feel very awkward.
I wonder if it's because I experienced too much deceit and fighting in the safe zone since I was a child that the long-awaited peace seems so unreal.
Or perhaps…
Is this peace nothing more than a false illusion?
In conclusion.
Wang Lan disliked this kind of harmony.
But Sun Muchen seemed to enjoy it very much.
Wang Lan stared at the eyes of everyone who greeted Sun Muchen, as if trying to glean something from them.
However, he did not see the almost frenzied pupils that showed a loss of rationality and a willingness to do anything to survive; instead, he saw only peace and tranquility.
There was even a hint of... blankness in it?
Wang Lan was somewhat bewildered and confused.
He couldn't figure out where this blankness came from.
At this moment, village chief Chen Bihua spoke.
"My good brother Wang Lan, what you see now is the entire view of Hope Village. Hope Village isn't very large; according to incomplete statistics, we currently have 3,357 people. But don't underestimate us. As the saying goes, 'Ma... uh, Ma...'"
As Chen Bihua was speaking, she suddenly began to stutter.
Then Sun Muchen quickly took a few steps forward, patted Chen Bihua on the shoulder, and Chen Bihua looked back and then had a look of sudden realization.
He continued, "Though the sparrow is small, it has all the vital organs!"
Wang Lan: "..."
remind?
Is this even possible?
Chen Bihua continued: "After a long period of development, we hope that the village's infrastructure and workshop industries have become more complete and are developing in an orderly manner."
“Look over there,” Chen Bihua said, pointing to a long stretch of white buildings. “That’s our garment factory. It’s already quite large, with an annual production… uh…”
At this moment, Sun Muchen patted Chen Bihua again.
Chen Bihua suddenly realized the truth.
"Oh right! With an average annual production of over 6,000 pieces, that's enough for the people in our village to change their clothes twice a year!"
Wang Lan suddenly felt speechless.
He seemed to have a vague idea of what was going on.
Could it be that the village chief's speech was actually written by Sun Muchen?
But what is the purpose?
Chen Bihua coughed awkwardly a few times, then continued, "You see, my good brother Wang Lan..."
“Just call me Wang Lan,” Wang Lan interjected. “We’re not that close, so there’s no need to keep calling me ‘good brother’.”
“Uh, okay, alright,” Chen Bihua’s brows furrowed slightly in disappointment, but it was quickly replaced by a serious expression.
"This is our metal factory, responsible for processing and deep processing of some metal materials," Chen Bihua said, pointing to another group of houses. The clanging sounds coming from the houses could be heard, as if blacksmiths were forging.
"The craftsmen working here are all highly skilled artisans, and they are also outstanding talents that we have carefully selected and trained. By the way, Wang Lan... uh, Wang Lan, didn't your Vajra Umbrella get dented? We also sent it to this factory for repair."
Upon hearing this, Wang Lan's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Really? The Vajra Umbrella is repaired?"
"Uh...it can't be fixed."
Chen Bihua swallowed hard and said, "I don't know what material your Vajra Umbrella is made of. Fire tempering didn't work, and the iron hammer wouldn't budge it. Besides, it's too heavy. The craftsmen tried several times and found it difficult even to lift. So, so..."
“So it wasn’t fixed, right?” Wang Lan finished the sentence for him.
“Yes…” Chen Bihua said with an awkward smile.
Wang Lan glanced at Sun Muchen, rolled her eyes at him, then looked at Chen Bihua and sighed, saying, "Village Chief Chen, just say what you want to say, no need for all this beating around the bush."
“Sigh… alright,” Chen Bihua said, “Actually, I wanted you to stay.”
"Why?"
"Because this village needs you, brother."
Sun Muchen spoke up at this moment, saying, "Although Hope Village is protected by the Holy Lord, wild beasts have been appearing frequently in recent years. Although the Holy City helps to block them, and the village organizes able-bodied men to resist them whenever wild beasts appear, the frequency of their appearances is increasing as the wild beasts evolve or perhaps expand their territories. Hope Village, including the Holy City, is finding it increasingly difficult to resist them."
"So..." Wang Lan realized, "you want me to stay and help them hunt wild animals?"
Sun Muchen nodded.
Chen Bihua also gave a heavy "hmm".
Wang Lan looked at Chen Bihua and saw that Chen Bihua's eyes revealed sincerity, which did not seem like he was lying. However, for some reason, he saw something different in Chen Bihua's eyes than in the other villagers, but he could not put his finger on it.
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