Spring cleaning
The morning light of May filtered through the branches and leaves of the maple trees, casting dappled patterns on the courtyard of the Hundred Birds Gang.
The gang leader, wearing a colorful hood and holding a bald broom, stood under the crooked gang signboard, his breath deep in his chest.
"Everyone assemble! Spring cleaning today! Anyone who slacks off will have to clean the toilets!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door to the room slammed open, and Jianyu stumbled out, rubbing his eyes, with Gou Dan, who was half asleep, in his arms.
Dog Egg was startled awake, his bald head bristled, and he started cursing.
"Are you trying to call back a soul this early in the morning?!"
Chen Ze floated down from the rooftop, sheathed his longsword, and said with a cold face.
"I was on guard duty last night, and now I need to catch up on my sleep."
Zui Qingfeng, with a mint leaf between his teeth, leaned lazily against a pillar.
"Strenuous exercise should be avoided during the smoking cessation period."
The eldest brother squinted, his colorful headgear fluttering in the morning breeze.
"Okay, then the three of you will be in charge of cleaning the latrines."
Chen Ze: "..."
Zui Qingfeng: "..."
Dog Egg: "I'm a prostitute! I don't do this kind of dirty work!"
The eldest brother chuckled and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from behind his back.
"The Alliance Leader's Office just sent over the 'Guild Hygiene Rating Form.' Guilds that fail to meet the standards will have their taxes doubled next month."
Zui Qingfeng stood up straight instantly.
“…Sweep, sweep now.”
Pan-Fried Fish brandished a broom taller than herself, circling around the yard, sending dust flying everywhere and making Dog Egg sneeze.
"Cough cough cough! You brat! Sweeping the floor is like a sandstorm!"
Zui Qingfeng was in charge of wiping the weapon rack, but while wiping, he discovered that his golden nanmu pipe was missing.
Turning my head, I saw Gou Dan sneaking into the kitchen with a pipe in his mouth.
"Dog Egg! Put it down!"
Dog Egg turned around, his beady eyes gleaming with cunning.
"You're trying to quit smoking? We're confiscating your tools of the crime!"
Chen Ze, with a cold face, drew his sword and chased after him, but Gou Dan slid in and disappeared into the pile of fallen leaves that the boss had just swept.
Whoosh! The fallen leaves filled the yard again.
The eldest brother's forehead veins bulged.
"You damned peacock! Extra sword practice tonight!"
Chen Ze: "..."
Silently tied the sword tassel into a tight knot.
Compared to the chaos in the front yard, the backyard is a peaceful and serene place.
Shiyun, dressed in white, lightly stroked the strings of the zither with her fingertips. The music was like a gentle breeze, and the fallen leaves in the courtyard gathered together on their own.
With a gentle sweep of his bamboo broom, Xi Jiang swept away the dust, which flowed into the winnowing basket like water.
The fish-fryer peeked out from behind the doorframe, his eyes filled with adoration.
"Brother Shiyun! Can you teach me this move?"
Shiyun smiled slightly.
"Okay, you need to practice your internal skills for ten years first."
Fried fish: "..."
(Silently goes back to continue creating sandstorms)
As agreed, the lazy trio (Chenze, Zuiqingfeng, and Gou Dan) had to clean the latrines.
Chen Ze stood with his sword in his arms, his face expressionless.
"I can cleanse it with sword energy."
"Drunk Breeze," he said lazily, a mint leaf dangling from his mouth.
“I’ll pay to hire people.”
Dog Egg simply lay down on the ground and pretended to be dead.
"I'm a lackey, I don't do manual labor!"
The leader sneered and pulled out a yellowed contract.
"Article 7 of the Guild Rules: Anyone who slacks off must take on the task of cleaning the latrines; violators will be... fed to the dog."
Dog Egg: "???"
In the end, the three (chickens) stood in front of the latrine, pinching their noses.
Chen Ze held his breath and focused his mind, then swept his sword energy across the area.
"boom!"
The toilet door flew off and landed squarely on Zui Qingfeng's head as he passed by.
Zui Qingfeng: "..."
(Slowly draws his sword)
Dog Egg tried to slip away, but Fried Fish grabbed him and pulled him away.
"Don't run! Your claws are perfect for cleaning crevices!"
Dog Egg: "I'm a fighting chicken! Not a toilet-cleaning chicken!"
As the sun sets in the evening, the Hundred Birds Gang looks brand new.
The fallen leaves in the yard piled up into a small mountain. Jianyu suddenly had a whimsical idea and pulled the eldest brother to jump in. Their colorful headbands were covered with dead leaves, making them look like a peacock with its feathers standing on end.
Zui Qingfeng finally found the pipe, but it already had several teeth marks from Gou Dan's pecking.
He sighed, casually used it to pick up a wildflower, and placed it under the gang's signboard.
Chenze's sword energy is indeed useful, but the latrine door is now missing and needs to be rebuilt.
Shiyun and Xijiang sat on the veranda, playing the zither and drinking tea. The melodious music made the entire gang seem like a fairyland.
If we ignore the eldest brother who's fighting with Gou Dan over the broom.
As night fell, a barbecue grill was set up in the yard.
The eldest brother held up the grilled fish, exuding an air of heroic pride.
"Today is Labor Day, let's..."
"Wait!" Pan-fried fish suddenly raised his hand.
"Have we forgotten something?"
The group looked at each other in bewilderment. Suddenly, a roar came from the direction of the outhouse.
"Who locked me in here?!"
It turned out that Chen Ze's sword energy was too fierce, deforming the door frame. When Zui Qingfeng went in to check, the door... was stuck.
Dog Egg hopped over gleefully, scratched at the door crack with its paws, and called out in a cheeky tone.
"Quit smoking and reflect on your actions!"
Zui Qingfeng shouted angrily.
"...I'll stew you as soon as I get out of here!"
The eldest brother laughed heartily and raised his glass.
"Never mind! Let's celebrate Labor Day first!"
Everyone (except Zui Qingfeng) shouted in unison: "Happy Labor Day!"
The gentle moonlight enveloped the newly renovated Bird Village, and the wind chimes hanging under the eaves tinkled softly in the evening breeze.
The busy leaders were very pleased to see the clean and tidy gang.
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