"Master Song, what's the rush? Didn't General Fan ask you and the others from the county government to build the mountain god temple together?" Zhongheng turned his head and looked over, somewhat surprised.
The clerk, Song, was so anxious that he was covered in sweat, and a few strands of his black hair had turned white, showing how agonizing that night had been.
“You must build the mountain god temple properly. We will all be there to supervise the construction. Any cutting corners will be a great disrespect to the mountain god!” Zhongheng reminded him.
“Brother Zhong, we naturally know this, and with General Fan and so many people of Qingcheng watching over us, who would dare to slack off?” Master Song said with a wry smile.
"The reason I brought people here was because I suddenly had an idea. The Mountain Goddess saved our entire Qingcheng, so the Mountain God Temple definitely cannot be built; it would be too simple."
"But with the current weather, it would probably take a long time to build something too elaborate, and it might not even be finished by next winter."
Master Song wiped the sweat from his brow, also finding the situation extremely troublesome.
He had only taken on this task yesterday, and the construction of the mountain god temple had just been put on the agenda. Countless people were already urging him to go to the temple to worship.
If the people knew they would have to wait another year, the county government office in Qingcheng would probably be useless, and would definitely be pelted with rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs.
"That's what I think. The school that was vacated yesterday was converted from the former magistrate's mansion. It was built very beautifully, with artificial hills, flowing water, pavilions, and corridors. It has everything."
"Although the roofs of the back houses were torn off, it's not a big problem. As long as we repair them and renovate them, we will definitely be able to build the most exquisite mountain god temple!"
This was the most suitable method that Master Song had decided on after tossing and turning all night.
However, since this involved the Mountain Goddess, building a temple for her in the old house might anger the people, so he had no choice but to take the initiative to ask the Zhong siblings for their opinions.
After all, these people are the true believers of the Mountain Goddess. The reason why the Mountain Goddess suddenly appeared yesterday was to save their lives!
“Brother Zhong, don’t worry. If you think it’s not suitable, we’ll reject the plan and build a brand new temple for the Mountain Goddess!” Master Song wiped his sweat again.
“Sure, we can just use the old school building. There’s no need for such a big undertaking.” Zhongheng said without hesitation.
The surrounding people also stopped and looked over curiously. They recognized them as the people who had introduced the Mountain Goddess yesterday.
Several people were furious: "What right do you have to make decisions for the Mountain Goddess? That school is so dilapidated, and it was left behind by thieves who almost harmed those children. How can you put the statue of the Mountain Goddess in such a place?"
The other people nodded in agreement: "Yes, the Mountain Goddess saved our entire city. If it weren't for her intervention, that thief might have absorbed the city's fortune. How could we let the Mountain Goddess live in such a temple?"
The crowd was filled with righteous indignation and wanted nothing more than to jump up and start cursing.
The clerk next to him quietly took out a handkerchief, his hands trembling slightly. He knew this would happen; no matter what he chose, he would be scolded!
As the crowd grew increasingly excited and it seemed they were about to make a move, Huai Chan, holding a candied hawthorn, flicked it lightly. Instantly, the surrounding people were pushed out by a force, forming a closed circle.
Zhong Yan patted the little guy's head reassuringly and stood up on her own.
"Everyone, I know you all care about the Mountain God Temple and are thinking of the Mountain Goddess."
Zhong Yan's voice was very calm, yet carried a convincing power that caused many people to gradually shut their mouths.
“The Mountain Goddess saved us and restored our fortune. We are naturally very grateful and want to give back to the Mountain Goddess by giving her the best Mountain God Temple.”
"But have you ever thought that with the weather so cold these days and the world becoming increasingly chaotic, it would take us a long time to build the mountain god temple normally, and we would need more people to help us?"
“I know you might be very happy to come and build the mountain god temple, but in this kind of weather where it’s so cold even in cotton clothes, you’ll definitely suffer a lot, and you might even freeze to death.”
"None of this is what the Mountain Goddess wanted to see!"
"But the Empress saved our lives so that we could live better lives, not so that we would suffer again."
As they spoke, the people couldn't help but shrink back and put their hands inside their sleeves.
Yes, this winter is really too cold. How many cotton-padded clothes do ordinary families have? Even if they wear layer upon layer of clothes, they still can't keep out the biting cold.
If it weren't for the miracle that happened yesterday, there wouldn't be so many people on the streets right now. Most people would be huddled at home, trying to keep warm.
"We can't wrong the Mountain Goddess, can we?" someone muttered.
"Yes, none of us want to wrong the Mountain Goddess. The believers on the other side of the desolate mountain think the same way. When they received the Mountain Goddess's blessing and offered sacrifices to her again and again, that's what they thought."
"However, at that time, the Mountain Goddess refused! Our Mountain Goddess said that the world is becoming more and more chaotic, and we are also facing a once-in-a-century cold winter. She wants all believers to hoard food as much as possible and protect themselves as much as possible, instead of spending their only possessions on the temple."
"Can you imagine? The mountain god temple in that desolate mountain is still enshrined as a clay statue of the mountain god."
"The Mountain Goddess bestows upon us mercy and pities the suffering of the world. Shouldn't we also cooperate with the Mountain Goddess and use our time and money wisely?"
"If we still have the energy next spring, how about we build an even more exquisite temple for the Mountain Goddess and sculpt a golden statue of her?"
Waaah, so the Mountain Goddess's life is so hard? Then they must try their best to live and wait for next spring to build a better temple for the Mountain Goddess!
A group of people shed tears.
Inside the temple, Yu Luo suddenly sneezed.
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