The next day.
As dawn broke, dust rose from the dirt roads outside the desolate county.
A convoy of a dozen or so dilapidated carts, carrying men and women who were pale, thin, and dressed in rags, was slowly approaching.
The wheels creaked and groaned, as if they might fall apart at any moment.
At the very front of the line was a man from Xinzhou named Zhang Laosan.
He had a stubble beard, cloudy eyes, and was tightly clutching an earthenware pot in his arms, with his daughter on his back.
The earthenware pot in his hand was all his belongings after the flood.
The flood destroyed the thatched house they had left behind, drowning all his family members except for him and his toddler daughter.
His daughter was saved by his wife's desperate efforts, and he was told to take good care of her.
Thinking of this, tears welled up in Zhang Laosan's eyes.
The flood was merciless; all he had left was his daughter!
If it weren't for the government notice that a factory was being built in Xinzhou, with room and board provided and skills taught, he really wouldn't know where to go.
Unfortunately, before the factory in Xinzhou could be fully established, he and many others would need to travel to the legendary barren mountains and counties to learn from their experience.
Zhang Laosan wasn't afraid of himself; he was just a worthless man, what was there to be afraid of? He was only afraid that his only daughter would starve to death on the road or catch some disease.
"Daddy, I'm hungry..." came the weak voice of the little girl from behind.
Old Zhang's heart clenched. He touched the child's dry hair and said in a hoarse voice, "It'll be soon, child. There will be food when we get to the barren mountains."
He himself didn't believe these words, even though the officials in Xinzhou repeatedly assured him that everyone who came here to study would have their food and lodging provided.
But how could he, having lost everything, dare to think too much? The mountain goddess of the desolate mountain was indeed great; she only sent some believers, yet she stopped the flood and saved countless people.
But their grain didn't just fall from the sky! How could we just give it to them for free?
Zhang Laosan felt that he would be lucky to have some cornbread to eat, and he planned to save most of his skills for his daughter.
Zhang Laosan continued on his way.
In the convoy, there were quite a few disaster victims like him. Some came from Wanlai, some from Chongzhou; they were all pitiful people who had lost their families and had nowhere else to turn.
They gazed at the misty mountain ahead, their eyes filled with both awe for the gods and trepidation about the unknown.
Will the legendary Mountain Goddess really take them in, these burdens, and let them learn real skills?
Finally, the cart stopped in a huge open space on the outskirts of the desolate county.
Before anyone could react, the scene before them left them speechless.
Tall walls, neat factory buildings, and towering chimneys billowing thick smoke filled the air with an unfamiliar heat.
Countless workers dressed in uniform indigo shorts were lining up to enter one huge "room" after another.
“Good boy… good boy…” The voice came from a soldier.
He is a man from the New First Army, who had been training hard on the outskirts of Qingzhou for some time.
Early this morning, the instructors pulled them out of bed and said that the New First Army was different from other armies. They said that soldiers like them could not just focus on training, but also had to go out and work, and go to the barren mountains to learn how to build factories!
At that time, factories will be built in the areas where the New First Army is stationed!
Therefore, representatives of this group of men were sent.
Zhao Tiezhu had always spent his days in the Mighty Army; when had he ever seen such a scene?
He was so shocked that his jaw dropped. "What... what is this all about! Could it be that Madam An and that formidable woman in white both live in places like this?"
This is no desolate county! It's clearly a giant city that's roaring and in operation!
The crowd stirred, filled with awe and unease.
Just then, two people walked in from the entrance of the open space.
The person in front of them was none other than Lin Anniang, who had displayed her prowess at the New First Army training ground yesterday.
She was still wearing that indigo dress, her hands behind her back, her gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd, exuding an aura of authority without anger.
Following behind her was a woman dressed in a light purple dress, with elegant features and a gentle temperament, holding a thick register in her hand.
It was Liang Shu, who was in charge of coordinating the inside and outside of the barren mountain and had the ability to teleport.
Upon seeing Lin Anniang, several soldiers who had just come from the New First Army to maintain order instinctively straightened their backs and dared not even breathe loudly.
The fear of being dominated by the "living Buddha" yesterday still lingers deep in my bones.
Zhao Tiezhu recognized Lin Anniang, and his legs went weak, almost causing him to kneel down.
"This, this is the female steward who could crush a millstone yesterday!" His voice trembled.
Gou Sheng, standing nearby, also turned pale: "My God, what's she doing here?"
Liang Shu walked to the front of the group, her voice gentle yet clear: "You have all come from afar and must be tired. I am Liang Shu, the manager of the desolate mountain, and this is Manager Lin Anniang. We are here to receive you all on the orders of the Mountain Goddess."
She opened the roster and began calling out names: "Zhang Laosan from Zhangjia Village, Xinzhou?"
"Yes, yes!" Zhang Laosan quickly replied.
"Wangjiazhuang, Wanzhou, Widow Li?"
A woman holding a child timidly raised her hand: "This humble woman is here."
Her husband died in the flood, leaving her with her three-year-old child.
While checking, Liang Shu gestured for several young men and women wearing the same blue work clothes to come forward.
"After verifying your identity, go with them to the registration office to collect your ID card and daily necessities. Then someone will take you to your accommodation and the canteen."
The process is clear and well-organized.
Lin Anniang stood to the side, her gaze sweeping over the newcomers.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
