Surrounded by the crowd, Li Sanleng felt an unprecedented surge of pride welling up within him.
He carefully untied the ribbon of the package, as if it contained some rare treasure.
As the blue cloth was peeled away layer by layer, several items were revealed.
Several tubers, each about the size of a fist and still smelling of fresh earth, lay there quietly.
Beside it, there were several ears of grain, plump and golden in color, like maces.
At the very bottom, there was a thick envelope, neatly folded and slightly yellowed.
"What, what is this?" A bold young man approached and craned his neck to look at the tubers.
"It's all dark, could it be a clod of dirt?" the skinny man couldn't help but ask again, his tone tinged with suspicion.
"And this one is yellowish-brown, like a club, is it edible?"
The villagers were buzzing with discussion, their eyes filled with curiosity and bewilderment; they had never seen anything like these things before.
Li San scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "My uncle must have said in his letter that I can't read, so..."
He picked up the thick envelope and examined it from all angles. The ink on it looked like scribbles, and he couldn't recognize a single one.
The surrounding people were also bewildered.
"San Lengzi, your uncle can't read, who wrote this letter?"
"Yes, how many people in this surrounding area can read? What are we going to do?"
The crowd looked at each other, their earlier excitement fading, replaced by a cloud of gloom.
Just then, a strong voice rang out: "Make way, make way!"
The crowd parted to make way, and a constable dressed in a black-robed uniform walked in. He was about thirty years old and had a fairly kind face.
He glanced at the things on the ground and the letter in Li Sanleng's hand, then cleared his throat: "How about I read this letter to you?"
"ah?"
"Sir?"
The surrounding crowd fell silent instantly, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
The letter from Yunzhou—this official actually agreed to read it to them? This is unbelievable!
The constable didn't say much. He took the letter, unfolded it, and began to read it aloud.
"To my nephew Sanlengzi, it's as if we're meeting in person."
"Your uncle here, in the adult school at the foot of the barren mountain, has now learned to read a few words! This letter was written by my own hand!"
"What?" A gasp rippled through the crowd.
"Sanlengzi's uncle, that illiterate blockhead, actually knows how to read?" An old woman covered her mouth.
"An adult school? What kind of place is that? Can it teach people to read?"
The constable paused, then continued reading, "Your uncle is currently working at the brick kiln, learning the technique of brick-making! The foreman from the barren mountain said that they plan to build an even bigger factory in the future, so that more people will have work and food to eat!"
"Those things in the package are sweet potatoes and corn. They're high-yield, drought-resistant crops bestowed by the Mountain Goddess! We can grow them even in this dry land!"
"The yield from one acre is much more than wheat! If you take it as seed, be very careful not to throw it away like a club!"
"Sweet potato? Corn?"
"High-yield and drought-resistant?"
The villagers' eyes lit up immediately, and their breathing became heavier.
This land desperately needs this kind of crop!
The letter was long and rambling, mostly his uncle showing off the good life at the foot of the barren mountains in Yunzhou.
What a waste to eat white rice every meal, and meat every few days.
The work in the factory wasn't strenuous, the wages were generous, and there were even people teaching us to read and do arithmetic in the evenings—it was like living the life of a god!
The audience listened with rapt attention, their faces practically overflowing with envy and longing.
The bailiff finished reading: "...The factories in Yunzhou are still hiring. If any villagers in Chizhou are struggling to make ends meet, they can go and give it a try. The Mountain Goddess is merciful and will not let down those who sincerely come to her..."
After the letter was read, the room fell silent.
Everyone's eyes lit up, fixed on the sweet potatoes and corn cobs, then on the constable.
They were tempted, really tempted!
However, upon seeing the constable's official uniform, they subconsciously rubbed their hands together, feeling hesitant and somewhat fearful.
To everyone's surprise, the constable smiled slightly, folded the letter, handed it back to Li Sanleng, and then said loudly.
"Fellow villagers, His Majesty has personally spoken, indicating that he is willing to go to Yunzhou to make a living,"
"The government can arrange vehicles to escort you there."
"Those who want to go, register at the county government office before dark."
These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd!
"Sir! Is this true?" An old man's voice trembled with excitement.
"That's wonderful! I want to go! My whole family will go!" A woman, holding her child's hand, cried tears of joy.
"Thank Goddess of the Mountain! She has shown us a way out!"
"Waaaaah, finally there's a way out..."
For a moment, cries, shouts, and laughter mingled together.
The sound echoed throughout the entire village.
Some wept with joy, hugging each other and shouting.
Some even knelt on the ground and kowtowed in the direction of Yunzhou, constantly chanting the words of the Mountain Goddess's mercy.
Li Sanleng straightened his back even more, his face beaming with unprecedented pride and self-satisfaction.
He looked at the jubilant villagers as if he had written the letter himself, and as if he had grown the sweet potatoes and corn himself!
At this moment, he was no longer the silly Li Sanleng, but a hero who brought hope to the whole village!
When he goes to Yunzhou, he will be like his uncle, learning how to fire bricks in a brick kiln, and then living in the factory dormitory where he will not have to pay for food and lodging, and will eat big white steamed buns and rice every day!
Thinking of this, Li Sanleng was overjoyed.
By the time he realized what had happened, the villagers around him had all disappeared, running frantically to tell their families what had happened.
Li Sanleng was also furious and howled.
"This message came from my uncle first, so don't even think about surpassing me! I'm definitely the fastest!"
Following that, Sanleng also ran as fast as he could.
But this time, his eyes were filled with hope.
On the other side, barren mountains.
Yu Luo had already made arrangements for measures to prevent the high temperatures.
At this moment, she turned her gaze to the little tree spirit.
She originally thought that these demons were also sent over from a distance using a teleportation array-like ability.
To everyone's surprise, a huge ship was moored on the riverbank.
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