Mr. Wang was rushing with pride: “Ah, you’ve come just in time. I was looking for you.”

The poor man looked timid, as if he had never seen the world. Li Daoxuan could tell almost at a glance that he hadn’t been in Gaojia Village for long; only a newcomer showed such mental state.

Mr. Wang spoke up: “I heard you are a woodcarver.”

The poor man quickly bowed: “Yes, humble I am called Xiao Dazheng. My ancestors were woodcarvers for generations.”

Mr. Wang added: “A permanent worker? A rotating worker?”

Xiao Dazheng said awkwardly: “A permanent worker… humble I lost my household registration and escaped. Now I am just a vagrant.”

Mr. Wang sighed sympathetically: “A permanent worker, that must have been very tough for you. I heard you just arrived in Gaojia Village, haven’t achieved any merit, and have eaten free food for days. You’re probably feeling uneasy inside, right?”

That really nailed it. Xiao Dazheng came to Gaojia Village and immediately received “artisan treatment.” Thirty-Two assigned him a home in the artisans’ well, gave him rice, flour, salt, and oil, ensuring his life was worry-free.

But eating these things was unsettling.

Doing nothing while eating free food—how could he not feel anxious?

He was afraid one day, Clerk Tan Liwen would rush over and say: “You’re absolutely useless; Gaojia Village doesn’t want you.”

Then it would be entirely over.

Therefore, Xiao Dazheng had been apprehensive these past days, asking everywhere about what he could do. Then, his good friend Luo Leg Hair recommended him to Mr. Wang.

Xiao Dazheng admitted: “Humble I is truly uneasy. Mr. Wang, please lead a way.”

Mr. Wang declared: “Very well, I’ll be blunt. My children have no books to read. In this whole Gaojia Village, only the few books I brought are available, forcing children to take turns flipping through them. Learning anything is extremely hard.”

Xiao Dazheng understood right away: “Mr. Wang means… you want humble I to carve and print some books?”

Mr. Wang swayed his head with emphasis: “Exactly. Books for children are critically important; not one character can be wrong. I sought you because Luo Leg Hair spoke of your diligence and seriousness while working, your woodcarving never having an error.”

Xiao Dazheng quickly said: “Humble I is most serious in tasks. Books carved by humble I will not have a single mistake.”

Mr. Wang responded: “Good.” Then he pulled out several handwritten pages: “This is the celestial language the Deity taught me, called ‘Hanyu Pinyin’. I compiled it for you to carve and print into a book. Thus, you’ll do something real for the Deity, and that food at home will feel less anxious to eat.”

Xiao Dazheng was overjoyed: “Thank you, Deity! Thank you, Mr. Wang! I will fulfill this task without fail, carving and printing ‘Hanyu Pinyin’ perfectly.”

Mr. Wang cautioned: “I must remind you: the b and d are easily confused, and the C and E also cause mistakes… here… here… these are error-prone spots. One wrong character corrupts the children’s learning… hmph…”

Xiao Dazheng assured him: “Master, rest easy. If I miss one character, I’ll twist off my head and kick it to the Deity like a ball.”

Li Daoxuan overheard this with delight: Good! Good! With artisans arriving one after another, Gaojia Village was branching out in multiple directions. Once my translator and printer started, even reduced printing made items huge and inconvenient to handle.

But now, with a woodcarver, Gaojia Village could make its own paper and publish its own books, truly incubating the word “culture.”

Culture linked to ideas!

With ideas would come elevation and expansion into a new world.

He had just been pondering this issue when those two started moving.

Li Daoxuan’s face showed divine pleasure as he lowered his head: “Yiye, tell Thirty-Two that an artisan named Xiao Dazheng plans to carve and print books. Get Thirty-Two to spare no help in finishing this quickly. On the day the first ‘Hanyu Pinyin’ is printed, reward the woodcarver heavily.”

Gao Yiye responded: “I obey!”

She was still sitting with Thirty-Two, Madam Bai, Young Master Bai, and others, overhearing Madam Bai scold her ‘lazy, purpose-wasting’ son. It was making her head spin. Seizing the chance from the Deity’s command, she quickly pulled Thirty-Two away: “Third steward, the Deity has an order for you.”

Thirty-Two, also overwhelmed, seized the exit: “Well, Madam Bai, Young Master Bai, you continue chatting. I must take my leave.”

They swiftly ran aside. Gao Yiye relayed Li Daoxuan’s message, so Thirty-Two hastily pursued the task. He summoned his hired Clerk Tan Liwen and rushed toward the artisans’ well.

Gao Yiye glanced left and right. Seemingly nothing more for herself, and the Deity silent, free time had come.

Her eyeballs rolled twice as she bolted toward the study well. Inside, a group of youngsters had just finished reading the “Hundred Family Surnames” and sat down for homework.

Gao Yiye crouched, sneaked past Mr. Wang, and crept up to an eight- or nine-year-old boy, whispering: “Gao Sanwa, Gao Sanwa.”

The boy, named Gao Sanwa, turned and murmured: “Big sister Yiye, are we really going?”

Gao Yiye nodded: “Now is the best time.”

Gao Sanwa slid down from his desk, hunched over, and followed behind Gao Yiye. They stealthily slipped out of the study well as Mr. Wang turned his head.

Watching this, Li Daoxuan couldn’t help chuckling: What was this? Gao Yiye had lured a child to skip class. Grabbing a little boy—this Saint Lady image was abandoned! What exactly was she taking him to do?

Gao Yiye and Gao Sanwa threaded through the layered passages of the encircled home and soon reached outside Gaojia Fortress. Parked there were three vehicles: Solar Vehicle No. 1, Solar Vehicle No. 2, Solar Vehicle No. 3.

Small to large, they measured two zhang (about 6 meters), three-something zhang (about 10 meters), and nine-something zhang (about 28 meters).

Gao Yiye climbed into Solar Vehicle No. 1’s driver seat, gripped the steering plow, and grinned: “Gao Sanwa, all set?”

Gao Sanwa stationed himself for controlling the sunshade, murmuring: “Big sister Yiye, will this really not bring trouble? If the Deity catches us privately using the ‘Solar Vehicle’, we’ll be punished.”

Gao Yiye retorted: “The Deity told me ‘do what you like’.”

Gao Sanwa argued: “But doing what you like still shouldn’t cross the Deity’s decree.”

Gao Yiye reasoned: “The decree only allowed Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu to drive; it didn’t forbid others. Whatever he didn’t order ‘do not do’ is permitted.”

Gao Sanwa fell silent.

That logic appeared sound.

After all a child yet reasonably daring, Gao Sanwa accepted: “Very well, then I’ll help you.”

Observing this, Li Daoxuan broke into a smile: This little girl had learned wordplay loopholes. Haha, these recent days of reading and writing weren’t wasted.