Trouble is something to be avoided whenever possible. The fragile Gaojia Village simply couldn’t afford any turmoil at this time.

Li Daoxuan was about to wake Gao Yiye so she could relay a message for him.

Just then, another figure climbed onto the wall. It was Thirty-Two. He patted Gao Chuwu on the shoulder, signaling him to stay quiet. Then, he raised his voice and shouted towards Wang Er outside the wall: “Brother Wang, Gaojia Village appreciates your kind intentions. Since you’ve rebelled, government soldiers are hot on your heels. Your road ahead will be one of desperate flight across the land. Receiving those two cartloads of grain won’t make life much better for us here, and without them, it wouldn’t be much worse either. They are essentially superfluous to us. For you, however, this grain is vital sustenance for your perilous journey ahead. It holds far greater significance. Keeping it would be far more beneficial. This is what we call ‘using resources to their utmost potential.'”

Li Daoxuan chuckled inwardly: This guy is useful. With Thirty-Two around, I need to worry less.

Hearing Thirty-Two’s words, Wang Er also hesitated. Zhuang Guangdao, another rebel leader who had risen with him, whispered by his side, “Brother Wang, what he says makes sense. Since Gaojia Village gave you flour last time, it shows they aren’t short on food. Meanwhile, we are about to take refuge in the mountains, where grain will truly be scarce.”

Another rebel leader, Zheng Yanfu, chimed in, “Brother Wang, repaying their kindness can wait until we are firmly established. Look at Gaojia Village’s stance – it’s clear they don’t want any connection with us.”

Wang Er thought it over carefully and understood: It seems Gaojia Village dares not accept my grain either.

Being a decisive man, he didn’t dwell on it. He cupped his fists towards the wall and called out loudly, “In that case, I, Wang Er, shall take my leave for now. The debt Gaojia Village is owed, Wang Er will not forget.”

He waved his hand. “Let’s go!”

Seeing him about to leave, Thirty-Two suddenly spoke up, “Brother Wang!”

Wang Er halted and turned back.

Thirty-Two sighed deeply, his voice low and heavy, “The womenfolk from the wealthy households in the county town… what became of them?”

Wang Er froze as if struck by lightning. He stood stunned for several seconds, then turned his head. He threw two sharp, displeased glances at Zhuang Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu beside him before turning back. He cupped his fists silently at Thirty-Two, then spun around and strode off.

They didn’t take long before vanishing into the night.

Li Daoxuan noticed the direction they were heading was the same way they had retreated after the Water Theft incident. That way probably lay Wangjia Village, though he didn’t know how far it was from Gaojia Village.

After the brief commotion, peace returned to Gaojia Village.

Thirty-Two tugged Gao Chuwu down from the wall. Behind them, a large crowd of villagers had already gathered. Wang Er’s loud calls had woken many, though few dared to actually climb the wall.

Thirty-Two immediately started lecturing the villagers, “You may have walls around this Gaojia Village, but you have no proper defense! Not even a night watch rotation! This time it was Wang Er – he announced himself and woke us up to talk. But if other bandits came? If they quietly threw grappling hooks over the wall and scaled up, we’d be dead before we knew it!”

His complaint matched precisely what Li Daoxuan had wanted to raise.

The Village Chief stepped forward, shaking his head. “For a night watch, you need lanterns. Though this village is small, lining the entire wall with lanterns would require dozens. Where would we get that much lamp oil?”

Thirty-Two frowned. That was a fair point. But then he laughed and said, “You worry about oil? Gaojia Village is under the protection of a Great deity! Bright and Early in the morning tomorrow, let everyone kneel properly and kowtow reverently to the heavens. Won’t the oil just… arrive?”

The villagers pondered this. “True! The Great deity always grants us food early in the morning. If at that time we all kneel properly and beseech him, earnestly begging, maybe we can receive some oil.”

Seeing them like this, Li Daoxuan found it quite amusing. Why wait until tomorrow morning? I can give you the oil right now.

He walked to his kitchen, picked up a large bucket of vegetable oil, and found a mineral water bottle lid. He intended to pour a capful into the box.

However, before he could act, a middle-aged woman stepped out from the crowd of little people. It was Thirty-Two’s wife, the Third Lady.

The Third Lady pointed a finger at the villagers, her voice full of reproach: “I haven’t been in this village long, but I have a few words to say. You lot! You all show far too little respect to the Great deity!”

The villagers were baffled. “Disrespect? How have we disrespected the Great deity?”

Secretly cursing ‘A bunch of ignorant bumpkins!’ though she knew better than to say it aloud, the Third Lady sniffed contemptuously, “The Great deity has manifested his power in this village, aided you greatly. Yet, have you built him a temple? Cast him a golden image? Offered incense? Whenever you pray to him, all you do is kneel, kowtow, demanding this and that, insatiably greedy, without even the slightest semblance of proper ceremony!”

Her barrage of questions left the villagers utterly bewildered.

Seeing they genuinely seemed unenlightened, the Third Lady continued, exasperated, “When monks beseech the Buddha for blessings, they still bathe, change into clean clothes, ring bells, beat wooden fish, chant scriptures… and the Buddha doesn’t even always heed them! If you truly wish to beseech the Great deity for something, consider at least ringing a bell, burning some incense, lighting a candle… show some proper etiquette!”

Her words struck the villagers with clarity. Yes! Their manners were incomplete. What face do we have to ask for this and that?

Li Daoxuan, hearing this, almost burst out laughing. These rituals mean nothing to me, truly…

Wait!

A light bulb went off in Li Daoxuan’s head. These rituals… might actually be meaningful.

Because the little people were so small, their voices faint, he often struggled to hear them clearly. Even when they shouted towards the sky, he could easily miss their words.

If, every time they wanted to speak to him, they first grabbed a large bell and clanged it loudly a few times with a heavy hammer… then he would hear them easily.

So that’s the practical purpose of monks ringing bells! Dammit. Who would have thought I’d find meaning in feudalistic ritualistic formalities? Oh no… my materialist heart seems to be wavering…

The Third Lady continued her scolding: “Tomorrow morning, everyone wash up and put on clean clothes. Especially you, Miss Gao Yiye! You are the divine envoy chosen by the Great deity. Come to my house. I’ll find you a better dress and help you dress properly. You will be the one to lead the prayers to the Great deity… Hey, you two blacksmiths! Don’t sleep tonight! Work through the night forging a large bell. We’ll need it tomorrow morning!”

Facing these arrangements by the Third Lady, the villagers dared not voice a single objection. They all obediently complied.

Li Daoxuan, observing this discussion silently from his “place in the sky,” found it quite entertaining. I planned to give them the oil right away, but now… I think I’ll hold off. Let’s see what happens tomorrow morning.

Also…

His gaze lingered on Thirty-Two and the Third Lady. The arrival of these two in the village has proven remarkably helpful to me.

…

I have a cat at home – the same one as my avatar – and I’ve had it for several years.

I dote on it. I bought it a beautiful cat bed and a ton of toys. I love watching it frolic around with its toys.

Whatever food it wants, I buy for it – cat sticks, cans, kitty lollipops. Recently, I even started growing cat grass specifically for it.

When it got sick, I took it to the pet hospital.

I’ve spent over ten thousand yuan on it already.

Of course, this treatment is reserved for when it behaves.

If it misbehaves or causes trouble, it earns a firm slap.

This is the mindset of a pet owner, and it is also the mindset of the protagonist in the book.