Bai Sheng was fine and planned to return to her room to rest. Perhaps she had been too agitated from scolding the Pang family mother and daughter, as the little cubs in her belly were very excited.
Lu Xing and Lu Yang immediately chased after her. Hesitantly, they told Bai Sheng about their family's desire to move to Hongshu Slope.
Bai Sheng agreed without a second thought, but the previous labor agreement remained valid. If Granny Chen did not work according to the agreement, she would handle the situation accordingly.
Lu Xing and Lu Yang nodded repeatedly. In fact, this time they wanted to separate from Granny Chen and the third branch of the family.
Lu Yang was older and had reached the age to get married. Lu Xing was not young either. If the family continued to be so chaotic, it would be difficult for them to find wives.
Lu Dahai also saw through it. As long as his mother was around, they would not have a peaceful life.
He would support his mother in her old age, ensuring her food and clothing were taken care of, but he would also distance himself from her and no longer see her as the sky above his head.
At dinner, Du Min explained that most of the women claimed they had been forcibly abducted and their children were also the offspring of those bandits. However, none of them wanted to leave Hongshu Slope, saying they had been defiled by the bandits and their families would not accept them even if they returned home.
Moreover, by staying in Hongshu Slope, even as captives, they could eat dinner, a large bowl of thick porridge, which was much better than their lives before, whether at home or in the bandit lairs.
In fact, the women had been observing secretly. The folk customs of Hongshu Slope were good, people got along harmoniously, and most importantly, there was a well. Even fruit trees and crops had been successfully planted.
If it weren't for divine intervention, they couldn't imagine any other reason for such a miracle to occur in the arid desert.
Following those blessed by the gods was definitely the right choice.
Bai Sheng told Du Min, "Let them stay for now, but don't fully believe everything they say. Let them work first and observe them for a while."
"Yes, I understand. Time reveals a person's heart, and their character is tested over time. We at Hongshu Slope have requirements for people's conduct," Du Min nodded in agreement.
These bandits must have eaten a lot of human flesh and might carry infectious diseases or pathogens. After dinner, Bai Sheng had people prepare soapwort and hot water for them to wash their bodies and hair. The more than 80 sets of clothes were also returned to them by Du Min.
Not only did they have food, but also unlimited water to drink and the ability to bathe. Was this what it was like to be a captive? Those women and children truly did not want to leave Hongshu Slope.
Even some of the bandits harbored such terrifying thoughts.
After a day of busy work, Hongshu Slope finally returned to normal on the second day.
Yang Ming and Wang Xiao Ma rode horses, pulling a cart towards town. A disheveled woman with a blood-stained face sat on the cart.
Not long after leaving Hongshu Slope, Lu Ye suddenly appeared before them on horseback.
Yang Ming and Xiao Ma immediately greeted him as "Grandpa."
Lu Ye smiled and nodded at them. Then he dismounted from Hei Feng, walked to the side of the cart, and with a look of disgust, used his saber to push aside the hair on Wang Donghua's forehead.
Wang Donghua's face was ashen. She slowly opened her eyes and saw an incomparably beautiful man appearing in her sight, backlit by the morning sun.
This man was poison. If she hadn't been bewitched by his appearance, she wouldn't have ended up like this. It was all this man's fault!
Wang Donghua's eyes were filled with deep hatred.
The beautiful man pressed the tip of his saber against her forehead, sneering coldly, "You have quite the audacity to insult my wife like this and plot against my children. You're truly tired of living."
Yang Ming and Wang Xiao Ma now understood. Their master had specifically come to settle the score with this woman for her foul insults towards their mistress.
In fact, they didn't want to let her off so easily. Before they could act, their master had already arrived.
Lu Ye took a black, fleshy worm from a small white porcelain bottle.
Wang Donghua didn't know what he intended to do, but she knew it was to deal with her. She immediately shrank into a ball, wanting to escape, but her body was weak.
Lu Ye placed the worm on Wang Donghua's face. The worm was very active, wriggling its body joyfully. In an instant, it drilled into Wang Donghua's nostril.
Wang Donghua screamed, her body convulsing as if thousands of ants were gnawing at her bones.
Lu Ye sneered, "This worm will destroy your fertility. You have no hope in this life. If you are human again in the next life, it's best to be sensible."
Yang Ming and Wang Xiao Ma watched in astonishment. Just one worm could render this woman unable to have children. It was truly miraculous.
Lu Ye wiped his hands with a handkerchief, remounted his horse, and said to them, "Be careful on the road. Go and come back quickly."
"Yes, Grandpa!" The two responded respectfully, their expressions still caught in the amazement of the moment.
After seeing their master ride away, Wang Xiao Ma came back to his senses and said, "Our Grandpa truly dotes on Mistress, unwilling to let her suffer even the slightest harm."
"Mistress is worthy of Grandpa's doting," Yang Ming's eyes flickered, his heart filled with complex emotions.
"That's true. In all my life, I've never seen a woman as smart and capable as Mistress," Wang Xiao Ma squeezed his horse's belly with his legs, his face full of idol worship.
"I haven't either," Yang Ming's earlobes reddened slightly.
Hongshu Slope gained a considerable amount of labor. The construction speed of the school and medical hall increased significantly. Bai Sheng expanded the planting area for grain and trees. Hongshu Slope was a scene of bustling activity everywhere. Kuai Shu Ge.
However, some unexpected events also occurred.
A few days prior, people sent to transport stones from Dashi Pit reported that the nearby mine refused to let them transport stones anymore, as those stones belonged to the mine and they had no right to use them.
But the stones at Dashi Pit had been piled there for many years, completely abandoned and useless. They had never heard that these stones had owners before, and now, someone had come forward to claim them.
This felt strange in some way.
Bai Sheng and others speculated that perhaps their road construction had inadvertently offended some people, who were deliberately making things difficult for them, or perhaps it was a form of implicit warning.
However, Bai Sheng was not someone who could be easily intimidated. She did not accept any threats. Since road construction was a matter of immense importance, she was open and had nothing to fear. If anyone wanted to contend with her, she would see it through to the end.
Lu Ye felt the same. They would deal with challenges as they arose, with no fear.
However, if they were not allowed to use the stones from Dashi Pit, they would not use them, as the stones were indeed discarded by the mine.
But they could not stop them from building the road.
There were stones everywhere in the world. Bai Sheng would continue to do what she wanted to do.
In the blink of an eye, it was nearing the end of the year, and the weather had become a bit chilly. It would take some time to find new stones, so Bai Sheng simply gave the road construction workers a holiday.
The road construction workers were all apprehensive, thinking that the mistress was going to dismiss them. However, they heard that it was only a temporary suspension of road construction, and if they were willing, they could help build houses, plant trees, and cultivate crops.
And so, the school and medical hall were soon completed.
The first layer of forest protection was also almost planted, the orchard was doubled in size, and several mu of crops were planted.