Chapter 315

Shopkeeper Ding took some people into the city and personally went to the west of the city. He carefully explored the site to see if the quality of the excavated soil met the requirements for firing. He also asked how much soil could be cleared every day, how long the whole dredging project would take, and the main road to clear. After careful calculation, he found that it was indeed profitable.

Moreover, Tongren Province was currently repairing the city walls and expanding the granary. Taoist Changfeng of the Seven Mysteries Temple was going to build a Taoist temple in Tongren City. These three locations were all near the main road of the dredging project. It was very convenient to fire and provide bricks and tiles on the spot. They could save a lot of transportation fees, and the money saved was also a profit.

Therefore, Shopkeeper Ding decisively agreed to set up kilns in three places in the city to fire bricks. After the dredging, the most laborious step was how to deal with the silt. This was a city, not a lake. The river bank could be piled up into an island or used to raise the dam.

Now, with the Yu Ji Brick and Tile Shop, the fresh silt dug out could be used to fire bricks as long as the people in the brick and tile shop treated it a little. They couldn't use the dried mud piled up on the roadside, and some small landlords from nearby villages and towns brought it back as fertilizer. Basically, it solved a big problem for Ye Xiaotian.

At the same time, Ye Xiaotian seized the opportunity to complain to Magistrate Zhang. Magistrate Zhang couldn't stand it anymore and finally agreed. The dredging project would be completed in two years. The 200 taels of silver would be one year's salary, and another 200 taels of silver would be given to him next year.

In this way, together with the money that Ye Xiaotian "raised" from the merchants in the Three Streets and Six Alleys, it was enough to ensure the smooth progress of the whole project. Now that things were on track, Ye Xiaotian didn't need to go to the site every day to take care of it. The specific matters were handed over to Guan Yang Deity.

Guan Yang Deity looked like a "god" with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a silly look. In fact, he had a lot of clever ideas. Who wanted to open a business, who wanted to get married, and who wanted to have a bad atmosphere in front of the door? If Guan Yang Deity wanted him to speed up the construction, he had to give him some benefits. In this way, Guan Yang Deity could enjoy being a foreman.

Once the dredging project started, the people under him only needed to follow the established guidelines and carry it out step by step. There was no need for Ye Xiaotian to worry about it. During this period of time, more and more people started to come to the interrogation hall to file lawsuits. Ye Xiaotian's successful trial had a certain impact on the number of people.

It was just that whenever there was a dispute between the natives, they were used to looking for the Chieftains to settle it. They were unwilling to go to the yamen. The cases that Ye Xiaotian was currently handling were mostly economic disputes between merchants. But it was precisely this kind of case that was full of money. Regardless of whether it was the plaintiff or the defendant, they would have to make some arrangements when they arrived at the yamen. Finally, the interrogation hall was revived.

The changes in the interrogation hall and Ye Xiaotian's actions were witnessed by the officials of the Tongren Prefecture. Ye Xiaotian's image in their hearts gradually changed. In the beginning, the officials in Tongren Province didn't like Ye Xiaotian, who was an outsider. Especially those who knew about the turbulence in the officialdom of Hulu County, they were even more alienated from him.

But these days, they gradually found that Ye Xiaotian had a good sense of propriety. He would never interfere in things that he shouldn't be involved in, such as the murder case between Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Dai. Although this case was hastily solved, they all saw Ye Xiaotian's performance during the process. What they hated most was colleagues who didn't know what was important and who didn't care about the consequences. Obviously, Ye Xiaotian was not such a black sheep.

With the amount of silver allocated by the magistrate's office, it was impossible to carry out the task of dredging smoothly. The general method was to choose the most important areas and renovate the mansions of the officials as if they were brand new. The other areas were left untouched and the surface was clean and tidy. This was already considered a capable official.

But Ye Xiaotian made the impossible possible. He actually had a whimsical idea. He cut a lot of expenses from the impossible and coaxed and pestered the extremely stingy prefectural magistrate to take out a sum of money from his pocket. Then, he really started to clean up the silt in the whole city.

To be able to use the least amount of money to do something that others thought was impossible, this person was amazing. A person who knew when to advance and retreat, knew his limits, and was very capable would rarely make people dislike him. At least, through his efforts, Ye Xiaotian had created such an image in the eyes of the officials in Tongren Province:

I'm very capable, I'm hardworking, I'm pure, I'm a harmless little friend. Everyone, come and hit on me! Thus, Dai Tongzhi, who specialized in hitting on good families, caught the scent and rushed over …

…

Duo Ni and Ye Yao returned to the mountain. Ye Yao went straight to the temple to meet the elders, while Duo Ni flew back home like a swallow. She hadn't seen her parents for a long time, and she really missed them.

The big yellow dog at the door still recognized its little master. When it saw Duo Ni, it barked twice and pounced around Duo Ni, wagging its tail. It seemed that it was also very happy.

Big Yellow's barking called a little guy out of the house. First, it had a white and chubby little leg like a lotus root. Then, a little guy with a teapot lid on his head, open-crotch pants, and a silver lock on his neck that was full of saliva appeared.

He climbed over the high threshold with difficulty and looked at Duo Ni curiously with a pair of big eyes that were like dots of paint. Duo Ni rushed over happily and picked him up. She giggled and said, "Mi Jiu, is it Little Mi Jiu? Aiya, our Little Mi Jiu has grown so big, let me kiss it … "

Little Mi Jiu seemed to be scared by her excited look. It twisted its body twice but couldn't break free, so it turned its head and rushed into the house to call for its parents. Gedore and his wife heard the sound and came out. When they saw their daughter coming back, they couldn't help but be happy. The family reunited after a long time. After being intimate for a while, Duo Ni's mother noticed something strange.

Duo Ni's mother was surprised and happy. She said, "Sister Sun, weren't you pregnant long ago? Why … did you give birth?"

Duo Ni then remembered that she pretended to be pregnant when the elders went to visit Venerable in Hulu County. She immediately hesitated. Gedore said excitedly, "Hahaha, I'm already a grandfather. Sister Sun, quickly tell me, did you give birth to a boy or a girl?"

Duo Ni secretly complained. She thought that if her father's tribe moved to the Tixi area, it would be closer to Tongren. This matter would be exposed sooner or later. After all, they were her parents, so there was no need to hide it too much. Thus, she stuttered and told the truth.

Gedore listened and frowned. He was the father, so it wasn't appropriate for him to say anything. Duo Ni's mother pulled her daughter into the room and the mother and daughter whispered to each other. Duo Ni's mother asked her carefully and taught her some of the tricks of getting pregnant that were passed down from the ancestors. Duo Ni's face blushed from time to time.

After teaching her the tricks, Duo Ni's mother reminded her, "If the elders ask, just say that you accidentally affected the baby's Qi and caused a miscarriage. Do you understand? Otherwise, the elders will definitely choose daughters suitable for bearing children from other families and offer them to you to compete for your favor. "

Duo Ni nodded repeatedly. She didn't want another sister to share her man with.

When Ye Gedore returned to the temple, the oldest Gachailao immediately gathered all the elders. Because Dong Dong had followed Venerable for the longest time, he was specially called to attend the meeting and listen to Ye Gedore's orders with him.

Ye Gedore unfolded the map that Ye Xiaotian gave him and pointed it out to all the elders, "Venerable's order is to move Gedore's tribe to live in the mountains here. In addition, each of the eight elders will recommend a family member to live in the Venerable's residence in Tongren City. They will listen to the oracle and protect the Divine Servants. "

Gachailao frowned, "Why did Venerable make such an arrangement? Is there someone in Tongren City who intends to harm the Venerable? "

Ye Gedore said, "The Venerable has entered the world to gain experience and has been promoted from the magistrate of Gourd County to the magistrate of Tongren Province. Tongren City is under the jurisdiction of the magistrate, so it is different from Gourd County. The Venerable's official position is conferred by the imperial court, so it is not enough to rely on in Tongren Province. Those without strength have no say in Tongren City.

In addition, some time ago, Magistrate Zhang of Tongren City asked the Venerable to mediate the dispute between the four major tribes of Mercury and Silver Mountain. As a result, the Venerable got involved and formed enmity with several aristocratic families. Especially the Cool Moon Valley's Guoji Clan and Tixi Yu Clan. It is hard to say if they will not harm the Venerable. Venerable is also preparing for a rainy day … "

Gedwa said nervously, "The situation in Tongren City is so serious. What if something happens to the Venerable? We are too far away to do anything. Why don't we ask the Venerable to resign and return to the mountains?"

Ye Gedwa said with a bitter smile, "I have tried to persuade him, but the Venerable was not moved. The Venerable said that he will not return until the training period is over. "

One of the elders heard this and frowned, "All these years, we have been trying to prevent the believers from coming into contact with the secular world. Is it appropriate to transfer a tribe out?"

All the elders immediately fell silent. There were some reasons that couldn't be publicly announced, even though they all understood what was going on. Elder Dong, who was just listening, thought for a while and suddenly said, "Elders, I think it is okay to send a tribe over."

Gachailao and the other elders looked at him. Elder Dong gathered his courage and said, "Elders, the reason why our sect is independent is that we don't want the secular world to affect the believers' piety. But today, the mountains and rivers are no longer a barrier.

Often, some disciples of the tribes go out of the mountains to sell fur and fur in exchange for salt and cloth. They have seen and heard everything outside the mountains and will talk about it when they come back. Last time, eight thousand disciples built a mansion for the Venerable and stayed in Gourd County for a while. When they came back, they often talked about the prosperity outside the mountains. People's hearts have long been swayed.

Someone asked the disciple, "We are devout believers of the God of Venerable. Shouldn't the god give us a better life? Why do we have to be content with being poor and hide here for generations? The disciple was speechless. All the elders have traveled the world and know that there are many sects like Buddhism and Taoism.

These sects have a lot of believers and did not disappear because they entered the secular world. If we sincerely believe in the existence of the God of Venerable Gu, why should we worry that our believers will be tempted by others? Therefore, this disciple feels that we should go out! "

This was another debate about whether the Gu God Sect should enter the secular world or not. This debate had been going on for hundreds of years. But all along, the idea of leaving the secular world had the upper hand. But this time, when Elder Dong raised this question again, all the elders remained silent for a long time.

After a long time, an eighty-year-old elder with white hair and a white beard said slowly, "It seems … not impossible to send a tribe out of the hundreds of banners in the nine caves and eighteen stockades to contact the secular world. If the impact of leaving the secular world is more good than bad for our sect, we don't have to avoid it in the future. If it is not good for the survival of our sect, we will continue to restrain our followers and have less contact with the secular world. "

Dong Dong was Gedwa's core disciple. After hearing the elder's words, Gedwa laughed and said to Dong Dong approvingly, "Your eyesight has always been bad, but you see further than us old guys."

Gachailao said sensitively, "Elder Gedwa also agrees to leave the mountains?"

Gedwa said, "Today, with the Venerable's order, we must not ignore it. Moreover, it is only sending out a tribe. We are in control of our advance and retreat. What is wrong with that? What do the elders think? "

The elders whispered to each other and nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Gachailao said, "Alright, then we will follow the Venerable's order and let Gedore move west to the Tixi region. However, I think that we still need to send an elder to watch over Gedore's tribe. If there is any movement, we can be informed immediately."

Gedwa nodded in agreement and praised, "Gachailao is still experienced and prudent. Since that is the case, why don't we let the seducer go to Gedore's tribe to watch over them. Old guys like us are already rotten and can't take this kind of torment."

The seducer he mentioned was the new elder who was promoted together with Yale. He was not even sixty years old and was considered very young among the elders. All the elders nodded in agreement. Thus, the matter was settled.

Gedore's tribe had always been stationed by the Lake of God. Unlike some tribes that had gold and silver and other mineral resources, they were slightly wealthier. They went up the mountain to hunt and into the water to catch fish. They lived a very simple life in the mountains. Hunting bows, iron forks, and a fishing net were all their daily necessities.

Of course, the wealthier tribes were still far from those outside the mountains. For example, in some places, statues of gods were painted with hundreds of kilograms of gold and inlaid with thousands of gems. However, the believers were as poor as a church mouse.

As for the houses they lived in, they were all made of local materials and big wood. The place they were moving to was also in the mountains. It was very easy to build a new house. The things they really needed to bring with them were just a few bags. As a result, the entire tribe's migration was completed in just one day.

The migration was to serve the Venerable. This reason was enough for them. Moreover, the tribes in the mountains were no longer as isolated as before. People often told the tribes about the prosperity they saw in the secular world. With word of mouth, it was constantly beautified and made people yearn for it. Therefore, except for some old people who were reluctant to leave the place they had lived in for a lifetime, most of the people in the tribe left happily.

Under the secret operation of several forces, the current Tongren Province was like a pot of oil that was gradually heating up. The oil gradually rose and would soon boil. At this time, Ye Xiaotian scooped up a ladle of cold water and poured it into the pot of oil without thinking.