Chapter 77: Settling the Villagers

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Settling the Villagers

The villagers had already tasted despair when the blizzard struck.

The heavy snow had sealed off the mountain, completely severing the village’s only way out. With their food supplies exhausted, they had been forced to chew on grass roots and gnaw at tree bark. Lacking proper winter clothes, they had stuffed their thin linen garments with straw and willow catkins, which failed to trap even a shred of warmth. Day after day, they had waited numbly for death.

But then, the Goddess had descended!

She was like a star in the dark night, more radiant and dazzling than the sun and moon. She brought them warmth and full bellies, buying refined white rice from the Immortal Realm to boil into porridge, enriching it with lard and tender green vegetable leaves.

The Goddess had even found them a highly lucrative job in the Immortal Realm. She bought cotton to stuff into their thin, drafty linen clothes, making them cozy and warm. She also bestowed upon them white flour steamed buns, sweet potatoes, cotton socks, the divine "Big Turkey" artifacts, fatty pork, premium farming tools, cotton quilts, and winter shoes...

With their basic needs met and hope rekindled, everyone had set out to clear the accumulated snow in the village. However, the effort had backfired, and the resulting vibrations collapsed their houses.

Without their shelters to shield them from the wind and rain, despair crept back into their hearts.

Yun Xiu sounded somewhat relieved. "At least no one is hurt. We managed to move the grain out in time, and all our valuables were dug out from under the rubble."

It was truly the silver lining in this tragedy!

A villager of Yun Zhen’s generation spoke up. "The only houses left standing belong to the village chief, Grandpa Zhang, Granny Wu, and Uncle Dashan. The chief has arranged for everyone to stay in these few homes, but there are over a hundred people in the village. We’ll all have to sleep on the floor." He sighed heavily. "It’s manageable for a short while, but what are we supposed to do in the long run? It’s freezing outside, and the ground is frozen solid. We can’t possibly build new houses."

Someone burst into tears. "Goddess, what should we do?"

Intermittent sobbing rippled through the crowd. The collapse of their homes was no different from the sky falling on them.

Yun Xiu also felt a pang of regret. He wondered if the houses would have stayed intact had he not suggested clearing the snow. He had been too clever for his own good!

But it was too late for regrets.

Even the village chief was at a loss. He pleaded, "Goddess, please, can you give us some guidance?"

Having grasped the situation, Yun Zhen quickly comforted them. "Everyone, you must stay strong. Don’t panic. Natural and man-made disasters are unavoidable during such a cruel blizzard. Our houses weren’t sturdy to begin with, and after being crushed under the snow for a whole month, they had probably reached their limit. Even if we hadn’t struck the ground heavily with our pickaxes, they likely wouldn’t have lasted more than a few days anyway before collapsing. It just happened a little earlier!

"Fortunately, no one was injured. Losing our houses is indeed a heavy blow, but where there’s life, there’s hope. We already survived the days when we were nearly freezing and starving to death. Doesn’t the village still have a few houses left? Hang in there for a few days and let me think of a solution."

The village had suffered disastrous losses, but she believed there had to be a way to resolve their current predicament.

Upon hearing the Goddess’s words, the villagers wiped their tears one by one.

"That’s right, we still have the Goddess!"

"Goddess, you must save us!"

They knelt on the ground and begged, pinning all their hopes on her.

Yun Zhen said calmly, "Please, get up. Tomorrow, I’ll ask around in the Immortal Realm and see if there is any way to solve the village’s crisis."

Yun Old Lady clasped her hands together in prayer. "I just hope this heavy snow stops soon. Once it melts, we can use mud and thatch to build new houses."

The village chief noticed Yun Zhen’s inner conflict. "Goddess, there is no rush. Take your time. We still have a few houses left, which are enough to settle everyone down for now."

"I understand, Chief. You and my father must settle everyone properly and keep them from losing heart," Yun Zhen replied with a nod, though she knew inwardly that the matter was extremely urgent.

Most of the village’s houses had collapsed. Although the remaining four families’ homes were sturdy, their walls were already cracked. It was only a matter of time before they caved in too.

A faint sense of unease gnawed at her; she feared the buildings might give way while everyone was asleep. And they couldn’t possibly sleep outside. No matter what, staying indoors would at least offer a bit of warmth. Sleeping outside would genuinely freeze them to death.

"Father, Chief," she reminded them, "arrange for a few people to take turns keeping watch tonight. I’m worried these last few houses might collapse while everyone is fast asleep. With a night watch in place, they can wake everyone up to run outside the moment the houses show any signs of giving way. Do not leave this up to chance. Everyone’s lives are what matters most."

Yun Xiu shared her concern. "You’re right. We definitely need people on night watch, just in case the few remaining houses collapse in the middle of the night."

The village chief nodded. The Goddess’s worries were his own. "Goddess, I will assign the young and strong men in the village to keep watch right away. We definitely won’t let anyone sleep too deeply."

He raised his voice and shouted, "Everyone should have noticed by now that the exterior walls of the surviving houses have cracked! They are at risk of collapsing at any moment. The Goddess and I have decided to arrange for several strong young men to take turns keeping watch every night. Do not sleep too deeply! Keep a close eye on the houses, and the moment anything feels off, wake everyone up and run outside."

Zhou Dashan, Tian Ergou, Hunters Wang, Carpenter Zhao, and several others stepped forward.

Zhou Dashan was the first to volunteer. "Chief, let us take the night watch. We’re strong, we don’t need much sleep, and our ears are just as sharp as any young lad’s."

The others voiced their agreement.

"Everyone’s safety rests on your shoulders now!" Yun Zhen said.

Entrusted with such a great responsibility by the Goddess, the men instantly puffed out their chests with pride.

Yun Zhen discussed with her father and the village chief on how to settle the villagers.

Zhou Dashan had many rooms in his house, and it was occupied only by him and his wife, Li Cuilan. The village chief’s home also had quite a few rooms, but his household consisted of sixteen people. Grandpa Zhang’s property had seven mud-brick houses and several thatched cottages. His family—comprising his two sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren—only occupied three rooms, leaving four mud-brick houses and all the thatched cottages vacant. Granny Wu didn’t have many rooms, but her household was small, consisting only of her, her son, her daughter-in-law, and her grandson.

In the end, they arranged for the elderly to stay at Granny Wu’s place. The teenage boys and adult men were mostly assigned to Grandpa Zhang’s home. The women and children were sent to the Zhou family’s home. Anyone who couldn’t fit into these three homes was squeezed into the village chief’s house.

Yun Xiu, his wife, and his granddaughter, who had already moved into the Zhang family’s home beforehand, stayed put.

They had effectively separated one small family after another. It was a last resort!

Once the villagers were settled, Yun Zhen returned to her dorm room.

Her crocheting had also been delayed. With everyone having lost their homes, she figured they wouldn’t be in the mood to make crochet dolls anyway. Preoccupied with the village’s troubles, she didn’t sleep a wink that night.

The next day, she went to class with dark circles under her eyes.

Mr. Gao asked with concern, "Yun Zhen, did you have trouble sleeping again last night? How are you feeling?"

Yun Zhen lied through her teeth. "I’m fine, Mr. Gao. It’s just that the book you gave me was so interesting that I couldn’t help but read it until midnight."

Mr. Gao advised, "Remember not to stay up too late in the future. You’re still young, and frequent late nights are bad for your health. The damage caused by sleep deprivation is irreversible!"

"I’ll remember that, Mr. Gao. I’ll definitely go to bed early from now on," Yun Zhen said, nodding emphatically.

Mr. Gao continued with his lesson.

Despite her lack of energy and the chaotic mess of thoughts in her mind, Yun Zhen forced herself to complete the day’s coursework. Afterward, she went to collect scrap materials, worked at the restaurant, and prepped vegetables. Everyone who knew her noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

They all urged her to stop staying up late, reminding her that it would take a toll on her body!