I Come to Teach You Cultivation-Chapter 62 - 18: Planning for Improving Rural Basic Public Facilities

Chapter 62: Chapter 18: Planning for Improving Rural Basic Public Facilities

Crossing over the outermost fence and moat.

Li Boyang and Li Jingshu had finally officially entered the bounds of Li Family Village.

This was a clearly newly constructed country road.

The compacted earth, combined with specially made blue bricks, gave the road a beauty distinct from that of this era.

It was a beauty of order and pattern, a civilized beauty brought by the blue bricks.

Even just the clear division between the fields and the road on either side was enough to prove how widely the blue bricks had been adopted in Li Family Village.

Li Boyang and Li Jingshu soon arrived near the village entrance, without spending much time.

Compared to three years ago, now almost every household in Li Family Village lived in blue brick houses.

And at the village entrance, a huge, unknown species of tree blocked the only way in.

That big tree was planted by Xiluo three years ago.

The spot was precisely where Li Boyang had buried that hideous raccoon cat statue.

In Xiluo’s words, a node of the earth vein that had already been discovered and purified by a divine statue—leaving that land unused felt like a waste.

And so, this tree, which shot up to a towering giant in just three years, sprang from the earth.

Because of its unbelievable growth rate, the villagers of Li Family Village were astonished, even regarding it as the work of the Gods, and especially built a shrine beneath the tree.

As for the deity enshrined inside?

Of course, it was a raccoon cat aflame, standing on blazing fire.

From the rather rough carving of the statue, it was clear that this too was crafted by Li Boyang himself.

But compared to the earlier outrageously ugly raccoon cat statue—

This raccoon cat image was much improved in both material and appearance.

"Old village chief?"

At a glance, seeing the old man sitting under the tree, Li Boyang widened his eyes in surprise.

That old man was the eldest in Li Family Village.

He was also, over the past three years, the one who’d fully supported Li Boyang in carrying out the "Rural Basic Public Facility Construction and Improvement Plan" as the village chief of Li Family Village.

To be honest, Li Boyang had never imagined before that even the most basic idea of hygiene would be such a hard thing to promote.

Just getting the villagers to understand what "hygiene awareness" was had driven Li Boyang to rack his brains.

In the end, it was the old chief who, not caring about anyone’s complaints, forced everyone to follow the rules Li Boyang set. Only then did the villagers gradually form today’s habits.

Even so, Li Boyang would still occasionally catch a few villagers paying lip service to the rules.

Luckily, with three years of groundwork, Li Boyang had gotten used to the villagers’ surprise and lack of understanding.

So as long as things didn’t get too out of hand, he basically turned a blind eye to it, pretending not to see.

After all, you can’t teach a man by words if he doesn’t understand—experience is the best teacher.

For big problems, Li Boyang had everyone’s back, so there was no fear of a major epidemic.

As for the minor issues?

The villagers usually learned the reason for the rules after falling ill once.

In this regard, the old chief who always walked the talk and followed every rule Li Boyang made, and never got sick because of hygiene issues, stood out all the more.

It just showed—making it to over sixty years old in this age, the old chief truly deserved his reputation as the "Wise Man" of Li Family Village.

"’Non-crying’ Baby and Big Girl are back. Back a bit early today, aren’t you?"

Spotting their figures too, the old chief greeted the two cheerfully.

In Li Family Village, the fact that Li Boyang and Li Jingshu were favored by the Mountain God and taken into the mountains daily for study was hardly a secret.

Even Chen Yun had gone from being firmly opposed at first to accepting it as a matter of course.

Everyone hoped that Li Boyang and Li Jingshu would become the priest of the Mountain God, and bring long-lasting peace and stability to the village.

This was customary in this age, and also the normal approach for Gods who wished to connect with humans.

"Grandpa, what brings you out here today?"

Before Li Boyang could speak, Li Jingshu bounced over to the old chief.

The hunched-over chief was about the same height as nine-year-old Li Jingshu, making for a comical sight.

"Big Girl, you’ve grown again! Might even be taller than me soon!"

With a gentle smile, the old chief patted Li Jingshu on the shoulder, then turned his gaze to Li Boyang behind her.

"There’s an honored guest in the village today. I came out especially to meet you two."

When Li Boyang reached the old chief, he deftly picked him up, completely ignoring the chief’s resigned look.

At three years old, Li Boyang was tall for his age, but still no match for the old chief, an adult.

"Chief, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you..."

He didn’t care about the "honored guest" at all—Li Boyang was quite used to this sort of thing by now.

Ever since Li Boyang’s magical talents were exposed, news of the village kept leaking to outsiders from time to time.

Whenever that happened, the old chief or Li Yu and his wife would handle it—never Li Boyang himself.

"What new scheme has that little head of yours come up with now?"

Feigning surprise, the old chief had long since gotten used to the occasional naive notions Li Boyang dreamed up.

"I want to keep the ’Hygiene Squad’ running in the village..."

"Even when it’s busy farming season, the ’Hygiene Squad’ shouldn’t be disbanded."

He made a point of stressing the last part, watching the old chief’s face for any change.

Sure enough, the chief’s brows knitted at once, his earlier lighthearted tone gone.

"Hygiene Squad" was just Li Boyang’s name for it.

In essence, this group was an extension of the young men’s team first formed to guard against the beast tide three years ago.

After Li Yu, standing in for Li Boyang, proposed the "Rural Basic Public Facility Construction and Improvement Plan," this group naturally became its implementers and supervisors.

From collecting animal and human waste, to removing garbage, improving drinking water, exterminating rats and flies, wiping out mosquitoes and pests—all of it fell to this squad.

Even Li Boyang’s idea to reward "Outstanding Hygienic Model Families" in the village was carried out by this squad.

However, since the main force of the squad was the village’s young adults, it only really existed in the farming off-season.

When busy season came, every household was busy sowing and harvesting their own rice fields—no one had time for anything else.

"Non-crying" Baby, I know you’re wise and see farther than us ordinary folk."

"But do you know what the consequences of this decision would be?"

"It’s fine during the slack season, but no one will listen to you when they’re busy..."

"After all, people’s hearts can’t stand trial or temptation—especially when their own real interests are involved."

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