A gigantic cabbage leaf drifted down from the sky.
Gao Yiye flinched instinctively, but the surprise lasted only a moment before she forced herself to calm down. This was no longer her first time receiving food from Tianzun. Compared to the shock she had felt when the giant eggs first descended, her reaction now was far more restrained.
Joy quickly replaced her initial startlement.
She immediately dropped to her knees and kowtowed toward the heavens, her forehead pressing firmly against the ground as she called out with heartfelt sincerity, "Thank you, Tianzun, for your divine grace."
Only after completing her bows did she rise and cup her hands around her mouth, shouting toward the village.
"Everyone, come quickly! Tianzun has bestowed food upon us again!"
The villagers, who had been preparing to head into the wilderness with bamboo baskets to dig for wild vegetables, froze at her words. Then, as if struck by lightning, they rushed toward her all at once.
When they saw the enormous cabbage leaf lying before them, they could not help but stare in stunned silence.
But this shock did not last long.
Having already witnessed giant eggs and the miraculous Divine Rice, their minds had gradually grown accustomed to such impossible wonders. What once would have shaken their souls now only left them briefly dazed before excitement took over.
Under the Village Chief's direction, the villagers quickly began dividing the cabbage leaf.
"One portion per household," the Village Chief announced in a steady voice. "Set aside extra for Gao Chuwu and the others who went to the county town."
No one argued.
They lined up obediently, carefully cutting away their share and carrying it home as though handling sacred treasure.
Just as Li Daoxuan had predicted, with food secured early in the morning, no one felt the urgency to venture out in search of wild vegetables.
When a person is starving, there is only one concern in their mind.
Food.
But once their stomach is full, countless other worries begin to surface.
Soon, the entire village came alive with activity.
"Gao Sanwa, come here," a woman called out, holding up a pair of ragged trousers. "Your pants have been torn for days. Let your mother fix them."
Li Daoxuan's gaze shifted toward her.
She was a middle-aged village woman, plainly dressed and without any proper tools beyond a needle, thread, and a small pair of scissors. Yet in her hands, even rough linen seemed to gain new life. Her fingers moved with quiet confidence, and before long, the torn garment was neatly repaired.
Elsewhere, two men crouched on the ground, working with a lump of yellow clay.
"La Ba, you promised to teach me how to fire clay pots," one of them said eagerly. "I dug up this clay myself. Show me how to turn it into a proper pot."
The other man nodded and began demonstrating.
His movements were steady and practiced, his hands shaping the clay with surprising precision. Gradually, the lump took form, its surface smoothing beneath his touch until it resembled a proper ceramic vessel.
The learner beside him fumbled awkwardly, his own creation crooked and uneven, but his face shone with determination.
Li Daoxuan continued observing.
Not far away, the Village Chief himself was busy at work.
With nothing more than a knife and strips of bamboo, he deftly split and wove the material together. His fingers moved swiftly, weaving structure and shape from seemingly fragile pieces until, before long, a sturdy bamboo basket took form, followed by two neatly crafted carrying hampers.
His skill was unmistakable.
"Gao Yiyi," someone called out, "my woodcutting knife has grown dull. Can you sharpen it for me?"
Li Daoxuan followed the voice and saw a burly man crouched beside a simple forge.
This man, Gao Yiyi, was the village blacksmith.
He held the blade firmly as he worked, hammer striking metal in steady rhythm.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Each strike rang with clarity, echoing faintly through the tiny village.
When he finished, the once-dull blade gleamed faintly in the light, its edge restored.
Watching all of this unfold, Li Daoxuan found himself completely absorbed.
The once lifeless miniature village inside the box now pulsed with vitality, every figure engaged in their own small yet meaningful labor. It no longer resembled a static diorama, but a living, breathing world.
Then, suddenly, his attention shifted.
"Hmm?"
He noticed Gao Yiye walking toward the well.
She lowered the bucket, drew up water with visible effort, and carried it carefully back to her hut. After pouring the water into a large wooden tub, she shut the door firmly behind her and pulled the curtain closed.
Li Daoxuan froze.
A realization dawned on him.
She was going to bathe.
His heartbeat quickened for reasons he did not fully understand.
Slowly, his gaze drifted toward the magnifying glass in his hand. Then, almost involuntarily, it moved toward the girl's hut.
The structure was dilapidated, riddled with holes from years of neglect. The roof, in particular, was in terrible condition, and near its center was a large opening.
Through that hole…
If he positioned the magnifying glass just right…
He would be able to see everything.
Li Daoxuan hesitated, his conscience warring with his curiosity.
Should he remain a decent human being…
Or become a wolf?
Just as he was struggling with himself, something unexpected happened.
A face suddenly appeared at the hole.
It was Gao Yiye.
She had stacked tables and stools beneath the opening and climbed up, her small frame barely steady as she peered upward.
Their eyes met.
She looked toward the heavens.
He looked down from above.
For a brief moment, neither moved.
An indescribable tension filled the air.
After several seconds, Gao Yiye was the first to break eye contact.
She lowered her gaze quickly, her face flushing red beneath the layer of dirt that coated her skin. Even the grime could not conceal the sudden bloom of color spreading across her cheeks.
Yet from Li Daoxuan's perspective, she was less than a centimeter tall.
Without the magnifying glass, he could not see her expression clearly.
He certainly could not see her embarrassment.
A moment later, she hurried down and rushed out of the hut.
Her footsteps were quick and uneven as she ran toward the Village Chief.
Lowering her voice, she whispered, "Grandpa Village Chief… I want to ask you something."
The Village Chief glanced at her.
"What is it?"
Her face burned crimson.
"Tianzun… he seems to be watching me from the sky…"
The Village Chief did not look alarmed.
Instead, he smiled.
"This is your blessing," he said. "Tianzun favors you. He watches over you and delivers food through your hands. His divine will is conveyed through your voice. You should feel honored. Why do you look so troubled?"
Gao Yiye hesitated.
"If he keeps watching… how am I supposed to change clothes… or bathe?"
The Village Chief frowned slightly, then waved dismissively.
"So that is all?"
He snorted.
"Tianzun gave you your life. Compared to that, what are changing clothes or bathing? If Tianzun ever requires anything of you, you must serve him faithfully."
Such beliefs were not uncommon in those times.
Many strange folk traditions existed, and there were countless stories of women offering themselves in service to gods. In truth, those offerings rarely reached any divine being. Instead, they were claimed by monks, Daoists, or frauds who spoke in the name of heaven.
Gao Yiye fell silent.
A heavy feeling settled in her chest.
So that was the truth.
Tianzun had saved her.
Tianzun had fed her.
Because he required her service.
A memory surfaced in her mind — Tianzun's young and handsome face.
She immediately shook her head, flustered by her own thoughts.
That was Tianzun.
How could she think of him that way?
Returning to her hut, she looked up at the hole in the roof.
She no longer considered covering it.
If Tianzun wished to watch, then he would watch.
Her life belonged to him already.
What was there to hide?
Her hands trembled slightly as she loosened her clothing.
Her frail body was revealed, thin from prolonged hunger, her skin coated in layers of dust and sand. There was nothing beautiful about it. Nothing worth looking at.
She let out a quiet, self-mocking breath.
Tianzun would not be interested in such a body.
Picking up a worn cloth, she dipped it into the water and began carefully wiping herself clean.
What she did not know was that Li Daoxuan had already set the magnifying glass aside.
If she had not caught him looking earlier, he might have given in to temptation.
But now…
He could not bring himself to look again.
He turned his attention away, forcing his thoughts elsewhere.
His gaze drifted toward the edge of the diorama.
He thought of the villagers who had left for the county town.
Once they stepped beyond the boundaries of the box, he could no longer see them.
Nor could he protect them.
If something happened to them out there…
He would never know.