The villagers were overwhelmed with joy and quickly gathered at the center of the village to receive their portions of meat.
In the past, the Village Chief would have overseen the distribution, but the process had always been chaotic. Everyone would scramble forward, cutting their own shares in a disorderly rush. Once they were done, whatever scraps remained would be tossed casually at Gao Yiye's house before the villagers dispersed. Some people even took advantage of the confusion to secretly take extra portions.
Everything had been disorganized and without structure.
But ever since San Shier arrived at Gao Family Village, the situation had gradually changed.
The once scattered and leaderless villagers now behaved very differently. Instead of fighting over the meat, they stood in orderly lines, their eyes fixed on Gao Yiye and San Shier with anticipation and trust.
Gao Yiye stood nearby, maintaining order in her role as the Saintess. Her presence alone was enough to calm the villagers. Whenever necessary, she reminded them that Tianzun was watching over everything, which discouraged anyone from acting improperly.
San Shier, meanwhile, handled the actual distribution.
He gestured calmly and began issuing instructions.
"Gao Chuwu, cut the meat and use the scale to measure each portion."
Gao Chuwu obeyed immediately.
San Shier then called out names one by one.
"Gao Laba. Two liang of pork."
He carefully recorded the name on a sheet of paper and marked it to indicate that Gao Laba had received his portion.
"Wang Ergou, received."
"Zhong Datou, received."
"Zheng Aniu, received."
"Gao Sanwa, received."
The line continued moving forward in an orderly fashion.
More than a hundred villagers eventually received their shares. Only after everyone else had been served did San Shier distribute portions to Gao Chuwu, Gao Yiye, and his own family.
The leadership deliberately received their portions last.
This act demonstrated fairness and integrity, reinforcing the villagers' respect for them.
Finally, only the two sculptors remained.
They had been waiting anxiously the entire time. Watching everyone else receive meat while they were left standing empty handed made them feel uneasy and wronged. They could not understand why they had been singled out.
Gao Yiye beckoned to them gently.
They hurried forward at once.
"Lady Saintess," they said respectfully, "do you have instructions?"
Gao Yiye spoke calmly.
"Tianzun has given an order. All remaining pork will be bestowed upon you both."
The two sculptors froze.
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
They slowly turned to look at the remaining meat. Even after more than a hundred villagers had each taken two liang, there was still an enormous amount left. Two entire washbasins' worth remained, amounting to several dozen catties.
Gao Chuwu grinned.
With a single decisive chop, he split the remaining pork into two equal halves.
"The rest belongs to you," he said. "Half each."
The sculptors were stunned.
"So much... all for us?" they stammered. "Everyone else only received two liang."
Gao Yiye explained gently,
"Tianzun is extremely pleased with the Victorious Fighting Buddha statue you carved. This meat is your divine reward."
The sculptors were overcome with emotion.
They immediately dropped to their knees and kowtowed repeatedly.
"Thank you, Tianzun! Thank you, Tianzun!"
San Shier stepped closer and spoke in a firm, quiet voice.
"From now on, you must work even harder and serve Tianzun with complete dedication."
"Yes, of course!" the sculptors replied eagerly. "We will serve faithfully."
In the past, when they worked for wealthy patrons repairing temples or carving Buddha statues, their rewards had been modest. At most, they received a few full meals or some copper coins.
They had never received such an enormous reward before.
This amount of meat was practically a fortune.
Even if they could not finish it all, they could trade it with other villagers in exchange for valuable goods.
In times of disaster, nothing was more precious than food.
Still, fresh pork could not be preserved for long.
The sculptors hesitated awkwardly.
"May we..."
San Shier smiled, already understanding their concern.
"Take these bags of salt. You can use them to preserve the meat."
The sculptors were overjoyed.
They quickly accepted the salt and expressed their gratitude before carrying their meat back to their shelters.
As they ran, they shouted excitedly.
"Wife! Big Boy! Little Boy! We're rich!"
Soon, they gathered pine branches behind the village and began smoking the meat to preserve it.
The rich aroma drifted through the air.
The other villagers watched enviously.
Many of them began thinking the same thing.
When would they have a chance to perform a meritorious deed and receive such a generous reward from Tianzun?
This was human nature.
When people had nothing, they only wished for enough food to survive. But once their basic needs were met, they began wanting more. They wanted to surpass others, to gain greater rewards, and to improve their lives.
This desire pushed them forward.
Of course, not everyone was ambitious.
Zheng Daniu, who had come from Zheng Family Village, lay comfortably on the ground after finishing his meal. His stomach was full, and he had even eaten pork.
He felt completely satisfied.
Why work harder? he thought lazily. Isn't it better to rest?
But then he remembered something.
The Happy Fat Water.
The taste lingered vividly in his memory.
He wanted more.
He needed more.
Giving up was not an option.
Suddenly, he jumped to his feet.
Grabbing his axe, he rushed toward the forest outside the village.
The sun had not fully set yet, and the remaining light allowed him to search among the trees. Before long, he found a strong and suitable tree.
He swung his axe repeatedly.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
Fueled by food and motivation, he quickly felled the tree.
He cut out the best section of the trunk, about two meters long, and struggled to move it. The weight was immense, but he dragged, rolled, and pushed it down the mountain with determination.
Finally, he brought it before Gao Yiye.
"Lady Saintess," he said eagerly, "look at this. I found it in the forest. It will be perfect for carving another divine statue."
Gao Yiye was unsure, so she listened carefully to the voice from above.
A smile appeared on her face.
"Tianzun has praised you," she said.
Zheng Daniu's eyes lit up.
"The Tianzun wishes to reward you," Gao Yiye continued.
Zheng Daniu quickly spoke.
"This humble servant dares to ask for something."
Gao Yiye blinked in surprise.
"What is it?"
"I do not want meat," he said nervously. "I only wish for one more sip of Happy Fat Water."
Gao Yiye laughed softly.
"Tianzun agrees. Go bring a washbasin."
Zheng Daniu immediately ran home and returned with a wooden basin he had carved himself.
To Li Daoxuan, the basin was microscopic, barely three millimeters wide.
He carefully used a needle to extract a single drop of cola and released it gently.
The drop fell.
It filled the entire basin instantly.
Some even overflowed.
Zheng Daniu panicked.
"It's overflowing! It's too much! It's seeping into the ground!"
San Shier scolded him.
"You already have a full basin. Stop complaining."
Li Daoxuan chuckled quietly.
He had confirmed two important things.
First, there was a forest near the village, though it lay just outside his field of vision.
Second, in the future, the villagers could bring their own containers when receiving rewards.
This would reduce waste significantly.