With the terrifying golden giant hand hanging in the sky like an unblinking eye, the militia's flintlock rifles trained steadily upon them, and Bai Yuan's calm yet chilling reminders about their parents, wives, and children now firmly lodged in their hearts, the five thousand former rebels no longer dared harbor even the faintest thought of resistance. They moved exactly as instructed, marching where Gao Family Village told them to march, stopping when ordered to stop, their once unruly bodies now obedient almost to the point of numbness.
They passed through the fertile farmlands of Heyang County, where orderly fields stretched outward beneath the sun, crops growing in neat rows that spoke of careful planning and abundant labor. They then marched past the flourishing Gao Family Village itself, where solid houses, busy workshops, and well-fed villagers offered a glimpse of prosperity so far removed from their former lives that many could only stare in stunned silence. Finally, after hours of walking, they arrived at the Labor Reform Valley nestled deep within the Huanglong Mountain range.
And there, what followed could only be described as a deeply stirring reunion.
"Husband, you're finally here!"
"Wife, are you well? Is our son safe?"
"You unfilial little beast!" an elderly woman shrieked as she brandished a rattan cane. "How dare you abandon your old mother in Hequ County and run off with Wang Jiayin. Kneel down right now. If I don't break your legs today, I won't deserve to be called your mother!"
The entire valley erupted into chaos. There were tearful embraces and choking sobs, but also sons fleeing in panic while furious mothers chased after them, swinging canes with astonishing vigor. Shouts, cries, laughter, and scolding overlapped until the air itself seemed to tremble. It took a full two hours before the storm of emotions finally settled and the valley gradually returned to order.
Once the initial shock and joy of reunion faded, the former rebels began, one by one, to take stock of their surroundings.
The valley was vast and open, dotted with rows of brightly colored houses that looked nothing like prison barracks. The living conditions were, to their astonishment, not merely tolerable but genuinely decent.
Their parents, wives, and children, who had arrived earlier, had not been mistreated in the slightest. On the contrary, everyone received food daily and could eat until they were full. Aside from the youngest children, however, everyone was expected to work. Most of the women had been assigned to operate strange machines known as steam powered textile machines. With the steady clatter and hiss of these devices, raw cotton was transformed into high quality fabric at an astonishing speed, bolts of cloth rolling out endlessly before being packed up and transported away.
Other women were tasked with bookbinding. They brushed paste along the spines of neatly stacked pages, wrapped them with covers and backing sheets, stitched them tight with cotton thread, and laid them out to dry. Once finished, the books were loaded onto carts and sent out in batches.
The elderly who could not manage weaving or fine work were given lighter duties. Some washed vegetables, some cooked meals, and others drove carts, hauling cloth or bamboo materials to workshops where simple household items were made for daily use.
Yet the most shocking arrangement of all concerned the children.
In this Labor Reform Valley, the children were sent to study.
Study.
The former rebels could scarcely believe their eyes. They stood there dumbfounded, watching their children sit neatly in clean, orderly classrooms, reciting the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and something called Elementary Math in clear, youthful voices. For a moment, many of them wondered if they were dreaming, or if they had somehow wandered into the wrong place.
Was this really how prisoners were treated?
"This place isn't normal," one man muttered under his breath. "Even the government wouldn't give us living conditions like this."
He glanced again at the tall, brightly painted walls encircling the valley, at the soldiers patrolling the ramparts with flintlock rifles resting on their shoulders. "Aside from not being free to leave," he thought, "everything else feels like a dream."
"Hey, newcomer. Over here."
The man turned toward the voice and saw a distinctive looking labor reform inmate beckoning to him, surrounded by a cluster of followers who clearly deferred to him in all things.
The newcomer's heart tightened. This was obviously someone important here, someone he absolutely could not afford to offend.
He hurried over and lowered his head respectfully. "Big Brother, do you need something from me?"
The man laughed and said, "I'm from the Guyuan border army. Everyone here calls me Chen Baihu. I'm in charge of this area. All you newcomers should listen to me properly, understand? If you don't, my men will help you understand with their fists."
The newcomer jumped in fright and immediately bowed. "Boss Chen, my name is Liu Bawan. From today onward, I'll follow you."
Chen Baihu nodded with satisfaction. "Clever. You were quick to recognize who to call boss. Alright, you can go for now."
Liu Bawan bowed again and turned to leave, but after a few steps he hesitated, then turned back. "Boss, there's something I really don't understand, and I have to ask."
Chen Baihu waved a hand. "Ask."
Liu Bawan swallowed and said, "Isn't this a prison? Then why are they teaching our children to read and write? I really can't make sense of it."
Chen Baihu burst into laughter. "Isn't that obvious? From now on, young and old, men and women, all of you will work for the Dao Xuan Tianzun. The Dao Xuan Tianzun spared your lives, so this is how you repay him. Since that's the case, the more capable you are, the better. Let your children read more books. When they grow up, they'll be able to contribute even more."
Those words struck Liu Bawan like a hammer.
This place was thinking that far ahead. It was already planning for what their children would do once they grew up. Compared to this, his former bosses never thought beyond tomorrow's meal. On a good day, they might think about what to eat the day after. Only when they felt particularly far sighted would they consider what they might eat three days from now.
After a long pause, Liu Bawan asked quietly, "Boss, this isn't government land, is it?"
Chen Baihu snorted. "Of course not. Could the government ever be this good?"
"Then this is Great Boss Xing Honglang's territory?" Liu Bawan asked.
Chen Baihu laughed again. "Great Boss Xing is only a minor leader here. The true great boss is the Dao Xuan Tianzun. Beneath him are the Thirty Six Heavenly Spirits and the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends, together forming the One Hundred and Eight Generals of Gao Family Village."
Liu Bawan was stunned. "That powerful? Xing Honglang alone is already famous. Who are the other one hundred and seven?"
Chen Baihu shrugged. "I don't know them all either. I just know there's Old Devil of Guyuan, Lao Nanfeng of Guyuan, and Dian Dengzi from Qingjian."
Liu Bawan did not recognize the first two, but when he heard the name Dian Dengzi, his eyes widened. "I know that man. A truly formidable boss."
"Formidable?" Chen Baihu scoffed. "Here, he doesn't even rank high."
Far away, at Gudu Ferry, Zhao Sheng, who was overseeing the construction of the water fortress, suddenly sneezed loudly. "Who's talking behind my back?"
Back in the valley, Liu Bawan asked hesitantly, "Anyone else?"
Chen Baihu waved him off. "I'm a prisoner just like you. How would I know all the leaders? Don't ask so much. You'll find out sooner or later."
The newcomers were soon shown the rules and routines by the older inmates. Early the next morning, before the sun had fully risen, they were marched out to join the road building teams.
With the arrival of five thousand able bodied laborers, the manpower of the Gao Family Village labor reform camp became extraordinarily abundant.
Because labor reform inmates were managed far more strictly than ordinary workers, who could choose when to work, take leave, or even resign, they had no such freedoms. They were assigned the dirtiest and most exhausting tasks without complaint. Anyone caught slacking off was immediately beaten and disciplined by Chen Baihu and the other veteran inmates.
As a result, the efficiency of the labor reform camp soared to a frightening degree.
Even the elite construction teams of Gao Family Village could not match their output. From dawn until dusk, the valley echoed with their work chants, rough voices rising and falling in unison.
"Deep in the mountains, treasures lie concealed.
We break the stone, a new road revealed.
Hammers strike rock, hard against hard.
Hoes bite the earth, row after row.
Each callus marks a step ahead.
Our future is forged by the work of our hands."