In a small courtyard in Chunrong County, the room was packed with people.
"This room is so warm, it's really comfortable," Nest Man remarked with feeling.
They had been in Chunrong County for some time now, starting out in awe and gradually getting used to it.
But he still often had nightmares.
He dreamed that the Jinyang Army never came up the mountain, never seized their Xiaoqi Mountain.
That dream was too terrifying!
Every time he woke from it, he broke out in a cold sweat.
If the Jinyang Army hadn't come to Xiaoqi Mountain, how could he be living such a good life now?
He looked at Gu Zhuo with envy, who was wearing a military greatcoat: "That coat of yours, warm, right? How about letting me try it on?"
Gu Zhuo gave him a cold look: "Hah, have you found a job yet?"
A couple days after arriving in Chunrong County, the county office happened to be hiring, so he'd gone to try his luck on a whim.
Maybe because he'd been a bailiff at the county office before, so he had experience—even though he was "illiterate," the county office still took him on.
But they required him to attend literacy classes after work and learn simplified characters as soon as possible.
Nest Man chuckled: "Found one, working at the soap workshop. But I don't plan to stay long—next time there's a recruitment drive for soldiers, I'm going to give it a shot."
Yu Zhu rolled her eyes secretly: "Oh, come off it. With the way you'd spill everything after one question, the Jinyang Army would be crazy to take you."
Nest Man's face flushed hot at her words, and he tried hard to defend himself.
"It's not that I'm afraid of dying—I, I'm just afraid they'd really cut off my manhood. I'm still a virgin, you know. A man can be killed but not humiliated."
"Hah," Yu Zhu sneered without mercy: "I heard your little earthworm was already seen by all those women. If you've got so much pride, why don't you go hang yourself?"
Nest Man turned red and shot back: "You're lying, the 'little earthworm' wasn't about me, don't slander me."
Straw-Raincoat Man wasn't having it: "Are you talking about me? Let's compare then? Mine's not smaller than yours."
Nest Man snorted: "Only the one who's small knows who's small."
Straw-Raincoat Man jumped to his feet: "What are you talking nonsense about? What do those women know? You know that day I was just cold, that's why I was like that."
"Enough, what are you two arguing about?" Yu Shu rubbed his forehead and put down the book he was reading.
Really, they bickered all day long, disturbing his study of simplified characters.
He wasn't the county magistrate now, and they weren't on the mountain anymore. These people weren't under his authority, yet they still liked to drop by his place.
Yu Shu still held considerable prestige among the group, and the others fell silent, looking uncomfortable.
"Have you all signed up for the literacy classes?" he asked.
Everyone nodded: "Yes, we all did."
Yu Shu nodded: "Being able to read and write is a good thing. You and your families should all learn."
Then he said with a sigh: "I've never seen a government like this, so focused on people's livelihoods and the education of the common folk."
Back before they'd come down from the mountain, he'd worried it was a trap.
After arriving in Chunrong County, looking at the familiar yet strange city, he realized he'd been thinking too narrowly.
Everything now gave him a sense of unreality. The best life he could have imagined couldn't compare to even a fraction of this place.
Take this room for example—before, no matter how much he wore or how tightly he wrapped himself, he was still so cold he could barely breathe.
But now, as long as there was enough firewood, he didn't suffer from the cold indoors, and he never had to lie awake all night shivering.
More importantly, there wasn't even any need to use firewood. The county not only had honeycomb briquettes, but also coal slag so cheap it was hard to believe.
Everyone agreed. Many of them couldn't afford to rent a house, but the government would let them pay on credit.
"This place is great in every way, except for the fact that divorce is so easy," Nest Man muttered.
Yu Shu frowned: "What's the matter?"
Nest Man hesitated before speaking: "Several women are making a fuss about wanting divorces. Can't you do something about it?"
He knew about these families. The husbands really were lazy and would beat their wives.
But wasn't that how every family worked? Now that they'd moved to the city and life was better, why couldn't they just settle down and live in peace?
Yu Shu said helplessly: "We're in Chunrong County now. If there's a problem, you should go to the county officials, not ask me."
Nest Man scratched his head: "It's just... I'm afraid the government will actually approve it. I asked my coworkers, and they said as long as the reason is valid, the government really does grant divorces."
"Why can't they just live properly instead of divorcing? Life is so good now. Isn't it better to be steady?"
Yu Zhu sneered: "Of course you'd think it's fine—you're a man. If you ask me, the divorce is a good thing."
She knew roughly who those families were. Sometimes she wanted to give those husbands a beating herself. What were they good for? They did nothing around the house and beat their wives and kids for no reason.
What use was a man like that?
Now that they'd moved to the city, women could find work too, and earn money to support themselves and their children.
When there's a choice, divorce is the best solution. Otherwise, should these women stay married and keep getting beaten along with their kids?
Ever since moving to the city, Yu Zhu had lost count of how many times she'd marveled at the wisdom of the city lord.
Only when women have the ability to survive on their own do they truly have a voice. This solved the problem at its root, genuinely elevating the status of women.
Nest Man stammered, not knowing what to say. He felt divorce was wrong but couldn't figure out how to argue against it.
Before, women were afraid of being divorced. Whether their husbands hit or scolded them, or their in-laws oppressed them, most women just endured.
Now, somehow, it was women who filed for divorce, turning things around.
And men no longer had the right to divorce their wives.
Gu Zhuo sighed, then looked at Nest Man and the others: "The government here is different from any other. You'd better familiarize yourselves with the laws here. I don't want to see you on the wrong side of them one day."
Nest Man was taken aback and waved his hands frantically: "No, no, I wouldn't. I'm an honest man, how could I ever do anything bad?"
He said a little sheepishly: "I, I just have a slow mind. It's like what the teacher said—I haven't changed my old ways of thinking yet. I'll definitely do my best in the literacy classes."
"I, I just thought, if a couple divorces, aren't the children pitiful? The woman gets her freedom, but the kids still stay at home, right? They might get beaten even worse then."
Yu Zhu sneered: "Looks like you fed your literacy lessons to the dogs. Didn't the teacher say that if a man is violent, children can usually be awarded to the mother?"
Literacy class wasn't just about recognizing characters—the teacher also "popularized" the laws and such. It was about erasing all kinds of ignorance.
She added: "Also, don't go saying how can a woman raise kids on her own. The teacher said the older kids have to go to school."
"Next year we're opening a kindergarten here. The little ones can go there. After divorce, it'll be a bit harder for a woman, but she can be her own boss—much better than being bitter and beaten."
She had a lot of feelings about this. Only a female leader, probably, would think so much for women, improving their ability to survive in every way, giving them more choices.
Yu Shu nodded: "Right, and some women have their families to help out too."
Nest Man nodded quickly: "I understand now."
After thinking it over more, if a man treats his wife badly, then for the woman, divorce really is for the best.
Yu Shu waved his hand: "Alright, if there's nothing else, go home and live your lives properly."
Soon only three people remained in the room.
Yu Shu sighed: "Honestly, with these good times, they still don't know how to appreciate them."
Yu Zhu consoled him: "Grandfather, don't worry. It'll get better little by little. We've only just arrived, and a lot of ways of thinking haven't caught up yet."
Gu Zhuo stood up, took the kettle off the stove, and poured three bowls of hot water: "Have some water."
"This stove and kettle are so convenient. I wonder who the master of the Jinyang Army is. In just over a year, they've managed to make the three counties this prosperous."
Yu Zhu was also curious: "I heard Gofeng is even more bustling. Chunrong County was only built recently. Let's go visit Gofeng when we get the chance."
Gu Zhuo nodded: "The roads are cement now, and the authorities have arranged for people to clear the snow. It's easy to travel."
"And it's safe. Every few li there's an arrow tower. No other factions or Quzhao people can sneak in."
Yu Zhu was a bit puzzled: "Why would the Jinyang Army go through so much trouble to build roads and arrow towers? Just so the three counties can connect?"
Yu Shu shook his head: "I think it's for the farmland between the three counties."
He let out a heavy sigh: "Under the encirclement of Quzhao, it's not easy to feed so many people."
