Chapter 10: Progression of Future Plans
Some days passed, during which Zar had finished replanting the potatoes. Any remaining potatoes which were not eaten were preserved in the old cellar to be eaten later and periodically as had the grains been preserved.
“I wonder how long these tubers will last.” Thought Zar to himself, walking past the cellar...
All the villagers were busy finalizing some repairs, filling potholes, making clay and cement like pastes. Some villagers were using fired clay to rebuild their houses from wooden shacks to brick structures.
A great distance away, the Ploughing Sect guards watched earnestly, bored at the borders of their village. They observed an interesting sight indeed.
“Say Brother... You seeing this?”
“What?” Asked the Ploughing Sect elder guard sharply.
“I think those emaciated Giaths are actually trying to rebuild their village ha.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, stop peeing on that tree and come over here.”
“You cannot rush a man's favourite past-time young Brother.” replied elder guard.
The elder guard finished his activity and went to have a look from the fence-gate that separated Ploughing Sect territory from Giath Sect territory.
“Huh, what a hopeless effort. We are told by our eldest to respect the Giaths, apparently having done good things in the past. But what respect should I have for such a weak sect. Pathetic. They will all die soon.”
“Would dying people have enough vitality to rebuild their village elder guard?”
“Oh, give it a rest young Brother, I am sure this is but a fleeting effort...”
“Elder guard, you may not have observed but some time ago, I saw the Giaths crowding around what looked like a growing plant, they may have food you know?”
“If you continue to speak nonsense, I will have you removed from this post young Brother!” Shouted elder guard furiously, for he felt as though his authority on the subject was being challenged. “You young bucks always have an infuriating way with words. Learn to not question authority and you will do just fine in the Ploughing Sect. We are not here to question; we are here to work and keep the trade of our commodities coming and going from the more central sects. I just want to live a peaceful rest of my life; I have no time to be questioning the activities of the Giath Sect. Who cares if they are rebuilding themselves, they are weak and we will have nothing to do with them! We may invite the rath of the Power Sect who destroyed their village a long time ago.”
The young guard fell silent, realising it was futile to discuss on such points, instead, he simply observed, bored, what the Giaths were up to.
“Zar! Zar!” Called a distance voice. It was Pam at the doorway of their shack “Good to catch you, you are heading back to the Oldman's shed, eh? Oh goody, you are carrying bricks to mend it. It deserves it! Who’s been making and drying the clay bricks?”
“Oh, Greater Brothers Lee and Ge have been busy with that, Me and Brother Tar are taking it upon ourselves to repair the shack into something that ought to resemble a Grand Household. After we finish our living quarters, we will begin with yours.”
“Oh, there’s no rush their Good Brother.” Replied Pam from within the shack who seemed to be busy doing something, “now come! Look here what we have for you!”
Zar and Pam entered, Zar looking suspiciously at first at whatever was occurring, and then instantly recalling the plan they had made together some time ago. “Oh yes! Have you fini-”
“Shh! Lam is concentrating and finalizing, she has already constructed for you a pair of shorts and a basket. She is now stitching a short-sleeved top for you.”
Zar keeping his voice down replied, “Oh, wonderful, then I will be able to take it over to the Ploughing Sect village, posing as a wandering trader.”
“Yes, yes!” Continued Pam excitedly, “we also have a conical hat for you which may help with your disguise if you attract unwanted attention.”
Zar began to feel a sense of purpose swelling within him at the prospect of finally moving beyond his village into new territory, it may yet be for something so simple, but such a simple thing as trading for grains and other useful crops would be of significant benefit to his village.
“I will leave You and Lam for now sister Pam, when all is done, call for me. Today is Monday, by Wednesday the potatoes should be ready due to my supplying of them with Qi.”
“Oh, Brother Zar, this brings me to a point. Upon finishing your assigned duty of trading with the Ploughing Sect under a false identity, please... Teach us, the villagers, of your methods so that we need not rely on you so heavily!”
Zar thought for a moment, thought of all the pain and sorrow he went through having to cultivate Mineral Qi, he wondered how it might be able to make it easier for the villagers. “Indeed, I will teach you all! But it will be hard, and I would rather us Giaths have a food self-sustaining eco-system whereby everyone is nourished and well before I begin teaching you these methods. See?”
Pam nodded in understanding and Lam, busy sowing, made grunting noises as to indicate they were chatting too loud. With that signal, Zar left, and Pam jumped a little with excitement, and then calmed herself as she felt a shooting pain of a metaphysical nature emitted from a very annoyed Lam who was busy sowing.
The day passed; it was very late into the evening. Tar and Zar looked upon what was once a shack, now a half-built and reasonably large house. It sat upon the mountain, emitting a faint orange as the faint sunrays bounced off the matte clay.
“It looks good...” Tar said proudly.
“It does...” Zar replied with added proudness.
With such a sense of achievement and fulfilment, the brothers walked in the shack awaiting the next day and its challenges, as Tar got into his quilt he mused on a small talking point. “Shame, nearly out of tatoes, the ones you planted are nearly finished growing, correct?”
“Correct, they grow within a week and it has nearly been a week. Naturally we could harvest them now but they would not be nearly as large as they will be in roughly two days, which would be Wednesday of course.” Replied Zar thoughtfully.
“True, true... Well, it is only a day of fasting. Perhaps I am still scarred from our continuous days of starvation, having these potatoes have been a luxury. I will never forget how I felt the first time I ate them – something as simple as a potato could have such a brilliant effect on my vitality. You know Zar, it made me think that perhaps the vitality you infused into them somehow changed their essence or something...” Tar pondered.
“Well, if such was the case, if I manage to secure grains from the Ploughing Sect, when I imbue the seeds with vitality and then begin to grow them, upon harvesting the grains, they should be considerably larger and fuller like the potatoes, tastier and more abundant quantity even? This should go for all other produce idealistically...”
“Yes, indeed. If we could restore our reputation, we might be able to sell our super-foods with other neighbouring sects.”
“Mhm, you are definitely a thinker Brother Tar haha. On that positive note, let us retreat for the night and look forward to the morning.”
“Indeed.” Finalized Tar. The two brothers and the entire village now sleeping. Although, there were still the clicking of metals and other odd and random noises coming from the Pam and Lam residency as though someone was busy creating something late into the night...
End of Chapter 10.
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