Fortunately, the Five Grains Temple was not occupied, though it was somewhat dilapidated.
The place was quite large.
Everyone could fit inside with some room to spare, which showed how big the courtyard was.
Besides the main hall with the statue of the Five Grains God for worship, the temple also had a small row of houses behind it, presumably for the temple keepers.
There were quite a few houses, possibly for guests.
They could accommodate over a hundred people, though sleeping arrangements would be a bit crowded.
But that was fine.
It would be warmer in the cold weather.
Other essential facilities like a kitchen, latrines, and a well were all present.
However, some parts of the roof were broken, and repairs would likely be needed later.
Cheng Hao got off the carriage and, with Su Miaomiao, inspected the temple inside and out, getting a clear understanding of its condition.
"The main gate is severely damaged and needs immediate repair. The temple is located in a rather remote mountain forest. When the courtyard wall was built, consideration was given to defending against wild beasts. The wall is quite high, which will make everyone much safer."
Cheng Hao said this to Ji Bo, who was following him. He mentioned that they could use nearby trees to construct a gate, and it didn't matter if it was heavy as long as it was secure. Once winter arrived, it would offer protection against both wild animals and evildoers.
Su Miaomiao pondered for a moment and pointed to two small pavilions nearby, saying, "These small pavilions are made of stone, and they have flat roofs. We can add wooden tops to them, and they'll become ready-made watchtowers!"
She was already considering defense measures. With their archers, watchtowers would allow for shifts to monitor the surroundings and enable her and Cheng Hao to utilize their skills to the fullest in case of trouble.
Cheng Hao agreed that it was feasible.
Ji Bo was even more excited upon hearing this, repeatedly exclaiming, "Oh my, the young madam's idea is excellent! We must remember it, must remember it! It might truly be useful!"
Su Miaomiao chuckled twice and continued to brainstorm. Regarding the watchtowers, she said she would draw a diagram later to make construction easier.
Ji Bo naturally agreed that this would be even better. He then noted down everything the young master and young madam had said. Besides the main gate and the watchtowers, the roofs of the other houses also needed timely repair, otherwise, with this sleet and rain, how could anyone live there?
Cheng Hao also glanced at the sky. It was overcast. It wasn't raining or snowing at the moment, but the ground was wet, and the temperature was very low, making it quite cold.
Work would not progress quickly in such weather.
But there was plenty for everyone to do.
Food needed to be stockpiled, firewood needed to be gathered, and defenses had to be completed while the weather was still manageable.
Su Miaomiao also suggested building some small traps, which also fell under security. She took responsibility for this aspect, promising to get it done.
Ji Bo had noted down most of their instructions and then said he would go down and organize people to start working. The masters conceived the ideas, and he was responsible for assigning the tasks!
The arduous journey had not discouraged him; instead, it had made him more resolute.
He was in high spirits now!
As soon as he went down, he gathered everyone and began assigning tasks.
"Those with strength should divide into two groups! One group will continue to maintain vigilance, constantly watching for any danger! The other group will continue to fell trees! We must repair the main gate before the weather turns too cold to work outdoors! This will also put everyone's minds at ease, won't it?"
Ji Bo shouted from the steps. His voice was powerful and resonant, inspiring those below. They all agreed!
If the main gate wasn't repaired, it would indeed be dangerous!
"The women and children will continue to forage to supplement our rations! As for the older boys who lack strength and would be exhausted from felling trees, it's better to channel their energy into more precise tasks! These older boys are light, so they can go up to the roofs to repair them! If the rain leaks in, they won't be able to live there, will they?"
Everyone again responded in unison, "Yes!"
They were very convinced by his words.
Unbeknownst to them, the other two groups also voluntarily joined in, and upon hearing the instructions, they also shouted in agreement.
They nodded frequently.
They felt it was very reasonable.
When they came to their senses, they felt a bit sheepish, as they were not part of the Cheng family.
It wasn't until Gao Dashan from Shana Village spoke to his own villagers, saying, "Now that we are all living under the same roof, can we let them do all the work while we enjoy the benefits? Of course not! Let's follow their instructions!"
The other villagers' hearts immediately opened up, and they expressed their full agreement!
Steward Du, seeing Ji Bo's authoritative demeanor and how obediently everyone followed his instructions, was extremely envious. However, he quickly told his own subordinates, "Did you hear that? Even the people from Shana Village are so sensible. Are we going to be foolish? Follow the Cheng family!"
He instructed them to do as they were told and to get to work.
Jin Jiazhu, who had been frightened by the wolf pack last time, was not as weak as the Cheng family patriarch and didn't fall ill directly, but he lacked energy and was overly anxious.
Therefore, seeing that Steward Du had arranged things well, he, like the Cheng family patriarch, became a hands-off manager, content to enjoy the hard work of his servants.
Although he was incompetent, his subordinates inexplicably felt a sense of relief and freedom.
Everyone already admired the eldest young master and young madam of the Cheng family greatly and naturally agreed to the arrangements, even eager to show off their skills!
Meanwhile, Ji Bo conveyed the instructions one by one, completing more than half of the task.
His arrangements were flawless.
Everything was perfectly organized!
Everyone immediately began to carry out his orders.
Cheng Dazhuang and his brother were still among the logging team, while Cheng Xiaoxi, Xiao Wuzi, and Xiao Liuzi were assigned to the roof repair team.
Lai Fu and Jia Wang helped Ji Bo with his tasks, busy with settling the luggage.
Cai Shi and Xi Shi headed to the large kitchen first. There were three large stoves, enough for three teams, one stove each, so there was no need to compete.
They chose one stove for themselves and began cleaning it, getting the hot water ready.
Fortunately, the kitchen roof was quite sturdy, with no light coming through, which meant it likely wouldn't leak, and thus less repair would be needed.
After cleaning their own stove, Cai Shi stayed to tend the fire, while Xi Shi took the children to forage, accompanying the men who were going to fell trees.
After all, they were not familiar with the surrounding area.
Cheng Kai Chun and Cheng Feng Tai, seeing that everyone else had gone out, couldn't avoid it and had to steel themselves and join the logging team.
The other two teams quickly assembled their chosen loggers and followed suit.
It was a grand procession.
Wang Daming, with Li Datou, whose arm was injured, also patrolled outside the temple.
Cheng Xiaoxi knew how to repair roofs and, along with Xiao Wuzi and Xiao Liuzi, other young servants, began preparing materials. Fortunately, some people from Shana Village also knew how to do this, so they discussed with them and prepared the roofing materials together.
Even ladders had to be figured out and made by them first, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to get onto the roof.
On the other side,
Su Miaomiao and Cheng Hao, along with other servants, began to settle the luggage.
They allocated rooms according to the number of people.
This issue was quickly resolved.