Chapter 122: The Tears of a Student Starting the New Semester

Thanks to the motion sickness medication, Zhou Mingkai felt much better on the return trip. He was even able to look after the other injured and sick passengers on the airship, offering water and pills the moment anyone showed signs of nausea.

As Zhou Mingkai and the junior disciples of the sect helped the wounded off the airship, Cheng Yi, who had been standing by, stepped forward to report, "Master, the second residential zone is ready. It is sufficient to house these patients, and all the supplies inside have been organized."

Wang Keyue accompanied Xiao Hongyu on a stroll around the mountain estate. Within the residential area, rows of neat, uniform housing units were laid out, creating an impressive sight. There were twenty rows in total, with thirty houses per row, divided into two distinct zones. The first zone was primarily for refugees and followers who had come seeking the sect, most of whom were of servant status.

The second zone was designated for retired soldiers and the guard corps. Since the original bunk bed arrangement was no longer suitable, Wang Keyue opted for open-floor sleeping platforms, which were more convenient for the wounded. The two zones were separated by walls, primarily to prevent unnecessary friction, and also because the critically ill patients in the second zone required peace and quiet for their recovery.

The wide streets were broad enough for two large carriages to pass side-by-side, and they even included two-meter-wide lanes specifically for pedestrians. The small trees and greenery lining the roads looked as if they had just been transplanted. The entire layout was constructed exactly to the scale of a modern township.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Hongyu felt as if he had been transported back to his original world. A man of his stature was suddenly moved to tears.

"What's wrong?" Wang Keyue asked, bewildered by his fixed gaze on the street.

"Yue'er, thank you..." Xiao Hongyu turned his head, his deep brown eyes seemingly holding a vast expanse of stars. Thank you for letting me meet you in this strange world...

"Ah... you... you're welcome..." Wang Keyue's mind went blank, overwhelmed by the intense, unfathomable affection in his eyes. Had something triggered him? Why was he thanking her so inexplicably?

What Wang Keyue did not know was that, in Xiao Hongyu's heart, she was no longer merely a fellow countryman. From the moment he revealed his secrets to her, he had already considered her one of his own.

After touring the basic infrastructure of the sect, the two spent the return journey on the airship discussing further improvements.

It was already late at night when Wang Keyue transported the second batch of personnel back to the sect's base. The sect was still brightly lit; no one had gone to sleep, all waiting for their master's return.

At that moment, ice pellets began to fall from the sky. Before long, they grew larger, turning into snowflakes. The arrival of early winter was swifter than expected, and the first snow of the season began to fall without warning.

After settling all the injured and sick, Wang Keyue temporarily placed them under the care of Wen Dali, tasking him with selecting a few men from the servant pool to assist with their daily needs.

Speaking of Wen Dali, he had been unconscious during Wang Keyue's previous return, but this time he was awake and looking quite spirited. Moreover, Wang Keyue could clearly sense a subtle change in him.

"Little Yueyue, all his vitals have exceeded ten points, and his mental power is at fifteen—already quite high for this world," the system, Xiaobao, noted.

Wang Keyue nodded. It seemed her opportunistic eldest apprentice had fully absorbed the contents of the primary skill card. She wondered how his medical skills had progressed.

"Wen Dali, from now on, the health of those patients is your responsibility. Of course, you may select people from the refugees or servants who have medical experience to assist you." Wang Keyue handed this simple task to him; if he could not handle something so basic, she would not entrust him with more important matters in the future. She believed, however, that having passed the test of the primary skill card, her eldest apprentice would be up to the task.

With the first heavy snow of winter, the weather remained frozen, and construction within the Crescent Sect came to a standstill. Fortunately, the basic infrastructure was already established.

The Crescent Sect, along with the surrounding villages, now housed over seven thousand people. Many of the hundred acres of surrounding fields were planted with spinach, radishes, and other winter-hardy vegetables, while the newly reclaimed land was being prepared for deep plowing. According to Wang Keyue's plan, come spring, these fields would be sown with wheat, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other hardy, high-yield crops, allowing the sect to move toward total self-sufficiency.

Since outdoor construction was impossible during the winter, she decided to use the time to open a school. The school was located on the other side of the residential area, connected to a large canteen and a small playground.

The school was housed in a simple structure, but it was spacious enough to accommodate nearly a hundred people.

There were five classrooms: one for young children in the enlightenment class, another for older children with a basic foundation, and three more on the other side—one for girls to learn writing, arithmetic, and embroidery, and two dedicated to carpentry and traditional Chinese medicine, respectively.

Whatever method was used to heat the school, it remained warm and cozy inside, sparing the children from the winter chill. On the first day of school, despite the light snow, every child smiled, accompanied by their families.

The instructors for the five classes included Wen Dali and an elderly physician for the medical class. The enlightenment and basic classes were managed by several fallen scholars chosen from the refugees. The carpentry teachers were even easier to find; there were many among the refugees, and after careful selection, two highly reputable masters were hired. Ordinarily, family trades were kept secret, but in times of famine when survival was at stake, such skills were less precious than a stable income to keep one's family alive.

The girls' class was simpler. In this dynasty, many women knew how to sew and embroider, though few were literate. Wang Keyue hired an elderly tutor to teach them, which helped avoid gossip. She also hired a seamstress and the wife of Zhou the Hunter, who knew basic martial arts and cooking. These survival skills were taught to the girls. Having survived the famine, these girls understood the hardships of life and the importance of self-protection, and they studied even more diligently than many of the boys.