The sun began to dip toward the horizon as Li Daqing jogged into the courtyard of Li Xiu’s home. His face was beaming, and he could barely contain his infectious excitement.
No sooner had he stepped through the door than he began shouting like a town crier: "Li Xiu, Li Xiu, guess what? We’ve brought in seven hundred and seventy-three people just today! Good heavens, the entrance to Xiaoshan Village is nearly packed solid; there’s barely room to stand! Among them, there are three hundred and forty-eight able-bodied men, four hundred and sixteen women capable of managing households, and then fifty-one elders and seventy children."
Li Xiu was sitting leisurely on a stone bench in the yard, sipping tea at a measured pace. Upon hearing the numbers, he lifted his eyelids slightly, then nodded in satisfaction. "Hmm, good. The pace is even faster than I expected. The more people we have, the better."
Chapter 108