Mìtáng Town had once made its name from a thriving sugar industry.
Things were still passable enough, but the town had been slowly declining all the same.
Compared to Qīngniú Town, it fell just a notch short.
For Mìtáng Town, the arrival of dozens of carriages was the kind of earth-shaking event that came around perhaps once in several years.
Word spread especially fast when someone claimed to have spotted, riding in one of the lead carriages, a woman of such unearthly beauty that no words could do her justice.
More than a few hearts stirred at the news, yet no one dared to be so bold as to approach her.
After all, some fifty-odd people had come with the convoy.
Quite a number of them radiated a fierce, dangerous air — and those fists, big as sandbags, would surely leave a mark if they landed on you.
The convoy pulled up to the largest inn in town and took over the entire establishment.
Jǐnwén stepped down from her carriage in a splendid pure-white gown topped with a nearly floor-length white robe, instantly eclipsing every lady and young miss in town.
She was not a tall woman, yet the way she carried herself was breathtaking — those around her felt so suddenly plain by comparison that they bowed their heads and did not dare look twice.
The innkeeper very nearly lost the professional smile he had spent decades perfecting. He hurried forward with a deep bow, keeping his gaze carefully averted from Jǐnwén's face.
"Honored guest, your rooms have all been prepared."
"Thank you for the trouble."
"It is no trouble at all."
"One more thing — please send word to the finest restaurant in town and have them set a table to the highest standard. I am entertaining distinguished guests this evening."
"And kindly have someone deliver an invitation to the residences of the Three Elders on my behalf. I have come bearing a letter in the county magistrate's own hand, and there are matters I must discuss with them."
The innkeeper gave a start and bowed even lower. "You may rest assured, honored guest. I will see to everything."
"Thank you for your trouble." Jǐnwén offered another courteous word and, attended by her two maidservants, stepped inside.
The moment they were through the door, both maids set about tidying the room, one of them chattering away cheerfully the whole time.
"My lady, you were magnificent just now — every bit as commanding as the Village Chief himself!"
"Oh, absolutely! So impressive — not a soul dared raise their eyes to you!"
"Ha. After following Big Sister all this time, I suppose a little of her manner was bound to rub off on me."
"My lady, shall we bring you something to eat?"
"No, I'm rather tired. I'll rest a while — wake me when it's time so we don't miss the banquet."
That evening, as the sky deepened toward dusk, several carriages drew up before the finest restaurant in town.
The proprietor came rushing out to receive them.
"Honored guest, the private room is ready, and the Three Elders have already arrived."
"Thank you for your trouble." Led by the proprietor, Jǐnwén brought her party into the private dining room.
The men inside, who had been making idle and halfhearted conversation, rose at once to greet her.
Jǐnwén's arrival had been so sudden that none of them had any clear idea of her identity or purpose, and a certain unease hung over them all. They had heard the talk about her entrance into town — dozens of carriages in her train — and this young woman was plainly no ordinary person.
"Jǐnwén pays her respects to the Three Elders. I apologize for keeping you waiting."
"You are not late at all, miss. We simply misjudged the time and arrived too early ourselves."
"Please, everyone, be seated." Jǐnwén waited while a maidservant wiped down the chairs, then settled herself into the host's seat without ceremony.
The other maidservant stepped forward and presented the county magistrate's letter to the Three Elders.
The Three Elders hastily accepted it — upon seeing that it was indeed written in the magistrate's own hand, none of them dared show the slightest disrespect, and all three rose to receive it.
"The reason for my visit is this: my master has purchased a plot of land in the area and wishes to build an estate."
"We expect to hire several hundred workers from the surrounding area for the construction, so inevitably we will be imposing on the Three Elders."
"No imposition at all, none whatsoever. Since the matter has already been settled with the magistrate, we have no objections whatsoever and will extend every convenience to you."
"All the same, since we are on your honored land, it seemed proper to consult with the Three Elders first."
"You do us too much honor, miss. But if I may ask — your master is…?"
"My master comes from the capital. His identity is not something I can disclose, to spare him the constant stream of callers that would follow."
"Of course, of course…"
The dinner proceeded with apparent warmth and goodwill — though in truth not a great deal was said, and most of the table sat quietly eating while the Three Elders occasionally raised a topic to keep some semblance of conversation going.
Jǐnwén, however, had been well-schooled in the ways of the world over all this time, and she handled it deftly. To spare the Three Elders too much awkwardness, she now and then asked about local customs, scenic spots, and notable dishes.
The food at the town's finest restaurant was, in the end, only so-so; Jǐnwén ate without much pleasure, and the Three Elders were too ill at ease to enjoy themselves either, so the banquet came to a fairly swift conclusion.
The next day, Jǐnwén had her people buy a large compound in town.
She left a few men behind to look after it as a way-station, then set off with the main party toward their destination.
The two mineral deposits that Zhào Bǎihuì had purchased for several million were chosen precisely because, while not vast in reserves, they were highly practical to develop.
Jǐnwén had come with maps in hand, so once they reached the vicinity, she sent scouts to survey the area. Within just a few days, the most suitable extraction sites had been identified.
Once the sites were fixed, everything fell into place. Simple shelters went up nearby — enough to house the workers — and recruiting began in the surrounding villages.
A daily wage of around ten wén was not a small sum, and workers came flooding in steadily from all directions.
Some of the men were set to mining ore; others, under the supervision of the experienced construction crew that had come with the party, began building perimeter walls, housing, and most importantly, the blast furnaces.
Women could cook, assist with lighter work, or ride with the carts into town to buy grain.
Within ten short days, the framework of three small settlements had taken shape, each bustling with well over a hundred workers.
It couldn't be helped — Jǐnwén was simply paying too well. Scarcely a farming family in the area could bring itself to refuse such terms.
Everything was moving forward in an orderly fashion.
The first wave had numbered only a few dozen.
Some were there to take the lead in the work; others were assigned to guard duty.
This was merely the advance party.
Táoyuán Village's support flowed without interruption.
Every so many days, another group of several dozen would arrive.
But Jǐnwén had not come out here solely to mine ore and smelt steel — she had other tasks to fulfill.
Táoyuán Village was moving in a good direction in every respect, yet its geography and the character of the surrounding region imposed a ceiling on how far it could grow.
Constrained by any number of factors, no place can expand without limit forever.
The day would surely come when Táoyuán Village itself could grow no further, and expansion outward would be necessary.
If they would have to push outward sooner or later, it was better to lay the groundwork now, so that when the time came, everything would fall into place as naturally as water finding the sea.
Following the model of Táoyuán Village's own beginnings, she had another set of blueprints in her hands.
And so, a few lǐ from the mine and the furnaces, construction began on a new site.
First came the village hall, then the constabulary; several streets were laid out, with shops built along both sides.
Next came the residences.
Workers were hired in a continuous stream — some sent to the mine, others joining the building crews to raise the structures.
It was, unmistakably, a deliberate effort to create a second Táoyuán Village.
The name for this second village had already been chosen.
Xīnghuǒ Village — Village of the Spark.
A single spark, given time, can set the whole plain ablaze.