The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

After seeing the kidnappers and hostages all fall to the ground, Zhang Yinghao did not rush up. He just watched silently from a distance as these people slowly bled to death. Only after there was no sound at all did Zhang Yinghao lead his men up.

Seeing the bloody scene, seven or eight people bent over and vomited. Zhang Yinghao also felt a little nauseous, but he gritted his teeth and suppressed the urge to vomit. After a while, they adjusted themselves before going up to collect the things and bury the bodies. As for the tied man, he collapsed in the first round. Zhang Yinghao could only say "I'm sorry" silently in his heart and buried the bodies.

Some money was also seized from these people, which made everyone feel happy. Zhang Yinghao knew that it was best not to keep any money on him, otherwise it might be very dangerous. He gave all the money to one person to carry, and two people to supervise it. Now everyone's mood was completely different from before. With money, their lives were settled and they had a sense of community.

Zhang Yinghao also learned a lesson from this incident: money is extremely important to these illiterate people. After seeing this, Zhang Yinghao no longer thought about instilling any revolutionary ideas in these people, because these people had already strengthened the suggestion that killing people could gain benefits through the first killing. From then on, these people were no longer lambs to be slaughtered. They had a rebellious spirit and knew how to obtain money beyond their means. They had transformed from sheep to wolves, from prey to hunters.

Zhang Yinghao knew the team couldn't bring any money, so he led them down the mountain once, using their money to buy clothes, blankets, salt, and some food. Training and daily life began again. With the addition of these iron tools, everyone quickly developed their own ideas and skills for surviving in the mountains. Later, half the team stayed at the base to study and train, while the other half went out to forage for food.

Zhang Yinghao also learned that these people were all good rural families, their families ripped apart by landlords, tyrants, and tax collectors, or driven to ruin by opium addiction and gambling. Tears welled up in their eyes as they shared their grievances. It was in this way that Zhang Yinghao came to understand the cannibalistic nature of feudal society beneath its veneer of warmth and affection.

For example, one of the teenagers was named Zhang Feng. His family owed rent to the landlord, and when the landlord came to collect the rent, they had no way to pay. What followed was the same old story: the landlord wanted to rob his family of everything, and then his family tried to stop him, and in the end, his family was broken up. Zhang Feng managed to sneak away while the landlord wasn't paying attention. When he returned some time later, his house had been burned down. He didn't know where to go, and with deep hatred for the landlord's family, he wandered to Guang'an, and then inexplicably followed Zhang Yinghao up the mountain. The experiences of the others were similar. There's a saying: happy families are all alike. But for Zhang Yinghao, it was actually the other way around: unhappy families are all alike.

Zhang Yinghao was also new to surviving in the wild, so he encountered several mishaps along the way. He wasn't sure if many poisonous things were edible, so he hired someone to test them. Initially, Zhang Yinghao did all the testing, and nothing happened. Later, he became the only one responsible for daily testing, and twice, he suffered vomiting and diarrhea. Later, when he gained experience and was able to catch small animals, he would use them to test poisons. Later, he almost never needed to test anything to know what was edible and what was not.

As Zhang Jiahao gradually adapted to survival in the wild, he gradually incorporated military training. When he had food, he trained all day, learning to write in the mornings. The rest of the time, he practiced formations, physical training, and bayonet training by chopping wood for weapons. When he didn't have food, he would hunt for food in the wild as training. Gradually, the characteristics of some individuals began to emerge. Those who made the most comprehensive progress in learning, formations, and wilderness survival were Zhang Feng, Bai Jianyong, and Ouyang Jun. Those who learned wilderness survival most thoroughly and had the strongest observation skills were Zhang Jianping, Hu Songhui, Luo Zelin, and Li Tong. These few never returned empty-handed from their foraging trips. Bao Shilin's interest in mathematics became particularly acute after Zhang Yinghao taught him simple math. Four others performed more mediocrely: Wang Daniu, Li Erzhu, Zhang Weiqiang, and Yuan Kesheng. And Zhang Jiahao himself was undoubtedly the instructor.

I still remember that our first lesson in the mountains was learning to write our names. In China, boys generally have formal names, but girls don't always. That's the good thing about China: our ancestors created surnames thousands of years ago.

Relatively comprehensive population statistics were already in place during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and this progressed to the census conducted by Shang Yang during the Warring States period. According to the "Book of Shangjun: Removing Strength," Shang Yang implemented a census during his reforms in the Qin State. Key items included the total population, the total number of able-bodied men and women, the elderly, and the infirm; the total number of officials, scholars, those who made their living through conversation, and those who made their living through profit; and the total number of granaries, cattle, horses, and fodder. Shang Yang believed that a strong state must possess these thirteen totals. By establishing statistics on Qin's population, demographic structure, and social wealth, he clarified the state's national conditions and strength, providing a basis for implementing various policies.

Due to historical reasons, these census numbers have not been preserved, but they are the world's earliest population censuses. Even cattle and horses were counted, demonstrating how much more advanced Chinese censuses were than those of the West. Therefore, even in feudal times, men generally had given names, while women might not have given names but still had surnames.

After a period of adjustment, everyone is now familiar with each other's names. Due to different learning abilities and individual learning capacity, after learning the initial simple things, such as basic queues, front and back, left and right, and gradually distinguishing their abilities, Zhang Yinghao began to give them individual lessons on different topics.

This also included Zhang Yinghao and his team's subsequent elimination of a gang of bandits. That was the second month, and these bandits were unlucky enough. While Zhang Feng and Li Tong were out hunting, they unexpectedly saw eight disheveled individuals armed with three guns. Zhang Feng and Li Tong, eavesdropping, realized they were a gang of bandits and immediately returned to report to Zhang Jiahao.

Zhang Jiahao had been dreaming of getting a gun recently, so he knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He immediately took his men to the route that the bandits had to take, and used the same trick again, lying in ambush in front of the road where the bandits were passing.

Zhang Yinghao observed carefully. The three guns were now on the bandit's back, safe. Seeing the position of the three guns clearly, Zhang Yinghao knew what was going on.

Gathering everyone, Zhang Yinghao said, "Use sharpened bamboo sticks to launch a surprise attack on the bandits when they're off guard. The first round of shots must kill the one holding the gun. Is that okay?"

"No."

"Alright, each of you four will aim at a bandit with a gun. After firing a round, you will immediately charge forward. Don't give the bandits any chance to fire their guns. Zhang Feng, the four of you will aim at the first bandit with a gun."

Zhang Yinghao saw Zhang Feng squatting on his leftmost side and pointed directly at the three people next to him.

"Yes."

"Li Tong, the bandit in the middle of you four, and Hu Songhui, the one at the back."

"Yes."

"Find a good position and follow my orders."

Seeing that everyone was in ambush, when the bandits arrived at the attack point, Zhang Yinghao gave an order and twelve javelins were thrown out.

Following the javelin, Zhang Yinghao shouted,

"Go ahead."

During the charge, Zhang Yinghao felt like he was playing a game. The battle ended just like that. He killed five people with his javelin in one fell swoop, and the remaining three were taken as prisoners.

Zhang Yinghao and these twelve people ate raw meat and sucked blood in the mountains every day. Now they were not particularly difficult to adapt to the smell of blood. However, it was the second time he killed someone after all. Although it was done in extreme excitement and they didn't feel anything at the time, two people still vomited afterwards.

Zhang Yinghao took a casual look and began to teach Zhang Feng and the others how to identify prisoners. This was another big lesson.

"Name."

"Open up."

"Where are you from?"

"Chongqing."

"What?"

"Buy a gun."

"Where to go?"

"Copycat."

......

Zhang Yinghao led them to interrogate them separately, and then they started to report on each other. Zhang Yinghao didn't know how much Zhang Feng and the others could learn, but he had to establish a consciousness in their minds.

One of the captives was found to have committed rape and murder during the mutual denunciations, so he was dragged out and stabbed to death on the spot. Each person took a turn, and when it was the turn of two bandits, one of them was a new member and had never killed anyone before. He was unable to bring himself to do it at first, but everyone watched them silently, and finally he shouted "Ah" and stabbed them. From then on, no one vomited or had any other symptoms.

Of course, bullets are very precious, and it's impossible to use them for something as extravagant as shooting someone. Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao also thought that killing people would help him build his courage. Sometimes, Zhang Yinghao felt like he was just playing a game. Now, Zhang Yinghao didn't take other people's lives seriously at all. He felt like he had changed a little, and even thought he was a little scary.

The remaining two captives were named Zhang Kai and Liu Ergou. Zhang Yinghao changed his name to Liu Xinsheng, meaning that this was his second life and he should know how to cherish it. When the two captives saw Zhang Yinghao and his men stabbing the captive to death one by one, they were really scared. In the days that followed, Liu Xinsheng and Zhang Kai never mentioned Zhang Yinghao's murder. Of course, Liu Xinsheng was very proud of this name later, and his loyalty to Zhang Yinghao never changed.

Zhang Yinghao had made the most of the corpses. After forcing them all to move to a more open area, he began his unusual course with the twelve men (the two who had recently surrendered were still in isolation). It was about cadaver dissection and organ identification, laying the foundation for future military medical training.

When they saw Zhang Yinghao hacking and chopping at the corpses, they thought he was going to eat human flesh, and they were all terrified. Of course, if it was in his previous life, if you asked Zhang Yinghao to chop up a corpse, he definitely wouldn't do it, but if you asked him if he dared, he would still dare. But if you asked him to eat human flesh in his previous life, he definitely wouldn't dare to eat it. But now, if you ask him if he would eat human flesh, he is not sure. Only in this era did he realize how difficult it is to survive. To survive, even eating one's own children is not uncommon. Of course, it hasn't come to that point yet. Zhang Yinghao is just conducting a simple corpse dissection course.

Actually, the contents of the corpse are just that simple. Anyone who has seen a pig being slaughtered knows the internal structure. So after introducing it a few times, some names may not be remembered, but everyone still knows where the bayonet is most lethal.

Years later, when those who survived wrote their memoirs, they all vividly remembered their time in the mountains, especially the autopsies. Furthermore, the first step in future special forces selections was a period of specialized training in the mountains. This anatomy class was particularly memorable; it completely transformed their perspective and laid a solid foundation for their future unrivaled bayonet fighting skills.

Chapter 6: Journey thousands of miles to protect cultural relics

3893 words

Building a team is the foundation for achieving great things! — Quotes from Zhang Yinghao

Whether or not a soldier's bayonet fighting skills are up to par is directly related to their reaction to emergencies. Soldiers who are brave enough to fight with a bayonet will immediately think that they have a gun in hand and are not afraid. However, those who are afraid to face a bayonet directly will panic when faced with an emergency or dangerous situation. Simply put, they are afraid of death and dare not fight with a bayonet. Once faced with death at any time, these people will easily collapse emotionally.

"Brother Hao, should we go to Zhang Kai's stronghold?"

"Why? Want to go?"

"of course."

"Then take the brothers and let's go for a walk."

In fact, while interrogating Zhang Kai and the others, Zhang Yinghao noticed two pieces of information. The first was about buying guns. There was no rush now, and they would contact each other later when they had the chance. The second was about the mountain stronghold. Zhang Yinghao and his men had been living in a cave for a while, and a mountain stronghold as a base, even if it was just a few thatched huts, would be perfect.

So Zhang Yinghao and these young men stayed in the mountains for three months, and now they really didn't want to leave. With a mountain village, they no longer had to worry about their blankets getting wet in the rain. Especially with the gun, the food became more abundant. Zhang Yinghao didn't know the specific name of the gun, but he was familiar with guns. He knew the principles of shooting from the internet alone. When he was young, he would pick up bullet casings after shooting at the local garrison, and he also shot a pistol in the police academy. Plus, the structure of modern guns is actually simple, so Zhang Yinghao, as a college student, quickly mastered it. So sometimes he could hunt some large wild animals, and a wild boar could sometimes be enough for everyone to eat for a while.

However, Zhang Yinghao was already preparing to leave. He found it incredible that there had been no major incidents with so many people up the mountain, and the harvest had been enormous.

Before the second ambush on the bandits, the group had now memorized the multiplication table. Some could also add and subtract numbers within 100, though some still struggled and frequently made mistakes. However, this was the best Zhang Yinghao could do.

They can also write some simple words. Zhang Yinghao knows that these people are just a blank slate now, so what he teaches them are things that will be used in the future, such as: labor, work, diligence, bravery, farmers and other words.

In the end, they resorted to using the Three Character Classic for teaching. There was no other way around it; their foundation was so weak, and Zhang Yinghao's teaching skills were limited. Even with these basic words, they didn't learn much during this time. After all, the conditions were so poor, and there wasn't much writing practice for them. However, these students were quite diligent, and some could recognize at least a few dozen characters, and many more, though in simplified Chinese, since Zhang Yinghao only knew how to write.

Zhang Yinghao didn't discuss revolutionary principles, not because he distrusted them. Rather, he felt they couldn't be taught outside of society. They needed to be taught outside, while working and teaching. Hiding in the mountains, chanting about killing landlords, dividing the land, and talking about imperialism was strange to Zhang Yinghao. These things needed to be discussed in an atmosphere and with a relatively large number of people. Ideally, they should be taught in the presence of a group of like-minded people or during training sessions.

Zhang Yinghao had been in the mountains for so long that he was a little worried about the situation back home. He knew without a second thought that it must be hell outside after such a long period without rain. Such were the times. The imperial court was unreliable, and neither were the local tyrants. Everyone just had to persevere. Survival was a matter of luck, and death was the end of everything.

Zhang Yinghao is a little afraid to leave the mountain now. Leaving the mountain means a lot of pressure, which means he has to move forward. As for not leaving the mountain, it feels quite good here. No matter how the world changes, there is no sun or moon in the mountains.

Looking back now, Zhang Yinghao should thank those bandits for his current achievements. From the very beginning, it was after he ambushed the bandits that the team gradually became truly harmonious. Because before, it was usually Zhang Yinghao who used his authority and identity as convener to restrain others, and no matter what, Zhang Feng and the others had more or less resentment in their hearts.

After the second ambush on the bandits, Zhang Yinghao, after finishing his anatomy lesson, distributed some small change from the money he had found on the bandits' bodies. This fulfilled Zhang Yinghao's promise of wages, 300 wen per month, and the rest was handed over to Bao Shilin for management. Zhang Yinghao took none of it, and the people's sense of belonging suddenly reached its peak.

From that point on, everyone's enthusiasm for training and learning soared to an unprecedented level. Zhang Yinghao, in turn, taught them even more. He couldn't help but sigh, "A tael of silver is truly worth a thousand words." So, by the third month, they had learned Chinese pinyin, several hundred Chinese characters, memorized the multiplication table, and could perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with numbers under 100. They had also mastered the basics of formation training, bayonet fighting, and shooting.

During his downtime, Zhang Yinghao realized that training alone wasn't enough; he needed some practical training. Then, Zhang Yinghao suddenly remembered something important, perhaps even more important than his own life. So, he decided to embark on a long, extended training run. From that day on, fifteen men were missing from the mountain, and two months later, they appeared in Dunhuang, Gansu.

At this time, Zhang Yinghao and his men had changed into the clothes of the Qing soldiers, which were obtained from the ambush of the Qing soldiers on the way. Now each of them had a gun. Not only did they have stronger soldiers and horses, but they had also upgraded their guns to cannons.

Although Zhang Yinghao had never been to Dunhuang in his previous life, after seeing the records of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes on the Internet, Zhang Yinghao felt very sad every time he thought of it.

So Zhang Yinghao thought back to 1900, when the tragedy of Mogao Grottoes should not have occurred yet. He had truly traveled thousands of miles to this impoverished and remote place to prevent a catastrophe. The Mogao Grottoes were filled with precious treasures left to future generations by our ancestors. If we could leave a little more of them now, who knows how many people would be supported by them in the future, and how much precious wealth would be left behind. This would be a great merit! Of course, Zhang Yinghao didn't understand these things either. As long as they were not stolen by robbers, no matter what happened in the future, at least the meat was rotten in the pot.

The person who discovered Mogao Grottoes in the late Qing Dynasty was a Taoist priest named Wang Yuanlu.

In 1898, Wang Yuanlu cleaned up Cave No. 16. After two years of hard work, he finally cleared the accumulated sand in the cave.

On June 22nd, Wang Yuanlu stumbled upon a complex cave on the north wall. Upon opening the cave, he discovered a vast collection of cultural relics. Wang Yuanlu counted and found over 6 artifacts, including Buddhist scriptures, social documents, embroidered silk paintings, and ritual instruments, covering over a thousand years of Chinese Buddhist history.

The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a national treasure showcasing the splendor of Chinese culture, were largely ignored by Qing government officials. Yet, some people flocked to these precious artifacts, traveling thousands of miles to see them.

Later in 1907, upon hearing of the discovery of priceless artifacts at the Mogao Grottoes, the Englishman Stein rushed to Dunhuang. He paid 200 taels of silver to Wang Yuanlu for 200 bundles of sutras, 24 boxes of documents, and five large boxes of silk paintings and fabrics. Seven years later, Stein again took nearly 600 manuscripts from Dunhuang at a bargain price.

Once the gap was opened, it was difficult to plug it. After that, Westerners flocked in and joined the ranks of defrauding and robbing scriptures and cultural relics.

In 1908, the Frenchman Paul Pelliot used 500 taels of silver to swindle and buy more than 6000 manuscripts, more than 200 paper and silk paintings, and more than 20 wood carvings, looting almost all the precious cultural relics.

In 1914, the Russian Oldenburg went to Dunhuang and looted nearly 20,000 manuscripts and more than 100 silk paintings. He also stole more than ten murals and more than ten statues.

In 1924, American Warner bribed Wang Yuanlu with 70 taels of silver, peeled off 12 murals, and took away two Tang Dynasty Bodhisattva sculptures.

When the government finally paid attention to the Mogao Grottoes artifacts and ordered the remaining Dunhuang artifacts to be transported to Beijing for safekeeping, nearly 80% of the original 6 artifacts had been lost, leaving only fewer than 18 boxes. Even more tragically, nearly every official who handled the artifacts during their transport had stripped them of their belongings. By the time they arrived in Beijing, very few artifacts remained.

Although Wang Yuanlu accidentally discovered the Scripture Cave of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, bringing glory to Chinese civilization, he also bears unshirkable responsibility for the loss of cultural relics. The extent of this responsibility is a matter of opinion. In fact, if Western powers had known about these treasures, without the attention and protection of strong government departments, they would have been lost in the end.

The north is currently experiencing a severe drought, something Zhang Yinghao hadn't known about before. The journey had been a real test for him. Zhang Yinghao and his companions had endured immense hardships along the way. It had been two months since Zhang Yinghao arrived at the Mogao Grottoes from Sichuan, and he hadn't bathed once in those two months. By the time they arrived, they were covered in dust, and everyone's lips were chapped.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao didn't know that from 1899 to 1901, that is, from the 25th to the 27th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, a severe drought occurred in large areas of northern China.

Drought began in 1899 across much of northern China and intensified in 1900, affecting 130 counties. This drought was widespread, affecting Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, and Qinghai in the north, and extending southward to Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guangdong, where the disaster was severe.

As Zhang Yinghao walked along, he saw countless starving people lying on the roadside. All the grass had been eaten, the villages were deserted, fathers and sons left each other, husbands and wives drifted apart, and children, left without a caregiver, crawled on the streets, wailing and dying.

In Shaanxi alone, there were hundreds of thousands of starving people; in 24 counties including Sanyuan, Fuyang, Jingyang, Chengyang, Yan'an, Ansai, and Yulin, "spring rains were delayed, droughts were particularly severe in summer, and there was still little rain in autumn, so most autumn crops had not been planted"; Hua County "suffered from summer drought, and the Wei River almost dried up"; Tongchuan "had no rain from summer to winter, and grain prices were extremely high"; in Lantian, "a dou of rice cost about one tael and five cents of silver, and the people were starving"; Fengxiang "suffered from drought and autumn, severe famine, and people were displaced and died. The situation was tragic, and more than 2.2 people died in the county."

Zhang Yinghao's journey was marked by devastation and starvation. The book's description of the people exchanging their children for food couldn't possibly capture the reality of the situation. Halfway through, Zhang Yinghao even considered giving up, but he persevered and ultimately reached the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. This experience opened the eyes of the fifteen men, and especially Zhang Yinghao, cleansing his soul and intensifying his desire to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.

As for how to deal with Taoist Wang, he still hadn't figured it out. Although he had killed many people along the way, Zhang Yinghao was certainly not a murderer. Zhang Yinghao took his brothers to visit the scriptures and caves that Taoist Wang had cleared out, and he was deeply shocked.

"Master Wang, I heard you have scriptures here. Just like in Journey to the West, we are here to seek scriptures. I hope Master Wang can help me."

"No, you can't take these things away without the wording on them."

"Haha, Master Wang, you're joking. We certainly won't take it for nothing. We'll just take three boxes and give you twenty taels of silver. How about that?"

Taoist Wang was still unwilling and kept shaking his head.

"One hundred taels."

"One hundred and fifty taels."

"Two hundred taels. Any more would be excessive."

When the amount reached 200 taels, Taoist Wang relented, which made Zhang Yinghao let go of all his worries.

"Master Wang, don't you know these are priceless treasures? You sold them for two hundred taels? Come with us. You can't stay here any longer. We need to keep these caves sealed and come back to deal with them later."

Zhang Yinghao whispered a few words to Wang Tong and Zhang Feng and then took Taoist Wang out.

"You're going back to Sichuan with us. You're a miserable person too. You'll have to eat if you follow us. Don't even think about running away. The guys we have are not vegetarians."

About half an hour later, everyone gathered together again. After eating, they started a difficult journey back home. However, this time it was much faster than the journey there. On the way, Zhang Yinghao took in eight half-grown children and brought them back to the mountains of Sichuan.

Chapter 7: Someone Eavesdrops in the Dark Night

3678 words

Maturity always comes inadvertently. ——Quotes from Zhang Yinghao

Zhang Yinghao had been away from home for almost six months, so when he felt that the training in the mountains was almost complete, Zhang Yinghao decided to take them back. This is how the scene at the beginning happened, where he called everyone out and prepared to leave the mountains.

This time, Zhang Yinghao led his team back home, each carrying more than ten kilograms of wild game on their backs, which was much better than when they went up the mountain. When they were almost at the foot of the mountain, Zhang Yinghao and his team hid all their guns outside and left two people to guard them.

As soon as everyone walked out of the mountains and breathed the air of the world, everyone felt that they had matured, and it really felt like a lifetime ago.

Zhang Yinghao no longer cares about the small sweet potato and earthworm fields at home. He originally planned to patiently farm here, but plans can't keep up with changes. Now Zhang Yinghao has more than a dozen guns and is considered a force of some size. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao's ambition has also expanded, and he has slowly formed a plan in his mind.

But before he even got home, Zhang Yinghao felt something was amiss. Guang'an Prefecture was filled with disaster victims. Although Zhang Yinghao and his group were dressed in rags, some wore the uniforms of Qing Dynasty officers and soldiers. Therefore, no one paid any attention to them or disturbed them. Some even avoided them or stood at a distance to watch.

After some inquiries, I learned that it had rained in April, and everyone had planted their fields, but the weather wasn't kind, and drought returned, resulting in no harvest. As a result, many people have fled the famine, and those who can't escape are struggling to survive locally.

In some areas where the situation was severe, people were even eating their own children. Zhang Yinghao was eager to return home, so he rushed back to see that everything was fine. His mother had also gathered the sweet potatoes from the field, as they would have been stolen if she hadn't.

The mother was also very happy to see her son come back, but when she saw such a large group of people coming back, her brows immediately frowned. After all, there was not enough food now. Although her family had harvested some food from the fields, the mother knew that the little boy would eat her to death.

But my mother didn't say anything, still smiling and welcoming Zhang Feng and the others. When Zhang Yinghao returned home, he immediately asked my mother to make some broth. Then, he and the others began building a temporary shelter. He also sent Bao Shilin, Bai Jianyong, Wang Daniu, and Zhang Jianping to Guang'an Prefecture to buy clothes, quilts, and other daily necessities. With Zhang Yinghao's return and the large number of people he brought with him, the small village instantly became bustling with activity. Zhang Yinghao was also generous, cutting a small piece of meat for each family to take home.

Zhang Yinghao had never built a house before, but he'd seen pigs run, hadn't he? The assembly line work was done carefully. After a while of careful discussion, the woodcutters chopped wood, the pile drivers drove piles, and the thatchers cut grass. Once the work was clearly assigned, they began to work.