Chapter 5: Establishing the Craftsmen’s Quarters

They were going to build a "beginner carpenter's hut" so that the "beginner carpenter apprentice" could work inside. Zhan Xiaobai divided the village into four areas: one for farmland, one for residents' huts, one for a trading area (an open space), and one specifically for various craftsmen's huts. The farmland area was the largest, occupying almost half of the village.

Currently, only one carpenter's hut was being constructed in the craftsmen's area, but there would definitely be other types of craftsmen in the future, so many spaces were left open. The old village chief, Li Asan, directed two farmers to bring lumber, while the carpenter worked on-site to create beams and boards. The carpenter's hut differed somewhat from ordinary huts; it was very spacious and could accommodate more than ten people working together, thus requiring twice as much wood as a standard hut.

Qiushui and Jianba arrived early to help at the construction site. Afu and the young hero Chunqiu had just woken up after a good sleep; noticing that it was already bright outside, they hurried to lend a hand. With seven or eight people working together, the pace was noticeably faster. Soon, two more farmers appeared beside the administrative courtyard's jade stone, voluntarily joining the village.

"Once we finish building the carpenter's hut, we won't have to worry about making furniture anymore. When we have money later, I'll definitely get a luxurious personal wooden furniture set to enjoy," Afu said proudly.

"Hehe!" Jianba patted him on the shoulder. "Little Fei, is that your only ambition? At the very least, you should aim to build a wooden castle!"

During a break, Zhan Xiaobai called everyone to have some water and rest a bit before pushing on to complete the carpenter's hut. Li Asan was bustling around when he suddenly rushed in from outside, saying urgently, "Lord, someone has come to apply; please decide."

"What kind of person? A farmer, or a craftsman?" Zhan Xiaobai was surprised; Li Asan could handle recruitment himself without needing to report it.

Li Asan quickly replied, "No, it's players who have come. I didn't dare to make a decision on my own. Please go and take a look."

Upon hearing that players had come to apply, Afu and the young hero Chunqiu were immediately excited.

"Wow, players! That's great."
"Where are they?"

"Let's hurry and see!"
"They're right outside the village gate."

Zhan Xiaobai instructed the carpenter and farmers to continue working, and with a call, he led Li Asan, Jianba, and a few others toward the village's east gate. Jianba, with his wealth of social experience, had clearly thought about more than the others and said, "Xiaobai, do you think we should let these new players join our village?"

Zhan Xiaobai paused for a moment, slowed his pace, and, after a bit of thought, guessed Jianba's concerns. He asked, "What are your thoughts?"

Jianba said, "The number of villagers in our small village is limited, and the efficiency of the farmers’ work is obviously higher than that of us players. We currently only have three huts, which have already consumed over twenty population slots. If we recruit a large number of players, we'll have very few farmers left, which would severely hinder our development. The most serious issue is... we only have five people here. If a large number of players flood in, it will be chaotic and difficult to manage, easily leading to conflicts..."

Jianba spoke hesitantly, leaving some thoughts unvoiced. However, Zhan Xiaobai understood that he was worried that with too many players, the dynamics would become very complicated. If players later formed factions, it could lead to a situation where the village would be overwhelmed, resulting in endless troubles.

"Afu, young hero, Qiushui, what do you think?" Zhan Xiaobai called to them, eager to hear their opinions.

Afu scratched his head. "Hmm, I hadn't thought about that. More players would certainly bring excitement, but the situation could indeed become complicated. From my past gaming experience, managing a gang was the most headache-inducing part. There were always fights and disputes, which gave me a headache."

Chunqiu pondered and said, "Jianba makes a valid point. We only have a total of 100 villager slots; we must plan carefully and utilize them wisely. Otherwise, it will hold back the development of the village."

Zhan Xiaobai looked at Qiushui, who smiled and said, "This is something the village chief should decide; I absolutely support the chief's decision."

Zhan Xiaobai nodded inwardly, having made up his mind. Although he currently had the support of Jianba, Afu, Chunqiu, and Qiushui, along with an assisting vice chief and four to five farmer craftsmen, their strength was still too weak. Caution was essential. He could not allow negligence to put the village's construction in a passive position.

Outside the east gate, several players had gathered—no more than six or seven. This was the second day of the public beta, and the sparse population meant that not many players had discovered the location of Xiaobai Village.

These six or seven players were loudly clamoring, strongly insisting on joining the village.

"Everyone, please quiet down,"

Zhan Xiaobai shouted to the crowd. "I am Xiaobai, the village chief of this small village. I warmly welcome everyone to Xiaobai Village. If you wish to rest here, we can provide free tea. If you want to trade, we offer favorable tax policies. In short, Xiaobai Village is open to all; everyone is welcome to stay and engage in activities here."

One player stepped forward and clasped his hands, saying, "Wait! Village chief, we want to join the village and become villagers, not just passersby."

"Well..." Zhan Xiaobai found it very difficult to respond. "I apologize, but there are only a few slots for villagers in a small village. All of them have been allocated to recruit farmers, and there's simply no way to increase the number of player slots. How about waiting until the village develops into a medium-sized one before joining?"

"No way, we protest!" Player Xiaojia strongly opposed.

"We want to become official villagers immediately and enjoy the benefits of villager status!" shouted Player Xiaobing.

"Brother, please, accept us! We’ve been living in the wilderness, and it’s been miserable. During the day we’re chased by wild boars, and at night we’re bitten by wolves," Player Xiaoyi lamented.

Zhan Xiaobai felt sweat trickling down his forehead and quickly stepped back, asking Li Asan to set up a shaded straw hut for them at the village entrance and serve them bowls of tea—that was the only thing he could do for the players. However, joining the village was out of the question. He had no intention of increasing the player slots in the village for now.

The construction and development of the village were of utmost importance.

Zhan Xiaobai returned to the craftsmen's area with everyone, hastening their work. By noon, the first basic functional building of Xiaobai Village—the carpenter's hut—was finally completed.

Beginner Carpenter's Hut: Housing one beginner carpenter apprentice, capable of crafting and repairing simple wooden items such as doors, beams, and furniture. Beginner Carpenter Apprentice: Level 10, possesses basic woodworking skills, upgrade experience 32/500.

The primary purpose of the carpenter's hut now was to create some rudimentary plowing tools, laying a solid foundation for cultivating the land within the village.

The amount of land cultivated directly determined the food harvest a month later and, in turn, the number of NPC farmers the village could support. As the old village chief Li Laotou put it: in these times of chaos, having food in hand brings peace of mind.