Not long after the big rat riding a "motorcycle" set off with its little rat underlings, a pioneer team of five hundred refugees had already moved from the temporary shelter to Long-Term Farmstead.
There were currently around 1,500 refugees still staying at the temporary shelter.
Winter was nearing its end. The snow was slowly melting and seeping into the soil. They could not remain forever in those crowded, dilapidated buildings. It was neither safe nor sanitary, and once spring arrived, the place would easily become a breeding ground for disease.
Walking at the front of the refugee procession, Jiuli found Luka waiting at the east gate and shook his hand.
"Something held us up on the road. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Luka replied gently.
"It's all right. The whole road was covered in snow, so it couldn't have been easy getting here. Seeing that you all arrived safely puts my mind at ease."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jiuli got straight to the point.
"Where do we start? Here, or somewhere else?"
Their camp had been at the east gate last year, but a blizzard had destroyed it. Even now, remnants of the wreckage could still vaguely be seen on the ground.
Old Luka looked at Jiuli and said,
"By the Administrator's orders, your homes will be at the west gate. The most urgent matter now is housing. Bricks, cement, and lumber have already been delivered to the construction site, and specialists will teach you how to build. Once the houses are finished, we'll assign you tasks for the spring planting."
"Land will be allocated by household. Two people make a household and receive ten mu of farmland. Every child in the family adds another mu. Unmarried people over sixteen will receive three mu each. Once they start