Chapter 203: The Track Small Train

Early in the morning, several large delivery trucks slowly made their way toward Bai Family Fortress.

Li Daoxuan began preparing the “Refugee Valley” to settle Dian Deng Zi and his group.

First, he dug a pit in the center of the valley and buried a plastic box filled with water, creating a pond in the valley.

Next, he placed two small plastic castles at both exits, perfectly blocking the valley entrances and securing the interior.

Then, he arranged numerous plastic houses throughout the valley, filling it completely. To ensure the little people’s well-being, space couldn’t feel oppressive, so several garden spots were left in the streets, adorned with plastic trees and flowers, making the valley brim with spring vitality.

The highlight came next: laying the small tracks.

Purchased from an online shopping site, the tracks came in short sections only about twenty centimeters long, flexible enough for free assembly. They included straight paths, curves, and even slopes—limited only by imagination.

As a child, Li Daoxuan had desperately wanted this toy but couldn’t afford it.

By the time he could buy what he once craved, he’d grown up. Playing with it no longer brought the same childish excitement.

Such is life!

When you desire something, pursue it with all your might. Never wait for its price to drop or save it for “someday.” You can’t be sure the longing will endure until then.

Click-clack—Li Daoxuan snapped sections of track together, extending them from the Refugee Valley’s entrance all the way to Gaojia Village.

At first, no one was around to witness his work.

But as the track neared the village, onlookers multiplied. Labor offenders and short-term workers at the outskirts gaped at the surreal sight before them.

Vibrantly colored tracks descended from the sky onto the ground, connecting to existing sections with tiny snaps.

They kept falling, assembling—falling, assembling—as the rainbow tracks advanced toward Gaojia Village.

Anyone with sense knew this was the Deity’s new divine marvel. Workers halted tasks to stare.

The track forged onward!

Villagers along its path cleared the way as it snaked over small stretches of ground.

Passing through an opening between wheat fields, it finally reached Gaojia Village’s entrance.

Eyebrows furrowing, villagers stared at the peculiar railway, minds buzzing with confusion.

Suddenly, a strange vehicle swooped from the sky onto the track.

It dwarfed the public sun chariot—even surpassing the huge Solar Vehicle No. 3 for cargo.

And it wasn’t a solitary car; an engine hauled over a dozen carriages along its length, only for another engine to cap the train.

Villagers stood dumbstruck. A train with two locomotives? What could it mean?

Gao Yiye dashed out of the main fortress, grinning as she called, “By the Deity’s command, this small train requires two drivers working shifts! Pay matches the sun chariot drivers’. Any takers?”

“Me! Me! Me!”

A crowd surged from the Short-term Workers Village, scrambling for the job.

Seeing applicants swarm, Clerk Tan Liwen stepped in to screen them. Slow or inattentive applicants got weeded out until two quick-witted ones remained.

Tentatively, they boarded the locomotive.

As Li Daoxuan guided her, Gao Yiye taught both how to start and pause the engine, stressed watching tracks for people or animals, and explained key safety rules.

Afterwards, the new drivers geared up for a trial run.

Li Daoxuan hovered near the box, ready to intervene if needed.

One driver flipped the switch. The small train whistled like a steam locomotive—pleasantly melodious—before creating a steady clunking sound.

Electrified, it crawled along at eight centimeters per second.

To Li Daoxuan, that seemed sluggish.

But at the scale of late Ming China, it translated to sixteen meters per second—57.5 kilometers per hour. Not slow at all. In a whoosh, the small train barreled toward Refugee Valley.

Both drivers screamed in fear initially.

Their fright eased within two minutes. They realized the little train held the track tightly: no veering, perfectly steady—smoother than any sun chariot ride.

Soon, Refugee Valley loomed ahead.

Gao Yiye beamed. “The station’s just ahead! Prepare to stop when you see its building.”

Promptly signaling them, the drivers cut power. With a creak, the train halted squarely before the platform.

“Great!” Gao Yiye announced. “Passengers will board and disembark now. Lock this engine’s door—keep snoopers out—then rush to the other engine.”

Baffled at first, the drivers grasped the plan: using the rear engine would reverse their journey. No wonder the train needed two fronts!

They raced to the opposite engine with Gao Yiye.

Following the same routine, they ignited the locomotive. The whistle sounded again, accompanied by rhythmic clunks as the train propelled forward.

The drivers laughed, “This small train is actually easy to pilot!”

Sternly, Gao Yiye admonished, “The Deity warns: a crash would endanger everyone across all carriages. You must operate vigilantly—never undervalue its risks. Stay alert every second. Stop at once for anything blocking the rails yet unseen. Understand?”

Both answered swiftly, “Yes! But… who’ll ride this train? That valley remains empty today.”

Gao Yiye smiled faintly. “Well… perhaps soon it won’t.”