Tang Xiaoyu cursed for a full twenty minutes before coming out of the main hall. (To make it easier to understand, I won't use descriptions like "time it takes to burn a stick of incense" or "time to drink a cup of tea".)
When he arrived at the dining area, Tang Xiaoyu put on a different face.
"What are you waiting for? Your saliva is already dripping into your bowls. Hurry up and eat!"
"Thank you, Sect Master."
Only then did everyone start eating.
Looking at the dishes on the table, Tang Xiaoyu was very dissatisfied.
"Old Zhou, how do you handle things? My disciples are still growing and you only give them vegetables? Where's the meat?"
Zhou Ruiqing pointed at the few pieces of meat in the basin and said, "Sect Master, isn't this meat?"
Tang Xiaoyu slapped the table. "This is simply nonsense. Starting tomorrow, you must ensure half a jin of meat per person every day."
"Yes, Sect Master."
"Alright, let's eat! After the meal we'll have a brief meeting."
"Yes."
After the meal, everyone brought their chairs into the main hall.
Seeing everyone was present, Tang Xiaoyu stood up and said, "I've already basically understood the situation."
"Right now our sect owes 20,000 taels of silver in external debts, but I only have a little over 21,000 taels."
"After repaying the debts, how long can we survive on these 1,000 plus taels? Not for long."
"And our only source of income is from those few mu of medicinal fields. How much money can that make?"
"Comrades! We need to think of ways to make money! We can't keep sitting here draining the mountain empty."
"So I've decided to develop our own industries. Only with money can we buy cultivation techniques, pills and artifacts. Only with these can we cultivate at ease and quickly improve our cultivation."
Little Ling'er clapped and said, "What the Sect Master said makes a lot of sense!"
Tang Xiaoyu was very satisfied. "You see, this is how a disciple should react. You should all learn from her."
At this time, Tang Xiaoyan took the lead to applaud, and everyone else followed.
"The Sect Master is right, we need to make money."
Tang Xiaoyu coughed and said, "That's enough, now let me tell you my money-making methods."
"First, we must open up more land for growing grains and vegetables to become self-sufficient."
"Second, medicinal fields take too much time and effort for too little profit. I plan to use them for growing melons and fruits instead."
Zhou Ruiqing objected, "Sect Master, those are spiritual fields, the most valuable asset of our sect."
Tang Xiaoyu dissatisfiedly asked, "Do you know how to refine pills?"
Zhou Ruiqing shook his head. "I don't."
"Are there any spiritual medicines planted in there?"
"No."
"Are ordinary medicinal materials very valuable?"
"Not valuable."
"Then what are those medicinal materials used for?"
"Because they grow fast and have good medicinal properties! Thin profits but quick turnover!"
Tang Xiaoyu was too lazy to reason with him. "Go play by yourself."
"This is what I'm thinking. If there is currently a shortage of watermelons, we grow watermelons. If there is a shortage of vegetables, we grow vegetables. We can earn quick money from the difference in supply."
Zhou Ruiqing asked again, "Sect Master, when we grow them out, there won't be any shortages!"
"Are you stupid? Are you stupid? What if, what if."
"What are these? Spiritual fields. If we plant watermelons together, whose will ripen first?"
"Ours."
"Will there be a shortage of watermelons at that time?"
"Yes, there will be."
"Do you understand now?"
"I understand now."
"If you understand then shut up. If you say another word, I'll break your leg."
Zhou Ruiqing grimaced.
"With our location and our spiritual fields, even low-level spiritual medicines might not necessarily grow well if you plant them in."
"So let's not think about things like spiritual medicines anymore."
"The Sect Master is wise."
"Based on Department Head Zhou's performance just now, I'm very worried about everyone's IQ."
"So I've decided on the spot to allocate one hour every morning for reading and writing."
"Do you all feel that reading and writing is useless?"
Everyone said in unison, "Yes."
Tang Xiaoyu shook his finger. "Wrong. Reading and writing is useful, very useful."
"Let me give an example with your Eldest Senior Sister!"
"Is your Eldest Senior Sister beautiful?"
The crowd shouted, "Beautiful!"
"Then good. Who among you can describe how beautiful your Eldest Senior Sister is?"
A group of people were tongue-tied, not knowing what to say.
With no other option, Tang Xiaoyu turned to Zhou Ruiqing. "Department Head Zhou, you tell us."
With his head buzzing, Zhou Ruiqing could only squeeze out, "She's so beautiful."
Tang Xiaoyu was itching to kick him, but in order to use him as a counterexample, he reluctantly endured it. "Look, this is what someone uncultured sounds like. Either 'very beautiful' or 'so beautiful'. At most, 'damn this chick is hot'."
Zhou Ruiqing's eyes twitched. [Who would waste time learning useless things every day?]
"Next, your Sect Master will demonstrate for everyone how a cultured person praises someone's beauty."
"Just look at her graceful and extraordinary elegance, with a touch of lightness. Skin as tender as a newborn babe, leisurely charm, bright glances, blushing cheeks, words on the tip of her tongue, fragrance like a secluded orchid. So gentle and endearing, no words can fully capture it."
Tang Xiaoyu pulled out sentences from novels and presented them proudly, looking at everyone expectantly.
Little Ling'er bluntly said, "But this isn't describing Eldest Senior Sister. Eldest Senior Sister is sallow and thin. She's also very fierce."
Tang Xiaoyan turned her head. "What did you say?"
The little girl covered her mouth. "I didn't say anything."
Stone Head said, "Sect Master, I don't understand."
"Uh..." Tang Xiaoyu actually didn't quite understand himself.
"You see, this is the difference between being cultured or not. I understand, you don't understand. Are you inferior?"
"Yes."
"By saying things you don't understand, doesn't my image seem much more refined?"
"Yes."
Tang Xiaoyu slapped his thigh. "And there you have it. We must look more sophisticated and knowledgeable than others. Otherwise, what's the difference between us and them?"
"The Sect Master makes so much sense."
Tang Xiaoyu said proudly, "Reading can broaden our horizons and stimulate our thinking."
"Most important is raising our IQ."
He pointed at Zhou Ruiqing, "Otherwise we'll be like him, brainless."
"If he read more, we wouldn't have starved either."
Zhou Ruiqing wanted to refute but was cut off by Tang Xiaoyu again. "One should not dream while his stomach rumbles."
"If I were him, I would prioritize survival over cultivation first."
"Right now, you're neither eating well nor catching up with cultivation. Failing on both ends."
Tang Xiaoyu lectured in earnest. "Comrades! We must become people with ideals, morals and culture."
"Don't emulate uncultured, immoral people like Department Head Zhou."
"Does everyone understand?"
"We understand."
"Very good. Everyone go rest then!"
"Yes Sect Master."
Tang Xiaoyu shook his head at Zhou Ruiqing. "Are these the people you've taught? They don't even know to say take a rest earlier, Sect Master."
Zhou Ruiqing grandly said, "Cultivators have no need for those superficial pleasantries."
Tang Xiaoyu cursed, "With your abilities, shouting about defying the heavens everyday. I don't know what the old heavens owe you little bastards."
"If I were the heavens, I would smite you bunch of ungrateful things first before letting you defy them."
"A bunch of beings without fear and awe, still wanting to ascend? Heh! Has the Heavenly Dao gone crazy, attracting itself a bunch of rebels."
Zhou Ruiqing didn't know how to retort being scolded by Tang Xiaoyu like this. He stood there blankly.
"Tomorrow, go find me people to carve three god statues. I'll give you the templates in the morning."
Zhou Ruiqing felt he could show off a bit here: "Just tell me the names, then I'll know how to carve them."
Tang Xiaoyu said word for word, "The Three Purest Celestial Beings, the Three Pure Dao Patriarchs. Have you heard of them? If not then don't speak."