Solar Cart Number Two was Li Dao Xuan's refined creation, built after he had fully absorbed all the experience from crafting Solar Cart Number One. This time, he did not simply improve a few parts. He rebuilt the entire power system and loading structure from the ground up, making the new version far more complete.
In his world, the cart measured only five centimeters. However, once placed into the late Ming era, it expanded into a massive vehicle nearly ten meters long, comparable to a solar public transport cart. It had a proper passenger cabin, and the solar panels were arranged neatly across the roof.
A sunshade curtain covered the panels. Inside the cabin, two sliding rods allowed Zheng Daniu to control it with ease. By pushing or pulling the rods, he could open or close the sunshade curtain at any time, directly controlling how much sunlight the panels absorbed.
In simple terms, more sunlight meant more power. Less sunlight meant the cart would behave itself.
Because Solar Cart Number Two was much larger than the previous version, modifications had become significantly easier. Li Dao Xuan also added a braking function. The design was straightforward, consisting of a small plastic clip. As long as Gao Chuwu stepped on it, the wheels would lock immediately.
It was simple, reliable, and most importantly, very hard to mess up.
Even so, driving such a large vehicle was not something one could master instantly. Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu spent several days practicing before they were finally able to operate it with confidence.
Once everything was ready, more than twenty villagers from Zheng Family Village boarded the cart. Zheng Daniu's parents were among them.
None of them knew why Dao Xuan Tianzun had ordered them to return and look at their village. However, questioning Dao Xuan Tianzun was not an option. When a divine immortal gave an order, ordinary people followed it. The reason would reveal itself sooner or later.
Gao Chuwu steadied himself and said, "Daniu, I am ready. Open the sunshade curtain."
Zheng Daniu paused for a moment before replying, "Last time we drove, we caused a fatal accident. Let us go slower this time."
The cabin fell quiet.
That incident had left a deep impression on both of them. Since then, their driving style had changed completely. Recklessness was gone, replaced by caution and a healthy respect for not running people over.
This time, the cart moved forward steadily.
It was so steady that even the passengers felt unusually reassured. No one was screaming. No one was bracing for impact. This alone was already a major improvement.
Solar Cart Number Two rolled forward, carrying its passengers toward Zheng Family Village.
Li Dao Xuan watched them leave. Then he reached out and tapped the label marked Zheng Family Village.
In the next instant, his view shifted to the sky above the village.
He took out his medical nebulizer, aimed it downward, and activated it.
The straight-line distance between Gao Village Family and Zheng Family Village was slightly over nine li, which was roughly four and a half kilometers. Gao Chuwu maintained a steady speed of around forty kilometers per hour, keeping the ride smooth and stable.
As they approached, a villager by the window suddenly called out, "Look, everyone. That is our village."
The others quickly gathered near the windows.
There it was.
The place where they had been born and raised.
They had only been away for a little over a month, yet seeing it again stirred a complicated feeling. It was familiar, yet distant, as though separated by more than just time.
The entire village appeared hazy, as if covered by a layer of misty rain.
At first, they thought it was an illusion.
Then they realized it was not.
A gentle, drizzling rain was falling over Zheng Family Village.
A wide curtain of soft rain covered the land, quiet and steady, like a blessing that had finally arrived after a long wait.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then tears began to fall.
"Look at the sky."
No one knew who said it, yet everyone raised their heads at the same time.
Above the village floated a low-hanging cloud.
It was unmistakable.
Every time Dao Xuan Tianzun manifest his presence, that same cloud would appear.
And now, it had appeared again.
From within the cloud, a dragon's head slowly extended downward. A fine spray of misty rain flowed from its mouth, nourishing the land below.
At that moment, everything became clear.
This gentle, drizzling rain was not natural.
It was a gift.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun has invited the Dragon King."
"His benevolence truly has no limits."
"Our land can finally be planted again."
Their voices trembled before rising into excitement.
"Stop the cart. Stop it now."
Zheng Daniu immediately pulled the sliding rods and closed the sunshade curtain. The cart slowed down and came to a stop.
Before it had fully halted, several villagers had already jumped down and started running toward the village.
They ran into the rain without hesitation.
The drizzle soaked their clothes, yet none of them cared. Their laughter rang out across the fields, bright and unrestrained.
Gao Chuwu watched them and shook his head. "They always call us fools, but look at them. There is a cart right here, yet they still choose to run."
Zheng Daniu responded with action.
His fist landed cleanly on Gao Chuwu's head.
It was a textbook hard knock on the head with a fist.
Gao Chuwu immediately crouch down defensively, clutching his head. "Why did you hit me? Are we not good friends?"
Zheng Daniu replied calmly, "You just called my parents fools."
Gao Chuwu paused.
Then he nodded with complete seriousness. "That is fair."
Some lines were not meant to be crossed.
Friends could insult each other without issue. That was part of the friendship. However, insulting someone's parents was a different matter entirely.
The hit was justified.
The two of them exchanged a glance, then relaxed again as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, the villagers continued running.
They ran for more than a full li before finally reaching their farmland. Then, almost in unison, they dropped to their knees.
Their hands dug into the soil.
It was damp.
Soft.
Alive.
They grabbed the earth tightly and looked up at the sky, laughing through their tears.
Life in Gao Village Family had been safe. They had food and shelter, and they no longer feared starvation.
Yet at this moment, standing on their own land, their happiness reached another level entirely.
This was home.
Nothing could replace it.
At the same time, tiny specks of light rose from their bodies, drifting upward before merging into the box.
When they had first been saved, each person had only contributed a tiny amount to the Rescue Index. This time, however, just over twenty people increased it by a full eight points in a single moment.
Li Dao Xuan observed the number as it approached four hundred and fell into thought.
He still did not fully understand the Rescue Index.
However, he could sense that he was gradually uncovering its meaning.
After their emotions settled, the villagers returned to Solar Cart Number Two.
"Chuwu, Daniu, take us back quickly."
"We need to ask Dao Xuan Tianzun for permission to move back."
However, the moment they voiced their request, a calm voice descended from above.
"I will not allow it."
The excitement vanished instantly.
Li Dao Xuan continued, "You may return during the day to tend your fields. Once your work is done, you must come back to Gao Village Family to rest. Staying there for long periods is too dangerous."
The villagers were stunned.
"Reporting to Dao Xuan Tianzun," one of them said carefully, "Wang Er's rebellion has ended. The other forces have scattered. The new magistrate is carrying out a relief effort to save the starving people. Cheng County should be safe now."
Li Dao Xuan replied, "You are still very far from safe."
He let out a quiet sigh and said nothing more.
The villagers exchanged uncertain looks.
Gao Yiye lowered her voice. "What I am about to say is my own thought, not the words of Dao Xuan Tianzun. You cannot see him, but I can."
She paused briefly.
"When he spoke just now, his expression was filled with sorrow. It felt as though he was grieving for all the people in this world."
Silence spread among them.
"He must know something," she continued softly. "But that belongs to the Way of Heaven. If such things were revealed to us, we might not be able to bear it."
A chill ran through the group.
Dao Xuan Tianzun knows what happened five hundred years in the past, what will happen five hundred years in the future, and what is happening in the five hundred years in between.
If he said it was dangerous, then it was dangerous.
There was no room for doubt.
The villagers quickly straightened their posture.
"We understand."
"We will follow the order of Dao Xuan Tianzun."
"We will not move back."
"We will farm during the day and return at night."
Only then did Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu relax.
Gao Chuwu smiled. "That works well. We will drive you there every morning."
Zheng Daniu nodded. "And we will bring you back every evening."
He paused for a moment before adding, "If possible, let us avoid running or punching."
Gao Chuwu rubbed his head. "That second part sounds very specific."
A few villagers could not help but laugh.
The arrangement was simple and practical. They would work together during the day, watch over one another, and return safely as a group once their work was done.
After all, when Dao Xuan Tianzun personally warned of danger, ignoring it was not bravery.
It was asking for trouble.
Footnotes
Solar Power in the Late Ming — Although solar power is modern, Ming-dynasty commoners would naturally mistake the Sun Car for divine machinery since mirrors, lenses, and light-based curiosities were often attributed to immortals in folklore.
Li Daoxuan's "Nebulizer Rain" — In many Chinese rural legends, local gods "borrow" the power of Dragon Kings to bring rain. Here it's cleverly reinterpreted as a nebulizer mist, but to villagers, any moisture from the sky equals heavenly rain.
Village Migration Patterns — During late-Ming rebellions, villages frequently fled en masse to walled towns or nearby settlements. A month-long absence was common in real historical famine or war zones.
Li Daoxuan's Warning — Historically, even when a local rebellion was put down, roaming bandits, starving refugees, and splinter militias often lingered for years. His warning reflects real unstable post-rebellion conditions.