Everyone agreed that made sense.
Zhao San laughed. "I'll give it to anyone who's willing to work through the night, gathering by torchlight. Even if they pick every last acorn, I won't have a thing to say about it."
Li Gengtian's voice was sharp. "What nonsense are you spouting? You might be joking, but there are stingy folks out there who don't understand the consequences. They'd light torches just to get a little ahead. If the mountain catches fire, you'll all be crying then—and even killing the person responsible won't fix it! Now listen to me, all of you! No one is to gather at night. When it gets dark, you go home. Are you that desperate for a few extra acorns?"
That gave everyone a shock, and they all promised they would never gather by torchlight.
With the village chief's warning, the acorn gathering remained peaceful. Often, several families would crowd under a single tree without any arguments.
