novelraw Chapter 65: Adding More People
Chapter 65: Adding More People
Chapter 65: Adding More People
Because there were many matters to discuss, Wen Gu stayed at the Zhao Residence for the night.
Sugar and soap were what his aunt valued most at the moment. The salt that Wen Gu brought along was just a bonus. The fine salt used by the Zhao family nowadays was not bad either. Salt was not considered a formal gift, so Wen Gu did not use a gift box. He simply used a ceramic jar.
After Madam Shen, his aunt, tried the salt, she added it to another plan. Although she did not explicitly tell Wen Gu, he had already noticed that the Zhao family seemed to have secured a source of salt. It might still be a bit scarce now, but it would soon become abundant. Not lacking salt was a good thing.
The improved method for purifying and removing impurities from coarse salt was also attributed to Daoist Master Qingyi. With these merits, as long as Daoist Master Qingyi did not court death, building the Grand Daoist Temple would be entirely possible. Of course, this only permitted him to build it and showed a more lenient attitude, rather than helping him build it. The consumption of building materials would still require the Daoist Master to save up himself. The merits exchanged this time would not be enough to build the Grand Daoist Temple. However, Wen Gu believed that with such a grand prospect ahead, the Daoist Master would surely showcase his dazzling talents to the fullest.
Regarding how to use sugar, Wen Gu only needed to provide a little inspiration, and these noble families would come up with their own ingenious ways to use it. Currently, compared to salt and sugar, Wen Gu himself valued soap more. After the winter passed, it would be the season for soap consumption, so he needed to stock up on more now. Although the list he gave his aunt included various scented and medicinal soaps, Wen Gu strongly recommended sulfur soap. "It will have a very good effect for exorcising evil!" Wen Gu said. Whether the effect was good or not, his aunt would ask a physician to confirm its medicinal properties and effects before deciding whether to put it into production.
Wen Gu also requested a batch of coal, which some people currently referred to as "stone charcoal." People with some status did not like to use coal due to its strong odor. Apart from its use in iron smelting, coal was used by families of average means for heating or cooking. As for the lower-class commoners outside, they might not even be able to afford coal. When Wen Gu mentioned coal, Madam Shen did not pay much attention, assuming that Wen Gu, as the foreman of the district, wanted it for heating the people in his district. Firewood was scarce in the vicinity nowadays, and ordinary people could not find any to chop near Xin Prefecture City, so some people in the city exchanged work for coal. It was just a small amount of coal, and Madam Shen readily agreed, remarking, "Be sure to pay attention to the carbon poisoning of stone charcoal!" She still felt a little worried and, after Wen Gu left, sent him another batch of high-quality smokeless charcoal, along with a delicate and elegant copper hand warmer.
As soon as Wen Gu returned to Jingxing District, a large quantity of goods arrived, some from Madam Shen and some from his cousin. These were all inventoried and put into storage. Wen Gu could not use them himself, so he could use them as rewards to boost morale. When looking at the inventory list, Wen Gu noticed that Madam Shen had sent another batch of salt and sugar, not for him to refine again, but for daily consumption. After his aunt's workshop started operating, more refined salt and sugar would also be sent over. Salt, sugar, and medicinal soaps would no longer be lacking for Wen Gu in the future.
Sitting in his study, Wen Gu made a simple calculation on paper. He had discussed with his aunt and had a general understanding of the dealings at the upper levels. The period around winter was a time of frequent transactions. The threat of evil creatures decreased, and there were many social events and exchanges between nobles from the north and south, and between influential families in the northern lands, leading to a large demand. These refined items were perfect for gift-giving, as those influential families always paid attention to quality and taste, no matter the time. Therefore, there would be no long wait.
The next day, another batch of building materials and food arrived. It was from his uncle. Perhaps having learned about the matter of salt, sugar, and soap from his aunt, he had sent an additional supply of goods. These were not for the district, but for Wen Gu himself; they were his personal property. The first snow of winter in the northern lands had stopped long ago, but the temperature had not risen, and visible white mist appeared when one breathed outside. The rivers, even if not dried up, were not far from freezing.Listening to He Da's reports on the movements within and outside Xin Prefecture City, Wen Gu pondered. The military districts in the outer city area remained relatively empty, with most of the Xiànsòu Army still out in the field. The fleets traveling north from the south were limited in the autumn and winter seasons to only two waterways in the entire north. While the Xiànsòu Army cleared threats, they also escorted these fleets. So far, few had returned, not necessarily due to encountering trouble, but because many teams had yet to reach the north. "This winter, more affluent families have moved north compared to the last winter." This was good! Wen Gu liked those wealthy families with plenty of money!
Thinking about the tasks at hand, Wen Gu put on his cloak, held the copper hand warmer, and strolled over to Qingyun District across the way. Daoist Master Qingyi could no longer afford to be idle. He personally sorted and categorized the batch of alchemy room equipment that had been delivered and then began sketching and drawing based on the task list Wen Gu had provided. He was now full of energy! On the day he moved to Qingyun District, he had already scouted the location and feng shui for his Daoist temple. Where to build it, what direction to face, how many rooms to build initially, how it could be expanded later, and how glorious it would be in the future... all these thoughts had passed through his mind. Now, the land had been secured, and the necessary connections had been handled through the "dog scholar." All that remained was to earn money to build the Daoist temple!
In good spirits, Daoist Master Qingyi greeted Wen Gu with a more cheerful expression. Alas, although this "dog scholar"... was sometimes quite tricky, he actually delivered what he promised when he said he would get things! He also knew that this "dog scholar" had his own methods, but! Doing work somewhere was still doing work, and at least here he could get what he wanted. Daoist Master Qingyi comforted himself and adjusted his mindset. "When I become famous and improve my status in the future..."
"How is the progress?" Wen Gu asked as he approached. "The first few questions have been resolved, but the rest will take time," Daoist Master Qingyi replied, pointing to the list Wen Gu had given him. Below each major category were many minor issues. They were now being resolved one by one. Wen Gu glanced at the items that had already been completed on the list and had a general idea. Not wanting to affect the Daoist Master's mood, Wen Gu offered a word of encouragement before leaving: "Keep working hard and endeavor. Imprint your excellent thinking skills into the alchemy furnace. The size of the Daoist temple you can build will depend on the extent to which you refine these things!" Without waiting to be asked to leave, Wen Gu quickly went out and went to Blacksmith Yu's place to check on the work progress. He had also assigned some tasks to Blacksmith Yu and others, and he was unsure of their completion status.
While Wen Gu was inspecting various places, within Jingxing District, it was mealtime again. In the newly built canteen, a long queue formed in front of the large pots, with residents lining up one by one with their food ration tickets and bowls to get porridge. A villager from Shiqiao Village exchanged a food ration ticket for a large spoonful of porridge and then returned to the temporary shack where he was currently staying. About ten of his fellow villagers were already there. They huddled together, slurping their porridge and discussing when they would go back to their village to pick up more people.
Over the past few days, they had learned that Foreman Wen was someone with connections and was a practical person. He provided food for their work, and they lived in peace, without being forced into fighting. "The houses at the escort agency are being built really fast, changing day by day. They'll be able to move in soon! They're big and spacious, and they even have heated brick beds!" someone said enviously. "I wanted to be an escort too, but I wasn't chosen." In their eyes, the simple houses at the escort agency were already very luxurious. "My family has many people and a lot of labor. I want to bring them here quickly so we can save money to build a house together! Xin Prefecture City is much better than our village!" "My family only has me and my two younger siblings, so we can't afford to build a house. But I heard that after the communal dormitory is built, they will build a large courtyard for rent. We'll rent a room then." "My family only has me. I asked that young master surnamed He yesterday. The communal dormitory that the foreman is building is for laborers, but there's a selection process. If chosen, they'll provide food and accommodation!" They had clarified that the young master He said there would be more work later, which might be tiring, but it would include food and accommodation! They had also seen the building materials piled up in the open space within the district, all belonging to their foreman, who said that after finishing the dormitory there, he would build more large houses. "Besides our Jingxing District, I heard that Qingyun District across the way is also going to build several large houses!" "How many people can these accommodate?" They marveled. "When I went to get porridge today, I heard someone say that those who come first get food. Arriving one day earlier means eating one more day of food than others!" The others heard this and thought it made sense! The more they thought about it, the more they felt they couldn't wait. Being delayed by even a day meant a loss! But how would they get back? Although there were fewer evil creatures outside now, people still had to be wary. Some scattered survivors were ruthless and even ate people! "We have many people, let's find some more fellow villagers to go back together..." "But if we leave for a day, we'll miss a day's work and lose a day's food ration ticket. Do we all need to go back?" The others fell silent. They were reluctant to give up either option.
Just then, Escort Leader Lin arrived. "If you want to go back to your village to pick up people, our escort agency can take on the job." For this task, their reward from the employer was not high, and they didn't care much for the food ration tickets the villagers had saved. Escort Leader Lin was more interested in the reward they could get for bringing people over! Shiqiao Village alone had nearly a hundred people, and with the surrounding villages, they could exchange for quite a lot by making one trip. Building houses consumed a lot, and the escort agency had recently taken in more than ten new people, increasing the pressure to support their families. This trip could help them recoup some expenses. Furthermore, they wanted to make the name of the Tiger Might Escort Agency known to others in Xin Prefecture! Escort Leader Lin's heart surged with excitement. He knew that there were many teams traveling back and forth recently, presenting a good opportunity to make their presence known!
After reaching an agreement with the villagers, Escort Leader Lin went to see Wen Gu. Although there were no restrictions on coming and going here, it was better to inform the foreman of such a significant undertaking. Upon learning of this matter, Wen Gu immediately put down his work, returned to the two districts' administration office, took out paper and brush, wrote a certificate, and affixed a proper seal. Handing the paper to Escort Leader Lin, Wen Gu said with sincere eyes, "With this certificate, it will save you some trouble." Escort Leader Lin took the paper, deeply moved. Their Foreman Wen was truly a good person! Thoughtful and considerate! After thanking him, Escort Leader Lin took the certificate back, gathered his team, and prepared the supplies.
"Raise the flag!" The new escort flag was no longer a crude printed drawing but a meticulously embroidered one! The north wind blew, and the flag fluttered, displaying a majestic tiger head.
(End of this chapter)