Chapter 188: Celestial Clay Successfully Developed
Early that morning, Li Daoxuan settled in front of the box, a basket of steamed dumplings cradled in his hands. He had just popped a dumpling into his mouth when a cheer erupted from the direction of the Craftsman Well: “We did it! We finally did it!”
Following the sound, he saw three tiny figures celebrating jubilantly in the middle of the Craftsman Well, their excitement palpable.
Li Daoxuan retrieved his magnifying glass and studied their faces for a long moment, but he didn't recognize any of the three little figures; he couldn't put names to their faces.
He was pondering whether to call Gao Yiye to ask when the blacksmith, Gao Yiyi, emerged, grumbling at the trio: “What’s all this racket so early in the morning, you three?”
The three men, beaming with excitement, cried out: “Master Blacksmith, we succeeded! We succeeded! We finally managed to produce the Celestial Clay formula that the Heavenly Lord bestowed upon us last time!”
Those words jolted Li Daoxuan. Right, last time, Xing Honglang had remarked how excellent cement roads were, and how convenient it would be for trade if they covered the entire world. Li Daoxuan had then provided the cement formula, allowing the little people to research it themselves. He hadn't expected them to succeed so quickly.
Well, the ancient formula for cement wasn't inherently difficult; it only required lime, clay, and water. He had also directly provided the manufacturing method, so it was no wonder the little people had figured it out so fast.
Gao Yiyi, curious, said: “The Celestial Clay is ready? Let me see.”
The three men were masons. They presented a small box containing a piece of cement that had already set and dried.
He was pleased, but not quite as overjoyed as Li Daoxuan. Limited by his era, he couldn't yet grasp the profound significance of "completing a scientific invention."
“You three have completed the task bestowed by the Heavenly Lord, and you deserve a generous reward,” Gao Yiyi declared, exercising his authority as Master Blacksmith. “I will report this to San Shier later, and each of you will receive a hundred catties of pork.”
The three masons were ecstatic. A hundred catties of pork was already an incredibly substantial reward for them, and they were utterly content.
But Li Daoxuan thought to himself: *That’s not enough!* Even though he had provided the formula and essentially allowed them to cheat, these three masons had still made a major scientific discovery. They couldn't just be rewarded with a hundred catties of pork. They needed an extraordinarily lavish reward to set an example, to make all the villagers understand that “inventing and creating can change your destiny.”
This was incredibly important!
Western science had surged ahead of the East for a period precisely because Western scientists were valued. A single invention could bring immense wealth and confer respected social status.
In contrast, Eastern scientists who invented new things often received little recognition; far from getting rich, they wouldn’t even gain the slightest benefit. Naturally, the scientific enthusiasm of the two sides would differ greatly.
This allowed the West to overtake them and maintain a significant lead in technology for a long time thereafter.
It seemed it was time to deploy his large silver chain again.
The silver rings he'd cut from the chain weren't even half gone. He’d clipped two small pellets when inviting Mr. Wang, the teacher, and a few more when purchasing the bookstore. The consumption was minimal; the large silver chain still had only a very tiny notch.
With three distinct snips, he cut off three more small silver pellets.
Only then did he shift his gaze to the watchtower above. “Yiye, are you awake?”
“Oh! The Heavenly Lord is calling me!” Gao Yiye scrambled out of her room, her footsteps pattering, and rushed onto the balcony, looking up at the sky.
Li Daoxuan noticed something odd about her face. He zoomed in the camera feed and saw Gao Yiye sporting dark circles under her eyes, looking utterly exhausted from a sleepless night. “What’s the matter with you?”
Gao Yiye chuckled awkwardly. “Ah, heh-heh... This humble one... stayed up all night drawing last night.”
Li Daoxuan was speechless.
Gao Yiye continued: “After reading the *Generals of the Yang Family* comic book granted by the Heavenly Lord, this humble one found it so fascinating that I wanted to draw my own story. I lit a lamp and drew and drew all through the night, accidentally going until dawn.”
Li Daoxuan burst into laughter. *So that’s it.* This was quite normal, after all; everyone had their own hobbies. Painting was a perfectly legitimate interest, and he didn't need to interfere too much.
“Do you still have the energy to handle things?”
“I do!” The young woman bounced energetically, showing Li Daoxuan. “Look, I’m full of spirit! I can complete any task the Heavenly Lord assigns me at any time.”
“Alright then. Here are three silver spheres. Have San Shier come retrieve them. Soon, Gao Yiyi will report the masons’ work to San Shier, and you should instruct San Shier to lavishly reward the three masons. Furthermore, they are to be honored as ‘Pioneers in Innovation,’ and this news should be spread throughout the entire village. From now on, anyone who makes a significant invention will receive a generous reward.”
Gao Yiye committed it to memory, then scurried down the stairs again, her footsteps pattering as she went to find San Shier.
That young woman truly was energetic.
A sudden curiosity stirred in Li Daoxuan: what was the young woman drawing? He felt a slight urge to peek.
No!
Prying into other people’s affairs was not a good habit.
Before long, Gao Yiye had delivered the message.
After San Shier fully “grasped the Heavenly Will,” he, too, became energized. He notified all the villagers that after work concluded that evening, they were all to gather in front of the main gate of Gaojia Fortress for an awards ceremony.
Xing Honglang, accompanied by Xu Dafu, the lamp maker, and thirty-eight of her subordinates, had traveled tirelessly day and night. By evening, after arduous trekking, they finally arrived back outside Gao Family Village.
The salt smugglers, also weary from their journey, couldn't help but cheer upon seeing the distant walls of Gaojia Fortress ahead: “We’re finally here! We can get some good rest for a few days now.”
Xing Honglang felt a flicker of quiet joy herself. She touched the heavy sabre on her back, her lips curling into a slight smile before she quickly suppressed it. She turned to the two artisans and said, “We’ve arrived! Here, your skills will surely bring you great fortune.”
The two artisans, having witnessed Xing Honglang’s capabilities firsthand along the way, had developed a certain level of trust in her words. However, they were less confident in their own status. Could two mere craftsmen truly strike it rich?
Xu Dafu peered ahead. “This village is so large!”
The lamp maker also nodded. “Look at this vast cluster of houses; the population must be at least a thousand.”
Still, both men hailed from Xi'an Prefecture, a bustling metropolis. They were long accustomed to crowded, lively streets. Even with a thousand residents, they didn't feel there was much opportunity for them to get rich here.
A team of road-building workers passed by the group.
The workers waved at Xing Honglang. “Lady Hero Xing, you’re back! Haha, that’s wonderful! I’ve stockpiled quite a bit of salt these past few days, just waiting for you to collect it.”
Xing Honglang chuckled. “Selling salt has become difficult recently. The new inspector, Fang Wushang, is incredibly strict with his checks. My next trip, I’ll only be selling sugar.”
The worker gasped in surprise. “Ah!”
“Don’t mind him; he’s obsessed with money,” another worker laughed. “Lady Hero, you’ve returned at just the right time. San Shier has notified everyone that after work this evening, there will be an awards ceremony in front of the main fortress gate. You’ll be just in time to attend.”
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