Chapter 262: Transforming the County into Gao Family Village
The road construction project officially kicked off...
A vast number of laborers were ready. Soon after, large quantities of cement were transported from Gao Family Village, and along with the cement came a large group of experienced workers, already skilled at mixing cement and paving roads.
As soon as these veteran workers arrived in the county town, they were appointed as squad leaders for the road construction teams. Each was responsible for overseeing a large group of people on the cement road project, teaching the laborers the ropes from scratch, guiding them hand-in-hand.
Meanwhile, the cement manufacturing formula was handed over to Liang Shixian.
Liang Shixian had long coveted this formula!
In his view, building bridges and repairing roads was a deed worthy of being etched into history, the greatest benefit a local official could bring to the region. Its blessings could even last for centuries.
However, he also knew that to build a cement road spanning over thirty li, the amount of cement required would be astronomical. Naturally, it was impossible to transport all of it from Gao Family Village. The Li family had given him the formula precisely so he could figure out how to produce some cement himself.
The county town, too, needed to immediately organize artisans to produce cement according to the formula.
Liang Shixian hurried with the formula to the official workshops. However, the few remaining resident artisans in the county town showed no interest in the formula in his hand. They were all lethargic, unwilling to even give it a serious look.
Watching this, Li Daoxuan couldn't help but secretly shake his head. Ah, he'd almost forgotten. The artisans here in the county town were still living at the lowest rung of society, completely devoid of motivation.
He saw Liang Shixian shouting alone, while the artisans rolled their eyes, engaging in passive aggression against the county magistrate.
Li Daoxuan found it amusing: "I gave you the cement formula precisely so you could experience the drawbacks of the artisan registration system. Now you feel it."
Heh heh heh.
Half an hour later, Liang Shixian returned to the county yamen, dejected and disheveled. He slumped into a chair, his face filled with vexation.
The Shaoxing secretary leaned over from the side. "My lord, what troubles you?"
Liang Shixian said gloomily, "The artisans are unwilling to work with cement. They say they don't know how, and they refuse to learn. They claim their ancestors determined their craft for generations, and they cannot do work that isn't their designated trade. The moment I get stern with them, they put on a look that says, 'Go ahead, kill me then.'"
The Shaoxing secretary gave a wry smile. "Well..."
Liang Shixian asked, "In your opinion, how should this matter be resolved?"
The Shaoxing secretary shook his head. "I am afraid my humble abilities are insufficient."
As they were discussing this, a subordinate reported, "Mr. Wang from the bookstore requests an audience."
Liang Shixian brightened. "Show him in!"
Soon, Mr. Wang entered. He cupped his fist in a bow towards Liang Shixian. "Magistrate, the second batch of cement we transported from Gao Family Village has arrived, but... the third batch will be significantly smaller. Because Gao Family Village has a small population, the manpower available for cement production is limited. Even operating at full capacity, they can't produce much. So, it will still depend on you, Magistrate, to produce more here."
Upon hearing this, Liang Shixian's spirits sank. "This is terrible! I am currently unable to resolve the issue of cement production on my end. There's a good chance our road construction will be stalled midway."
The secretary exclaimed, "Ah? If that's the case, won't our work-relief program be ruined?"
Mr. Wang had, of course, already learned this from the Heavenly Lord. He was merely teasing Liang Shixian, feigning great surprise.
Liang Shixian sighed, "Alas! I don't know what to do."
Mr. Wang pretended to ponder, but in reality, he was reviewing the Heavenly Lord's decree that Gao Yiye had relayed to him. Once he had sorted it out, he let out a chuckle. "If that's the case, then I do have a plan that could resolve your cement predicament."
Liang Shixian was overjoyed. "Sir, what brilliant scheme do you propose?"
Mr. Wang replied, "Our Li family can invest in building a Chengcheng Cement Factory right next to the county town. Using this factory as the main entity, we can recruit cement workers from among the artisans. As long as we pay them fairly, why wouldn't the artisans be eager to join?"
Liang Shixian felt a little awkward. "Chengcheng County barely has any rotating artisans left. All that remain are the resident artisans, who are bound to their posts and cannot leave freely. How could they possibly go work at a cement factory?"
Mr. Wang said, "Magistrate, you are the head of this county! If you don't keep an eye on the resident artisans, who will? As long as you turn a blind eye, pretending not to notice, the resident artisans, in order to earn money, survive, and overcome this natural disaster, will certainly go work at the cement factory. Anyway... the official workshops haven't had much to do lately, have they? What use is there in keeping them idle?"
The moment these words left his lips, Liang Shixian felt a surge of embarrassment.
Indeed! The official workshops had no work to offer. The resident artisans had been simply idling away their time, waiting for death. It would be better to simply turn a blind eye and let them go work elsewhere. After all, the artisan registration system itself was deeply flawed. Why should he be so stubbornly rigid? If cement couldn't be produced, it would impact the entire work-relief program.
"Alright!" Liang Shixian said, "Then who will establish this cement factory? I cannot do it myself, and using the court's name won't work either."
Mr. Wang suggested, "Just find a reputable local gentry member, and discreetly control them from behind the scenes to establish it."
Liang Shixian turned his head and gazed at the Shaoxing secretary.
The secretary immediately said, "I have someone in mind. His name is Teng Yifeng, and he used to be a construction contractor. Anyone who wanted to build a pavilion, a rock garden, or renovate a house would seek him out, and he would then hire artisans for the construction. He has excellent relations with the artisans; they all trust him. Due to the years of severe drought, he has lost his livelihood and is currently searching for ways to get by. If we let him lead the establishment of a cement factory, with us orchestrating from behind the scenes, this venture could succeed."
Liang Shixian nodded. "Summon him here. Since he has good relations with the artisans, let him be the public face of this cement factory."
The secretary promptly went to make the arrangements.
Mr. Wang took his leave and exited the county yamen. Around the corner, Gao Yiye was already waiting. Mr. Wang chuckled softly, "I am fortunate to have fulfilled the Heavenly Lord's decree without fail."
Gao Yiye smiled. "The Heavenly Lord has already seen it."
Mr. Wang remarked, "Now we've brought a bit more of Gao Family Village's way of doing things over here."
Gao Yiye smiled again. "Yes, the Heavenly Lord said, if we continue like this, it won't be long before the county town takes on the appearance of Gao Family Village. Then, when the Magistrate looks around with his sword drawn, only to find his county town unrecognizable, he'll surely be in for a huge shock!"
Mr. Wang burst into laughter. "I wonder when the Magistrate will finally realize that his county town has inexplicably transformed! Hahahaha!"
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