Chapter 535 New Yamen
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa concluded their awkward conversation, then bid their farewells.
Once they were out of earshot, Liang Shixian smiled and called out to Chen Yuanbo, “Yuanbo, come sit.”
Chen Yuanbo took a seat opposite Liang Shixian.
Only then did Liang Shixian speak: “Surely you haven't come to Chengcheng just to figure out the price of fertilizer, have you? Do you have any other important tasks?”
“No tasks!” Chen Yuanbo straightened his back. “The Heavenly Lord simply instructed me to go out and explore. He said I am the first middle school graduate from Gao Family Village, and I didn’t neglect any subjects, having studied all of them thoroughly. The Heavenly Lord wants me to go out, see, and walk around, to use my own eyes to determine where my knowledge can be applied in various industries.”
Liang Shixian nodded. “I see. And you’ve already made a difference in the realm of commerce.”
Chen Yuanbo grinned cheerfully. “Yes, I never imagined that the mathematical knowledge I acquired could be so useful here.”
Liang Shixian laughed. “Alright, then I won't keep you. Continue to explore on your own and see if there are other areas where you can make a difference.”
Chen Yuanbo gave a respectful salute, then exited the county magistrate’s office.
Meanwhile, in Puzhou City.
After several months of construction, Puzhou City was utterly transformed. Such rapid development wasn't due to Gao Family Village’s superior technical prowess, but rather because buildings of this era didn't need to be very tall.
In later generations, constructing a single building could take years because those structures would rise dozens of stories high.
But in this era, houses were only one or two stories tall, and foundations could be laid haphazardly, or even omitted entirely. Just stack bricks, brush on cement, and presto! It's done.
Consequently, construction was remarkably swift.
Qiu Qianfan stood before the brand-new prefectural magistrate’s office, his face radiant with a healthy glow.
After months of working in the fabric manor, the dignified prefect had nearly turned himself into a tailor. Now, hearing that the prefectural magistrate's office was ready, he rushed back to see it.
Hmm, these cement walls were so sturdy they could practically serve as a 'city within a city.' If marauding bandits were to attack, and the outer city walls didn't hold, allowing them to breach the city, he felt he could still rely on these concrete walls to organize his yamen runners and repel another assault.
And these solid wooden doors, these spacious, grand glass windows.
“Wait a minute, I think I just saw something extraordinary.”
Qiu Qianfan’s gaze swept back. He looked closely at the windows; sure enough, they were indeed glass panes.
He couldn't help but gasp, then turned to Gao Yiye, who was beside him, and said anxiously, “Madam, your... your generosity is truly excessive! For my humble prefectural office, you actually had glass windows installed! This is glass, you know! If word of this reaches the Emperor’s ears, he will surely think I am a corrupt official!”
Gao Yiye smiled. The Heavenly Lord, embroidered in gold thread above her collarbone, seemed to smile along. However, Qiu Qianfan didn't notice the golden thread Heavenly Lord's subtle amusement. As a cultured man, he adhered to the principle of ‘do not look at what is improper.’ His gaze only dared to meet Gao Yiye’s face, not venturing to look elsewhere on her body. So, even if that golden thread Heavenly Lord had been dancing, he might not have noticed.
Gao Yiye replied, “Magistrate Qiu, you’re overthinking it. Glass, once we deciphered its manufacturing method, became a very common and inexpensive material.”
Qiu Qianfan’s jaw dropped.
Gao Yiye continued, “We’ve already established a glass factory next to the mining town north of the city. We can produce glass simply by using sand.”
“Ah?” Qiu Qianfan stammered.
Gao Yiye smiled. “Your prefectural yamen is the administrative center; it must maintain excellent light to embody a sense of ‘openness and honesty.’ Therefore, the windows can no longer be papered over, as that would make the interior dark and gloomy. We've used a great deal of glass for the windows, making the yamen interior wonderfully bright. Magistrate Qiu, why don't you go inside and see for yourself?”
Qiu Qianfan still felt a touch of apprehension. If these glass windows truly were inexpensive, that would be acceptable. But if Madam Li was deceiving him, and this glass was still an outrageously expensive treasure, then he would surely face impeachment.
He stepped into the yamen. Inside, it was indeed bright. With the glass windows installed, the room no longer felt dark and oppressive, but genuinely exuded a sense of ‘openness and honesty.’
This instantly refreshed him. Working in such an environment would clearly improve one’s mood.
He walked to his chair, sat down, and placed his hands on the desk, feeling utterly content. Suddenly, something felt amiss. Qiu Qianfan looked up and discovered that the ceiling directly above his head was carved with an image of Dao Xuan Tian Zun.
The *Legend of Dao Xuan Tian Zun’s Exorcism* had already been continuously transported to Puzhou City by large ships, and the local bookstore in Puzhou City had also begun printing it. So, Qiu Qianfan recognized Dao Xuan Tian Zun, but having never witnessed the Heavenly Lord manifest divine power, he wasn't entirely convinced.
Qiu Qianfan said, bewildered, “This is...”
Gao Yiye smiled. “This is called ‘The gods are watching!’ When the common people see that Magistrate Qiu dares to work directly beneath the holy image of the Heavenly Lord, they will believe that you have not engaged in corruption, violated laws, or abused your power.”
Qiu Qianfan nodded. “That makes sense, it should be so. I have nothing to hide, so I’m not afraid of the gods watching over me. Ah, it’s just that I haven’t quite heard of this particular deity. If it were the Great Supreme Elder Lord, wouldn’t it be more convincing?”
Gao Yiye smiled. “The Great Supreme Elder Lord is too lazy; he hasn’t visited the human world for a thousand years. The Heavenly Lord, on the other hand, cares for mortals more.”
Qiu Qianfan laughed. “Hahahaha, alright, alright, alright. Whether it’s the Great Supreme Elder Lord or the Heavenly Lord, I’m not afraid.”
He then took a thorough look around the yamen, front and back, left and right. The prefectural yamen, which had once been dilapidated, was now truly beautifully built.
“Madam Li, I truly thank you all,” Qiu Qianfan chuckled. “I feel like I could live several more years now!”
Gao Yiye smiled. “It’s only proper. Magistrate, would you like to visit the various factories?”
“Of course, I want to,” Qiu Qianfan replied.
So, the group prepared horses and left the city.
Closest to the city was the mining town of Jiguanshan Iron Mine, with a steel mill built alongside it. So, the group first headed in the direction of Jiguanshan.
Before even reaching the town, Qiu Qianfan was startled. He saw a long cement road, like a grey ribbon, stretching from the foot of the mountain all the way to the mining town on the mountainside.
“This cement road was built so quickly?” Qiu Qianfan exclaimed.
Gao Yiye explained, “This is all thanks to Puzhou being the ‘center of the world’ and having such a large population. We merely put out a casual call for labor, and tens of thousands of people showed up! With so many hands, even if each person just dug two strokes of a hoe, the road was finished in no time.”
Qiu Qianfan saw that the cement road forked ahead. One path led to the mining town, the other to the steel mill.
Qiu Qianfan didn't particularly care for dirty mine shafts, feeling that mining wasn't very interesting to watch. So, he pointed towards the steel mill. “Let’s look at the steel mill first,” he suggested.
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