Chapter 542 – Winds of Change (12)
“Building a canal isn’t bad, but if there’s a major drought, won’t the water just evaporate?”
“I think the streamer will find a way to solve it, like sealing the canal to reduce evaporation.”
Although the chatroom viewers were just throwing ideas around, some of which were quite far-fetched, Jiang Pengji didn’t ignore them and actually noted down quite a few suggestions. Digging a reservoir was off the table, but constructing some small water retention pools was doable.
Fortunately, there were many refugees now, which allowed the construction in Cheng’an County to slow down, and the pace of reclaiming wasteland could also be eased. However, building water retention pools could be prioritized for now. If this year didn’t bring a drought, that’d be great; if it did, at least they’d have some measures in place.
Seeing her frown deeply, Wei Ci sighed inwardly, recalling what Master Liaochen had said.
Indeed, there were plenty of natural disasters in the previous life, but none occurred as frequently as in this world.
He couldn’t help but wonder how much luck the so-called monstrous beings had drained to make the entire world so ragged.
Though the Lord hadn’t definitively claimed there would be a drought this year, Wei Ci had already believed it.
“Let’s try to find groundwater and dig wells… Anyway, we have to do these things eventually, so why not tackle them all at once?”
She said it so casually, but Yang Si couldn’t help but chuckle.
This person could just talk, while the folks down below were running around like headless chickens.
If he had known that a few meals would lead to this kind of chaos, he probably… still would have eaten.
For a foodie, not trying such delightful dishes would be a waste of a lifetime.
Since a drought hadn’t happened yet, Jiang Pengji’s directive to dig canals wasn’t just for precaution; it was also to facilitate irrigation and water usage for the Common People. It’d be best if a drought didn’t occur, but if it did, they could at least get by.
Cheng’an County was near high mountains, and there were plenty of available water sources. Jiang Pengji led a group of experienced farmers scurrying up and down, working day and night to outline the canal’s excavation route. She even brought over some craftsmen from Xiangyang County to establish a brick kiln near Cheng’an County.
The bricks made in this kiln weren’t for paving; they were wide and long with a thinner cross-section than before.
It was a bit tricky to fire them, and there were many inferior pieces, but Jiang Pengji didn’t rush them—she just encouraged people to keep developing without fear of spending too much.
She had plenty of soil, and the coal bought from Chengde Prefecture could last until next winter, so there was no concern about splurging.
Once Jiang Pengji decided to spend lavishly, even Wei Ci felt apprehensive.
Yang Si watched the busy figures below from a distance and could feel the bustling energy.
He sighed, “Having money makes everything so much easier.”
Without funds or food, Jiang Pengji wouldn’t be able to attract so many refugees to do hard labor for her.
Money wasn’t everything, but having none was absolutely a disaster.
What surprised Yang Si was that when Jiang Pengji hired the refugees for labor, she didn’t impose gender requirements, only work output requirements.
Regardless of gender, everyone received the same amount of food daily.
When asked why, her reasoning was hard to dispute.
“Why shouldn’t everyone doing the same work receive the same pay?”
Whether it was moving bricks, digging canals, building houses, or repairing city walls, these were all extremely physically demanding jobs. So if a woman could fulfill a day’s work quota, she deserved the food and wages—wasn’t that just common sense?
Moreover, the more he stayed in Cheng’an County and engaged with the local governance, the more he felt he had opened a door to a new world.
There was even a women’s battalion established here!
Seeing his astonishment, Wei Ci explained plainly, “The Lord needs people; the fighting capability of a women’s battalion isn’t weak. In extraordinary times, anyone who can fight is valuable.”
Yang Si didn’t quite believe Wei Ci’s words. “I bet your Lord has bigger ambitions.”
Under normal circumstances, who would bring women to the forefront if not for some goal?
Yang Si had a knack for intuition, but he still couldn’t decipher all the underlying motives.
Wei Ci smiled, “In the future, that might also be your household’s Lord.”
“You’re quite confident, aren’t you?”
Yang Si didn’t think he would ever genuinely support Jiang Pengji, even if her temperament suited him just fine.
Wei Ci just smiled and remained silent.
As time passed, the outlines of the buildings in the town center began to take shape, mirroring the architectural style of Xiangyang County.
Yang Si had never seen blue bricks before; he had only heard refugees mention them on his way here.
Watching Cheng’an County preparing to pave roads with blue stones and roofing with blue bricks, with wide streets slowly forming amid the ruins, even a seasoned eye like his couldn’t help but be amazed. It was normal for Changshou Wang’s residence to have steps made of jade and golden tiles since they were of royal blood.
However, Cheng’an County was just a small town, with the population peaking at no more than eighteen thousand households.
Jiang Pengji was merely a commoner in the gentry, yet she was generously paving the main streets and alleys of the entire town with blue bricks and topping new houses with blue tiles. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how much manpower, resources, and capital that would take.
To his amazement, Maolin County and Jiao Ping County were also bustling with construction, progressing a little faster than Cheng’an County.
“She must really have money,” Yang Si mused.
Wei Ci smiled and took out a set of glass tea utensils, pointing to them and saying, “It should be said that the Northern Frontier is really wealthy.”
Seeing Yang Si’s astonished and wide-eyed expression, Wei Ci smiled even brighter, “The Lord didn’t rely on her family’s power to reach this point; one can only imagine how much blood, sweat, and effort she has invested. Though she does have a bit of a temper, she’s indeed a benevolent ruler.”
Yang Si snapped back to reality, nervously swallowing, unable to keep his eyes off the tea set.
Previously, Changshou Wang had spent a fortune to acquire a world-renowned treasure, which he had been lucky enough to see once.
The material was the same as the glass tea set Wei Ci had brought out, and his was even less impressive than hers.
Back then, he had marveled at such exquisite items that were worth such a high price.
Now… he felt like his face was on fire!
Just by looking at how Wei Ci treated the tea set, he knew it definitely wasn’t worth that high price.
“Did… did your Lord come up with these?”
Recalling the exorbitant price Changshou Wang had paid, his mouth couldn’t help but twitch—this was plain highway robbery!
“Yep, but she said there’s currently a surplus in the Northern Frontier, so there’s no need to keep selling. This year, she plans to have the merchant fleet sell them to the Southern Barbarians or countries like Zhong Zhao, Beiyuan, and Xichang. At the very least, they can’t clash with the Northern Frontier, or else they’d blow their cover.”
Yang Si stared fixedly at the cup Wei Ci held tightly.
Delicate, fair fingers grasped the transparent, dazzling cup, making one reflect on how peaceful and lovely life could be… or not!
“How much is this thing worth?” Yang Si pressed.
“You’ll find out when my Lord becomes your Lord too. Otherwise, she won’t let you in on the secret.” Wei Ci smiled mischievously, her face carrying a hint of fox-like cunning, “It’s up to you to weigh what’s more important, freedom or curiosity. Ji Rong should think it over. There are still tasks to complete today, and we’ve spent quite a bit of time chatting…”
Wei Ci sipped her tea with a hint of mystery, then returned to her desk to get back to work.
Yang Si’s curiosity was piqued to the maximum, yet Wei Ci, that rascal, was as tight-lipped as a sealed gourd, not uttering a peep.
