Cutting over the end of the Ming Dynasty: a dog-leg knife at the beginning

Chapter 95 Drought Relief ([-])

Yang Menglong became interested: "Tell me quickly, what can you do? If the solution is feasible, there will be a reward!"

Mr. Feng Shui said excitedly: "The villain once went to Zigong, Sichuan..."

Yang Menglong was a little surprised: "Have you ever been to Sichuan?"

Mr. Feng Shui said: "In our business, we live all over the world and have been to all over the world. If we only nest in one place, we will starve to death."

Yang Menglong said: "So that's how it is... Then tell me, why did you go to Zigong, Sichuan?"

Mr. Feng Shui said: "Naturally, I helped the local people to find the well location. The underground salt veins in Zigong are very prosperous. If you can find the right well location and drill a well, you can get out brine, and then use the brine to boil it into salt. It has become money. The salt produced in Zigong is as white as silver, without any debris or peculiar smell, and has an excellent taste. Compared with sea salt, I don’t know how many times stronger. However, the number of salt wells is limited and the output is small, so it is very expensive to sell and affordable. There are not many people."

The Feng Shui master who managed to earn 20 taels of silver agreed: "It's true, I once bought well salt from Zigong in Hubei, both in color and taste, it's much better than thick black and bitter sea salt. "

Sea salt these days is nothing more than introducing seawater into salt fields and exposing it to the sun. The seawater is dried, leaving the salt, which can then be sold. It does not undergo deep processing to remove the astringency like modern salt, and then adds iodine, Sodium and other elements make it as white as snow.Sea salt is thick, black, and contains a lot of sand and other impurities. It is unpalatable, but it is cheap and common people eat it.Rich people don’t eat sea salt, so what do they eat?Eat well salt or green salt.Green salt is the salt produced in Qinghai. It is either cut in the salt lake or boiled with rock salt mined from the ground. Its appearance and taste are several grades higher than sea salt.The well salt produced in Zigong is even more remarkable. It is mined hundreds of meters deep underground and has very few impurities. When it is cooked, soy milk is added to filter out impurities and add color and seasoning. The exquisite mining technology and taste The pursuit of excellence has made salt the business card of Zigong. "Eat in Sichuan and taste in Zigong." Without Zigong's salt, the deliciousness of Sichuan cuisine would be greatly compromised.However, these days, Zigong salt has always been a luxury product or even a royal tribute. Ordinary people cannot afford it and can only yearn for it in their hearts.

Yang Menglong's heart moved, and an idea popped up, but he kept calm and continued to ask: "You mean you have been to Zigong to help people find wells, right? What does this have to do with solving my current problem?"

Mr. Feng Shui said excitedly: "Of course it has something to do! I saw in Zigong that the local people dug a small deep well. The whole mouth of the well is only this big, but it is hundreds or even hundreds of feet deep..."

Yang Menglong didn't believe it: "Are you bragging? It's so deep, how can you lift the water up?"

Mr. Feng Shui said: "The villain also thought it was strange at the time, so I asked them. They said that they used bamboo to connect hundreds of feet of bamboo tubes, and they went deep into the ground one by one. The wellhead was completely closed, and a suction tube was built. Something, someone pressed the suction tube day and night, and pumped up the underground fontanel water hundreds of feet deep..." He picked up a branch and drew the shape of that thing on the ground while talking, "That This kind of suction well probably looks like this...My lord, it can even pump up the underground brine at a depth of several hundred feet, so is it not easy to pump up water several feet deep?"

Yang Menglong carefully looked at the grotesquely drawn pattern, and slapped his head. Isn't this just hand-pressing and sucking the wells, and there are many in the countryside!This kind of well has two advantages. One is that it is convenient to fetch water, and the other is that the mouth of the well is completely closed, avoiding the danger of livestock and children falling into the well. Why didn't I think of such a simple thing?He slapped the shoulder of the Feng Shui Mr. who looked at him with a monkey offering treasure expression, and directly knocked him over: "You have a good idea, and you have solved a big problem for me! Okay, after today is over, I will I invite you to drink!"

Mr. Feng Shui was overjoyed: "Thank you Lord Qianhu!"

Yang Menglong said: "You don't have to thank me, you don't need to thank me, I will reward you for helping me, it's only right and proper." Pulling Mr. Feng Shui aside, he lowered his voice and asked, "You said you went to Zigong to help someone find a well?" Did you find it?"

Mr. Feng Shui was a little frustrated: "The villain found two wells, and the water came out after drilling [-] feet. Unfortunately, the water that came out was the well water, not the brine. The salt workers almost threw it into the well."

Yang Menglong grinned, what they were looking for was a salt well, but you dug two water wells, it would be strange not to throw you into the well and cover it with a few big rocks, is it so easy to dig a deep well hundreds of meters deep?His voice was lowered: "Did you make friends with those salt workers in Zigong? They are the ones who know how to drill salt wells and cook salt."

Mr. Feng Shui said: "Why not! Salt is money, especially Zigong well salt. It is just money in vain. If you build a salt well, you will enjoy endless wealth for a lifetime. Who doesn't want it? I don't know how much money there is in Zigong. Salt workers are looking for well locations everywhere. It is common for thousands of people to get into trouble for a well that can produce salt! There may be only a few wells that can produce salt, and they are tightly controlled by the government. Everyone can only drool. share."

Yang Menglong smiled openly: "So, there are many salt workers who can't find live workers?"

Mr. Feng Shui is very depressed, people can't find work, the whole family has to starve to death, and even hundreds of people go bankrupt just to dig a salt well. It's miserable enough. Are you so happy?Too heartless, right?But Yang Menglong is his boss now, even if he has an opinion, he dare not say anything, and said truthfully: "A lot, if there is no three thousand, there will be two thousand."

Yang Menglong slapped him over again: "Okay, don't look for a well location anymore, let's sign a contract later, you go to Sichuan to help me bring a team of skilled salt workers, I will reward you a lot! "

Mr. Feng Shui was taken aback: "My lord, what are you doing?"

Yang Menglong said: "Stop talking nonsense, go if you are told! I will pay for your travel expenses to Sichuan. If it is done, I will give you another 50 taels of silver. If it is not done, I will throw you into the well!"

Mr. Feng Shui's eyes were brighter than a 50-watt light bulb, a pair of small pupils gleamed with silver light, and he said greedily: "It's not easy to go to Sichuan, and 60 taels is too little. [-] taels..."

Yang Menglong said: "Okay, just 60 taels. I will give you 20 taels as a deposit tonight. When you bring the person here, the remaining 40 taels will be paid in one lump sum."

Mr. Feng Shui regretted so much that he almost slapped his head off.If he had known that this kid was so talkative, he would have raised the price a lot!But think about it, someone paid for the travel expenses into Sichuan, and there are many salt workers who can't find work in Zigong. Isn't it easy to bring a team of salt workers over here?This money is simply picked up for nothing, is there any wood?

"Go back and get ready. I'll send a few people to escort you into Sichuan tomorrow!" Yang Menglong acted vigorously as always.

Mr. Feng Shui couldn't hold back anymore, 60 taels of silver was waiting for him to pick it up: "Sir, don't wait until tomorrow, we can start now..."

Yang Menglong shook his head: "No, we haven't signed the contract yet!"

Mr. Feng Shui is completely depressed, why does this guy like to sign contracts so much?There are many people who sign contracts. Have you ever seen someone who even asks Feng Shui Mr. to find a well location and has to sign a contract first?Anyway, this Feng Shui gentleman has never seen it before.However, Yang Menglong is generous and full of contract spirit. After signing the contract, he will act in full accordance with the contract. After signing the contract with him, everyone feels at ease, so Mr. Feng Shui has no objection. Sign the contract first before leaving.

"Reinforce the well platform, don't let it collapse. There are still a few wells, work harder, and try to get water out as soon as possible, the crops don't wait for anyone." Yang Menglong was still worried about his water truck, confessed a few words, and then Walk quickly to the river.

More and more people gathered by the river, farmers and landowners and gentry from the neighboring villages all came over, watching the army households who looked like chickens in water tossing in the river, chattering a lot.The Wuyang Qianhu Institute sprayed Bordeaux liquid on the military fields, drilled wells, and built water trucks. The movement was really big, but at the beginning, everyone just saw it as a joke, but when they saw the huge water tanker Che, everyone couldn't laugh anymore: These poor soldiers really can make a little sense of it!

The army men are still those army men who are as poor as beggars, but the decadence and numbness in them has disappeared without a trace, and everyone is full of energy like chicken blood. , put up the heavy waterwheel little by little, while the military households and children in the guard shouted loudly by the river, cheering for the soldiers, the kind of unity, the kind of optimistic and high-spirited mentality, it is surprising endlessly.It’s just that the waterwheel is too big and heavy, and he tried several times without success. Yang Menglong watched anxiously and shouted: “Keep working harder! After it’s done, add vegetables tonight, eat pickled vegetables and fatty meat!”

The soldiers salivated when they heard that there was meat to eat.It has been half a month since Yang Menglong came to the guard. In the past half month, everyone has been invited to eat meat three or four times. Oily fat meat, broth with a thick layer of oil floating on the surface, overcooked lean meat, My mouth is watering just thinking about it.Everyone shouted in unison: "Eat sauerkraut and fatty meat tonight!" With all their strength, they roared in unison, abruptly erecting the heavy waterwheel!Several carpenters set up ladders and climbed up, hammered and nailed hard, and finally fixed it.Li Lin wiped off the water from his face excitedly, climbed down from the ladder, came to Yang Menglong, saluted respectfully, and said, "Little General Yang, the water wheel has been set up, please shake the mechanism to make it turn." Bar!"

Yang Menglong was puzzled: "Why do you want me to shake the mechanism?"

Li Lin said sincerely: "Without you, my lord, we wouldn't be able to make this waterwheel at all! This is the first waterwheel we made. It is of great significance, and it should be up to you to shake the mechanism!"

Yang Menglong understood: "Oh, to put it bluntly, it's a ceremony, right? I love this job!" He didn't even bother to roll up his trousers, so he jumped into the river and shook the mechanism.Under the watchful eyes of thousands of people, the water wheel was slowly lowered and turned slowly under the drive of the water flow, turning faster and faster. Only a sound of rushing water was heard, and the river water was continuously lifted up by more than one person. On the high river bank, there is a large splash of water in the sink, and then it is divided into several streams along the canal paved with bamboo, and flows happily to the driest wheat field several miles away.Everyone was stunned on the spot, Master Tian was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth from ear to ear, he accidentally pulled two beards from his chin and didn't feel any pain: "This... this thing can really lift water!"

Yang Menglong cheered happily: "It's a success, it's a success! It really lifted the water!" Climbing up to the river bank and catching Li Lin, he beat him hard, patted and laughed, but Li Lin didn't feel any pain, and laughed along with him. , dancing, like crazy.Only then did the military households come to their senses, cheered loudly, rushed over and lifted Yang Menglong high, and threw them into the sky.Yang Menglong shouted: "It's a mistake, it's a mistake! Li Mumu should be lifted up. He is the foreman, and he deserves the most credit!" The excellent craftsman was also lifted up, and amidst the cheers of the crowd, he threw them into the sky one after another, higher and higher.How have these artisan households, whose status is lower than military households, ever received such fanatical respect and love from everyone?They all cried.

Yang Menglong was not happy watching it, and shouted: "Why are you crying on the big day, you are so useless! Throw them into the river for me!"

Li Lin turned pale with shock, and shouted: "Don't——" Just having time to say these two words, his old man asked everyone to throw them into the river, splashing a lot of water.Gudong Gudong!Amidst the laughter of the crowd, none of the craftsmen ran away, and they were all thrown into the river.Yang Menglong clapped his hands happily: "Well thrown... hey, what are you doing!" Halfway through speaking, he flew out like clouds and fog, and just fell into the middle of the river.What made him feel a little fair was that people kept being thrown down like dumplings, even Chen Baihu, the guy with the most arrogant smile, was no exception.Those who were thrown down were not angry, and there was laughter on the banks of the river.

The country gentry were not pleased with this, and said contemptuously: "A group of warriors behaved vulgarly, which is degrading to gentlemen!" After speaking, they turned around, walked on catwalks, and walked away with the pride and pride of scholars. He got down and looked back at the waterwheel.The big water truck completely ignored them and continued to rotate, bringing the river water up to the bank and sending it along the bamboo canal to the distant fields that needed water most.More waterwheels will be set up in the river in the future until every wheat field can be watered enough.The proud gentry muttered in their hearts: "Although this thing is said to be a wonderful thing, it is not useless... Maybe I should buy a few from them, so that I can also water my own wheat seedlings?"

(End of this chapter)