Infrastructure Throne

On Shen Qingze's resource planning drawings, the north of Yuanliu City is the expanded wharf and fishery.

Along the river in the western suburbs of the city, and in the southwest direction, with the canals as the veins, there are stretches of farmland and future cash crop plantations, and livestock farms, sheep farms, etc. are located nearby.

And a large area between the eastern suburbs of the city and the mine has formed a small-scale primary industrial cluster.

A wide main road that can accommodate sixteen horses in parallel is filled with red sandstone soil and extends straight from the east gate to the entire industrial area.

Workshops for textiles, smelting, armaments, glass, porcelain kilns, brick kilns, cement, papermaking, and briquettes under construction are scattered and orderly along the main road.

Agriculture and animal husbandry and primary industry are intertwined into a network, and its tentacles have penetrated into every corner of Yuanliu City silently, benefiting every household.

Before people know it, life has undergone earth-shaking changes.

The City Lord's Mansion has a carriage dedicated to the officiant, with three snow-white tall horses, and the body is painted with gold carvings.

Every time he travels, the entourage and guards hug each other in front and back, full of ostentation, which is often used by the former chief priest Mo Yun to show his identity.

With the opening of more and more workshops in Yuanliu City, Shen Qingze has to travel around the city every day. The huge carriage runs too slowly, and there will be traffic jams when there are many people and narrow streets. His means of transportation It was changed to a horse.

Luo Xin, who occasionally traveled with him, almost lost all his fat on horseback.

Shen Qingze squeezed out a part of the remaining balance of gold coins to provide for the construction of the honeycomb coal plant, and made a simple design drawing of the coal cutting machine and handed it to the craftsmen of the construction team.

A few days after starting work, he received a sullen complaint from Jin Da that Yuanliu City could hardly find any idle labor force.

At present, the normal operation of the workshop can be guaranteed, which is the result of mobilizing women to fight.

Yuanliu City was originally a remote town with a small population. In addition to the orc attack in autumn, the young and strong suffered heavy casualties. The labor force who could come out to work was basically recruited into various workshops.

Even beggars on the street, as long as they are able-bodied and willing to work, can find work.

In order to meet the needs of a large number of employees in the workshop, Jin Da has often done things like poaching people from noble houses. In the past, how could he have the courage to do so?

Ever since Shen Qingze and Yan Zui joined hands to punish the nobles and nobles in the city, none of them dared to take the lead, watching the servants in the mansion decrease one by one, they had no choice but to sigh and curse behind their backs.

In order to win over capable servants, the nobles had no choice but to raise their salaries. In the competition, the value of most of the labor force in the city was directly raised by a level.

Unexpectedly, after working so hard for so long, the constraints on the development of Yuanliu City have returned to the original point: lack of money and people.

Funds can be earned through trade, but the population cannot be increased in a short period of time.

Shen Qingze pulled the reins mechanically, bumping on the horse's back, feeling a little worried, the growth rate of the children in the city was far from enough for the rapid development of the city.

Could it be that... is he going to Pearl City to buy a large number of slaves again?

Stimulating the slave trade is not a good thing, nor is it the way to go in the long run.

Shen Qingze was thinking about something on his mind, when the newly completed briquette factory showed a towering chimney far away in the eyes of everyone.

A group of people dismounted at the door, and the steward led them into the factory building. In the core area, a coal machine with a height of more than three meters and a width of two meters instantly occupied people's sight.

Shen Qingze raised his eyebrows in surprise. Based on the principle of the coal mining machine in his memory, he gave a design drawing that uses a steel body, dual drives of water conservancy and pedals, and a linkage screw to drive the hammer to take off and land. Manually load pulverized coal.

Unexpectedly, when it was actually built, it completely changed its appearance.

The entire fuselage was changed to a wooden structure, the hammer became a wooden hammer, and the outside was covered with a layer of iron sheet, densely fused with iron pestles with holes of the same length.

Originally knocking 16 pieces of coal was changed to knocking 12 pieces, and the load-bearing platform for pressing coal was also replaced with hard hammer-resistant moon granite.

Seeing Shen Qingze's noncommittal expression, several craftsmen who participated in the modification of the coal mining machine looked at each other awkwardly.

Shen Qingze: "Whose idea is this?"

The craftsmen straightened their backs nervously, and they didn't know where to put their hands. One of them walked out tremblingly. He was short and would kneel when his knees softened. Shen Qingze helped him.

"Tell me about your thinking."

Seeing that the priest showed no signs of anger, the man wiped his sweat and whispered:

"The hammer is too heavy to be moved by the water flow, and the pedals are also very difficult. If it is replaced by wood, it will be much lighter. There are too many 16 pieces of coal, and the workers have no time to load it, which will lead to uneven filling of coal powder and affect the quality of the briquettes... "

"and also……"

Shen Qingze's face was gentle, and he motioned for him to continue. The short craftsman was encouraged, and the more he spoke, the smoother he spoke:

"Also, the coal mining machine works day and night, and the material is very easy to wear and tear. If it is replaced, the cost is too high. It is changed to the current one. Although the crude benzene is a little bit, it is durable and easy to maintain."

Shen Qingze looked at him and nodded thoughtfully.

The steward hurriedly bowed deeply to Shen Qingze to salute: "Master Officiant, we didn't intentionally alter your design without authorization, it's just... your wisdom is too profound, I can't wait to understand it..."

"That's enough, that's enough." Shen Qingze interrupted the other party's stammering flattery, and laughed, since he was not from an engineering background, without system assistance, he immediately exposed his omissions.

"I took it for granted and ignored the actual situation. You have improved it very well. As for this craftsman..."

Shen Qingze looked at the other party up and down: "You can not stick to the blueprints, and you can do everything from ideas to practical operations. What is your job title?"

The short craftsman folded his hands, lowered his head in embarrassment, and said in a soft voice: "I was recruited not long ago, and I was still a junior craftsman."

Shen Qingze secretly missed an investigation, and he is also a talent with high comprehension, so the manager understood it: "I think it can be raised by one level."

The short craftsman was overwhelmed with surprise, he didn't expect that he could gain the respect of the officiant by relying on some tricks and ingenuity that could not be put on the table.

He thanked again and again: "Actually, this is not entirely my idea, but also the guidance of the seniors. It is everyone's brainstorming, modification many times, and the final design."

Shen Qingze nodded slightly: "In this case, all the craftsmen who participated in the improvement of the coal mining machine will be promoted to one level."

The crowd of craftsmen burst into cheers immediately, and the rest of the workers saw it with envy and anticipation.

They have never been so eager to start work in the workshop as they are now, roll up their sleeves and work hard, be appreciated by the officiant in the field they are good at, receive more copper coins every month, and add chickens, ducks and clothes to the family. It's the happiest thing in the world.

Amid the enthusiastic laughter of the people, Shen Qingze gently stroked the rough wooden hammer of the coal cutter.

Although this coal mining machine is ugly and stupid after a makeover, it is durable and its feasibility has been greatly improved. Every detail embodies the simplest wisdom of people.

No matter which world you are in, this kind of simplicity and pragmatism seems to be deeply rooted in the bone marrow, dissolved in the blood, and passed down from generation to generation with indestructible power.

The improved coal mining machine was officially put into use amidst the roaring sound of running water. Coal filling, hammer pressing, lifting and landing, discharging, and slag removal, each process was carried out in an orderly manner under a clear division of labor.

The long-term depressed confusion and numbness are no longer in the eyes of the workers. They are wearing thick winter clothes and dust-proof linen masks, shouting chant in their mouths, focusing and fulfilling.

Seeing everyone working in full swing, even Luo Xin and Jin Da vaguely sensed that people were different from before, but they couldn't say exactly what was different.

Coming out of the honeycomb coal factory, Shen Qingze took a few people to the paper factory to inspect the progress. What was gratifying was that the raw material formula for papermaking had been tried out by the craftsmen, and the best plan had been found out.

Because linen in the city is very cheap, paper mills initially used hemp fiber, but the paper produced was rough and difficult to write on.

Later, raw materials such as bark, rattan bark, even bamboo batts, and wheat straw were gradually added, and then boiled, mashed, and beaten. After several complicated processes, they were spread and dried into dry and thin paper.

Shen Qingze sharpened a charcoal pencil, tried to write on the paper, and wrote a sentence with a wave of his hand. The writing was clear and smooth, without stagnation, which could fully meet daily needs.

It's a pity that there is no rubber, so we can't make an eraser, otherwise the utilization rate of paper can be greatly improved.

He thought about it, and the glass and porcelain had been improved into new products with the cooperation of Sierra, Lance and others. The glass cups and porcelain bottles shown to him last time have now become discarded defective products.

The balance of gold coins in the main city system has been in a state of being unable to make ends meet. If he does not replenish a large amount of funds, his plan will come to a standstill.

Shen Qingze pondered for a moment, and called Jin Da: "Our trade fair can be put on the agenda."

※※※

Around Yuanliu City, in addition to the huge Pearl City dozens of kilometers away, there are also several small towns of similar size scattered here and there.

The news that Yuanliu City was going to hold a sales fair spread in all directions along with the truck convoys of merchants.

Thirty kilometers east of Yuanliu City, there is a Beiji City with a population similar to that of Yuanliu City.

Due to the high terrain, blocked by high mountains, and rarely intruded by the orcs, the nobles and merchants in Beiji City relied on planting cotton, hemp and medicinal materials, and gradually became rich.

Lu's is a well-known big business in Beiji City. The youngest son of the boss, Lu Xin, just turned [-] this year. After repeated requests, he finally went with the merchant team to transport the cotton and linen cloth and rare medicinal materials to Yuanyuan. Liucheng sales.

According to previous years' experience, Lu Xin thought that he would definitely make a fortune, and he would have an explanation to his elders when he went back. Unexpectedly, this year's Yuanliu City did not lack cloth for the winter!

Young Master Lu Xin was traveling all the way to play in mountains and rivers, which delayed his itinerary. When the caravan arrived in Yuanliu City, they had already heard about the unsalable sales of cloth from several shops, but they also brought news that Yuanliu City would hold a sales fair in the near future. .

Lu Xin was lying in the carriage wrapped in a grizzly cloak. Outside the window, the gate of Yuanliu City was already within easy reach.

Holding an exquisite copper hand stove in his hand, he yawned lazily: "Third Uncle, I heard that the people of Yuanliu City are tough, and the people here are all poor and reckless men who only know how to fight with beast slaves. Is it true?" Ah? Why don't we go to Pearl City to do business?"

Uncle Lu smiled: "Young master, our goods are rare in Yuanliu City, a small town like Yuanliu City. The people here are ignorant, and they will be snapped up soon."

"But in a big city like Mingzhu City where there are many merchants, we don't like it. What's more, Yuanliu City is closer to us, and the transportation costs can be saved here."

Lu Xin bit the caramel cake in his mouth and asked suspiciously: "Then why did they say that this year's cloth is not easy to sell?"

Uncle Lu didn't take it seriously: "The small shops in Nanji City next door are just rumors with ulterior motives. In the past, our cloth was always the most popular. They were afraid that we would not be able to sell their goods, so they would make alarmist remarks. "

"Isn't it a joke to say that the local fabrics in Abyss City are cheap and good? I have been doing business in several cities all year round, and I have never heard that Abyss City has other things that can be bought besides ore. "

Lu Xin snorted, "But we sell more expensive than them."

"I heard that Yuanliu City was attacked by the orcs only a few months ago, and it must be a time when there is a shortage of food and clothing."

Uncle Lu flipped through the account books slowly: "We are willing to come to give charcoal in the snow. They should be grateful. The journey is far away, and the price should be more expensive."

Young Master Lu nodded half-understood: "Shall we go to their sales fair too?"

Uncle Lu said nonchalantly: "It's just those dirty soil ore, or some ordinary agricultural products. It's nothing rare. It's only interested in those native beetles in Nanji City who have never seen the world. Let's not go."

He looked at the young master's disappointed expression, and smiled slightly: "But if the young master wants to join in the fun, it's okay to go and have a look."

While the two were talking, the caravan slowly passed through the city gate and formally entered Yuanliu City.

Lu Xin picked up the curtain of the carriage and looked out. He was used to the bumps along the way. When he entered the city, the carriage became more and more stable, and the wheels rolled across the road so smoothly that there was almost no sound.

The pedestrians on both sides of the road are bustling, quite lively, there is a lot of hawking and shouting, and the street is surprisingly clean.

The Lu family started with cloth, and Lu Xin carefully observed people's clothes. Most of them were wearing new clothes without patches, and there was also a kind of off-white furry turtleneck pullover. He had never seen this style of clothes.

There are many adults who bring their children out to buy, and there are very few worried faces on their faces.

There were even scantily clad beggars. In Beiji City, almost every street and alley that Lu Xin went to, he would encounter groups of beggars coming up to beg.

Originally thought Yuanliu City was a dilapidated city left to be rebuilt after being ravaged by the orcs. Unexpectedly, the prosperity here has far exceeded his expectations.

Lu Xin lay on the window of the carriage, frowning and thinking hard. Did he have any misunderstanding about the words "Little Tucheng that doesn't flow into it"?

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he tugged on the third uncle's sleeve: "Uncle, look, the name of that shop is so strange, what is it called Yuanliu Ginza, hey, look, what the guy is holding looks like porcelain!"

Uncle Lu didn't pay attention to the scene outside. He just focused on looking up the account books without raising his eyes: "Well, I didn't expect that there are still big merchants selling porcelain in this remote village. Can the nobles here afford it?"

He thought for a while, then shook his head: "Go and have a look, and bargain the price. If the price is right, we'll buy all his porcelain and ship it back to Mingzhu City. The price can at least double."

Third Uncle Lu had just stepped out of the carriage and hadn't entered Yuanliu Ginza, but his eyes were glued to a gray sweater worn by the customer.

Compared with Lu Xin, who was only attracted by the style, Uncle Lu had a sharper eye. He immediately noticed how important this kind of finely woven woolen clothes are to the north to keep out the cold.

If Mrs. Lu can master this kind of clothing... Uncle Lu suppressed the enthusiasm in his heart, lowered his posture, and asked the guest: "Brother, what are you wearing?"

The guest gave him an inexplicable look: "Sweater."

"The material and style of this dress are very unique, expensive, right? Did you buy it from Pearl City? If possible, can you sell it to me?"

The guest was stunned, it was the first time he saw someone asking for second-hand clothes.

Uncle Lu smiled kindly, and ordered someone to take three bolts of high-quality linen cloth from the back of the carriage: "These three bolts are the signatures of our Beiji Lu's business, and they can be made into several clothes. I will change them with you." This sweater should be more than enough."

The guest looked at him like a fool, curled his lips: "If you want to buy a sweater, there are plenty of them on the street, and Ginza sells it, so you have to buy it from us in Mingzhu City. Besides, the linen is not worth much, so exchange it with me? You! Do you think I'm stupid?"

Uncle Lu's smile gradually froze, what's going on in this little city? !

※※※

City Lord's Mansion, Study Room.

After the replacement of parchment with plant fiber paper, the cost has dropped significantly. Paper is not as expensive as it used to be, and everyone can afford it. The various reports and requests submitted have recently increased rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The city lord's mansion had to deal with more things than before.

Shen Qingze was burying his head in a large pile of documents and writing quickly, when suddenly, a cup of hot ginger tea was brought to his mouth, Shen Qingze sniffed his nose, raised his head, Yan Zui was leaning on the edge of the large desk, with one hand She propped her cheek and looked at him with a smile.

"Are you better?" Shen Qingze took the teacup, lowered his head and took a sip, the temperature was just right.

"Master Officiant is so troublesome, how can I let the city master go? If you are exhausted, wouldn't it be a loss for our Yuanliu City?"

Shen Qingze caught a glimpse of the frost on Yan Zui's shoulders, and frowned: "You just came back from the school?"

Yan Zui hummed casually: "Although there has been no beast tide in the past two winters, the guards must not take it lightly. When Xiao Meng and I inspected the city defense, we found several large crossbows damaged. I don't know that the firearms developed by the alchemy laboratory What's the matter..."

Shen Qingze shook his head: "It's too early to put it into practical use."

He took out a document and handed it over, and Yan Zui unfolded it casually: "The fair, have you already prepared it?"

Shen Qingze nodded: "It's mainly Fan Mizhou's rambling, I'm just talking about it. The famous companies in the surrounding towns have basically been notified."

He paused slightly, raised his eyes and looked at Yan Zui: "I wonder if the city lord can show you the face of Yuanliu City, which is now completely new?"

Yan Zui hooked the corners of his mouth, and stretched out his slender arms in front of him: "Of course."