The Nameless of the Common Clans

It snowed at the end of the New Year. It was not heavy, just a thin layer, not even as thick as a palm. Chen Mo watched the snow in the courtyard being swept away by his servants. The original color could no longer be seen, and he couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Mother, why do you sigh so much these days?" In the house, Cai Yan, who was holding her child, was talking to Chen Mo's mother. When she saw Chen Mo sighing again in the courtyard, she couldn't help but ask.

"As the saying goes, it's a good year for snow in winter. I'm afraid Zhao Ji has never been a farmer. I don't know why. Generally speaking, if there are a few heavy snowfalls in winter, the coming year will be a good one. On the contrary, if it's like this year, the next year will be a bad year. Bo Dao grew up in the fields and started farming at the age of six. He is naturally aware of the sufferings of the people. The people are afraid that they will not have enough to eat in the coming year. "Mother Chen glanced at her son and sighed: "He is now in charge of the people's livelihood in Guanzhong. , Ordinary people only know that he has a high and powerful position, but they don’t know that the livelihood of thousands of people is also on his shoulders.”

"No wonder my husband seems to have something on his mind these days, but he never tells me this." Cai Yan shook his head.

"It's useless to say it. I'll just add to your troubles. Women like us only need to help our husbands take care of the housework. Don't worry about anything else." Mother Chen shook her head and smiled.

"Mom, tell us some things about my husband when he was a child. I feel that my husband is quite different from the children I met when I was a child." Cai Yan nodded with a smile.

"Okay, Mom, I'll talk to you later." Mother Chen nodded with a smile. Although she had talked about the things about Chen Mo's childhood many times, she never got tired of talking about them.

In the yard, Chen Mo grabbed a handful of dirty snow and looked at it carefully. He threw it away without sighing and walked out the door.

"Master, are you going to the government office?" Dian Wei changed his clothes and saw Chen Mo coming out, so he quickly followed with his son.

"Take your guards and follow me to the river project to have a look. In the coming year, big man, we must not slow down on these canal openings, otherwise the crops will dry up and I don't know how many people will suffer." Chen Mo shook his head and took the The war horse handed over by the bodyguard turned over and mounted.

"Here!" Dian Wei agreed and left with his bodyguard and Chen Mo.

Chen Mo has always attached great importance to the safety of himself and his family. Although he rarely makes it public, he always has many guards around him. Even though Chen Mo himself has good martial arts skills, he is not so arrogant that he thinks he is invincible. .

The group of people arrived at the Jing River in a mighty manner, only to see that Zhong Yao was already inspecting this area. This time, the water conservancy projects in Chang'an were all handed over to Zhong Yao's Sikong Mansion.

"Mr. Yuan Chang." Chen Mo got off his horse, bowed to Zhong Yao, then looked around and said, "How is the progress?"

"According to the current excavation speed, it will be difficult to irrigate all the fields in Chang'an before spring, and many terrains will be difficult to irrigate even with water canals." Zhong Yao sighed.

Not all places are suitable for ditches. For example, in some places with higher terrain, even if ditches are dug, there is no way to divert water there.

Chen Mo and the others had not only predicted that the coming year would be a drought year. In fact, there were many people in the court who knew astronomy. It was no secret among the top officials that there would be a severe drought in Guanzhong next year. However, Chen Mo’s active preparations for the drought year were called People are a little surprised. After all, in drought years, it is more common to open warehouses and release grain to help the people. It is not that there are people like Chen Mo who actively dig ditches, but it is more laborious to do this kind of thing, and few people will do it.

During the time when Li Jue and Guo Si were in power, the situation in Guanzhong was not good, but they only took care of the life and death of the Xiliang army, and they would plunder the troops when they ran out of food. The comparison before and after made Chen Mo look more noble.

"Watering by manpower?" Chen Mo looked at some higher-lying places in the distance and frowned.

"How much manpower does it take to water a field?" Zhong Zhong shook his head helplessly. This idea was obviously unrealistic.

"Dig the canals first. At least we can still get some harvest. In my opinion, next year will be a severe drought year. If we don't make some preparations, I'm afraid there will be no harvest."

"General... General, Si... Sikong... humble... common people... maybe there is some way." While Chen Mo was discussing with Zhong Yao, a stammering voice sounded not far away from the two of them. Looking back, it was a young man dressed as a craftsman who was stopped by Chen Mo's personal guards and was trying his best to shout in this direction.

"Let him come over!" Chen Mo waved his hand to the guards and motioned for them to let him come over.

"This person seems to be a craftsman recruited from Fufeng." Zhong Yao looked at the visitor in confusion.

"Craftsman?" Chen Mo nodded. The young man was obviously a little cautious and shyly stopped to salute the two of them.

Chen Mo tried his best to appear gentle and said with a smile: "Don't be afraid. What is your name? Where do you belong?"

"Go back... back to the general, the grassroots... horses... Ma Jun, Fufeng... people." The young man stuttered.

"You said you have a solution? Do you know what I'll talk about later?" Chen Mo said with a smile.

"The grass... the grass people... heard it." Ma Jun bowed.

Zhong Yao looked at the young man and said, "Have you always talked like this?"

"Yes...yes, the common people...are not...not good at words!" Ma Jun bowed quickly.

"Nothing, it's not a sin." Zhong Yao waved his hand. He was just curious: "Can you help us speed up the digging of the canal?"

"No...can't!" The young man shook his head.

Zhong Yao was slightly unhappy: "Then how can you help me?"

"Grass...Grass people have...something. If...made, it can help...the imperial court lead...water from lower places...to higher places!" Ma Jun bowed.

"How is this possible?" Zhong Yao frowned.

"There is such a treasure in the world?" Chen Mo looked at Ma Jun curiously: "Where is it?"

"It has not been made yet." Ma Jun shook his head.

Zhong Yao frowned: "Xiu De is talking nonsense. If it delays things, you can't bear it!"

It feels like this young man is playing tricks on people.

"Mr. Yuan Chang, you and I can't think of a way to irrigate the high places. Why don't you listen to what this person has made? If it makes sense, it may be a good thing." Chen Mo smiled. He looked at the young man. Although his luck was low, his fate was not low. It was not easy for a commoner to have such a fate as him. He must have extraordinary abilities.

"Overturned... General, have you ever heard of it?" Ma Jun bowed.

"I know that Bi Lan once made a tipping cart to get water and sprinkle on the road, but this thing can't lead water to a high place." Chen Mo nodded, then frowned and looked at the other party. He had seen Bi Lan's tipping cart in person that year, and it didn't have the function of leading water to a high place.

"Just...just make some...improvements." Ma Jun was obviously prepared. He took out a sheepskin from his arms and handed it to Chen Mo, saying: "Please...please...take a look, General."

Chen Mo reached out to take the sheepskin and opened it to find a drawing. It was similar to the tipping cart, but there were more things, and it was clearly marked. Chen Mo looked at it carefully for a moment and gradually figured out the principle. This was to pull the sprocket with the force of the mechanism, and the sprocket would continuously scoop up water and then pour it down from a high place.

"It seems feasible." Chen Mo handed the blueprint to Zhong Yao and said, "What do you think, Mr. Yuan Chang?"

Zhong Yao didn't understand this very well. He was not like Chen Mo who learned everything. Normal people always have limited energy. There are not many people like Chen Mo who can learn everything and master everything. Looking at the past and present, there are probably only Chen Mo in the world.

After looking at it for a while, he couldn't figure it out. He handed it back to Chen Mo and said, "General, you have learned a lot. If you think it is feasible, then it seems that there are some feasible methods."

"Ma Jun?" Chen Mo looked at the young man and said.

"Here!" Ma Jun bowed quickly.

"How long will it take to make this thing?" Chen Mo handed the sheepskin back to Ma Jun and said.

"It depends on how far away from the water source." Ma Jun bowed and said that this thing must be judged according to the terrain.

Chen Mo nodded and pointed to a high ground in the distance and said, "That high ground is the closest to here. The canal here will be dug and water will flow in about seven days. How many people are needed to make a tipping car within seven days?"

Ma Jun stood up, looked at the high ground in the distance, bowed and said, "If... there are three craftsmen and enough wood, it will take about three days."

"I'll give you seven days. As long as you finish it before the water flows, I will give you a credit, and you can serve as my disciple. Are you willing?" Chen Mo asked with a smile.

"I am willing!" Ma Jun hurriedly thanked him.

"Don't be in a hurry to thank me. You will be qualified only after you finish it. But if you can't succeed, you should continue to be your craftsman." Chen Mo stretched out his hand and supported Ma Jun.

"Master... Master, don't worry, I will definitely... satisfy you!" Ma Jun said solemnly.

"Wait and see." Chen Mo smiled and didn't say much. He assigned a few craftsmen to Ma Jun and asked them to obey Ma Jun's orders. He would come to check after seven days.

Ma Jun thanked him and left.

"General, do you trust him so much?" After seeing Ma Jun leave, Zhong Yao and Chen Mo walked side by side on the road, asking with a smile.

"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. If it succeeds, it's the best. If it doesn't, it's just that a few craftsmen haven't worked for a few days, which is not a big deal." Chen Mo inspected the construction site and said with a smile: "Since it will be a great gain, even if it doesn't, there will be no loss. Why not give it a try? Many big things in this world are sometimes promoted by these insignificant little things."

Zhong Yao nodded in agreement when he heard it. Apart from anything else, Chen Mo's way of doing things and his mind are not ordinary people have. Now that Chen Mo can build such a big foundation at such a young age, Zhong Yao is not surprised at all. This young man knows how to use people and dares to let his subordinates do it. He is a character.

"I wonder what the general thinks of the current situation in the world?" Zhong Yao and Chen Mo came to the river and asked with a smile.

"It's hard to say." Chen Mo shook his head. The world is extremely complicated right now. The powerful princes, such as Yuan Shao, Chen Mo, Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Yuan Shu, Tao Qian and Liu Yan of Shu, have complicated relationships among them. If they really want to reunify, they may need a great opportunity, but this opportunity is not visible at the moment.