Chapter Fifteen: Heading to Chang'an

  The waterwheel wasn't something a carpenter could finish in a short time, so Qin Yu had no choice but to search far and wide for talent. The first person he looked for was naturally the county magistrate, but the county magistrate only provided five people, and there weren't any more than that. Although these five people belonged to Qin Yu from now on, how could five people be enough?

  Qin Yu had no choice but to go find Cui Wen again, the fat guy. No way out, who made Qin Yu not know any other big shots? Upon learning that Qin Yu needed carpenters, Cui Wen sent ten people without saying a word.

  This solved Qin Yu's problem, and he was naturally delighted. Not only did it save time, but he also got ten free carpenters. However, this favor would need to be repaid. Cui Wen naturally knew that the good wine that suddenly appeared in Yongnian County came from Qin Yu.

  They didn't sign a contract with Qin Yu at the beginning, but the purchase price of this wine was not so high that it was off the charts. It just set a range, and Qin Yu planned to brew his own wine and sell it. The specific price is still under negotiation.

  Qin Yu also wanted to get Zhang the blacksmith who made curved plows, but Yongnian County only had two blacksmiths. The county magistrate was initially unwilling, but after Qin Yu offered a high price, he readily sold him out.

  The waterwheel was ready, so he might as well bring out the water-powered mill too. Whether it was grinding flour or cutting wood, it would save time and effort. Of course, it could also be used for textile production and metal shaping. However, Qin Yu didn't know how to do these things specifically, so he could only ask the craftsmen to think of a solution.

  After finishing the water cart, he still had to dig a well. After all, during times of drought, the water cart was useless too. In short, Qin Yu had been busy for the past few days, spinning around like a top.

  The arrangement for the refugees is simple, and the weather is still hot at this time. Sleeping in the open air won't be a big problem, but to keep the refugees healthy, Qin Yu also sent Cai Langzhong over, if there's any cold or fever, they can be treated immediately.

  Qin Yu wasn't so stingy after all, and he still bought fabric and bedding to build tents for the refugees to sleep in. The servants of the Qin estate were responsible for food, with over a dozen large pots cooking at the same time, and they wouldn't let anyone go hungry. Of course, the food was distributed according to the workload set by Qin Yu, and Xiaotao and Xiaohong were in charge of keeping track.

  At the beginning, the efficiency of plowing was not slow, although the current plow is inconvenient to use, it cannot withstand people's high enthusiasm. Even without a plow, several people work together with pure manpower, and each one still shows a happy face, not resisting at all.

  The refugees were delighted because the tenant contract was exactly what Qin Yu had said, and at this moment they had also signed one by one with them, having a goal in mind, naturally having motivation.

  As Zhang Ironsmith said, one day two were made, and with the addition of curved shares, the speed was significantly increased.

  Among the refugees, there were still some skilled craftsmen, an ironworker, two carpenters, and a brewer. Their skills had been passed down through their families. Due to the war, they had escaped their artisanal status. Qin Yu ordered the ironworker and carpenter to go manufacture curved-shaft plows and waterwheels.

  The winemaker was a middle-aged woman, with skills passed down from her ancestors. Qin Yu just happened to want to brew his own wine and always bought wine, the distillation craftsmanship would naturally be spread out, Qin Yu didn't want it to spread too early, he just waited for the completion of the winery, this winemaker would take office immediately.

  Originally some elderly children did not need to work, but they still insisted on helping, one by one without complaint, and the progress accelerated again.

  Qin Yu bought at least three thousand mu of land that can be cultivated, and in this section of Taihang Mountain in Yongnian County, there are also many places where crops can be grown. The temperature here is a treasure for potatoes and sweet potatoes. Qin Yu also opened up some land, about 100 mu.

  The land was plowed because of the large number of people, and with the appearance of curved shares, it was finished in less than three days. The waterwheel also completed half of its work at this time. As for sowing, it will not be delayed for too long, and can be completed in less than a day.

  It's still not possible to irrigate now, but the ditch hasn't been dug yet, and it's not urgent either. Waiting a few more days will be fine.

  So many people work together, it's not slow, of course the main force is still those young and strong, Qin Yu naturally won't overexploit their labor, but they insist on working overtime, and they're quite happy, in their words, they've already passed the best time for farming, so they can't be late anymore.

  When Qin Yu went to check on the progress of the waterwheel, he discovered that the components of the waterwheel were uneven and would slow down the speed of drawing water. After all, the power of the water flow was basically like that, if it was too heavy, the speed would naturally be slower.

  After inquiring, it was only then that they found out that there were no planes at this time. Qin Yu hastily called the blacksmith and carpenter to work together to make a plane, and the waterwheel immediately became much lighter.

  It's been three days, and the waterwheel has finally taken shape under the cooperation of the blacksmith and carpenter. It was carried to the riverbank by many people and assembled well. As the waterwheel slowly rotated from slow to fast, the river water poured into the ditch and flowed towards the fields where the big beans were planted. Everyone cheered in unison.

  In ancient times, the common people took the land as their foundation. With land, they could eat their fill and feel happy. So at this moment, everyone was delighted, and Qin Yu was no exception. It's always difficult to get started, but once the foundation is laid, there's no need to worry about it later on.

  The farming is done, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. What's left is to build houses and dig wells. Don't worry about the wood, there are plenty of mountains and forests here, all belonging to Qin Yu. And the Taihang Mountains during the Tang Dynasty were much more beautiful than modern times, at least the vegetation was extremely rich.

  As for the bricks, Zhangjiacun has them and they are very cheap. Nowadays, with the joint efforts of the villagers, the walls of the workshop have been built, and many bricks are left over. However, Qin Yu's tenants still don't have enough to build houses, but it's not like they need to use them all at once, so there's no rush.

  Qin Yu still wanted to do something else when he was pulled away by Cheng Huailiang, who had been waiting impatiently for a long time, and left Yongnian County.

  Because of Cheng Yaojin's urging and also because of Qin Qiong's letter, Qin Yu had no choice but to follow Cheng Huaiying to Chang'an.

  Qin Yu Zhen did not expect that Qin Qiong would really acknowledge him as his nephew. From Qin Qiong's letter, Qin Yu roughly understood some of the situation. Qin Qiong was not without relatives, and a branch of the Qin family had fled into the mountains to avoid war and had lost contact for many years.

  What Qin Yu said was the ancestral home, which is exactly where Qin Qiong's family lived back then. The name of Qin Yu's father also appeared in the Qin family tree, and he was of the same generation as Qin Qiong.

  Qin Qiong came to the letter, at this time taught Qin Yu a lesson, the meaning is very simple, Qin Yu actually dared to use plant roots as betrothal gifts, it's really presumptuous, after all, Cheng Yaoguang is also a national duke, how can he be rude? Not only did he lose face for the Cheng family, but also lost face for his own family, and may even end up making enemies.

  For this, Qin Qiong specially prepared a thick gift again. This matter was considered settled, but Qin Qiong still instructed Qin Yu not to despise Cheng Lingyun. Since he had agreed, he had to do it. Although the words were tactful, Qin Yu understood and felt embarrassed for a while.

  Others think that Cheng Lingyun is ugly, not only thin, but also dark-skinned and yellow-haired. However, Qin Yu likes her. In other people's eyes, Qin Yu just likes the prestige of the Cheng family, so he plans to marry Cheng Lingyun. This is what Qin Qiang means, fearing that if he recognizes Qin Yu, Qin Yu will become arrogant and refuse to marry Cheng Lingyun.

  Cheng Yaojin's temper was indeed very big, and after being together for so many years, Qin Qiong naturally knew this. This was also for Qin Yu's sake, in case Cheng Yaojin lost his temper and really started chopping Qin Yu into hundreds of pieces with his axe.

  Xin Li also said some comforting words, the recipe and blood tonic written by Qin Yu are indeed effective, her body has improved significantly compared to before. Finally, she urged Qin Yu to come to Chang'an as soon as possible, to acknowledge his ancestors and fulfill his heart's desire, but what this great matter is, Qin Yu does not know.

  Cheng Huailiang didn't receive the letter, but he heard Cheng Yaojin's message, telling him to quickly take his brother-in-law and roll back to Chang'an, or else he would be skinned.

  Qin Yu rushed away, only managing to bring back half a jar of wine to Chang'an, without preparing anything else. Of course, he had to bring the silver, but it seemed that Qin Qiong was handling all the wedding arrangements, so he didn't need to worry about it, and probably wouldn't spend much anyway.

  Qin Yu left and handed over all matters to Wang Cai, who had some ability but was obviously insufficient. Qin Yu had no choice at this moment when there was no one else available, so he temporarily handed it over to him. Meanwhile, Xiao Tao and Xiao Hong assisted Wang Cai in handling the affairs of the Qin Manor.

  The journey is actually quite dull, the scenery along the way is bright but I don't feel it, in fact, I want to have feelings but can't. This guy walks all the way, gets drunk all the way, and says that once he returns to Chang'an, there won't be his share anymore, so take advantage of now to drink a bit more.

  Qin Yu's persuasion was useless, even if he said it again, Cheng Huailiang wouldn't listen, saying that the future is the future, and now is now.

  Chang'an, the capital of the Great Tang Empire, at this moment, disappeared in the long corridor of history, and became a ruined ancient city that appeared before Qin Yu's eyes. Qin Yu's mood was quite excited.

  Lofty city walls, far and wide, give a sense of solidity and grandeur that is unbreakable. As he gets closer and closer, Qin Yu's emotions start to stir up, "This is Chang'an!"

  The city gate was bustling with people coming and going, one after another, each with a spirited appearance. Even the ordinary commoners' attire was extremely particular, not only clean but also very neat, without even a single patch on their clothes. Qin Yu found it somewhat strange at times.

  But thinking about it, it's understandable. This is the capital of the Tang Dynasty, and Li Shimin's policies will definitely be well implemented. With houses and land, landlords dare not bully excessively, and the people's lives will naturally become much better, at least compared to other places.

  Cheng Huai-liang indeed had face, drunk and riding on horseback, the soldiers guarding the city didn't even check him before letting him pass.

  When Qin Yu and his group passed through the city gate, the originally crowded pedestrians suddenly made way for them, whispering to each other in low voices. Although Qin Yu couldn't hear clearly, judging from their expressions, they seemed to have no good feelings towards Cheng Huai Liang.

  "This guy, indeed a spoiled brat." Qin Yu sighed, but didn't feel disgusted. At least this guy was nice to him, and this was a common problem, whether in ancient or modern times. Judging from the expressions of passersby, Cheng Huailiang wasn't someone who inspired anger and hatred.

  Qin Yu needed to go to Qin Qiong's mansion first, Cheng Huailiang was drunk but still had a few points of clarity, knowing that Qin Yu didn't know the way, he took Qin Yu directly to the Qin mansion. Originally, it was quiet all the way, but who would have thought that just as they turned into a street, a group of people suddenly rushed over.

  At the forefront was a seventeen or eighteen year old scholar with a pale face, followed by a large group of family servants, who aggressively blocked Qin Yu and his party.

  "Cheng Erhei Zi, I've finally caught you! Come with me to apologize to Princess Gao Yang!" The white-faced scholar's face turned bright red as he bellowed in extreme anger, his trembling body revealing just how agitated he was.

  "Huh? Fang Er Dāi Zi, what's wrong, your butt itches again? You dare to trouble me?" Cheng Huai Liang was blocked, and the wine immediately woke up three points. After seeing the bookish-looking man in front of him clearly, he jumped off his horse and said disdainfully.

  "Fang Er? The Green Hat King of the Tang Dynasty?" Qin Yu looked at the scholar called Fang Er with a strange gaze, pale face and no beard, weak body. In an instant, Qin Yu understood, "No wonder, this small frame."