On the fourth day of the new year, the canal has been dug, just waiting for the waterwheel to go up. You Miao thought that if a tree was to be planted in the north of the Yangtze River, he would have to cut down a batch of the original basswood. These wood were planted by the owner of the villa hundreds of years ago. From time to time, the people of Guozhuang would come to Beishan to cut trees.
You Miao went to borrow dozens of axes, and asked the soldier to cut down the tree for him, and then threw it into the river. Li Zhifeng tied it with a rope and pulled him to the bank of the river. Right now, there is no need to worry about the money to build a waterwheel, but You Miao also thinks that he can save as much as he can.
Youmiao in Jiangbei does not plan to reclaim cultivated land. Once the terrain is undulating, it is not as easy to cultivate as in Jiangnan. To cultivate cultivated land, it is necessary to cultivate terraced fields, and irrigation is also a problem.
Second, the big river is in the middle, and it is also a hassle to farm daily. It is inconvenient to manage. More than 2,000 acres of land, one thousand acres of tea, one thousand acres of mulberry trees, and the rest of the land is planted with plums.
The soldiers of the Yangzhou Army opened up the wasteland in the south of the Yangtze River for You Miao, and set fire to the weeds once again. The whole villa was filled with smoke in the spring, which was truly spectacular. Until the seventh day of the new year, everything was done. You Miao held a feast again, invited people to eat a full meal, took five coins and distributed them to the soldiers, and sent them away.
After all the people left, Shen Yuan returned to its desolate appearance, leaving You Miao and Li Zhifeng.
As usual, Zhang Er came up to read a book every day and helped with the cleaning by the way.
"Is there enough money?" Li Zhifeng asked in a rare way.
"Enough is enough." You Miao and Li Zhifeng sat by the river, guarding the large pile of basswood. There was a huge open space downstream of the river beach, and the basswood was neatly chopped ten pieces. At night, several tenants take turns on duty, guarding with their dogs. During the day, You Miao walks by the river in person, in a daze, reading books, feeling stones, and eating grilled fish with Li Zhifeng.
Once in the capital, it seemed like a lifetime away, guarding a villa of his own here in the south of the Yangtze River. Every day passed smoothly, working at sunrise and resting at sunset. You Miao felt more and more like a farmer.
"My uncle said that he can lend me his money." You Miao explained, "Wait for the old man to come over in a few days, and it's not too late to find him after summing up the money."
Money, money, money, everything needs money, and before the tenants are recruited, the money in their hands has been spent like water. We have to wait for the canal to be completed before recruiting workers. I don’t know how many people will be recruited. I hope more people will be recruited.
The plan of the year lies in spring, and the time to cultivate the land is coming.
Guozhuang and Anlu County were both open, and Yangzhou was even more lively. You Miao wanted to play, but couldn't leave. I had to stay at home, and when I was waiting impatiently, someone finally shouted from above.
Zhu Tang was lying on the cliff and shouted down, "Master!"
"What?!" You Miao looked up.
Zhu Tang shouted a few times, but You Miao couldn't hear it clearly, but Li Zhifeng's ears were very good, and he said, "Old man Huang is here with a lot of people."
You Miao was overjoyed and said, "Quick, let's go up here."
Li Zhifeng said: "Not busy, they are going down along the road by the river now."
You Miao was very uneasy. After less than half an hour, Da Liang came down along the river road with Huang Lao Jiang on his back, followed by Lu Lu behind him. There were about 30 workers, and You Miao was taken aback. So many people? !
These workers are all skilled craftsmen, no more than soldiers. If you really want to hire them, I don’t know how much it will cost. But the people had already come, and You Miao had to go up to say hello. Huang Lao Jiang said, "Why didn't you go home for the New Year? Didn't you go to the market?"
"I can't go away." You Miao smiled and said, "I don't feel at ease when things are not done well."
"Hmm." Mr. Huang sat down on a big rock by the river, leaning on a cane in both hands, and said, "In a few days, this big guy will start work, but you can go out for a walk."
You Miao was a little nervous and said, "Have you read the drawings, teacher?"
The old craftsman Huang said: "Come here and see how many places I have added for you. There are quite a few places to spend money, so you have to be aware of it."
"Okay, okay." You Miao squeezed the sweat and looked a little uncomfortable. Several craftsmen were looking at the wood, talking and laughing. You Miao knew that this time it was inevitable to cut the meat. Most likely won't let him go.
"Think about it." Huang Lao Jiang said: "Once this waterwheel is built, it will be a blessing for a hundred years and a thousand years. I don't care about money. , you can't find them in Anlu alone, but I recruited them from all over Yangzhou, so don't regret it when you come."
You Miao stood obediently like an apprentice, and said respectfully, "Junior definitely doesn't mean that."
The old craftsman Huang added: "They come here to help you with this work, and it's not all about the money. I have to tell you about this. It's not something that an ordinary craftsman can meet with such a big waterwheel. The work of building beams and columns to build a house is not the same as building an institution."
The group of craftsmen nodded and said yes, and the old craftsman Huang said: "You all have to do your best, both as a helper and a student, and you must not fool the young master."
An older craftsman said: "What the old man said, who doesn't know our Anping craftsmen, as long as they work, there is no reason to grind them, you say, right?"
Old Craftsman Huang nodded and said, "Youmiao's family belongs to Biyu Villa, and it won't cost you a single cent of your wages, everyone will do it with all your heart."
Only then did the craftsmen know of You Miao's life experience. You Miao was heartbroken by the words of the old master Huang, guessing that the old master Huang was not an old liar, he was really a grandfather and grandfather with high morals.
Looking at his apprentice Xiaoliang's dedication to repairing Shenyuan, and the level of repair, he doesn't look like a liar.
So, the old craftsman Huang has rarely come out to pick up the work, and it is still the waterwheel that allows him to take over the project. If what is said is correct, these craftsmen must also come for the waterwheel, repairing waterwheels on the cliff, not to mention Yangzhou, even in the entire Central Plains, there are very few people who can do this errand and participate in the erection of this giant institution. more than wages.
The old master Huang introduced his eldest apprentice to You Miao. The apprentice was in his sixties, but his body was very strong. His name was Wu Zhuang. You Miao greeted them and said, "Go back to the mountain village to sit down, Would you like some tea, please?"
The old craftsman Huang said: "Let's talk about the money first. I have listed the materials for you. You will pay for the money yourself. Find someone to buy it yourself. , five coins a day per person. What do you think?"
You Miao thought that it was okay, not too much, and said, "Okay, listen to the teacher."
The old craftsman Huang said slowly: "Ten helpers, each two hundred cents a day."
You Miao said: "Yes."
The old craftsman Huang said: "You take care of two meals, one before the start of work, one when the work is finished, a pig and a jar of good wine. At the rest of the time, you should go to Guozhuang and Anlu each to eat, and don't eat Young Master You's meal. I don't think there are many people in his villa, so it's hard to talk about it."
You Miao smiled and said, "It doesn't matter, it's not difficult to manage the meals of the brothers."
Old Craftsman Huang waved his cane and said, "They are raised in their mouths. If you don't have anything else to say, it's settled."
You Miao nodded quickly, and the old craftsman Huang squinted at the basswood by the river and said, "I wanted you to buy some wood, but you have it all ready."
You Miao took the old craftsman Huang to look at the wood and asked, "Can this wood be used?"
Old Craftsman Huang nodded, tapped it with a cane, and said, "The 120-year-old basswood is a good material, so the disciples will unload the board."
The craftsmen had already dispersed, and when they heard Huang Lao Jiang's words, they each took off their belongings, set up planers, played ink lines, and wiped saws. You Miao wanted to go over to help, but Huang Lao Jiang said: "No busy, what is the name of the guy who is following you?"
Li Zhifeng reported his name, and the old craftsman Huang said: "Young boy, you should leave him here. What are you going to use temporarily? Give him the list and let him buy it."
You Miao snorted, and the old craftsman Huang returned to the stone and sat down, beckoning: "Come and have a look, I have changed some places in the picture."