Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 93 - 92: Building the Water Mill Together

Chapter 93: Chapter 92: Building the Water Mill Together
Qin Yao clicked her tongue twice, "I’m afraid it would cost at least twenty or thirty taels!"
"After all, not everyone can handle such a large millstone by themselves like I can. If your village people do it, at least ten people are needed to produce such a mill, and transporting it in place and installing it would require quite some effort."
To set a thousand-pound millstone properly is not as simple as having ten people move it back and forth.
The stone is very brittle, if you’re not careful and the millstone cracks, all previous efforts would be in vain.
Seeing Wang Yu’s distressed expression, Qin Yao gave a helpless smile, "Of course, I’m familiar with Shunzi too, if it weren’t for the fact that my family is so busy these days, I would have gone over to help you carry it."
"But there’s really no way, my husband is focused on his studies right now, and with so much work at home, I really can’t leave."
"Third Brother studying?" Shunzi thought he misheard, "Sister-in-law, did you just say Third Brother is going to study now?"
Qin Yao nodded, "He just decided a few days ago. You know your Third Brother, not really good at anything, so I thought I’d let him continue his studies. Maybe he can gain something else."
Shunzi was stunned, thinking how could his Third Brother possibly succeed in studying!
But he’s witnessed Qin Yao’s abilities before, and seeing how confident she was, he didn’t say anything to dampen the mood. Smiling, he told Qin Yao to remind his Third Brother not to forget this brother when he becomes successful in the future.
Qin Yao smiled at him, "I’d forget anyone before I’d forget you, Shunzi."
If she could pull off this big deal he brought her, she’d at least make five taels of silver.
With such a big price difference, unless the Lower River Village folks were foolish, they’d definitely choose to let her and Liu the carpenter do the job.
Seeing Wang Yu still hesitating, Qin Yao suggested he go to Liu the carpenter’s house to ask about technical difficulties.
Should anyone from Lower River Village manage to tackle it, then she and Liu the carpenter would just charge a consulting fee.
Of course, that was just a courtesy. In reality, Liu the carpenter wasn’t stupid. They’re quite in sync after collaborating several times.
After hearing Qin Yao talk about things like power, axles, and principles, Wang Yu felt this water mill wasn’t simple at all.
But to give an account to the villagers, a visit to Liu the carpenter’s house was still necessary.
Qin Yao pretended to be busy in the fields, asking Shunzi to lead him to Liu the carpenter.
Half an hour later, Shunzi ran to the fields to find Qin Yao alone, telling her, "Sister-in-law, Brother Wang and I still need to go back to the village to discuss with the folks, but seeing the situation, it seems we’ll still trouble you and Liu the carpenter."
Qin Yao nodded with a smile, "Sure, if you need me just come find me."
"By the way, your Third Brother is at home too, he’s been talking about you several times. Why not come to my house and sit for a bit?"
"No, no. I’m rushing back. I’ll visit sister-in-law’s home another time," Shunzi waved, declining. He was indeed in a hurry to go back.
And besides, they just said Third Brother was studying at home, how could he dare disturb him?
Anyway, if sister-in-law could decide things, why bother seeing Third Brother?
Thinking of the meat buns he had with Qin Yao before, Shunzi left smiling.
Liu the carpenter also had a peculiar temper, saying craftsmen have their rules, and he’d never share the waterwheel technology.
Before coming, Wang Yu hadn’t anticipated this, so he’d inadvertently offended him.
So, the two rushed back to Lower River Village, gathered the villagers, and talked about the matter. They also shared the excitement about the mill’s convenience and efficiency. Those tormented by grinding were eager to outright snatch the Liu Family Village’s water mill.
Of course, snatching was out of the question, just a joke. At the beginning of the year, they even drove off bandits; they’re quite fierce, no one dares to provoke them.
"Then let’s just ask them to build one for our village, each household contributes some money, then we save our energy," suggested a villager from Lower River Village.
Shunzi, standing in the crowd, immediately chimed in: "Exactly, there’s so many of us, it’d only cost two maces of silver per household if we split it. If you haven’t seen that water mill in person, I tell you it’s worth it!"
Saying this, seeing everyone looking at him, Shunzi added: "If my mom and wife could live without the torment of grinding, I’d pay two taels of silver!"
On hearing this, someone immediately sneered: "If you, Shunzi, can pay two taels of silver, I’d chop off my head!"
Instantly, there erupted a bout of hearty laughter.
Shunzi glared at the person, "Why can’t I afford it? Selling me would fetch at least twenty or thirty taels. I’d sell myself if it would bring relief to my mom and wife!"
When Shunzi played the fool, nobody could match him, and since he wasn’t bashful, the villagers didn’t bother to argue with him.
Fearing he’d actually strip and lie on the ground claiming to sell himself, it wouldn’t look proper in front of young women and wives.
Village Chief Wang shouted twice for everyone to quiet down, inquiring if they’d like to build the water mill together.
"Raise your hand if you agree, and speak up if you don’t, and we’ll go with the majority," he said.
The majority raised their hands, with Shunzi standing on a stone lifting his hand the highest. Everyone knew he liked to join the fun, and didn’t suspect he had any personal motive.
Seeing most agreed to build the water mill, the village chief finalized the decision.
"Chief, we’d better hurry, the autumn harvest is coming. If we finish before it, we’d have an easier time this year," Yang Da and his brother urged.
They were hunters who had just prepared a few acres of thin fields at home, even grew rice, but those unused to fieldwork really couldn’t handle the hardship well.
Thinking of the grinding misery, they just hoped to build the water mill soon, so they wouldn’t suffer.
This spoke to the villagers’ hearts; since they spent the money, they needed to see proper returns to feel it worthwhile.
So the chief sent his son Wang Yu quickly back to Liu Family Village to finalize the matter.
Since Liu the carpenter wouldn’t share his craft, they had no choice but to hire him for the work.
"By the way, to make the millstone, we also need to find Liu Family’s woman?" the chief asked his son.
Wang Yu nodded, "Yes, Liu the carpenter also said that waterwheel actually came from a blueprint Miss Qin drew for him; it’s actually from Miss Qin’s uncle."
The fact that the water wheel came from Qin Yao didn’t surprise the chief.
Because he had heard of Miss Qin’s reputation; the Liu Family Village chief and the clan leader had mentioned her several times to him.
At the start of the year, when the Liu Family Village faced bandits, it was thanks to this highly skilled woman leading them that they drove away the bandits. She’s quite a formidable figure.
So, the chief instructed his son Wang Yu, "Then directly find Miss Qin to discuss, clearly ask about how to set up this comprehensive water mill, what time is needed, and how much cost."
Wang Yu took the order. This time, he didn’t bring Shunzi, but went with a respected uncle from the village, to avoid suspicions that he might be pocketing village money.