Chapter 51 Not enough tools!

The spring breeze caresses the face, as soft as cotton.

Su Jingge was at the Xishan brick kiln. She saw that the kiln was a typical steamed bun kiln, but because it had not been used for many years, the details had become blurry.

She took a few steps forward to observe more closely, noticing that the inner wall had formed a layer of black, drool-like crystals after being burned at high temperatures, and that there were obvious signs of burning and smoke on the top and four walls.

This indicates that it has been used before.

Su Jingge looked at the group of people, including Xie Mo, Xu Yuan, and Yan Shu.

He said, "After this kiln was used, it was abandoned for many years, so there may be a deep layer of mud and sand inside, and there may also be some broken bricks and roof tiles scattered around."

"We need to remove all this garbage before we can start the kiln."

Xie Mo nodded: "Assistant Su is very talented and so proficient in construction. I will send someone to clean the kiln and then start firing according to the list you gave me."

Su Jingge smiled and said, "I am not as good as Lord Xie. Lord Xie is a former official in the construction industry and has unique insights into construction projects. So this is Lord Xie's destiny."

Xie Mo cupped his hands in greeting: "I will do my utmost!"

Su Jingge added, "The firing time in the brick kiln is about 7-10 days, and the first batch of firings is allowed to be postponed to the 11th."

"That means the first batch of bricks must be delivered within 11 days at the latest, otherwise it will be considered as a delay in work."

"Of course, everyone will receive a reward if we hand it in early!"

The woman's words carried weight, and her business principles were clear; everyone was convinced of her authority.

Su Jingge gave the order: "Yan Shu, you have a total of 13 people. Divide them into groups and open the two kilns at the same time, and have them take turns firing."

Yan Shu cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes, sir!"

Then Su Jingge looked at Xu Yuan: "Xu Gong, your people will be responsible for transporting the fired bricks. Before they are fired, you will still be responsible for the construction of the West Temple. From now on, your people will live and eat with Yan Shu's people."

Her eyes sharpened, and she said sternly, "Let me make this clear from the start: if anyone is xenophobic or causes internal strife, the consequences will range from a fine to permanent dismissal!"

Yan Shu smiled, patted his chest, and cupped his hands towards Xu Yuan: "We are all brothers, we are all family, there will definitely be no infighting, we will all follow Engineer Xu's orders."

Xu Yuan stood up straight, clasped his fists together, and looked at everyone with a firm and serious expression: "Thank you for your cooperation, brothers."

Su Jingge nodded with satisfaction, hands behind her back: "Then let's split up and take action."

The two groups of people dispersed, and now only Xie Mo remained by his side without being given any instructions.

Xie Mo watched as Su Jingge frowned slightly, glancing around at the piles of old, broken bricks and stones.

He stepped forward to inspect it again, then dusted off his hands and asked Xie Mo, "Lord Xie, these bricks are usable for now, and Zhao Zhou certainly wouldn't dare to embezzle them."

This is exactly what she expected.

But there's one thing that still won't work.

Xie Mo noticed Su Jingge's worry and asked, "Does Assistant Manager Su still have concerns?"

"It's not a concern. Look, we already have cement for paving, kilns, and bricks can be produced. It's just that we don't have enough tools."

Xie Mo smiled: "The assistant manager and the strategist went together; it's true that we don't have enough tools."

Su Jingge Ran: "Like a plow and a hoe - (tools for turning over soil)."

"Furthermore, the 'mò' is a very useful tool for preventing soil moisture evaporation. It is used to smooth and compact the ground surface by pulling it with human or animal power."

“锸看锸 (chā)”

It's actually just a modern shovel.

"A spade is a tool with a wooden handle and an iron shovel head. It is used to dig ditches, shovel soil, and level small areas of land. It is especially suitable for repairing field ridges and digging irrigation ditches, and it is an essential tool."

"There is also the hoe (chú), which is not only a weeding tool, but can also be used to lightly turn the soil and level the surface. Small hoes can be used to trim the soil around crops."

"Large hoes can handle large areas of land leveling."

After saying this, Su Jingge shook her head: "We have these, but we don't have enough tools, so we can go find these tools while the bricks are being fired."

Xie Mo thought so too.

"It is advisable to borrow these tools, as many ordinary households have them. However, some items, such as plows and hoes, require craftsmen to make them, and ordinary households rarely have them."

Su Jingge pondered: "That's right, these two are large tools, and ordinary people may not have them."

"We'll build what we can ourselves, and borrow what we can't build."

However, those tools require iron, which means iron ore, and mining iron ore is a major undertaking.

In this era, all the mines belonged to the government, so it wasn't as simple as a county magistrate saying that mining was allowed.

These raw materials must be reported to the governor.

The governor was the head of a province and had executive power in the region.

To put it bluntly, he's the local tyrant of a continent. He's a powerful and influential figure in this region, and his word is law.

If the governor reports this to the imperial court, the mine can be opened for mining.

Xie Mo said, "I know what the assistant manager is thinking. This mining is beyond our control, but there is still time to repair the site."

"If we need to reclaim wasteland for farming or dig ditches in the future, these tools will be indispensable. Even if all the tools that the people have at home are taken out, they will probably not be enough to cover one ten-thousandth of the total."

"Now we have a chance to negotiate this mining matter, so the Associate should not be discouraged."

Su Jingge smiled and said, "Lord Xie is absolutely right. The governor of this prefecture was recently dismissed by the government. It will take some time before a new governor is chosen. We don't even know who the next governor will be, so it's too early to talk about mining."

"I'm sure Lord Xie has considered this carefully. Fortunately, we don't need many tools, and they can be made at the tool-making workshop." She paused and asked Xie Mo, "But I wonder which craftsman in the city can make tools?"

Xie Mo pondered for a moment and said, "Yes, there is one that can build it."

Su Jingge's eyes lit up: "I'll handle this personally."

Xie Mo added, "However, this craftsman has a rather peculiar personality. He is notoriously stubborn in the city and has long been out of favor with the government. I'm afraid... he'll be difficult for us to use!"

Su Jingge knew this was a precautionary measure.

She smiled and said, "Lord Xie, there's nothing I, Su Jingge, can't handle!"

"I'll go and investigate."

Xie Mo admired her drive: "Assistant Su is truly dedicated to serving the people and has done a solid job."

Su Jingge smiled and said, "Why not do that, Lord Xie? I'll just contact the craftsmen to make it, and I'll leave the task of borrowing the tools to you."

Xie Mo cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes, sir!"

"Oh right, and those small tools, like dustpans and baskets, might not be enough either. These are things that people use a lot in their daily lives, and we might not be able to borrow them."

"If you can't borrow it, then I'll trouble Lord Xie to buy it. You can get the money from me, and then report back to Zhao Zhou!"

Xie Mo smiled and said, "Please rest assured, Assistant Manager Su. I will first ask Zhao Zhou for it. If he doesn't give it to me, I will ask the Assistant Manager for it."

“Okay, then I’ll go to the horse stable first,” Su Jingge said.