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After coming up with this idea, Tian Yu originally thought that the Red Flag Gang would act quickly and send at least a dozen ships to the sea to block the private ships transporting salt.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Xi only sent two boats to the camp on the shore, and then ignored him and assigned him the miscellaneous task of counting and making a list.

Do you really treat him as your mentor?

Tian Yu was suspicious, but he could not ignore the things piling up on his desk. The hometowns and names of all the soldiers had to be registered, and the number of people on the island, the allocated land, and the reclaimed wasteland had to be clarified. In simple terms, he had to establish a military register and separate the land register and household register into two books, the yellow and white books.

Of course, these things were originally counted, but there was a lack of well-organized account books, and it was obvious that no one understood this aspect.

Tian Yu had previously served as a county magistrate and had managed the logistics of tens of thousands of troops. To him, such a small gang of a thousand people was nothing.

The only thing that made him unhappy was the soldier who replaced Lin Yang.

"Mr. Tian, ​​tea is here! Would you like some snacks?"

Looking at the guy who put the tray on the table, Tian Yu turned his eyes away calmly.

The man had only one hand, and the other side was an empty sleeve that was cut off at the elbow.

It is said that he was injured during the last bandit suppression campaign, and was assigned here as soon as he was able to walk.

Why pair him with someone with a disability? Was it to humiliate him, or to show that the gang leader was magnanimous and treated the disabled equally?

Tian Yu didn't touch the cup of tea, let alone answer, and just continued writing.

He met a lot of people and asked a lot of questions in the past few days. By sorting out the files, he almost figured out the situation on the island.

I have to say that although this is troublesome, it is indeed an excellent way to understand the details of the gang.

After about half an hour of work, the man standing nearby spoke again: "Mr. Tian, ​​the water is cold. How about I get you a hot cup?"

Tian Yu didn't even raise his head: "Get out!"

The other party stood there stubbornly: "The gang leader asked me to take care of Mr. Tian's daily life. You haven't had much water in the past two days, and the weather is starting to get hot. How can this be possible..."

If the teacup in front of him wasn't made of wood and wouldn't break even if it fell, Tian Yu would have picked it up and hit someone with it.

After taking a breath, Tian Yu said, "I'm not thirsty. You go out first."

The man moved his lips and wanted to persuade him again, but someone else came to ask for instructions, so he retreated.

An hour later, the man who looked like a black iron pillar came running back and said, "Mr. Tian, ​​the meal is ready. Do you want to eat in the study or in the courtyard?"

Tian Yu glared at him, but the other party pretended not to see him and just stood there at the door.

If it was someone like Lin Yang, how could Tian Yu be so polite? But the other party was also a disabled person, full of venom, and there was really no place to vent.

After staring at the boy for a long time, Tian Yu said, "Bring it in."

After hearing this, the man became happy and soon brought in a plate of food.

A bowl of rice, two bowls of vegetables, and a soup. They were all common dishes and looked pretty good.

Tian Yu didn't waste any time talking to him. He asked someone to put the tray down and started eating with a frown.

But just like before, he only moved his chopsticks a few times and then put them down and stopped eating.

The man hadn't left yet. Seeing this, he couldn't help but shout, "Mr. Tian, ​​this isn't even finished yet. It would be a shame to leave some food behind!"

"We'll eat the rest in the evening." Tian Yu didn't mean to give in to him at all.

The other party scratched his head and suddenly asked, "Mr. Tian, ​​are you afraid of going to the toilet?"

Tian Yu's expression changed instantly, but before he could say anything, the man had already spoken: "There's a brother in the hospital who injured his leg. He also didn't want to eat or drink, for fear of making a fool of himself. But later the gang leader built a new toilet, so he dared to eat. Isn't this thanks to Mr. Tian? Why don't you eat..."

His voice was full of confusion, but Tian Yu reacted and asked, "Thanks to me?"

"Yes! The village has built a new toilet specially for people with mobility impairments. People can sit on it to defecate and urinate. And there is a new bathroom. I couldn't take a proper bath before, but now it is much more convenient with the water falling from above my head!" The man nodded sincerely.

Tian Yu immediately asked, "Did your gang leader say that?"

The other party smiled foolishly: "All this happened because Mr. Tian came. It must have been Mr. Tian's idea! The gang leader asked us to respect Mr. Tian, ​​and it must be because of this!"

Tian Yu understood the meaning of this sentence as soon as he heard it. He guessed that Cheng Xi did not say it directly, but subtly put the credit on him. No wonder these soldiers were so respectful to him.

But he was simply unwilling to accept such "good intentions"!

Tian Yu's face turned cold. "These were all thought up by your gang leader. I feel unworthy of them. If you want to repay me, go find your gang leader!"

Unexpectedly, he was taken aback for a moment, then scratched his head. "Of course I have to thank the gang leader. If it weren't for him, how would a cripple like me with a broken arm find a job? Besides, what does this have to do with repaying a favor? I'm still getting paid, so I can't just collect the money and not do anything, right?"

He answered so frankly that Tian Yu was speechless.

Seeing that Mr. Tian didn't speak, the man hesitated for a moment before saying, "You still have to eat. How can you have the energy if you don't eat enough? Look how hungry you are. What's the point of going to the toilet? The hospital is full of little girls. Those of us who are injured will still scream, and many of us are crying. The doctor said that it's okay to do anything when you are injured or sick. Just recover and that's it."

Even though he had a broken arm, he could still speak so frankly, which was much more effective than other people's persuasion.

Tian Yu looked at him for a while before picking up his chopsticks and slowly starting to eat.

Seeing this, Wang Gener immediately became happy and said quickly: "What would you like to eat, Mr. Tian? I'll ask the cook to prepare it later..."

Tian Yu didn't say a word, but he ate a little faster, as if he wanted to finish eating quickly and get the person out sooner.

That afternoon, Cheng Xi was supervising work in the field when Tian Yu came to his door.

"The boss wants me to express my gratitude, but I'm afraid he's using the wrong method." Tian Yu said coldly as soon as he came up.

Cheng Xi knew what he was talking about and said simply, "It's enough to make those things popular. There's a smart person in a wheelchair, why should they be left unused?"

This was not humble at all, and Tian Yu almost choked to death, but this was not something that could be argued about. The more he talked, the more guilty he seemed.

After trying his luck, Tian Yu changed the subject directly: "The gang leader has given me so many chores, but no longer cares about the salt business. But do you dislike my advice?"

Cheng Xi shook his head: "Of course not, it will take time to explore over there. I also want to try the method of drying salt."

She hadn't given up yet? Tian Yu frowned, "Didn't I tell you that only the North can use wooden planks to dry salt..."

Before he finished speaking, Cheng Xi said to an old man, "Master Sun, how's the cement over there?"

When the old man heard the gang leader's question, he quickly said, "This burnt lime might be of some use. I'm still stirring it. I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see the results."

Looking at the group of bricklayers working in the field, Tian Yu suddenly realized: "What do you want them to do?"

"Build a pond. How can we dry salt without a sturdy pond?" Cheng Xi replied with a smile.

She has indeed been very busy these two days. She has found all the bricklayers who are building houses on the island and asked them if there is anything that can replace cement.

When you ask this question, you will find that there are some folk remedies. Shells of oysters and the like are called "蜃灰". Rich families along the coast use it to build walls, which is much stronger than rammed earth.

Some tombs are repaired with "three-in-one soil", which is basically red mud, coarse sand, and lime blocks mixed together in a certain proportion. If you are rich, you can also add glutinous rice paste. The tomb walls built in this way are rainproof and can prevent insects and theft, and are most favored by the wealthy.

This is somewhat different from real cement. Cheng Xi only knows that cement is made from a mixture of limestone, clay, iron ore powder, and gypsum, but it also requires high-temperature calcination and ball milling. It is impossible to do it now, so whether a similar substitute can be made becomes the key.

The main purpose was to improve the waterproof and corrosion-resistant properties, so she instructed everyone to come up with several formulas and build pools one by one to conduct experiments.

Improving the formula requires constant trial and practice, and it is worth it no matter how much it costs.

Hearing this, Tian Yu didn't know what to say: "Your idea is too fanciful and wasteful. What should I do if it doesn't work?"

Now that he has a thorough understanding of the Red Flag Gang's financial situation, this is really not the time to spend money recklessly. Even if he can build a salt drying pond, he still has to consider the right time.

If you keep doing this, a year or two will be wasted!

Cheng Xi shook her head. "As long as it's made, it's useful. For example, if you use this kind of plaster to build a house, it will definitely be stronger than a wooden or straw house in the event of a storm. If you lay some on the dock, it will make shipping goods much easier." She glanced at Tian Yu and said, "When new things are born, they shouldn't just serve a few individuals. How to promote them and how to put them to use is what those in power should think about."

This answers the question about plaster, and also applies to toilets and showers.

Are these things really that hard to make? I'm afraid not.

Some people use them for entertainment or to win over their confidants, while others give them to the common people. It is rare to find a superior with a mind as broad as hers.

Even Tian Yu was in a trance at this moment. If she really made practical plaster, would it be possible to make salt? Tian Yu had to admit that this was actually a good idea.

No need for felling trees or iron pots, just sunshine and wind, and you can produce large quantities of salt. Once the "salt fields" she mentioned are built, the cost alone will be much cheaper than boiling salt. How much profit will a salt field make then?

She never thinks about immediate interests, but long-term plans.

If you just want to keep your foundation, you must expand your troops and have enough fighting power.

When Tian Yu thought of this, his face turned stern: "Then the gang leader is not planning to rob the salt ship?"

Cheng Xi turned her head to look at him and smiled slightly: "I'm still waiting for news."

What news? From the Dongning Camp? Tian Yu was a little confused. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long this time. A few days later, news came from Panyu.