Chapter 527 The water-powered overturning was a success.
Zhao Ergou silently returned to the banquet.
The surrounding merchants could tell he was in a bad mood, so they didn't dare to approach him and start a conversation.
Only Manager Pan approached, his attitude extremely humble: "Second Master Zhao, after we reached an agreement three or four months ago, I sold the inn. I planned to buy a new shop to run a restaurant with your guidance. I've raised all the money. Second Master Zhao, you can't just abandon me like this..."
"Just call me Manager Zhao." Zhao Ergou turned to look at him. "Your Pan Family Inn is poorly managed and you're drowning in debt. Tell me, how did I agree to this in the first place?"
Manager Pan saw a glimmer of hope and said repeatedly, "I visited Master Zhao many times to invite him for tea. Master Zhao was moved by my persistence and finally accepted the invitation. Our great-grandmother served as a chef in the imperial court for more than ten years and learned some skills in imperial cuisine. This is the main reason why Master Zhao agreed to let the Pan family become a franchisee."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ergou remembered.
He initially intended to use the Pan family's reputation for imperial cuisine to further enhance the prestige of Daheyan Restaurant. However, as more and more businessmen came to discuss franchise opportunities, each displaying considerable sincerity, he initially remembered his promise to the Pan family. But then, people kept telling him that the Pan family was not good at managing their business, had accumulated countless debts, and were frequently being chased by creditors, which could potentially damage the reputation of Daheyan Restaurant. So, he comfortably put the Pan family out of his mind.
Actually, when he first met Manager Pan, Manager Pan showed him the Pan family's accounts, and he had always known that the Pan family was in debt.
If he weren't in debt, why would Manager Pan have taken such a gamble by joining Daheyan?
He didn't care about this at first, but later, as he was praised more and more, his original intention seemed to have changed.
He appears normal on the surface, but there are things inside him that are different from before. His mother gave birth to him and raised him, so she saw right through him.
He was dealt a heavy blow before things got really bad.
Zhao Ergou chuckled softly.
Manager Pan felt a chill run down his spine, and beads of sweat instantly appeared on his palms and soles. He felt a little panicked...
“Since we’ve already agreed on this, let’s stick to it.” Zhao Ergou raised his eyes. “Tomorrow you’ll go to Dahe Banquet in Ping’an County, and we’ll sign the contract in person. The day after tomorrow, you can send someone to Dahe Village to learn the recipes from the head chef. After mastering the dishes, they’ll also need to go to the main store to learn about service and ensure that all stores provide consistent service…”
Manager Pan was completely stunned, his eyes wide and his mouth agape: "Second Master Zhao, you, you..."
"If you keep calling me Master Zhao, I'll have to reconsider our cooperation." Zhao Ergou raised his glass. "I was too rude before. I hope Manager Pan won't hold it against me. Come, have a drink."
Not only Manager Pan, but also the surrounding merchants who were watching were stunned. What on earth was going on?
Master Zhao clearly looked down on the Pan family, so how did they suddenly reach an agreement? What are they going to do? Are they going to wait another six months? They can't wait any longer...
Cheng Wanwan had been watching from afar, and seeing this scene, her heart, that of an old mother, finally settled down.
Just as she was about to leave, Wei Xiaohai rushed in from the courtyard gate, his face full of excitement, and said, "Madam, it's done! Lord Zou and the others succeeded!"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Wanwan immediately went up to her: "It's done so quickly?"
"Yes, yes, it really works!" Wei Xiaohai, who had been accompanying the officials in their research, was incredibly excited. "Lord Zou and the others have moved the water-powered waterwheel to the experimental field. It really works! If you have time, you should go and take a look!"
Lord Shen, Lord Fu, and others in the courtyard also stood up.
They knew that the Ministry of Revenue in the capital had sent people to study cotton. If successful, it would be widely promoted. Now it seemed that the promotion of cotton was a foregone conclusion.
But Lord Wu, who was in Dahe Village, knew even more clearly—the cotton matter had long been over, and now the focus was on researching irrigation tools.
He thought of the manual automatic fan from before, which had solved many major problems in the coal mines. Now the imperial court was planning to cooperate with the people of Sui'an to promote this device to the general public.
The things that were researched and developed with the guidance of people from Sui'an are definitely extraordinary.
He immediately said, "Let's go take a look."
A large group of people followed in a rush.
Next to the mansion was a large experimental field, where cotton plants of varying growth rates were grown in different soil conditions. Beside the field was a huge farm implement.
A square column, about ten feet tall, stands in the water. This is the axle that secures the water-powered tipper. Dozens of wooden strips radiate outwards from the top of the axle, resembling a windmill. The huge windmill standing on the water creates a powerful visual impact.
The water is drawn from the river, just enough to fit the waterwheel. The water flows from high to low, causing the waterwheel to turn slowly. Small wooden buckets hang around the waterwheel. The buckets are filled with water and then turned out. As the waterwheel rises, the water in the buckets slowly pours into the ditches next to it. The water flows along the ditches to the experimental fields, and this cycle continues automatically, ensuring that every field is irrigated.
"My God!" The village head was completely stunned. "How was this thing made? How is it so amazing!"
One by one, the villagers came forward to watch, each with an expression of disbelief on their face.
"With this, I don't have to worry about watering anymore."
"That's right. It doesn't even need anyone to exert any effort. It automatically rotates and waters the plants. People from the capital really do have different minds."
"I heard that it was made with the help of our mountain woman. You could say that the mountain woman's mind is different from ours, the peasants."
"Grandma Mountain, what's this thing called? Can our village use it?"
Everyone looked expectantly at Cheng Wanwan.
She smiled and said, "This is called a water-powered waterwheel, or simply a waterwheel. Of course, our village can use it."
Two years ago, when water was brought down from the mountain, the village dug ditches, but those ditches flowed into the paddy fields. Now that there are tools for irrigating dry land, it is much more convenient to irrigate in the village, and the time saved can be used for many other things.
"People of Sui'an, I never thought it would actually work!" Lord Zou's face was covered in stubble, but he couldn't hide his excitement. "If the water flow can make farm tools run automatically, then, can we also make other tools? Lord Li, Lord Yu, and I have some other ideas. If you have time, people of Sui'an, let's sit down and have a good chat."
Cheng Wanwan chuckled: "Gentlemen, you haven't had a good rest or a good meal lately. Let's have a drink and a meal first, then get a good night's sleep. We can talk about everything tomorrow."
Lord Zou was indeed quite tired and exhausted, so he had to wash up first, then eat and drink his fill before resting.
Cheng Wanwan also had to explain to the village head about digging ditches. Paddy fields are paddy fields, and dry land is dry land. The ditches are not connected. Moreover, in order to prevent water loss, seepage prevention work had to be done before digging the ditches this time. Some details had to be explained clearly.
The visitors from the city were completely stunned. Although they weren't experts in farming, they knew how much change this thing would bring...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
