The next day.
Mingjingtang successfully made ice according to the ice-making recipe provided by Wu Niang.
The uncles and aunts stared at the water in the basin in surprise as it slowly solidified into ice. Everyone showed surprise, but also a hint of barely perceptible relief.
Now that there is an endless supply of ice, the summer in the dock won’t be too difficult.
The weather is getting hotter now.
The ice-making recipe appeared at the right time. I don’t know where Wu Niang got it from. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I really wouldn’t believe that there was a method of making ice that was as magical as casting a spell.
It's really amazing.
Wei Mingze said, "But Wu Niang said that the ice made from the recipe cannot be eaten. I thought about it and decided to keep the ice in the ice cellar for consumption and use the ice we make to cool the house."
In addition to the ice blocks cut from the ground in winter, the ice cellar also contains a lot of ice frozen from well water, which was originally intended to be eaten in the summer.
Now there is a method to make ice, so those ice cubes don’t need to be moved at all. If you want to indulge in a bowl of iced sour plum soup in the summer, they have enough ice.
You can also distribute this as a reward for work.
The uncles nodded repeatedly, expressing their approval.
Cheng Qing, who had previously led guards outside to look for raw materials, discovered a large amount of saltpeter mines on the mountain wall.
The two gentlemen knew about this matter and were researching the refining method in Shilin Village, and they did not hide it from Mingjingtang.
Today.
Many members of the clan received ice cubes distributed by Mingjingtang, almost every household received one. The recipe was not made public, and the clan members couldn't help but feel worried when they saw Mingjingtang distributing ice cubes.
I guess the ice has run out by now.
What about the days ahead?
You know, many people have participated in the excavation of ice cellars and are well aware of the amount of ice stored in the tribe. In addition, the hot weather will melt most of the ice, so it will not be enough if it is wasted like this.
Unexpectedly, the people from Mingjingtang only said, "Don't worry, the clan has enough ice to use now." Looking at their generous appearance, it seemed as if the ice was inexhaustible...
The person distributing the ice cubes also repeatedly reminded us, "The water after the ice melts cannot be consumed. After it melts, you can bring the water to Mingjing Hall to replace the ice."
Drought is emerging and water resources are becoming increasingly scarce.
The water levels in the tribe's wells were dropping rapidly, and they were worried that some members would drink the water to save money. However, Wu Niang's prescription stated that the water was poisonous and must not be drunk.
Although every household made preparations in advance, almost all the water containers in the house were used to store water.
But the population of the fortress grew too fast, and the water stored in the tribe was not enough for so many people.
Carpenters have recently been making a large number of wooden barrels and basins, mainly for people outside so that they can store water on their own.
Of course, it is not free, but is exchanged for meals. The wooden barrel requires three days of meals, and the wooden basin requires two days.
There are discounts for exchanging more. One bamboo card can be exchanged for two wooden barrels or three wooden basins.
Seeing the Wei clan's frantic attempt to hoard water and the increasingly hot summer, many people knew that water would be in short supply in the future, so they gritted their teeth and took bamboo signs to the carpenter to buy water.
Some brave people who did not earn any extra food asked for leave from Mingjingtang and went to the nearby ruined villages to search for some useful supplies.
After noon.
Wei Mingze came to the old house with the booklet.
Regarding the allocation of houses outside, all the houses within the wall have been built, but the allocation has not yet been carried out.
Mingjingtang has actually divided up the houses, and they came here mainly to show them to the clan leader... Wu Niang.
"Headmaster, there are a total of 3,600 mud houses, all of the same size and specifications. Each mud house has two side rooms and a main hall."
"My nephews mean that the land will be allocated based on the number of people in each household. Households with more than five people will be allocated a separate mud house, while households with fewer than five people will only be allocated one room. Households with two or one person will each be allocated a mud house."
This means that there can be a maximum of two families in one mud house. A family with more than five people can live in a mud house alone, while a family with less than five people has to share a house with other households.
The same applies to single-person households.
This distribution method is simple and crude. Although it is unfair to some people, it can quickly settle the residents within the walled area.
The side rooms of the earthen house are not small. A family of three to four people can divide the inner room into two halves and hang bamboo curtains to use the side rooms in two.
Since the current conditions are not sufficient, Mingjingtang naturally aims to repair the house as quickly as possible, leaving the details to the people themselves.
Wei Mingze thought for a moment and added, "As for the people who are out transporting grain or mining and haven't returned yet, Mingjing Hall has reserved some empty houses for them. We'll redistribute them when they return. If there are two families that aren't getting along, they can also come to Mingjing Hall to exchange land."
This shows that Mirror Hall has taken all aspects into consideration.
Wei Ji sat on the couch with his eyes half closed, motionless.
Wei Xiyin noticed her grandfather's attitude, lowered her eyelids, thought for a moment, and asked, "May I ask, Seventh Uncle, how many people are there in the fort now?"
Wei Mingze, who was in charge of household registration, didn't even bother looking through the booklet before replying, "Thirteen thousand, eight hundred and four people, 2,700 of whom are already serving as soldiers. The public kitchen outside the wall is already in use, and the public kitchen in Ling County is also being built."
Wei Xiyin almost fell off the couch when she heard this. She couldn't help but gasp, "Why are there so many!"
I've only been back for one day and haven't had time to visit the camp.
I remember that before we left, the number of people was less than 10,000.
"Wu Niang doesn't know this," Wei Mingze said with a smile. "Captain Yuan did a lot of good work. The Zhongshan army found many survivors. And as the monster army left Qinghe County, some of the people who had been hiding well became aware of the situation and fled to the fortress."
After all, humans are social animals, and those who have survived to this day are all somewhat clever.
Wu Niang took her troops out several times, leaving traces along the way. Many people found that there were fewer monsters, so they followed the traces on the road to find their way over.
At present, the border walls of various places in Ling County are being built at a rapid pace. Many people are seen working hard, and the surrounding area is full of vitality.
The common people who fled here were deeply moved and cried out in grief, choking with sobs.
Wei Xiyin: “…” She felt both happy and worried at the same time.
The good news is that as the scale gradually expands, she is getting closer to her goal of moving out of Yizhou.
What worries me is how long the fort can support so many people?
Wei Mingze didn't pay attention to her expression. Thinking that Wu Niang was often not at home and might not know about her recent arrangements, he picked out some important things to tell her.
"The renovation of the county town and the construction of the wall are being carried out simultaneously. Your uncle Jiu and cousin Ting are now stationed in the county town with their men and have not returned for several days..."
Considering that a lot of people would be needed to work there after it was built, Mingjingtang simply built a public kitchen in the county town to save everyone from running back and forth for meals.
Another thing.
Because the fort cannot be expanded, the camps on both sides were originally built according to the number of 2,000 private troops supported by the patriarch. The current number of people has exceeded the capacity.
I thought that Ling County would also need troops stationed there in the future.
Therefore, Wei Mingkuan's first step in planning the county town was to set up a military camp on each side of the city gate of Ling County to accommodate his troops.
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