"Smack!"
Aunt Zhang was slapped to the ground by Zhu Datou.
"Aunt Zhang!" the maid exclaimed.
Zhu Datou knocked Aunt Zhang to the ground. His fat body got tired from standing for so long, so he sat down on a stool and rested his reddened palms on the table.
He glanced at Aunt Zhang, who was kneeling on the ground with tears in her eyes, and cursed, "If you dare to cry out loud, I'll rip out your tongue and feed it to the dogs."
Aunt Zhang was so frightened that she shuddered, covered her slapped face, and carefully knelt down.
After a moment, she said in a soft voice, "My lord, what have I done wrong? Why are you punishing me like this?"
Speaking of this, Zhu Datou got angry and pointed at Aunt Zhang's nose, cursing, "It's all your good brother's fault! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have known that I would declare myself king in Heshun Prefecture!"
"The news is spreading everywhere. If the higher-ups find out, I'll be accused of treason, and the entire household will be executed without a trace!"
Aunt Zhang was terrified by Zhu Datou's ferocious appearance, but she knew that her younger brother had caused the trouble, so she could only keep a low profile and dare not say another word.
They were afraid that if Zhu Datou got angry, he would kill Zhang Shiqiang with a knife.
Zhu Datou came here specifically to see Zhang Shiqiang. He was in a bad mood, so how could he let go of the younger brother of a concubine?
If he doesn't teach them a lesson, anyone will dare to act based on his name, and that would be terrible.
Zhu Datou instructed his servant, "Go and fetch my aunt's younger brother. Hurry up."
"yes!"
The servant obeyed and left.
Aunt Zhang was sweating profusely. She knew Zhu Datou's temper best; he was definitely not a kind person.
Bringing her brother here is definitely not a good thing.
Pleading for mercy now might offer some leeway, but if Zhu Datou gets angry, there's no chance of recovery.
So she gave a wink to the maid beside her, who immediately understood and slipped away while Zhu Datou wasn't looking.
Zhang Shiqiang was thrown into the house and fell to the ground with a thud. Every part of his body ached, and his bones felt like they were broken.
When he looked up, he saw Zhu Datou with a stern face, looking down at him.
He started trembling as he recalled what he had said on the street a few days earlier.
In the past few days, he had come to realize the seriousness of the matter and hid in the magistrate's mansion, not daring to step out of the door for fear of being recognized.
Do you remember what you said to someone on the street a few days ago?
Zhu Datou's voice was deep and menacing, sounding like a demon to Zhang Shiqiang, who was so frightened that he immediately scrambled to his feet.
"Brother-in-law, I'm not making this up. Someone deliberately tried to trick me into revealing information. I never imagined it would cause such a huge disaster!"
Zhang Shiqiang cried with snot and tears streaming down his face, and tried to hug Zhu Datou's leg.
"Get lost!" Just as he was about to get close to Zhu Datou's leg, Zhu Datou kicked him to the ground.
Zhu Datou was too lazy to talk to this good-for-nothing, and said, "You want to arrest people and put them in jail? Then I'll grant your wish!"
With that, Zhu Datou ordered, "Lock him in jail. No one is allowed to visit him without my order!"
As Zhang Shiqiang was being pulled down, he kept calling for help.
"Sister, save me!"
"Brother-in-law, I was wrong!"
"I don't want to be locked up in jail!"
Zhang Shiqiang screamed his heart out, but Aunt Zhang lowered her head and dared not plead for him.
Zhu Datou looked at Aunt Zhang and thought that this woman was sensible and hadn't angered him again. If it weren't for her pretty face, he would have punished her as well.
Anyone who dares to cause him trouble will probably find life unbearable!
"Sir, have some tea!"
A melodious voice rang out, and Zhu Datou looked up at the woman in front of him.
Then, glancing at Aunt Zhang kneeling on the ground, he said, "It's rare for you to be so sensible. You may all leave."
After saying that, she wrapped her two big pig trotters around her slender waist.
Aunt Zhang covered her face and left her room, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes.
...
Twenty days later, the fruit trees on the hillside of Tianshui Village were almost planted.
Under Miao Dajiang's guidance, the villagers also built the reservoir.
The porcelain pipes that Lu Qiqi had ordered from Tianlang Escort Agency were also delivered back, and now that the pipes are connected, the project is complete.
That day, Lu Qiqi directed the villagers to dig several holes to bring out the mountain spring water.
This way, you can connect several ceramic pipes and open them all at once, which will also make water fill up faster.
Miao Dajiang was overjoyed as he held the porcelain tube; it was the first time he had ever seen something so novel.
Watching Lu Qiqi's demonstration, all you have to do is put this pipe into the hole, then seal the gaps around it with lime, and then unscrew the cap at one end of the pipe, and the spring water will flow into the reservoir through the pipe.
If the reservoir is full, you can screw the lid back on to block the water flow.
It fits perfectly, not a single drop of water will leak out!
This is so much better than simply plugging the bottle opening with a cork!
“Actually, it would be better to make this with iron,” Lu Qiqi said.
Miao Dajiang, however, disagreed, saying that it was already quite impressive to be able to make something like this out of porcelain.
If it's made of iron, you have to go through procedures and get it stamped; without connections, it might take six months to get your hands on it.
Porcelain pipes are actually more convenient.
With the hillside reservoir solved, Lu Qiqi then instructed Miao Dajiang to build a fertilizer pond next to the reservoir, which would make fertilization more convenient.
Miao Dajiang patted his chest and assured Lu Qiqi that there would be no problem.
Lu Qiqi wandered around on the hillside for a while, and then soon came down the mountain.
Now, thanks to Lu Da and his men, much of the narrow passage has been carved out, and the road is becoming wider and wider. It is no longer a place that people would hesitate to enter, like the Gates of Hell.
Lu Qiqi rode her horse all the way to Tianxin Village. When she reached the village entrance, Li Changlong called her to stop.
"Qiqi, Brother Lu said the lime is ready and wants you to come and take a look."
"knew!"
After saying that, she tightened the reins and spurred her horse toward the pottery kiln.
Lu Qiqi dismounted, and Zhou Yi took the reins from her and tied the horse up.
Lu Qiqi went straight to the pottery kiln to find Lu Da.
At the entrance of the earthenware kiln, many villagers stood, gathered in layers.
"The village head has arrived."
Someone shouted, and the villagers all turned around and turned their eyes to Lu Qiqi.
Lu Qiqi walked to Lu Da's side, looked at the kiln opening, and asked, "Has it cooled down?"
"Yes, we're waiting for you to call for the kiln to be opened."
Lu Qiqi curled her lips into a smile, her thin lips moving slightly, "Open!"
The villagers had been waiting for her to say those words; they had worked so hard for so long.
First, the rocks were transported back from the narrow pass; second, the rocks were broken into fist-sized pieces.
The most important and most nerve-wracking part was that they burned firewood for five days and five nights without stopping, and they didn't even know how much firewood they had used before they heard Lu Da call for a halt.
Now that the kiln is about to be opened, the villagers are naturally working quickly.
Three villagers, carrying bricklaying tools, walked to the kiln entrance and began to break down the bricks that were blocking the entrance.
The thumping sound continued, and the villagers' heartbeats quickened, their tension escalating.
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