When Meng Zhao returned from the county, before he could even sit down and rest, he rushed to the starch workshop.
As soon as I arrived outside the ancestral hall, I could hear a commotion inside.
"Village head, these are my two water vats. I've brought them over."
"Village head, is it alright to put this millstone here?"
"Village head, my cart was recently modified; it can hold a lot now. Please take a look."
When Meng Zhao came in, the village head breathed a sigh of relief. He had only collected some items from the village according to the list Meng Zhao had made, and he had no idea how to arrange or use these items.
The courtyard, which had been noisy just moments before, became much quieter upon seeing Meng Zhao enter.
She was especially surprised to see the village head, who had just looked like he had a headache, suddenly become like a pillar of support as soon as she arrived.
Meng Zhao first walked around the courtyard to get a feel for the position of the light.
Starch needs to be dried in the sun. If the light is not good, it will easily stick together, and the drying time will be longer, which will affect the efficiency.
Fortunately, the ancestral hall has a large open space. Since the courtyard walls in rural areas are generally low, they don't affect the light too much. We can build a few tiered bamboo racks to dry the clothes in layers, which will save more space.
Then there were the tools collected by the village head, the most eye-catching of which were two stone mills and three stone rollers in the courtyard.
The use of a stone mill and a stone roller is similar, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
Stone mills mainly rely on the gravity of the rolling mill to crush potatoes into pulp. As long as the stone mill is large enough, potatoes cut into large pieces can also be crushed. Moreover, a lot can be crushed at once, making it more efficient. The disadvantage is that the crushed potatoes are not fine enough, resulting in a low starch yield.
Stone mills mainly rely on the friction between two grinding discs to grind potatoes into a very fine paste, resulting in a high starch yield. However, the disadvantage is that the potatoes must be cut into small pieces before they can be put into the grinding hole, and they can only be added little by little. If too many pieces are added, the mill will become too difficult to grind, making it relatively inefficient.
However, Meng Zhao had no choice at this point and could only use whatever was available.
Then there were twenty or thirty large water vats and countless smaller jars and buckets, all arranged together, creating quite a spectacular sight.
These things were borrowed from the village head, several clan elders, and the villagers who participated in starch production. There was no other way; there were too many expenses in the early stages, so we had to save money wherever possible.
However, it was also stated in advance that when wages are paid at the end of the month, the villagers who provided the items will receive an additional usage fee.
Seeing that Meng Zhao had finished looking, the village head cleared his throat and said, "Qing'an's wife, why don't you come over and say a few words to them?"
Meng Zhao nodded, stood in front of the crowd, and looked at the people he had gathered.
They were all called over by Li Yumei today, who said that the village was going to build a workshop and asked them to come and work there.
They were in a real hurry and urged them to come over quickly. Although they still had some doubts, they couldn't lie to the village head and his family, so they quickly brought their things over.
After all, they don't have much to do in the village on weekdays, so it would be great if they could have a job to supplement their income.
"Fellow villagers, many of those who have come here today are my elders, but I still have a few words I would like to say to you all."
"As you all know, my mother and I have been selling food at the docks these days. By chance, we met a merchant who wanted to order some things from me."
"Although I have only been married into Shenjia Village for a short time, I am also a part of Shenjia Village. When I have this opportunity, I naturally think of my fellow villagers first."
"However, let me make this clear from the start: our workshop has just been set up, and this is our first order. I hope everyone will do their best. If we don't do well, not only will I lose money, but it will also be difficult for you to find another job."
"But don't worry, everyone. As long as you work hard and put your heart into it, you'll all get your wages at the end of the month."
"Also, from now on, everyone can just call me Meng Zhao."
Meng Zhao never complained about being a widow after transmigrating; on the contrary, she was secretly pleased. If she were a young girl, she would definitely face many restrictions when she went out to set up a stall and conduct business.
It's actually more comfortable for her to travel around as a widow.
However, this doesn't mean she likes being constantly called "so-and-so's wife," making it seem like she doesn't have a name.
After Meng Zhao finished speaking, everyone in the courtyard looked at her. Back then, the Shen family had put all their effort into cultivating Shen Qinghe. Even if others thought they were being unrealistic, no one dared to laugh at them to their faces, because everyone knew that only by passing the imperial examination could one rise above others and change their fate.
Later, when they heard that Shen Qinghe was very learned, the villagers became even more eager to help. They were willing to lend a hand to the Shen family whenever they encountered any problems, just because they thought that when Shen Qinghe passed the imperial examination in the future, he would remember them and receive some benefits.
After the Shen family encountered so many things, Shen Qinghe could no longer continue studying. Everyone thought the Shen family was doomed, but unexpectedly they married such a golden nugget.
Not only did they take the Shen family out to set up a stall selling boxed lunches, but now they can even get orders to build a workshop in the village. The Shen family's luck is simply off the charts.
Everyone's smart enough to see that the Shen family is well-fed and well-clothed thanks to her, so they can all tell that Meng Zhao is capable and naturally won't go against her.
"Okay, we'll definitely do our best."
"Yes, Meng Zhao and the village head are all family. Working for you is much more comfortable than working for the landlord."
Seeing that everyone's emotions were stirred up, the starch workshop was officially opened.
The village head said, "Meng Zhao, these are 300 jin of potatoes that I collected from the village. You can use them for now. It's getting late today, so I'll go to Xiahe Village nearby and try to collect more to avoid delays tomorrow."
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, village head."
There were only four carts in the courtyard, and one had to be reserved for Meng Zhao and his group. The village headman called out several names.
"Gu Yun, Shen Dazhuang, Li San'er, the three of you each pull a cart and follow me. Xu Ping, you come with me too."
The village head led a few people and left the village.
Meng Zhao first arranged for the remaining people to place the items in their corresponding positions, and then used a cart to pull the three hundred catties of potatoes to the riverbank.
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