Chapter 60 Getting Rich and Building Roads
Olivia checked the specific situation at the city gate and found that the students of the monastery were on vacation, and they went out together to the town to buy things early in the morning.
For some unknown reason, Gauss was taken back to the monastery. Judging from the icon, it was Lainie who did it.
Who did this little sister learn to pick up people from the roadside? It's very dangerous!
However, after being brought back to the monastery, the nuns there seemed to be able to cure this old lady.
This made Olivia less anxious, as this person would not disappear for a while.
She calmed down and began to check her experience points. After adding one hundred and thirty experience points, her current experience points were very close to five hundred.
Olivia refreshed the main quest and dungeon taskbars.
The first thing that pops up is the main quest.
"To get rich, build roads first"
Mission description: Build a road of 200 meters in total for the territory, which can accommodate two cars running in parallel at the same time.
Mission Reward: +25 Experience Points
The dungeon quests have also been updated.
Cumulative production
Mission Description: The workshops in the territory have produced a total of one thousand pieces of pottery.
Mission Reward: +25 Experience Points
+＊1《Youxue Qionglin》
These two tasks are full of the smell of liver.
However, you only need to complete these two tasks to unlock the mysterious seed worth 500 experience points.
Olivia dozed off peacefully, and it was not until noon that Graya came to call her.
Graya knocked on the door, looked around the room, and then went to the bedroom to knock on the door. When she heard an immediate response, she went in and pulled up the bed curtain.
My wife was still sleeping on the pillow like a cat. It was two hours after breakfast and she didn't seem to be hungry at all.
"Ma'am, someone's coming downstairs. It's a timber merchant named Pant. He said he saw you at a Chamber of Commerce gathering before, and he wants to rent our land."
Olivia slowed down, rubbed her eyes and opened them.
"It's him. Let him sit outside in the living room. Have someone keep an eye on him and don't let him move around. Let him hang out for a while. I'll eat first and then go downstairs."
Graya was puzzled when she heard this. The lady had never treated anyone like this before. She also wondered if the timber merchant had offended the lady.
She responded, went to pour water for washing her face, and gave a few instructions to the servant outside the house.
Afterwards, Olivia slowly got up, changed her clothes, washed her face, combed her hair, and then slowly ate two steamed buns with mushroom and braised pork filling in the living room outside, drank a large bowl of wontons, and then slowly went downstairs.
In the living room of the south wing, Pant sat on a hard, high-backed chair. When he looked up, he saw two middle-aged servants with sharp eyes waiting on the left and right of the door. He did not dare to act rashly and reveal any flaws.
However, he still glanced around here. This house had just been built. Although the furnishings were nice, there were no conspicuous valuables. It was similar to other knights' homes.
Pant knew that the money was quite a lot, but it looked like the family didn't know about it, otherwise they wouldn't have only built a few houses.
After waiting for a long time, his legs were numb from sitting. He was just about to urge her to come when Mrs. Helions finally arrived, just like the other knights' wives.
"Madam, do you remember me? My name is Pant. I met you last time. Today I'm here to rent some land."
Olivia nodded and asked Graya to call the housekeeper.
"Okay, I'll stick with the conditions I mentioned last time. If you agree, go with the housekeeper to measure the land, pay the money, and write the paperwork."
Pant nodded, and then followed the butler outside impatiently.
Seeing that the price offered by the timber merchant was not bad, the housekeeper planned to take him to the deep forest where the trees were very old to measure the land.
The forests near the river bank are all species with little economic value.
The trees that can be used to build ships and make high-end furniture are all in the heart of the forest.
But Pant shook his head and asked about the forest near Toksun Manor.
The housekeeper didn't know what this man was thinking, so he could only take him to see it.
Finally, Pant and the housekeeper took people walking in the woods for a while before deciding to rent fifty acres of woods next to the village of Toksun Manor.
Pant's reason was that it would be convenient for transportation if it was close to here.
The housekeeper shrugged his shoulders, thinking that this man was also stupid. How could these fifty acres of woods be as good as the deep forest?
He didn't say anything. He went to the town with Pant to get money. When he came back, he wrote a document and gave it to Olivia to sign. Then he asked the errand boy from the manor to mark the forest with hemp rope.
And informed the villagers of Toksun Manor that they could no longer pick branches there.
When the process was almost over, the butler was holding the 200 gold coins after tax. Although he didn't know what the lady had agreed on, he was happy.
The housekeeper asked her how she planned to store it, whether she wanted to do business or something else.
In the north wing living room, Olivia was lying on a custom-made tatami, resting her head on a wool pillow, and combing the cat's hair comfortably.
She thought for a moment and said:
"First, take fifty gold coins and ask my uncle to help me buy a warehouse of wool. Then I'll give it to the workshop to weave the cloth.
Take another hundred gold coins, exchange them for some easy-to-carry jewels and bring them back. Keep the remaining fifty coins safe and use them for your expenses."
"The roads in the manor should be repaired," she added.
The housekeeper listened and nodded. The weather has been hot recently, and it is the wool harvest season. The price of wool is good, and the wool can be brought back to weave cloth and sold in autumn and winter.
Gold coins can be exchanged for gem jewelry, which is convenient to carry. In case of any emergency, you can just grab them and run away. As long as you go to any town, you can cash them in and the loss will not be too big.
The last fifty gold coins are enough to cover the living expenses of the manor for one or two years.
The housekeeper then asked the lady which road she wanted to build.
Olivia also opened the map and took a quick look at where to get 200 meters, then slowly said:
"From the manor gate, past the mill and the church, then widening the bridge, around the lakeshore, all the way to the small square in the residential area."
This section of road is more than a mile long. Going further ahead is the gathering area of villagers. There are densely populated houses there. If we widen the road there, it will probably be demolished. Therefore, we can only build it to that extent for now.
This time, we will build a section first, and then slowly move forward, passing through the middle of the residential area, all the way to the hillside, and then to the official road on the river bank, and then extending to the Toksun Manor.
The section currently under construction is the busiest road for the residents of the manor. They go to the mill to grind flour, to the river to fetch water, and to the church to pray.
This road is currently very bumpy, and when it rains, there are ditches everywhere. The carts and horses that go back and forth in the manor have stepped on the potholes, and from time to time they get stuck in them, requiring people to push barefoot from behind.
To widen the road, first level it with sand, collect some gravel to pave the road, and then use large stones along the roadside as the roadbed.
"Now that the road is being repaired, go talk to the miller and give him some money to enlarge the threshing ground behind his house and repair the wall."
After listening to Olivia's instructions, the butler did them one by one.
It was almost dinner time. Olivia waited for a long time before there was any movement at the monastery.
Lainie called a runner outside and brought Gaussley Watt to her manor.
After a while, the errand boy from the monastery introduced himself outside the manor gate and said that he was sent by Leni.
Graya let the people in and saw a boy following them outside, so she asked them what they did.
"Well, his name is Gosley, and he says he's a relative of Letillon. He's come to Ravosen to stay with his family. His mother is ill and is being treated in a convent, where she's just been settled.
Miss Lainie thought that I should bring him to see the lady."
After hearing this, Graya took it back to the house and told it to Olivia.
Olivia was already having dinner with Caesar. She nodded, her expression normal.
"Call the man in and I'll ask him."
After she said that, Greya went out and called Gosri into the house.
Olivia was sitting in the big dining room when Gao Sili walked in slowly from outside. He was a good-looking young man wearing a clean robe and his boots were stained with dust. He didn't seem nervous and behaved in a generous manner.
When he met Olivia and Caesar, he first greeted the adults and the lady, and then told them about his own affairs.
“…My father passed away a month ago, so I brought my mother to the north to start a business.
I heard that my distant cousin was living with his sister-in-law in Lavosen, so I came here to seek refuge, hoping to ask my cousin for some advice.
However, I haven't communicated with my cousin's family for a long time, and I don't know where he lives.
Unexpectedly, my mother fell ill on the way and couldn't enter the city. Fortunately, the monastery took her in.
I heard that the Lord and the Madam are familiar with my cousin. Could you please pass on a message for me?"
After saying that, he took out a purse from his clothes, handed it to Graya beside him, and said:
"Madam, please send someone to run this."
Olivia nodded and asked Graya to take the things.
"Go to the city yourself and find Letilen and ask him to come."
After Graya left, Caesar asked the child with curiosity and respect.
"Watt, what kind of relationship are you and Letilen?"
Caesar thought that the kids nowadays were pretty brave. They were brave enough to leave their old mothers and come to the border town to make a living.
This is also what Olivia is curious about. Could it be that these high-ranking stars also appeared in a way of nepotism?
Gao Sili explained: "My cousin's mother is my distant cousin."
He went on to say that he came to see his cousin because he had a good relationship with him in the past and knew that his cousin was experienced in the north.
After listening to him, Olivia asked him to sit at the dining table, asked Vansh to add tableware and food, and invited him to eat together.
"Now that you're here in Lavossen, what are your plans for the future?"
Gao Sili said, "My family used to sell iron ore, but my father lost all his money in a lawsuit, so he gave up. I have some skills as a blacksmith, so I want to open a shop in La Watson."
After hearing this, Caesar looked the child up and down and asked doubtfully:
"Can you be a blacksmith? Can you make farm tools?"
Gao Sili shook his head: "I don't make farm tools, but I can make locks and buckles, and I can forge swords and arrowheads."
He thought for a moment and then added, "I can also make a water pump, a bow, and a loom."
Olivia wiped her mouth with her handkerchief.
"You know all these things?"
Gao Sili knew that this lady might be a big customer, so he took the trouble to promote it to her. He always made this thing for fun when his family was well-off.
Olivia nodded: "It's okay to be able to make these things. Since you are a relative of Letilen, we can take care of your business in the future."
As she spoke, she changed the subject: "However, if you can really do these jobs, why not come to my manor and be the steward."
Olivia explained, “There are also many workshops in my village that specialize in making goods for the manor. Now, two children younger than you are running errands, helping to deliver some cloth, pottery, smoked fish and other things to Letilen.
If you are willing to come to my place, I will let you work with them as a manager. Their salaries are not paid by me, but earned by themselves."
Olivia told Gosley about the working conditions of Adam and Ethan.
They supervised the workshop's production, helped the factory improve its technology, provided raw materials, paid affordable labor fees for the workshop's production, and then sold the goods to the Letilen family's shop in town.
They each get 10% of any profit as wages. The better the business, the more money they make.
After hearing this, Gao Sili felt a little shaken. Being the manager of the manor and helping the manor with business was like leaning on a big tree for shade. He didn't have to worry about no one buying into his newcomer. Besides, it seemed that his cousin had a good relationship with this family and would not bully others.
However, he still wanted to hear his cousin's opinion.
"Thank you for your kindness, madam. My mother is still in the monastery for treatment. I have to ask my cousin to help settle her before I can make a decision."
Olivia thought for a moment and then said:
“As for healing, the priest in my manor is also good at it. He can even fix a broken leg.
If the monastery can't cure it, you can bring your mother here and try."
"If you decide to work for me, I'll give you and your mother some land and transfer your household registration to the manor."
Olivia's true intentions began to show, but her expression remained warm.
The treatment offered was so good that Caesar, Gauss, and even the servants who came and went serving food thought that it was done for Letilen's sake.
Gao Sili responded twice.
Not long after the meal, Letilen came in person.
As soon as he saw Gao Sili, he hugged him left and right, asked him about his health and how his cousin's husband died.
Ever since Letilen married Lavosen's wife and came to help his father-in-law manage the business, he rarely went to the south.
At this moment, he was as happy as a daughter-in-law who had married far away to see her family, and he praised his cousin to Olivia.
"Gosri is my smartest brother and has been dexterous since he was a child."
When Gaosili told him about his mother's situation, Letilan waved his hand.
"That's nothing, I'll take care of it..."
Olivia interrupted Letilen at the right time and told him her intention. She wanted the child to come to the manor to work, move his household registration to the manor, become her self-employed farmer, and build a house on a piece of land to live in. It would be better than wandering around.
When Letilan heard this, he also thought that Olivia wanted to take care of him.
"How can this be so embarrassing..."
Letilen glanced at his cousin and said:
"Since Madam is willing to keep you as a steward in this manor, you can try it out here. If you are not competent, you can come back to me."
The whole of Lavosen knew that once the river froze again, the Northern Expedition would begin, and Lord Caesar and old Renault would follow the Baron.
Letilen always heard from his father-in-law that the lady in front of him was favored by the Baroness, was young and capable, and would probably have to handle food and supplies for a while. By then, would there be a better future for her than these?
Gao Sili was relieved. He trusted his cousin's character. Since his cousin said so, staying and doing business for the manor would definitely be a good way out.
So, Gosley agreed and took Letilan to the monastery.
Olivia sent the people away before returning to the house and asking the servant to close the door.
As soon as she entered the house, she saw Ethan and Adam hiding in the corner and peeking, so she waved to call the two little brats out.
"Madam, that guy just now, will he work with us from now on?"
"Why, you two are unhappy?"
Adam and Ethan waved their hands.
"No, no, how can I complain about having someone to help me?"
The two of them were just inexplicably curious about Gao Sili. When they were eavesdropping, they heard him introduce himself and talk about so many of his abilities, and they were quite interested in him.
Adam's attitude was very smooth. No matter how many more people came, they could not match him. Without him, they had a legitimate family background and several generations of people had worked on the manor.
Ethan was a little nervous. He didn't know whether the newcomer was easy to get along with, whether he could do the job well, and he was also a relative, although they were also relatives.
However, since it is the lady's decision, even God cannot change it.
A day later, Gao Sili asked his cousin to help take care of his mother, and then he moved into the manor with his luggage, sleeping in the same dormitory with Adam and Ethan.
Olivia instructed the "Construction" trio to get along well with each other in the future and to come to him if they had any problems.
Gao Sili was given some funds to purchase materials and place orders with the village blacksmiths and carpenters to make a batch of simple tools, which he would then sell in town.
The other two were relieved to see that Gao Sili had his own responsibilities and would not interfere with the projects they were working on.
He was kind enough to help Gao Sili carry his suitcase, pulled him into the dormitory, asked him questions, helped him make his bed, and gave him a set of cups and basins.
As for Gao Sili, he was a good-tempered person and got along well with Adam and Ethan. He even took out his food to share with the two of them.
Adam learned about Gaosili's family background and patted his shoulder with some emotion.
"It's really not easy for you."
Ethan also nodded: “But it’s okay now, work hard in the manor, and you will naturally make money in the future.
This month, Adam and I went out to sell pottery, and we made a profit of fifty silver coins for the manor, so each of us got five silver coins!"
Now, Letilen has raised the price of the pottery he collected from Olivia's estate to nearly two kor.
However, the manor only produces a few hundred per month, which is still far from meeting the demand.
Many people in the town have placed orders three months in advance, which means the price can still go up.
As the profit margin grew, Adam and Ethan also increased the workshop's labor costs, refined the process, and conducted more variable experiments.
Now, the average net profit per piece of pottery is seven suris.
Upon hearing this, Gao Lisi was very interested. "Can you take me to the kiln to have a look later?"
"Of course, no problem. If you can make the kiln produce better vessels, maybe Madam will give you a 10% share of the kiln's profits."
So, after packing his luggage, Gosley immediately followed Adam and Ethan to the outskirts of the manor where the self-employed farmers lived.
He was walking along a country road, but he saw that the nearby farmhouses were all covered with sheds and surrounded by walls. There were shadowy figures inside, and it was very lively.
There are even people who cook porridge and sell it at the small road intersection between these self-cultivating farmers.
I found out after asking Adam.
Originally, this marginal area was all land owned by self-cultivating farmers, but now most of them work in several workshops here.
There were only three workshops at the beginning, but many self-employed farmers became jealous and also started doing business.
While Antona was fishing, they went to collect mountain products, ask the lady for investment, make jam, dry mushrooms, pickle vegetables, and then sell them to the manor at a low price.
In addition, the pottery workshops and weaving workshops have expanded in scale, and even the self-employed farmers from Toksun Manor have come to work.
They had no time to go home for dinner, so some farmers started setting up stalls to sell porridge. One suri could eat two bowls.
“This one spins cloth, this one fishes, this one collects mountain products, and that one makes pottery for us.
Now that Madam won't allow us to expand our pottery production, we can only work hard on improving the quality to make more money."
As they spoke, the construction trio came into the pottery workshop.
…
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