As for this painting, County Magistrate Zhuang stood there admiring it for quite a while before having it put away.
At the same time, he looked at Peng Lang with a look of relief.
Look, the painting is so good, so vivid.
Peng Lang admitted that he was a little surprised at first, but he got used to it after watching it for a long time.
Even later on I felt somewhat calm.
As long as I am not shocked, then it is others who are shocked!
Turning his gaze away from the painting, Peng Lang said to County Magistrate Zhuang, "I'm going back to Langyun today."
County Magistrate Zhuang was slightly taken aback and quickly asked, "Is the immortal returning to the fairyland? Is there something we have done wrong?"
Peng Lang shook his head.
Actually, the purpose of his coming here was to complete his rescue mission. Now that the mission is completed and the points are obtained, he can be said to have returned with a full load.
But County Magistrate Zhuang pondered for a long time.
When Peng Lang set off, he asked someone to take a whole cart of things and transport them along.
When this cart of goods was sent to Langyun, it took eighteen Fenghe County guards to carry it up the mountain.
As a result, after we went up the mountain, we bumped into another group of people.
The people coming from the other side were obviously Zhou people, no matter how they were dressed.
The leader over there also paused and stared at them. For a moment, no one spoke.
It was Shao Zhu, who came out of the school to pick someone up, who spoke first: "Where are you all from?"
The people from Fenghe County hurriedly said, "We are here on the orders of the Zhuang County Magistrate to thank the immortal for saving our lives."
The other side was not to be outdone: "We are the guards of Dechang County in the Great Zhou Dynasty. County Magistrate Yue is grateful for the immortal's kindness and has specially sent us here to present a gift."
Shao Zhu asked, "How are things over there?"
Everyone in Dechang County was excited. "The fairy potatoes have already started being planted on a large scale. They've even sprouted seedlings now, and they're growing well. We should be able to harvest them before winter."
Shao Zhu nodded, but didn't ask any more questions. He just accepted the things and turned to walk into the school gate. Peng Lang followed him in.
As for the guards from both sides, the students from Qi and the imperial doctors from Zhou naturally invited them to their respective dormitories for questioning.
Among them was Pei Zhongwen.
Ever since Pei Erlang learned about the earthquake in Fenghe County, he left Jiangyi County and went to the dormitory outside Langyun to wait for news.
Because he knew that the reason why County Magistrate Zhuang went to Jiangyi County to ask for help was actually because Jiangyi County was a border county of Qi State and had enough soldiers. In addition, it was far away and was not affected too much, so he came to ask for help.
But the county magistrates on both sides were very clear about the boundaries.
After Li Wei returned, County Magistrate Duan no longer interfered in the internal affairs of Fenghe County.
County Magistrate Zhuang also wrote a letter of thanks in his own hand and reported to the King of Qi to commend County Magistrate Duan for his contribution.
This means that the matter has come to an end, and Jiang Yijun will naturally no longer go to Fenghe County to inquire about other people's news.
But Pei Zhongwen was very concerned about the situation over there.
In name, Pei Jia Erlang is the governor of Jiangyi County, but in reality his mission has always been related to Langyun.
Now, Fenghe County can seek help from the immortals, but in order to prevent the victims from rioting and to guard against the bandits outside taking the opportunity to cause trouble, County Magistrate Zhuang closed the county city early, so that Pei Zhongwen had no way of knowing what was happening inside.
So he simply moved to a dormitory outside Langyun, and sure enough, he received the news.
After asking in detail, Pei Zhongwen fell silent when he heard that all the buried people had been found.
Fu Yun, who was sitting nearby, also widened her eyes slightly: "Have you really found them all?"
"Sir, that's true. Although it's not completely unscathed, it's much better than expected."
Gongzi Yun couldn't help but look at Pei Zhongwen, then raised his hand.
The guards from Fenghe County left tactfully.
Fu Yun then said, "Master Pei, it looks like the haze over Fenghe County has gradually dissipated."
But Pei Zhongwen shook his head slightly: "Although my life is safe, if I want to prevent chaos in the county, I am afraid there is still a lot to do."
Fu Jun thought for a moment and said softly, "You're right."
After the disaster, things happened one after another.
Some things can be prevented, but people's hearts are often difficult to win over.
Especially when homes were destroyed overnight, it was difficult for anyone to adjust their mindset easily.
Pei Zhongwen continued, "We must do our best and leave the rest to fate."
At this time, in the student union meeting room, Shao Zhu asked after entering the room, "What did Fenghe County send?"
Peng Lang replied, "Thank you."
Shao Zhu raised his eyebrows slightly: "I saw that their house had collapsed before, and they hadn't had time to clean up the things inside."
Peng Lang patted the box. "Inside are all the books that County Magistrate Zhuang has collected over the years. They're all very complete, and there are quite a few rare copies among them. I thought they might be useful, so I didn't refuse and asked them to transport them all over."
Upon hearing this, Shao Zhu immediately asked someone to find someone from the School of Literature.
The operation process is the same as last time. First, classify them into categories, then assign serial numbers, and finally assign them to different majors.
Shao Zhu did not intervene too much. He just walked back to the table and looked down at the picture on it.
Peng Lang followed and saw that there was not only a map of Fenghe County, but also architectural drawings, planning drawings, and various charts that he could not understand.
This made Peng Lang wonder, "Are you planning to build Fenghe County like this?"
Shao Zhu nodded and pointed on the map. "Ten main roads will be rebuilt, the area can be redivided, and fifty houses will be built. The design and building structure will ensure earthquake resistance. Of course, the choice of building materials will also need to be slightly different. I hope they can get the kiln ready as soon as possible."
Peng Lang was not familiar with these things and did not understand them at all, so he did not express any opinion.
He simply looked at the concept drawing of the house and said softly, "It looks a little different from the houses the indigenous people are familiar with."
Shao Zhu shrugged. "When rebuilding after an earthquake, the first thing to consider is earthquake resistance, and it has to be completed as quickly as possible. This is already the best option."
“Will they accept it?”
"If you don't accept it, then I'll find another place."
Peng Lang was slightly stunned: "What?"
Shao Zhu smiled and took out his phone, clicking on the tasks on it. "When the system issued tasks before, there were distinctions: epidemic prevention, exploration, and rescue. These are all time-limited tasks, which are related to Fenghe County, but the latter tasks don't specify the location."
Peng Lang quickly understood what the other party meant.
The construction tasks undertaken by the Department of Architecture are what Fenghe County needs now, but for Shao Zhu, they only need to ensure that the tasks are completed. As for whether they are built in Fenghe County, the system does not have any constraints.
So Shao Zhu was very calm. While packing up the blueprints, he said, "Let's go and check out the situation while it's still daylight."
When he arrived in Fenghe County, Peng Lang discovered that County Magistrate Zhuang's ability to accept was much stronger than he had expected.
He accepted Shao Zhu's overall plan without much hesitation.
And in a very short time, enough people were recruited to participate in the construction.
This surprised Peng Lang a little, but when he saw the notebook filled with notes written by County Magistrate Zhuang, he understood. Perhaps Langyun's teacher had already made him understand the benefits of "work-for-relief" and had fully carried out persuasion and education work, which improved his understanding, helped him recognize the reality, and began to look forward to the future with great enthusiasm.
His method of implementation is also very direct.
Dig a well and build a brick kiln.
Those who have the strength can knock stones, and those who don’t have the strength can help in the kitchen to cook.
Everyone has something to do and the victims are very proactive.
All they want is to have something to eat. Instead of going out to beg, it is better to stay in the county and work.
Among the many construction projects, road construction and house building currently require the most labor.
It is also the most discussed topic.
When it was time for lunch that day, the people who had taken a break went into the tents, received their meals, and then gathered in groups of three or four, eating and chatting.
Then a tall and strong man said, "Today I saw the house that we will build in the future."
The people around were stunned when they heard it: "It hasn't been built yet, where did you see it?"
He raised his chin proudly and said, "My father is an old bricklayer. He has been called to the government office these days. He saw the blueprint of the house."
The others didn't want to know what his family did, nor did they want to know the details of the conversation between father and son. They just pressed him, "Tell me, what about that house? Is it particularly special?"
The tall, sturdy man hesitated for a moment before speaking. "It's special, indeed. You could even call it unique," he gestured. "It's exceptionally square. Although it uses wooden dowels, the roof is very different. The pillars are built inside the house."
The others looked at each other in silence. Finally, one of them dared to whisper, "If the pillar is hidden inside... will it look good?"
Someone quickly retorted, “Why doesn’t it look good?”
"Can……"
"My wife's third great-uncle's distant relatives served as county guards. They've been to Fairyland, and they all say the houses there are like this. You can't see any pillars from the outside. They're even squarer than he described, as if they were carved out of a single brick."
As soon as these words were spoken, the situation immediately reversed.
This is the mentality of ordinary people. They may think an object is not good-looking, but as long as they are told that it is priceless, their aesthetic taste will immediately change.
It's not that it's bad, but that I don't deserve to appreciate it.
So everyone immediately nodded and said, "Yes, yes, what's wrong with this kind of house? It's simply great!"
Shi Mo, who was listening to this conversation, just smiled and said nothing. He quietly finished his meal and then took another portion back to his teacher.
In fact, considering Mr. Mo's status and wealth, it would be easy for him to find a kitchen helper even if he suffered a disaster.
But Master Mo never said this. It seemed that after being rescued by Langyun's people, he strongly supported everything the immortal said and no longer cared about food and drink.
Now when Shi Mo returned, he saw his teacher reading a book.
Shi Mo put down the food box and went forward to help Master Mo stand up.
But before he could open his mouth, he heard Master Mo say, "You shouldn't have stayed with me in Fenghe County. It would be better for you to return home early."
Shi Mo went to get the bowl while saying, "I don't want to go back yet. Besides, the county governor is taking precautions against the epidemic every day. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to come back if I go out."
Master Mo shook his head slightly: "If it's for an old man like me, then there's no need. My legs are almost healed now, so I can still find someone to take care of me."
Shi Mo said, "It's not just to take care of the teacher, but also to learn some skills from him."
As soon as these words were spoken, Master Mo thought of his student who had been running out these days. He used to think that he was going to find a place to study, but now it seems that he is probably staying with those craftsmen.
This is not difficult to infer. After all, Shi Mo comes from a merchant family and has been spoiled since childhood. When he was with Master Mo, he mostly stayed in the academy. If he had not returned home with Master Mo this time, he would probably not have traveled far for a year. Naturally, he looked very fair.
But now it looks like... it's obviously a few shades darker.
So Master Mo asked, "Do you want to be a craftsman?"
Shi Mo straightened the bowl and handed over the chopsticks with both hands before saying, "I don't want to be a craftsman, but I want to learn some construction methods from the immortal. It's not just about bricklaying, but also some principles that I have never encountered before."
Mr. Mo: “For example?”
Shi Mo thought for a moment, then gestured with his hands. "For example, if ordinary lime mortar is slightly modified and the order is changed, it can be made stronger. Also, the walls and columns in a house can share the pressure. Pressure exists because they have to bear weight, and gravity exists because the earth has an attraction. That's why we can stand and objects fall to the ground instead of floating in the air."
When these words were spoken, Master Mo's eyes widened. Obviously, this argument was contrary to the current mainstream.
But what Shi Mo said were all obvious things, but he used some words that he couldn't understand to explain them.
Master Mo was open-minded to begin with. He only thought about it briefly before saying, "As for the latter part, I don't understand the logic behind it, but the idea is quite fresh. I wonder who came up with it?"
Shi Mo recalled: "It seems to be an immortal named Niu."
"What's your name?"
"Newton."
Mr. Mo couldn't help but nod: "That's a good name."
Shi Mo didn't know that he had quietly transitioned from liberal arts to science.
But he had a very straightforward and simple idea in his mind -
At present, the books of sages that I read are not beneficial to the people. Instead, these things that sound a little incredible are more useful.
To put it another way, there is nothing wrong in looking at more houses designed by immortals. Anyway, Master Mo cannot teach him now, so he can take this opportunity to go out and take a look, which can also broaden his horizons.
So Shi Mo became more calm and a smile appeared on his face.
In the following days, Shi Mo became more active.
Because he was well-read, had a strong understanding, and a strong desire for knowledge, and Langyun also needed an indigenous person to pass on messages and do some desk work, the two sides quickly hit it off, and Shi Mo became even busier.
In the bustling reconstruction of Fenghe County, Shi Mo wished he could use one hour as two hours and paid little attention to what was happening outside.
He didn't even know that his caravan was on the way, and the leader was his brother, Shi Yun.
At this time, Shi Dalang frowned, holding the golden abacus that he never left in his hand, but he was just fiddling with it unconsciously, not thinking about what he was calculating, as his mind was full of thoughts about his younger brother.
Although the Shi family is not a wealthy merchant family, they do have some industries.
But Qi was not Wei after all, and it did not provide so many welfare benefits for merchants. The only consolation was probably that it did not prevent the sons of merchants from studying and taking exams, so the Shi family did their best to train their own sons.
Shi Yun knew that he was not cut out for this, so he was forced to inherit the family business at an early age.
However, the younger brother Shi Mo was young and intelligent, with great comprehension, so his family sent him all the way to study with Master Mo.
Usually, Master Mo was studying in a school in another county, which was not affected by the earthquake. In addition, the news was not well received, so the Shi family had no idea that their child was in Fenghe County.
In addition, Shi Mo was completely absorbed in the physics of immortals and the immortal king surnamed Niu. He did not want to worry his family, so he did not tell anyone around him about it. He only wrote nice things in his letters home and never mentioned where he was or what he was doing.
It was not until the county allowed caravans to enter that he sent a letter home.
Shi Dalang was forced to abandon his current business and without any hesitation, he quickly organized his men and traveled day and night to Fenghe County.
In other words, it is heading towards Jiangyi County, which is in the same direction as Fenghe County.
The servant outside the carriage said, "Sir, should we go around it later?"
Shi Yun nodded without hesitation and said, "Of course. That place was hit by an earthquake a few months ago, and it's probably still in ruins. Even if the caravan is allowed to go, we should try not to take any risks."
The servant couldn't help but say, "Young Master wrote back earlier saying that everything is fine in Fenghe County."
Shi Yun's face remained expressionless. Inwardly, he gnashed his teeth at his brother's deliberate concealment, thinking he would give him a good lesson when they met. He muttered, "That kid always only reports good news and never bad news. He might fool his parents with these words, but how could he fool me? You've been with me on caravans to other countries before, and you've seen what happens after an earthquake. It'll take at least three to five years for everything to return to normal."
The servant also thought of the situation at that time and shuddered, so he immediately said: "Young Master is right, I will tell the caravan to stop outside the county town and send someone to go in to look for you..."
As a result, before he could finish his words, his voice suddenly stopped.
Shi Yun asked, "What's wrong?"
After a while, the servant said, "Well, my dear, I think it would be best if you could come out and take a look."
Shi Yun frowned slightly, looking puzzled, but still reached out and opened the carriage curtain.
Then what he saw was not the dilapidated and decadent place he had expected, but... the official road.
The reason why I am not sure whether it is an official road is because this road is wider than expected.
Not only that, the surface is also much smoother than ordinary roads.
What’s even more surprising is that there is a row of trees planted in the middle of the road...
What is this for? To separate the carriages on both sides?
Confused, Shi Yun asked, "This place is really spacious. Which county is this? Could it be that we've already reached Jiangyi County?"
The reason why I think so is because Jiangyi County is a border county, and it is necessary to send horses and food on a regular basis, so it is normal for the roads to be wider.
Unexpectedly, the servant said, "We haven't reached Jiangyi County yet. This is outside Fenghe County."
When these words came out, Shi Yun was stunned.
He got out of the carriage directly, stood at the front, and looked at the city wall of Fenghe County from afar.
Today, the city wall has been repaired and no trace of damage is visible. From a distance, not even a trace of it can be seen.
Looking inside from the open city gate, all you can vaguely see is a neat and tidy scene.
Where are the ruins?
What happened to the promised reconstruction?
Shi Yun couldn't help but focus his eyes on the words on the city gate.
The word "Fenghe" cannot be fake.
So he said, "Come on, drive into the city."
The servant didn't expect that his husband would change his mind. He was slightly stunned, but quickly agreed and asked the caravan to turn around and head towards the city gate of Fenghe County.
They were soon released.
Because the Shi family was far away from Fenghe County, it took a lot of time to get here.
Fenghe County has now been unsealed, and many peddlers can enter and exit.
Perhaps it was because most of them were from nearby and had some understanding of the situation in Fenghe County, so they were not too surprised.
Shi Yun was different.
He was far away to begin with, and now there was no news and outsiders could not get close, so he knew nothing about anything here.
As a result, when walking on the street, the buildings lined up on both sides of the road were enough to make Shi Yun stunned.
It's not just because of its novel shape, but also because of its astonishing speed...
The news that came in earlier clearly said that after the disaster, there was ruins everywhere, houses collapsed, and it was a terrible sight.
But look at it now...where is it wasted?
After ordinary natural disasters, there will always be riots, and a large number of victims will flock to other counties or even the capital to seek a living.
But looking at Fenghe County today, it seems to be thriving, even bustling...
Not to mention anything else, just the men shouting slogans and building the wall are particularly eye-catching.
And the tools they used were never seen before.
What happened to the people’s miserable lives?
Why is it different from what I expected!
Shi Yun even felt that if he hadn't known that there had been an earthquake here, he would never have thought that this place had suffered a natural disaster!
At this moment, the servant repeatedly said: "Sir, isn't that the young master in front?"
Shi Dalang immediately withdrew his gaze from the buildings on both sides, forgetting his previous words about teaching his brother a lesson. He now hurriedly asked, "Where is it? Tell me quickly."
Before the servant could speak, Shi Mo saw his brother first.
He really didn't expect that the first caravan to arrive in Fenghe County would be his own caravan.
But Shi Mo quickly handed the things in his hand to the person next to him, and told him to continue recording. He then held up his straw hat and strode towards the convoy with a bright smile on his face: "Brother, you're here!"
Shi Yun took a good look at his younger brother, especially when Shi Mo was running. He observed him carefully and made sure that there was no sign of illness on his body. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Then I wanted to put on a stern face and teach him a lesson.
But then it suddenly occurred to me that I couldn't seem to teach him a lesson.
After all, the letters Shi Mo sent back were all real.
Shi Dalang raised his head and looked around again, his eyes sweeping over the houses that were completed or under construction, the vendors who had already started setting up stalls on the roadside, and the smooth road under his feet.
It seems reasonable for me not to go back.
So Shi Yun changed his mind and wanted to ask in detail how this county town could be built in such a short time.
Before I could finish my words, I realized that my younger brother's face was a little unclear.
Perhaps it was because the straw hat was too big and the shadow blocked his face, making him look darker.
So Shi Dalang reached out and took off his straw hat.
Then I found out where the shadow was...
It is clearly black, and the black is very even...
For a moment, Shi Dalang was suddenly choked and didn't know what to say.
After a long while, he slowly spoke: "The name your parents gave you was really, really the right one."
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