Shi Mo blinked and quickly understood what his elder brother meant.
Maybe I have been so obsessed with paving the road recently that I have neglected some of the details.
Now that Shi Dalang had pointed it out, Shi Mo's cheeks immediately puffed up. He looked down at his arm and muttered softly, "Is it really that much darker?"
In fact, Shi Yun regretted it as soon as he finished speaking.
Nowadays, the aesthetic taste of Qi State for men is that white is beautiful, and there is even a fashion of wearing flowers in the hairpin.
Even the imperial examinations had to take appearance into consideration, so my younger brother must be concerned about this.
Although Shi Dalang had been furious the entire time because of Shi Mo's concealment, when he was actually in front of his younger brother, all his emotions subsided. He simply said, "It's okay. Your physique has been like this since you were a child. You get darker when exposed to the sun, and whiter when kept in the dark."
Upon hearing this, Shi Mo raised his head and looked at him, his voice hesitant: "Are you serious? Are you kidding me, brother?"
Shi Yun smiled and said, "Of course not. You don't like going out now that you're older, so you probably don't know. But I still remember that when you were little, you always loved running outside. You got tanned like a little charcoal ball that had fallen into ink."
Shi Mo: ...
There’s no need to be so specific!
Shi Yun's words did comfort Shi Mo somewhat, and he reached out for the straw hat, putting it on his head to protect it from the sun. Then he said, "Since you're here, come with me to find a place to stay."
Shi Yun originally wanted to say that he was going to Jiangyi County. After all, he was a businessman with a golden abacus in his arms. Time was money and efficiency was life. If he delayed for even one night, he might miss out on business opportunities.
But when he met his younger brother's smiling eyes, Shi Jia Dalang changed his mind almost instantly: "Okay."
Shi Mo smiled and walked towards the county with Shi Yun.
Shi Jia Dalang was looking around all the way.
It's indeed a bit too different.
It's not just about the appearance of the houses, but also the smoothness of the roads. It's also because Shi Yun has been traveling around with the caravan for some years and has seen a lot of the world.
I have never seen any county that can recover so quickly after a sudden natural disaster.
And paved the road...
Shouldn't everyone be left to their own devices, or should the disaster-stricken areas seek other solutions? Where will they get the labor?
He was puzzled and his eyebrows raised slightly.
Shi Mo couldn't help but ask: "What's wrong?"
Shi Yun didn't say it directly, but said: "This road is really well built."
It was just a casual remark, but Shi Mo looked so proud. "Of course. This was built with the combined efforts of the entire county. Although only two roads are open at present, as long as the progress goes smoothly, we will soon see results."
Shi Dalang was curious: "It sounds like you contributed to this?"
Shi Mo nodded quickly, his hat brim swaying. "Yes, the immortal gave us the mix of soil and cement. Usually, we have to go to the site to watch them make it, so that there will be no mistakes."
Shi Yun couldn't help but look at his younger brother's face, and then at the sun above his head.
Very good, the reason for tanning has been found.
Shi Mo didn't notice his brother's expression and continued, "According to the plan, the open space in front will be turned into a market for merchants heading to Fenghe County. That side will be made into a place for the common people to live, and further ahead will be reserved for storytellers and acrobats." He paused, "But that's all for the future. According to the immortals' plan, the most important thing now is to get the market going."
Shi Yun quickly grasped the key words: "Immortal, Langyun?"
"Yes, Fenghe County is now able to recover thanks to the immortal's rescue. Otherwise, let alone reconstruction, the people buried in the ruins would be hard to escape." Shi Mo paused and said with a smile, "Brother, you can live here first."
Shi Yun looked up.
Then I saw a house in front of me. It had no yard and looked more like a shop on the street. But after pushing the door open, I felt that it was much more refined than an ordinary shop.
It’s not that the decoration is so exquisite, but because it is divided into many rooms.
At first glance, you can see the main hall for receiving guests, and next to it is the bedroom. There is also an empty room that seems to be used for storage.
Although the sparrow is small, it has all the organs.
As for why Zhuzi was inside, Shi Yun didn't think much about it.
Shi Yun was used to living in a big house, but now that he knew Fenghe County was being rebuilt, he didn't care too much. He just smiled and said, "This place looks nice. It's a rare opportunity to come here. Do you have some free time? I have a lot of things I want to discuss with you."
Shi Mo said, "Then I'll go see if the meal is ready. After dinner, I'll take you to the market."
Shi Yun really wanted to say that he was not planning to take root in Fenghe County.
Also, what does it mean to put down the rice?
But before he could ask in detail, he heard some noise outside.
Shi Dalang immediately walked out the door, and then he saw a horse in the caravan was frightened!
Shi Yun immediately asked, "What happened?"
The servant quickly replied, "A cart carrying bricks just passed by, and somehow it scraped against the horse. Bricks fell to the ground, and the horse got frightened..."
Before he could finish his words, the frightened horse turned its head and tried to run away.
But he obviously didn't forget that there was a car towing him from behind.
Then the wheel tilted, and the horse's body twisted with it. Caught off guard, it turned straight towards the outer wall of the house!
This gave Shi Yun a shock.
It wouldn't be a big deal if the horse hit the wall, but there was a carriage following behind it, and it was loaded with a lot of things!
Even though Shi Dalang had never heard of the legendary Newton, he at least knew that the heavier the object, the harder the impact.
Now that the horses and carriages are coming straight at us, the outer walls of ordinary houses will not be able to withstand it.
My little brother is still in the house!
So, Shi Yun didn't think twice and didn't care about his own safety at all, and rushed back to rescue the people.
Maybe after he went in, he only heard a "bang" sound, but nothing else.
There is not even a sign of collapse.
This made Shi Yun stunned, and then he looked back in confusion.
As a result, I found that there was not even a crack on the wall...
Shi Mo had just taken off his straw hat and was attracted by the sound. He asked curiously, "What happened?"
Shi Yun was a little confused: "The horse hit the wall, I came to save you..."
Shi Sanlang looked puzzled, as if he didn't quite understand the connection between the two things: "Then shouldn't Big Brother go and rescue the horses now?"
Shi Yun finally came to his senses and walked towards the door. He then saw that the carriage had overturned and the horse pulling the carriage had fallen to the ground. There was no other damage to the wall except for some bumps.
This is a bit too solid...
If it is so strong, even if there are aftershocks, it doesn't seem to be a big deal.
Once the danger is eliminated, the business opportunities hidden behind it will be revealed.
A county town that was in ruins and in need of reconstruction, a county town that had never lacked money before, and even had immortals lending a helping hand...
Thinking of this, Shi Dalang suddenly heard the crackling sound of an abacus and the crisp sound of copper coins falling to the ground.
So he quickly re-entered, and the servant followed him in.
Then Shi Sanlang asked, "Brother, are you here just to do business in Fenghe County?"
When the servant beside him heard this, he thought to himself that the eldest young man was doing this for business, but only for the business with Jiangyi County.
He had always kept his distance from Fenghe County. Even when he was outside the city gate just now, he was thinking of sending someone in to take the young master away directly.
But at this moment, Shi Yun nodded calmly and said, "Yes, I just came here to do business and see you by the way."
Shi Mo was surprised: "I thought my brother was going to tie me up and take me back."
Shi Yun laughed and said, "How could I have such a cruel thought? Although I am not a scholar, I know how to be respectful and naturally would not do such a crude thing. I really think too much."
Servant: ...Uh.
No wonder Dalangjun was able to succeed. He even scolded himself. He is really a ruthless person.
Shi Mo, however, smiled and said happily, "Since my brother has decided to let the caravan stay and do business, I will go and ask the people in the government office to see if there are any suitable shops. I will definitely find a good one for my brother."
As he said this, he was about to run out.
Shi Dalang hurried forward and put the straw hat on his head.
Shi Mo then remembered that he had forgotten to use sunshade, and hurriedly pulled the rope, then smiled and waved his hand, striding towards the yamen.
Shi Dalang stood at the door, watching his younger brother leave from afar, and murmured softly, "It seems that my younger brother is born to study."
The servant was originally surprised at his master's decision to stay in Fenghe County. Upon hearing this, he immediately stepped forward and said, "You are right, my lord. I can tell at a glance that he is a talented scholar."
Unexpectedly, Shi Yun shook his head: "It's not because of this."
The servant was stunned.
Then Shi Dalang said, "If he didn't study, but instead followed the caravan around like me every day, it wouldn't take long for him to exhaust himself and be gone after dark."
Servant: ...
Although, it does make sense.
A close brother is a close brother, you can say anything to him.
Shi Yun continued, "Tell the team to pack up properly and take inventory to see if there's any damage to the goods." He paused, "And let the horse rest. It'll probably take a while to recover."
The servant responded, but after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Then, my dear, are we really not going to Jiangyi County?"
He had been following Shi Yun for a long time and was familiar with this man's temper.
The reason why the Shi family dared to hand over the family property to Shi Jia Dalang so early was because this man had a tough character and never changed easily.
If we allowed Sanlangjun to stay just now out of consideration for our brothers, then changing the caravan route now is something unprecedented, and the servant couldn't figure out the reason.
The goods they brought with them were obtained after they had carefully inquired about the needs of Jiangyi County.
Giving up just like that is really not my husband's style.
Shi Yun knew his loyalty, so he didn't hide it and said directly, "Since we are doing business, we are selling goods from one place to another and making a profit. We went to Jiangyi County because it is rich, but now it is clear that Fenghe County needs business connections more."
As he spoke, Shi Dalang looked at the half-built houses and the busy craftsmen.
So he whispered, "Although we still can't fully understand County Magistrate Zhuang's plans, it's clear he has his own agenda. Fenghe County has been able to re-enter construction in such a short time. This efficiency is truly astonishing. I'm sure trade will be restored soon. Rather than waiting until then to squeeze in, it's better to stay now and seize the opportunity. We can also find out what this city needs and send our caravan to buy it."
The servant had always been following Shi Yun and could understand the reason.
But he was still a little hesitant: "Didn't my lord say before that the county was in danger? What if there is an aftershock?"
Shi Yun pointed at the horse still lying on the ground and said, "The impact just now is enough to prove that the house is sturdy. If so, even if there are aftershocks, it won't be a problem. If my prediction is correct, the people nearby will soon come back here."
In fact, it was just as Shi Jia Dalang expected. Not to mention other counties, the villagers near Fenghe County City had already taken action.
Wang Er is one of them.
His village was actually also affected by the earthquake, but compared to the tragic scene of everything collapsing in the county town, the village was much better off.
Although the house collapsed, it is easy to rebuild it.
In addition, earthquakes are different from floods and do not affect the fields, so they can still harvest the crops.
After finishing his farm work, he heard the news that trade had begun in the county town.
Wang Er didn't take this seriously at first. After all, he was not a businessman. He had not been to the county town many times before, and he had no intention of going back now.
But soon someone came back from the county town with a piece of news—
All the factories in the city that are under the guidance of immortals have started recruiting!
Although the villagers don't usually have much contact with the county town, it doesn't stop them from watching the fun.
What's more, this matter is related to Langyun, and everyone wants to hear more about it.
Immediately, some people came over, and some anxious villagers asked, "Recruiting people, what do you mean?"
"It means you can go and work in the factory. Not only will you be provided with food and accommodation, but you can also earn money if you do a good job."
"...What's a factory?"
"I don't know either. Sand and gravel factories, brick factories, quarries, and the like—probably all places where work can be done—can be summarized with this word. Anyway, it was named by an immortal."
The last sentence blocked all doubts.
Soon everyone focused their attention on the factory's recruitment.
Many people were tempted.
After all, it is the slack season for farmers and there is not much work to do in the fields. I usually stay at home anyway, so it would be nice to find a place to work.
Not only can you save three meals a day for your family, but if you’re lucky you can also earn some money. Why not do it?
Soon, some people wanted to go to the county town to try it out, and Wang Er was among them.
But Wang Er's wife was a little worried: "That's a place in the county town. It's called a factory, but no one knows what it does. You can't even read. Even if you really go there, will people be interested?"
In fact, Wang Er was not sure about it, but he could not bow his head in front of his wife. It would not only lower his ambition, but also make his family worry.
So Wang Er just said, "I heard from those people that there are a lot of factories. I'll go check them out. I think there will always be a way. Don't worry about it. Hurry up and pack your luggage... Oh, and bring two pancakes with me."
If he really couldn't get into the factory, at least two pancakes would be enough for him to eat on the way there and back, so he wouldn't starve.
The next day, just after dawn, Wang Er packed his bag and some bread and set out for the county town to "find a job."
In fact, many people had been to the county town before, and people from their village also carried grain and vegetables to the city to sell, so Wang Er knew that the county town was busy building roads and houses.
Just hearing about it is one thing, seeing it with your own eyes is another.
The overly spacious official road alone was enough to make Wang Er curious, not to mention the houses on both sides of the road that he saw after entering the city.
This is the first time I've seen it so neatly arranged.
But he did not stay on the street for long.
If it were another scholar here, he would probably sigh for a while, but for Wang Er, making a living and supporting his family was his top priority, so he didn't look at it for long. He just asked a passerby, "Old man, do you know where the factory in Fenghe County is?"
At this time, the person passing by was Mr. Mo, whose legs had healed.
Although injuries heal more slowly as one gets older, he has taken good care of himself these days and is now fully recovered.
I had just finished my meal and was out for a walk, but someone stopped me.
Fortunately, Master Mo was a kind person. Seeing that the man was dressed like a villager, he thought he was coming to the city to work. If so, he wanted to make a contribution to the county. Master Mo stopped and asked with a smile, "Which factory are you asking about?"
Wang Er was stunned. For a moment, he couldn't clearly tell which one he was looking for, so he just said vaguely, "I'll go to whichever one I can."
Fortunately, Master Mo didn't ask any further questions. It seemed that he had seen many people wanting to work there these days, so he simply pointed and said, "That's where the smoke is coming out over there."
Wang Ershi, who was building the awning, took a look and said in surprise, "There are quite a few puffs of smoke."
Master Mo said, "I want to go and take a look too. Come with me." As he said that, he looked back.
Two men dressed as attendants paused and did not step forward immediately, but followed from a distance.
Wang Er didn't notice this, nodded hurriedly, and followed Master Mo.
The reason why Master Mo was willing to take him away was not only because this man had something to ask for, but also because Master Mo wanted to know the situation outside the county town, especially the harvest.
So he asked with a smile, and Wang Er told him everything he knew.
When he learned that the harvest was not damaged too much, Mr. Mo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
On the other hand, perhaps because he was traveling with a fellow traveler and the old man spoke so kindly, Wang Er felt like chatting: "May I know your name, old man?"
Mr. Mo smiled and said, "My last name is Mo, and I'm a teacher."
Any scholar in the city would know his name, even if he had never met him.
After all, this person's painting skills are superb and his paintings are rare. They are often viewed and appreciated by many people, so his fame is naturally loud.
Wang Er was born into a farming family. Not only could he not appreciate paintings, he couldn't even recognize a few words.
So now there was no trace of panic on his face, and he spoke very freely: "I went to those factories to work, why did you go there, Master Mo?"
Although I had never met him before, I could tell he was quite old from the silver hair and beard and the wrinkles on his face.
It doesn't look like he's going to work hard at all.
But Master Mo just smiled and said, "My student is teaching there. I happen to be free today, so I'll go take a look."
Wang Er blinked, looking surprised: "Why are there still teachers?"
Didn’t we agree to recruit workers?
Could it be that he misunderstood and that there was a school over there?
Then, Master Mo said, "You may have just arrived in the city and don't know yet, but those factories were all proposed by the immortals. Before construction began, it was clearly stated that all workers must recite something before entering."
As a senior student, Wang Er's scalp tingled when he heard this: "What are you memorizing?"
Mr. Mo smiled and said, "Employee safety rules."
...I have heard of every word, but I don’t recognize them when they are put together.
Wang Er immediately lowered his head, feeling rather disappointed: "I can't read, so I'm afraid I won't be able to get a job."
Master Mo said, "That's not necessarily true. Someone will help you memorize the rules. Even if you can't read, you can still find other things to do. As far as I know, gravel plants need to grind stones, quarries need to dig stones, and brick factories, of course, need people to dig wells and make bricks. These don't require literacy." He paused, "But you said you want to go further, so you still have to learn what you need to learn."
After hearing this, Wang Er felt happy.
Even though he could hear the hardship involved, wasn't his goal to exchange his labor for food?
Moreover, I just felt that I had no hope, but now there has been a sudden turn of events, which naturally makes me even happier.
But he also grasped the key point of this passage: "Master, you said to go a step further, I wonder what you mean?"
Mr. Mo smiled and said, "Of course it's a job that can earn money."
Wang Er's eyes lit up: "Does the factory really give monthly wages?"
Master Mo said calmly, "Of course, they will give it to you, but ordinary people only get food and lodging. If you want money, you either need to have enough experience or reach the required threshold, so that you can move up step by step."
Although it was not explained in detail, Wang Er could guess that the threshold was at least to be able to recognize words.
He couldn't help scratching his head.
Normally he didn't like to learn those characters, as they made him dizzy just looking at them. He thought it would be better to farm at home.
But now that I’m connected to my monthly salary… I suddenly feel like I have endless motivation!
Just then they rounded the last of the ruins.
Because Fenghe County City is not small, reconstruction will take time and will be done step by step, so there will still be some places that have not been cleaned up in time.
Wang Er kept dodging to avoid being hit.
He also kept an eye on the old man, Master Mo, and carefully protected him behind him.
After passing here, you can see the building in front.
The most noticeable thing is that there are many houses with the same shape.
It looks similar to the newly built ones in the city.
The rows of neat and tidy square houses look particularly spectacular when connected together.
Not far away, there should be several "factories".
Some were surrounded by walls, and others were clearly kilns, but just from the smoke coming out of them you could tell something was definitely burning inside.
Wang Er said excitedly, "That's the factory over there, right?" But he paused and said, "Hey, there seems to be someone there?"
Mr. Mo looked over and saw several figures.
Just by looking at his short hair, you can tell that he is an immortal from Langyun.
Standing at the front at this moment are Shao Zhu and Chai Zixin.
Both of them looked at the kiln not far away.
Chai Zixin spoke first: "Have you ever processed coal? The smoke is all white."
Shao Zhu shrugged. "I don't know the details. It was developed by the thermal power people. They worked with the mechanical people on the blue brick kiln to build a water extraction device. The red brick kiln doesn't need watering, so it's much simpler."
Chai Zixin was a little puzzled: "Since we can make green bricks now, why do you still let them make red bricks? Green bricks are more practical anyway."
Shao Zhu smiled and said, "There are no useless materials, only useless designs. Although red bricks are a bit brittle, the process is simple, the required raw materials are easy to obtain, and the holes are large, so they have other uses."
"for example?"
"If nothing else, you can use it to build a farm and ensure it's breathable."
Chai Zixin was not familiar with these things, so he didn't say much. He quickly turned his attention back to the kiln and saw some people carrying things towards the brick kiln.
So she asked, "Are we going to open the kiln?"
Shao Zhu got on his bicycle directly: "I guess so, let's go first."
Chai Zixin nodded, then sat sideways in the back seat of the car.
Shao Zhu couldn't help but say, "It really looks like a scene from a campus youth drama."
Chai Zixin glanced at him and asked: "Will the background of a youth drama be about burning bricks and stones?"
Shao Zhu: ...
As expected, it would be more appropriate for them to act in a struggle film together.
And just at this moment, the kiln started working over there.
Although a chimney was built, smoke still came out of the hole.
For a moment, the air was filled with smoke.
Mr. Mo, who was in the distance, probably knew what those factories were doing, so he looked calm.
But Wang Er was stunned.
His eyes were fixed on the two people who were leaving. Perhaps because they were far away and there was smoke, Wang Er could not see the bicycles they were riding clearly.
Only two people could be seen moving quickly.
Then he murmured, "This must be Langyun's immortal."
Upon hearing this, Master Mo couldn't help but laugh and said, "Oh? How did you know?"
Then Wang Er said seriously, "If he wasn't an immortal, how could he have such an ability to move without wind and ride on clouds and mist?"
Mr. Mo: ...Ah?
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