The bricklayers who had been reprimanded looked at each other innocently and said, "Lord Lü, this is how we have always built city walls."
"Yes, Lord Lü, that's how our master taught us. Back then, my master's master even participated in the construction of Wuchuan City, and it was the same way."
Lu Tu sighed and rubbed his forehead, wondering what kind of world this was. Logically speaking, when Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall, he already used lime mixed with mortar to make cement. Why didn't this world have this technology?
Could it be that there was a cultural break? If so, then building something in the Great Yu Dynasty would have been far too costly!
In the agricultural era, due to limited productivity, food was always the most important thing.
"We have lime here, why use glutinous rice? Wouldn't it be better to save it for later? Besides, I don't think I've ever bought glutinous rice before. Where did you get it from?"
Several old bricklayers said in a low voice, "We always carry it with us. Even when we were so hungry we fainted, we didn't dare to eat it. After all, it's our craft."
Upon hearing this, Lü Tu was filled with awe. These old bricklayers were true craftsmen! To prevent their skills from being lost, they didn't even eat the glutinous rice when they were starving.
Thinking back to my past life in an island nation, where people who cooked rice in an electric rice cooker had the audacity to call themselves rice masters and extoll the spirit of craftsmanship, compared to the craftsmen before me, they are nothing but bullshit!
Lu Tu bowed to the others and said, "I apologize, gentlemen. I misunderstood you earlier. I'm sorry!"
"ah?"
Not only were the old bricklayers panicked, but even the onlookers were stunned, especially Tuoba Yue and his soldiers who were observing Lü Tu from time to time; they were completely dumbfounded.
They had never seen an official take the initiative to apologize to a peasant. Not to mention officials, even when they dealt with ordinary people in their daily lives, they never looked at others properly and always treated them with disdain.
Lu Tu actually apologized to the other party in public because he had wronged him.
This made Tuoba Yue secretly wonder whether Lü Tu was really that kind of person, or just putting on an act in front of them, the newly joined soldiers.
The old bricklayers waved their hands repeatedly, saying in a panic, "Sir, we dare not say that. We didn't explain things clearly, which is why this misunderstanding occurred."
Lu Tu called Xiao Zhong, who was standing some distance away, and asked, "Have we run out of the lime we brought back from Wuchuan last time?"
“There are some, but not many!” Xiao Zhong took out his hand-drawn map of the area and pointed to a marker, saying, “There is a large area of limestone about 5 li to the south. If you need it, I can send people to dig it up.”
Lu Tu almost burst out laughing. He had everything he needed around here. Yun Tian had just bestowed this auspicious land upon him, and even granted him a three-year tax exemption.
Pulling Xiao Zhong aside, he said, "Then we should prioritize mining limestone and clear out a brick kiln to burn limestone at high temperatures. I need to get some lime!"
"Do we still need to use it for disinfection? It's already been sprayed all over our village."
Xiao Zhong was also full of curiosity. It seemed that Lu Tu's guess was correct. The entire Dayu was made of cement made of glutinous rice juice. He felt a hidden joy in his heart.
This means that everyone else lacks cheap cement, but he does! This reduces the cost of building city walls and various defensive structures.
"I have a great use for lime. It can replace glutinous rice and be mixed into mortar to make low-cost cement."
Xiao Zhong was a smart man, and he immediately understood the logic behind it. He couldn't help but exclaim with delight, "Sir, you are truly amazing! Glutinous rice costs at least 20 coins per pound, while lime is the cheapest, costing the same as millet. This means that our future construction costs will be at least half that of others?"
Lu Tu laughed and said, "You've forgotten a crucial point: glutinous rice might not be available after the war, but lime is everywhere."
"Your Excellency is truly remarkable! Xiao Zhong admires you!"
Lu Tu removed the leaves from Xiao Zhong's head and, noticing the increased amount of white hair he had developed in recent months, sighed, "Mr. Xiao, you have devoted yourself to the people, which is what I, Lu Tu, admire most! Go and find two wives and maids for yourself. I can't let you worry about work and then worry about home too."
That's how it is when you do things for others. You're not afraid of hard work or being tired, but you're afraid that your superiors won't notice. Moreover, Lu Tu never plays games; he gets the benefits delivered directly.
Xiao Zhong said with emotion, "My lord, there's no rush. Anyway, I haven't found anyone I like yet. It's not too late to wait until things settle down."
Lu Tu patted him on the shoulder: "Go get to work. I'll go discuss the cement ratio with them first. Have someone bring over the rest of the lime."
Lu Tu led several old bricklayers to a room, where a large wooden barrel had been brought in advance.
"If you reveal even a fraction of what I'm about to teach you today, you will all die."
Upon hearing this, the old bricklayers shrank back in fear and hurriedly begged, "Since that's the case, sir, can we not learn it?"
Lu Tu's face hardened, and he said decisively, "No way!"
The men exchanged wry glances: "But I have a habit of talking in my sleep. What if I accidentally let something slip in my dream? Wouldn't that mean I'd be doomed?"
Lu Tu was amused by their trembling expressions: "Anyway, only a few of us can know. If anyone else finds out, I'll make trouble for you!"
The old bricklayer who was talking in his sleep gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, sir, I'll gag myself when I sleep from now on! No one in the shack will hear me talking in my sleep anymore."
Lu Tu smiled knowingly: "After you learn my trick, you will only be responsible for teaching people how to build walls and make cement. I will arrange separate houses for you to live in."
"Thank you, sir! Are you going to teach us how to make cement?"
Lu Tu pointed to the sand and water on the ground: "Isn't it obvious?"
Several old bricklayers were shocked: "This is breaking the rules, sir! This is how we learned when we became apprentices since ancient times. If we change the method, our ancestral master will be unhappy."
Lu Tu cursed, “You bunch of old-fashioned bastards! The right way is to improve and carry forward the craftsmanship of your ancestors. Instead, you cling to those old tricks and don’t make any progress. No wonder you’re still using glutinous rice to make cement. If your ancestors knew what you were like, they would beat you to death after they went down to the underworld!”
These words were extremely harsh, and the group trembled as they said, "Sir, please don't be angry. We are willing to learn."
Lu Tu pointed to the sand and waterway on the ground: "Let's get some mortar out first, and then I'll see what's going on."
"Hey!"
The group quickly got to work, and it has to be said that these guys worked together quite well, as if they were taught by the same master.
When the mortar was about the right consistency, the old bricklayers were about to take out the glutinous rice again, but Lu Tu glared at them and quickly put it back.
Lu Tu pointed to the lime he had bought earlier and said, "Don't use that lousy glutinous rice of yours anymore, add lime to it!"
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