jdhmnovel Chapter 246 The earth dragons in our Ningyang County are all sensible!
Chapter 246 The earth dragons in our Ningyang County are all sensible!
The tenth day of the ninth month in the second year of Hongwu.
Magistrate Yang sat on a chair behind the desk in the main hall of the county government office. Wu Yanhu, Chen Mo, and Lü Peng sat on chairs below the desk. Liu Sanshier and a group of village heads, neighborhood chiefs, and a dozen craftsmen stood on the open ground of the main hall.
Magistrate Yang spoke first, saying, "Although Ningyang County was not the hardest hit by this earthquake, many of the people's houses have developed cracks. Not to mention whether they can withstand the autumn rains, even if they barely survive, they may not be able to withstand the heavy snows in winter and the rains in the spring and summer next year."
"Therefore, Ningyang County needs to shift its focus from the frantic land reclamation last year to demolishing and building houses."
"After you go back, you should discuss with the people in your community and neighborhood how to arrange the farm work and the time for building houses."
"In addition, each community and village will arrange for a few able-bodied men to work in the brick kiln, and we will strive to ensure that all the people live in brick and tile houses."
As Magistrate Yang finished speaking, Wu Yanhu, Chen Mo, and Lü Peng immediately looked distressed, and the faces of the dozen or so craftsmen were even more unpleasant, as if they had swallowed flies.
Listen to what the master is saying!
Strive to ensure that all people live in brick and tile houses?
No, sir, do you know how many bricks and tiles are needed to build a courtyard for a brick house?
That tiny brick kiln in Ningyang County, even if it burns like crazy every day, how many bricks and tiles can it possibly produce?
Besides, why did ordinary people use mud bricks instead of tiles to build houses in the past? Was it because they didn't like them?
It's because we're poor!
Because they couldn't afford bricks and tiles, they could only use a small amount of blue bricks and bluestones for the base, mud bricks for the walls, and sorghum stalks and wheat straw for the roof!
Now you, Magistrate Yang, are saying you'll make sure all the people live in brick houses? That's just wishful thinking!
However, to Wu Yanhu, Chen Mo, Lü Peng, and the other craftsmen's surprise, Liu Sanshier and the others were not worried when they heard Magistrate Yang's request to build brick houses. Instead, a look of joy quickly appeared on their faces, and they even hurriedly bowed to Magistrate Yang, saying, "Yes, we thank you very much, Your Excellency!"
As Liu Sanshier and the others finished speaking, Wu Yanhu, Chen Mo, Lü Peng, and more than a dozen craftsmen were completely dumbfounded.
No, your county magistrate ordered you to build brick houses, brick houses, you bastard!
Do you have that much money?
Even if the people of Ningyang County are not short of money, are you not busy with farm work?
Just as Wu Yanhu, Chen Mo, and the others were secretly complaining to themselves, Liu Thirty-Two said with a smile, "That's why I say Ningyang County is a good place. Even the earth dragons in Ningyang County are sensible!"
Wang Wuqi chimed in, "Yes, she's sensible!"
Look at the earth dragon in our Ningyang County. Not only did it turn around at the perfect time, but the commotion it caused was also just right. The mud-brick houses cracked, but they didn't collapse, no one was hurt, and the people's belongings were not damaged. Now they can directly demolish the old houses and build new ones. Among all the earth dragons in the world, is there one more sensible than the earth dragon in our Ningyang County?
As for the cost of the bricks and tiles that Wu Yanhu, Chen Mo, Lü Peng, and the other craftsmen were worried about, Liu Sanshier and the others were not worried at all.
Since the magistrate said that everyone should build brick and tile houses, the price certainly won't be too high. At most, the brick kiln's brick-making speed can't keep up with the house-building speed, so it won't be able to supply the entire Ningyang County population for a while.
But so what if one came first and the other last?
We should start by visiting the homes of people with more severe cracks, and then move on to the ordinary people in each community and neighborhood. As community leaders and neighborhood chiefs, we should definitely set an example and wait until all the people in our communities and neighborhoods have finished building before we start building. It sounds good to others, it gives us face in our communities and neighborhoods, and it also pleases the magistrate. It's a win-win-win situation!
Just as Liu Sanshier and the others were pondering how to distribute the bricks and tiles, Magistrate Yang continued, "Those able-bodied men who helped Wang Laowai build the brick kiln last time, let them help Wang Laowai build two more new kilns. As for their farm work, let the other people in your respective communities and neighborhoods help with it."
"Once the new kiln is up and running, each commune and village will take turns sending able-bodied men to work at the kiln so that the bricks and tiles can be fired as soon as possible."
After Liu Sanshier and the others agreed, Magistrate Yang looked at Chen Mo and instructed him, "Brother Chen, please take the students to the brick kiln and help calculate how much a brick can be sold for. As long as the county doesn't lose money, that's fine."
"Furthermore, I intend to demolish all the remaining city walls of the county town and rebuild them with blue bricks when I have time. Damn it, a county town directly under the Central Secretariat doesn't even have a decent city wall. I'm not afraid of being laughed at if word gets out."
Liu Thirty-Two immediately patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, sir. The city wall of Ningyang County is not big. We will go back and gather our men, and we can tear it down in three to five days."
However, Magistrate Yang did not give Liu Thirty-Two a friendly look. Instead, he waved his hand and cursed, "Get out of here! First, fix up the houses of the people in each village and neighborhood. Don't think you can just tear them down in three to five days. That would make you look bad!"
After Liu Sanshier and his group left with fawning smiles on their faces, Magistrate Yang turned his attention to Wu Yanhu, Chen Mo, and the others.
"After a while, Councilor Wang may send about a hundred able-bodied men to our Ningyang County, and Prime Minister Xu may also send some prisoners to our Ningyang."
“The able-bodied men sent by Councilor Wang, you and Brother Limpy Fifth should settle them in properly. Since they’ve come to Ningyang County, try to keep them here.”
"As for the prisoners sent by Prime Minister Xu, if there are few, they will all be assigned to repair roads; if there are many, some will be assigned to dismantle the city walls."
Wu Yanhu tentatively asked, "Is the County Magistrate referring to Councilor Wang, the Councilor Wang of Shandong Province?"
Magistrate Yang was slightly taken aback, and asked in return, "Or is there another Councilor Wang?"
Upon confirming that the Wang councilor mentioned by Magistrate Yang was indeed Wang Guangyang, the cavalry governor of Shandong Province, Wu Yanhu was even more bewildered.
Ningyang County is now under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Secretariat, but Wang Guangyang is in charge of Shandong Province. Would he send able-bodied men to Ningyang County?
And what about Xu Xiang? Why did he send prisoners to Ningyang County?
Good heavens, you're just a sixth-rank magistrate of Ningyang County, yet you want to command the second-rank Vice Chancellor of the Provincial Secretariat and the first-rank Left Chancellor of the Provincial Secretariat? Why don't you just say you command the current emperor and the Crown Prince?