Chapter 16

When Yueyang said he wanted to organize a militia, Wang Shoucheng and the others were first startled, then burst into laughter. It was the fifth year of Chongzhen, and the风气of valuing scholars and despising military men was still deeply ingrained. When they heard that Yueyang, a distinguished scholar, actually wanted to organize a militia, they were both surprised and disdainful.

For Yueyang's request to "ruin his own status," the three men naturally had no objections. Wang Shoucheng took the lead and said, "Since Nephew Yue has this intention, we old men will naturally support you. We can help you smooth things over with the Datong Prefecture Military Commissioner, but as for the matter of digging channels and diverting water..."

Yueyang smiled slightly, "Once the appointment as the Military Commissioner and the 1,500 taels of gold arrive, Yueyang will certainly agree to dig channels and divert water from the Sanggan River for all of you!"

Wang Shoucheng was overjoyed and immediately asked, "Is that true?"

"Absolutely true!" Yueyang's tone was very firm.

"Very well, then this matter is entrusted to us three!"

What Yueyang had thought would be a difficult negotiation was thus decided on the spot. Of course, Wang Shoucheng and the others were not worried that Yueyang would renege on his promise.

Before the modern era, whether in the Ming or Qing dynasties, merchants and gentry had a common trait: they were very honest and trustworthy. No matter how greedy or cruel a merchant or gentleman might be, they all adhered to this common rule. Once someone lost their credibility, it meant they could no longer survive in this circle and would be shunned by all their peers, as no one would deal with someone who had lost their trust. As for why this virtue, which should have been passed down, was forgotten by most merchants later on, Yueyang did not know.

Seeing that Yueyang had reached an agreement with the three families, Zheng Fakui also breathed a sigh of relief, "Good, since everyone has come to an agreement, today's matter is settled, and I have fulfilled my brother Wang's request."

As Zheng Fakui spoke, he picked up his teacup but did not drink from it, only gently stirring the tea leaves with the lid. Yueyang understood this gesture, known as "offering tea to see off guests," which meant the host had nothing more to say and was politely asking the guest to leave.

Since they were being dismissed, Yueyang naturally did not linger. He stood up and bowed to Zheng Fakui, saying softly, "Very well, since the matter is settled, I will take my leave. I bid you farewell!" With that, Yueyang turned and walked toward the main hall's entrance.

"Goodbye, no need to see me off!"

Zheng Fakui said this indifferently without looking up. At this point, the initial good impression he had of Yueyang had completely vanished. In his view, Yueyang, who had finally achieved the rank of scholar, was now willing to degrade himself by organizing a militia, which was absolutely a disgrace to his status. In other words, Yueyang's life was set, and he would never advance further in the imperial examinations. No examiner would promote such a student.

Yueyang, however, was unaware of all this and did not care. He walked out of the prefecture office with a light step. As he exited the gate, he saw Shunbao and Hu Laosan, the family servants, anxiously waiting in the corner.

As soon as he saw Yueyang come out, Shunbao immediately rushed forward and asked, "Young Master, you're out, how did it go?"

Yueyang did not answer immediately but took the reins from Hu Laosan, mounted the horse somewhat clumsily, and said softly, "Let's go back and talk about it later!"

"Ride on..."

Yueyang spurred the horse, and it started moving forward...

After several hours of travel, Yueyang and his group returned to Yue Family Village in the evening. Upon returning, he immediately went to the old lady's place and reported everything that had happened today.

The old lady's eyes were slightly closed. After listening to Yueyang's report, she sighed deeply and said earnestly, "Grandson, since you have made your decision, I will not interfere. But remember, every decision you make concerns the future of Yue Family Village and even Wulizhai. From today on, I will no longer be involved in the affairs of Yue Family Village. You are the new head of the Yue family!"

"Grandma..."

Looking at the white-haired old lady, Yueyang felt a heavy weight on his shoulders and in his heart. An invisible pressure and responsibility had suddenly descended upon him...

The next morning, Yueyang led Yue Laifu, Shunbao, and over a dozen family servants to the courtyard on the west side of the village. He pointed to a large pile of things lying in the grass and said, "Yue Laifu, immediately send some people to move all these things outside the village. From today on, we will start working officially."

Seeing the strange and bizarre objects made of steel lying in the grass, everyone was puzzled. Yue Laifu asked in surprise, "Young Master... what... what is this? How did it get here?"

Yueyang waved his hand and said decisively, "You don't need to ask about that. Just do as I say."

These things, which looked like garbage lying on the ground, were the two small-scale positive circulation drilling rigs and two tons of diesel that Yueyang had brought from the modern era. The reason Yueyang agreed to dig channels and divert water from the Sanggan River was because of these two sets of equipment. The day before, Yueyang had struggled to move these two sets of equipment through the time portal, almost breaking his back in the process.

"Understood!"

Faced with Yueyang's instructions, Yue Laifu could only comply. He called over dozens of family servants and more than ten carts pulled by donkeys and oxen. They pushed and dragged the several-ton machinery and dozens of barrels of diesel out of the village, attracting the attention of many servants along the way. By this time, it was already evening, and Shunbao had people light many torches to illuminate the area. At this moment, not only were the family servants working, but many tenant farmers had also come, especially the bare-bottomed children who were jumping and shouting around the drilling rig, making the scene very lively.

The two small-scale positive circulation drilling rigs that Yueyang had brought were standard agricultural products, and as such, they were simple and easy to learn. Following the instructions, Yueyang led the people to install and secure one of the drilling rigs next to a water channel. After installing the alloy drill bit and filling it with diesel, Yueyang pressed the button, and a loud "putt-putt" sound echoed in the darkness. The sudden noise broke the silence and frightened the children, causing some to jump back and others to cry.

Seeing the drilling rig start working, Yueyang set it according to the operation manual. The drill would then begin to drill downward at a rate of about one meter per hour. As the drill bit went deeper, piles of yellow soil were pushed out of the discharge port.

Listening to the roaring engine and watching the continuous flow of yellow soil, Yue Laifu, Shunbao, and the surrounding family servants were all stunned. They had never seen such a scene in their lives.

Yue Laifu asked tremblingly, "Young Master, what... what is this thing? It can dig so quickly?"

"These are some small gadgets developed by the Western Franks. They are only used for drilling. You will understand in the future!" Faced with the looks of surprise, amazement, and even fear from those around him, Yueyang could only use the excuse he had prepared to placate them...