Chapter 98

An Zhongzhi was already convinced.

To be fair, whether they were paving with stone slabs or mud, it had nothing to do with Lin Bei, because Lin Bei could walk through the forest as if it were flat ground. Therefore, An Zhongzhi knew that the official in front of him was truly thinking of the people of Xishan Township. Moreover, the official had provided a large sum of money, ensuring that the laborers would not be idle during the winter but would have food to eat and money to earn. Where else could An Zhongzhi find such a good thing? At this moment, An Zhongzhi was determined to handle the matter properly, just as he had with the biogas pool.

Lin Bei nodded and made another suggestion: "Today, you can write a notice and send people to post it in the surrounding counties. As for how many people to recruit, you decide. My requirement is simple: the stone slab road must be completed by next spring."

An Zhongzhi, while calculating the number of laborers, stonemasons, and animals needed, and how many more laborers to recruit beyond those from Xishan Township, nodded. Although the task was difficult, An Zhongzhi found it very challenging.

After instructing An Zhongzhi, Lin Bei turned to Zhen Ding: "Zhen Ding, you can start transporting the money and grain. Also, don't forget about setting up a trading post in Xishan Township."

Zhen Ding smiled wryly. This official, who initially said he didn't need money, only needed a trading post in Xishan Township, now wanted both money and a trading post. However, these two tasks were not too big. Xishan Township was close to Fushan, which had abundant medicinal herbs and mountain goods. An additional trading post would acquire these goods and transport them to Central China, which would not be a loss. If the road was built, transportation would be easier and costs would be reduced, which would be a good thing for the trading post.

"Sir, I will return to prepare," Zhen Ding said. He estimated that the people from his clan who were to take over had already arrived, so he needed to go back to hand over the work. He did not stay any longer, waiting for the long-nosed beasts to be captured, and then he would send people to retrieve them.

"Alright," Lin Bei said, then nodded to Zhen Ping: "Also, thank this shopkeeper for coming from the county."

Zhen Ping was flattered: "It's a small matter, I dare not accept the thanks of the sir."

After Zhen Ding and Zhen Ping left, Lin Bei kept Bian Ji and discussed the recruitment of laborers with An Zhongzhi. He himself took the hunters to Xiang Valley. They had already captured seven elephants in two days, and with another three to four days, they would finish capturing all the elephants in Xiang Valley. After completing this task, he could do other things during the winter.

While Lin Bei was in Xiang Valley, An Zhongzhi gathered some craftsmen and announced Lin Bei's decision. When the craftsmen heard that the road would be four zhang wide and that Lin Bei was funding it, and that the laborers would even be paid, they were initially silent but then praised Lin Bei.

"Since the sir is doing this, we have nothing to say, we will comply."

"The sir is truly benevolent. This way, the whole winter, our people will have money to earn and food to eat, which is a great benefit."

"Headman, will we get our wages?"

"Of course, but we must be grateful. Think about what you usually eat and what you eat now. Remember the sir's kindness."

"Of course, Headman. Why not build a shrine for the sir? The sir deserves such veneration."

"Let me report to the sir first. Alright, let's not talk about trivial matters. First, we need to come up with a plan. How many laborers, how many craftsmen, and how many animals are needed. You need to figure this out today so I can report back to the sir."

The craftsmen discussed various plans. Some had built roads before, some had not, but they had seen it done. They had a general idea of how to build a stone slab road. Since they were in Fushan, there were plenty of stone slabs, so they didn't need to dig them from elsewhere, saving a lot of effort. The main challenge was leveling the twenty-five li road from the school to the edge of the forest, which required cutting down large trees, digging out roots, and compacting the ground, a significant project.

"Why not expand the small river and dig out blue stone slabs from the riverbed to pave the road? This way, both water and land routes would be accessible, wouldn't that be beautiful?" a craftsman suggested.

"Beautiful, but it would add a lot of work. It would be better to look at the surrounding cliffs and dig out the stones."

"The lower layer of the road base should be soaked in rice soup, right?"

"Indeed, otherwise it would easily collapse."

The craftsmen debated, and An Zhongzhi's head ached. He said to Bian Ji: "Master, I need to go to the county to report to the road official." The road official managed all road-related matters, such as post stations.

"Of course, after they finish discussing, the headman can go to the county and post the notice to recruit laborers, to avoid wasting time."

"That's true, the time the sir gave is indeed tight."

This was a very complicated matter. From the time Lin Bei led the team out until he returned, they finally came up with a basic plan. They needed 3,000 laborers, 300 stonemasons, and various tools. The tools for quarrying stone needed to be communicated with the county to see if they could be borrowed. If not, they would need to be forged at the county's blacksmith shop. Additionally, at least fifty horses and oxen were needed to transport the stone slabs and the laborers' food. Since the laborers would come from various places, the people of Xishan Township needed to provide accommodation. They decided to build some houses at the school for the laborers to stay in, and the township would also provide some houses. With the weather getting colder, they needed to prepare enough blankets.

All these matters needed to be coordinated by An Zhongzhi, which made his head spin. There were too many things to do.

"Let your subordinates, like Wang Laicai, help you. Each subordinate can manage one task. If there's a problem, the subordinate can handle it. You only need to manage the big tasks, such as communicating with the county. If necessary, the master can go to the county magistrate to discuss this matter personally," Lin Bei advised An Zhongzhi, urging him not to be so rigid and to avoid doing everything himself, as even someone as capable as Zhuge Liang eventually died from overwork.

"What about you, sir?"

"I won't be involved. The road construction will be managed by you, the master, and Cui Lan." Lin Bei shook his head. Apart from the people of Xishan Township, he did not plan to appear in front of the recruited laborers. After capturing the elephants, he had other things to do.

People are often driven by necessity. After Lin Bei's advice and discussions with Bian Ji and Cui Lan, they finally agreed on a plan. A few subordinates would be responsible for supervising the laborers, and a few outstanding craftsmen from Xishan Township would supervise the recruited craftsmen. Although they would receive the same wages, the supervisors would have an easier job. This not only shared the workload but also benefited the local people, making everyone happy.