Chapter 84

About ten servants followed Sun Fusheng and came to the courtyard. This courtyard, which they had visited a few days ago, now seemed so unfamiliar to them. Among the fifteen people, the stable boy was about forty years old, and the gatekeeper was even older, nearly fifty. The hardships of life had already turned his hair white and his skin withered, making him look like he was in his seventies.

Apart from these three older individuals, the rest were much younger. The maids were around fourteen or fifteen years old, looking somewhat pale and thin. The attendants were a bit better off, all being robust young men in their late teens, slightly lean but otherwise healthy.

Yang Yuanzhao had reviewed the indentures of these people and had some basic information about them. Most were children of farming families with clean backgrounds, who had sold themselves into servitude due to their inability to make ends meet. Honesty and integrity were what Yang Yuanzhao valued most. Having been in this era for many days, he had thought of many ways to change the times and was actively working on them. He truly needed a group of people to help him realize his ideas. Originally, he had planned to recruit a batch of children from the displaced population, but the arrival of these servants seemed to solve his problem from another angle.

"Since you are here, we are all one family. My rules are simple: just follow orders and do your work. Fusheng!" Yang Yuanzhao said calmly.

Sun Fusheng stepped forward and respectfully said, "Master! Please give your orders!"

"Divide into groups, settle your affairs, clean the rooms, and then follow the craftsmen to help with the housework!"

"Yes!"

Yang Yuanzhao seemed to think of something and said, "By the way, Fusheng, can you read and write?"

Sun Fusheng was slightly puzzled but still respectfully replied, "Master, I have studied for a few years and can read, write, and do calculations."

"Good. In your free time, teach them to read and write."

"Teach them to read and write?" Sun Fusheng looked at Yang Yuanzhao in surprise. He didn't understand why his master would propose such a strange idea. After a long while, he lowered his voice and said, "Master, it might be difficult for them to learn to read and write. They..."

Yang Yuanzhao understood his concern. Having experienced the information explosion of the 21st century, he knew that enlightenment was best started around six or seven years old. Once adults, they would have more distractions and the inertia of their habits would make it harder to teach them to read and write. In the new China, literacy campaigns were treated as political tasks and took many years to complete. In Baotou, without administrative support, it would be even more challenging.

Despite the difficulties, Yang Yuanzhao could not let things be. He saw these people as potential executors of his ideas and plans. Without literacy, many of his plans would be impossible to implement. He cared about this even more than the flour mill and the Baotou Development Company.

After some thought, Yang Yuanzhao decided to use incentives. He waved his hand and said, "Fusheng, tell them that whoever learns 500 characters first will receive an additional 20 pounds of white flour each month, on top of their monthly salary."

"White flour? New white flour?" Sun Fusheng asked, somewhat disbelieving.

Yang Yuanzhao nodded and said, "The fastest one to reach this goal will receive 2 bags of white flour as a reward."

Two bags of white flour was a significant reward, especially as an extra. There were only fifteen people, and if they learned faster than others, they could receive two bags of white flour and an additional 20 pounds of white flour each month. This was almost enough for one person's monthly food supply, and if converted to mixed grains, it would be enough for a whole family for a month.

Most of the servants came from poor families with many children. They usually sent most of their monthly salary home. The opportunity to learn to read and write for free and receive rewards made everyone's eyes light up.

A small, thin maid tentatively stood up and asked, "Master, can we learn too?"

"Of course!" Yang Yuanzhao nodded and said, "As long as you are my servants, regardless of gender, you can learn." He paused and added, "Teaching you will be hard work for the steward, so he will receive 1 bag of white flour each month."

Sun Fusheng looked at the generous Yang Yuanzhao and felt a bit helpless. One didn't realize the value of necessities until one was in charge. The current Yang residence had only one master and about a dozen servants, and the monthly expenses, including salaries, were already substantial. Adding these rewards would double the monthly expenditure. The young master didn't understand these things, and he would need to be reminded later.

Sun Fusheng, skilled in personnel matters, would not challenge Yang Yuanzhao's authority at this moment. Giving some initial benefits was normal, but a balance of kindness and authority was key. The master was still too young.

"Alright, that's settled. I don't have many rules, but some things are different from other households. I'll show you around now."

Sun Fusheng watched Yang Yuanzhao's approach and smiled bitterly. This master didn't seem to come from a noble family; he didn't follow any rules or hierarchy. He had heard from Liu Shu that Yang Yuanzhao was from a prominent family overseas. Perhaps foreigners were like this.

Yang Yuanzhao first led them to the water tower. The ten-meter-high water tower was particularly eye-catching in an era where most buildings were flat or tiled. The large water tank at the top had already caught the attention of the servants, who were wondering what it was for.

"This is the most important place for our family, the water tower."

"Water tower?" The servants murmured, looking at the strange structure. It was a water tower?

"Exactly. Our family's water supply comes from here. Every morning, a group of you will need to draw water from the well over there and fill this tank." Yang Yuanzhao pointed to a metal bucket on a track next to the water tower, which was at least ten times larger than a regular bucket. It was connected to a pulley system with alloy steel wire, using about ten pulleys, which could save several times the effort.

"Qingming, Guyu, you two come over and fill it up!" Sun Fusheng said, without waiting for Yang Yuanzhao's order. The eight attendants were named after the solar terms: Qingming, Guyu, Xiaoman, Mangzhong, Xiaoshu, Dashu, Xiaohan, and Dahan. The four maids were named after the seasons: Chunhua, Qiuyue, Xiajie, and Dongmei.

The two young men took turns, and soon the ten buckets were filled. Yang Yuanzhao had them use the pulley system to lift the bucket to the water tower. Their faces turned grim at the thought of lifting such a heavy load, but when they pulled the rope, they found it much lighter than expected, almost as easy as drawing water from the well. It was like magic.

In the amazed gazes of the others, they easily poured a bucket of water into the water tower without breaking a sweat.

"That's how it works. I've calculated that we need about 20 buckets of water each day. You can see the gauge over there. When it's full, you can stop." Yang Yuanzhao pointed to the top.

The gauge was a simple system Yang Yuanzhao had set up, connecting a transparent glass tube to the water tank. The gauge was clearly visible from below, and when it was full, the tank was full.

Next, Yang Yuanzhao introduced the new things one by one, such as the water pipes, hot water pipes, special stoves, and toilets. The servants were like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden, amazed by the many new things, especially the running water. When they turned on the tap, water came out, and it was even divided into hot and cold, which they found incredibly magical. The attendants and maids, being young, were delighted to enjoy things that even the grandest lords had not experienced.

Sun Fusheng, however, had a different feeling. When Liu Shu approached him, he had hesitated, but Liu Shu had emphasized that following this young master would bring great fortune. He had thought Liu Shu was just flattering him, but after truly interacting with Yang Yuanzhao, he realized that this young master was truly unfathomable. These things, not to mention in China, but even in foreign countries, he had never seen any nobleman pay such attention to the details of daily life, making them extremely comfortable.

After this tour, the morning passed. The Yang residence, which had been cold and quiet, now had a touch of liveliness. A dozen people were bustling around the courtyard, adding a sense of vitality and tidiness to the already neat place.

With people to serve him, Yang Yuanzhao did not lie back and act like a grand lord. He inspected each room, making notes on the plans. The basic renovation was complete, but the functionality of the residence was still lacking. The water problem was solved, but the electricity problem remained. Electrical wiring was something few people in this era, especially in China, understood, and it was even harder to find anyone in Baotou. To bring light to each room, he would have to do it himself.