HLnovel Chapter 382: Negotiating the Road Construction Issue
Chapter 382: Negotiating the Road Construction Issue
"Let's wait and see. If he really changes, I'm willing to help him, not to mention Dad. I'm just afraid he has a purpose."
After all, it is my maternal grandparents' family, and Shen Hua also hopes that one of their branches can stand on its own.
The father and son put all the silver in a hole in the corner of the wall and buried it.
Do it quietly, but if someone pays close attention, they will be able to discover it.
Su Wanwan was unaware of what was going on in Shen Hua's family, and she had no idea that some people were thinking of coming to work in the workshop and getting paid for nothing.
When she arrived in the county town, she went straight to the county government office to find Xu Huaiyuan.
When Xu Huaiyuan saw that Su Wanwan actually came to his office to find him, he knew that she wanted to discuss something, so he immediately asked her to come in.
When Xu Huaiyuan heard her say that she came here for road construction, he also smiled.
"Isn't this a coincidence? I have the same plan. This year, we have collected quite a few corvées. Except for those who are sent to repair the dike, I plan to send the rest to repair the official road."
Xu Huaiyuan had this plan a long time ago.
The official road was too narrow. He discovered this problem every time he went to Daliushu Village. Two carriages could not run side by side, making travel very inconvenient.
I didn't expect that an accident had already happened.
This will also affect the business of the tofu skin workshop, and it will also delay the harvesting and transportation of the vegetables next year.
"Road construction is a huge project, and the progress is very slow. Since Daliushu Village is most in need, I will send everyone there first. Other places can slow down a bit."
Xu Huaiyuan had already made the decision, and Su Wanwan was also grateful.
She also knew that building roads was not easy in ancient times. There were no large-scale machinery in ancient times, and everything depended on manpower. If one wanted to widen the road, one had to first clear the trees on both sides of the road, and there were many more steps to go through.
But she didn't know how to repair it specifically. Looking at the official roads she walked on, there was no cement or asphalt, so the quality was certainly not as good as that of later generations.
It gets muddy when it rains.
"Thank you, Lord Xu. Shen Yuan and I are willing to contribute our efforts to the road construction. We can pay the labor service wages."
The wages for corvée labor were not high, and just a few more copper coins a day would make them work harder.
If you contribute a delicious meal from time to time, the progress and quality will improve.
However, Xu Huaiyuan immediately refused.
"Road construction is originally the government's business. The imperial court also allocates money every year. You don't have to worry about it. If you want them to speed up, prepare a meal for them every day. If they eat well, they will naturally work hard."
Xu Huaiyuan had no intention of asking his elder brother and sister-in-law to pay for the labor service, as that would be of no use to the government.
The corvée labor was like this every year. This was the policy, and the government could afford to pay the wages, but the wages were relatively low, and the meals provided were also relatively simple. Basically, one was not starving to death, but even could not get enough to eat.
How can one have the energy to work when one is doing forced labor and can’t even get enough to eat?
Therefore, the progress of these livelihood projects is very slow every year. Some corrupt officials even deliberately withhold wages, use materials very perfunctorily, defraud the court's funds, and enrich themselves.
Therefore, he discovered that the official road to Xu County was really not good. If it had followed the normal procedure and paved the road with stones, clay, and then gravel, layer by layer, the official road would not be like this.
It is conceivable how much corruption previous officials had incurred in these projects.
Since the county magistrate said so, Su Wanwan did not insist.
"Okay, we'll take care of the food on the official road leading to Daliushu Village. It just so happens that many people in our village have to participate in corvée labor, and it's very convenient right at our doorstep."
Su Wanwan responded without saying it directly, but Xu Huaiyuan immediately understood.
It was his sister-in-law who asked him to open a back door. She wanted all the villagers who were doing corvée labor to be assigned to Daliushu Village to build the road.
"It is very convenient, don't worry, sister-in-law."
Thinking of that road, Su Wanwan asked again how the road was built and how to prevent water accumulation.
After hearing Xu Huaiyuan talk about the several procedures, Su Wanwan felt relieved. It seemed that the road was not properly repaired by the previous government.
However, even if the road is built according to those procedures, water accumulation is inevitable after all, there is no cement and asphalt, but it will not be as muddy.
"Master Xu, I have an idea. Since roads are prone to water accumulation, why not dig drainage ditches on both sides of the road?"
Su Wanwan remembers that in her hometown in the countryside, there were drainage ditches on both sides of the road, which could store water and be used to irrigate the fields during droughts.
She just gave a reminder, after all, she was not a professional.
Xu Huaiyuan seemed to be thinking about something, and then his eyes lit up.
"My sister-in-law reminded me of this. I will have someone come over to discuss and inquire whether it can be implemented. We also need an experienced master to conduct an on-site inspection."
Su Wanwan nodded and decided not to participate in this. After all, the craftsmen in ancient times were also very skilled, and she didn’t understand them either.
"Then I'll go see Aunt Xu. Sir, you go ahead and do your work."
Su Wanwan brought a gift to see Aunt Xu and accompanied her for lunch before leaving. It was still a long time before Shen Zhao got out of school, so she went to buy another gift and prepared to go to Zheng's house.
Shen Yuan said that the last time he came to pick up beans, Mr. Zheng mentioned that his wife had given birth to a big fat boy.
After all, we are partners now, and these etiquettes are necessary.
She went straight to the silver shop and bought a longevity lock, then took Aunt Huang to Zheng's house. Zheng Baiwan was not at home, and Li Shuang'er was still in confinement after giving birth.
When Li Shuang'er heard that Su Wanwan was coming, she immediately asked someone to invite her over.
"Sister, you came at the right time. Come talk to me. I'm so uncomfortable staying in the house all day."
Li Shuang'er likes Su Wanwan very much. She is also from the village and may be a bit aloof and has few friends.
Later, she got married, but didn't give birth to a child for several years, so she was divorced by her husband's family. She became a laughing stock, and no one wanted to be friends with her.
Su Wanwan didn't care that she and Shen Yuan had met before, and that he had helped the Zheng family a lot last time. She felt that they had endless things to talk about.
Before Su Wanwan's arrival, she put the longevity lock on the baby, looked at the baby's pink face, and touched it gently.
"So cute."
Li Shuang'er saw the silver lock and said with a smile, "Thank you for the expense."
However, she looked at her son again, and a gentle light appeared on her face.
With this child, it was proved that she was not a hen that couldn't lay eggs. No one would dare to laugh at her anymore.
The two talked for a while, and Li Shuang'er suddenly mentioned the Liu family.
"Have you heard? Liu Qian has taken in a concubine. I heard she's very spoiled. Speaking of the Liu family, it's really strange."
Women love to talk about gossip when they are together. When Su Wanwan heard it, she also became interested.
"What happened to the Liu family?"
Li Shuang'er looked around and saw that there was no one around, so she whispered:
"I heard from my husband, Mr. Zheng, that the Liu family might have hooked up with some big shot. Also, when they bought soybeans, the Liu family bought as much as we did. But, two months have passed, and we haven't seen any shipments from the Liu family."