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墨書 Inktalez
Seeing this, Xia Muxin slowly got up, clapped her hands, and then placed the bucket into the river to wash it. In no time, the water turned red.
Zhao Qiushui was splashing around in the water, her eyes wide open like copper bells, glaring at Xia Muxin with a venomous stare. The others were focused intently on the water, afraid of missing any leeches. But when the water suddenly turned red, they were caught off guard. As they tried to swim back to shore, they realized that their bodies were gradually turning red as well.
Xia Muxin looked at the bucket in her hand with some regret. She had put a lot of effort into creating this drop of red, only to give it away for free to these people. Sigh...
A drop of red, as the name suggests, only needed a single drop to dye something completely red. She had gotten these materials on a whim and combined them with some herbs she had prepared herself. Initially skeptical about the effectiveness of her concoction, she no longer had any doubts now.
Not only had the surrounding river water turned red, but this large group of people was also affected; every part submerged in the water was red, even their hair was no exception.
Zhao Qiushui and the three members of the Wu Clan were the most severely affected since they had jumped right in. At this moment, aside from their teeth, they were completely red from head to toe.
"Ah! What kind of monster is this?!"
Wang Shoucai also jumped into the water. Zhao Qiushui's guards leaped in as if their lady had fallen into the water. Aunt Liu and several women who were carrying wooden basins to wash clothes were startled by the sight of twenty or so red figures standing in the river. After screaming in shock, they picked up stones from the ground and threw them at them.
This led to a chaotic exchange; those standing in the river shouted insults while those on shore urged them to leave. As a result, more villagers gathered, each holding tools and fearfully yet resolutely driving them away. Ultimately, this group never made it back to shore but continued downstream until an hour later when they finally climbed out behind Wang's house and entered Wang's courtyard, nearly scaring the Meng family into fainting. They commanded their few remaining servants to grab tools and start hitting them indiscriminately...
"Sis, is that drop of red really that powerful? Will it take a month to wash off?"
Xia Muxin and her brother happily returned home to prepare lunch. Songzi added firewood to the stove while laughing at the ridiculous appearance of those people earlier and curiously asked Xia Muxin.
At that moment, Xia Muxin was cutting wild chicken meat. Hearing Songzi's question made her chuckle as she replied, "I've only heard about it; I haven't tested it myself yet. But... I hope so!"
Since there were many people for lunch, she prepared a lavish meal. The family had recently added two large round tables, so there was no worry about not having enough space.
During lunch, both tables were filled to capacity with dishes served in large bowls—chicken, duck, fish, and meat—all exuding a delicious aroma even before they started eating.
A group of people was now enviously eyeing Ming Yiming and Peng, who got to enjoy such delicious meals every day.
During mealtime, they still ate ravenously, with the sounds of clattering dishes and hearty gulps filling the air. After their previous experience, Xia Muxin made sure to cook enough rice this time, and the vegetables were served in large bowls, ensuring they wouldn't go hungry.
They were always diligent about washing their bowls and chopsticks clean after each meal.
Thanks to their help, the Three Acres of Land was harvested in less than three days. Once the work was done, they quietly left without a word.
On the day they departed, Xia Muxin's family was in the yard spreading grain on connected thin wooden boards to dry when they noticed five or six unfamiliar faces dressed like farmers walking toward their yard.
"Excuse me, is this the home of Xia Muxin, Miss Xia?"
An elderly man, slightly older than the rest, politely asked as he approached their yard.
Xia Muxin glanced outside and noticed that the newcomers had clean eyes and some mud on their clothes. They wore ordinary straw sandals. She walked over and replied, "I am Xia Muxin. May I ask what brings you here?"
Upon hearing her words, a look of disbelief flashed in the eyes of the group. After a moment, it was still the elderly man who spoke up again.
"Miss Xia, we are from Niujia Village. We heard that you can operate a thresher, so we wanted to inquire about your rates."
"How did you know I could do that?"
Xia Muxin felt a bit skeptical since Daimiao Village was surrounded by mountains, and the nearest village was over ten miles away in Dayao Village.
"Oh! Dandong is our village's son-in-law. The day before yesterday, Ermiao took his brother to Grandma's House and saw everyone in the village harvesting. However, the thresher couldn't keep up with the work. He mentioned you, so I came here. I am Niu Sanmu, the village chief of Niujia Village!"
Xia Muxin understood now; she hadn't thought much about doing this—she just wanted everyone to finish harvesting quickly and not be under Wang's control. After pondering for a moment, she asked, "May I ask how much you are willing to pay?"
Niu Sanmu was taken aback by the question thrown back at him. Their village had over four hundred households, and the Threshers were contracted out to someone, but the number was limited. To ensure they could harvest their grain at the best time, everyone turned to him for help. In the end, he asked Ermiao to explain the specifics of the Thresher, and they decided to buy it.
"One hundred and fifty taels, do you think that's reasonable?"
It wasn't easy to acquire such a thing. If it were contracted out, they could recoup their investment in a few years. However, everyone in the village was a farmer; money was tight, but more importantly, it was about relationships. This wasn't just a matter of one or two years; it was something that had been passed down through generations.
Heard that those who made these threshing drums had to enlist the help of influential figures to get them, and they were quite expensive. So when Niu Sanmu spoke those words, his face turned red.
The others also lowered their heads in embarrassment.
"Village Chief, one hundred and twenty taels for one machine. Do you want one or two?"
Xia Muxin smiled enigmatically before speaking up.
The wood was from her own land, her father and brother were carpenters, and the important parts were sourced by Shen Muhan. Even the iron bolts and chains were paid for by Ming Yi. In reality, she had spent less than thirty taels for six Threshers. Over the past few days, the villagers had gifted her more than a hundred eggs.
Moreover, as long as they weren't like the Wang family who exploited the poor common folk, she didn't want to raise prices.
If she really sold them, even asking for five hundred taels wouldn't be unreasonable.
After all, rarity increases value, especially for something so essential.
Upon hearing this, the villagers were left speechless with astonishment. In this backward village, who didn't want to get rich and escape poverty? It was no wonder that Ermiao and his sister praised Miss Xia as if she were a goddess.
They never expected such an outcome; gathering three hundred fifteen taels of silver from house to house with a stroke of luck brought them here.
The village chief paused for a moment before tremblingly saying:
"Two machines, two machines!"
He quickly agreed to pay. Xia Muxin looked at the assorted silver coins in their sack and felt something flicker in her eyes. After receiving the money, she explained how to use the machines. Before they left, she instructed them to disassemble the Threshers—separating the drums, baffles, and frames—so it wouldn't be so tiring to carry.
As several people bowed and thanked her upon leaving, Xia Muxin felt quite uncomfortable.
With the rice harvest completed in the village, people from a few neighboring villages came and bought the remaining four threshers at the same price.
For those who couldn't buy one, Xia Muxin told them to come back in a few months or before next year's harvest, and she would find a way to make a few more. The news had spread through the village, and everyone said that Miss Xia was kind-hearted, so they all believed her.
The sudden business of the threshers took Xia Muxin by surprise; she thought this situation only existed in Daimiao Village, but it turned out that other villages were the same.
After this, she personally took some people to chop down a few large trees on the mountain. On one hand, she asked Ming Yi and the others to find other materials, while on the other hand, she had her father and brother work on making frames and other items. In just one month, they managed to produce ten more threshers.
During this month, neither the Royal Family nor the Zhou Family had come looking for trouble. Xia Muxin knew that this drop of red had succeeded. Several times, she had seen people lurking outside her yard with scarves and headscarves. Now that she thought about it, it must have been the Wu Family and the You Family.
One day, Xia Muxin went to Town with Ming Yi following her closely while Ming Peng stayed home to keep watch. Her mother was now heavily pregnant and could not afford any harm. Moreover, a month had passed, so the red mark should have fallen off by itself.
To be safe, she instructed her mother to stay home and not go out. Her father and brother needed to go out to gather firewood, while Ming Peng was responsible for watching over her mother and keeping her safe.
She had already scheduled the kiln firing for a week later and had some silver coins in hand to buy what she needed.
Of course, she didn't forget to take out some snail meat and several jars of Wine-Pickled Fish to sell.
Following her usual method, she sent the snail meat to Fortune and Longevity Restaurant and taught Uncle Bingzi two dishes. The Wine-Pickled Fish was sold at the market, and within half an hour, it was all gone. People kept asking when there would be more Orchid Beans and when the Wine-Pickled Fish would be available again. Xia Muxin answered each inquiry with ease.
It had been over a month since Shen Muhan left without sending a single letter. When she asked Ming Yi about him, they were just as clueless as ever, saying only that their leader always acted with discretion and was doing it for her own good.
She didn’t press further; after all, there was plenty for her to do at the moment.
With the rice harvested, things were in disarray in the fields. She went to the general store to buy seasonal seeds and ended up purchasing about ten different kinds. Once the kiln was ready, she could start planting.
Next, she bought a lot of vegetables and finally purchased over a thousand pounds of glutinous rice. She bought unprocessed grains because it was more cost-effective; plus, the rice bran could be used to feed chickens. Ming Yi and his group had caught quite a few wild chickens that they couldn’t finish eating or sell in Town. She chose smaller ones, clipped their wings, and raised them herself; the rice bran became their daily food.
Upon returning home, she instructed Aunt Liu to gather a few capable women and taught them how to make brick carriers. Twine and shoulder poles were essential materials. In the end, she worked hard to acquire steel wire; twisting five or six strands together into a braided shape created a flexible arc that could be fitted with twine for carrying bricks easily.
She measured the looseness at about three to four bricks, considering that the person's strength was limited. Each brick weighed at least ten pounds, and with four on one side, that made it eighteen pounds if doubled, adding up to over a hundred pounds. Carrying that for a whole day was exhausting enough.
On the other side, she had people start building a wooden bridge. The bridge was constructed using thick, long logs, which were then secured with Martin fasteners. She had gone to three blacksmith shops and paid extra silver to get the craftsmen to make them.
After all, these were her own designs, and the craftsmen had to follow her blueprints precisely, adhering to specific lengths and thicknesses. Fortunately, they seemed satisfied with her requirements.
She knew this task was challenging, but she had already prepared everything with just a small amount of money.
Another important matter was preparing the kiln base. Just like building a house, one needed to plan out the rooms and kitchens beforehand. The kiln required similar considerations: determining its size, how many bricks each layer would need, and most importantly, leaving openings for the kiln holes. During firing, a large amount of firewood would need to be added. The kiln was cylindrical and typically had six to eight openings. Xia Muxin trusted Er Dan Ge immensely; her brother was also a remarkable person with an excellent memory. After drawing up the blueprints and marking the key points, she assigned them to oversee the project.
This task should not be underestimated. Xia Muxin stayed busy as well, following closely behind them to observe their commands and offering suggestions whenever something seemed off.
Before long, several days passed, and today marked the official start of kiln construction.
Early in the morning, Xia Muxin led Er Dan and the hundreds of villagers she had gathered to the site.
Everyone finished breakfast early and took the tools distributed by Xia Muxin. Since she had prepared them beforehand, they generally knew what to do, but nerves were still inevitable.
- End of Chapter -
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