Chapter 421: Rebuilding Xiangyang District (V)

Mainuerde Xiaohuochai: “The following was extracted from Baidu. Tuoyue is a piece of equipment used to blast air and burn during smelting. In Laozi, there’s a line that says, ‘Isn’t the world like a tuoyue? It’s hollow, but it’s not exhausted. The more its agitated, the stronger the wind.’ There were unearthed portraits from the Han Dynasty. The tuoyue is made up of three wooden rings, two round discs, and outer leather. It’s similar to the bellows, but it isn’t as easy to operate. Otherwise, the old man wouldn’t have replied in such a way.”

Mainuerde Xiaohuochai: “I looked it up on Baidu and it says that the double action reciprocating bellows was the most important blast technology invention in China. It’s certainly more advanced than the tuoyue!”

If Jiang Pengji were to attempt to figure it out alone, she would have occupied a lot of her time. However, the audience in the streaming room helped her, so it didn’t take nearly as much time as it would have otherwise.

The double action reciprocating bellows? Jiang Pengji was deep in thought.

The image of the bellows did not pop up in her mind, but the contents of her mechanical foundation course did.

If the tuoyue inspired the bellows, then the two should have something in common.

She asked the old man if there was a tuoyue in the workshop. She studied the tuoyue by rotating it, while the old man stared at her in confusion.

“Hey… I have an idea… This should increase the temperature in the kiln, so it is conducive for baking bricks.”

The old man was quite calm. However, when he saw her sit down on the mat, take out a piece of bamboo paper, and draw with charcoal on the ground, his facial expression changed in an instant. I didn’t peg you for a district magistrate! Why are you messing around with your diabolic tricks and wicked crafts instead of doing your official business?

The audience in the streaming room wondered why Jiang Pengji was trying to invent something instead of striving for supremacy… Did she think Mojia Juzi would approve of her doing everyone else’s job?

Jiang Pengji was messing around with the so-called “diabolic tricks and wicked crafts,” but her subordinates were busy to the point of madness.

Luo Yue was patrolling with 500 imperial guards. He had to remain alert for any danger from the outside world, while he also watched over the city.

It turned out that Jiang Pengji had foresight. Luo Yue had consecutively arrested four to five traffickers that wanted to abduct children or forcefully buy them. At first, he was able to maintain a calm expression. He asked someone to beat up the traffickers and fine them. Later, he directly imprisoned them in the district government prison. If nobody had stopped him, then he would have pulled out his sword and hacked them!

D*mn it. Did they not see they were busy? Some idiotic fellows still came to create trouble and increase their workload!

Luo Yue, who had worked to the point of exhaustion, said, “Anyone who destroys the public order of the Xiangyang District should die!”

In fact, the situation on Luo Yue’s side was okay. The others were having a tough time.

Qiguan Rang had always disliked standing out. However, household registration was not a trivial matter. He had to take it seriously. There were 50,000 to 60,000 people. If he had to register everyone, he’d be working forever.

After being in tribulation for two days, he no longer cared about his demeanor. He almost barked at Jiang Pengji. “Manpower! Manpower! Manpower!”

Sometimes, one had to say important things more than once.

However, there were now 99 illiterates among 100 people… It was hard to find someone who could write. Where could Jiang Pengji find someone who was literate and knew how to write?

Qiguan Rang’s eyes were bloodshot. He completely lost his grace. “I don’t care. You have to find someone. Otherwise, watch me die!”

Jiang Pengji did not dare guess how many nights he had stayed awake.

To not drive Qiguan Rang up a wall, Jiang Pengji had no choice but to come up with a solution.

It was probably God’s blessing. She suddenly had a bright idea upon seeing Taxue, who was serving her tea. She shouted excitedly, “There’s someone!”

“Who is it?”

Jiang Pengji replied, “Aren’t there a few young women living in the backyard of the district headquarters? Their origins aren’t vulgar. If it wasn’t for the Tsing Yi Army’s burning, killing, and pillaging, they wouldn’t have fallen so low. Not to mention their talents, I think they can write. Why don’t you hire some of them as secretaries to help you during registration?”

Qiguan Rang frowned heavily and responded, “All right.”

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The women, prior to being raped and kidnapped by the Tsing Yi Army, lived affluent lives with families famous in the Xiangyang District.

As the saying went, “Sons were let to live a tough life, whereas daughters were let to live a wealthy life.” They were all literate, so they could easily assist with the household registration.

However, their opinions regarding the matter were valuable. Fortunately, the Xiangyang District was north of Dongqing. Its ethos had been unaffected by its neighboring country, Zhongzhao. It was okay for women to show themselves in public.

Upon hearing the matter, the women stared at each other. After some hesitation, nine women promised to help. The others either felt that it was tiring, or that having contact with the commoners would make them lose their status.

Qiguan Rang was too lazy to argue with them.

He ordered someone to prepare some men’s clothing for the nine women; he even asked the women to make their faces look rougher. He then took them elsewhere to help with registration.

Jiang Pengji had no time to heave a sigh of relief. Feng Jin closed the door quietly. Without speaking a word, he looked at her.

She was somewhat guilty. “Have you done everything?”

The bags under Feng Jin’s eyes were heavy. He had only slept for two hours over the last few days. The circles under his eyes were dark. “I haven’t seen Changsheng and Jingxian in three days.”

He was so busy he did not have the time to see his wife and daughter. Don’t you think it’s sad, Lord?

Jiang Pengji replied innocently, “I have no more manpower.”

“I don’t want to cry, scream, and threaten to kill myself. Lord, I don’t want to make a terrible scene Wen Zheng did,” Feng Jin said quietly. The audience in the streaming room felt sorry for him. They lashed out at Jiang Pengji, the Zhou Bapi!

Laosiji Lianmeng: “Look at you! What sins have you committed?”

Qiongbing Duwu: “An aristocrat was forced to cry, scream, and threaten to kill himself… What a tragedy.”

Han Yutong: “Forget it. Could you bear to see Feng Jin hang himself in front of you?”

Piaopiaoyang: “Aren’t there still more than ten women in the backyard of the district headquarters? Ask them. They’re all literate and know how to write. Could you bear to watch them eat rice and do nothing? That is food; it doesn’t fall from the sky. You buy it with money! You definitely can’t put up with that! You must coerce and bribe them to work! If they’re unwilling to work, your strategists will be kneeling on the ground.”

Feng Jin said silently, “Jingxian asked someone to send me a letter yesterday. She said Changsheng misses me…”

Jiang Pengji suppressed her emotions and said, “I’ll try…”

Feng Jin left. Meng Hun appeared before Jiang Pengji had time to catch her breath.

“I have no more manpower! If you don’t believe me, you can see for yourself in the backyard!”

Meng Hun was puzzled. He responded, “What do you mean?”

Jiang Pengji coughed a little and answered, “Nothing!”

Meng Hun then gave a progress report from the last two days. Meng Hun had also been terribly busy. He slept for less than two hours every day. He had to eat while he worked. However, he was too virtuous. He worked hard and never made a sound no matter how tired he was.

After reporting on his work, he returned to his post.

Jiang Pengji heaved a long sigh. She ate some dry steamed buns to fill her stomach, then asked Taxue to prepare a basin of water for her to wash her feet. She lowered her head and scraped the blisters on her feet.

Clogs broke easily, and straw sandals rubbed her feet. She had been climbing high and low over the past few days, so she was quite worn out.

At that moment, a messenger said Xu Ke was outside. Jiang Pengji was speechless.

Not only was she speechless, but the viewers in the streaming room convulsed with laughter. They all said it was karma.

Zuizhan Baishegeng: “The trashy streamer who oppresses and exploits her workers is now being punished!”