Sun Saburo sat on the ground, panting as he watched the passing steamroller, like a mountain coming towards him, a little frightened. It wasn't until the machine passed and the voice became very low that he said to his father beside him: "Daddy, this monster looks really crazy!" I heard from the people I worked with that a roe deer had gone crazy a few days ago, and when the machine passed, it ran down. As a result, the machine didn't know it at all, and it pressed all the way over, and the roe deer became a meatloaf. And as the man had spoken, all the flesh was gone, and only one skin remained. ”

Speaking of this, Sun Saburo shook his body, as if he was really frightened.

Grandpa Sun said unhurriedly: "What do you know. I've heard people say that it's called a steam engine, and it's coal-burning. This is only used to press the road, but the top of the Bianhe River is used to pull boats, and one is better than hundreds of slender men. If it weren't for that, how could there be so many vans coming to us? ”

Sun Saburo said: "It's really weird, how could anyone come up with such a thing?" Without this machine, we would have been able to do it for a few more days. ”

Daddy Sun said leisurely: "Don't listen to people's nonsense. Without such a machine, we would not have built such a large iron prison, and we would not even have the work to build roads. I don't know how many years of coal and iron have been buried in the ground, and we have to dig it recently, so that we can do it alive and get money. ”

At this moment, Uncle Wu came over and said loudly: "All come here and get the money!" Tonight, there is wine prepared in the yamen, two white flour steamed buns per person, and a big bowl of pork stewed tofu, so that you can eat and drink to your heart's content! ”

Sun Sanlang jumped up from the ground and said to his father: "Daddy, I'll go over and get the money!" In this case, we took the money and went back, harvested the autumn crops, bought another cow, and built a few houses in the New Year. ”

Daddy Sun said with a smile: "If the house is built, and then you marry a Hun family, you will be a good family." ”

When Sun Sanlang heard this, he was full of strength and ran quickly to Uncle Wu Liu.

The money of the yamen was distributed by the officials every day, without the hands of Uncle Wu. What is being issued now is a reward for a good job and a short time. In order to receive this reward, the further back you go, the faster the road is built. It is rare for the conscience of the yamen, until the end of the road construction, the standard has not changed, and everyone has a share.

Seeing Sun Sanlang coming over, Uncle Wu Liu said, "Call your father over, this money will be sent to everyone who does the work." Also, there is something to say after sending the money. San Lang, our good days are coming, you use some heart! ”

Sun Saburo muttered: "Why can't I collect my own father's money?" What a weirdness! ”

As he spoke, he ran back quickly and asked his father to come and collect the money.

Uncle Wu looked at Sun Sanlang and shook his head secretly. What's wrong with the biological father and son, in front of the money, it's not clear. Although the imperial court had a law that grandfathers were not allowed to separate different property, there were also rules such as dividing the family property into households, and in rural areas, most sons lived separately when they grew up, and this era was actually dominated by small families. After the family property is divided, it is not uncommon for father and son to turn their faces because of money, but Uncle Wu has seen a lot. The Sun family is the same as the son, but Sun Saburo is the youngest and lives with his father and son.

The people who did the work surrounded Wu Liubu, laughing and playing, and they were very happy. For two months, even the salary and reward money, a total of more than two times, you can do a lot of big things when you go back. It is not the amount of money, but the most important thing is to find the money, which is what the farmers who cultivate the land lack the most.

Stepping on the cash box, Uncle Wu said loudly: "The people of the yamen see how well everyone is doing these days. Those of you who followed my work, shared your efforts, and the detention department looked satisfied, and reported to the camp and field affairs yamen. After autumn, there are other tasks for the iron supervisor, I have already asked, it is nothing more than smashing and sorting ores, and it is not too tiring. If you want to, come to me and keep making money! ”

This news was unexpected by everyone, and there was a lot of discussion for a while. There is nothing else to do in the countryside, and those with active minds walk the streets and alleys to do some small businesses, and earn some money to supplement their families. If you don't have that brain, you can only do odd jobs everywhere and earn a penny. A long-term and stable job like road construction without arrears is something you can't ask for.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Uncle Wu smiled and said: "You go back and think about it yourself, come to me if you are willing to do it, and you are not reluctant to do what you don't want to do." It is difficult for us farmers to earn a penny, and this is a rare opportunity. ”

Such a big iron prison, this kind of odd jobs are countless, every day. Instead of looking for odd jobs at that time, it is better to fix a group of contract foremen and contract the work to them. This is set by Du Zhongxiao before the road is built, and the process of building the road is also the process of screening people. The yamen selects the agreed contractors, and the contractors select the desirable workers, and they are freely combined when the time comes.

After talking about his future plans, Uncle Wu opened the cash box, took out a booklet, and began to distribute money according to the name on it. When he was a child, he went to a private school for a few days, knew a few words, and did not read enough articles, so he would recognize people's names and numbers. It's a big deal in the country, but if not, how can you be a foreman? After the road was repaired in the past two months, he just watched, and made more money than the people who built the road.

After distributing the money, when I arrived at the place to eat, I saw the mountain-like white flour steamed buns piled there, the cauldron next to it was full of pork stewed tofu, and several jars of wine, and everyone cheered. When farming at home, who wants to eat such delicate food? Even if the family grows wheat, most families have never eaten white flour. In the entire Ye County, how many mills can grind white noodles? In the end, it is a yamen, and doing things is atmospheric.

In the yamen, Du Zhongxiao and Su Song were writing and painting on the case, planning the affairs of the iron prison.

Du Zhongxiao said: "In the first year, it's not too much, we strive to smelt two million catties of iron a month——"

Liu Zhuo on the side smiled and said, "Judgment, this number is set high." For example, today's iron class is only more than 70 million catties, and our iron prison is newly opened, and it will cost more than 20 million catties a year, accounting for one-third of the world, how is it possible! ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's man-made!" For this iron prison, the cash allocated by the inner treasury is only 500,000 yuan, and if it can't reach this amount, how can we explain it to the imperial court? The Fiber Stretch Army that has been transferred here is coming one after another these days, and we plan carefully to follow this number! ”

After speaking, Du Zhongxiao said again: "Coal for iron smelting, according to two million iron in a month, coal should be no less than five million catties." This is an approximation, it may be more, it may be less, there is no exact number now, so let's count it like this. Even if a big car pulls 500 catties, it will cost 10,000 trips a month. According to the calculation of January 30, more than 300 cars will be required in one day. From the place where the coal is mined, to the iron prison more than 100 miles. Thirty miles of a shop, sixty miles of a post, just a two-day trip. We will need six or seven hundred truckloads of coal alone. According to this number, arrange the post station horse shop on the road. ”

Liu Zhuo made a silent calculation in his heart and didn't speak again. Although Ye County is on a traffic artery, how could there have been such a spectacular transport fleet. The amount of grain and grass consumed alone is a huge number, and the county cannot support it at all.

Du Zhongxiao said again: "According to the arrangement of the camp and field affairs, there will be more than 10,000 people in this iron prison. All calculations, one person is a thousand catties of iron, this number is too little. In addition to smelting iron this year, we must continue to build furnaces and open mines, and strive to reach 5 million catties a month within two or three years. ”

When these words came out, not only Liu Zhuo, but even Su Song's face was not good-looking. According to Du Zhongxiao's meaning, he wants to rely on this iron prison to double the iron output in the world, which is too much.

In fact, in Du Zhongxiao's heart, this number is really not big. How much is 60 or 70 million catties of iron a year? It's only 350,000 tons. In later generations, a small iron factory could exceed this number. After choosing a coal mine and refining coke, it is natural to start a blast furnace, and tens of thousands of tons a year are not just playing. All problems can be overcome in real life. It is rare to find such a place where there is coal and iron, and of course we must strive to build an iron-smelting center.