Chapter 105
It started to rain lightly again in the early morning. Qin Yao wore a raincoat and a bamboo hat, grabbed a few simple tools and a set of paper and pen, and went out early without eating breakfast.

When passing by my own field, I took a look at the rice in the field. I didn't have anything to do, so I walked quickly to Jinshi Town.

At about 08:30 in the morning, Qin Yao arrived at Shopkeeper Wu’s house in the town.

Before going there, I bought two large grain cakes on the street to cushion my stomach. When they arrived at Shopkeeper Wu's house, they went straight to the place where the water mill was to be built.

In the entire Kaiyang County, most of the towns and villages are built on the river. The river is the same water body, but due to different topography, it also forms various styles.

In this section of Jinshi Town, the river course is wider and deeper than that in Xiahe Village, but it is relatively gentle.

On the nearby mountains, there are streams and small waterfalls, and the water source is abundant.

Shopkeeper Wu chose a place on the river next to the official road leading to the county seat. There is a stone bridge here. The stone bridge is more than two meters high from the river. The location of the water mill is on the relatively flat river beach below the bridge.

Qin Yao looked at it and felt that the location was not very good. Although the transportation was convenient, if the water rose, the water tanker would be flooded.

Moreover, the ground on the river beach is very soft. If you build a mill on it, there is a risk of collapse.

These terrain factors are also one of the important reasons why Qin Yao is not worried about the waterwheel technology being copied.

The ancient feudal dynasty with backward agriculture in front of us is not a modern technological country with an industrial system in later generations. The river is basically in its original appearance, and a water tanker placed casually cannot use the water in the river.

However, Qin Yao had to make this business happen no matter what. After obtaining the consent of shopkeeper Wu, the two walked a while and finally decided to build a water mill 100 meters away from the official road.

The river here is narrow and the current is turbulent. The key point is that there are natural stone embankments on both sides, so all factors are relatively stable.

The only troublesome thing is that shopkeeper Wu has to widen the road himself to make it easier for cattle and carriages to come in.

But it’s only more than 100 meters but less than 200 meters, so it doesn’t cost much.

Shopkeeper Wu didn't want to give up this business, so he thought for a moment and ordered three sets of small waterwheels with Qin Yao.

"Collect one-third of the deposit first, and I will write you a receipt. When the installation is completed, the balance will be settled after the trial is confirmed."

Qin Yao took out a pen and paper and glanced at Shopkeeper Wu.

Shopkeeper Wu nodded, and she wrote a simple deposit receipt, and they each pressed their fingerprints.

This simple receipt has no legal effect, but it has a certain restraint effect between clans.

Ordinary people, no one wants to enter a government office, and there are many people who do this privately by signing receipts and writing contracts. As long as there are no problems between the two parties, it is accepted by default.

After giving the receipt to shopkeeper Wu, Qin Yao asked again: "When do you plan to install it?"

"Within ten days." Shopkeeper Wu asked worriedly, "Can you drive me out?"

Qin Yao: "There is no problem with this time. The main thing is that on your side, the venue must be prepared first."

Shopkeeper Wu promised that he would tidy up the land in four or five days.

In terms of interpersonal relationships, he has also thought about it, because it is a public river in the town. In order to avoid trouble, he will give a higher discount to the people living in the town, so that Qin Yao can just rest assured and do it on time. Just install it.

After discussing these things, Qin Yao left in peace.

I returned to Liujiacun at noon and gave Carpenter Liu the dimensional design before going home for lunch.

After lunch, I couldn't rest for a while, so I picked up my tools and went to collect stones.

She could finish the three small mills by herself, but Qin Yao didn't plan to work so hard now, so she still found a helper.

In the Liu family's old house, as soon as they saw Qin Yao coming in with tools, the whole family knew what she was doing. The three Liu and Bai brothers, who were repairing farm tools, got up and left with her without saying a word.

This time, Qin Yao and the other four took a few more stones and kept them in place for later use.

The shed we built last time is still there. I took the stones and moved them into the shed. After two or three days of hammering, three small millstones with a diameter of [-] centimeters were ready.

Carpenter Liu was also very fast, because last time he asked his father-in-law in advance to chop the wood and put it at home when he had time, so it would be useful for him to just carry it back this time.

Once the waterwheel is ready, painted and allowed to dry, the service life can be extended.

The dimensions of the three waterwheels are exactly the same, and so is the stone mill. Only the texture is slightly different, and the words "Liujiacun Water Mill Factory" are written on both parts.

During the production of Shopkeeper Wu's House Water Mill, Shunzi brought three waves of people over from Xiahe Village, and Qin Yao successfully negotiated two small sets for private use.

The last time the order was placed in Xiahe Village, Qin Yao gave Shunzi 150 Wen afterwards. This time it was the same ratio. The two orders were [-] Wen, giving him a total of [-] Wen.

There are many orders, but the stone mill on Qin Yao's side is not bad. The four of them are not affected by it, and the speed is about the same.

Carpenter Liu couldn't do it, so he urgently found two helpers in the village to help make the waterwheel fan blades.

As long as the measuring stick and the data are consistent, anyone who knows a little bit about carpentry can do it.

At the end of the month, a total of five sets of small combination water mills were delivered. When Qin Yao handed one hundred coins to the patriarch in front of the whole village, the entire Liu Village was boiling!

After hearing Qin Yao say that people in the village can also be brokers, and get a commission based on [-]% of the transaction price after completing the order, everyone became interested.

The women who married outside the country went back to their natal families collectively to promote the benefits of the water mill to their natal families.

When we go out for a meal, we will also talk to each other and ask the other party to remember to mention his name when he goes out, which can be cheaper.

Under this operation, I actually brought back several small orders for Qin Yao's manufacturing factory.

From the commission Qin Yao gave them, they would take five and ten cents from it and return it to their relatives who set the water mill.

The situation of each family is similar, none is particularly wealthy, and not all villages have the strength of Xiahe Village, so three or five families buy one set together, which spreads the cost and is very cost-effective.

And in this matter, Qin Yao discovered that the women in the village really have great potential as salespeople, and those who can bring orders are all women.

Especially in this small-scale peasant economic system where the family is the unit, women take over almost all the household chores except farming and cutting wood.

This water mill brings more benefits to women and has more motivation.

However, the range of movement of women is relatively small. It is very difficult for women to develop outside the town. They have to rely on hawkers and salesmen who go out to do business.

Qin Yao doesn't have big expectations. She thinks more realistically. She will spread out the county market in the early stage, do maintenance in the mid-term, and sell replacement parts in the later stage to maintain a relatively stable income.

In modern times, it is very difficult for a product to go global, not to mention the strict hierarchical ancient times. As a farmer, she can earn some daily living expenses and bring some economic development to the village, which is already good.

Even Carpenter Liu knew that the moment they touched the interests of noble people, they would no longer be able to make a penny.

Therefore, while they were eagerly promoting the news to the villagers, hoping that their family would be able to rise to prominence along with them, Qin Yao and Liu Carpenter were as steady as old dogs, keeping accounts and dividing money.

(End of this chapter)

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