My uncle returns with a bowl in his hand, faint steam comes from the bowl, indicating it's still warm.
"Here, Henry. Eat it while it still warm"
"Thanks, Uncle"
I receive the bowl and emptied the content within minutes. Although the taste still far from what I made, but it's still passable. After filling my stomach with some food, I feel I get some energy to get up.
"Henry, if you not feeling well you can rest in the tent"
"It's okay uncle. I feel better after taking breakfast, besides all the people are working hard here, how come I only relax in the tent"
"Are you really okay? If you feeling fine then just come to clearing site to check what we already did yesterday. Maybe you can give some instruction about the site or something else"
"Okay, I will go there after cleaning myself, uncle. I can't wear this wet clothes and go there, right?"
"Alright, I will wait for you there. This soup recipe of yours really good, huh? I also feel energetic after eating this soup at breakfast. There's even something that previously only used for horse feed"
"Haha, of course, uncle. It's a nutritious food and good for breakfast"
Uncle Jason left my tent after making sure I'm alright. The soup contains high protein from fish broth, and have enough carbohydrates from the rice inside, of course, that will give energy for activities. Actually, I want to sleep more, but I'm deciding not to slack off when everybody else works hard for my sake. So I sluggishly stand up and wash my face with water in the water basin then change my wet clothes with a dry one.
I walk out of my tent and see the sun is already a bit high, it's about 8 in the morning. The crews are already on their respective post and doing their job. While walking to the clearing site, I'm thinking about my dream last night. Is that really a dream? It's just feeling too real for the dream. Even my body still feels tired after wake up. When thinking about that, I do not realize that I already arrive at the clearing site.
The trees that originally grow there already removed and leaving only tree stumps. Tree logs already collected in one place and make a high pile of the wood log. Some carpenters already make wood planks with seesaw in their hands. The Lumberjacks are cutting the trees in other sides of the clearing. The rest of clearing sites crews is removing the tree stomps together. I see my uncle is directing his men on their job. So I approaching him and ask how the progress of the clearing.
"Uncle. Your men are really capable. In one day the already open the area this much"
"Haha, of course. They are selected and the best men I can get. So how's the plan after open this area Henry?"
"Yes. For this area, let make the salt pool as the original plan, and save some area around for expansion later. For housing, let's make it near the old pier, I suggest uncle make one long house first to save time, besides our crews is all male, doesn't matter if they sleep in the same room, right? After we able to make the house later, the long house can be used for meeting hall or turn into an inn by make rooms inside. The road also should be made, living support like well and bathing place and lavatory, also need to build. I don't want to step on someone shit when I'm walking around here"
My uncle laughs after hearing my last words.
"Hahaha…you're right. I hate that too if that happens to me. Henry, we need a planning, detailed one, for this settlement. This place is good, on the third supply, I'm planning to bring some families to move here and start a village here"
"Alright uncle, I will think for a plan for that. But I can give a rough planning for now. This area will allocate for salt industry, so there's no residence housing here. Next, to salt industry, the area will allocate for other industry that using salt as their material, like making dried fish for example or tanning leather. Along the road that will be built we make housing and commerce sites, there will shop and restaurant along that road. There should be some farming land around to give the village food"
"Hooo… That's sound great. Right, if this area can develop into a city, that kind of area is really needed. Maybe we can also make shipyard here to build fishing ships"
"Oh, if that can be made here, it would be good. Not just fishing ship but maybe also merchant ship too"
"Haha…but that's for a long-term plan, Henry. We need to recruit that ship making artisan from another territory since we don't have it in our territory. But it's really worthy to make, we can expand our trade with the ship too"
"I leave that on you, uncle"
"Hoho, don't worry. I can handle that but now we should concentrate on the work in front of our eyes first. After removing the stomp we can start digging the pool for saltern"
"Ah, right. I haven't checked the stove for the salt cooking. I will go there for checking uncle"
"You go. There's no problem here. And if you want to explore again, don't forget to take Clause with you"
"Okay, uncle. Excuse me"
So leave the clearing site and go to the stove that currently boiling the seawater in the big pot. When I arrive there, I saw the firewatcher crews is about the cleaning the stove. They are holding shovel and sack in their hand.
"Hello guys, what are you going to do with that sack and shovel?"
"Good morning master Henry, we will remove the ashes from the stove to make the firewood can burn easier"
Ashes? Suddenly something is flashing in my mind.
"Okay, continue your work but don't throw away the ashes. I need that ashes after you finish removing the ashes from the stove, send the ashes to my tent"
"Yes, master Henry, we will do as you say"
After checking the pot, I leave them and go to my tent. I smile wide from ear to ear after remember that something. Finally, I have something to do again.