Chapter 93 Big Business
The two of them rode in a ox cart and came to Liujia Village to find Qin Yao.
Only one day had passed since Wang Yu last came.
Qin Yao didn't expect that they would make the decision so quickly.
Liu Ji brought two bowls of fermented rice wine and sweetened water, one for each person, and then stood beside Qin Yao, lowering his head and listening to them discussing the big business worth fifteen taels of silver.
Don't tell me, don't tell me, this woman in his family knows how to do business. She dared to ask for fifteen taels of silver for a waterwheel that only cost one tael of silver.
But from the sound of it, it seems like an enlarged version of the waterwheel, but no matter how big it is, it can't be fifteen times bigger.
Wang Yu and his companions' request was simple: they hoped to complete the construction of the village's water mill before the autumn harvest.
Qin Yao said that it was no problem and there was plenty of time.
"Can't the price be cheaper?" Wang Yu asked tentatively.
Qin Yao looked embarrassed. "This is really necessary, and this is just an estimated price. The specific situation needs to be analyzed in detail. But since you have decided to ask me to help build this water mill, I can guarantee that I will give you a satisfactory result."
Now that things have come to this, it seems that not a penny can be spared. Wang Yu and his uncle Wang looked at each other and asked Qin Yao if she was free now. Otherwise, she could go with them to Xiahe Village to check out the river conditions so that they could make a final price. Everyone would have a clear idea in mind.
Qin Yao readily agreed, "Okay, I'm free now, you guys came here by ox cart, right?"
The two nodded, and the three of them stood up and prepared to go to Xiahe Village.
Liu Ji followed out unconsciously. He was almost blinded by copying books these days and had not even stepped out of the house. If he continued to stay like this, he would go crazy.
Besides, he hadn't seen Shunzi for a long time. If he didn't go out to see him, Shunzi might forget that he was his elder brother.
Qin Yao didn't want him to go at first, but after thinking about it, she asked Liu Ji to call Carpenter Liu to go together. It would be better for them to survey the site conditions today and come back to make a plan. Once it is confirmed, they can start work, which will save a lot of trouble.
Qin Yao's efficiency won the hearts of Wang Yu and others. They originally thought that it was not reliable for a woman like Qin Yao to handle this matter, but now it seems that they were worrying too much.
So, Qin Yao asked Dalang and Erlang to take good care of the two children at home. The couple, together with Carpenter Liu, took measuring tools, paper, pens and other items, and followed Wang Yu and the other two to Xiahe Village.
It was noon, and the river in Xiahe Village was full of half-grown children bathing in the river. They were swimming in a shallow puddle downstream, and there were adults watching them, so they didn't have to worry about drowning.
Seeing Wang Yu bringing the people from Liujia Village, everyone gathered around curiously.
The naked teenagers surrounded them and asked them what they were doing.
Qin Yao was just about to find Liu Ji to get the paper and pen he brought, but when she turned around, the man was gone, and she didn't know when the things had been put into Wang Yu's hands.
Qin Yao knew with her toes that he must have gone to fool around with Shunzi. The guests were still there, so she couldn't get angry. She and Carpenter Liu took tools and observed the situation in the river.
There is a two-and-a-half-meter height difference between the shallow puddle where the children bathe and the upstream river channel, but it is just a slope with protruding rocks on it, so the impact of the daily water flow is not great.
In addition, the area of the puddle on the lower level was too small to accommodate a large waterwheel, so Qin Yao and Carpenter Liu crossed out this place and continued to move upwards to look for a suitable site for building a water mill.
Every village near a river seems to have a pond near the river for washing vegetables and clothes.
A hole of about 50 centimeters was dug where water was diverted into the pond, dividing the river surface more than three meters wide into two. The amount of water that flows into the mouth alone has a great impact because the outlet is narrow, long and deep.
In this place, if there is a dry season, we just need to fence off the river channel on the other side, and the water will naturally accumulate and rush into the entrance.
Qin Yao looked at it for a while and found that this was a perfect place!
Carpenter Liu didn't understand these, but he could understand what Qin Yao said.
The two sat down on the stone pier beside the pond. Qin Yao took out a pen and paper and drew a simple diagram of the water mill on the paper so that it would be easier to show to the guests.
Wang Yu and the other man came over and compared the content of the painting with the topography of the pond, and the style of the water mill came into their minds.
"I just calculated that the pond here is large enough and has the right depth. The water depth is 80 centimeters, which is more than enough to place a three-meter-diameter horizontal waterwheel."
Qin Yao gestured as she spoke so that Wang Yu would know where the waterwheel was placed.
"Your pond is big enough and easy to construct. We can start the work by blocking the river mouth here."
"A water mill can be built on a pond. Foundation pillars can be laid on the four sides of the pond, and a platform can be built in the air, with the pond at the bottom and the mill above it."
However, she is not responsible for this part, and the people of Xiahe Village need to build the mill house themselves.
The power of a horizontal water wheel is stronger than that of a vertical water wheel. If it is a vertical water wheel, the terrain requirements are not particularly high.
But if you want to operate two mills and a stone roller at the same time, the power of the vertical water wheel is not enough, and you must use a horizontal water wheel.
After listening to Qin Yao's description, Wang Yu realized that the waterwheel Qin Yao was talking about was different from the one he saw at Qin Yao's home.
"Madam Qin, isn't the water mill in Xiahe Village different from yours?"
Qin Yao knew that he was worried about the poor effect, so he said confidently: "Don't worry, there are many forms of water wheels. According to factors such as terrain, river channels, and water flow conditions, different water wheels can be set up according to local conditions to maximize their role."
Wang Yu felt relieved after hearing Qin Yao say this.
After finding a good place and taking advantage of the fact that there was still some time, Wang Yu directly invited Qin Yao and the others to his home, and also invited the prestigious elders in the village to come over so that everyone could discuss a set of rules together.
The design plan was already in Qin Yao's mind. In order to make it easier for the client to understand, she first drew a simple diagram to clearly show the parts that everyone was responsible for.
First of all, all she and Carpenter Liu could promise was the waterwheel and stone millstone, including the labor, materials and installation.
Secondly, the cost is still fifteen taels of silver, not a penny less, and it might even exceed the budget.
But since this was the first time everyone was working together, Qin Yao planned to give a fellow villager price.
If Xiahe Village can place an order today and pay a deposit of five taels, the construction cost will be fifteen taels, and she will bear the rest herself.
Finally, the main body of the mill house needs to be built by the people of Xiahe Village themselves. She will give them a blueprint and they will find craftsmen to build it themselves.
Carpenter Liu listened silently, nodding in agreement with everything Qin Yao said, until he heard the villager price of fifteen taels, his eyes widened for a moment.
As a carpenter himself, he knew that the wood was worth only two or three taels of silver.
But he quickly calmed down, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, trembling slightly with excitement.
Looking at the people in Xiahe Village, although they also felt that it was expensive, they seemed to be persuaded by Qin Yao and felt that the waterwheel and stone mill were worth so much silver.
I couldn't help but sigh inwardly, he is such a good fool.
(End of this chapter)