Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 92 - 91: Visitors from Lower River Village
I don’t know who let the cat out of the bag, but suddenly the whole village knew that Qin Yao was planning to support Liu Ji in returning to the academy.
The men in the village felt both envious and jealous of Liu Ji, wondering how he could get such a good thing.
The women couldn’t understand why Qin Yao was being so good to Liu Ji, who was nothing but a fool.
Of course, there were also those who mocked the couple for their unrealistic dream, thinking that studying would lead to fame and fortune. Many people study till they’re old and can’t even pass the child student exam. They saw it as a joke.
The Liu Family’s old house was abuzz with discussion. Old Liu and his three sons discussed the matter for a long time, while He and the pregnant Mrs. Qiu took the opportunity while picking vegetables to visit Qin Yao at the water mill.
"Sister-in-law, is what’s being said out there true? Are you really going to support Laosan to continue studying? What are you hoping for? If he was willing to work hard, he wouldn’t be the way he is now!" He anxiously questioned.
Mrs. Qiu was also anxious but was more composed; she sat down before holding her belly with a steady tone, said:
"We won’t even talk about the cost of studying. There’s just the two of you adults at home as it is. Once Laosan leaves, how can you handle all the work in the fields by yourself?"
"Yes, we know you’re strong, but just because you’re strong doesn’t mean you should take everything upon yourself. Sister-in-law, don’t be foolish, or you’ll end up losing more than you gain."
Qin Yao was working on fixing the millstone at the water mill. The mill had been operating at high intensity, and the grooves were worn smooth, needing to be reworked.
Unexpectedly, two people came and started talking about the matter. Her heart skipped a beat, "Everyone knows now?"
He and Mrs. Qiu nodded, "All the women in the village know you’ve made a foolish decision!"
Qin Yao’s heart wavered for a moment, but she quickly calmed down, continuing her work as she signaled Mrs. Qiu to sit further away to avoid any accidents, calmly saying:
"Our entire family has decided on this matter. You all know what Liu Ji’s like; it’s absolutely impossible for him to make a living in the fields, so after much thought, I’ve decided to let him study again; maybe there’ll be some unexpected rewards."
Saying this, she caught a glimpse of the two sisters-in-law standing worriedly, smiled slightly at them, "I’m aware of your concerns, and I have my ways to deal with him."
He didn’t quite believe it, "Really?"
What she was truly worried about was Laosan getting into trouble outside, ultimately betraying Qin Yao, which would certainly break up the family.
Mrs. Qiu shared this concern. It was hard to see Laosan being more settled, making the household easier. Nobody wanted that to change.
With the third sister-in-law in the family, everyone lived in harmony; wasn’t that great?
Qin Yao could certainly see the thoughts of her two sisters-in-law. It’s not wrong for people to think about themselves, but it doesn’t mean they didn’t have some genuine concern for her.
Human nature is complicated, and Qin Yao fully understood it. If she were He or Mrs. Qiu, she would also be worried.
After all, in a clan society, blood relationships are unavoidable, and Liu Ji, being a troublemaker, would indeed affect the relatives.
But on the flip side, if he improved, the relatives could also benefit from the advantages he brought.
That’s exactly what Qin Yao told the two sisters-in-law, almost convincing them with her words, fantasizing that if Liu Ji gained some accolades, they would become the scholars’ wives.
Seeing them looking a bit dazed, Qin Yao quickly sent them off and asked them to explain to the family not to dissuade her as her mind was made up.
Having just sent off her two sisters-in-law, two people from another village arrived at the village entrance.
One of them looked familiar; someone recognized him as a person from Lower River Village, who often hung out with Liu Laosan, seemingly named Shunzi or something.
With the stone pattern on the mill fixed, villagers came with grains to mill, nodding in greeting to one another before getting busy with their work.
Not returning home, Qin Yao decided to take a walk in the fields. As she crossed the bridge, she heard a loud, excited shout:
"Sister-in-law! It’s me, Shunzi!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Yao looked up and saw Shunzi excitedly running toward her, accompanied by an unfamiliar young man.
The unfamiliar man lagged a bit behind, while Shunzi went ahead and informed Qin Yao of the identity of the newcomer.
It turned out to be Wang Yu, the son of the mayor of Lower River Village.
Qin Yao smiled and nodded, greeting him.
He smiled back, surprised, and pointed to the shed on the opposite bank, "Is that your water mill?"
Qin Yao nodded, "Yes." Noticing Shunzi winking at her, she smiled and suggested, "Shall we take a closer look?"
Wang Yu agreed and started to walk over.
Walking behind her, Shunzi quietly explained that villagers in Lower River Village knew of the great water mill at Liu Family Village and wanted advice on building one of their own, hence seeking Qin Yao’s guidance.
Qin Yao raised an eyebrow; this was indeed a big business opportunity.
Arriving at the mill, Wang Yu watched villagers operating the mill, amazed at how it spun rapidly on its own, requiring little human effort, much faster than manual labor, marveling and feeling envious.
The villagers looked at Qin Yao curiously. Qin Yao explained, "He’s from Lower River Village; they want to build a water mill too and came to check it out."
The villagers, understanding the situation, warmly invited Wang Yu to take a closer look at how well the mill operated.
"This mill that Miss Qin runs is big and fast; it can process a load of grain in less than half an hour!"
Wang Yu was surprised and asked, "Less than half an hour for a load?"
The villagers jovially replied, "Absolutely true, anyone who tells you otherwise is lying."
Judging just by the size of the millstone, it was larger than others’, able to process more grain than anyone else’s.
Lower River Village was wealthy, and Qin Yao didn’t want to miss out, taking Wang Yu to the waterwheel and explaining:
"Look at this water here; even with a small drop, it provides such strong power."
"I’ve often been to Lower River Village. There’s a section of the river with a drop of about one to two meters. If you build a water mill there, the power would be much greater than here, easily supporting two grinding stones and a pestle simultaneously."
With communal construction and a large population, one water mill wouldn’t suffice for Lower River Village.
Qin Yao eagerly recommended they make good use of their natural river, suggesting a grand leap to build a large mill.
She described it so grandly, turning a water mill into an almost celestial workshop, leaving Wang Yu unable to resist, eagerly asking:
"So how much silver coin would it take to build such a comprehensive mill?"
Qin Yao calculated in her mind and pretended to struggle before saying, "It’s hard to say. Material waste differs between experienced and inexperienced builders. Even if Liu the carpenter and I were to do it ourselves, the minimum cost would be fifteen taels."
Hearing the price, Shunzi gasped.
However, Wang Yu didn’t seem too shocked, as if it was bearable. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
After all, it was a joint venture; with more people and greater wealth compared to other villages, they had sixty-five households. Each household would only need to contribute a little over two maces of silver, which seemed feasible.
Still, he asked how much it would cost if their village hired her and Liu the carpenter for guidance, offering them some reward, while Lower River villagers did the work.
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