Chapter 116

Li Yao was at the bicycle workshop.

After a period of production, there were already several hundred bicycles in the warehouse, and they would be available in the boutique store soon.

But looking at the current pre-orders, the number of tricycles was clearly more than bicycles. It seemed that Song County Magistrate had swayed everyone.

"Auntie Li, Song County Magistrate is looking for you. He's waiting at your home."

When Li Yao returned home, Song County Magistrate told her about his worries.

"The refugee issue is really difficult to handle," said Li Yao, "but there are solutions."

"What can be done?"

"It depends on the number," said Li Yao. "Baichuan County can accommodate three thousand households at most. More than that won't work."

Three thousand households was about twenty thousand people.

Baichuan County didn't have much resources to begin with. Being able to handle so many was already a lot.

"So what's the specific solution?"

"The usual, work relief," said Li Yao. "With three thousand refugee households, there must be more than ten thousand able-bodied workers, right? Have these people continue building roads."

Song County Magistrate was a little confused.

The roads were just built last winter. Why build again?

"The roads built last year were just the foundation," said Li Yao. "What we need to build this time is at least stone roads."

"That would cost a lot of money!" As soon as Song County Magistrate heard this, he shook his head. "Even if we only provide food and no wages, twenty thousand people would need at least 200 taels of silver a day!"

"I can lend money for it," said Li Yao. "I can provide 300 taels of silver per day."

Song County Magistrate exclaimed, "Good gracious!"

taels a day, 10,000 taels a month!

"Can you really take out so much?"

"It should be possible."

The soap workshop was now fully on track, producing 3,000 bars every day, earning 40 wen per bar, 120 taels total. The perfumed soap could produce 200 bars a day, 990 wen per bar, 198 taels.

Added together that was 318 taels.

And bicycles could be sold in a new batch soon. Earning at least 1,000-2,000 taels was sure to happen.

With the savings on hand, this crisis could definitely be resolved.

"Even if you can take it out, aren't you worried I won't be able to pay it back?" said Song County Magistrate. "You know Baichuan County is poor. There is not much tax revenue every year."

"It's poor now, but it won't be poor in the future."

Li Yao's "industrialization" would absolutely not only change He Wan village. It would soon radiate outwards.

As long as Song County Magistrate provided a little guidance, developing Baichuan into a major industrial county was not impossible. There would be no lack of these tens of thousands of taels then.

Even if it couldn't be paid back, it was fine.

With the magistrate's contributions, rising up was just around the corner. She would provide more opportunities for Song County Magistrate then. If she wanted a comfortable retirement, money alone was not enough. She also needed backing from above.

Song County Magistrate was deeply moved. "Mistress Li, I'll have to rely on you completely this time."

After Song County Magistrate received the first "loan", she immediately had Zhang County Captain bring people to purchase grain and tools. Li Yao also asked the agents Jia Zhanliang and Liu Yuan to bring in grain from other places when they came to pick up goods.

...

Three days later, the first batch of refugees finally arrived at Baichuan County.

Song County Magistrate was well prepared. She had the gates of Baichuan Market closed, and sent out over a hundred people to form security teams. The refugees were settled in an open area outside the city, and given rice gruel once a day.

Many of the refugees who came to escape the famine had been starving for days. Getting free rice gruel every day was already pretty good for them.

News that there was rice gruel at Baichuan Market quickly spread. More and more refugees started flooding in. The open area outside the city could barely hold them all.

Song County Magistrate knew it was time. She had notices posted that rice gruel relief would no longer be provided from now on.

"How can you do this?"

"If you said no rice gruel earlier, we wouldn't have come here!"

"What do we do now? There's nothing to eat anywhere else."

...

Amidst the refugees' wailing, a second notice was posted.

Help Baichuan County build roads, three buns and two bowls of rice gruel per person per day.

Seeing this notice, many people shook their heads.

"This magistrate really knows how to trick people," someone said. "I bet there still won't be anything after the work is done."

"Can't say for sure. What if there is?"

"Might as well give it a try. It's just one day if there isn't."

... Amidst the discussions, some able-bodied young men went to register with the yamen runners.

Under Zhang County Captain's leadership, these people immediately started working. He divided them into four groups: fetching sand and rocks, transporting sand and rocks, leveling the road surface, and digging drainage ditches on both sides of the road.

After dividing up the tasks, one yamen runner took two groups to fetch sand and rocks, while Zhang County Captain took the remaining two groups to the road leading to He Wan village.

Song County Magistrate and Li Yao were already waiting there.

Seeing the magistrate personally present, the previously clamoring refugees instantly shut their mouths.

"Li Yao, you said you'd use a new method to build roads. Can you explain now?"

"Wait a moment, they'll be here soon."

Not long after, some oxen appeared.

Coming closer, everyone saw that the oxen were pulling an enormous roller.

This roller was not made of stone, but cast iron. Lying flat on the ground, it was as tall as a person.

Wherever the iron roller went, the ground was pressed down.

Song County Magistrate was extremely shocked. How much iron did it take to make such an iron roller?

"It's not pure iron. The inside is rammed earth," said Li Yao. "Before laying the rocks, the roller should go back and forth over it dozens of times. After laying the rocks, roll over it dozens more times. That way the road surface won't break down easily and can stay level."

Li Yao taught the refugees how to roll the road surface, lay rocks, and roll again. After busy working for half a day, they finally finished 50 meters of stone road.

The roadsides were also dug into two-chi deep drainage ditches, with culverts buried at intervals. This way water from higher elevations would not flow across the road surface.

Walking on the flat road surface, Song County Magistrate praised it continuously.

Other than in the Capital City, she had never seen such a good road.

"This road is too good. From now on, all of Baichuan County's roads will be built this way!"

"No," said Li Yao. "This is still just the foundation. It's not the final form."

"This... this is still just the foundation?"

"When cement production is up later, we can build everything into cement roads."

Song County Magistrate was stunned. She knew what cement was and how sturdy it was.

But building everything into cement roads, how much would that cost?

She really didn't dare imagine.

"County lord," some refugees called out then, "isn't it time to eat? We're starving and have no strength to work."

"That's right. We're starved half to death. How can we keep working?"

Song County Magistrate nodded at Zhang County Captain, signaling for the meal.

Soon, an oxcart came over, stacked high with steaming food containers and buckets and basins giving off the aroma of stir-fried dishes. The refugees' stomachs growled loudly at the smell.