37. PVC Water Pipe

Yesterday, every carriage driver in Qingshui County was beaming with joy. Although Han Lei had initially forgotten to include the drivers in her recruitment plan, she discovered that evening, upon seeing a line of carriages returning everyone to the restaurant, that Zhao Zun had taken care of it all, paying them double the standard rate.

Han Lei was deeply touched. Zhao Zun was a man who, despite his rugged exterior, possessed a delicate and considerate nature—a true warrior with a tender heart.

Uncle Wang had contacted three inns, and by laying down bedding in the restaurant, they barely managed to accommodate everyone. This was only temporary; once the new dormitories were completed, the workers would be able to live directly on the wasteland site.

Upon returning to the prefectural office, Han Lei, though exhausted, continued working late into the night. She printed multiple sets of blueprints for the wasteland development from her computer. These were to be handed over to the foremen and craftsmen so that they could complete the project according to her designs after she returned to the capital. She also downloaded cooking tutorials for twice-cooked pork, red-braised pork, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and various braised pork offal dishes. She intended for Uncle Wang and the newly hired cooks to study these videos repeatedly and practice once the ingredients and staff were fully in place.

Early the next morning, Han Lei purchased ten ox carts from the system and left them at the gates of the prefectural office. She left instructions for the guards, telling them to have Luo Hai arrange for the purchase of grain, tableware, and basic daily necessities, which were then to be delivered to the wasteland by ox cart. This way, while they would still eat breakfast and dinner at the restaurant, they could manage their own lunches at the site.

Today, the farmers were focused on erecting straw sheds, while the craftsmen, following Han Lei’s blueprints, were tasked with building the pigsties and cooking stoves. The leader of the masons was an elderly man named Yang Qiquan, who had spent his entire life working with masonry. He had often worked for wealthy households and possessed exceptional skills.

Within two hours, Han Lei not only taught Uncle Yang and his team how to read the blueprints and understand the use of concrete but also personally demonstrated how to use shovels and mix the material. She then joined them in laying the concrete floor for the pig farm.

"Uncle Yang, the walkway is between the two rows of pigsties. The ground on either side must have a slight slope, as well as a gradient leading toward the septic tank. This way, the waste water from cleaning the pens each evening will flow naturally into the gutters and down to the tank. Do you understand?" Han Lei explained the design earnestly.

"That’s no problem, I understand," Uncle Yang replied, quick to grasp the concept.

"Remember to cure the concrete properly. You can only build the pens once the ground is completely dry. While the floor is curing, you can start on the perimeter walls or the septic tank. Since you’ve learned the basics, can you handle the rest?"

"Rest assured, young lady. We know how to do the rest. You can just come back to inspect it when we’re done," Uncle Yang promised, thumping his chest.

After leaving Uncle Yang to his work, Han Lei went to check on the carpenters. The less skilled ones were crafting tables and chairs for dining in the sheds, while the master carpenters were by the stream, busy constructing waterwheels.

Waterwheels already existed in this era, though they were not yet widely used. They functioned by utilizing the power of flowing water to lift it from lower elevations to higher ones, thus irrigating the fields. These mechanical devices consisted of an axle, gears, paddles, a clutch, and a frame. As water flowed over the axle, its force turned the wheel, which in turn drove the paddles via the clutch, lifting water into the irrigation channels.

Two waterwheels were being built by the stream. One was designed to feed water into an artificially dug trench for the fields. The other had a high wooden platform built in front of it, supporting a large barrel with an outlet for a hose, intended for cleaning the pigsties.

Thinking of the water supply, Han Lei called over Zhao Zun and Ping Chuan. She then purchased PVC pipes, connectors, T-joints, faucets, and installation tools from her system. She taught them how to install and secure the PVC pipes. She then split bamboo stalks lengthwise, encased the PVC pipes within them, and sealed the cracks with strong adhesive. Unless one looked closely, it appeared to be a simple bamboo plumbing system. From the waterwheel to the pig farm, all outdoor pipes were encased in bamboo; only the sections inside the pens used flexible hoses and faucets.

This work had to be left to Zhao Zun and Ping Chuan. Given their unstable footing, they had to develop quietly to protect themselves. Moreover, Qingshui County was her first pilot project, and she did not want to attract trouble that might derail future progress.

The carpenters' work on the waterwheels was excellent, so, satisfied, Han Lei went to check on the progress at the straw sheds. Zhao Zun had brought all his personal guards, and they were currently helping with the labor. Inside the sheds, the stone-built stoves were already taking shape. Once the concrete was poured into the gaps and the surfaces smoothed and cured for a couple of days, they would be ready for use.

It was already afternoon when Luo Hai and the officials from the prefectural office arrived with the ox carts. He looked at the wasteland, which had transformed dramatically in just a single day, and found himself momentarily dazed.

No one had used a whip to drive the laborers, yet they were all working with great enthusiasm. In just one day, three large straw sheds capable of holding a hundred people had appeared, a vast stretch of land had been cleared of stones, and the foundations of stone walls were already rising.

"Miss Han, how did you manage such speed?" Luo Hai asked in astonishment.

"Uncle Luo, you're here? Many hands make light work, so it's only natural we're quick," Han Lei replied, brushing the soil from her hands.

"When we arrived at the restaurant, we recruited quite a few more people and brought them along," Luo Hai said with a wave, gesturing to the guards who were bringing the new recruits forward.

"Wonderful! That makes our team even stronger," Han Lei said, her eyes sweeping over the new arrivals. She directed them to move the supplies from the ox carts into the sheds, then led Luo Hai and the officials on a tour of the site, explaining the work he would be overseeing.

The restaurant's food waste would be used to feed the pigs, and the pig manure would be composted to fertilize the land. The pigs, grain, and vegetables produced would then supply the restaurant and the market. This created a complete, closed-loop system, which required a significant number of farmers and laborers.

Luo Hai and the officials listened with growing excitement; Han Lei’s plan was grander than anything they had imagined. It not only solved the food issues for many in Qingshui County but also opened a new door for the region's economic development. Han Lei promised that if this industrial chain were successful, everyone involved would be credited for their contribution. Even if the government did not reward them, she would pay out bonuses from her own pocket.

While her first enterprise in this ancient land was thriving and bustling with activity, far away in the depths of the grasslands, the Turkic royal court had just received some momentous news.