bestfiction Chapter 29 Repairing the Zhuangzi
Chapter 29 Repairing the Zhuangzi
The country road, still muddy from the recent rain, resembled a slippery snake covered in mud. Sitting in the carriage, Ying Wuyou felt the swaying and jolting, a growing sense of irritation creeping into her heart. Looking out the window, she saw a gray sky, the distant mountains shrouded in mist, appearing exceptionally mysterious. The muddy road before her seemed like an insurmountable obstacle, weighing heavily on her mind.
The carriage moved slowly along the muddy path, its wheels occasionally sinking into the mud with a creaking sound. Ying Wuyou frowned, thinking that such road conditions were really not conducive to travel.
She asked the system, "System, do you have the cement formula?" The system replied lazily, "Of course!" Ying Wuyou exclaimed excitedly, "That's wonderful! With cement, we can pave roads!" However, the system poured cold water on Ying Wuyou's idea: "Host, your idea is good, but unfortunately, Qin will begin its military campaign against Yan next year. Where will we get the money to build roads now?" Hearing the system's words, Ying Wuyou fell silent. Qin's expansion was too rapid, leading to excessive taxes on the people and an empty treasury. However, building cement roads was extremely important. "This matter needs to be discussed thoroughly with the King of Qin," Ying Wuyou thought to herself.
As the carriage moved forward, Ying Wuyou saw a village ahead. The houses were arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys. Ying Wuyou imagined how convenient the villagers' lives would be if the roads were paved with cement. They could transport goods more easily and travel more conveniently. In this way, the entire village would be revitalized and full of new life.
The carriage journey took almost an hour to reach the estate. Ying Wuyou first went to see the piglets. She entered the pigpen and carefully observed each piglet. Some were lively and adorable, while others were lazy and sleepy, making her unable to help but laugh out loud.
Ying Wuyou asked Zhu Xiaozhu, "Have all the piglets been castrated?" Zhu Xiaozhu bowed his head and replied, "Master, they're all done, but some... seem to have gotten sick after the castration." Ying Wuyou quickly asked, "Take me to see them." Zhu Xiaozhu locked the sick pigs in a separate area. Ying Wuyou opened the pigpen fence and went inside. He saw the piglets, who were clearly listless and had poor appetites. Ying Wuyou pried open a pig's leg and asked Zhu Xiaozhu, "Do you see if it's swollen?" Zhu Xiaozhu walked over, looked at Ying Wuyou, and then at the other sick piglets, replying, "Master, these piglets seem to have... a problem with the castration. They do look swollen."
Ying Wuyou was at a loss and could only say to Zhu Xiaozhu, "Go and get some medicine to reduce swelling, then grind it into powder and sprinkle it into the pig feed for these pigs. If it's still like this in a couple of days, let me know as soon as possible." Zhu Xiaozhu obeyed and left. Ying Wuyou sighed, wishing he had some anti-inflammatory medicine, but anti-inflammatory medicine was simply not in Ying Wuyou's knowledge base.
After looking at the piglets, Ying Wuyou went to look at other places. The papermaking process had been handed over to the King of Qin, and all the papermaking tools on display were still intact.
Suddenly, Ying Wuyou remembered the matter of making playing cards. The paper for playing cards needed to be thicker, and the papermaking process needed improvement. So this time, Ying Wuyou was particularly careful when filtering the pulp through the sieve, filtering it repeatedly until she saw the pulp gradually increase in thickness. Only then was she satisfied. Next, she carefully scooped out the pulp and placed it in the sun to dry. After waiting for some time, when the dried paper was finally ready to be peeled off, Ying Wuyou eagerly reached out and touched it. Sure enough, she felt that the paper was significantly thicker than before, which made her very happy.
Then Ying Wuyou did the same thing again, making several thicker sheets of paper. After the paper was completely dry, Ying Wuyou used a dagger to cut the paper into small squares. Looking at the cardboard in his hand, Ying Wuyou could already imagine how lively the Qin King's harem would be in the future.
Holding the cards, Ying Wuyou used his cartoon-like drawing skills to draw on the cardboard pieces, and soon a deck of cards was finished. Next, Ying Wuyou drew a standard twelve-player werewolf game deck. After everything was finished, it was getting late, and Ying Wuyou prepared to return to the palace.
Before returning to the palace, Ying Wuyou instructed Old Man Liu and his wife to inspect the condition of the houses on the estate and to repair any problems immediately. Ying Wuyou also summoned Zhu Xiaozhu to make arrangements for the new pigsty. Only after giving all the instructions did Ying Wuyou return to the palace.
After Ying Wuyou left, Old Man Liu gathered some people and asked them to carefully inspect every house in the estate. These people meticulously examined key areas such as roofs, walls, doors, and windows, looking for any possible leaks or damage. Once they found any drafts or leaks, they recorded them in detail and reported the information.
Upon receiving the report on the house's condition, Old Liu immediately arranged for craftsmen to come and repair it. These craftsmen skillfully repaired the roof, replaced broken tiles, and sealed the windows and door gaps to ensure the house remained warm and dry inside.
Zhu Xiaozhu was in full charge of the pigsty. The makeshift shed they had built earlier was clearly insufficient for the winter. Ying Wuyou had long realized the need to build a sturdier, warmer pigsty to protect the piglets from the harsh cold. Ying Wuyou instructed Zhu Xiaozhu to build a new pigsty ahead of schedule.
To this end, Ying Wuyou personally participated in the design and planning of the pigsty, ensuring its structural stability and effective protection against cold winds. He also considered ventilation and drainage systems to guarantee a clean and hygienic environment. With meticulous planning and organization, construction of the pigsty commenced rapidly. Workers worked busily and systematically, building walls, installing doors and windows, and laying flooring, step by step creating a comfortable and livable pigsty.
Watching the pigsty being built day by day, Zhu Xiaozhu felt a great sense of accomplishment. Unlike before, when he only fed pigs with his second uncle, after working with Ying Wuyou, Zhu Xiaozhu realized there were so many intricacies involved in pig farming. He admired Ying Wuyou immensely. When Ying Wuyou entrusted him with the work of the new pigsty, Zhu Xiaozhu could hardly believe it. He never imagined that he, a mere pig farmer, would one day be recognized. Zhu Xiaozhu worked even harder, feeding the pigs before dawn every day and then supervising the construction of the new pigsty afterward. After the pigsty was completed, Zhu Xiaozhu added necessary facilities according to Ying Wuyou's plan, such as feed troughs and water troughs.
While people were busily working on the estate to prepare for winter, Ying Wuyou had already returned to Chaohua Palace by carriage.