Chapter 685 - 678_1
"That’s right, Erhu’s wife, the water wheel you mentioned is going to cost a fair amount of silver coin to have the carpenter build. Even though it’s your family’s carpenter doing the work, both the timber and labor are expenses. Since it’s for the sake of the village, we can’t just pretend not to know and unfairly benefit from your family. Just tell us how much you’ve spent, and I’ll distribute the cost among everyone." The village chief, a wise man who was indebted to Lin Yue, took the initiative to mention it when he saw that Lin Yue had not brought up the matter of money.
Lin Yue waved her hand dismissively, her main concern was to keep the secret within her family from being exposed, not entirely for the sake of the village. Furthermore, building the water wheel only required some timber and manpower, with no need for particularly valuable wood. All it took was cutting down some trees from the forest; it wouldn’t cost any silver at all. She did not care about such a small sum of money, but to the village folks, even a small amount of silver was hard to come by. After all, with the water disasters and the soaring grain prices, life was incredibly tough.
"I know Uncle Youfu is looking out for me, but times are hard this year, and it’s not easy for everyone to get by. The project just needed manpower, so we can do without the silver coin. When the time comes, a bit of hard work from everyone will suffice."
"Erhu’s wife is truly kind-hearted, considering the hardships everyone is enduring. We’re all grateful. Alright, let’s settle it this way then. If there’s a need for everyone to chip in, just give your orders, Erhu’s wife. If anyone dares to shirk their duties or pull any tricks, I’ll be the first to not let them off the hook."
The construction of the water wheel wasn’t complicated, and with a few carpenters collaborating and working overtime as per Lin Yue’s instructions, it only took a few days to get it done. Under the village chief’s leadership, everyone in the village pitched in and fulfilled Lin Yue’s requirements. Thus, once the water wheel was installed and adjusted, it quickly became functional. The villagers were overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear, as crowds gathered around the water wheel to marvel at this innovative creation.
"This is simply miraculous, it’s just a wooden ring, and yet it can transport water! Erhu’s wife’s mind is exceptionally brilliant, how did she come up with such an amazing invention?"
"Yeah, with this water wheel in our village, we won’t have to worry about irrigation anymore, it’s really a great thing."
"Our crops are saved now. Even if it doesn’t rain, we don’t have to fear that they’ll wither and die. Erhu’s wife is our savior. Whenever we face difficulties, she’s the one who helps us find a solution. She truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva."
The villagers chatted excitedly around the water wheel, their words filled with joy, happiness, and gratitude. Some passersby from neighboring villages also came over upon seeing the crowd and discovered this curious spectacle. Upon hearing from the Zhao Family villagers about the function of the water wheel, they took careful mental notes to share with their own villages upon return. Consequently, the neighboring villages started coming to the Zhao Family village to seek Lin Yue’s guidance for commissioning their own water wheels.
Lin Yue did not charge her own villagers and even paid some expenses out of her own pocket, out of village camaraderie. But the other villages were a different story; Lin Yue wasn’t foolish enough to build them water wheels for free. Considering everyone had a tough time making ends meet, she didn’t charge them excessively, quoting a reasonable price, which left those people feeling grateful.