Chapter 401: Labor Reform

If a city seeks long-term development, it must have industry.

Chen Wuji has been thinking about the papermaking method for a long time.

Lack of capital is indeed a very important reason.

But more importantly, there are always scoundrels obstructing his business endeavors.

Originally planning a good life, he suddenly veered into leading troops to war, vying for dominance across the lands.

Fortunately, the brain cells he previously expended were not wasted; they can still be used.

"What you're talking about, I feel like I've heard of it somewhere." Qin Feng muttered doubtfully, "Where was it? I can't quite recall."

"The Xiao family."

"Ah, right, the Xiao family; I was saying I couldn't remember why it sounded familiar."

"Drink a little less liquor; drinking too much ruins your memory." Chen Wuji shook his head.

He still admired those who drank liquor all day instead of water.

Although Da Yu's liquor is low in proof, it is still liquor after all.

"It's not about cooperating with the Xiao family; what Xiao Zong is tinkering with I still look down on, and he's a bit far off." Chen Wuji said, "But I'll find a way to make Xiao Zong take charge of this; besides him, I can't think of anyone else in Yunan City who has any experience in this."

"I still have to fight; I can't keep watching the workshop. As for whether it makes money, you say, does an iron pot make money?"

Qin Feng gave a light snort, "I'm not blind; nowadays every household in Yunan City uses iron pots, and convoy after convoy hauls them to other places—how could they not make money?"

"If that thing had just been born, would you think it makes money?" Chen Wuji asked.

This time, Qin Feng thought seriously for a while and gave an uncertain answer, "If we're talking about the start, it's really hard to say; I might not have high hopes. After all, it's just a cooking utensil, and ordinary households aren't lacking them—I'd probably think that way."

"Paper has advantages over iron pots; silk documents are hard to preserve, bamboo slips are overly cumbersome, paper can combine all the benefits of both and avoid nearly all their drawbacks." Chen Wuji said.

Why is it called one of the Four Great Inventions, and why do people like Xiao Zong still painstakingly research easier writing materials? All these are paper's achievements.

"Although I can't imagine it, I trust you—but have you never considered failure?" Qin Feng asked.

Chen Wuji chuckled lightly, "What's the big deal about failure? Anyway, we still have to waste grain to feed those people."

"Furthermore, failure is impossible; a real man never speaks of failure."

Upon hearing that, Qin Feng instantly had no more hesitation.

Using a bunch of convicts to work, a business that doesn't spend silver—what's there to worry about failure?

He really seemed to have drunk too much.

"How to do it? You speak, I'll act!" Qin Feng said cheerfully.

Chen Wuji sipped cooling tea and gave Qin Feng a detailed explanation of how to carry out this matter.

He took the detained Gu and Xue families as an example, starting from sentencing, reducing penalties for those who performed well, promoting them to management, and continued all the way to docking with merchant houses, covering every detail.

Chen Wuji had already gone over this matter many times in his mind; the process was extremely clear, executed in one smooth flow.

During this period, Qin Feng merely raised two questions, offered no excessive opinions, and the matter was settled.

After the discussion ended, he suddenly frowned and asked, "Did you just order me? Don't you know the provincial troops of the Lingnan Six Commanderies don't belong to the Military Office but to local administration? In other words, your Negotiation Colonel answers to me, the County Magistrate."

After finishing chatting about the matter, he suddenly, belatedly, furrowed his brows and asked, "Did I just get ordered by you? Do you not know that the provincial troops of the Lingnan Six Commanderies do not belong to the Military Office but to local administration? In other words, your Negotiation Colonel is under my authority as the county magistrate."

Qin Feng looked at Chen Wuji in disbelief, "Any other problem? Your question, kid, is huge—you're suspected of rebelling against superiors."

"Don't falsely accuse me; I'm just offering advice."

Qin Feng tipped his head back, took a big gulp of liquor, rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, "Well, I suppose I've got a bit of rebellious streak in the back of my mind too—no matter, let's just do it."

Qin Feng tilted his head back and took a big gulp of wine, rubbing the back of his head as he chuckled, "Good thing, it seems I also have a bit of a rebellious streak growing at the back of my head; it's fine, just do it."

……

Qin Feng's vigor once again refreshed Chen Wuji's opinion of him.

They had settled the view in the morning; by afternoon, several clerks escorting hundreds of constables had already driven the able-bodied men of the Gu and Xue families, the prisoners in the jail, and a few women from those families into the mountains.

These women went into the mountains not to do manual labor but to handle cooking.

Originally planning to visit his father-in-law the next day, Chen Wuji was forced by Qin Feng's move to hurriedly bring Xiao Yuji to the Xiao family; although Qin Feng's side had already finished preparations, the proper overseer‑craftsman was still nowhere to be seen.

Seeing Xiao Zong again, he appeared even more disheveled than before.

No one knows how sloppy he gets while eating; a large greasy patch on his collar is almost polished to a shine. Chen Wuji had only seen such a sight on vagrants.

"You really ought to give your father a good scolding; honestly, this look might affect your reputation and easily earn you a charge of unfilial conduct." Chen Wuji stared for a while, then turned and whispered to Xiao Yuji.

Busy with his various creations, Xiao Zong seemed to have forgotten to produce offspring, so he only has Xiao Yuji as his child.

In an era when even poor rural households usually have three or four children, Xiao Zong stubbornly placed himself at the forefront.

Xiao Yuji sighed helplessly, "If my father would listen, I'd have said so long ago. Looking at this, at least he's been eating lately; when I was little, he could often go four or five days without food.

Xiao Yuji let out a helpless sigh, "If my father could listen, I would have said it long ago. Looking at this, at least he's been eating during this period; when I was little, he often went four or five days without food."

He's a real tough guy.

Teasing aside, Chen Wuji truly admires such people.

It's precisely because of people like him that human technology keeps advancing.

"Uncle, what have you been researching lately?" Chen Wuji asked.

The absent‑minded Xiao Zong snapped back, narrowed his eyes, stared at Chen Wuji, and suddenly said, "Who are you? Oh, I remember—you're Deputy Commander Chen; you're not wanting to borrow my Xiao family's troops, are you? When would you borrow them? Hey, did I previously give you a token? I think I did."

Xiao Zong, who had been lost in thought, came back to himself, narrowed his eyes and stared at Chen Wuji, then suddenly said, "Who are you? Oh, I remember now, Deputy Commander Chen, you weren't looking to borrow my Xiao family's retainers, were you? When would you borrow them? Ah, did I previously give you a token? That must be the case, right?"

He realized that Xiao Zong's mind held nothing but his creations—probably nothing else.

"I gave it; the war's over, I just returned from the front, and I have a favor to ask of you, Uncle." Chen Wuji said, handing over the silk document he had prepared earlier.

On the silk document was written the detailed papermaking method.

What is written on the silk scroll is the detailed method of papermaking.