Chapter 60

The new policies were announced, like throwing a huge stone into the dead water of Jiao Tu Zhen, and the ripples it created quickly spread to every corner.

After the initial chaos and adjustment period, under Chen Wen's intentional and unintentional guidance and the covert catalysis of Ability Granting.

A vitality never before seen began to burst forth.

The first noticeable change occurred in the Construction Bureau.

Repairing the city walls and houses was the most urgent task.

Shi Dun led a group of blacksmiths and strong laborers, worrying over the section of the city gate that had been hit the worst.

Timber needed to be cut from the rear mountains, transportation was laborious, and processing was slow.

Chen Wen inspected the site, said nothing more, and merely pointed casually at a few young men in the crowd who looked clever and willing to work hard.

"You, you, and you, come over and give Shi Master a hand, study with more effort."

At the same time, his thoughts stirred slightly.

Focused granting—target, three selected, effect, about 2×! (emphasizing strength, endurance, and craftsmanship comprehension)

The three young men who were called out first stared for a moment, then felt their bodies heat up, an inexhaustible strength surging up.

More importantly, watching Shi Dun explain how to make mortise-and-tenon joints and how to reinforce, their minds became unusually clear!

Woodworking skills that usually seemed extremely complex now seemed to click instantly.

"Huh? You kid, your comprehension is not bad!"

Shi Dun quickly noticed the anomaly, one of them being a youth named Er Gou.

Yesterday he was all thumbs, but today he could independently complete a rather complex reinforcement structure.

Moreover, his strength increased, carrying timber without even panting.

The other two were the same, their work efficiency far surpassing others.

Shi Dun was overjoyed, simply thinking these kids had had their enlightenment.

Or perhaps the war had stimulated their potential, and he taught them even more earnestly.

With these three "top students" leading the way, the efficiency of the entire Construction Bureau actually improved by leaps and bounds.

The repair progress visibly sped up.

The city wall gap originally estimated to need half a month to repair now looks like it can be finished within ten days.

Chen Wen observed silently, feeling satisfied in his heart.

Such small-scale, targeted Ability Granting consumes barely anything, yet its effect is immediate!

It is especially suitable for cultivating "technical backbones" at key stages, thereby driving the whole.

The second change manifested in the Land Reclamation Bureau.

Spring plowing was imminent, but after the war, many farm tools were damaged or lost, and draft cattle were even scarcer.

Zhao Lao Nian worried so much he paced the field ridges.

Chen Wen found him and put forward an idea:

"Uncle Zhao, relying solely on manpower is too slow."

"I see the stream behind the mountains has considerable flow; could we devise a waterwheel, or improve the plow?"

Zhao Lao Nian wore a troubled expression:

"Chief, this… I've heard of waterwheels."

"But that delicate contraption, none of us knows how to build it."

"The plow can be modified, but how should we do it?"

Chen Wen did not directly give out blueprints

——that would be too shocking.

After all, it is something born from a 16× collision of creative inspiration.

He merely gathered a few old farmers and handy people from the Construction Bureau, and together they squatted at the field edge to discuss.

In the discussion, Chen Wen seemingly offhandedly proposed several directions:

"Could we make the plow tip sharper? Could we make a frame so that pulling from the front saves effort?"

At the same time, he quietly used his ability again.

Broad granting—target, the participating artisans and old farmers, effect, about 1.5×! (emphasizing mental agility, experiential association, and creativity)

Instantly, the previously somewhat stagnant discussion atmosphere became lively.

An old farmer slapped his thigh and said:

"Exactly! I recall my grandfather's generation used a kind of 'curved-shaft plow,' which seemed to save effort compared to a straight-shaft one!"

Another artisan's eyes lit up:

"If we forge the plow tip from the scrap iron we got from the last bandit suppression, it will surely be durable!"

"We can't build a complex waterwheel, but we could make a simple noria to lift water for irrigation—maybe worth a try!"

Under the collision of inspiration, the plan to improve the plow quickly took shape, and even the structure of a simple noria began to form.

Although it is only the most rudimentary improvement, in an era of low productivity, any bit of progress is of great significance.

Zhao Lao Nian watched the heated discussion, his mustache bristling with excitement, as if he saw the hope of an autumn harvest.

The Internal Affairs Bureau faced the greatest pressure.

Counting casualties and compensation, distributing food supplies, registering household contribution points…

With countless matters, Aunt Wang and a few semi-literate women were busy to the point of not touching the ground, seeming about to collapse.

That evening, Chen Wen came to the makeshift shed serving as an office.

He saw Aunt Wang worrying over a pile of bamboo slips and rough paper, her eyes darkened.

"Aunt Wang, this won't do."

Chen Wen picked up a list recording the chaos.

"We need a simpler method."

He picked up a stick of charcoal and began drawing on a smooth wooden board.

"Look, we number all the townspeople by household."

"Each household gets one cardboard slip, simply recording population, labor, and contribution points earned."

"When distributing supplies, we check off by household and subtract the corresponding points."

"Isn't this much faster than flipping bamboo slips?"

"This is actually the most primitive card ledger system."

At the same time, he again conducted on Aunt Wang and several core clerks.

【Broad Granting】 (double effect, focusing on memory, attentiveness, and data processing ability).

Aunt Wang's originally muddled mind, as if washed by a clear spring, instantly grasped Chen Wen's intention,

Even going one step further to apply the idea broadly:

"Exactly! We can also use different colored stones to represent different contribution items."

"For example, red stands for combat, white for farming—clear at a glance!"

With ability enhancement, the Internal Affairs Bureau's work efficiency surged, and the chaotic accounts began to become orderly.

Although still busy, at least hope of completion came into view.

After a few days, Jiao Tu Zhen seemed like a rusty machine that had been oiled, its parts beginning to speed up.

People were surprised to find that capable persons in the town seemed to have increased!

Problems that previously couldn't be solved now seem always to have a solution;

Tasks that used to be laborious now seem easier as well.

They naturally attributed all this to the sense of order brought by the "new policies" and the enthusiasm stimulated by the "contribution points," as well as Chen Wen's leadership as chief, the "wise leadership."

Only Chen Wen himself knew that the intangible circulating "ability granting" was the key catalyst behind this change.

In his mind, the 【Growth Progress Bar】 quietly climbed to 【12%】 in these seemingly trivial but crucial construction works.

And that strand of golden fortune momentum also seemed to become more substantial and lively, growing vigorously as the land's vitality revived.

The charm of farming lies not in a one‑time burst, but in gradual accumulation and subtle influence, turning wasteland into fertile fields and gathering loose sand into towers.

Chen Wen deeply understood that this is the foundation for standing firm in chaotic times.

His "Cow Horse System" finally began to take effect on this barren land.

It revealed its true terrifying power beyond combat—that of creation and construction.