Chapter 860: construction completed
Lin Jing continued to test the bricks and when they cleared all the tests, he nodded and then turned to look at the workers before saying, "It's done."
The workers cheered after confirming that the bricks they made were perfect. It turned out that Lin Jing and Su Wan's family were not making wild claims when they said that they could make houses that would keep them warm in winter and protect them in the rains.
" You see this? This was all done because my wife learned. Make sure that you send your children to the school after the construction is finished," since this territory was handed to Su Wan, she did not want to hand her hard work to anyone else.
The elementary scholar exams were going to be held next month and she wanted to prepare this territory for Lin Rui. As long as Lin Rui could get his title as an official, no one would dare to snatch this territory from them.
The workers nodded, if this could be learned through going to school, then they would also send their children to school!
Lin Jing nodded and then turned to the young men who were learning how to make buildings from him and said, " I taught one-half of you to lay down the beam and now they are already working at the construction site, remember that to make a building one need to learn not only how to lay down a beam but also how to construct a layout and how to make a roof."
" Your group will learn how to lay down walls with me today," he told them.
" Understood," the young men replied, if they learned how to build houses then they would be able to make teams with others. With everyone working together, they would be able to earn a decent living.
Lin Jing was satisfied with their response. He turned to the workers who were watching the mound that they made to cook coal and asked, " Is it time?"
They have closed this kiln in the ground seven days ago. According to Su Wan, the coal should be ready by now.
" It's about time," Wang Min replied as he nodded to the workers who raised the shovel that they were holding in their hands and then smashed it on the dried-up mud.
With a crack, the mud broke and fell inside the pit as grey smoke started to come out of the pit the second it was opened.
The crowd that watched the success of the red bricks immediately rushed to stand in front of the pit. One after another person, peered inside the deep hole before someone exclaimed,
" It's coal! It's really coal!"
Though the quality of the coal was not as good as the one that was sold in the capital, this quality of coal was accepted and when there was a shortage of coal, this could be used to make a living!
The workers stared at the black and grey coal before their eyes turned red.
In the past, they always had to worry about the coal running out and the other cities would sell it to them at a high price, because of this many people in their families were frozen to death but now that there was so much coal, surely they would be able to spend the winters without any trouble?
" Break the other pits open as well," said Lin Jing. His eyes brimming with excitement as he was in a hurry to tell his wife that they had succeeded in making coal and bricks. " The price of coal would be twenty cents for the commoners who do not have income more than a tael in a year as for the rest the price of coal would be according to the price set by the other cities.
If someone wants to buy it and does not belong to our city, deal with how they used to deal with you, Wang Min."
" Yes," Wang Min nodded.
Lin Jing was not worried that Wang Min would betray him. Su Wan had asked them to teach the multiplication tables to the workers and their children, she even asked him to hand an abacus to the kids such that they would learn how to calculate.
Wang Min and the rest were really touched by their actions. After all, no one would be willing to impart education to them for free like this but Su Wan and her family did not ask for a cent from them.
What was more they were also given three meals a day and they were allowed to deal with as they wanted, if they wanted to take it home with them, the masters did not stop them,
White buns and bone broth, who would not like it?
They were also given fifty when as salary, this was good enough for them.
The environment of the Big Ocean City was not good and no one hired them for work, even if they went to other towns, the price would be lowered deliberately. As the masters knew that they were in no position to refuse them. Ten wen and no meal, they have worked in situations like this, compared to that this was heaven!
The employers were fair and honest, so why would they fool them? They all have to work hard.
Thus, the workers did not hesitate to overtime and soon a month passed by.
Since Su Wan came up with the idea of snack street many officials were eyeing the street, they would come to take a look at the street every day since the construction started.
And now that they were staring at the street which was covered with buildings with colored walls and bright borders, they could not believe their eyes.
Even the path had been smoothed with a greyish-black surface.
Was this really the dump yard that they saw a month ago?