Yan Dajun smiled and placed a piece of lamb leg meat for Xiao Xitian, saying proudly, "Tianbao, it's not that your Uncle Da is bragging after a few drinks. Ask your Uncle Zhuang, isn't the waterwheel you designed popularized throughout the Daliang Kingdom now?"
Because both of them were carpenters, when summer arrived and work became busy, they would take their tools and go to other places to find work...
The more places they went, the broader their horizons became.
As such, every time Yan Dajun arrived at a place and saw the locals using the waterwheels designed by Tianbao, he felt immensely proud, as if he were personally involved...
"Your Uncle Yan is right!" Zhuang Lao Er nodded. "The waterwheels have indeed become popular, especially in the southern regions. There are many mountains and streams, and the terrain is complex. Some places are so flooded that crops cannot be grown, while others are so dry that not even a blade of grass can grow. This is where the waterwheels come in handy..."
"Yes, Tianbao, you don't know how much of a contribution you've made to the Daliang Kingdom!"
Yan Dajun was so happy that his eyes disappeared. He wanted to reach out and hug Xiao Xitian, but he was afraid that Old Yun and Madam Gu would not approve. So, he restrained himself and just pinched her little face. "I think it was too little for the court to only reward your family with a plaque. That thing isn't valuable, and it doesn't fill your stomach. What use is it? It would have been better to give you a cartload of gold and silver, haha!"
Xiao Xitian: "..."
Uncle Yan, are you drunk?
How much silver would a cartload of gold and jewels be worth?
It's probably more than what a high-ranking official in the court earns in a year...
"Then it's settled!" Old Man Yun pulled his daughter behind him, preventing Yan Dajun from pinching her. "Tomorrow morning, we'll start preparing the materials. For building the windmill this time, everything will be under my daughter's command. As for the wages..."
When it came to money, Old Man Yun started to worry.
Because his wife managed the money at home, his pockets were cleaner than his face.
Moreover, Old Man Yun had roughly calculated in his mind that the lumber alone would cost over twenty taels of silver, and the wages would definitely not be cheap...
"Wife, how much do you think the wages should be?" Old Man Yun winked at Madam Gu.
Madam Gu smiled slightly, put her arm around Xiao Xitian, and had her sit on her lap. "This depends on how much the two carpenters ask for. If we offer too little, the masters might think it's not worth it. If we offer too much, we'll feel like we're losing money..."
Xiao Xitian nodded. "Mother is right!"
Yan Dajun listened, scratched the stubble on his chin, and turned to look at Yan Dajun, his face full of difficulty. "Why don't... why don't we not charge them? We've eaten their wild game quite a bit, and during festivals, Daman always makes sure to send us pork and such!"
Zhuang Lao Er: "..."
This job wouldn't be finished until after the May Day holiday, and it was only mid-January now.
If there was no income for these few months, would they go and drink the northwest wind?
Friendship was friendship, but the Yun family, though not well-off, still had to live their lives...
"Five taels of silver per person. If the work is done well, I'll give you a bonus!"
Just as the two carpenters were hesitating, Xiao Xitian called out crisply, "I only ask Uncle Yan and Uncle Zhuang to do the work meticulously. A windmill is different from a waterwheel. This thing will be built in our own yard. If it's not built sturdily, it's very easy to collapse. If it accidentally injures someone, it won't be good..."
Yan Dajun was stunned for a moment, then opened his mouth wide. "Five... five taels of silver?"
Last time they renovated the shop for the Yun family, it happened to be during the New Year, and he and Zhuang Lao Er each earned ten taels of silver...
Now, building a windmill, and the Yun family was offering a high price of five taels, their family was really prospering.
"Yes!" Xiao Xitian jumped down from Madam Gu's lap, opened her small satchel, took out some broken silver, and placed it in front of the two carpenters. "This two taels of silver is a deposit. You should be at ease now, right?"
Since they had worked for the Yun family before and knew they wouldn't default on payments, Zhuang Lao Er felt his previous thoughts were a bit ridiculous...
Was the Yun family the kind of people who would make you work for free, exhausting yourself with no reward?
He was truly judging a gentleman by a villain's standards...
"Tianbao, this... this five taels of silver is too much. Three taels would be enough!" Zhuang Lao Er refused to accept the deposit.
Xiao Xitian smiled sweetly. "Uncle Zhuang, if I give it to you, you should take it. I said, if the work is done well, I'll give you a bonus!"
Zhuang Lao Er was so touched that he almost shed tears...
He had been a carpenter for so many years, and he had never met such a reasonable employer.
Tianbao, at only six years old, already knew how to conduct herself. If she grew up, Da Shui Village definitely wouldn't be able to contain her.
"Alright, then Uncle will do as you say today. Five taels it is!" Zhuang Lao Er accepted the deposit and raised his wine bowl, draining it in one gulp.
Meanwhile, in Xiao Jinfeng's guest room.
"Is the situation true? Could it be someone spreading rumors?" Xiao Jinfeng frowned, his face darker than the bottom of a pot.
Erlongzi bowed, his face filled with anxiety. "Your Highness, this information comes from our spies in the palace. It won't be wrong..."
The news that Consort Xian had sent Shen Ducai to Da Shui Village had already been passed on in advance.
Now, Xiao Jinfeng was like an ant on a hot pan, desperately wanting to escape this 'big pot' but unwilling to give up this gentle haven...
"Shen Ducai is a ruthless and wicked person. If he comes to Da Shui Village, even if the Crown Prince doesn't die, he'll have his skin peeled off alive!" Xiao Jinfeng narrowed his eyes and looked out the window.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse tonight, perfect for a walk in the snow...
By the well, Xiao Jinheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the moon, his young age seemingly burdened with endless worries.
"Oh, Your Highness, you should worry about yourself first!" Erlongzi was so anxious he was stomping his feet. He lowered his voice and said, "You know your mother's methods. She is determined to kill the Crown Prince this time and support you to the throne. If you dare to disobey her, the consequences will be unimaginable..."
"What consequences?" Xiao Jinfeng withdrew his gaze from the window and stared coldly at Erlongzi. "Does Mother Consort want to kill her own son? Then fine, I'll wait here for her, and let all this end sooner!"
He was tired, annoyed, bored, and weary. He no longer wanted to struggle in the whirlpool of imperial power...
Erlongzi heard this, rolled his eyes, and took a step forward. "Your Highness, since that's the case, then don't blame your subordinate for being rude!"