36 Looking like someone who has never seen the world before

"Uncle Wang, how has the recruitment of other workers been going?"

"People started asking as soon as the notices were posted yesterday. When we opened the doors this morning, even more arrived. By now, we have registered several dozen. Most of those who have come are craftsmen and farmers; there are only two cooks so far."

Uncle Wang hurriedly handed the registration records to Han Lei. When she glanced at them, she saw they were all written in traditional characters, and the handwriting was so messy it looked like chicken scratches—she couldn't recognize a single one.

In this era, educational resources were scarce and mostly monopolized by wealthy families; few people could read or write. Uncle Wang had likely served as a store manager for over a decade in his previous job precisely because he possessed basic literacy.

Han Lei summoned Captain Xiao Yi and asked him to have Magistrate Luo send two literate clerks to assist with the record-keeping. She then instructed Uncle Wang to gather all the registered craftsmen and farmers, as she intended to start work immediately.

Among the craftsmen, there were five or six masons who knew how to build walls and stoves. There were also over a dozen carpenters skilled in furniture making, as well as potters.

Zhao Zun and Luo Hai strolled around the restaurant before emerging, offering high praise for Han Lei's choice of location. Afterward, they took Han Lei by carriage to see the plot of wasteland selected for her.

Because both pig farming and agriculture require a reliable water source, Luo Hai had specifically chosen a large tract of wasteland beside a small river. The terrain was uneven, filled with slopes and winding paths, but the contiguous area spanned six or seven hundred acres. Having never been cultivated, the ground was littered with stones of all sizes.

The river was over twenty meters wide with a steady flow, making it an ideal spot for a pig farm. Most importantly, it was not far from the county seat; the carriage ride took less than an hour each way, making it very convenient.

"Uncle Luo, I will take the entire plot of wasteland," Han Lei said, very satisfied.

"Very well! The deed and documents for this wasteland will be delivered to you tomorrow," Luo Hai agreed with a nod. He couldn't help but be astonished; he had expected her to reclaim at most one or two hundred acres, but she had claimed the entire seven or eight hundred acres in one go.

"Uncle Luo, it’s almost noon. Please head back for a meal and rest; leave the rest to us. Could you please arrange for the wounded soldiers from the Xiao unit to bring all the recruited workers here by carriage?"

"Certainly. Then you carry on with your work, and I shall take my leave. Tomorrow, I will bring the relevant county officials to assist."

After Luo Hai left, Han Lei climbed into the carriage and purchased a large quantity of steamed buns from the system, distributing them to everyone for a quick meal. Once they had eaten, she took out machetes and saws, handed them out, and instructed everyone to head to the hills to cut bamboo and timber.

Once they had left, Han Lei led Zhao Zun behind a small hill.

She purchased a large supply of bulk cement and various agricultural tools from the system, piling them up behind the slope. To facilitate the transport of heavy items, she also bought a dozen wooden flatbed carts and wheelbarrows.

She had no foundation here yet and dared not reveal tools too far removed from this era; even the cement felt somewhat shocking.

Zhao Zun had already grown accustomed to her ways. With him assisting, Han Lei used the tools and lime to survey and mark the land.

The area near the river was like a stony Gobi desert. Han Lei designated twenty acres here for the pig farm, adjacent to six parallel, square, simple septic tanks. Each tank was about one hundred square meters, intended for the temporary storage of pig manure and liquid waste to undergo anaerobic fermentation, which would serve as agricultural fertilizer to enrich the soil.

Each septic tank was connected to the pig farm by channels, with the six tanks used and fermented in rotation. This solved both the waste disposal problem of the pig farm and the fertilizer needs of the land.

Of course, the manure from the pig farm alone would not be enough to fertilize hundreds of acres, but it would at least improve the quality of the barren soil.

The newly reclaimed land would be irrigated with the fermented fertilizer, and by the time spring arrived, it would be ready for planting crops.

To facilitate irrigation for every plot, Han Lei not only planned the locations of channels to draw water from the river but also laid out paths for easier movement and crop transport.

For the initial phase of the restaurant, Han Lei intended to use pre-packaged seasonings. However, to ensure a future supply, she designated ten acres near the hillside for planting chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, sand ginger, and black cardamom.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, the recruited workers arrived in succession under the escort of the wounded soldiers. With the soldiers, the new arrivals, and those who had gone to the hills for bamboo and timber, there were nearly two hundred people. Han Lei hadn't expected to recruit so many in just half a day.

Back in the modern world, she often heard about labor shortages. Here, it seemed that such a problem didn't exist at all.

Han Lei began to delegate tasks.

The recruited men were tasked with using bamboo and wood to build grass sheds. Five locations were planned across the wasteland; each shed was large, covering about two hundred square meters, meant to serve as a canteen and a temporary rest area.

The women and children were responsible for picking up stones of various sizes and loading them into baskets. The wounded soldiers from the Da unit would then use the wooden carts and wheelbarrows to transport them to the pig farm site and the future location of the dormitories.

The land was uneven, and many stones were embedded deep in the ground. With fewer women and children, progress was slow. Conversely, the men's work, aided by proper tools and greater numbers, moved along much faster.

The wooden carts and wheelbarrows shuttled back and forth across the wasteland. Driven by the promise of one tael of silver per month, men, women, and children alike put in every ounce of their strength, working with great fervor.

By sunset, the men had already finished two sheds, and the women had cleared the stones from several acres of land.

Han Lei ducked into the carriage again, purchased many solar-powered lights from the system, and asked Zhao Zun and Ping Chuan to help hang them on tree branches and the bamboo poles of the sheds.

Zhao Zun, infected by the bustling scene, followed Han Lei's instructions. He and Ping Chuan immediately grabbed baskets to hold the lights. After Han Lei taught them how to operate the switches, they eagerly joined the work. Meanwhile, Han Lei prepared enough steamed buns for everyone in the carriage.

The sun slipped behind the mountains, and night fell.

When Zhao Zun and Ping Chuan turned on the solar lights one by one, beams of bright light shot out, illuminating the wasteland as if it were broad daylight. The workers erupted in bursts of astonished cries.

"Wow, look! What is that? Heavens, how can it glow?"

"Could those be the night-luminescent pearls that only the nobility have?"

"How much silver must those have cost to hang so many?"

"Pfft! I heard only the imperial palace has night-luminescent pearls, and you can't buy them even with money."

"Wow, what huge pearls!"

"I never thought I'd live to see a night-luminescent pearl in my lifetime!"

"They're so bright! Just like the sun."

Under the brilliant light, exclamations of wonder echoed one after another.

"Hehehe..."

Zhao Zun and Ping Chuan exchanged a glance, folding their arms and smiling at each other.

They, too, had begun to enjoy watching the people react with such profound ignorance.