Chapter 43: Building a New House

Chapter 43: Building a New House

To produce glass, quartz and borax were essential. Both raw materials were readily available in this era, as quartz was a primary component of ceramic glazes, and borax was frequently used in the forging of gold and silver jewelry.

Thus, Zhao An didn't need to start from scratch by mining ores to make glass. Moreover, glassware already existed, but its unstable composition and excessive impurities made it difficult to shape, rendering it prohibitively expensive.

Zhao An understood that the prevalent issues with glass in this era stemmed primarily from insufficient kiln temperatures. This problem had a simple solution: firing the kilns with coal.

Using charcoal inevitably required constant stoking with firewood, leading to heat loss. Coal, however, eliminated the need for additional fuel, allowing the kiln to maintain temperatures exceeding 1,300 degrees Celsius for extended periods.

Another reason for his preference for coal was that his month-long wood procurement from local villagers had already denuded several nearby mountains.

It simply underscored that all progress comes at a cost. Even something as seemingly beneficial as the resurgence of spiritual energy had triggered a Great Cataclysm, wiping out nearly ninety percent of the global population.

Yet, if he ceased purchasing wood from these villagers, many would not survive the winter. So, the wood purchases had to continue. At most, he could open a few more brick and tile kilns, as bricks and tiles were easily consumed.

Naturally, coal also needed to be acquired. He knew that Qianzhou, adjacent to Shuzhou, possessed numerous open-pit mines, though they were scattered and less renowned than the coal mines in Shanxi.

Furthermore, as he had discussed with Hu Sheng, his ambition was to sell glassware to foreign markets, not merely to the upper echelons of Dawn Country.

Primarily, his current status was ill-suited for high-end luxury trade. Perhaps he could leverage Nanyue Country as an intermediary, exporting the goods first and then re-importing them for domestic sale.

But these were concerns for after the glassware was successfully produced. For now, the immediate priority was locating coal mines. He entrusted this entire task to Hu Sheng, who commanded a large workforce. Even if two merchant teams, each numbering over a thousand, were dispatched, two-thirds of his men would still remain at the mountain stronghold.

Since they were idle anyway, they might as well assist him.

After Hu Sheng’s men departed, Zhao An found himself with free time. It was now late September. Changxi County, situated in the southwest, boasted mountains that remained verdant year-round, devoid of autumn's red foliage. Nevertheless, the weather grew colder day by day, and Zhao An's attire transitioned from single layers to padded jackets.

He could finally relax in his courtyard, using a small stove to roast chestnuts and the large, sweet potatoes he had personally cultivated.

The chestnuts were sweet, the sweet potatoes were sweet, and Hu Sheng’s lips were even sweeter. However, after just three days of this carefree existence, Zhao An felt so light and unburdened that he feared he might float away if he didn't find something to occupy himself.

Then he finally recalled his plan to build a house during the winter. Although winter hadn't officially arrived, the villagers had largely completed their farm work; at most, they were sowing winter wheat. In Changxi County, wheat wasn't a staple crop, and many fields lacked sufficient fertility, leaving the villagers mostly idle.

When the villagers learned of Zhao An's intention to build a house, everyone eagerly volunteered their help, even offering to work for free.

Thanks to the village's communal brick and tile kiln, over eighty percent of the villagers now resided in new homes. They were not ungrateful; having benefited from Zhao An's contributions, they wished to reciprocate.

When Liu Huan thumped his chest and declared to Zhao An, "This time, you must let the villagers help. Otherwise, they'll grow accustomed to taking advantage of you," Zhao An could no longer refuse.

He arranged for Qintong and Uncle Hai to temporarily reside in the kiln workers' dormitories, while he and Hu Sheng returned to the mountain. Hu Sheng was tasked with driving him down the mountain each morning to oversee the construction progress.

It was then that Zhao An first observed the material the villagers used to bond bricks: cooked glutinous rice, pounded into a paste and mixed with clay.

A villager who had once performed corvée labor informed Zhao An, "The city walls of the prefecture are built with glutinous rice and clay. I've heard even the frontier fortress walls are constructed the same way."

The process of mixing the clay was quite intricate, but the villagers adopted an efficient, assembly-line approach to building the house. With numerous people working together, progress was swift.

If this type of clay could be used for city walls, the quality of houses built with it would naturally be excellent. However, it still lacked the convenience of cement. Zhao An mused that since he was already embarking on glass production, producing some cement on the side shouldn't pose a problem.

Once the cement was produced, even if it couldn't be sold, it could be transported up the mountain to build houses for Hu Sheng's many men, who were still living in wooden huts.

Those rudimentary structures offered little protection from the summer sun and no warmth in winter. Zhao An felt that, having accepted the considerable silver earned by Hu Sheng, it was his responsibility as the "mountain stronghold's lady" to ensure that those who followed Hu Sheng could lead better lives.

As Zhao An gazed blankly at the glutinous rice, someone carrying a load of high-quality clay accidentally bumped into him, leaving a dirty smudge on his clothes. The person immediately set down his burden and stood there, flustered, like a child who had made a mistake.

Zhao An quickly stepped aside and cupped his hands in apology, saying, "My apologies for blocking your path."

Although he had worn old clothes to the construction site, he still appeared out of place compared to the working villagers. Standing too close, he risked impeding their work.

Zhao An rubbed his nose, feeling that his presence was purely a hindrance. He ambled off, hands tucked into his sleeves, and made his way to Liu Huan's house. Liu Huan's three sons were all working on Zhao An's house, so the old man had finally seized the opportunity to relax at home. He had even laid out peanuts and was enjoying rice wine.

Upon seeing Zhao An enter, he quickly offered him a seat, instructing his young grandson to fetch bowls and chopsticks for Zhao An and his wife to quickly fry some eggs.

Zhao An didn't stand on ceremony. After sitting down and having a cup of wine, he recounted how he felt like he was in the way no matter where he went on the construction site. He concluded with a slight sigh, "Lately, I've just been too idle, not knowing what to do."

Unexpectedly, the old man's eyes darted mischievously. Zhao An straightened his back, and then heard him say, "I heard from Qintong a while ago that you wanted to teach the village children to read and write this winter. Is that still true?"

Zhao An nodded, then shook his head. "I wanted to teach everyone in the village, young and old, to read. But if it's for children aiming for the imperial exams, my knowledge wouldn't be sufficient."

Liu Huan tossed a peanut into his mouth, took a sip of wine, and said, "Who in our villages would dare dream of the imperial exams? Being able to recognize a few characters and having more opportunities in the future would already be a great blessing."

Before Zhao An could voice any refusal, Liu Huan decided, "Tomorrow, I'll have someone clean up the village ancestral hall. You can teach there directly."

Zhao An, having also drunk some rice wine, suddenly felt a surge of ambition. "I've never taught children before. Clan Elder Liu, please come tomorrow too, to help maintain order in the classroom. Also, girls should be taught as well. Please tell the villagers to send all their children to study. Adults who wish to learn can also come—it never hurts to learn more."

"Hahaha, it never hurts to learn more," Liu Huan said, giving Zhao An a thumbs-up. "Then tomorrow, I'll bring my grandchildren to the school."

Liu Huan looked very pleased, but there was something he hadn't told Zhao An. This year, every household had some extra money. In previous years, even though there was no farm work at this time, they still had to gather firewood from the nearby mountains for winter. This year, however, many had purchased firewood from the kilns, leaving the younger men and women with little to do. They had started gathering to play dice and card games.

Liu Huan had been feeling troubled lately upon learning that many villagers had developed a gambling habit. But when he saw Zhao An, equally idle, an idea struck him. He suddenly remembered the teaching plan, and to his delight, the two immediately agreed.

So, after Zhao An left Liu Huan's house, Liu Huan felt invigorated. He immediately went from house to house, insisting that everyone with free time must come to the ancestral hall to study the next day.