Chapter 795: Road Completion

Editor: Henyee Translations

At this moment, five little pigs huddled together, sleeping soundly in a corner.

The pathways and pens in the pigsty were clean, the water troughs were frequently changed and clean, and the feed troughs were spotless.

The piglets were fed twice a day, consuming over a thousand pounds of feed each meal, which was a significant expenditure. The cooking room for pig feed had been expanded to accommodate the continuous preparation of feed, keeping it busy.

Between the several pens, where there used to be forests, all trees had been cut down and replaced with pig vegetables and grasses. Daily collections of pig grass were necessary, or else there wouldn’t be enough to feed them.

Fortunately, this was Chu Qingzhi’s fiefdom. With her command, everything was provided; otherwise, running things smoothly would be difficult.

The pigsty was managed by Guo Shangyong, who was very diligent, starting his work before dawn.

At this moment, he came out from the cooking area, “Miss, you’re here so early?”

Chu Qingzhi replied, “I came to check on them. It’s getting colder, and I’m afraid they might freeze.”

Guo Shangyong professionally assured, “I’ve already reinforced the pens and made them cold-proof. They won’t freeze, rest assured.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded, “Thankyou for your hard work. I’ll make sure to give you a generous bonus.”

Guo Shangyong smiled, “That’s great, especially with the New Year approaching.”

After a brief chat and seeing that Guo Shangyong was busy, Chu Qingzhi left the pigsty for the cowshed.

The cowshed housed 104 cows, including one old cow that could no longer work and was provided with a separate pen to spend its retirement in peace after a lifetime of hard work.

The other cows, fifty calves, had grown noticeably in almost two months and were very active, playing around in their pens.

The remaining fifty cows, thirty of which were milk-producing and twenty pregnant, were gradually giving birth to calves.

For this reason, Chu Qingzhi specifically hired an experienced elder to assist Fu Kangping with the cows to prevent him from being overwhelmed.

The three bulls in the family were used for plowing and were very capable.

Chu Qingzhi inspected the cowshed, noting the cleanliness of the walkways and the timely removal of cow dung, keeping the area dry and comfortable.

Fu Kangping greeted her upon seeing her, “Miss, you’re early today.”

Chu Qingzhi glanced over and smiled, “I have some things to do later, so I came early to check.”

Fu Kangping mentioned, “Let me know if there’s any issue. It’s my first time taking care of so many cows, so there might be some oversight. With more experience, things will get better.”

Chu Qingzhi reassured, “Your management is fine. I mainly came to check if they are cold, now that the weather is colder. Cold can affect milk production.” “I see,” Fu Kangping said responsibly, “I’ve already made arrangements for cold protection. I’ll check again later.”

Chu Qingzhi expressed her gratitude, “Thank you for your hard work.”

With the horse pen, pigsty, and cowshed all in good condition, Chu Qingzhi felt relieved. After leaving the cowshed, she headed towards the brick kiln.

The brick kiln was basically self-sufficient, as the demand for bricks for ongoing construction projects at home was high…

When villagers wanted to build new homes for the New Year or weddings, knowing the quality of bricks from Chu Qingzhi’s kiln, they insisted on buying some. After much persuasion, Chu Qingzhi reluctantly allocated some bricks for them.

The four new products were selling well, with orders continuously increasing, necessitating the construction of workshops to meet the demand, which required a lot of bricks.

Also, the construction of the mini-mart needed tens of thousands of bricks.

Moreover, the houses for Xiao Chen’s group and Wan Haonan’s group were under construction, demanding a significant amount of bricks.

Xiao Chen’s group, consisting of about twenty people, had their houses built in one location, with half of them already completed.

Wan Haonan’s group had only four courtyards completed so far, with twenty- five people in total, meaning twenty-one more courtyards needed to be built.

Chu Qingzhi observed the area for a while before heading towards the fields planted with cattle grass, pig grass, and horse grass. Taking advantage of the solitude, she sprinkled some spiritual energy to help them grow.

The demand for grass by the cattle, horses, and pigs was too great, allowing her to “cheat” a bit.

Chu Rong’s voice reached her, “Qingzhi, someone is looking for you. Hurry back.”

” Coming.” Chu Qingzhi quickly made her way back.

Chu Rong informed her, “The person looking for you is named Pei Yuan. He said the road leading out from the west gate of Shuiyun County is completed and wants you to inspect it.’1

“I understand, Dad.”

The road from the west gate was the route to the capital. Chu Qingzhi had allocated the most workers to its construction, which was due for completion around this time.

Pei Yuan waited at the courtyard gate for Chu Qingzhi, “Miss Qingzhi, I heard you haven’t had breakfast yet. There’s no rush. You can eat first before we go.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded, “Please wait a moment.”

After breakfast, Chu Qingzhi and Pei Yuan rode fast horses towards the road.

What used to be a two-hour journey now took only an hour.

The newly paved road, covering half the distance to the capital, reduced the travel time from Shuiyun County to the capital from four hours to three. If the capital’s side of the road were also completed, it would only take two hours to reach.

Chu Qingzhi rode swiftly, both to save time and to test the road’s quality. If the horses caused the cobblestones to loosen or flip, it would be unacceptable.

Fortunately, the ride revealed no issues, and the road seemed well-constructed.

After the next rain, when the soil settled, the cobblestones would be even more secure.

Chu Qingzhi was very satisfied.

At the road’s end, four people awaited her: an accountant, a supervisor, a procurement officer, and a personnel manager, with Pei Yuan overseeing everything.

Chu Qingzhi dismounted and took the ledger from the accountant to review.

Pei Yuan suggested, “There’s a stone over there. Sit and take a look.”

“Thankyou.”

Chu Qingzhi, with her quick reading ability, finished the ledger in the time it took to burn an incense stick, signing her name at the end to approve the accounts.

The accountant breathed a sigh of relief, his task completed.

The supervisor then handed Chu Qingzhi the construction records, detailing daily progress, manpower, milestones, and any issues encountered.

After reviewing, Chu Qingzhi signed her name, expressing her approval.

The supervisor was proud to receive her endorsement, given Chu Qingzhi’s reputation for strictness.

The procurement records, detailing the purchase of cobblestones, tools, and milestones, were thoroughly documented and well-organized, impressing Chu Qingzhi, who also signed her name in approval.

Lastly, she reviewed the personnel records, which detailed every worker’s daily tasks, wages, and any absences. These records were meticulous, saving Chu Qingzhi a lot of trouble and ensuring everything was in order.

With no issues found, Chu Qingzhi felt relieved.