Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 102 - 101: Promotion

Another two days passed, and Liu the carpenter had the waterwheel ready.

All the parts were bundled together, and Qin Yao could carry them alone.

The remaining two columns, used as axles, were each carried by Liu the carpenter and his nephew. The three of them arrived at Lower River Village at the agreed time to assemble the water mill.

The roof for the millhouse had already been erected. With the large workforce in Lower River Village, the construction went quickly. The walls were made of bamboo, and the roof was covered with thick thatch, with wooden planks nailed down to secure the thatch against strong winds.

Qin Yao and Liu the carpenter spent an entire day assembling, and another day testing and adjusting, completing the task two days ahead of the scheduled half-month timeline.

The results were excellent. The channel feeding into the pond had been modified to allow wooden boards to block the flow, effectively stopping the mill.

When needed, the boards can be lifted to let water flow in. The rushing water would surge into the channel, forcefully hitting the blades of the horizontal waterwheel, making it spin rapidly.

Inside the millhouse, two water mills could operate simultaneously, or when not needed, one of the mills could have its axle removed, leaving just one in operation.

The stone grinder was placed separately in the corner of the millhouse, powered by a smaller waterwheel beside the large one.

This set up of large and small waterwheels allows the stone grinder to run at half the speed of the stone mill, making it more convenient to use and reducing the risk of people accidentally getting injured.

But even at half speed, it was much faster than manpower.

On the day the water mill officially started operating, many villagers from nearby villages came to watch.

The villagers from Lower River Village brought their old wheat from home and, after a few rounds, were reluctant to part with it.

Since it was a communal water mill, the villagers who had their turn didn’t think to make way for others after some time. Some waiting villagers nearly got into arguments out of impatience.

But these matters were not for Qin Yao to worry about. She was only responsible for collecting the final payment; the rest was up to the village chief of Lower River Village to manage.

Wang Yu invited her and Liu the carpenter to his home, and because using the water mill was so delightful, he promptly settled the outstanding ten tael balance.

Qin Yao asked him to bring pen and paper and left a simple manual for daily maintenance.

Since she couldn’t write Chinese characters, she dictated while Wang Yu wrote.

Wang Yu didn’t expect after-sales service for the water mill, and gratefully smiled at Qin Yao while carefully transcribing her instructions.

Qin Yao advised, "Although I’ve already taught the two carpenters in your village about daily maintenance and repairs, it’s good to have it documented so the villagers can look at it themselves. It’s a shared asset, and everyone needs to take care of it for it to last."

Wang Yu nodded repeatedly, "Absolutely, absolutely, rest assured, Miss Qin, I’ll instruct the villagers to take care when they use it."

"Yes, if there are issues you can’t resolve, feel free to come to Liu Family Village to find Liu the carpenter or me. The first three months are free after-sales." Qin Yao smiled and said.

Wang Yu agreed, feeling that the fifteen taels spent were truly worth it.

After settling the payment, Qin Yao and Liu the carpenter were not in a hurry to leave. Just as Wang Yu was heading to the water mill to have a look, the three of them went together.

Outside the water mill, the villagers of Lower River Village had already shown it to each household, and were now enjoying the admiration and compliments from people from other villages.

Wang Yuchong nodded to the two and went ahead. He needed to teach the villagers some precautions to avoid damage.

Liu the carpenter and Qin Yao exchanged a glance, then split up, diving into the crowd to advertise the water mill to the outsiders.

"This water mill comes in large and small sizes. The large ones aren’t too expensive, and the small ones are also very affordable; you can use them at home or the whole village can pool funds to build one. It frees up your hands and improves efficiency."

"Let’s not just envy Lower River Village; if you’re tempted, take action. With the harvest approaching, build one quickly, and it’ll be much easier then."

Qin Yao’s voice wasn’t loud, but it had an inexplicable allure that made people want to listen.

Seeing everyone’s gaze on her, she continued:

"Small waterwheels are very cheap, and a single water mill can last several years. If you take care of it, it can last even over ten years. This averages out to less than one cent a day, which rounds off to almost nothing!"

"If you run a grain shop at home, instead of paying workers to grind, why not build a water mill yourself? You’ll break even within a year, and whether you grind for yourself or others, it’s all profit afterward!"

Of course, after listing the advantages, she had to mention some drawbacks.

"But no matter how good the water mill is, it’s useless without water. So everyone should consider their situation and not rashly buy waterwheels and stone mills only to find out they can’t use them because we do not accept returns."

Ordinary folks liked hearing such honest talk. Moreover, since Qin Yao and Liu the carpenter were from nearby villages and not some unscrupulous outsiders, their favorability soared.

In no time, seven or eight people came by to ask about details and prices.

"The small ones are one or two taels, while the large ones can go for ten or even twenty taels, depending on the needs of the people. We shouldn’t blindly pursue big ones; as long as it suits the purpose, it’s fine."

This price immediately discouraged quite a few people.

But Qin Yao wasn’t worried; it was just because they hadn’t used it yet. Once they had, they wouldn’t want to be without it.

Human nature tends towards comfort, and manual stone milling is fighting against human nature. Once the option is there to follow human laziness by spending just a little money, even the stingiest farmer will be swayed.

The villagers from various villages stayed at Lower River Village until evening. To promote the water mill, Qin Yao and Liu the carpenter talked themselves hoarse until the villagers dispersed, and only then did they leave.

"Did you get any orders?" Qin Yao asked Liu the carpenter.

Liu the carpenter shook his head, but he had found a few potential customers.

Qin Yao had as well, including one small grain dealer, who would find the water mill cost-effective once he calculated the numbers back home. So neither of them was in a hurry.

Qin Yao took out the silver and divided it with Liu the carpenter on the way.

They each took half, but since Liu the carpenter had previously advanced three taels to buy wood, Qin Yao only gave him four taels and five maces of silver this time.

As for how much he had to pay his nephew, and how much would ultimately remain in his hands, Qin Yao didn’t concern herself with it.

She calculated her share, after paying Liu Bai and his three brothers eight hundred and forty coins, leaving six taels and six maces and sixty coins, all for herself.

Adding in her savings and the thirty cents Liu Ji got from Liu Facai as compensation, she now had fifteen taels and two maces of silver in hand!

Qin Yao’s lips curled into a smile. This money would cover Liu Ji’s school fees this year, the family’s living expenses, and next year’s tuition for the four children in the clan academy.

But she was still far from the comfortable life she envisioned.

Ultimately, land ownership would provide security.

Renting land was not a long-term solution. Qin Yao was planning to acquire a few acres of good land once she had more silver in hand.

Here, land had high liquidity and was like hard currency; earning it acre by acre would build up her family assets.

Thinking of the bright future, Qin Yao walked home with increasingly light steps.