"You ...... Pay...... Road? Wang Yicheng seemed to have heard a fantasy.

Liu Yong and Liu Yuanzhi on the side also did not react. In their impression, let alone road construction, which of this tea, iron, oil and salt is not government-run? Now, let themselves pay for the construction of the road, their minds really haven't turned for a while.

Liu Ming's mind was different. In his previous life, he had experienced a project to restructure a state-owned enterprise. If the government has no money for infrastructure such as roads, why can't private funds enter?

Thinking of this, he said eloquently: "Uncle Wang, now, our Great Song Quanzhou Port is open to trade and do business with the West. Some things can be worked. Foreigners can do business with them, what else can't be changed? If the government can't accept it, even if we lend money to the government to build roads, it's always okay, right? ”

"I have the 24th Road Prefecture of the Great Song Dynasty, and the construction of roads and roads is planned by the Ministry of Industry. I haven't heard of people paying for road repairs,...... Wang Yicheng touched his head, "but your statement can barely be established." The people gave money and lent it to the government to build roads, and it was also completed. It's just that...... The cost of this road construction is huge, are you prepared? ”

"How much do you need?" Liu Ming asked.

Wang Yicheng moved his body, got up and went to the cabinet next to him and turned out an old yellow copy of "Qingzhou Gazetteer", slowly spread it out on the table, and while measuring, he recited the words: "Wu County is surrounded by mountains, there are many dangers, the river is kicking, and the troubled times are entrenched. If the current road is expanded, and the pontoon bridge is repaired, manpower and material resources are ...... Digging stone steps and opening mountains, no matter what, it costs 3,000 taels of silver, but this is worth more than half a year's harvest in the county. ”

"Three thousand taels ......" Liu Ming frowned, "Uncle Wang, can you save some of this?" ”

"Three thousand taels is too much?" Wang Yicheng pouted and said, "The road into Wu County is ready-made, but it needs to be expanded." If you want to start from scratch and directly open up the mountain and open up the road, I am afraid that it will be more than 10,000 taels. ”

Afraid that Liu Ming would think it was expensive, Wang Yicheng blew his beard and said, "I guarantee that your medicinal material convoy can enter Wu County unimpededly." If the road is narrower, the money will be saved, but the convoy can't get in, what's the point? ”

Liu Yuanzhi's face was full of gloom: "Ming'er, your idea is indeed bold and smart. However, with our medical hall and your Uncle Yong's savings, we will be able to come up with a thousand taels. Moreover, this is still on the premise that all the income of the medical hall in the previous months has been scavenged. ”

"Yes......" Liu Yong also frowned: "Now, we are clearly competing with the eldest brother, and we don't expect to be able to ask the family for this money, right?" ”

"A thousand taels is really not enough...... Wang Yicheng shook his head.

"Don't worry, I've got some here." Liu Ming looked up and said.

"What else do you have?" Liu Yong and Liu Yuanzhi were amazed.

Liu Yuanzhi hugged Liu Ming happily: "Son, you are really a living immortal." How can it save us from danger every time? ”

"Daddy......" Liu Ming smiled, "You forgot, didn't Steward Zhao hand over all the black silver that he coveted the medicinal materials in the house before leaving?" I've been keeping it for me. ”

"I just said that when I wanted to gamble, why couldn't I find the silver......" Liu Yuanzhi sneered, "Ming'er, it's better for you to keep it well, otherwise if Dad finds it, it will be spent long ago." ”

"Dad, these silver taels are about a thousand taels."

"Then Steward Zhao is very greedy......" Liu Yuanzhi exclaimed.

Wang Yicheng stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Yes, yes, in the blink of an eye, two-thirds of the silver is available." You guys have to think of a way ......."

Liu Ming thought to himself, he had already poured out of his pocket, scraping the ground, but he couldn't find a surplus.

He looked at his father and uncle, who also looked sad, and then looked at Wang Yicheng and said, "Uncle Wang, this has repaired the road and facilitated the people's livelihood." I think the upper peak will appreciate you too. After all, this road to Wu County has been a long-standing problem in Qingzhou. If it is solved by you, then I am waiting for you to blow a review, and I believe that your road to promotion is just around the corner. ”

Wang Yicheng raised his eyebrows, revealing an old-fashioned smile: "What does the virtuous nephew mean, is it for our government to pay this thousand taels?" ”

"Uncle Wang, as a post man, the budget for the repair of this post road is more or less. Now, if the problem of road construction in Wu County is solved, this benefit is not on our side of the Liu family. Liu Ming analyzed.

"But the budget in my hand is really less than a thousand taels...... Wang Yicheng said bitterly.

Liu Yong stood up, put his arm on Wang Yicheng's shoulder, and said with wine in his mouth: "Wang Guigua, you didn't have money to take the exam back then, but Liu borrowed your coil, and the little lady in your family was also introduced to you by Liu from Hongcui Garden back then...... Do you have to help today's things, and you have to help if you don't help! ”

Wang Yicheng was grabbed by the collar and pulled his neck by this Liu Yong, and stared at the sword dangling around his waist in his heart. I thought that this master was shouting at every turn to swing his sword to slash the examiner, and he also owed him a favor.

It seems that I have to help with this favor.

He spread his shoulders: "Okay, three changes, I was also favored by you back then." In this way, the remaining 1,000 taels will be solved by me. ”

Partnership to build roads, and share the benefits of goods transported into Wu County. This kind of agreement naturally can't be put on the table, and it was made privately with Wang Yicheng.

Now that the plan has been finalized, Liu Ming stepped up his journey to transport the medicinal materials to neighboring counties on the second day. Immediately afterwards, he returned to Fuzhong to discuss the specific plan for building the road.

Back in the house, these three people, without leaving the gate and stepping through the second door, closed themselves in the house, studying how to dig stones and build roads.

……

……

Wu County is surrounded by mountains, lofty mountains and mountains, fierce beasts are frequent, and miasma is pervasive. The passing caravans were all cautious and frightened.

At this time, at the foot of the mountain, a road mapping team of seven or eight people came.

Wang Yicheng, several members of the Liu family, and several public officials invited by the Ministry of Industry of the Cao Canal Road in the state capital.

The sunlight shines through the camphor trees on both sides, revealing mottled silhouettes.

Liu Ming walked forward with one foot deep and one foot shallow, and he looked at Wang Yicheng next to him, who was eagerly communicating with people.

"Brother Liu Xian, I spent a lot of effort to get the magistrate to approve the matter of building the road." Wang Yicheng held his slightly fat belly, "Everyone has to work together and work hard." ”

This public person is really the one who is empty-headed and brainy. Liu Ming said in his heart, thanks to our Liu family, two-thirds of the silver taels were paid, but you took advantage of it.

Today, though, their purpose is the same.

Wang Yicheng also enthusiastically pulled Liu Ming in front of the two dukes of the Nazhou Mansion, and said: "It is this virtuous brother, who is young and quick-witted, and has come up with this method of lending money to the government to build roads. ”

The two sharp-beaked monkey-cheeked males smiled and praised Liu Ming's nimble mind.

After the rain, the dirt road was even more muddy, Liu Ming looked forward and saw that this dirt road connecting Wu County with the outside world was only half a zhang wide, and he shook his head.

At this time, a convoy of civilian households was struggling on the road. Two ox carts, both stuck in the mud. The heads of the two-headed cart, snorting heavily, kicked their hind legs desperately, trying to move forward, but the oxcart did not move.

Seeing this, Liu Ming wanted to step forward to take a hand, but was dragged by the veteran Wang Yicheng: "Young man, don't act recklessly. ”

"Uncle Wang, what do you mean?"

Wang Yicheng nodded at the side of the road: "Wait a minute, naturally someone will come to help." ”

Liu Ming fixed his eyes, and sure enough, after a while, seven or eight stout men dressed as mountain people ran to the trapped convoy.

The owner of the convoy, who seemed to be an old acquaintance with them, nodded, and asked the stout men to help. The mountain people, several of them worked together, and soon pulled the deep ox cart into the pit.

Then, the seven or eight people dispersed into two ox carts, pushing and pulling, making the convoy move much faster.

"This road is uneven, and it is fun to help others...... It seems that the mountain people in the mountainous areas of Wu County are very simple. Liu Ming sighed.

"Simple?" Wang Yicheng pouted, and his eyes showed the vicissitudes of the world and said: "No profit can not be early." These carts are required to pay coolie fees, and the price is several times that of the outside. ”

"Huh?"

"The caravans that come here are used to it." Wang Yicheng said, "Although the coolie is expensive, after the goods are sent to Wu County, they can get several times the profit, so it is still cost-effective." He smiled worldly, "That's why I told you not to help." The mountain people here are fierce, and the government is also turning a blind eye to this. ”

Liu Ming thought to himself, this inconvenient transportation to Wu County has become a way for the surrounding mountain people to make a fortune.

He suddenly thought of something, glanced at Wang Yicheng, and saw that the latter was also looking at him with deep meaning.

At this time, several public servants took a cowhide tape measure and began to measure the road on the side.

Wang Yicheng slowly approached Liu Ming, and said on the side: "I said, this road construction is by no means easy. Not only must the capital and silver be in place, but also the people must be in place. To build this road, I estimate that it will take 300 to 500 people. But now it is the busy summer season, and the counties have already conscripted once. Now ......" Wang Yicheng said this, paused again, and showed a helpless expression.

Is this what it means to throw the burden on yourself?

Liu Ming was a little disgusted in his heart, thinking that this Wang Yicheng was also Uncle Yong back then, and how could he be so useless to those who had passed the provincial examination, he was simply a shopkeeper.

The bulk of this money is from his Liu family. But this task of recruiting the people is also falling into their own homes?

Liu Ming felt a little headache, there are so many people, where to find it?

At this time, he suddenly felt a chill on his back, and when he looked up, he saw the surrounding woods swaying, and the figures shaking, and suddenly became noisy.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, dozens of mountaineers with big shoulders and round waists and dark faces surrounded the surveying and mapping team.

When several dukes saw so many people surrounding them, they immediately became nervous, and one of the young men was about to draw a knife, but was held down by Wang Yicheng.

"Don't stir things up!" Wang Yi shouted.