"The indispensable layout of these structures, which carry so much water, is comparable to the pyramids that have no use value, or the Greek art that has a little use value."

-- A Roman water commissioner enthusiastically praises the aqueduct of the city of Rome

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By the time the carabith team entered Prima, which was full of fruit trees and greenery, many of the craftsmen hired by Luculas had already begun to level the land and dig the foundations. Three days ago, Lucuras had asked the most famous soothsayer in Rome to make a detailed divination of the good fortune and evil in the site, and the answer was that it was all auspicious, so today he was in a very good mood with Marcus, under the parasol, and his wife Claudia was also a rare companion, eating fresh fruit.

Carabis's heart sank when he saw the few freedmen standing respectfully beside Claudia, one or two of whom he recognized, the architects and contractors of the city, whom Claudia had summoned for the simple purpose of pampering her husband and handing over the work of Prima to these people, who would naturally benefit greatly from it.

This girl, I want to be the first to grab my job! Calabis stood in the hot sun, sweat dripping down.

"One hundred and fifty thousand drachmas, is it so expensive? My dear, I don't have a golden goat, otherwise I would have cut a roll of the golden fleece on it and pay for it. Lucuras listened to Claudia's statement and offer, and said unhappily that the asking price was too strange.

Claudia's face twitched twice, she was originally ready to have a seizure, but thinking about the silver glittering little money, she endured it, squeezed out a little smile and said: "Originally, fifty or sixty thousand was enough, but the cost of opening a tunnel and attracting sea water will inevitably be high." ”

What the!

Calabis couldn't bear it anymore, so he bravely stood up and said to Lucuras: "Lord Patron, I remember that the design of the tunnel and the sea was first proposed by the contemptible people, why is it that someone has plagiarized someone else's idea now?" Originally, these people didn't all want to lay mountain roads, climb over the mountains, and then build a seaside water field over there! ”

"This," said Luculas with some embarrassment, "dear Calabis, I know of your ideas, but you are just a freedman who has just been released, and where did Liliang come from to complete such a project. So I talked to Marcos about combining your ideas with the financial resources of these two contractors. Rest assured, your tunnel idea is good, and I am ready to pay you three thousand dinars of silver in no time. ”

Well? Three thousand dinars to buy an idea, yes, maybe I would have happily agreed to it in the past Calabis, but now it is different, since I have come, I have decided to do a big one, this little money, forgive me no interest.

"Dear patron, I'm not without Liliang, this time I've brought the team here." Calabis pointed at Milu behind him, which caused a burst of ridicule from Claudia and the architect, "Calabis, Calabis, what are you calling the group of veterans to call Hanako?" Immediately let Kelly alone give them ten Seths, and send them all away. Claudia said with a disdainful roll of her eyes.

At this moment, Kelly came over in a hurry, but it did not seem that he had come to send Calabis and his party away, but he ran to Claudia's ear and said, "Langis's compensation has been delivered!" ”

Longis, the nouveau riche knight who used to be a lover with Claudia, he "slandered" the beautiful Claudia last time, saying that she was a fire in the party and a block of ice on the bed, and Claudia was so angry that Claudia went to settle accounts with him, thanks to Calabis who defeated his men with his fists, so that he could be raped by Claudia's slave and bird, and avenged Claudia's revenge.

When he was punished, Langis said to forgive, saying that he would compensate Claudia with 10,000 drachmas to appease her anger, and now he can be regarded as raising all the money and sending it.

"Take it, I'm going to take some money out of it and send away the gang of Hanako that Calabis brought." Claudia laughed charmingly and put a piece of fig into her mouth.

"Dear Madam, we are not called Hanako, we are all former soldiers of the Legion, who served under Sulla, and are confident that we can do any construction work." Milou protested with a hint of dissatisfaction.

At this time, Lucuras's sharp gaze noticed Milu, "Your name is Milu. Quintas, you served in the Seventh Legion in Sulla, and later served as a non-commissioned officer in the city of Rome because of your outstanding performance, and then you pledged your allegiance to Marius and Thetrouris, becoming the chief centurion of the rebels in Spain. ”

"Yes, I know you too, Your Excellency." Milou gave a military salute.

"That'll do, Calabis." Luculas rose from his lap chair and announced with regret: "I am a general who has just enjoyed a triumphant ceremony, and it is a pity that I will not let the rebels accept the work of my villa." With that, he pointed to the engineer beside Claudia, "Feltus." ”

"It's Portus, honorable General Triumph."

"The tunnel project is handed over to you, advance payment, thirty thousand drachmas, and Kelly will help you with haode soon." This is the finalization of Lucuras Zuihou.

Calabis lowered his head, the wind blew through his ears, and his heart was full of unwillingness, but he obviously heard a kind of ridicule of Claudia and the guy named Portus on the side, and he didn't know that the sky was high and thick, so he ran to encroach, and could only laugh and be generous.

Suddenly, Claudia let out a scream of rage, and when she opened the money bag that Longis had given her, she found that it was not a drachma silver coin at all, but a copper plate full of as, and soon the whole of Prima echoed with her cry: "Calabis, I am willing to give you the contract of this project, on the condition that you follow me to Subra again now, and I will kill that fellow of Longis!" ”

On the boulevard on the way back, Milou looked at the somewhat depressed Calabis and said with relief: "It's not your fault, Luculas is not wrong, a general of a republic should not trust a centurion who was once rebellious." Even now, Calabis could only smile awkwardly, and separated from this group of veterans who had run away in vain near the sanctuary of the city wall.

At home that night, Potty brought up a plate of "masa", a paste mixed with flour, honey, oil and salt, and a plate of chestnuts, which Calabis and Paruma ate with their heads down, "I heard that today's event is very important, is it going well?" Potty pinched Calabis's nose and asked.

Calabis shook his head and said with a wry smile: "It's me who is not pragmatic enough, I always want to ascend to the sky in one step, the most important thing in this city is to be content, what do I have to be dissatisfied with now?" An income of one or two hundred drachmas a day, and in two or three years we can buy a small villa in the valley of Apilon—I have decided, to-morrow I will continue to Tylagnan for military training, and that thing cannot be lost. ”

At this time, as if playing a trick, Potty came up with another plate of fragrant barbecue, which made Calabis's eyes light up and his index finger moved, "In fact, sometimes, when you are disappointed at the table, you don't expect that there is actually a dish that has not been served." Potty said proudly.