My lady, I'm going to rebel.

Chapter 177: Transforming Qingyan Mountain

After Mu Zheng returned to Qingyan Mountain, he was shocked to find that this place was in urgent need of revival.

So he decisively decided to carry out large-scale transformation.

The first task remained the dismantling of the timber and stone materials of Feng Debiao's old stronghold. Immediately, men and women from the entire fort took action, rushing daily to the old house to remove the timber, planks, and stone materials. Through the concerted efforts of the entire fort, by the time of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects), the entire Siqingliang bandit stronghold was finally demolished.

After the Qingyan Mountain residents' thorough cleanup, the entire fort was pristine, spotless, and impeccably clean. Not only had all the wood and stone materials been removed and pried away, not even a single plank was left. The end result was that all the materials needed to build the Qingyan Mountain fortress were finally available.

Looking at the mountains of raw materials in the fort, everyone in the fort breathed a sigh of relief. Mu Zheng also ordered the purchase of several pigs and sheep, and the entire fort celebrated for two days.

After the celebration, there were only ten days left until the Spring Equinox, and preparations for spring plowing throughout the fort had to begin.

The first problem we faced was that although the Qingyanshan military households dredged a section of the Baihu Canal last autumn and winter, it was obvious that the river was low and the canal was high, and water diversion was urgently needed for irrigation.

The locals typically use keel waterwheels to divert water. For Mu Zheng, these keel waterwheels require dedicated manpower to operate daily, and they divert too little water and have too low a power output. Mu Zheng longs for a more efficient water diversion tool.

He recalled the large waterwheels of later times. These wheels required no human or animal power, being driven solely by the flow of water. They could divert an enormous amount of water, irrigating over 300 mu (approximately 1,000 acres) of farmland daily. Of course, there were always pros and cons. While this waterwheel was a good idea, it was likely quite expensive.

However, after thinking for a moment, Mu Zheng ordered Li Lian and Han Zi to go to various places to find craftsmen.

……

"Sir, I have seen the waterwheel you are talking about by the Yellow River."

A few days later, a group of craftsmen stood beside Mu Zheng. They were all professional carpenters and masons, recruited by Li Lian and the others from nearby. After hearing Mu Zheng's description, one of the gray-haired craftsmen quickly stepped forward and spoke proudly.

After hearing what the old craftsman said, Mu Zheng was slightly surprised at the current level of development of Ming Dynasty's civilian science and technology. He asked, "How much money and grain will it cost?"

The old craftsman calculated for a moment and replied, "If it were a waterwheel for irrigating the well, one would cost no more than ten taels of silver. However, this type of waterwheel is huge and uses a lot of materials. I estimate that including the materials and labor costs, building a waterwheel would cost nearly a hundred taels of silver."

Hearing that it would cost nearly a hundred taels of silver, Mu Zheng hesitated. However, since he had found a way to make money by suppressing bandits, Mu Zheng was no longer so stingy with his money. He gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll do it. Just tell me the cost you need. But I have to tell you, if there's any problem with the waterwheel, I won't pay for it."

The old craftsman said proudly, "Don't worry, sir. If there is any problem with the waterwheel, I and others will not charge a penny."

Mu Zheng nodded. Although the old craftsman had an arrogant demeanor, most talented people were like that. As long as he truly had the ability, why not employ him?

After Mu Zheng made the decision, the craftsmen began to work enthusiastically, designing drawings and preparing materials.

Building a waterwheel is a big project, and the first thing is to find suitable hardwood.

Most of the people who stayed in the mountains were former villagers from the surrounding area and talents recruited by the rebels. They were all young and strong. When they heard that they needed to find wood, they gathered together and plunged into the nearby forests.

The forest was full of thorns and numerous insects and ants, but everyone had no complaints. Their eyes were as wide as copper bells, and they would not miss any tree that might be useful.

Someone accidentally scratched his arm with a branch, and he simply bandaged it and continued searching; someone was covered with mosquito bites, but he just waved his hand and concentrated on judging the texture of the wood.

At the same time, another group of people were busy digging wells and building pools.

The place where the well was being dug was dusty. Everyone was shouting slogans and waving the tools in their hands again and again. The dull and powerful sound of the impact seemed like the horn declaring war on this land.

The people building the pool were also busy, moving stones and mixing mortar. Everyone was busy, sweating profusely, but full of energy.

Half a month passed in a hurry in this busy and intense work. When the brand new waterwheel stood in front of everyone, everyone gathered around, their eyes full of amazement and joy.

The clear water was slowly lifted up by the water truck and flowed along the trough into the newly built pool. The "gurgling" sound of the water was like a beautiful piece of music, playing the prelude to a new life.

The old people were grinning from ear to ear, and the children were jumping and dancing beside them. Everyone seemed to have seen the days of worry-free food and clothing, stability and prosperity in the future waving to them not far away.

Afterwards, everyone focused on reclaiming the wasteland. The once barren land carried their determination to make up for the wasted days.

Everyone carried hoes, called on oxen, and turned the land ridge by ridge, pulling out the weeds by the roots, allowing the land that had been dormant for many years to be exposed to the sun again.

But soon, everyone discovered a problem: due to the war, there were no seeds to sell anywhere. How could they start the spring plowing without seeds?