socalfunplaces Chapter 206
Chapter 206
Li Chengqian, Su Chen and others returned along the same route, and after meeting up with Qin Huaiyu and Wei Shuyu, they called more than 50 civilians to bring tools and go to the mine shown on the 3D map.
"Let's look for it on the nearby mountains. If we can find it, we'll take some 'pyrite' back. If we can't find it, forget it." Su Chen said to everyone.
The mine shown on the map is on the side of the cement road, and it can be reached in more than ten minutes by horseback.
Soon, Su Chen and others came to a 'mine', which is more like a sloped mountain than a mine.
There are no vegetation or trees on the mountain, it is bare.
Moreover, this mountain is different from other mines. It is not a hard stone mine, but a mountain with loose yellow sand and gravel on the surface.
Su Chen wandered around the foot of the mountain to see where it would be easier to dig.
Many mineral resources in ancient times were not developed on a large scale. If they were in Shanxi, it might be possible to find open-pit coal mines.
Sure enough, Su Chen found several yellow stones with smooth surfaces at the foot of the hillside.
Su Chen bent down to pick them up and weighed them in his hand. They were slightly larger than his fist and not very heavy.
"Su Chen, is this what you call 'pyrite'?" Li Chengqian also picked up a piece from the ground and looked at it carefully.
"I don't know, but it is indeed a yellow ore." Su Chen put it to his nose and smelled it. There was no special smell.
Su Chen remembered his experience in finding coal mines before: ask more questions.
"Fellow villagers, do any of you know this thing?"
Su Chen held up the yellow stone and looked at the people and asked.
With a little expectation, hoping to learn the use of this pyrite from them, worried that they could not see clearly, Su Chen took a few steps forward.
The fifty or so people holding tools looked at the stone in Su Chen's hand and shook their heads.
"I wonder if you have ever heard of 'pyrite'?" Su Chen asked again.
At this time, a commoner put down his chisel and hammer, stepped forward and bowed:
"Sir, I don't know what this thing is called, but I know that a skilled doctor uses this as medicine to drive away snakes and insects.
According to the doctor, sorcerers also use this thing to make medicine."
Su Chen was delighted. As long as someone knew the use of this pyrite, it would be fine. At worst, he could go back and ask someone powerful about it.
"Brother, how did you know this?" Su Chen asked with a smile.
"My dear, my family lives in a mountain village in Hua County. Last June, we frequently saw snakes at home, and my child was bitten by a snake.
Fortunately, an old immortal treated me and taught me a method to prevent snakes and insects from entering the house.
Grind this thing into fine powder and sprinkle it around the courtyard to drive away snakes and insects.
But the old immortal said: This method has little effect, but it is better than nothing. If you want it to be 100% effective, you must extract the essence."
Su Chen roughly understood that the old immortal should be a kind doctor.
"Extract the essence, 100% effective? It means that the useful substances in it are extracted, and snakes dare not approach. What will the extracted thing be?"
"Thank you for solving this puzzle!" Su Chen bowed his hands to thank him, and then said to everyone: "Everyone, please dig out some of this stone."
Everyone with tools started digging. Fortunately, this mountain is not made of hard stone and is easy to dig.
The chisel they brought was useless, and it was the spiked rake that Su Chen made for the first time when he was repairing the road that came in handy.
Dozens of people dug for about half an hour. Su Chen looked at his watch and it was almost time for the road workers to finish work.
"Everyone stop, these are enough."
Su Chen asked everyone to stop digging. So much had been dug out, and they didn't bring any bags, so they couldn't take away any more.
Almost six or seventy pieces of pyrite ore were dug out, and each person took two pieces back to the construction site.
...
It was already past six thirty in the afternoon when everyone returned to the toll station. Master Cheng and Master Liu were making buns.
As before, no dinner was prepared in the evening.
Chang Sun Chong looked at the things they had never seen before and was very curious.
"Su Chen, I haven't seen you for more than a month. You have come up with so many new things again?" Cheng Chuliang pointed to the barbecue grill and asked.
They had eaten food grilled directly over fire before, but they had never seen this barbecue grill before.
"Haha, Daniel, you'll know later. I promise you'll have good food and drink!" Su Chen said with a smile.
"That's great. I'm waiting!" Cheng Chuliang said with a simple smile.
Zhang Long and others moved out the two 'tables' in the house.
"Everyone come and sit down. It's still early. I have something to talk about." Su Chen asked everyone to sit down.
"This is not called a toll station, but a service area.
It is for business travelers to rest or for horses to replenish fodder. Of course, it can also provide merchants withProvide accommodation.
The toll station is set up in the middle of the road, one in each direction. Each of the sixteen counties must set up a toll station.
It is equivalent to a pass, leaving only a width for a carriage to pass through, which is convenient for toll collection and inspection of goods.
And the service area is set up every fifty miles, preferably close to the county town, to facilitate the purchase of materials. "
When it was decided to let Chang Sun Chong take over the engineering department, Su Chen forgot to tell Chang Sun Chong about this, but Li Chengqian knew about it.
"Okay, we'll remember it." Chang Sun Chong nodded and said, he was wondering where the service area would be built before.
It turned out that what they are building now is the service area, and the toll station has not been built yet.
Su Chen nodded and continued: "The toll station can be built after the project is completed, and the amount of work is not very large."
"Your Highness, the buns are ready and are now steamed in the pot. Do you think we can light a fire and prepare to grill them now?" Master Cheng stepped forward and asked.
"Yes!" Li Chengqian replied.
"Yes! "After Master Cheng saluted, he started to make a fire and barbecue.
"Chang Sun Chong, you haven't been home for more than a month. Have you sent anyone to send a message home?" Su Chen asked.
"No!" Chang Sun Chong shook his head and replied.
Su Chen smiled and said, "That won't work. You have to go back at least once a month. At least you have to send someone to send a message home to report your safety. You look like black people now. If you don't go home for a year, I'm afraid no one will recognize you."
"In the future, you will take turns to go back to Chang'an every month. Anyway, those foremen are capable of supervising the construction."
Chang Sun Chong and the others looked at each other and nodded.
"By the way, where do you take a bath at night?"
"In the place where the river sand is dug, the river water is not deep, but fortunately the water is very clear. We wash in that river when we finish work every day. "Cheng Chuliang replied.
The river was not far from their construction site.
Su Chen decided not to take a bath tonight after hearing this.
Soon, the buns were served.
"Everyone, eat a few buns first, they are a little hot when they just come out of the pot." Li Chengqian reminded.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Everyone bowed to Li Chengqian to thank him.
"Now that we are alone, don't be so formal, it's too uncomfortable." Li Chengqian said unhappily.
He still likes the way they get along in the manor.