freenovelworld Chapter 117 Collecting Information
Chapter 117 Collecting Information
Inside the Shen family mansion, Shen Li looked hurried. She called Shen Yu to her and said anxiously, "Can you ride a horse? I need you to do something urgently!"
Shen Yu quickly bowed and saluted respectfully, "Miss, I can ride a horse! Please let me know if you need anything!"
A trace of surprise flashed in Shen Li's eyes, and she couldn't help asking, "Can I ask how you learned to ride a horse?"
Shen Yu frowned slightly, thinking hard. After a moment, he rubbed his aching head helplessly and said with confusion, "Miss, you know that I was taken in by my mother, but I don't remember how I learned to ride a horse."
Seeing this, Shen Li waved her hand gently and said in relief: "Forget it, forget it if you can't remember it, I don't have to know it."
Then, she instructed solemnly, "I want you to inquire about the prices of bricks, tiles, stone, wood, etc. in town, and also find out where there are suitable construction teams.
You must be careful when you go there and record all kinds of information in detail without missing anything.
Our family is planning to build the Shen Clan Ancestral Hall and the Shen Clan Academy. This information is crucial to the subsequent preparatory work and is of great importance. We cannot afford to lose anything."
After receiving the order, Shen Yu did not dare to delay for a moment and turned around and walked quickly towards the stable.
He skillfully led out the mare named Chunhua, climbed on the horse, and gently squeezed his legs against the horse's belly. The horse neighed, raised its hooves and galloped out, galloping towards Qingshan Town.
Along the way, the wind whistled in his ears, but Shen Yu's mind was completely focused on what he was about to do. Soon, the outline of Qingshan Town gradually came into view. He slowed his horse and entered the town.
First, Shen Yu came to a larger brick and tile shop.
The shop was filled with bricks and tiles of various styles. He dismounted and walked into the shop, asking the owner, "Boss, how much are your bricks and tiles?"
The shopkeeper was a shrewd middle-aged man. He looked Shen Yu up and down and said, "Young man, the prices of bricks and tiles are different. Ordinary blue bricks are ten coins per stack. If you want better red bricks, they will cost fifteen coins per stack.
If you want a larger quantity, we can negotiate further." Shen Yu silently noted the price in his mind and asked, "Do you know of any other brick and tile shops in this town that have good quality and reasonable prices?"
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Our shop is a well-known brand in town. The quality is absolutely guaranteed, and the prices are all at market prices.
However, there is a small shop at the east end of the town. Their bricks are a few cents cheaper, but the quality may be slightly inferior."
After thanking the shopkeeper, Shen Yu went to look for a stone shop.
In a small alley in the town, he found a stone shop.
The shop was filled with various cut stones, including large stones for foundations and carved stones for decoration. Shen Yu looked at the stones and said to the owner, "Boss, how do you sell these stones?"
The shopkeeper was an old man, and his voice was hoarse as he said, "This stone, if it's ordinary foundation stone, costs two taels of silver per square. If you want the fine stone with carvings, the price is much higher, at least five taels of silver per square."
Shen Yu couldn't help but gasp in amazement. The price of this stone was not cheap. He asked several stone shops and found that the prices were almost the same.
Then, Shen Yu began to inquire about the price of wood. He came to a lumber store, which was filled with the fragrance of wood. The lumber store clerk came up to him and asked, "Sir, are you looking to buy some wood?"
Shen Yu nodded and said, "Let me first inquire about the price. How much do you sell the wood here?"
The clerk explained, "Ordinary pine wood costs one ounce of silver per piece. Hardwood, like oak, costs three ounces of silver per piece. The price also depends on the thickness and length of the wood. The thicker and longer it is, the more expensive it is."
Shen Yu walked around the lumber store, checked the quality of different woods, and got a rough idea in his mind.
Finally, Shen Yu began to look for a suitable construction team. He asked around in the town and someone recommended a local construction team to him, saying that they were experienced and reasonably priced.
Shen Yu found the foreman of the construction team, who patted his chest and said, "Brother, our team has built quite a few houses in Qingshan Town, and we have also built several ancestral halls and schools.
If you come to us, the wages are absolutely fair, only 20% of the material cost."
Shen Yu thought to himself that the price seemed acceptable, but he couldn't just listen to one person's opinion.
So he continued searching and found a construction team that came from a neighboring town to take on the job.
The team's foreman said, "Although we're from out of town, our craftsmanship is absolutely superb. We have our own unique construction techniques that can make the building more solid and beautiful. As for the wages, we'll only charge 15% of the material cost, but your food and lodging will be provided."
Shen Yu memorized the details of each construction team, took a walk around the town, and after making sure that no other important information was missed, he rode back to the Shen family.
After returning to the Shen family, Shen Yu walked straight to the hall where Shen Li was. After seeing Shen Li, he hurriedly saluted and then reported in detail: "Miss, I have already inquired about the situation in the town.
As for bricks and tiles, ordinary blue bricks cost ten cents a stack, and red bricks cost fifteen cents a stack. There is a small shop at the east end of the town where blue bricks are slightly cheaper, one or two cents.
A square of ordinary stone costs two taels of silver, and a square of fine carved stone costs five taels of silver.
Ordinary pine wood costs one tael of silver per piece, and oak wood costs three taels of silver per piece.
There is a local construction team, and the wages are 20% of the material costs;
There is another one in the neighboring town. The wages are 15% of the material cost, but food and lodging are provided. Please make your decision, young lady."
Shen Li listened to Shen Yu's report, nodded slightly, and thought secretly in his heart.
After a moment, she said softly, "There are plenty of wood and stone resources in the mountains behind Qingshan Village. If we can mine and utilize them ourselves, we might be able to save a lot of money. However, the mining and processing must be carefully planned."
Shen Yu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "Miss, you are absolutely right. If we can fully utilize the resources on the mountain, we can solve our urgent needs."
The mining team can be formed from young and strong men in the village. As for the commander, the old hunter Li Shu is quite suitable. He is familiar with the mountains and forests and has a calm personality.
Shen Li nodded in agreement, and then said: "Speaking of stone processing, I remember Zhao Dali is good at it.
He is now a servant of my Shen family. A few days ago, I saw him repairing the house and carving stone tools. With his skills, it should not be a problem for him to handle the size and shape of the stone we need.
Go call Zhao Dali over and ask him to gather a few helpers to start preparing for the stone processing as soon as possible.
As for wood processing, the village carpenters can also be of use. You can arrange for them to get together and discuss a suitable processing plan."
Shen Yu replied, "Miss, you have thought it through carefully. I will go find Zhao Dali and arrange these matters right away." After that, he left in a hurry.
Shen Li looked at Shen Yu's receding back, thinking silently in her heart.
The construction of this ancestral hall and school is of great significance and is related to the family's inheritance and development. Every link must be carefully planned. While ensuring quality and aesthetics, the budget must not be exceeded. These two buildings must be completed smoothly and become a solid foundation for the family's prosperity.