Chapter 294: Chapter 261: The Burden of Providing for the Family

"Be careful, everyone must evacuate before the explosion..."

"Mr. Lin, will this work?" Si Miaoxue asked quietly. Although she knew her man was capable, she still lacked confidence in new things.

Lin Miao chuckled, "You don’t have confidence in me?"

"It’s not that I don’t have confidence..."

"Alright, just wait and see."

He lit the fuse and watched as sparks traveled upward. A moment later, a loud boom echoed, causing a large section of the quarrying mountain to collapse.

The ground shook, and debris continuously rolled down.

Fortunately, Lin Miao had warned everyone in advance to stand in the safe area, away from the path of falling rocks. Otherwise, casualties might have occurred.

After the dust settled.

The crowd moved forward to inspect, filled with delight. This explosion alone was equivalent to a month’s work. Not only was the time saved, but labor costs were significantly reduced. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The collection and production of stone materials would accelerate tremendously, using fewer people while speeding up the process, increasing efficiency by at least thirty times compared to before.

Just in costs, it could reduce tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Though the journey to the Great Yue Country had earned a lot, along with the previous auction of the giant serpent, Lin Miao now had over three million taels of silver at his disposal.

Of course, some of it was converted into raw materials, and he invested in purchasing land in Li Hen City, leaving about two million taels of liquid funds available.

The castle in Yingfeng Valley, also referred to as the base, had an initial investment of roughly five hundred thousand taels.

This money must remain untouchable to ensure the salaries and expenses of the construction team.

As for the remaining one and a half million taels, it couldn’t just sit idle; it needed to generate more money, or else it would become dead money.

The brick kiln, lime factory, and even the future cement plant were minor endeavors. These workshops wouldn’t require much money.

They were somewhat of an offshoot from building the castle, partly for personal use and partly to earn a little extra and reduce costs.

In the future, Lin Miao’s business blueprint would encompass all aspects of life, covering every area.

Either do nothing or do it to the best.

Seeing the number of women around him increasing, the burden of supporting a family wasn’t light. In the future, with children, he needed to build a family business for them, right?

Of course, he also aimed to reach the peak and witness the most beautiful scenery.

This had always been his dream.

By collaborating with the Su Family, he entered the wholesale medicinal business, and conveniently took over a silk shop, venturing into the silk and fabric industry.

The construction business had already begun, initially focusing on his own needs, but this would undoubtedly become the most crucial aspect of his business plan in the future.

The highest aesthetic was Chinese aesthetic, yet the architecture in this world lacked a certain touch.

"Miss, Miss Mei’Er has arrived in Li Hen City!" Chun’Er approached Si Miaoxue from behind, holding a note and quietly reported.

"That troublesome girl couldn’t wait a moment. She insists on coming to compete with me when my husband returns..." Si Miaoxue muttered through clenched teeth.

Chun’Er lowered her head, not daring to speak. The battle between Miss and Yue Mei’Er had shifted from life and death to competing for affection.

"Miss, are we going back today?"

"Why not? Should we let my husband sleep in the tent?" Si Miaoxue glared at her maid.

Although simple temporary houses had been set up here, with no problem accommodating people, the conditions were a bit harsh.

Lin Miao had no intention of returning. He wanted to stay longer, exchange ideas with the architects, and discuss his building concepts in detail. Fieldwork differed from mere discussions on paper.

While not experienced in building houses, he had seen many ancient structures. All he needed to do was draw them from memory and have the architects help bring them to life.

So, once he arrived at the construction site, he ignored Sun Youwei and Si Miaoxue, immediately mingling with the construction workers.

He had many ideas, especially regarding the castle’s drainage and defense systems. At this early stage of laying the foundation, he wanted everything meticulously planned. Once the foundation and underground pipeline facilities were completed, modifications would be difficult.

The castle’s exterior walls were granite, while the inside was pure brick, filled with rammed earth in between. The granite served as camouflage, preventing outsiders from easily discerning the inside, making it look like a stone-built castle through and through.

Inside, however, was a completely different world, far from the rugged exterior.

Along Yingfeng Valley’s central axis, Lin Miao divided the area into several main functional zones, though the borders of these sections might not be very distinct.

The primary project in the first phase was road construction, outlining the main roads first, then dividing the areas and designing and building various functional buildings.

If constructed according to the plan, fifty thousand taels wouldn’t nearly suffice; the cost would exceed ten times that.

Money was meant to be spent; if building a territory entirely his own, Lin Miao would gladly spend any amount.

"Are there talents in architectural design and construction in Li Hen City?"

"I don’t know, maybe there is?"

"Put up a notice seeking talent, don’t be afraid to spend money. This is going to be our home, make sure it’s built well," Lin Miao instructed.

"Alright, I’ll keep an eye out."

"By the way, what about the little jiao?" Lin Miao asked. Although the two giant snake magical creatures were gone, there was still a little jiao that hadn’t fully hatched.

The little jiao was taken out and placed in a secret chamber in a manor outside Si Miaoxue’s city.

This little guy was already formed, but no one knew when it would break out of its shell. We can only wait; we can’t just crack the egg open to let it out. No one knows how to handle that.

"It’s still in the manor, don’t know if it’s hatched yet. Last time I checked, there were cracks on the shell; it should hatch soon," Si Miaoxue said.

"When you go back, have a look. It’s said that this magical creature can be fed and tamed; don’t know if it’s true?"

"The Moon Worship Sect does have records of methods to tame magical creatures, but I don’t know the specifics."

"Oh."

"Maybe Mei’Er can request it from the sect, though whether they’ll give it is another matter. The sect has been quiet for so long, we can’t grasp their internal movements. Best to let Yue Wu go back and check on things?" Si Miaoxue suggested.

"If Yue Wu goes back, won’t the forces here in Li Hen City be a bit thin?" Lin Miao nodded, considering it an option.

"Thirteen is about to advance and should soon reach the Meridian Passage Realm; he can take Yue Wu’s place," Si Miaoxue said.

"Alright, let’s arrange it that way." Lin Miao did not oppose further.

"How long do you plan to stay here?"

"I’ll head back the day after tomorrow." Lin Miao thought for a moment, planning to spend another day checking out the nearby area before returning.

"I’ll send a message to Yuyao; she’s probably waiting for our news now," Si Miaoxue said.

"Okay."

Sure enough, Yue Mei’Er came over the next day; with Lin Miao not around, she could only find Si Miaoxue to sneer and mock, clearly displeased with Si Miaoxue monopolizing Lin Miao.

In the evening, Yue Mei’Er clung to Lin Miao from dinnertime, even openly flirting in front of Si Miaoxue. Her bold behavior was too much for even the sisters Lianxin and Liansuo to bear.

Lin Miao was also quite troubled; these two women were formidable. He ended up taking them both to a newly discovered underground hot spring to deal with them.

"Miaoxue, Mr. Lin is so strong, the two of us together can’t match him. What should we do in the future?"

"You brought this upon yourself; don’t drag me into it next time..." Si Miaoxue, feeling utterly exhausted, didn’t want to move a finger. Her Middle Grade Meridian Passage Realm cultivation was no help.

"I can’t do it alone; I think Mr. Lin likes having the two of us serve him together," Yue Mei’Er said with a sly smile.

"What are you implying?" Si Miaoxue turned her head to ask.

"Are Lianxin and Liansuo going to be Mr. Lin’s women too?" Yue Mei’Er asked.

"What are you planning?"

"I notice they haven’t lost their maidenhood yet; since we’re all sisters in the future, we might as well help them. Then someone can share our duties?"

"Yue Mei’Er, what kind of ridiculous idea are you proposing? I’m warning you, don’t mess around or Mr. Lin might avoid you for a month." Si Miaoxue warned.

"Miaoxue, I’ll just say it was your idea then..."

"Yue Mei’Er, you’re despicable!"

"Miaoxue, we’re all from the Moon Worship Sect. Lianxin and Liansuo claim to be from the righteous Snow Mountain Sect. They probably know our identities, and if we don’t rope them in soon, it could be troublesome for Mr. Lin..."

"You..." Si Miaoxue was disdainful of Yue Mei’Er’s actions but had to admit she made a point.

"Those two girls have been longing for springtime for a while now; it’s just that Mr. Lin is too much of an upright gentleman. Remember how we won his favor?" Yue Mei’Er urged gently.

"Don’t mess around..." Si Miaoxue’s harsh tone weakened noticeably.

"Drugging Mr. Lin won’t work; he’s too alert and can’t be fooled. But those two girls are different. There’s an opportunity when passing our manor on the way back; otherwise, it’ll be hard once we return..."

"Be careful, or Mr. Lin will really get angry."

"Angry? I’m just helping him gain two lovely young women. Even if he’s mad, it’ll only be temporary."

"Let me remind you, don’t ever try to interfere with Sun Youwei. She’s Mr. Lin’s sore spot; regardless of how much he loves you before, he won’t forgive you then." Si Miaoxue cautioned.

"I know, I wouldn’t dare to touch Youwei; others, however, are a different story." Yue Mei’Er flashed a charming smile, nodding in agreement.

"What are you all whispering about? Hurry up, dawn is approaching..." Lin Miao finished his meditation and came over to call out to the two women.

"Mr. Lin, sister mentioned we’ve benefited from your favor so many times, yet there’s no sign of pregnancy..."

As soon as Yue Mei’Er spoke, Si Miaoxue shot her a fierce glare; this little devil really knew how to pick the worst time for this topic.

Is this something you should ask directly?