Flowers in full bloom

Chapter 568 Partiality

So, a wood stove can be replaced with one and a half kilograms of loach. Adding half a kilogram of loach can buy an extra pottery pot, which can be used to heat porridge and steamed buns, and boil hot water for drinking. If it breaks within one year, it can be replaced for free. Do you want to replace it?

Change!

So, a team of 100 people exchanged a few kilograms of loaches for a few firewood stoves and pottery pots. This was simply too good to be true, and the people who were reclaiming the land were really happy.

In the middle of winter, having something warm to eat is better than anything else! The imperial court really loves the people! The emperor is really kind! Many compliments began to spread.

Of course, Hua Lei treated all prisoners and captives equally. If anyone was willing to exchange, they could just ask the team leader to bring the loaches over.

Hualei did not eat the loaches that were exchanged for her alone. After helping to clean them up, she specially asked the second chef to rush to the brick kiln to make several dishes for them on the spot, which was very thoughtful.

Wood-burning stoves were lit regularly in the fields, and the patrol team leaders helped to look after them so that the people in their team could eat hot steamed buns and porridge.

When almost every pioneering team had several furnaces, Hua Lei was thinking of asking the brick kiln to reduce production when Lord Li from the Ministry of Industry found Hua Lei.

He said that the workers in the Ministry of Works also needed this wood stove, but there was no loach to replace it. What...? Hua Lei looked at Lord Li, feeling a little embarrassed?

"How about purchasing a batch in the name of the Ministry of Industry? I can give you a cheaper price?" Hua Lei asked cautiously.

Lord Li frowned and teased Hua Lei, "Lord Hua, you exchanged it with the Ministry of Revenue, why not with the Ministry of Works?

You are obviously biased. Besides, I have known you before Master Zhang, so I am no less close to you than Master Zhang, right?"

"Then what is Lord Li going to use in exchange?" Hua Lei also smiled.

"I don't have any good things in my Ministry of Industry. All I have now is the mud we dug out. How about I exchange the mud with you?" Lord Li asked Hua Lei with a smile.

"Uh..." Hualei paused. If she needed this soil, she could just go anywhere and dig it up. Besides, if she really exchanged it, it would still fall to the ground.

This Lord Li, it seems, is seeking revenge for not informing him of the last time about the captives? I can't tell, I can't tell, Lord Li, who is seven feet tall, has a heart as small as a pinhole.

Hua Lei also knew that Lord Li was joking with her, but the Ministry of Industry really didn't have anything to exchange with her right now.

"Sir Li, if you really don't want to spend money to purchase this wood-fired stove, you can just ask the masters at the brick kiln to make a batch for the Ministry of Works. Anyway, this is not difficult. The Ministry of Works is full of skilled craftsmen." Hua Lei said with a smile.

"I know what Lord Hua said, but you also know that our Ministry of Works is short of manpower? And the shortage is very serious." Lord Li smiled, paused, and continued.

Unlike Lord Zhang of the Ministry of Revenue, who has an excellent subordinate like Lord Hua, not only is he capable, but he has also brought back a lot of manpower to the Ministry of Revenue!"

Here they come, the vengeful person is here!

"Hehehe... Lord Li, actually, things are not as you think. You can look at it from another angle. Don't just look at what you have lost.

Maybe you can take a look at what you got. Anyway, you got nearly 11,000 people, right? Hehehe..." Hualei laughed.

In fact, there were more than 33,000 prisoners. After more than 19,000 were picked away by Mr. Zhang from the Ministry of Revenue, there were originally about 14,000 left.

Minister Zhang and Hua Lei thought that with this number and the two to three thousand men that Lord Li had intercepted at the South City Gate earlier, the difference between the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue would not be too great.

However, what was unexpected was that among these 33,000 people, nearly 3,000 were missing limbs, and many were seriously injured and later died.

Now, after the Ministry of Revenue took away more than 19,000 people, the Ministry of Works has less than 11,000 staff left, so Lord Li is a little angry.

Then, he went to negotiate with Minister Zhang. Minister Zhang made a few rebuttals, but under Lord Li's glare, he did not argue and easily nodded in agreement. He then allocated another 4,000 people from the land reclamation workers to the Ministry of Works.

Lord Li then went back, but when he saw Zhang Hua personally sending more than 4,000 people to the place where the provincial capital was built, he became even angrier.

Minister Zhang is like a thousand-year-old fox. He even forced the captives who were not paid monthly wages to open up wasteland, and sent the people who needed monthly wages to the Ministry of Works.

This would increase the cost of building the state capital, but now that the people have been sent, it has taken several days to get there. Can I still go back?

There was no other way, Lord Li could only accept it, but he was still feeling angry and now he was taking it out on Hua Lei.

"Hahaha..., Mr. Hua, your angle is quite novel and comforting. Well, forget it, it's not your fault.

But, anyway? You're a little rude about this, aren't you? How about you two talk about it together?

At worst, you can postpone it for another day. During that time, I was in the county government office every day and didn't go out. "Master Li smiled, but he still didn't let Hualei go.

"Um..., it is true that I did not think this matter through and offended Lord Li. How about I think of a way for you to make it up to Lord Li?" Hua Lei said flatteringly, bending over.

"Oh, Lord Hua, tell me, is there any way you can make it up to me? As far as I know, these captives have been taken to the Ministry of Revenue, and Lord Zhang will not let them go." Lord Li picked up the teacup and said with a smile.

"It's like this, Lord Li, as you know, our mansion recently opened a small workshop to make adobe bricks, and we have already made a large number of them.

I know that the Ministry of Industry has a heavy workload, a tight staff and great pressure. So I thought that blue bricks have strict regulations and requirements, and a small workshop like ours would not be involved.

However, the requirements for adobe bricks used to build huts and livestock houses are relatively low. Lord Li, are you interested in purchasing some from the Marquis' Mansion?

On the one hand, it will ease the labor shortage in the Ministry of Industry. On the other hand, it will also give our mansion a taste of the soup. Of course, the price is negotiable.

If Lord Li is willing to purchase our adobe bricks, I will ask my father to make a batch of wood stoves for you for free, how about that?" Hua Lei asked.

"Hahahaha..., Master Hua, I really admire you. Master Zhang is a thousand-year-old fox, and you are no less capable than him. However, I owed you two favors before, and I haven't repaid you yet. This time, I will take this opportunity to repay you both at once.

What's more, you are very well-informed. I really need to buy adobe bricks to build huts and livestock houses next.