To Linglong and Daliwan's sheer delight, they learned they would be going to the capital of the Two Cities. Only Zhou Ni seemed a little glum. I tried to cheer her up. "Zhou Ni, I'll take some time these next few days to take you back to Gourd Village. We can check the spaceship I arrived on; maybe there’s some instrument there we can use."

Laiziji scoffed. "Back to Gourd Village? Why go back there? There probably aren't many people left."

"What!" I was utterly shocked. "What happened? Did the horse bandits manage to breach that natural fortress?"

"Not exactly. The villagers all moved out. Now there are only the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. It's practically an empty village."

I looked bewildered. "When we left, everyone seemed fine. What happened? Where did they all go? Is that ancient volcano erupting again?"

Wahani looked visibly uncomfortable. "It wasn't a volcano. It’s all my father's fault."

"Your father found you?"

Wahani sighed. "How else? Though this time, Father didn't make much trouble for Little Lai. He just demanded that Little Lai provide one hundred iron coins to assist with the relocation, or else Father would continue to pursue the charge of 'abducting' me."

"Relocating the village?"

Laiziji explained, "Yes. Actually, the previous two chieftains had also tentatively proposed this plan. You know how hard life is up in the mountains. Plus, over-hunting in recent years has depleted the game in the outer forests. Furthermore, transporting salt, iron, and tea is troublesome and expensive. Those with foresight believed moving out of the mountains was the path to development. Chief Wa—"

Wahani shot him a stern look. "Eh?"

Laiziji quickly plastered on a smile. "No, no, I mean my esteemed father-in-law. Even though my father-in-law is prejudiced against me, he is decisive when it comes to important matters. He set his sights high, strived for self-improvement, and finally achieved his grand wish in his lifetime: moving our Gourd Village out of the deep mountains to Flying Fish County. From now on, our clan can better flourish and be passed down through generations."

Seeing this, it seemed the young couple's affair was settled. Since Chief Wa had found them but hadn't taken Wahani home, it suggested the past issues were written off. Moreover, the stubbornly traditional Chief Wa had seen the light. Otherwise, an unmarried man and woman living together—for the Chief who once favored imposing torture or drowning in a barrel at the slightest provocation—would be a heavenly crime. Perhaps having his daughter away for a time had made him miss her deeply, causing him to change so much. I just wondered if he still wanted me to compensate him for his divine blade.

Linglong jumped up, shouting, "What! You didn't tell me about such a major event first? Where are my father and mother?"

Wahani retorted, "My little ancestor, have you given us a chance to speak since you got back? I wanted to say something, but I was afraid of interrupting your storytelling and getting shot by you."

Linglong shot me a quick glance. "Am I really that unreasonable?"

Laiziji said, "My father and Uncle Changfeng, along with some other elders, didn't leave. They are willing to stay inside, no matter how hard life gets. We couldn't persuade them, so we had no choice but to let them be."

My mind raced. Chief Wa had abandoned Gourd Village, but that place was a natural stronghold! Despite the difficult living conditions and the hassle of getting in and out, for me right now, it was a sanctuary. Finding the other five women was still an issue, and how could I ensure everyone's safety? Horse bandits ran rampant here. If the bandits had attacked Flying Fish County early this morning, I doubt the county garrison could have held out for five minutes. Once the city fell, I could imagine how much danger Susu would be in.

Therefore, while I was away searching for the others, my family needed a safe place. Gourd Village was the best option. I should send Zhou Ni there first; she could conduct some research and tend to the horses. If she could produce a herd of foals down the line, it would be a service to the Two Cities.

Wahani added, "My father is now officially recorded in the clan registry, but he's ruined Little Lai! One hundred iron coins is no small sum. I managed to sneak over thirty coins from home, and we earned about ten more doing roof renovations recently. But we’re still short fifty coins. We were so worried we almost sold our clothes to buy bones! Luckily, Sister Susu stepped in to help us. If not for her, Little Lai and I might have to separate right now."

I turned to Daliwan. "Hurry up and bring out all those junk things you’re carrying and share them around. Aren't you tired of lugging them around all the time?"

Daliwan slapped his head. "Oh, Brother, I forgot the big thing! Iron coins? We have plenty! You could marry eight more wives with this, Brother Zhao Qian is amazing. Every time he cures Madam Wu, she gives him a huge pile of money. Little Linglong and I haven't even spent half of it."

Saying that, Daliwan grabbed the large bundle he always carried from the corner of the room. A pile of things tumbled onto the table, followed by the opening of a smaller cloth bundle. Clang! Over a thousand iron coins rolled across the tabletop and spilled onto the floor.

Wahani and Laiziji stared, rubbing their eyes in disbelief. "Is this money real?"

I chuckled. "Heh heh, I wonder which counterfeiter in the Two Cities has the skill to fake currency? That would be a blessing for the current court."

Linglong swept the coins toward her. "Zhao Qian said this money is for me and Brother Daliwan to manage. We won't keep it all selfishly. Let's divide it up per head now—no distinction for age or gender. Everyone present gets a share."

I said, "My share, I’ll give as a wedding gift to Brother Lai and his bride. You guys count it slowly; I’m going back to sleep."

Laiziji and Wahani, having lived in Flying Fish County recently, truly understood the utility of money. Although many vendors in the market couldn't break a single iron coin, they devised a method: whenever they needed to buy something, they first used an iron coin to buy rice, then used the rice to trade for other goods. One iron coin could buy tens of kilograms of rice, enough to feed a family for a month or two.

When Laiziji heard I wanted to give them money as a wedding gift, I figured he’d get at least two hundred coins each from this pile. He couldn't possibly accept such a grand gift. "Brother Zhao Qian, no! This gift is far too heavy. You should keep it. You'll have many more uses for money in the future."

I smiled. "This is actually just a pile of expensive scrap iron. Having a few coins means you have a meal; everyone shouldn't dwell too much on these things. Spend the money where it needs to be spent. I suspect that before long, this expensive scrap iron will become actual scrap iron. The financial system of the Two Cities is too fragile; collapse is only a matter of time."

Zhou Ni, who had been silent, suddenly clutched the few large diamonds in her pocket upon hearing this. She pondered, nodding secretly.

After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, I was awakened by a muffled clap of thunder. Just then, I heard the door opening. Laiziji and Daliwan must have finished dividing the money and returned to their room to sleep. Laiziji saw me awake, looking out at the heavy rain. "Zhao Qian, thank you. Actually, this money was earned by your medical skills; we feel unworthy."

I rolled over, looking at the roof. "Don't talk to me about that. You two brothers never haggled over gains and losses with me before; why should I, Zhao Qian, suddenly become a petty person who nitpicks? If I needed money, I could save any dying rich man and get anything I wanted. But true friends cannot be bought with gold. Meeting you people here is my fortune."

Laiziji dropped the subject. He pointed at the roof. "Look at our new roof; it doesn't leak a drop. We’ve already renovated over a hundred households in the city. The rain a few times has proven the effect is excellent. We'll have many more people coming to us for roof repairs in a couple of days."

I smiled. "That's good. You two run your Leap Forward Construction Engineering Company well, and you won't have to worry about food and clothing in the future. But I have a long-term suggestion for you. When I went to Flying Eagle Prefecture this time, I noticed their houses have no roofs at all; they are funnel-shaped specifically to collect rainwater. So, the roof-renovation business can't grow too big. Once you finish the small county towns, your income will dry up. Moreover, this trade has a low technical barrier and is easily imitated."

Laiziji, having become addicted to business lately, anxiously asked, "So, Brother Zhao Qian, you mean we won't be able to continue this business eventually and will have to close shop?"

I clarified, "That's not what I meant. I mean you should look further ahead and develop other projects. For instance, here's a suggestion: Flying Fish County houses are mostly grass and wood structures, while houses in Flying Eagle Prefecture are made of stone. Grass and wooden houses deteriorate easily in rainy areas, and stone houses are a luxury for the Two Cities, given your lack of support in smelting and casting. It probably took Flying Eagle Prefecture hundreds of years to reach that scale.

I paid attention to the ground beneath our feet. Although the depths consist of hard volcanic rock, many areas have several meters of thick clay. I don't know how it got there, but if you mold this clay into brick shapes and fire them in a high-temperature furnace, you get solid bricks. Then, you can build houses with bricks.

Although brick houses would cost more than wooden structures, they should be dozens of times cheaper than stone houses. Furthermore, firing bricks is a specialized skill; it would take others a long time to imitate. This favors us in achieving a technological monopoly. If you build up this business, I believe your company's livelihood will be secure for decades. Heh, maybe not decades—as soon as we can return to our hometown, we can bring you skyscrapers when we come back."

Laiziji was overjoyed to have found another venture. However, he found the term 'brick' quite difficult to grasp. Still, he knew this business was guaranteed profit and likely to expand and grow strong. As for skyscrapers, he didn't think about that at all. With a shout, Laiziji jumped off the kang again, pulled Daliwan, and rushed back to the living room. Then, thump-thump-thump, he hammered on the girls' room door, startling Yun Yao, who thought a robber had come. She threw on a robe and ran out clutching her laser gun.

Wahani was furious. "Laiziji! You disturbed our rest, I'm not done with you!"

Laiziji forced a smile. "Everyone, Brother Zhao Qian just showed me a bright path to making money again! Bring out the money you just divided—hurry, hurry!"

Linglong reluctantly grumbled, "What for? Are you trying to borrow money? You two together have far more money than we do right now."

Laiziji replied, "I'm not exactly borrowing; I want everyone to use money to make money."

"Use money to make money?" Although Wahani was Comrade Laiziji's beloved, she couldn't grasp this concept through spiritual connection. She knew about using people to make people, but she had never heard that money could give birth.

Laiziji urged, "First, bring out the money you just divided, and then I'll tell everyone how to do it. I guarantee no one will lose out."

Linglong frowned. "If we hand it all over, will we starve? Besides, Yun Yao and I will accompany Zhao Qian to the Two Cities; we won't need to spend money on that journey! I’ve always managed our food expenses when we travel; I know the price of firewood and rice."

Laiziji clarified, "Of course, you need to keep enough living expenses, and then invest the remaining surplus funds into the Leap Forward House—that is, the Leap Forward Construction Engineering Company Brother Zhao Qian mentioned—so it can generate more money."

Yun Yao naturally understood Laiziji wanted people to buy shares. She didn't care much about that pile of scrap iron anyway. If she cared about anything, it was the pile of colorful diamonds in Zhou Ni's pocket. Those raw diamonds, if polished properly, would be priceless treasures, but Zhou Ni guarded them tightly; she looked hesitant even when asked to examine one.

Clatter! Yun Yao was the first to donate the iron coins, of course not forgetting to keep a few, as they still needed to eat, and merchants here only recognized this currency. She guessed that in the capital of the Two Cities, iron coins would be even more widely accepted.

"I never planned to carry all these things with me anyway. Since Brother Lai can use them, I'll be the first to contribute. Heh heh, this is raising capital to start a company; I count as a shareholder now." Yun Yao laughed.

With Yun Yao leading the way, Zhou Ni followed closely. Wahani, whose husband was handling such an important matter, lagged behind, which made her a bit embarrassed. However, she donated completely, keeping not a single coin. After all, she could rely on her husband for food, and she wasn't traveling far.

Linglong stingily donated only half. She had her own thoughts. Money was needed for food and clothing on this journey. Although the government would reimburse them, what if they needed to search for people—would the government pay for that too? Daliwan understood nothing. Whatever his brother told him to take, he took it pell-mell, not leaving a single one behind. Given his massive appetite, Linglong needed to keep more coins on hand for emergencies.

"Ladies! Gentlemen!" Laiziji began his speech. "How much trust do you have in Zhao Qian?"

Everyone was momentarily stunned. What did this have to do with Zhao Qian? "Of course, it’s very high! You silly pig, you even ask a question like that." Others felt awkward scolding Laiziji, but since Wahani was now Little Lai's standard wife, a few curses didn't matter.

Scolding was a sign of affection, and Laiziji thoroughly enjoyed Wahani's love. After receiving everyone's affirmative answer, he continued, "Here is the situation: Brother Zhao Qian just gave me another idea for making money, and this one should be more profitable than renovating roofs! But it involves something called 'bricks.'"

"'Bricks?'" Except for Yun Yao and Zhou Ni, everyone else was also unclear about the meaning of this term.

Laiziji explained, "Yes, 'bricks.' As for what exactly they are, I don't fully understand yet, but according to Zhao Qian, the performance of these bricks is comparable to stone. Houses built with these bricks cost only a fraction of stone houses, and Zhao Qian said the manufacturing process is quite complex, making it very difficult for others to steal the technique."

Wahani added, "Yes, I forgot to mention something I noticed today. A house registration company just opened at the west end of the city, just like ours. They are also renovating roofs, and their prices are lower than ours. I was worried it would affect our business."

Laiziji was excited. "Brother Zhao Qian is truly divine; he even anticipated this! Someone has indeed followed suit. But now we have a new project. Let them handle the roof renovations; it won't matter for long, as all these grass and wooden houses will eventually be converted to brick houses."

Linglong asked, "What does this have to do with the money? Hurry up and tell us!"

Laiziji replied, "Of course, it's related! Buying charcoal for the brick-firing kiln and hiring people to mold the bricks all cost money, right? So the company needs funds. Since everyone's money is just sitting idle, it's better to use it for business than let it sit. Miss Yun Yao just said it perfectly: raising capital for shares. Now we'll tally how much everyone is investing. When the company earns income at the end of the year, we'll distribute profits according to the investment amount. If anyone needs funds urgently, they can withdraw their share, but they won't receive the year-end profit."

Linglong said, "Call Zhao Qian out. I'll invest if he says so."

Laiziji said, "Good, good. I need to ask him about manufacturing bricks anyway."

I praised Laiziji for coming up with this idea. Given their level of civilization, such advanced thinking was rare. Seeing me nod, Linglong stopped giving Laiziji a hard time, but she turned to me. "Zhao Qian, you're talking about your hometown, Earth, right? Do you think we can actually manufacture these bricks here?"

I only understood the general process of brick-making. I had no idea how to fire them, what temperature to maintain, or how to manage smoke and ventilation. I was just trying to inspire Laiziji; building a brick kiln wasn't something that could be done in a day or two. I hadn't expected him to take it so seriously and rush into raising capital.

I thought the whole thing through again. "The problems shouldn't be major; we are only lacking in technical details, but I know the process flow. With slow exploration and a couple of tests, I believe we will succeed. There are many trees here, so the cost of charcoal production should be low. Using charcoal to fire bricks shouldn't be difficult."

Linglong countered, "But we are about to leave for the capital; where will we find the time?"

I replied, "How about this: I'll write down the general steps. Brother Lai, you experiment according to what I write. Of course, this matter will rely on our Miss Linglong, because I don't know how to write your local script."

Yun Yao offered, "I've seen how rural people fire bricks before; maybe I can offer some suggestions."

I was overjoyed. "Really, Yun Yao? That's wonderful! I was worried I would look foolish in front of Brother Lai. You know I'm from a big city; I've only heard about rural brick-firing. It’s great that you know something about it."

Yun Yao blushed. "It's not that I know it, but I once worked at a brick factory outside the county town for a while."

I knew that Yun Yao had nearly exhausted herself working back then to raise money for her mother's medical treatment, but she hadn't told me about her time in the brick factory. Thinking about the suffering she endured, I realized I should cherish her even more.

I pointed at Yun Yao and Linglong. "Good, the three of us—three mediocre minds—will surpass Zhuge Liang. We will co-author the definitive guide to brick-making for the Two Cities."

Laiziji instructed Wahani to start the ledger, noting down everyone's iron coin contribution and the corresponding share of future profits. He re-allocated my share back to me, and even added five hundred phantom shares on top. Laiziji and Wahani stated solemnly that these five hundred iron coins were the equivalent value of the yet-to-be-written brick-making manual—perhaps the nascent form of an intangible asset in the Two Cities. As for environmental protection and wasting arable land, the Two Cities currently have little farmland, so waste isn't a major concern. Heh, waste is necessary in the initial stages of capital development. As for environmentalism, at their current technological level, what environmental concerns could they possibly have?

Because of the brick matter, we almost stayed up until dawn. Laiziji finally let me go, but Linglong immediately cornered me to discuss writing the book. She knew her father was a scholar, yet at his age, he had never written a book. Now she was going to collaborate on writing one; how could she not be excited?

Linglong and I discussed what key points the book on brick-making should cover. Since they couldn't find coal, they would have to use charcoal. The charcoal industry in the Two Cities already had a solid technical foundation, so we didn't need to worry about that aspect. Whether charcoal could successfully fire bricks was something neither of us was certain about. Since it was an experiment, if it failed, it failed; no need to dwell on it. Besides fuel, the next item was the brick kiln itself. Combining scientific knowledge and the style of the kiln Yun Yao had seen at the factory, the three of us roughly sketched out a design. As for the firing time and other chaotic technical details, we could only write an approximate guide, letting Laiziji determine the suitable values later.

This discussion wrapped up as dawn broke. We hadn't finished breakfast when Cheng Susu arrived with her maid, Spring, signaling the start of another busy day.