The longer Qin Sang lived in ancient times, the more she missed her life in the future. Even if it rained and the power went out, there was gas to use, and one could spend a cozy day eating and drinking without ever leaving the house.
But now, when it rained heavily, the first problem was firewood. No wonder firewood was listed first among the daily necessities of 'firewood, rice, oil, and salt' in ancient times.
Besides the labor-intensive farming, commoners spent most of their remaining time gathering firewood.
In the Original Body's memory, the village had many disputes over picking up firewood on the back mountain.
Fortunately, many trees had been cut down and brought to the camp to build the log cabins. The branches and vines were enough to last everyone over half a month if used sparingly; the only concern was keeping them from getting damp.
Qin Sang asked Hei Zi, "Hei Zi, you're often in the Town. Do you know where to find those black Charcoal Stone? They can burn, but they're very smelly and black."
"Hei Zi, you're often in the Town. Do you know where to find those black Charcoal Stone? They can burn, but they're very smelly and black."
In the Original Body's impression, coal had never been used here. Even blacksmiths used charcoal for their work.
Hei Zi thought for a moment and remembered.
"Yes, there was a man in Town before who hauled black stones to sell, claiming they could be used like charcoal for boiling water and cooking. But few people believed in this new thing since everyone was used to burning wood. Only one shop owner in Town bought some."
"As a result, it led to a fatal lawsuit. That family of four died mysteriously overnight. Later, people said the Charcoal Stone were poisonous. The merchant's property was confiscated by the Government officials, and he was beheaded."
Qin Sang's eyes lit up.
"Then do you remember where that merchant was from? Is it far from Songbai Town?"
Although Qin Sang could exchange for coal in the Mall and it wasn't expensive, she didn't just want it for herself. She also wanted to use it to benefit everyone and make some money on the side.
Besides, if it was available here, why should she use mall coins to exchange for it? mall coins should be saved for critical needs.
Hei Zi nodded.
"I remember. I even went to the Caishikou execution ground to watch the sentencing for that case. At the time, that merchant shouted that he was wronged, saying his own family had used it for a while, so why were they fine?"
Qin Sang knew that the shop owner's family likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning. As for why the coal seller's family was fine, she guessed they lived in a thatched mud hut. Even with doors and windows shut, air leaked in from everywhere, so the airtightness couldn't compare to a brick-and-tile shop in Town.
The reasons Charcoal Stone weren't used on a large scale in ancient times were the difficulty of mining, the toxicity of carbon monoxide, and the cost, which ordinary people simply couldn't afford.
Any coal mines found were basically seized by the Government officials for iron smelting.
Since that man could find Charcoal Stone, it was very likely that this coal mine was an open-pit mine.
Carbon monoxide is poisonous, but Qin Sang knew a way. By making Honeycomb Coal and a sheet-metal coal stove, they could have hot water anytime in winter.
Since the Government officials didn't yet know the full utility of Charcoal Stone, she could take advantage of this vacuum period.
"Then do you know the location of Chen Family Village?"
Hei Zi nodded. "I do. Among the people who helped last night, there were some from Chen Family Village."
"Aunt, do you want to find those Charcoal Stone?"
"Aunt, those things are poisonous."
Qin Sang smiled.
"I read a method in a book that can prevent poisoning. We'll know if it works once we try it."
Qin Sang's sons and daughters were no longer surprised by anything they heard. Their mother now knew many things they didn't, and they simply thought she was amazing.
Especially Tian Wenmo; hearing his mother say much of her knowledge came from books, he wondered if there were secret manuals she had hidden, or if he had missed something in the books at home. He decided he must read extensively in the future.
To go look for the coal mine, they had to wait for the rain to stop, but this rain showed no sign of letting up at all.
Everyone was initially very happy about the rain, but as the water lines flowing down from the mountain began to roar, they couldn't help but feel a bit worried.
Tian Yougen wore a coir raincoat and took five men to inspect the area, clearing out the mud and dead branches washed down into the ditches. Otherwise, once blocked, the water would overflow into the camp.
As the rain fell for a day and a night, the waterfall opposite the mountain pass also began to flow with a significant amount of water. Tian Yougen hurriedly took people to clear the riverbed. Seeing that they were shorthanded, he rushed back to gather other strong young men. Everyone stripped off their outer clothes and shoes and rushed into the rain. If the riverbed got blocked, the water would flood directly into the camp.
A section of the riverbed had been excavated, and the excess soil was piled across it, acting as a levee to hold back the waterfall's water and guide it toward a designated mountain hollow.
Da Zhuang and San Gui also went to reinforce the riverbank and clear the silt. Qin Sang and the others couldn't stay idle at home either; from time to time, they had to use wooden poles to push the accumulated water off the oilcloth. Otherwise, if too much rain collected, the oilcloth on the roof risked tearing.
Qin Sang found a ceramic basin and put charcoal fire in it to dry clothes. Tian Wenmo and Tian Sijin also looked worried.
"Mother, if this rain keeps falling, we won't be able to have classes."
Qin Sang didn't know how long the rain would last. Having finally made some progress in teaching, it was very likely that after a few days, the village children would have forgotten everything their teacher taught them.
Qin Sang's eyes darted; it seemed that the dreaded 'homework' was about to make its debut.
"The two of you can arrange some learning tasks. When those uncles return later, have them take a message back. That way, even without classes, they can reinforce their previous knowledge."
Both children's eyes lit up.
"Then I'll assign calligraphy practice."
"I'll assign arithmetic."
Qin Sang watched the two little teachers enthusiastically return to their room to set the homework, her lips curving into a smile.
Er Fu was organizing the Medicinal Herbs. Looking at the torrential rain outside, she said worriedly,
"Mother, those children are still injured. With such heavy rain, how can we go treat them?"
Qin Sang knew she was anxious to save people and comforted her,
"Let's wait one more day. Maybe the rain will stop tonight."
Tian Erfu also knew it was unrealistic to go out in the rain like this, so she could only wait a bit longer.
Qin Sang estimated that the Pancakes and dry rations she sent were enough to last them for two days. As for the injuries, they were all external and had already received preliminary treatment, so there shouldn't be any major issues. It was best to wait for the rain to stop for safety; she could also send some dry firewood over then.
The biggest problem now was that some families' log cabins in the village had already started leaking. Because the oilcloth Qin Sang brought back was limited, even if she had the ability to distribute it to every household, she couldn't explain why she had bought so much. Therefore, some families used oilcloth they had brought from the mountain themselves.
With the rain falling non-stop, a few families with insufficient oilcloth found their houses becoming uninhabitable.
The Old Village Chief's grandson ran over to tell Qin Sang about the situation. The Old Village Chief wanted to ask if Qin Sang's tents could be cleared out to lend to the villagers.
Qin Sang agreed. Although the tents were full of Medicinal Herbs, they could house a few people if tidied up.
As for Qin Sang's Main Hall, she simply had the eldest son San Gui, A Shui, and A Jing sleep there, which would free up another room.
By nightfall, the rain was still falling, sometimes heavy and sometimes light. Just when they thought it might stop after a while, a bolt of lightning would strike in the next second, and it would pour again.
Now, no one was happy anymore. Everyone was hoping for the rain to stop.