Two days later, Carpenter Liew had the waterwheel ready.
All the parts were bundled together neatly—light enough for Clara to carry on her own.
The two larger beams that would serve as the main axles were carried by Carpenter Liew and his nephew. The three of them met up on schedule in Riverbend Village to begin the final assembly.
The millhouse already had its roof in place. With so many villagers lending a hand, construction had gone quickly. The walls were made of bamboo, and the roof was thatched thick with straw. Wooden planks nailed across the top held everything down, making the whole structure wind-resistant.
Clara and Carpenter Liew spent one full day assembling the machinery, and another day fine-tuning and testing it. The entire project wrapped up two days earlier than the planned half-month timeline.
The results were excellent. The diverted river stream feeding into the pond had been modified so that a wooden board could be inserted to halt the water flow, stopping the water mill entirely.
When in use, the board was lifted, allowing the water to rush through. The current surged through the channel, slamming into the waterwheel paddles and turning the wheel with great force.
Inside the millhouse, two millstones could rotate at once. If only one was needed, the axle beneath the other could be removed.
The grindstone, however, was positioned separately in a corner of the millhouse. It used a smaller waterwheel beside the main one.
This combo setup of a large and small wheel slowed the grindstone's speed to half that of the millstones, making it safer and easier to use—no more accidents like fingers being caught in moving parts.
Even with its slower pace, it still beat manual labor by a mile.
On the day the water mill officially opened, curious villagers from nearby villages came to watch.
The locals brought bags of old wheat to test it out, and after a few rounds, they were absolutely hooked.
But since this was a shared facility, some villagers didn't want to give up their spot. The wait grew long, and minor scuffles nearly broke out.
That, however, was not Clara's problem. Her part was done—she was just there to collect the final payment. The rest was for the Riverbend village chief to sort out.
York Wang welcomed Clara and Carpenter Liew to his home. Pleased beyond measure with how smooth the milling had become, he happily handed over the remaining ten taels of silver.
Clara asked him to bring out paper and ink. Though she couldn't write brush script herself, she dictated a simple repair and maintenance manual, which York dutifully transcribed.
He hadn't expected the mill to come with after-sales support. With a grateful smile, he carefully copied down Clara's instructions.
"I've already taught your two village carpenters how to do daily upkeep and basic repairs," Clara reminded him. "But it's still good for everyone to be familiar with it. This is shared equipment—everyone needs to care for it so it lasts."
York nodded repeatedly. "Absolutely, Clara. I'll make sure everyone understands how to use it properly."
Clara added with a smile, "If anything comes up that your carpenters can't handle, feel free to come find me or Carpenter Liew in Liew Clan Village. We offer free after-sales service for the first three months."
York nearly beamed. This fifteen taels had been money well spent.
With the payment settled, Clara and Carpenter Liew weren't in a rush to leave. York happened to be heading to the millhouse too, so the three went together.
By the time they arrived, the Riverbend villagers had already shown off their millhouse to every visitor and were now basking in admiration from the neighboring villages.
York nodded to Clara and Carpenter Liew before heading off to explain the rules of use—he didn't want anyone breaking things out of ignorance.
Clara exchanged a look with Carpenter Liew. They split up and slipped into the crowd to do some quiet promotion.
"This water mill comes in big and small sizes," Clara explained to a group of curious onlookers. "The big ones aren't too pricey, and the small ones are very affordable. Great for individual families or villages pooling resources. It frees up your hands and improves efficiency."
"No need to just admire Riverbend Village—if you want one, act now. Harvest season is around the corner. Get your mill set up in time and you'll save yourselves a heap of work!"
Her voice wasn't particularly loud, but it had a compelling quality that drew people in.
As more eyes turned toward her, she added, "A small waterwheel's cheap, and a good mill can last years. Take care of it, and it'll last more than a decade. Break that down, and you're spending less than one copper a day—it's basically free!"
"If you run a grain shop, why hire workers when you can have your own millhouse? You'll earn back the cost in a year. After that, whether you grind for yourself or others—it's all profit."
Of course, Clara didn't shy away from sharing the downsides.
"Even the best water mill won't run without water. So assess your situation first. Don't go buying wheels and stones only to realize you've got no stream. No refunds!"
The crowd chuckled. Honest talk like this won over the common folk, especially when it came from familiar faces like Clara and Carpenter Liew—not some shady outsider.
Soon, seven or eight people approached them with questions, asking about prices and specs.
"The small ones cost a tael or two. The big ones can run ten, twenty taels—it depends on what you need. Bigger isn't always better. Just find what suits you."
That price point scared off quite a few.
But Clara wasn't worried. They hadn't experienced it yet. Once they did, she was confident they wouldn't go back.
After all, human nature leans toward ease. Manual mills were a constant struggle. If a bit of silver could ease that burden, even the stingiest farmer would eventually give in.
People stayed in Riverbend Village until sunset. Clara and Carpenter Liew were hoarse from talking but kept at it until the last of the villagers left.
"Did you get any orders?" Clara asked Carpenter Liew.
He shook his head—but he'd identified a few promising leads.
So had Clara. One was a grain merchant. Once he did the math, he'd see just how cost-effective a water mill was.
Clara pulled out the silver and split it with Carpenter Liew as they walked.
They divided it evenly. Since Carpenter Liew had already taken a three-tael advance for materials, Clara gave him four taels and five silver coins this time.
Whatever he paid his nephew in labor and what remained for himself wasn't Clara's concern.
After deducting the 840 copper coins paid to Brandon, Caleb, and Logan, Clara's share came to 6 taels, 6 silver coins, and 60 copper coins—all hers.
Add to that her savings and the 30 coins Lester had wrestled out of Kenny Liew—Clara now had a grand total of 15 taels and 2 coins of silver!
She couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips.
With that, she had enough to cover Lester's tuition, household expenses, and next year's school fees for the four kids at the clan academy.
But she was still a long way from the comfortable life she envisioned.
At the end of the day, true stability came from land.
Renting fields wouldn't cut it in the long run. Once she saved a bit more, she planned to buy a few acres of good farmland.
Here, land was as good as cash—practically hard currency. A few acres at a time, and soon, she'd build a solid foundation.
With dreams of a brighter future dancing in her head, Clara walked home with a light and lively step.
(End of chapter)
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