Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 753 Chopping trees on the mountain
"This matter must be completed before nightfall tomorrow," Meng Changqing asked him. "Can you do that?"

Zhang Yuan asked, "What are we going to use to make the boundary?"

"Use whatever you can find, like hemp rope or wood."

"Okay. I can do it!"

After leaving the city wall, Meng Changqing did not return to the county government office, but instead went directly to the broken wall along the official road.

When she arrived, a row of small earthen houses had already been built near the broken wall, and Zuo Datou and his group were busy working in them.

Judging from the results alone, it's clear that these people have been busy since last night.

"My lord!" Someone noticed Meng Changqing and shouted in the direction of Zuo Datou, "Zuo Datou, the lord is here."

"Coming!" Zuo Datou threw a bundle of timber he was carrying on his shoulder to the ground and instructed the person next to him, "Remember the count."

"Understood, left head."

Meng Changqing dismounted and hadn't taken more than a few steps when Zuo Datou came out to greet him, "My lord!"

"Was it going smoothly?" Meng Changqing asked.

"Smoothly." Zuo Datou looked around. "When will everyone arrive?"

“The people from our county will arrive tomorrow. The statistics Luo Yun submitted show only three thousand people so far.” Meng Changqing continued, “The prefect promised to help me recruit a group of people, but I estimate that only a limited number can come.”

Zuo Datou said, "The city wall being built this time is relatively short, and three thousand people can finish it by the end of this month, but..."

"Just what?"

"It's just a matter of how to build it." Zuo Datou had obviously thought of several options beforehand, and now he brought them up one by one, letting Meng Changqing make a decision.

When it comes to building city walls, not only Zuo Datou has experience, but Meng Changqing also has quite a lot of experience.

After all, her first task upon taking office in Beishan County was to build the city wall. Zuo Datou's initial experience was all taught to him by Meng Changqing. After several years, he had no choice but to return to his old profession.

After listening, Meng Changqing asked, "If it can be completed by the end of the month, will it only be limited to the rammed earth layer?"

“That’s right, just like when we built the northern city wall, we’ll get the main structure out first, and then we can do some repairs later if we have time,” Zuo Datou said. “Now it’s winter, and if we can’t keep up with the firewood and charcoal after construction starts, we’ll have a big problem.”

Our county government's reserves are insufficient.

"Do you think we should purchase it from outside, or ask the prefect for help?"

Purchasing requires money, and where can we raise the funds in such a short time? Asking the prefect for help would take several days, and it would take him several days to come up with a solution and implement it. Neither of these are the best solutions.

Meng Changqing had long thought about this issue, and she knew exactly what was in her county government's treasury and how much there was.

“We’ll take people up the mountain to cut down trees,” Meng Changqing said. “We’ll avoid the economic trees that farmers have planted and try to start by cutting down fast-growing trees.”

"Okay." Zuo Datou understood that in times of emergency, expediency was necessary, and all previous regulations had to give way to the life-saving policy.

"Sir." Zuo Datou approached Meng Changqing, and the two walked together to a slightly secluded place before he continued, "I'm worried about one thing. What if all these people from our county come here to work and end up running up the mountain?" Zuo Datou glanced in the direction of the dangerous mountain, "If another group of mountain bandits comes along, all the effort we've put in will have been wasted."

Meng Changqing believed that these people who volunteered to build the city wall at this critical juncture were unlikely to become outlaws.

But speaking of possibilities is never a sure thing. "Your concerns are not unfounded. Let people from other counties build the parts near the dangerous mountains, while we keep our county's people under our noses."

"Yes! I will make sure my men remember the number of workers and their faces."

Meng Changqing nodded to him, "Thank you for your hard work."

With everything arranged, all that's left is to wait.

Waiting for external enemies to attack.

I'm afraid they'll come, but I'm also afraid they won't.