Toilet Design

Early the next morning, Luo Ning put on a simple set of training attire with Bella's help.

Compared to her nervousness yesterday, Bella was much steadier today, and her movements had become far more practiced. Given some more time, she would surely become a qualified personal maid.

Luo Ning walked out of the changing room. "Gallon, go and inform Macken. Have them get ready to continue inspecting the territory with me later. Today, we'll head west and survey the tail end of the Wushan Magical Beast Mountain Range."

"Yes, Master! I'll go and inform them right away!" Gallon scampered off.

The moment Luo Ning stepped out of the main building, he saw the butler Chahar and Administrator Wilson waiting at the entrance, with a large vat between them.

When the two saw their lord emerge, they stepped forward and offered their morning greetings.

"Master, I have prepared the large vat you requested last night."

Chahar had gone to great lengths yesterday to find a larger ceramic vat, but after searching everywhere, he had failed to find one.

Left with no choice, he could only move over a water vat for the time being.

Luo Ning circled the ceramic vat twice. "It'll do for now, though it's a little small."

Chahar looked somewhat embarrassed. "Master, this is already the largest one in the castle."

"Can larger ones be made?"

Luo Ning gestured with his hands. "Is there anyone in town who can make them?"

"Well..."

Chahar shook his head. He did not know the townspeople well, so he could only turn to Wilson. As a native, Wilson was far more familiar with Mountain Forest Town than he was.

"There is, my lord!"

Wilson said, "I remember that Callus the blacksmith in town knows how to fire pottery."

"Then have him make several large vats for us."

Luo Ning asked again, "How is the census going? Have you run into any problems?"

"My lord, things are progressing smoothly. I registered more than nine hundred people yesterday."

This was the first task Wilson had received, and he had approached it with great care and diligence. Aside from eating and drinking, he had not stopped to rest all day yesterday.

"There haven't been any major problems. It's just that the remaining subjects are scattered about, so I have to travel back and forth to count them. It won't be as fast as yesterday."

"That's not a problem."

Luo Ning was very pleased with Wilson's efficiency. "Chahar, assign Wilson a common horse. It will save our administrator's strength and speed up his work."

"If you have a horse, how much longer do you think it will take to complete the census?"

"Well..."

Wilson hesitated, unsure how to answer.

If he gave too short a time, it would not look good if he failed to finish;

but if he gave too long a time, it would make him seem inefficient.

"A day and a half?"

After weighing it for a long while, Wilson finally gave that answer.

"My lord, I will do my best to give you the results by tomorrow afternoon!"

Luo Ning nodded. A day and a half was quite fast.

"Handle it as you see fit. If there isn't enough time, you may extend it a little. But you must ensure there are no mistakes in the results. Efficiency is important, but the results are more important!"

Wilson's expression turned solemn and earnest. "Please rest assured, my lord. Wilson has always kept your requirements and instructions in mind!"

After giving his instructions, the topic returned to the ceramic vat before them.

Luo Ning took out the parchment on which he had drawn the squat toilet last night and handed it to the two men. "This is a toilet I designed. I intend to promote it in Mountain Forest Town."

Wilson and Chahar exchanged glances. Neither had expected their lord to show them something like this.

"Master, please forgive my presumption!"

Butler Chahar offered his advice dutifully. "Such filthy matters can be handled by us servants. As the master of Mountain Forest Town and the noblest person here, you should not concern yourself with such foul-smelling subjects."

Although Wilson did not have the courage to speak as directly as Chahar, it was clear that he agreed completely.

Though this was his first time serving as an administrator, his more than thirty years of experience had taught him that nobles and lords were dignified. How could they concern themselves with excrement and urine?

"I have my reasons."

Luo Ning looked at the parchment in his hand. This squat toilet was actually the kind of toilet found in rural areas on Earth when he was a child—

a large vat buried underground, with two wooden boards laid across the top, one on the left and one on the right. Anyone who needed to use the toilet simply stood on the boards.

Oh, and there would also be a stick in the vat. That was the so-called stirring stick.

Collecting feces this way counted as natural fermentation, allowing it to be used directly to fertilize crops.

"I hope that one day, every household in Mountain Forest Town will have a toilet like this to collect their feces."

Luo Ning began explaining to his administrator. "Of course, promoting this now is not very realistic, so I intend to start with our castle."

He looked at Chahar. "Choose a location and build two of them first. Put shelters over them and have the castle servants use them! Instead of collecting the waste as we do now and then carrying it outside the castle to dump it."

"Master, I understand what you mean."

Chahar bowed as he answered. "But I do not understand why you wish to collect these things. Master, this is beneath your status!"

To be honest, even Chahar, as the butler, did not want to deal with this matter himself.

"This is fertilizer, related to my later plans. You only need to fully cooperate with me."

Since Luo Ning had put it that way, Chahar did not continue trying to persuade him despite still not understanding. No matter what, he was a servant of the castle. Offering advice was his duty, and carrying out orders was his responsibility.

"I understand, Master. I will do my utmost to carry out every task you assign!"

"We will have a harvest."

Luo Ning smiled, then began speaking to the administrator again. "During the census, help me find several skilled farmers. I need them to work for me for a time. Also, prepare two mu of vacant land for me. I intend to develop it into an experimental field."

Wilson had listened carefully to the baron's explanation from beginning to end. From designing toilets and collecting feces to finding skilled farmers and two mu of vacant land, the baron had even mentioned this word, fertilizer.

He had begun to vaguely understand the baron's intentions.

"My lord, you truly are different from other people. This is the first time I have seen a lord care so much about farmland!"

Wilson praised him. "With your help, Mountain Forest Town will surely enjoy a great harvest every year!"

Luo Ning's eyes lit up. He had not expected the administrator to understand his purpose.

That was good. At the very least, when tasks were assigned in the future, Wilson would be able to follow his train of thought quickly.

"Alright, I called you two here today for this matter. Go back to your work."

After finishing his instructions, Luo Ning took the lead in walking out of the castle. He was going to begin inspecting the woodland.

Chahar watched his master's departing figure, then lowered his head to look at the ceramic vat before him and asked Wilson about it.

After a while, he nodded as though he understood. "Our master truly is as you said—different from others!"

As an administrator who had only been on the job for one day, Wilson did not know much about Luo Ning's past. Prinster had not widely publicized the matter of the marquis's legitimate grandson being stripped of his right of inheritance.

But from yesterday's examination and task assignments to today's plan, Wilson felt that the baron was a pragmatic, practical person who pursued efficiency and results.

Following someone like that, as long as he put his heart into getting things done, if nothing else, the daily wage of ten copper coins would be secure.

"Butler, quickly take me to get a horse. I want to speed up the census!"

Wilson nodded to Chahar. "I have a feeling that once this is done, my lord will have many more matters waiting for me!"

"Haha, certainly, Administrator!"

Chahar flattered him. "With your help, Master's Mountain Forest Town will definitely grow better and better."

Wilson was in an excellent mood after hearing such praise.

But he also knew Chahar's status. As the castle's butler and the baron's former personal manservant, Chahar was certainly one of the baron's trusted people.

He had to build a good relationship with someone so close to the baron, so the two began round after round of mutual flattery.