Several days later.
Over Zhuwei Lake's vast ten thousand mu, more than a hundred boats were already at work.
There were transport boats, dredging boats, and more—all vessels suited for calm inland waters. To gather these boats, Wang Shouzhe had called in quite a few favors.
Especially from the Donggang Chen Clan. Their inland territory was crisscrossed by waterways, with plenty of small boats and no shortage of shipbuilding workshops.
Chen Fangjie, his future brother-in-law, truly was a decent fellow. Through his help, whether buying old small boats or commissioning dredging vessels, Chen Fangjie spared no effort. He even handled the transport along the way.
Since his future brother-in-law knew how to conduct himself, Wang Shouzhe naturally would not be stingy. Using the excuse of repaying his earlier help, Wang Shouzhe directly presented him with five thousand dan of newly harvested wheat. Once processed through a mill, it would become top-quality flour.
The bran sifted out had been used to raise livestock in past years, but this year it too was a hot commodity.
In ordinary years, these five thousand dan of new wheat would have been quite valuable, but this season was different. The new wheat yield was extremely low, making its value far beyond anything seen in previous years.
Through this round of cooperation with Wang Shouzhe, the Donggang Chen Clan had quietly gained an enormous profit as well.
After all, many children of aristocratic families were used to refined rice and fine flour. Their standards were high, making them far harder to please than commoners.
In short, both sides were delighted.
As inland vessels rapidly gathered, Wang Shouzhe's "hundred-year project" swiftly began to unfold.
Before this, the clan had dredged certain river channels every winter, using the silt to fill farmland and the like. But back then,