The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

Zhang Liang watched Ah Da and the others leave, his eyes instantly becoming sharp. He narrowed his eyes slightly, thoughts racing through his mind, and he looked around as fast as lightning. His eyes quickly swept through every corner of the room, looking for a possible escape route.

"Haha~ Are you Zhang Liang?"

Yilan seemed not to notice his little action, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She moved lightly, and moved a little closer to Zhang Liang. Her light steps were elegant and calm.

At the moment when Yilan approached, Zhang Liang's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, and he seized the opportunity, exerted force, and rushed towards Yilan. His movements were as swift as a cheetah, with a desperate determination.

However, Yilan seemed to have expected it. Her jade hand swung out like lightning and slapped Zhang Liang hard on the face. With a crisp "snap" sound, Zhang Liang was blown away like a kite with a broken string. His body drew an arc in the air and fell heavily to the ground. He spat out a few bloody teeth from his mouth, and the pain made his face twisted instantly.

Zhang Liang, with his hands bound, lay on the ground, unable to move. His body pressed tightly against the ground, he could clearly feel the coldness and hardness of the ground.

Zhang Liang turned around with difficulty, his eyes wide open, his eyes full of shock and unwillingness, staring at Yilan as if he wanted to see through her.

The shock in his heart kept hitting his heart like a surging wave. He never expected that the seemingly weak woman in front of him would react so quickly and with such great strength. The crisp sound of the slap seemed to still echo in his ears, and the pain spread from his cheek to his whole body, making his body tremble slightly.

Zhang Liang gritted his teeth and tried hard to break free, but the rope was tightly around his wrists, making his efforts in vain.

Looking at the stubborn Zhang Liang in front of her, Yilan raised her chin slightly and smiled faintly: "Zhang Liang, courtesy name Zifang. His ancestor was the prime minister of Han. He was born into an aristocratic family and has been well-read in classics, history, and literature since he was young. He should have lived a stable life in the prosperous aristocratic life, but he had such a strong obsession. This blow of yours not only failed to kill the Qin Emperor, but also caused the tragic deaths of countless innocent people..."

As Yilan spoke, she walked slowly, her skirt swaying gently with her steps. When she reached Zhang Liang, she stopped, leaned forward slightly, and gently lifted Zhang Liang's chin with her slender fingers, staring at him closely.

"at this point…"

Zhang Liang heard this, his head tilted, his lips tightly pursed, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes. He closed his eyes, as if he had put life and death aside, and said in a deep voice:

"If you want to kill or behead me, I'll leave it to you."

"Kill you? Wouldn't that be a bargain for you?"

Yilan chuckled, and the laughter echoed in the air, with a hint of teasing. She stood up, folded her hands in front of her chest, tilted her head slightly, looked at Zhang Liang, and said:

"My brother's intention is to let you work here, and you can only be free after you have redeemed your sins."

"Re-education through labor?!"

………………

Jimo has many mountains in the east and many plains in the west. From Dianjiling to Heishan, Lianhuashan, Huangshan and Yantaiding, the Bugang peaks are undulating and intermittent, basically forming a watershed running from north to south, dividing the 14 main rivers in the area into two parts, east and west.

The Dagu River is 180 kilometers long. It rises from behind Liujiazhuang and Yuanjiazhuang villages, closely connected with the river section in Laixi City in the north, flows through Liujiazhuang and Yifengdian in the south, rushes all the way to the south of Qiji Zhangyuan Village, and enters the river section in Jiaozhou City. It is like a natural dividing line, clearly dividing the border between Jimo and Pingdu and Jiaozhou. The river is more than half a mile wide, broad and spectacular.

The afterglow of the setting sun poured down, covering the Dagu River with a gorgeous red coat. The melodious songs of the boatmen who paddled their boats to transport people seemed to have traveled through hundreds of years, floating on the water. The water surface dyed red by the sun was endless and sparkling, like a gorgeous painting.

By the water, a group of young people were playing and frolicking, their figures full of energy and vigor. They were chasing and playing in the water, their laughter echoing in the air. Groups of women washing clothes were waving their mallets by the water, the crisp knocking sounds intertwined with their loud chattering, forming a picture full of life. There were also some old women washing baskets and earthenware jars in the river...

Dagu River, like a giant dragon, meanders through Jimo. It is the well-deserved mother river of Jimo. Tens of thousands of families live and multiply on both sides of the Dagu River. They rely on the river water to irrigate the fertile fields, so that the crops can thrive and harvest full of hope. They also rely on the inexhaustible aquatic life in the river to add rich meat to their lives and nourish generations of people.

However, in summer and autumn, the Dagu River changes its appearance. The river water is no longer as gentle as it is now, but becomes turbulent. Floods are like ferocious beasts, coming as scheduled every year, ruthlessly destroying fields and houses in some low-lying areas. The raging floods seem to show people the powerful force of nature, making the residents near the water tremble with fear. They watch helplessly as their hard-earned fields are flooded and their painstakingly built homes are destroyed, and their hearts are filled with helplessness and fear.

Yilan walked slowly along the river for more than a hundred steps, then stopped and looked back at Du Liao and the others. There was a gleam of wisdom in their eyes, as if they were hiding endless mysteries:
"Have you ever thought that it would be great if this Jing River, which is running faster than cattle and horses, could be used to do work for people like livestock?"

"Control... the Jing River?"

The people behind him looked at each other, their eyes full of shock and confusion. They simply couldn't imagine how this turbulent river could be controlled like a docile cow or horse.

“Yes, control it like a cow or a horse…” Yilan nodded slightly and said affirmatively.

Everyone thought Yilan's idea was simply fantastical. They could drink water from rivers and build dams to divert runoff and let it flow into dry fields, but to let the water flow directly like cattle and horses to help people work? In their opinion, this was simply a fantasy.

"That's probably something that only water gods like He Bo and Xiang Jun can do. How can a human be as capable as a water god?"

Even Jing, who was in awe of Yilan, questioned it. His brows were furrowed, and his face was full of worry. In his opinion, although Yilan's idea was good, he didn't think it could be accomplished with just human power.

“Knock knock knock~”

At this time, a steady sound of wheels was heard, and a carriage slowly stopped in front of everyone. Du Liao immediately went to greet it. The people who came today were all his real superiors, the engineering officials and engineering assistants in the Jiaodong County Engineering Department.

The workers and assistants in their official uniforms and official caps gave way to a slow-moving ox cart. Inside the cart sat an old man with gray hair, sitting peacefully. His clothes were neat and tidy, a little old but clean, revealing a steadiness that came from years of experience. The old man's hands were covered with calluses and wrinkles, which were traces of time and labor.

"Greetings, Lord Zhang Ling..." After an engineer bowed to Yilan, the old man in the carriage lifted the curtain.

"I never thought that it would be Mr. Xi who came!"

Du Lu was very surprised and hurried over with respect and eagerness in his steps. A group of engineers and officers also followed and helped the old man down carefully.

The old man's name was Shuangxi, and he was the oldest engineer in Jiaodong County. When Shuangxi was young, he was an ordinary craftsman, but because of his outstanding skills, he was very good at both carpentry and stonework, so he was transferred to Shu County to work under Li Bing, the governor of Shu County. In those years, he and countless craftsmen assisted Li Bing in managing the Minjiang River and built the "Dianyan", which is the famous Dujiangyan in later generations! The magnificent weir was the pride of Shuangxi's life. Under their wonderful ideas, the unruly Minjiang River turned from a big disaster to a big benefit for Shu County. The surging river water was cleverly guided and utilized to irrigate thousands of miles of fertile fields. Since then, the Chengdu Plain has been flooded and droughted by people, and the people have never known famine. A steady stream of food was sent along the river to Nanjun, and then to the Central Plains, serving as military rations for the Qin army, making a huge contribution to the stability and prosperity of the country.

In Shuangxi's opinion, the limit of human use of the power of flowing water is already reached. When Dayu was controlling the flood, he summed up the experience: water can be drained, but it cannot be blocked. We can only patiently coax the water to flow to where we want it to go. As for controlling the power of water like taming livestock and letting it work for us? It is simply wishful thinking!

Shuangxi leaned on his cane, smiled and bowed to Yilan, saying, "I heard that Lord Zhang Ling wants to make a machine that can operate without human power. I have been a carpenter and stonemason for decades, and have traveled all over Shu County, Ba County, Nan County, and even Guanzhong, but I have never heard of such a magical tool. How can I not come and see it and broaden my horizons?"

Shuangxi's words were full of curiosity and suspicion. Although the engineers and officers beside him did not dare to laugh out loud, their eyes were full of suspicion. Like Shuangxi, they did not believe that such a thing existed in the world, let alone that a woman could make it.

"Haha~, you will know when you see it later."

Yilan raised the corners of his mouth, did not argue, but just led everyone forward.

After a while, they came to the creek next to the ore storage area, which was used to wash ore and soil. The water here was two meters wide, and due to the terrain, the water flow was relatively fast. A group of people were busy around the creek, their faces showing both expectation and nervousness.

"Is this the divine weapon?"

Shuangxi squinted his old eyes and looked carefully at the device installed by the water. His eyes were full of curiosity and doubt, as if he was examining a rare treasure he had never seen before.

What caught everyone's eyes was a wooden support more than ten feet high, which was deeply nailed into the ground and tightly packed with stones, making it look particularly stable. The object on the support looked like a thickened large wheel, or a spinning wheel used by women to weave cloth magnified many times. When it stood up, it was one person tall, and there were several blades installed on the wheel.

When the big wheel was successfully placed on the water, everyone near the water made way.

Then, an astonishing scene appeared in front of everyone's eyes: without human effort to step on or pull it, or animals turning around, the huge machine seemed to have its own life. Under the rush of the stream, it began to rotate clockwise, making a gurgling sound. The sound was crisp and powerful, like a piece of music played by nature. The speed of the machine became faster and faster, and finally it was the same speed as the flowing water, as if it had merged with the stream.

After the craftsman made way, the other side of the water wheel was revealed: a rotating shaft driven by gears, connected to the water wheel. Four staggered paddles were installed on the shaft, and the water drove the paddles to rotate. Whenever the paddles pushed the tip of the treadle rod downward, it was like a person stepping down hard. The four treadles under the shaft moved by themselves, pounding the ore in the mortar one after another, making a rhythmic sound.

"It's done!"

This shout broke the brief silence, and everyone's faces showed shock and joy. They were shocked by the scene before their eyes, as if they saw the infinite possibilities of the future. This magical machine is not only the crystallization of Yilan's wisdom, but also the ingenious control of natural forces by humans. It will bring great changes to people's lives and usher in a new era.

Shuangxi and the other engineers and craftsmen who saw this scene on the other side of the river were all stunned. Their eyes were wide open, full of disbelief. It was as if the wooden pestle driven by the water wheel fell down, hitting not the ore, but their hearts, bringing a strong shock.

The old idea that people could not harness water power to do work was shattered by the facts they saw with their own eyes. The solid wall of ideas collapsed instantly in front of this magical scene, replaced by endless amazement.

"This is how we can cleverly use the power of running water. How come we have never thought of this!" Shuangxi's voice was full of emotion and guilt. As an old craftsman with decades of experience, he has experienced countless projects and seen various skills, but he has never thought about this. Looking at the constantly turning water wheel and the busy treading pestle, his heart is full of regret and admiration. He regretted why he didn't think of such a wonderful method earlier, and admired Yilan's ingenious ideas and bold innovation.

"Master Zhang Ling's magical skills..."

A group of county engineers, construction officials, and a white-haired old craftsman stood in front of Yilan, their faces full of awe. They immediately trembled and bowed to Yilan, as if they were worshiping a goddess who created miracles.

As experienced craftsmen, the engineers could see the great usefulness of this object at a glance. They stared at the water wheel that kept turning and the pestle that rose and fell rhythmically, and their hearts were filled with amazement. As long as the water kept flowing, the water wheel would not stop, and the four pestles would be able to keep moving, day and night, tirelessly helping people's production.

After carefully checking the strength of the water mill, I was even more amazed. The strength of this water mill is no less than that of an adult raising a hammer and smashing it down, and it is even better in terms of stability and sustainability. Moreover, people need to rest and sleep, eat and drink water, and may be lazy, but the continuous water mill will not. In this way, one water mill is at least equivalent to ten adult laborers! Its appearance will greatly improve production efficiency and save people a lot of manpower and time.

Shuangxi thought more deeply. His eyes, which had experienced many vicissitudes of life, kept flickering as he looked at the rushing stream and the busy water mill, and he was filled with emotion: "There are thousands of streams in Jiaodong County and tens of thousands of rivers in the world. If this thing can be promoted, the number of people who will benefit will be tens of millions. How can it be less than Dujiangyan... than Jianye?"

Shuangxi was well aware of the importance of water conservancy projects to people's lives, and the emergence of this water mill undoubtedly opened up a new way for people to use water power.

The significance of the water mill goes beyond this. This should be the first time in China that people took the initiative to use water power and convert it into power. When the window paper of "people can use water power" was broken, it is conceivable that craftsmen from all over the country would spontaneously study and understand its principles.

They would be inspired by this novel invention and devote more energy to exploring the mysteries of water power. Water mills, water rafts and other things could be created, bringing more convenience and progress to people's lives. This small water mill, like a spark, ignited people's enthusiasm for the use of water power and opened a new era full of infinite possibilities.

As the inventor of these magical objects, Yilan has surpassed Lu Ban in the eyes of many engineers.

Lu Ban is a legendary craftsman who created countless amazing tools and instruments with superb skills. However, the appearance of Yilan, like a bright star suddenly blooming in the night sky, illuminated their new understanding of craftsmanship.

The water mill invented by Yilan is not just a simple mechanical device, but also a clever control and innovative use of natural forces. It breaks the limitations of human and animal power in traditional concepts and opens a new era of using water power for production operations. This unconventional invention deeply shocked those experienced engineers.

They looked at Yilan with respect and admiration in their eyes. Yilan's wisdom and creativity seemed to be an endless treasure, and every new invention was like opening a door to an unknown world. Her achievements were not only breakthroughs in technology, but also brought new ideas and directions to the entire artisan industry.

In the eyes of many engineers, Yilan has become a benchmark, a role model that inspires them to continue to explore and innovate. Her name will be recorded in history along with those great craftsmen, becoming a legend that future generations will admire and praise. (End of this chapter)