With the stone ready, Clara and the three Liew brothers began shaping the millstones beneath the roadside shelter.
Over on Carpenter Liew's end, the timber was also prepared. He came by to collect three taels of silver from Clara to settle the wood payment.
The timber had been hauled from his father-in-law's place. Since it was for family use, the price was low—lower than what timber traders paid—and without middlemen, he pocketed more copper in the end.
Clara couldn't help but think: if this Riverbend Village order turned out well and drew attention from other riverside villages, it could kickstart a supply chain. Who knows—maybe it would even boost the development of the entire Liew Clan Village.
Wood, stone, labor—it was all sourced from their own village. If they made money, their fellow villagers would benefit too.
Of course, for now, it was only a beautiful idea. The real test would be the feedback from Riverbend Village once the water-powered mill was complete.
Still, with that in mind, Clara planted a few quiet seeds for the future.
For example, the extra stone was also being made into a spare millstone.
Or how Carpenter Liew's father-in-law could be asked to pre-cut some mature timber. Villagers could go up the mountain during idle time and stockpile wood, ready to sell when traders came by.
She also paid extra attention to the Liew brothers' technique, encouraging them to polish the stone as finely as possible. The more durable it was, the better.
Waterwheels and millstones would wear down or break with use, and Clara had promised to teach the villagers of Riverbend how to maintain them.
But what if she and Carpenter Liew standardized the dimensions and pre-made replacement parts? Wouldn't villagers in need of repairs prefer to buy directly from them?
That very evening, after finishing a round of polishing, Clara returned to the village and rushed off to discuss the idea with Carpenter Liew.
The two of them hit it off right away and jotted down all the necessary specifications for future use.
The wheel paddles, axle shafts, and rocker arms were the most prone to damage and the trickiest to repair. Villagers trying to make replacements themselves would likely struggle with mismatched parts and end up turning to Carpenter Liew instead.
"Clara," Carpenter Liew asked, rubbing his hands together, "do you really think we can promote these water-powered mills? Will people really be willing to spend the money?"
Though clearly excited, he still lacked confidence after calming down. After all, when Clara first made the waterwheel, the skepticism from their fellow villagers had been telling.
But things had changed. Clara replied, "Haven't you noticed? The old millhouses are nearly deserted."
Even at night, her own water-powered mill was still running.
With so many people using it daily, Clara had to check the wheel every couple of days to ensure it didn't stop working altogether.
That was the drawback of wood. If only the axle shaft could be made from metal, she wouldn't have to babysit it so much.
But metal meant higher costs—and in a place where porridge was a luxury, who could afford it?
Habit was a powerful thing. Once people experienced the convenience of water-powered milling, who would ever want to go back to grinding by hand?
Carpenter Liew thought about it—she was right. The old millhouses were practically empty, while at Clara's, the line kept growing.
Clara looked confident. "The market might be slow to respond, but the future's bright."
Riverbend Village was wealthier than Liew Clan Village, with better roads. Building the mill there naturally drew more attention than doing it at home.
Carpenter Liew pictured the busy future and couldn't stop smiling.
Mdm Liew warmly insisted Clara stay for dinner. Unable to refuse, she had two bowls of plain vegetable porridge before hurriedly bidding farewell.
She couldn't bring herself to eat too much at someone else's home—and if she didn't get back soon, she'd collapse from hunger!
—
By the time Clara returned, night had fallen.
She thought she'd be coming home to a warm meal, but the house was empty—none of the children were there.
Lester was in the kitchen cooking. Clara furrowed her brows. "Where are the kids?"
Lester looked up blankly. "They just went out to play with the ball. Haven't come back?"
He had dozed off in a chair after copying texts and had only just woken up. Realizing how late it was and that Clara would be home soon, he'd rushed to start dinner, completely forgetting to check whether the children were back.
Clara stared at him, speechless. Sure, it was a village—unlikely anything serious would happen—but it was pitch dark out and the children weren't home. Shouldn't he have gone to check?
"How long have they been out?" she asked, putting down her tools in the courtyard.
Lester brought out the last dish—stir-fried cucumber and smoked pork, brimming with confidence. "Maybe close to two hours? It's fine—they can't get lost in the village."
Clara sighed. The savory smell was making her mouth water. She plucked a piece of pork and popped it into her mouth.
"Good, right?" Lester asked eagerly.
The smoked pork was soft and melted in her mouth, the sweetness of cucumber cutting through the grease—it was delicious.
Clara raised her eyebrows in approval. "Not bad. Your cooking's come a long way."
Lester beamed. "All thanks to you, my dear wife. Without your constant encouragement, I wouldn't have improved this fast."
Clara chuckled and motioned for him to set the table. She stepped onto the flat open patch near the gate, took a deep breath, and was about to yell toward the village: "Come home for dinner!"
She'd barely opened her mouth when four familiar little figures appeared in the distance, heads drooping as they ran home.
Clara bit back the shout and greeted them with a smile. "You played until it got this late? Aren't you hungry?"
Then her eyes narrowed. "Wait—Adam, what's that on your face? Ben, where's your headband? Chad, Deb—did you roll in mud?"
Clara quickly stopped the children from scurrying past her and had them line up in order. Under the dim lantern light, she could clearly see four bruised, battered little faces.
She gasped.
Then she spotted the battered ball in Adam's arms—its bamboo weaving completely unraveled. Her expression turned icy.
"Who did this?!"
Lester rushed out, shocked and furious.
Chad, who had been holding back tears, saw his parents and broke into sobs. "It was Buck and Colt... Waaaah…"
Deb gave him a look of disdain, wiped her own dirty little face, and added angrily, "Mama, Buck tried to take our ball. Me and Chad wouldn't let them, so the two of them pushed me!"
"Then… then Big Brother and Second Brother fought back…" her voice trailed off. Maybe she sensed Clara's aura turning terrifying—her righteous tone softened a little.
But she didn't cry. Deb jutted out her lip and clenched her tiny fists. "Hmph!"
(End of chapter)
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