第363章 村民告状

While Huo Dahe and his son were causing trouble in the market, Song Qingwan was researching how to make fans with the craftsmen.

Since the beginning of summer, the weather had been getting hotter day by day. For the ancient people who were born and raised here, this kind of weather was not considered hot at all; they were used to it. However, for Song Qingwan, a modern person who grew up with air conditioning, this devilishly hot weather that could melt people was quite unbearable.

She dare not even think about air conditioning, as it's too complex and ordinary people simply cannot make it.

Song Qingwan plans to make a hand-cranked fan that doesn't require electricity.

Although it's not the first time they have collaborated with her, the craftsmen are still caught off guard when she suddenly mentions making a "fan" out of the blue, and they all look at each other in confusion, unable to keep up with her train of thought.

"We know what a fan is, but what does 'electric fan' mean?"

"All fans can create wind, so why add the word 'electric'? Is there some special meaning behind it?"

"Although I don't know what it is, isn't this name a bit too ordinary?"

Like curious babies, everyone kept asking questions one after another, to the point where Song Qingxun wished she could give each of them a copy of the book "100,000 Whys".

She smiled helplessly and patiently explained to the few "older children", "This so-called 'hand-crank fan', as the name suggests, is a fan that can quickly generate wind by turning a handle. Compared to the fans we commonly see, this fan has a stronger wind power, naturally making it cooler, but it doesn't require more effort to use."

The craftsmen pondered thoughtfully.

Suddenly, one of them slapped his thigh and asked, "Could it be the same as the 'Piao Shan' mentioned in 'The Exploitation of the Works of Nature'?"

The others also recalled, "If it's that large, even if we make it, few people would buy it, right?"

In the book "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature," the "fan" is indeed considered one of the earliest hand-cranked fans. Its shape and design are similar to a spinning wheel, but its size is more than twice as large. The production cost of such a large hand-cranked fan is obviously not affordable for ordinary households, even without much thought.

Here is the English translation with the original HTML tags preserved:But for those wealthy and noble families, how could they not have means to cool off?

This "Exploitation of the Works of Nature" is not something only they know about.

Song Qingyuan saw their worries and said with a smile, "If it were that large, I wouldn't ask you to make it. It would be inconvenient to keep in my own home. The hand-cranked fan I'm talking about is similar to a feather fan, but much smaller in size. It can be easily held in the hand."

"Is this true?" If it really is, that would be so convenient!

Song Qingwan smiled and took out a few drawings. "It's not the first day you've known me. How could I deceive everyone with something like this? These are the drawings I made, with all the required materials labeled. This is the best I can do. As for other less detailed parts, I'm afraid I can't help much and can only ask everyone to figure them out on your own."

Here is the translation to English with the original HTML tags retained:"These blueprints are already sufficiently detailed. If we still can't build it with these, then we would be too ashamed to face you again, Miss."

Everyone gathered around the blueprints as if they had obtained a precious treasure, and hurriedly expressed their determination to her.

Song Qingwan exchanged a few polite words with them and told them to take the drawings back for a closer look. He personally saw them off before turning around and heading to another small living room.

Inside, a villager was pacing back and forth, obviously looking somewhat uneasy.

Upon seeing Song Qingwan enter, he immediately said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Qingwan. Did I interrupt your conversation with someone? Please go ahead and finish your discussion. I'm not in a hurry on my end."

"It's alright, uncle. Please have a seat. I've already settled things on my end."

Song Qingxuan smiled and invited him to sit down. She personally poured him some tea before gently asking, "Uncle, you've made a special trip to see me. Is there something troubling you?"

The villager shifted his buttocks slightly, trying his best to conceal his uneasiness, but it was still evident as even his voice lowered by several degrees. "Well, there's nothing particularly difficult, but there's one thing that puzzles me, and I came here specifically to ask you about it. Earlier, Huo Dahe and his son Huo Zixuan came and said they were here to collect protection fees. From what they implied, it seemed like you had privately agreed on this matter. I just wanted to ask if there was such an arrangement?"

Song Qingwan's eyebrows immediately furrowed, "What protection fee?"

Seeing that she was clearly unaware, the villager mustered up some courage and hurriedly said, "They said that their security guards are protecting the safety of us stall owners, and it's not fair for only you to pay while we stall owners contribute nothing, so we have to pay an additional security fee to their guards."

Unexpectedly, Huo Dahe and Huo Dashan were so bold. Song Qingyuan slammed the table in rage, "This is outrageous! They have already taken the wages, what else does it have to do with them? They are clearly blackmailing!"

"I'll go and ask them myself!" he said, standing up and striding out the door.

The two of them returned to the market. It was still far from closing time, and the villager had asked others to watch over his stall. Everyone knew he had gone to find Song Qingwan, and seeing him return with her, with an obviously unhappy expression on her face, they all felt quite uneasy.

Song Qingwan was afraid of scaring them, so she quickly suppressed the anger in her heart and forced a smile. "Everyone, don't worry. I have never said anything about collecting protection fees. When the security department was established, I already mentioned that you pay me a monthly stall fee, and I am responsible for providing you with a place to do business. Naturally, I also have to ensure the safety of this place. This is what I should do. How could I possibly collect any protection fees?"

"That's right, I said it was impossible. Qingwan is not that kind of person!"

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and some villagers immediately spoke out loudly, causing others to chime in.

Song Qingwan reassured them with a few words before inquiring about the whereabouts of Huo Dahe and Huo Zixuan.

The villager who just spoke immediately said, "I felt that something was wrong at the time and kept staring at the father and son. Huo Dahe went to the town, most likely to gamble, and Huo Zixuan is at the back. I'll take you there!"

Song Qingwan followed him to the back of the market.

Without looking, one wouldn't know, but upon seeing it, Song Qingwan was instantly amused and annoyed.

When the security department was first established, she had already mentioned that security guards should never neglect their duties while on duty, let alone leave the market easily, in case of any emergencies that they might fail to prevent in time.

That rascal Huo Zixuan, not only did he run to the back of the market to cool off when he was supposed to be on duty, but he also got himself drunk. Even with his group of people making so much noise as they walked over, he still didn't notice. He just lay there on his back, sleeping like a log.

Does he think he's not here to work, but to act like a lord?

Song Qingyuan's face was as still as water, suppressing the urge to kick him over with one foot. Taking a deep breath, she turned her head and instructed someone to go to the town to find Huo Dahe, even if they had to tie him up and bring him back.

She would never let it slide easily if someone dared to use her name to swindle money!

By the time Huo Dahe was found and brought back, the market had already closed for the day.