AWDC Chapter 50

Chapter 50: City Planning and Elementary School

Half a year had passed since the wedding. Toriholi Village was formed with residences clustered along the Mulan River. This was due to the convenience of water, but with the development of waterways and the extension of water lines to every house, homes began to be built in the higher, desert areas as well.

I planned the roads in a grid pattern, east-west and north-south, at 100-meter intervals, and reorganized the plots so that houses would be built along the roads. Compared to the old town, where houses were built haphazardly, it became a much more orderly townscape.

“If we develop this area as a residential district, I think we can cope with the population influx for the next five years or so,”

Eric explained.

The officials George brought had given up on the capital, where there was no prospect of promotion, and had come to this village. They were all diligent and honest in their work, but they tended to only do the work they were given.

Years of life as officials, and the feeling that they would not be evaluated no matter how hard they worked, had become ingrained in them, and they could not be said to have an active attitude.

In that respect, I realized after a while that Eric was thinking about the future of this village. Among the officials, he was the youngest, just turned 25, and the most motivated.

I involved Eric in the village’s city planning.

He found it rewarding to have his own ideas adopted and to be able to build the village.

Today, I took Eric and Peck with me, left the village, and entered the desert.

“That’s good, there’s no point in planning too far away.”

I nodded at Eric’s plan and looked back at the town. When you come this far, you are about 3 kilometers away from the river and about 20 meters higher.

Below me was a beautifully planned townscape.

The main street in the center had a rail carriage and a waterway running along it, and although still small, trees had also been planted, adding greenery.

On both sides were government offices, a church, a hotel, and other facilities, leading to the pier for ships coming and going to the Mulan River. Eventually, the main shopkeepers in the neighborhood would compete to build large stores facing this street.

“Scorpions used to come out around there, and I used to catch them, but now children are swimming in the waterway,”

Peck said, pointing to the plaza area. He was assigned to the paper workshop, but because of his quick-witted nature, I pulled him into the city planning department.

The city planning department was something I had been handling alone until now, and I wanted to secure promising personnel regardless of age.

Besides, the paper workshop was steadily increasing the demand for paper, expanding the factory and increasing the number of employees, so there were enough people. Now, work assignments and processes were allocated, and there were no delays.

Sulke and Kent were also there, so there should be no problem even if Peck was removed. It was a better decision to use the intelligent Peck in the government office.

The grid-like cityscape also had a sewer system underneath.

Our new home was located two blocks away from the main street, and Margarita was now diligently doing the housework.

The lord said that he would send a maid from the mansion for his only daughter, but the two of us declined.

Although the Robertson family’s paper sales had increased, they had a huge debt due to the desert reclamation. Furthermore, the town was still under construction, and no matter how much money they had, it would not be enough.

My position was as a retainer of the lord. If we used a maid, the Robertson family would have to hire a new maid. We thought it would be better for us to do it ourselves.

She was eagerly learning unfamiliar housework.

And fortunately, Tom’s house was next door.

“The dyer wears white trousers, the carpenter’s house is poorly built,” as the saying goes, and Tom had lived in a small house for a long time.

He had four children, and Cathy had been telling him, “You’re a carpenter, so build a slightly better house,” for a long time.

When a new residential area was developed in the village, Tom had no choice but to rouse himself.

Tom now employed 10 people, so he was closer to the owner of a construction company than a master carpenter.

Building a new house would show the dignity of the owner of the construction company.

And Margarita was being taught housework such as cooking by Cathy.

I asked her to continue to help us.

And Krim’s house was also in the same block. He was busy as a doctor at the clinic.

When I used to treat the villagers’ illnesses, it was free. Since Krim came and opened the clinic, I decided to charge for medical care properly. If it remained free, the clinic would not be able to function. The villagers did not have money in the past, but since the paper workshop and other facilities were built, they were able to manage medical expenses on their own.

Some people complained when I started charging for medical care, but I explained to them that the clinic could not function for free, and they were convinced. Now the villagers understood how important the clinic was to the village.

“It helps to have Toma-san by my side.”

Krim was older than me in this world, but from my point of view, with my medical experience in the previous world and my knowledge of modern science, he was immature in some respects. However, he was serious and eager to learn new things. He did not change his attitude of trying to learn even a little of my medical technology. I showed him everything without holding back.

He was seeing patients alone at the current clinic, but I would help him in case of emergency.

His true feelings were that it was reassuring to have me move nearby.

Krim also had a new baby, and his family was growing.

I had also informed Margarita that her brother’s child was in Krim’s house.

She seemed concerned about her nephew, who was related to her by blood, and went to see him often.

As a result, she soon became friendly with Salomé and seemed to be consulting her about her housework problems.

Also, not only Krim’s house, but also John and George’s houses had children.

In the past, the village was poor, and children who could not inherit the family business had no choice but to leave the village.

But now, the young people of the village are marrying within the village, building houses, and having children. Furthermore, most of the settlers in the desert are families, and some have given birth to children.

When I came to the village, Jim was about the only child close to my age. Now, the number of births averages more than 10 a year.

The number of children in the village had increased. That was why I proposed building a school to the lord.

The school was built using an entire block.

I was the principal, teacher, and errand boy.

Any student over the age of 6 could enroll. I even accepted those who had become adults.

The adults in the village were happy that their children were learning to read and write.

“From now on, even carpenters must be able to read and write.”

Tom said, and enrolled all four of his children, from 12 years old to 6 years old.

“Toma, if they don’t listen to you, feel free to hit them. My kids are no good.”

“That’s because they are your children and my children. It can’t be helped that they are not smart. But if it’s Toma-san, I’m sure he will make them smarter.”

Cathy, that’s impossible. I shook my head in a hurry.

With all this, the number of students exceeded 60. In another two or three years, it would exceed 100. Seeing this number, I was glad that I had made the elementary school so large.

If it was just the basics of teaching reading, writing, and counting, I could probably teach it in about a year.

In the second year, I planned to teach them about the structure of society, morality, and science.

Among the officials I hired, some had brought their parents with them, and those parents used to be officials, so of course they could read and write.

I invited three of them to be teachers.

“If we interact with young children, we will rejuvenate.”

They, who were over 50, said so. I couldn’t pay them as much as officials, but it should be enough to give them some pocket money. They had no experience teaching children, and they seemed happy to start something new.

I had no experience as a teacher either, but I started teaching in a groping state, remembering what I had learned at school in the past.