After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Guo Pu was displeased, "How can such a good thing be temporarily shelved?" If it must be shelved, why show it to him? Having shown it, how could he not receive a finished product?

Fu Tinghan quickly explained, "Because at this time it’s truly not usable. I didn’t intend to give it to you; it’s because you didn’t understand how radio waves are transmitted from a radio station that I materialized it for you to see..."

Guo Pu was aware of Fu Tinghan’s personality and knew it wouldn’t help to argue with him, so he took a more circuited approach, "Do you know how expensive lamp oil is? Once night falls, the only places with lights in the Capital City are wealthy households. The homes of ordinary citizens don’t even have a single lamp. If this tungsten filament lamp could be produced, it would benefit countless people."

Fu Tinghan came from the modern era; how could he not know?

The main issue is that they don’t have electricity!

Fu Tinghan looked at him helplessly, "Currently, we don’t have the conditions for large-scale power generation, and electricity is only used for the radio station. As for the generators used now at the station, there are two types—three if you count the hand-cranked one. But regardless of classification, hand-cranked and pedal-powered are both considered human-powered, and there’s also a hydroelectric generator."

"However, the application of hydroelectric power has conditions, so it’s not as widely applicable as pedal power. But no matter the type, they are all considered small generators, with limited electricity production." Fortunately, the sky is particularly clear now, allowing radio waves to travel freely and requiring only a small amount of electricity. If it were modern times, with waves everywhere, they might not be able to supply enough power to the radio station.

Guo Pu: "Then build a large generator that can supply power to all the generators."

Guo Pu stared at him, "Don’t you dare say you can’t build it."

Fu Tinghan replied, "With considerable effort, it can be built."

Guo Pu’s entire face lit up, then Fu Tinghan said, "But Hanzhang and I have calculated, the timing isn’t right."

Guo Pu’s face fell instantly, "What do you mean the timing isn’t right?"

"This isn’t something that can be achieved with one or two generators; it requires a power station, but the various materials and technology needed could take ten to twenty years. It requires my full commitment, yet our current demand for electricity isn’t the most urgent," Fu Tinghan explained, "For ordinary people, the two most pressing issues are food and clothing, so agriculture and textiles are the most important."

Guo Pu: "Agriculture is the foundation of the nation, when has it ever not been important? But this is Zhao Hanzhang’s realm; she is busy with that. We can ponder over electricity in our spare time."

"Just planning to construct the Observatory requires a budget of two hundred eighty thousand coins and twenty thousand laborers. Do you know how much manpower and resources are needed to build a power station?" Fu Tinghan said, "Hanzhang and I haven’t calculated the money, only estimated the manpower required, which would be at least five hundred thousand people working continuously for eight years."

Guo Pu was wide-mouthed, then closed it silently.

Only then did Fu Tinghan feel relieved. He was quite worried that Guo Pu would insist on continuing electricity research regardless of national strength or resources; he encouraged Guo Pu, "Even though we temporarily aren’t conducting electricity research, we can work on other things."

"Currently, our problems are the shortage of human and animal power, low grain yields, and textiles consuming large amounts of manpower. So we need to improve machinery and cultivate grain varieties," Fu Tinghan grabbed him, saying, "I’ve long wanted to invite you to join me. Since you’re interested in generators, it seems you’re also interested in other machinery. Let’s work together."

Spinning, weaving, transport machinery, etc., can all be researched to save manpower and increase productivity.

Right now, at least eighty percent of the population doesn’t have new clothes, partly due to the continuous natural disasters and wars in recent years, and partly because of low textile efficiency.

The ideal ’men farm, women weave’ scenario only exists in idealized families; the majority of families in this era cannot achieve it.

Due to the lack of labor, women also need to farm, and leisure from farming is only relatively less exhausting compared to farming busy times.

Even seemingly trivial tasks such as weeding, pest control, soil cultivation, and fertilizing take a lot of time, and women can only spare a little time weaving amidst a busy schedule.

And the cloth they produce must first be turned in as tax, with only what’s left belonging to them.

A household of three might not even manage to put together a new outfit in a year, with clothes patched upon patches.

This stems from a productivity issue.

Thus, Zhao Hanzhang ordered the establishment of cattle and horse farms, aiming for every household to have an ox for plowing;

She tasked Fu Tinghan and the Ministry of Industry to devise simpler looms to be promoted, thus saving manpower further...