When he came out, he saw Liu Erlang talking to a middle-aged man wearing coarse clothes.

Although he was dressed in coarse clothes, he had a bookish air about him, and the mustache on his face was particularly obvious.

Jiang Zhou leaned closer to listen to them.

The mustache man was very calm: “What is this?”

Liu Erlang didn’t hide it; anyway, even if they mentioned the ingredients, others might not be able to make it: “This is cement.”

The mustache man looked a little surprised: “Cement? I thought you were going to build a house; what’s the use of this soft mud?”

Liu Erlang back then also confused. He didn’t understand the mystery until Jiang Zhou explained it to him.

Now he just took it out to brag: “Don’t think this is just soft mud; it’s very useful! Just mix it with water and bricks to create a wall. It’s much stronger than the current wooden and straw houses!”

Liu Erlang asked the mustache man: “What are your most common bridges and roads paved with?”

The mustache man said, “Why do you ask? Aren’t they all paved with bluestone slabs?”

Liu Erlang, eager to promote the cement, didn’t hide his secret: “Is the road shaking? Is it all neat and tidy?”

The mustache man hesitated, admitting, “It’s a little shaky.”

While in Beijing, the tightly sealed bluestone slabs were stable, but on the way to work, the carriage bumped too much, causing discomfort and delays.

Liu Erlang smiled and suggested, “Look at the road under our feet again?”

The mustache man observed and noticed the flat courtyard road, not paved with bluestones but appearing as a single stone. It was a bit rough, yet the roughness didn’t affect its smoothness: “What is this?”

Liu Erlang, aiming to impress, had someone bring a basin of water and splashed it on the ground: “It won’t crack, and water won’t damage it. This is a road built with cement.”

The mustache man trembled, stepping on it: “This is built with cement!?”

“Of course, it’s built with cement.”

The mustache man was in disbelief: “How do you make it?”

Liu Erlang, not knowing the details, touched his head. Jiang Zhou had shared a method that could create such a thing, but he couldn’t grasp the detailed steps.

Therefore, he couldn’t explain, so he could only smile and say nothing.

Jiang Zhou helped him out: “This is our unique secret recipe, so there is no reason to tell you.”

The mustache man glanced at Jiang Zhou, then at Liu Erlang, and suddenly sighed: “You are young and promising!”

He looked more serious and asked: “Which one of you is in charge? Who invented this cement?”

Jiang Zhou: “It’s me.”

The mustache man bowed to him and handed over his hands, very solemnly: “I am Governor Zhuo Bang of Xiaxia City. May I ask if I can come in for a talk?”

Jiang Zhou blinked and avoided his salute: “This one invites the governor in.”

He then said to Liu Erlang: “Let the workers rest and eat later.”

.

Zhuo Bang entered the work shed and touched his beard: “To be honest, I wanted to discuss something.”

Jiang Zhou pretended to be confused: “What’s the matter?”

“My friend, are you planning to use this cement for your own use or to put it into production?”

“Of course, it will be put into production.”

Zhuo Bang naturally guessed it and rolled his eyes. After some thought, he said, “Well, what do you think, little friend, are you willing to cooperate with me?”

Jiang Zhou half-heartedly smiled, “Cooperate with you?”

Zhuo Bang coughed lightly, “Actually, it’s not me, it’s…” He pointed to the sky.

Jiang Zhou understood instantly.

In the novels read by time-traveler, most protagonists had noble status—either young princes or princesses. They were rich and powerful, and the cement they produced was supplied to the royal family, people who held positions of power. Therefore, in exchange for glory and wealth, they gained those people’s hearts.

Jiang Zhou had considered this issue, but in a small, remote village, where would he get the opportunity to contact those people?

If handed over to an official, it might be disregarded, and others might not pay attention. So, he decided to wait for houses built with cement to become popular, assuming that those above would notice it naturally.

Then came Zhuo Bang.

He blinked, “How can I trust you?”

Zhuo Bang suddenly remembered his coarse linen clothes, “Well, I’m out here on an errand and must return once I was done. Can you give me a bag of cement? I’ll present it to the emperor and let the higher-ups take a look?”

Jiang Zhou thought for a moment. It seemed… there was nothing wrong with it. A bag of cement wouldn’t affect anything. Zhou Bang couldn’t use it to build a new house, right? It didn’t matter if he gave him a bag.

Jiang Zhou agreed.

Zhuo Bang’s eyes lit up, “I will definitely live up to your trust!”

.

After Zhuo Bang left, Liu Erlang came in and asked hesitantly, “Is that man really the governor?”

Jiang Zhou’s tone remained unchanged, “Who knows.”

Liu Erlang couldn’t laugh or cry, “Then you still gave someone a bag of cement?”

“It’s just a bag of cement.” Jiang Zhou didn’t take it seriously. “I saw that his sleeves were breezy. Even though he was wearing coarse linen clothes, he still had a strong character. And did you notice a detail?”

“What?”

Jiang Zhou laughed, “Although his shoes are cloth shoes, they are very clean. There is not a speck of mud on them. Are they like us?”

If Zhou Bang was really a villager, even if he was from the town. People walked on the road; their shoes wouldn’t be as clean as his.

Jiang Zhou had specially observed, the soles of his shoes were extremely soft and comfortable, and they looked like they were carefully sewn.

Liu Erlang was a little anxious, “If he is really the governor, will this cement still have a share in our business after he present it?”

Jiang Zhou shook his head, “You think too much. If he did it, it will also be good for us. Think about the fame—we’d be the first to produce cement. When people talk about cement, the first thing they think of is our place, don’t you think?”

Liu Erlang nodded in understanding.

Jiang Zhou continued with his planned thoughts, “Furthermore, we can’t take on such a big project. If we were just doing business, we wouldn’t be able to handle such a large demand. Wherever cement is needed in the future, there will be more and more, and we can’t satisfy it all. We can only rely on being the first movers to occupy the market early and develop a reputation.”

In fact, if the court intervened, their future risks would be smaller. At least the price would not be maliciously lowered due to competition.