"Of course."
Wu Liang smiled slightly.
He had the Artisan take another glob of molten glass, and after blowing a glass bubble, it was quickly placed onto a smooth, polished stone slab.
Before it could completely cool, Wu Liang guided the Artisan to use tools to quickly cut and flatten it.
With a sizzle, white smoke rose.
After cooling naturally, a transparent glass plate immediately appeared before everyone.
Wu Liang held up the glass plate and displayed it to the crowd.
"With this kind of glass plate, we can set them into windows. During the day, our houses will become bright and clear."
"Sunlight can shine directly through the glass into the house, making it bright and warm. Crucially, it also keeps out the wind and rain."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the beautiful faces of Wei Xian and the other two women, and added another point.
"We can even use it to make mirrors."
"These will be much clearer than the mirrors we currently grind from copper, allowing you to see your own reflection perfectly."
"Wow!"
A mirror that could show one's reflection clearly?
As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the surrounding women, especially the young and beauty-conscious ones, instantly lit up.
Seeing the surprised expressions on everyone's faces, Wu Liang continued.
"This is just the beginning."
"Starting today, the Tribe will specifically establish a glass workshop!"
"We will produce a large number of glass windows, glass cups, and glass bowls, so that everyone in the Tribe can use them!"
"Oooooh!"
The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers and applause.
As Wu Liang watched the cheering crowd, he was mentally calculating other uses for glass.
The appearance of glass was not just about improving daily life.
It could also be used to make telescopes, microscopes, beakers, test tubes... With these basic industries, there would be a better foundation for developing technology in the future.
Of course, before continuing to climb the tech tree, a solid cultural foundation had to be laid first!
Knowledge is always the primary productive force.
Having settled the cement and now the glass, his 'infrastructure maniac' attribute was essentially maxed out.
However, whether it was the ratio for cement, the firing of glass, or even more complex military equipment, achieving excellence required precise calculations and strict processes.
For now, he could personally direct and explain everything.
But the faster the Tribe developed, the more things he would have to worry about; he couldn't play the role of a nanny on the front lines forever.
He needed a group of technical talents who could understand blueprints, comprehend principles, and even apply knowledge creatively.
But currently, the Tribe was in the middle of massive infrastructure projects, and almost everyone was busy beyond belief.
However, time is like milk—if you squeeze, there's always some to be found.
Wu Liang planned to first gather a group of core members and those quick-witted tribespeople to start with an intensive literacy training class.
He would personally teach for one to two hours every morning.
This way, over time, a group of teachers could be trained, and the work of popularizing education could gradually get underway.
Thinking of this, Wu Liang immediately announced the decision.
The following morning, the literacy class officially began.
The first batch of students wasn't many, only about twenty people.
Leading them were Eliza and Akomann, as well as Kayla, Chief Steward Wula, and the group of Artisans.
Wei Xian also came, waddling over with her large belly to join the fun.
"Today, I will start by teaching the simplest Pinyin..."
Wu Liang stood before a wooden board blackened with charcoal, glancing at the group of people sitting below the podium.
Without any unnecessary chatter, Wu Liang wrote a Pinyin letter and read it aloud, and the people below followed suit.
His pace was fast, and he had everyone copy down all the Pinyin he wrote onto wooden boards.
In just one morning, Wu Liang finished teaching all the Pinyin.
Each of them listened with great effort, but also with great earnestness.
Eliza and Chief Steward Wula learned the fastest, while Wei Xian, Akomann, and Kayla found it relatively difficult, often scratching their heads in frustration.
"It's a pity the education branch of the tech tree hasn't been unlocked, otherwise I could just instill it into Eliza and let her teach them."
Wu Liang sighed.
Being a teacher really wasn't easy.
After half a month had passed and the Pinyin was finished, Wu Liang gradually began to let everyone learn how to write characters and arithmetic methods.
"Today, we will learn the ten most basic numbers."
Wu Liang wrote as he spoke.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
What he wrote was not any script originally from this world, but the Arabic numerals from his original world.
Wu Liang had once been a proper university graduate; although he couldn't remember everything, he was more than capable of teaching them.
Among the students, Eliza was the most brilliant and quickly grasped the essentials.
"Wu Liang, look, am I writing this correctly?"
She asked curiously as she wrote.
"That's right, Eliza, you're so smart. You learn as soon as you're taught."
Wu Liang praised her with his face close to hers, and casually gave her firm buttocks a squeeze.
"Don't get distracted, study hard."
"It's all because of you... Hmph..."
Eliza's face flushed, and she gave him a coy, reproachful look before obediently continuing her practice.
On the other side, Akomann was in a completely different state.
Her brow was furrowed tightly, and she clutched the charcoal pencil as if she were wrestling with a fierce beast.
She was used to wielding spears and knives, which required strength and stability.
But writing was difficult for her; with just a bit of force, she would crush the charcoal, and in severe cases, she would snap the wooden board in her hand.
Beside her was a pile of wooden board fragments she had ruined during this period of study.
"Dammit!"
Akomann bit her lip indignantly, and after a long silence, she looked at Wu Liang with a wronged expression.
"Wu Liang, I can't do it... it's too hard..."
"Don't be nervous, I'll always be behind you, supporting you silently."
Wu Liang walked behind Akomann and leaned down, his warm chest pressing against her back.
He took hold of her hand that was gripping the pencil and guided her.
"Look, relax your wrist, use your fingers to apply force, like this..."
His breath fanned against her ear, making her body feel hot and her heart race uncontrollably.
"Concentrate."
Wu Liang gave her earlobe a gentle nibble.
"Oh... okay..."
Akomann shuddered, her cheeks instantly turning beet red.
Watching this scene from the side, a hint of a smile flashed in Eliza's eyes.
This man always had a way of making any woman completely submissive to him.
Beside them, the pregnant Wei Xian put down her pencil and proactively leaned in, pressing against Wu Liang from the other side.
"Wu Liang, I've finished writing mine, help me take a look..."
"Alright, let me see."
With a woman on each arm, Wu Liang showed a satisfied smile.
Chief Steward Wula, Kayla, and the group of Artisans nearby could only look on helplessly.
They had seen this kind of scene every single day since classes started.
Although the learning process was tedious, Wu Liang had plenty of ways to keep everyone's spirits up.
After the daily study sessions concluded,
In the afternoons, everyone threw themselves back into the bustling construction of the Tribe.
The city walls had begun to be built, and hundreds upon thousands of tribespeople were at their posts on the construction site.
Some moved stones, others mixed mortar... everyone was shouting chants and singing songs in unison to cheer each other on.
"Hey! We workers have the strength!"
"Hey! We workers have the strength!"
"Working hard every single day, building high towers and city walls!"
"Hey! Laying the bricks and stones, hey! Leveling the roads, making our home look brand new!"
The lyrics they sang were simple and direct, and the tune was catchy and rhythmic.
Listening to everyone's singing, Wu Liang's face showed a satisfied smile.
When Wu Liang first started teaching them to sing this song, everyone was a bit shy.
But they soon found that the song's strong, powerful rhythm matched their work movements perfectly.
Soon, the entire construction site was echoing with this energetic singing.
Everyone worked with increasing vigor, filled with a sense of pride and high morale, not even feeling tired despite dripping with sweat.
"As expected of Wu Liang; he always has so many tricks up his sleeve."
Eliza and Akomann stood not far away, watching this stirring scene, once again won over by Wu Liang's methods.
This man could always twist everyone's hearts together into a single rope.