Last year, after the death of Fang Qifo, Chen Fan had asked Ning Yi for the Elm Wood Cannon, but Ning Yi didn't agree. It wasn't because he wanted to create a technical barrier. Instead, in order to deal with the Jin Dynasty's invasion to the south, Qin Siyuan had handed over the method of making the cannon to the imperial court. Once the technology was leaked, it would be difficult for him to get away with it.
At this moment, many situations had become even more pressing in Ning Yi's heart. This was especially so since Lu Liangshan's location was extremely sensitive. He had no choice but to transfer some of his results to Lu Liangshan as soon as possible in order to deal with any possible troubles that might come.
Ning Yi didn't have a particularly clear understanding of these troubles. The environment and customs of Luliang Mountain were somewhat special, very different from those of the Central Plains. The Green Wood Village planned to exist as a smuggling hub from the north to the south. The main purpose — whether it might face the threat from the south or the north in the future — was to defend. Under this consideration, items such as mines and gunpowder were very useful.
Of course, even stone mines, which didn't seem to have a high technical content, had considerable technical barriers to overcome. This was the simplest mine in the future: hollow out the stone, fill it with strong gunpowder, iron filings, and other materials, and add a simple ignition device. But now, Ning Yi only had barely qualified strong gunpowder on hand. The ignition device was actually not mature, because it involved the emergence of matches.
The match head was wrapped with sandpaper for ignition, and a thin wire was tied to one end of the match. Pulling the wire produced sparks, and the mine exploded. In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the militia used this method to make land mines. However, in the current Wu dynasty, how to achieve such an effect was still a big problem. Fortunately, the crude alchemists of this era had already come into contact with the chemical changes of sulfur, phosphorus, and other substances. With the help of flint and a large number of flammable substances, they could barely achieve the effect of detonation. However, the safety was not high, and it still needed to be handled carefully during the installation.
But in any case, as long as there was time, it wouldn't be difficult to develop such small items under Ning Yi's directional requirements. Since he was going to Lu Liang this time, he would first transport these immature things over. At least, he would let the people of Lu Liang learn how to dig out stones first.
Apart from landmines, the production of elm cannons had reached a relatively mature stage on Ning Yi's side. At least under Ning Yi's control, a small number of workers who were also cannoneers had already mastered the knack of making the cannons and the trajectory of the cannons. With this foundation, the elm cannons could already be combined with steel. The craftsmen of Lu Liangshan who were researching the earthen blast furnace must have gained some experience as well.
As for the development of technology, Ning Yi knew that the most reliable way was to rely on the progress of basic science. However, he didn't have the time to wait for basic science. Therefore, in Takeshi's research lab, they only carried out a large number of experiments based on the exhaustive method.
First of all, the various experimental methods, data, and procedures were determined. Then, there were countless material experiments, recording phenomena, and summarizing patterns. In this regard, Ning Yi's method was simple and crude, but it was very specific. The only goal was explosion.
All experiments that used different methods to obtain flames or explosions, as long as they were creative and repeatable, would be rewarded. After that, they would compare the materials of the explosion logically, find the differences, and summarize the patterns. As long as they could provide a certain and reliable explanation, they would be rewarded.
In this era, the real beginners of chemistry were all alchemists like Gongsun Sheng, and the ones who were exposed to explosions were mostly the craftsmen of fireworks and firecrackers. Ning Yi gathered these two, set the basic rules, and set the levels of rewards. As for the rest, they were free to do whatever they wanted.
However, the ones that really played an important role were the basic rules that included "comparison" and "exhaustion". In the past year or two, the craftsmen who were first recruited into Takeshi, even if they were not talented, had already mastered the basic scientific research methods, including the existence of the various basic elements — this was naturally taught by Ning Yi — and had their own understanding.
At this time, the status of the craftsmen in the Wu Dynasty was low. Although the Ministry of Works, which was in charge of military equipment, also had firearms business, the craftsmen there, even if they were low-ranking officials, could not compare to the treatment that Ning Yi could provide. Apart from the monetary rewards, Takeshi could also use his connections in the Prime Minister's Residence to send some of the children of the craftsmen to private schools. This was something that people were even more eager to get. As a result, many of the craftsmen in the firearms department of the manufacturing bureau were even doing private work for Ning Yi.
"... Put the things away and pad them properly. The road is still long, so be careful not to bump into anything. Make sure to keep a close eye on the gunpowder. Not a single spark can be seen. Ah Si, you must pay attention to this matter … "It was raining in the courtyard. Ning Yi was inspecting the goods to be brought to Mount Lu Liang as he warned everyone. On the other side, he was also listening to his wife talk about the situation at home.
"... Takeshi is organizing the Gomoku tournament, and quite a lot of people are participating in it recently. Shopkeeper Nie and the others are also joining in the fun. It's almost the same as the martial arts competition held by the guards once every five days. Sister Nie is organizing these things in an orderly manner. "
"It's good that she has something she likes. As for Shopkeeper Nie, he seems to be unmarried. Is he trying to show off in front of the girls? "
Tan'Er pursed her lips and smiled. "That's possible."
What Tan'Er mentioned was Takeshi's recent Gomoku tournament activities. At this time, Takeshi was constantly expanding, and the scale of its business had grown considerably. With Bianliang as the center, a total of 14 restaurants had been opened. Although the disaster relief incident made Ning Yi make many enemies, the network he had accumulated was already very terrifying for Takeshi's business. There were almost no lack of friends and business partners in every aspect. In addition, with Ning Yi's ability, once the plan was made, the contract was signed, and the money was injected, the next step would be to directly enter the cycle of events and achieve a soft landing.
Outside the restaurants, there were nearly 30 large Takeshi carriages going in all directions. Each carriage was equipped with two bodyguards, one salesman, one tailor, and one storyteller. Sometimes, there would be more or less depending on the circumstances. In addition, there was a compound outside the city that was responsible for all kinds of research. At present, there were about 300 people. There were workshops responsible for making lotus root coal, coal stoves, perfume, soap, mosquito-repellent incense, fruit juice, and other various items. There was also a printing workshop that cooperated with the Wang family. There were workshops, shops, designers, and the residents of the Ning family's mansion and so on … In total, the number of people working for Ning Yi and Su Tan'er had actually expanded to more than 4,000 people.
In a year or two, expanding to such a scale, Ning Yi had never relaxed about the life and entertainment of these people. This was also the origin of the corporate culture of the later generations. In fact, in this era without electricity, the poverty of ordinary people in terms of entertainment was unimaginable to the later generations. It was better during the day, but at night, there was almost nothing to do except to carry a woman to bed. In the beginning, when the number of people working for him was small, Ning Yi tried to ask his subordinates to organize art parties once every half a month. Under Takeshi, there were storytellers, jugglers, and prostitutes who were good at singing and dancing. This was not a difficult thing to do.
Of course, the entertainment didn't just consist of watching performances. After the warriors of Lone Dragon Gang joined in, Ning Yi organized kung fu competitions, cuju, and other activities in the name of building up their physique. In addition, he asked his storytellers to tell stories about these things in order to build up a good reputation. For example, someone in the Sunset Tower had an unparalleled pair of iron fists, someone in the Swift Swallow Tower had amazing leg skills and had once shaken the whole river. At this time, Takeshi was still centered on the restaurants. While discussing, people could not help but be curious about who was more powerful. Every ten days or half a month, there would be a selection competition, and then people would be allowed to compete with each other. Those who performed well would be rewarded.
Some of the warriors from Lone Dragon Gang were originally murderers who had killed countless people on Liangshan. After the reform and repentance, they became kind and had no desire for rewards. But the disciples under them were all young, and they were still interested in these things. On the other hand, although the spectators of the competition were mostly Takeshi's employees, there were also women among them. Even the women from Fanlou would find an opportunity to come and watch after hearing about the competition. For the contestants, this was actually a great encouragement.
Ning Yi strictly controlled the competition in the direction of strengthening the body. He stopped at the competition point, and people could communicate with each other in private. Because of the good control, the relationships between the contestants who were friends with each other in Lone Dragon Gang were not hurt after the competition. Instead, the employees of Takeshi got to know each other better. Among them, there were even a few "star" employees. Among them were murderers from Liangshan, and there were also young disciples taught by these people. Now, with the publicity, most of the people of Takeshi knew who was good at fighting and who was willing to help others. At the beginning of this spring, when most people gathered in the capital to receive red envelopes, Ning Yi also let Zhu Biao compete with Gongsun Sheng in the courtyard. Although the competition was mostly for show, both of them were masters, so it was still an eye-opener for everyone.
In such a competition, the ones in the limelight were mostly the warriors gathered in Takeshi. In addition, the competition of Gomoku was first started in Tan'Er's Bu Gang. Juan'Er and Xing'Er were the first to teach the female workers how to play Gomoku. Later, Su Tan'Er simply held a Gomoku competition among the employees. Most of the female workers were not very smart. They could not play the popular game of Go, but Gomoku was quite simple. Recently, the Bu Gang had been holding many competitions and selections for this.
In Takeshi, the same competition was taken over by the original owner of the restaurant, Yun Zhu. Even a few shopkeepers participated in it. They were preparing to select the best ones, and then they would hold a "finals" with the Bu Gang.
At this time, Confucianism had not reached the step of eliminating human desires. Although there were many requirements for women, it was not to the extent that it could be considered molestation at a glance. In these competitions, sometimes men and women would look at each other, know each other, and have a good impression of each other, which was normal. At this time, there were already several couples, which was the happiest thing for Tan'Er. Since last year, every time there was a marriage proposal or wedding, either Tan'Er or Ning Yi would appear in person, give the betrothal gifts, or be the host of the wedding.
They checked the items to be brought to Lu Liang, talked about the recent matters, and explained the operations of Su Ning. Although they had just returned home, the couple did not have much time. After moving things and talking to Su Wending and Xing'Er, Ning Yi went to see Ning Xi. The almost two-year-old child liked to stumble and run around. Ning Yi and Tan'Er held hands as they followed along the corridor. This was some free time.
"Daddy, Mommy, you can't catch up to me …" The child said in a childish voice, and then fell to the ground. Tan'Er wanted to run over but Ning Yi stopped her with a smile. "It's a boy, it's okay to fall."
As expected, Ning Xi supported himself with his hands on the ground and then stood up shakily. He patted his dusty hands and then stretched his hands into the rain outside the eaves. Ning Yi and Tan 'er finally smiled and went over, using handkerchiefs to wipe his hands clean.
Not long later, Yun Zhu came back in the rain. She told Ning Yi about the five-in-a-row tournament. In the blink of an eye, it was dusk. When it was time for dinner, the family sat together. There were many people now, Tan'Er, Xiao Chan, Yun Zhu, Jin'Er, Wen Ding, Wen Fang … Jin'Er had already removed the bandage on her head, but because of the bandage, she still looked thin and haggard. The skin on her forehead was especially pale. Ning Yi reminded them about the matters after he left. The most important matter was the private school that belonged to the Ning Family. Through the connections of the Prime Minister Residence, Yao Family and Wang Family, the matter of inviting a teacher was basically settled. The rest of the matters would be handled by them.
The 'Su Ning' of the capital was now a true aristocratic family. After dinner, Ning Yi found Wen Ding and the rest to talk to them, telling them not to bully Yun Zhu, Jin'Er and the rest …
*****
Because of Ning Yi's return, even though the rain was still pouring, the residence was still bustling in the night. After Jin'Er returned to her room, she sat cross-legged on the bed and propped her chin up. She felt a sense of novelty, but also a little disappointed. She felt a sense of novelty because this was the first time she was eating with Ning Yi, Su Tan'Er and Sister Yunzhu after marrying into the family. A few girls sharing a man, even if they liked him, it was impossible to say that it was a good feeling. Of course, the most important thing was that she and the first wife had a misunderstanding, and now they were still strangers. Because of this, she felt complicated, and the disappointment in her heart mostly came from this.
Of course, this kind of feeling did not make her feel depressed, and this was the fate of most girls like her. She tried hard to feel that there was nothing she was dissatisfied with. If Ning Yi came to talk to her later, she had to act happy and then go to talk to Sister Yunzhu … With this thought, Ning Yi came later than she expected.
It was already late, and when she wanted to go out to chat with Sister Yunzhu, Ning Yi came in from outside, startling her. Ning Yi closed the door, took her hand to the bedside, and asked her to sit down.
"I just came from your Sister Yunzhu's place. Jin'Er, after marrying you, we haven't had a good talk like this. I will leave tomorrow, and there are some things that I have to tell you."
He moved a chair near the window and put it down, and Ning Yi's tone was solemn.
'He's going to scold me.' Jiner thought in her heart, but she didn't feel uncomfortable. In fact, this kind of conversation was reasonable. As a concubine, she had just married into the family, and he was about to leave. Of course, he would look for her and tell her some things. For example, don't quarrel with Big Sister, look at the big picture, and so on. Because of Ning Yi's formality, she sat on the bed with her legs together, put her hands on her knees, and waited for the man to scold her.
Ning Yi sat on the chair. After that, he felt that the distance between them was a little too far, so he pulled the chair closer. He held Jiner's hands and thought for a moment. Then, he smiled and said, "Actually, I'll be leaving tomorrow. Because of all sorts of things, I know that getting married is a little hasty, and I won't have much time to spend with you. But no matter what, Jiner, you're one of my wives now. So … I'll stay here with you tonight, okay?"
Jin'Er blinked, a little confused about the title of "wife", but her face was already red, and her head was a little dizzy. She felt that she should have nodded and said something, and the man in front of her also said something like "bridal chamber". Then everything began to become a little dizzy.
After a while, they went to bed. They chatted for a while, but Jiner couldn't remember what they talked about. She only remembered the heat of her breath. She felt that she should be more calm, because she actually knew what she should know, but her heart was still nervous. The man picked her up and put her down. She didn't resist, and even tried to help, but she felt that her movements were clumsy. She could clearly feel the slight coldness when her clothes were taken off. Since the coldness came from her legs, it should be when her pants were taken off. She remembered that she had heard of some actions before. Although it was a little shameless to do it, it was obvious that she only needed to please her man. However, she had forgotten whether she had done those actions or not. When she recalled it, she simply did not know what she was doing. She only remembered that when the unfamiliar pain came from her body, her heart felt heavy, and it was a very solid feeling …
The night lasted for a long time. In her last memory, Ning Yi helped her wipe her body. She wanted to go by herself, but in the end, she fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, it was early in the morning. She hugged his body, still wanting to sleep, but she remembered that he would leave before daybreak, so she remembered to prepare hot water for him to wash up. But Ning Yi stopped her and didn't let her get up. She looked at the man and knew that he would leave for a while, so after watching for a long time, she gradually closed her eyes and fell asleep.
*****
The rain had stopped, and the sky was still dark. The Ning Residence's entrance was lit with lanterns. The convoy was about to set off. Ning Yi said goodbye to Tan'Er, Xiaochan, Yunzhu and the rest. He hugged them, kissed their foreheads, and did the same to Ning Xi. When he was about to get into the car, he turned back to look at the deep mansion and the people who had sent him off.
On the small building in the distance, a woman wrapped in a blanket peeked out from the window and looked out of the courtyard …
"Let's go."
Zhu Biao greeted him and got into the car together. Seeing his expression, he asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"I feel … I'm sorry."
"Ah? Sorry to who? "
"You're so handsome, you won't understand even if I tell you."
"Er …" Zhu Biao was stunned for a moment, scratching his neck. "Then … what should I say next …"
"Let's go." Ning Yi smiled. "Let's go, to Lu Liang."
"Let's go —" Zhu Biao shouted outside, and then he smiled excitedly. "I can see Senior Lu again. This time, I want to spar with her, haha …"
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