The night was misty. It was summer insects outside the window. Fireflies were hanging in the sky.
"The night is misty, looking at the starry sky. I am looking for a star, a star, it is so bright, it is so affectionate …"
Wang Juan was lying on the ground in a house behind the dock. She looked at the starry sky outside and hummed. Zhang Xiaobao didn't sleep on the couch. The ground was cooler than the couch.
The mahogany floor was polished smooth and painted with a layer of lacquer. Listening to Wang Juan's humming, he felt that he had heard this song somewhere before. It seemed to be very distant. He touched Wang Juan. "Is it a song from a hundred years ago? Can't you choose a closer one? "
"I learned it when I was in the military academy. I've been singing it all the time. Everyone sang it and it became popular. Do you think life should be like a star shining in the distance, or like a meteor streaking across the sky?"
Wang Juan was probably hot. She was lying there and discussing life with Zhang Xiaobao.
"I think it should be like a star, like a meteor. It should crash into the earth and then cross the sky."
Zhang Xiaobao put his hand flat on the floor.
"You are such a person. If you die, you will drag others down. It is too hot. It will be hot even if you put ice in the house. It would be better to have an air conditioner."
Wang Juan imagined what the next star that was many times bigger than the sun would be like. She shook her head to get rid of this ridiculous idea and complained about the heat.
Zhang Xiaobao was also hot. There were two basins of ice in the house. The air circulation was slow, so he didn't feel cool. Occasionally, there was a breeze from outside. It was warm.
Hearing Wang Juan mention air conditioner, he suddenly said, "We don't have air conditioner. If you want to cool, you have to heat first. But we can make an air conditioner fan. It is very environmentally friendly. It doesn't use electricity or other fuel."
"Really? Then you should make one quickly. Not only can we use it, but also the restaurant. Then there will be more people willing to eat there. Tell me the principle and I will help you. "
As soon as Wang Juan thought of the cool breeze, she became interested and stopped sleeping.
Zhang Xiaobao coughed and imitated the tone of a scholar. "Today, I will first talk about the problem of heat transfer. As everyone knows, the existence of heat is ultimately …"
"Get to the point," Wang Juan patted Zhang Xiaobao and hugged the bamboo pillow next to her.
"Actually, it's just a fan made out of wood or bamboo. In front of the fan, there's a basin filled with ice. You can ask someone to shake the fan. That way, the cold air will be blown by the wind. That's the air conditioner fan." Zhang Xiaobao felt a little embarrassed after saying that.
"This is your high-tech invention? Environmental protection? Then what's the point of using a fan? Wouldn't it be the same if he just used a fan to face an ice fan? "
Wang Juan curled her lips. Rich people didn't ask their servants to face an ice fan to cool the house. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan didn't want to treat their servants that way. Otherwise, they could find a few more people to take turns to fan the air so that it wouldn't be so hot.
Zhang Xiaobao thought for a while. "It's not the same. My invention doesn't require too much effort. Using the lever principle of the mutual exchange of gears, the person who shakes the fan can make the fan turn many times. If you fan the fan, it will only move a little. Yes, just do it like that. There's no need for people.
We are on a river and the wind is strong. As long as we make a fan outside some rooms and connect it from the bottom, not only will it add a special scenery, but it will also be able to blow the wind in the room through the conversion. It's better than opening the windows directly. If the wind can't blow into the room directly, it can blow in through my invention.
The project is bigger, and the gears are simpler. There's no need to use good steel, and there's no need to bite so well. It just needs to be able to transmit the force and drive the fan. It's not like it's generating electricity. Let them melt the molten iron and cast it directly.
Yes, we can try to do this. Let's start with the first house near the river. That house is made of wood. As long as there's a hole, the connecting shaft can go in. Use a wooden board to block it and beautify it. Use wood for the shaft. If not, it's too heavy and expensive. Get up and draw the blueprint. "
Zhang Xiaobao was talking by himself. As he was talking, he was perfecting his idea. His drawing skills still need to be improved, so he could only call Wang Juan to wake up.
"Let's do it tomorrow. How much are you going to invest this time? People are used to having an ice basin in the room to cool down. Even if we don't do it, they will still come to eat. "
Wang Juan didn't want to move. She turned over and spread her arms on the floor.
Zhang Xiaobao came over and pulled her, "One night's time will be wasted. Others are used to the current situation, but we have to let them get used to our place. They won't be used to other places. I can't draw by myself. I know the principle of the lever, but I don't know how to move it. Get up quickly. I'll make shaved ice for you tomorrow.
Yes, just let the people in Huayuan County make shaved ice. Let's also make shaved ice for the people in Sanshui County. We can sell it everywhere and earn more money. There's so much edible ice stored in the winter. Our own restaurant won't be able to use it up. "
"Don't pull me. I'm up. When the academy opens, I'll go there and find a good drawing master to learn."
Wang Juan got up by herself and sat beside the desk with Zhang Xiaobao. She lit another candle, and it brightened up a lot.
"It's going to open soon. When those students come, the academy will open. It will give the academy a free promotion. Some of the competition venues can be put in the academy. There will definitely be people joining. Only when there are students and teachers will be willing to teach."
Zhang Xiaobao spread out the paper, helped Wang Juan grind the ink, and talked about the academy.
"I knew you wouldn't just let people come here to compete. You don't have good intentions to let people from two counties make shaved ice, right?"
Wang Juan had been used to Zhang Xiaobao's style of doing things. She muttered and began to think about the design with Zhang Xiaobao.
It took three hours for the two of them to draw more than ten pieces of paper. Only after adding notes and descriptions did they manage to come up with a rough idea. As for the specific adjustments, they were handed over to the craftsmen. They were very experienced, so if they were given an idea, they would be able to figure it out themselves.
Zhang Xiaobao clapped his hands and said, "Okay, send them to Zhuangzi tonight and find craftsmen to make them. Zhang Xiangru, Zhang Xiangru, come in."
There were sounds of getting up and footsteps outside. After a while, Zhang Xiangru came in and said, "Little Master, Little Miss, what can I do for you?"
"Send these papers to Zhuangzi and send people to collect fruits. Buy the Shancha left last year, especially the ones in Zhuangzi's warehouse and the ones that have just come out. Send them by the river. Put some of them at each place and send people to watch over them. Do the same with the ice, the kind that is edible."
Zhang Xiaobao handed over a piece of paper and ordered Zhang Xiangru. Zhang Xiangru didn't ask more. She took the paper and turned around to leave.
"You asked them to make shaved ice because you want to sell the Shancha trees left last year on our newly granted land? And those fruits that are about to come down? "
Wang Juan didn't want to study anymore. She pulled Zhang Xiaobao outside to take a shower and said.
"That's right. How else can we sell them? Our Shancha and the quality of the fruits is not good. If we do this every year, we won't have to cut down the trees anymore. Wasting resources is a shameful act. We can also sell more to the people in the two counties. There are many flavors, and people who come to see will want to buy and try it. "
Zhang Xiaobao said as he walked.
*****
The next morning, the weather was still hot. Fortunately, the spring plowing was over, so there was no need to worry about the drought.
The people sent by Zhang Xiaobao came to the room where the shipping merchants were. They didn't manage to get a good place today. The waiter of the first shop in Linshui said that the room had been reserved by someone else. They could only change rooms.
"Everyone, it seems that everyone has agreed to the matter of building a ship and going by sea. Let's sign the documents first and then talk about the details."
The people sent by the Zhang family said solemnly to the shipping merchants. There were no dishes on the table, only some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
Everyone looked at Mi Fan. Mi Fan didn't look well today. He kept having nightmares last night and didn't have an appetite for breakfast. He was still thinking about what kind of danger was coming.
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he took a sip of tea and said, "It's not that we can't build a ship together, but we have to know how to do it. Otherwise, what if we lose money after we do it? It's better for you to tell us the details first. "
"Boss Mi, it's like this. It's written on the documents. After you sign, if you lose money because of the details, then the Zhang Family and Wang Family will compensate for everything. If we tell you the details and you don't sign, then it will be difficult for us."
The people from the Zhang family pushed the documents forward and said.
"How can we not do it? Don't worry, "said a merchant from the ship company next to him.
Seeing that, the people from the Zhang family nodded and handed over another document. He said to everyone, "Some details are written on it. Everyone can take a look first. After you read it, don't forget to sign the documents."
The owners of the shipping company looked at each other. In the end, it was Mi Fan who spoke.
"If that's the case, then wait for us to read it and then ask you to come over. Can we just tell the waiter in the restaurant?"
The people from the Zhang family nodded and got up to put away the other things. They only left the documents that needed to be signed. He said, "It's like this. If there's nothing else, then I'll leave first."
After the people from the Zhang family left, the people in the room immediately showed a special smile.
"Brother Weitong, take a look. It's best if you make a copy. Then say that it's not done well and that we can't work with them."
Guo Ren said excitedly as he held the paper in his hand.
Mi Fan didn't know why, but when she looked at the paper, she felt that it was difficult for her to breathe. She picked up the paper with trembling hands and flipped through it one by one. The more she looked, the more she wanted to continue reading. It was as if there was something on the paper that attracted her.
"Brother Weitong, what do you think?" Guo Ren asked.
"Good. The Zhang family is really good. If we do as they say, we can definitely make a lot of money. Unfortunately, we can't go the same way as them."
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