Old Man Pi was a man of his word. He didn't care that it was the 28th of the twelfth lunar month. He stopped fishing and ran back to the capital to write a letter.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan immediately made ice carts and steel ice skates. They planned to play on the pond after the Thirtieth Day. It was also a kind of entertainment tool for the villagers.
When the Thirtieth Day arrived, the three Zhuangzi of the Zhang family, the one Zhuangzi of the Wang family, and the villagers of Ge Jia Village and Li Xun's Zhuangzi gathered together again.
Everyone was here. The only regret was that Li Xun had to return to the capital for the Spring Festival. He missed his family after not seeing them for more than a year.
The Thirtieth Day of Zhangjia Zhuangzi was very lively. The sound of New Year's greetings rang out continuously. The fireworks continued for an hour. Dumplings with various fillings were eaten freely.
Just like the New Year's celebration in Huayuan County, the houses were built with wooden boards. The four doors were all connected. People could go wherever they wanted.
The adults were happy. They believed that there would be better days in the New Year. However, the children were the happiest. They wore new clothes. No matter where they went, the lights were bright and they didn't feel cold.
Even the people of the Academy and Between the Clouds and the Water who didn't go home were invited to watch the performance on the stage. Nearly ten thousand people stayed outside.
Even Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's younger brother and sister didn't sleep. They waved their little hands excitedly and made incomprehensible sounds. They drank half a bowl of dumpling soup and didn't even drink milk.
Their small house was occupied by the children of Zhuangzi who were younger than two years old. They climbed up and down as if they would never feel tired.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan spent a lot of money on this night. They spent more than 20,000 strings of coins on gifts, food, drinks, and houses. They didn't care. It was lively. There was a sense of security with more people.
"This is the real New Year. Xiao Bao, how much did we spend?" Wang Juan drank some wine and leaned against the wall. She asked Zhang Xiaobao who was using the stove to roast prawns.
"That's a lot. Just the cost alone is 40,000 strings of coins. His Highness sent fireworks to the aristocratic families around the capital. Li Xun also took a lot of small abalones from us. He didn't give us a single copper coin. Those are abalones, not grass carps. He must be showing off to others with our money."
Zhang Xiaobao also drank a lot of wine. He also gave Ge Yingxi a set of beautiful glass wine set. As long as a woman was from the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family, she would be given a mirror. It was not big, one foot wide and two feet long.
The farmers did not decline and accepted the gifts given by the master. At most, they would risk their lives if the master needed them in the future.
Nowadays, the villagers could no longer be bought over with money. Ever since the villager who went to Heyin County came back injured, the Zhang family's series of actions made the villager want to protect the main family with all their hearts.
They all prepared to wait until the New Year and expand their business to further places. With the master behind them, they were not afraid of anything.
Now, no family or official was willing to provoke the farmers of the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family. Bullying the farmers would not give them any benefits. If they really did make a move, they would have to wait for the revenge of the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family.
Take the Ning family for example. They were such a big family and had hundreds of businesses outside. What was the result? When faced with the overwhelming attack of the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family, didn't they still shrink back?
If they really wanted to deal with the Zhang family, then they would have to start with the main family. After all, revenge was the same. At first, they sent a letter to protest against He Yin County with pigeons. Many officials thought that it was just empty talk, but they didn't expect that five days later, the Shuiyun Club's commercial attack would arrive. Seven days later, all the people who participated in the attack would have their legs broken by the guards of the Shuiyun Club.
Fast, it was too fast, so fast that it made people scared. It only took seven days to travel from Sanshui County to He Yin County. If He Yin County was occupied by other countries, the imperial court would not be able to arrive in such a short time even if they sent troops from Sanshui County.
However, the guards Between the Clouds and the Water were that fast. First, they used small boats with propellers to sail to the capital. There were already big boats in the capital. They directly changed boats and rushed to He Yin County in one breath. Before the county yamen could react, they caught people according to the information of the shops and beat them up.
*****
The night of the thirtieth passed in a unique atmosphere. The farmers continued to prepare for the activities on the fifteenth.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan also began to busy themselves. They were busy making lanterns, not for selling them. Since the first time the farmers in Zhuangzi started to make lanterns, even if the master was no longer there, the grocery store would still give them to them for free.
It was a large lantern, the kind that could carry people when it flew. It was made of silk cloth, and the outside was smeared with gum to make the cloth airtight. An oil basin was hung below and tied with a rope. It was a large Kongming lantern, or rather, a hot air balloon.
On the fifteenth of the first lunar month, of course there would be lanterns. Not only Sanshui County, but also Chang 'an. No one stipulated that lanterns must be held by hand. A flying lantern was also a lantern.
It was just that there were words on it. It wrote "Sanshui County's Smoked Chicken" and a picture of a smoked chicken. It flew on Zhuque Street in Chang 'an, illuminating people for free. Good people, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were good people.
"Xiao Bao, what do you think Li Longji's reaction will be if he sees such a big advertisement lantern? Are you really going to make it? " Wang Juan felt that Zhang Xiaobao's idea was too crazy. While everyone was celebrating, he was advertising. Li Longji was holding a telescope and celebrating with the people. The moment he looked up and saw the house and the smoked chicken, would he pay for two to try?
"Can't you make a few more lanterns and hang the ones like" Peace Throughout the World "where he can see it and hang the ones with advertisements further away? Make 15 lanterns. Except for the direction of the palace, you can only make five lanterns in the other three directions. You can write good words on the first two, and draw chicken on the last three. "
Zhang Xiaobao only dared to do this because he had sent the sleigh and skis. He thought that Li Longji would not overreact.
Wang Juan saw that Zhang Xiaobao was insistent and really did get someone to make twenty lanterns. Fifteen for her own use, and the other five to be sent to the palace for the people to play with. As for whether or not people would tie themselves up and float in the air out of curiosity, and whether or not the brazier under the lanterns could cause a fire, that was none of her concern.
Before the 15 lanterns arrived, people from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War had found the lantern Between the Clouds and the Water first.
Old Man Pi had already asked someone to make the lantern. Any assistant minister from the Ministry of War was actually not a small rank. Liu Zhirou from the Ministry of Works personally came to inspect the lantern. He felt that the Ministry of Works was embarrassing with the Zhang family around.
Every time he made something, he would learn from the Zhang family. When he saw the snow sleigh, he realized that it had a very simple structure. If anyone from the Ministry of Works came over, they would be able to copy it and the workmanship would be even more detailed. However, no one had thought of such a simple thing.
The snow here was not thick enough, so Liu Zhirou asked someone to pull it on the ice and approved of the sleigh's function.
"Old Minister, although the sleigh is good, it is not very convenient to use. It must be used in places with thick snow. If we go north from here, we have to use other carriages to pull it. When the time comes, we have to change to the sleigh. It is very troublesome."
Liu Zhirou, who was not convinced and always wanted to follow the Zhang family, tried hard to find the problem. She was afraid that what she said just now was not convincing enough, so she added, "For example, when transporting ceramics and other utensils, they have to be arranged again by familiar people. When they change to the sleigh, they have to be arranged again. Don't tell me that we have to let familiar people follow the carriage?"
"This is a problem. Xiao Bao, what do you think?" Old Man Pi asked Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to come over today. Liu Zhirou also helped.
What kind of person was Zhang Xiaobao? As soon as he heard Liu Zhirou's words, he could guess what she was thinking. This was jealousy, naked jealousy, and it was not disguised at all.
"Grandpa Bi, I thought it was something big. It is just a restriction on the transportation road. It is very simple. You can make the sleigh as big as the carriage and put a rack on it. When there is no snow, you can take the sleigh apart and put it on the carriage. When there is snow, you can put the sleigh under the carriage and use the rack to support it. The horse can be replaced with a deer, and you can pull it up and run.
Grandpa Bi, things are dead, but people are alive. You have to learn and use it flexibly. Capable people think of principles, but incapable people put their hopes on others. When they encounter difficulties, they don't know how to think of a solution themselves. If they can't do it, then they are derelict in their duties. "
Zhang Xiaobao felt that he should teach the people in the Ministry of Works. If he did not think of a solution himself, he could not rely on restricting others to improve himself. It was not good for the country and the people.
Wang Juan also added, "Grandpa Bi, Xiao Bao is right. Migratory birds move far away and fly towards the moon. When the sky is cloudy, those who fly high and cross the clouds to find the moon are strong. Those who fly low only know that the moon is bright, but do not know that the moon is everlasting. Those who look for the light under the clouds and lose their lives in the fire are weak."
Old Man Pi understood, and so did Liu Zhirou. Wang Juan was saying that migratory birds flew according to the sun and the moon, especially at night. The powerful birds directly flew into the clouds, and the weak birds only thought that where there was light was the moon. Even if there was a fire, they would stupidly fly up. Such birds could not compare to those that flew high.
It was because he knew that Liu Zhirou was depressed. If it was an adult, he could also find a way to vent. But these two children, each of them said a few words and trampled the Ministry of Works to the ground. Shameful, it was really too shameful.
The two children could not have known that he would say this when they came over. Since they could say it, it could only be because the two children were smart.
"Lord Liu, the children are not sensible and speak the truth. Don't take it to heart. This … the problem of changing carriages is solved. Make a frame and let Lord Liu see if there is anything that you can't think of. Since the two children are here, let them help think. Treat it as compensation for speaking the truth just now."
Old Man Pi was very happy. He finally saw Liu Zhirou suffer. At this time, how could he not add insult to injury? The people in the Ministry of Works were indeed too lazy. If he mocked Liu Zhirou, he would go back and supervise him more.
Liu Zhirou could not be angry with the two children. Besides, they were not wrong. He could only glare at the workers next to him.
A younger worker who was glared at was not convinced and said, "Then what if there is suddenly a hole in the snow in front of us?"
This time, there was no need for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to speak. Liu Zhirou said, "What if you suddenly trip while walking? Are you not going to walk in the future? "
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