When spring warmed up, ice would occasionally float on the surface of the river in Kaifeng.
The Zhang family's fleet set sail again after five days. The officials, people, and merchants in Kaifeng were very happy. This time, the Zhang family spent more than 30,000 strings of coins. Yes, it was spending. This word came from the Zhang family.
The people had extra money to get through the most difficult period. The merchants were also busy buying goods. Naturally, the officials secretly embezzled a small part of the money and used the rest to build roads.
They were not stupid. They had discovered the benefits of road construction. In a bustling place, if they spent a hundred strings of coins to build a road, they could recoup the cost in two years because of the extra money. The road would be considered a political achievement. Some people might leave office soon, while others would stay in the place for who knows how many years.
There were also many people who stayed in the place for a lifetime. If one wanted to be promoted, one had to make political achievements, and the other was to build the place well. If someone took a fancy to the place, they would be promoted.
When the fleet was rushing to Shuzhou along the canal at the fastest speed, Zhang Xiaobao had already sent someone to go there first. He did not know how the local people would deal with his father. He had to be prepared in advance to avoid being in a disadvantageous position at the beginning of the battle.
The weather was still cold, and there was no good scenery along the way. After more than half a month, when the fleet entered the Yangtze River from the canal, it finally ushered in the arrival of willow catkins.
The next step was to enter the Yangtze River and go against the current. Fortunately, the Zhang family's fleet did not need any trackers. With both sails and boats, they could directly go against the current.
"I've decided. As long as we arrive at the place, the first thing we do is to vaccinate the local people with cowpox. The people in the imperial court are worried about this and that, but they haven't started yet. I don't know how many more people will die. Under my rule, I have the final say.
What's there to be afraid of if it's a little dangerous? If smallpox really does appear, a village or a county will die. Even if the probability of death during vaccination is one in a thousand, I'll accept it. Also, I want to build the house you're building in Lu Zhou to deliver babies. As for the doctors … I'll hire them from your hospital. "
Li Xun was enjoying the warmth of the day as he sat on a chair at the bow of the boat. He held a small wine flask in his hand and occasionally took a sip. Seeing the busy people in the river and on the shore, he stood up and said loudly to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
People with money and power were indeed different. When they spoke, they were full of confidence. Li Xun gulped down all the wine in the pot in one go. He opened his arms, appearing to be full of lofty sentiments. When the wind blew, he fell backwards.
"Not good. Get a doctor here." Zhang Xiaobao, who reacted quickly, supported Li Xun. He looked at Li Xun's face and touched Li Xun's neck. As he gently put Li Xun down, he shouted at the cabin door.
When the doctor came, Zhang Xiaobao beat and beat Li Xun. He also kept giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
When the doctor came, Li Xun could already blink his eyes. After a round of acupuncture, he finally came back to life.
Wang Juan heaved a long sigh of relief. The medical conditions were really bad. Fortunately, Li Xun's illness was not that serious. Otherwise, he would have died. Fortunately, she and Zhang Xiaobao had asked the doctor to research medicine and acupuncture based on heart disease in advance.
This was not specially prepared for Li Xun. They were worried that something bad would happen to someone in the family.
Li Xun still did not know what was wrong with him. He only remembered that in the end, his vision turned black, and he could not remember anything.
"How can he have such a disease? I don't know what kind of disease it belongs to. It's so scary. We can't let him drink in the future. We can't let him get too excited. It's just that he fell on our family's boat. If he fell somewhere else, he would definitely die. "
Zhang Xiaobao was drenched in sweat. It was not because he was tired, but because he was scared.
"If he really died on our family's boat, then it's troublesome. Will Li Chengyi believe it? What kind of doctor is on the Zhang family's boat? It can't be explained at all. Could it be inherited by Li Shimin's family? It is said that Li Shimin died of a heart attack. "
Wang Juan was very glad that Li Xun did not fall on his own in the cabin. There was basically no interval between Zhang Xiaobao's CPR. In a few minutes, without the help of any equipment, he would have died.
Zhang Xiaobao had a feeling of collapse. "Didn't Li Shimin say that it was not inherited? No wonder Li Xun died so early in history. It is most likely because of this disease. Rich people's disease. In the future, his diet will have to be adjusted. It should be low in fat and cholesterol.
I don't have the ability to treat this disease. Not to mention that I am not a medical student. Even if I am a medical doctor, I can only watch helplessly. There is a market for gingko tea. It seems that Li Xun really can't leave us. Even if we arrange for a doctor to treat him alone, he will not do it. "
"Of course. The doctors we brought with us are definitely not inferior to the imperial physicians in the palace. They might even be better than them. Our diet is also the best. No one can compare to them. The precious experience and wealth left behind by our predecessors is returned to our predecessors.
Think of a way to make electricity. Isn't it just magnets and copper wires? We can make them by hand when we were in junior high physics. When he falls down again, we can just electrocute him and install a light bulb to light up the boat. "
Wang Juan was ready to start making something else.
"Did you learn about light bulbs in junior high physics?" Zhang Xiaobao saw that Wang Juan was getting more and more knowledgeable, so he asked.
Wang Juan smiled. "No. The vacuum step is not easy to make. In theory, it is simple. We just need to use something to draw out the air. For example, we can use a syringe. The quality is better and the seal is better. The main problem is how to seal the air in a vacuum. We will leave this topic for later. First, we will try to make a hand-cranked generator."
*****
Li Xun was finally not called by the King of Hell to have a heart-to-heart talk. During the two days of recovery, he had been eating according to the diet that was specially prepared for him on the boat. He also drank gingko tea.
In fact, he had this problem when he was younger, but it was not serious. It was also because of this that he could play everywhere when he had nothing to do. His family was also afraid that he would die young. After all, his biological parents and adopted parents were all princes. Especially his current father, they did not expect him to do anything big. They just wanted him to live peacefully.
When the time came, they would give birth to a few more children to continue the family line. When he reached Tong 'an County, his family would begin to arrange a wife for him.
After recuperating for two days, Li Xun no longer dared to drink alcohol. Like an obedient child, he would do whatever he was told to do. He could not eat anything too salty. If the blood was sticky, then he would drink melon slices soup. The egg inside was the kind that did not have a hint of yellow.
If he was told to eat vinegar steamed cabbage, then he would eat cabbage. Every night, he could even eat dried vegetables and tofu fish. When he thought about it carefully, the food he ate was not bad. In fact, it tasted pretty good. He ate less every meal and more every day. For the past two days, he had not eaten the same food that was good for his body.
Li Xun understood that this was only possible because he had met the Zhang family. If it were any other time, even if he was in the Imperial Palace, he might not be able to keep his life. Not to mention, he had to adjust his diet immediately after he fell ill. All the meals were basically different from before.
In the entire Great Tang, only the Zhang family had such ability. Following the Zhang family was equivalent to having an extra life. If the Zhang family could not treat him, then there was no need to count on anyone else. With the Zhang Family and the Wang Family following him all the way, was there any need to think about the abilities of the doctors on the boat? Who wouldn't leave the best for their own family?
"Make a copy of this recipe for me. Pack the tea leaves for me too. Use the pigeon of the Zhang family to send the recipe back to the capital. Send the tea leaves and medicine to the military station. I'll write another letter."
While Li Xun was enjoying the special treatment as a patient, he did not forget about his family. The members of the Imperial Family did not have much family affection, but he was an exception. He mainly learned it by following Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan all day long.
In Li Xun's impression, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were not very old, but they would think of their family first when they had something good. When Lu Zhou was in Great Tang, the first thing he thought of when he dug up a wild bee's nest in the mountains was to bring it back and cook it for his family.
Li Xun was also unconsciously influenced. In terms of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, as long as it was good, he would send it to the capital and his father first. Because of this, although he was not a prince, he was the only one who could write a letter to his family in a normal tone without restrictions.
The contents of the letter were very plain. It only briefly mentioned that he had suddenly fallen ill, and then the general treatment method. He didn't forget to promote the recipes for his savior, Zhang Xiaobao. He emphasized that if any official were to fall ill, he could arrange for that official to recuperate at Huayuan County's Yaowang Mountain when he was rewarding them.
This was a blatant advertisement. If the Imperial Uncle rewarded a person with free medical treatment, Yaowang Mountain might be trampled to the ground. That place was not exclusive to the Imperial family, and it was not the Huaqing Pool where one could go as long as one had money. The cheapest place was just a trip from the capital to Hua Yuan, and it would only cost about 100 copper coins. If it was expensive, it would be hard to say.
The letter was sent out, and the things were sent away. Li Xun began to be forced to do exercises with the people from the Zhang Family and Wang Family every day. To be precise, it was the Five Animal Frolics. After one set, basically every part of his body was trained.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan also observed him for two days. When they saw that there were no sequelae, they were really relieved. Fortunately, it was not cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral thrombosis. Putting aside whether he could be saved, even if he was lucky enough to survive, he was done for. They could prepare a wheelchair for him.
After another six days, the fleet that went against the current finally arrived at their destination. This time, unlike Lu Zhou, where the judges first showed their strength, all the officials who could come had arrived. The appointed Provincial Governor did not show up. He had no choice but to be arrested.
When Zhang Xiaobao saw the appearance of the officials, he knew that the people in Shuzhou were more cunning than Lu Zhou. In the future, they would have to face more things. The officials had been trained. There were also the merchants who were hiding not far away. They looked lively, but in fact, it was also a kind of demonstration.
"None of the officials are good. Look at their stomachs. They are obviously different from normal fat people. Normal fat people are a little fat, but their faces and stomachs are big. How do they eat?"
Wang Juan made a conclusion after glancing at the officials below with her Clairvoyant Eye.
"Who said so? Aren't there two thin people over there? Look at their official uniforms. They are county magistrates, "Zhang Xiaobao said as he pointed at the two people standing next to each other in the crowd.
Wang Juan pursed her lips. "Can't you see from their faces? They are pale with a hint of yellow. Their eyes are wandering, they have dark bags under their eyes, their backs are hunched, and their feet are light. What does this mean? It means that the local tertiary industry is better. "
"Oh, that's fine. We can develop it vigorously in the future. As long as it's not the kind of abduction and coercion, it will be fine. Besides, the women in the brothels are of high quality now. They play a very big role in the process of spreading culture."
"You support this kind of thing?"
"Who doesn't support this kind of thing? There is competition for the title of Courtesan Belle. We can have a beauty contest. Those who are capable can choose from all over the world. We just need to be on a small scale. A vulgar place is not necessarily vulgar. Are elegant people elegant? You have to understand the relationship between supply and demand.
Since the beginning of human beings until our time, who can stop this phenomenon? Tens of thousands of years of history have not been able to stop this thing. Do you want to rely on manpower to change it? This can be guided, but it can't be stopped. It can never be stopped. "
Zhang Xiaobao would not advocate the elimination of the red-light district. Was that possible? Human nature was there for all to see. On the surface, it was said that people should be eliminated, but what did they do behind the scenes?
*****
While Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were talking, Zhang Zhong and Li Xun had already arrived below. The officials were mainly welcoming the two of them. In the future, they would be the immediate superiors.
The two people's governing areas were actually overlapping. Anyone could manage them. When Li Xun was in charge, he could still secretly resist. Then, when he used the same method to deal with Zhang Zhong, Zhang Zhong would have a reason to deal with him.
One was a fief, so it depended on Li Xun's methods in the future. The other was a provincial governor, so only the registrar could influence or monitor the military. The others could not.
This time, Zhang Xiaobao did not appear. He left everything to his father. When it was time to eat, he ate, and when it was time to drink, he drank. Li Xun was an exception. He could not eat the same dishes as the others, nor could he drink.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not attend. The two of them were thinking about how to arrange for their younger siblings. It had been almost nine months. The four little ones were not satisfied with going back and forth. Wang Juan's oldest sister wanted to go by herself several times.
In the three-story house, she held the wall with her hands and tried to take a step forward with her trembling legs. She raised it high and tried to take a step forward or down. Often, she would fall on the carpet with a plop. After getting up, she would open her eyes wide. It was unknown whether she was wondering why she fell or complaining about the uneven ground. She was very confused.
Every time this happened, the maid in charge of guarding would laugh. It was really too cute.
"When the weather gets hotter, put them outside. Always let them play in the house. The sunlight is short, and the air circulation is not as good as in the wild. Plant some grass and put them on the lawn. There is at least sand below."
After seeing the four little ones running around, Zhang Xiaobao looked up at the sky and made a decision.
It took a full two days to walk from the shore to the governor's mansion. The governor's mansion here was built very well. It seemed that the local people were rich.
Zhang Zhong and Li Xun were busy with the handover. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan began to build a special playground.
In the courtyard behind the governor's mansion, there was a piece of land about 100 square meters. First, they had people dig deep to dig out the worms and earthworms below. Then, they sprinkled lime.
On the other side, they had people adjust the ratio of soil and sand. When the sand and soil were adjusted, they boiled it in a big pot. After the sand and soil were boiled until there were no parasites in it, they put it back. They sprinkled the most suitable grass seeds and watered them with cold water. Those that could grow were kept, and those that could not grow were planted.
The entire playground was covered with a sand net, and the surrounding areas were isolated. After all, the children were still wearing open-crotch pants. They could not be hurt. The entrance and exit of the playground were specially set up to bathe. Moreover, the maids had to spray alcohol to disinfect before they could go in.
This kind of protection, not to mention other people, even Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan felt that it was too much. However, the two of them had no choice. They had to let their younger brothers and sisters play, but they were also worried that they would die young. Usually, the children would accidentally fall ill in the process of playing.
It was not to say that they had an incurable disease, but other aspects. For example, the children liked to put things in their mouth and liked to bite their fingers.
These were two kinds of instincts. They put things in their mouth because they wanted to get food, and they wanted to bite their fingers because they wanted to exercise their teeth. From ancient times to modern times, this instinct had not been removed. Therefore, they needed to get something for them to eat. It did not matter whether they could eat it or not. For example, carrots and jerky.
As long as the maids next to them watched and did not let the children choke when they swallowed, it would be fine.
As a result, a 100-square-meter amusement park was born with a thousand strings of coins.
Before it was fully built, the four little guys could only be held in the sun. In order to not be directly exposed to ultraviolet rays, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan also had people build a shed with tin foil outside. Only the light from the reflection could be received by the younger brothers and sisters.
The adults of the two families did not know what to say about the two people's actions. They were really too spoiled. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's mother often held the four little guys and preached to them, who were not yet sensible.
'When you grow up, you must listen to your brothers and sisters and be good to your brothers and sisters. In this world, you can no longer find children who can enjoy such a good life like you. Not to mention ordinary people, even the children of the royal family can't encounter such a good thing.'
The adults of the two families did think so. From the time the four little guys were born, they began to enjoy special treatment. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo put the most energy on the four little guys. Otherwise, how could they be born so smoothly?
It was very common for people who gave birth to twins to have both children die, or one of them die. However, the birth of the four children was not difficult at all. In the whole world, they could not find the same brothers and sisters who loved their younger brothers and sisters and had the ability to make all kinds of things for them.
How could the four little guys know about this? They were curious about everything except eating and sleeping. When they were held in the arms of others and looked at the birds on the tree in the yard, they could be in a daze. When the birds flew away, they waved their little arms and pointed in the direction the birds left. Their mouths made "ah ah" sounds, but no one knew what they wanted to say.
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