Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were playing the current version of Go, not the modified version from Japan.
This was not because of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's views on Japan. Although both of them were very anti-Japanese, in terms of Go, they had to admit that after Japan's changes, it was more fair to play.
The reason why the two of them played this way was to cater to others in the future. For example, if they were playing Go with an official, they couldn't ask the official to play according to their rules, right?
The official could be suppressed, but if the emperor played Go with them, they could also tell the emperor that their rules were not good, they had to play according to their rules. Then, the emperor would not have it easy. If he didn't kill them, would he be relieved?
This rule was originally an old rule, but for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, it was a new rule. The two of them were not used to it. They had been playing Go for three years, and it was still the same now. Their previous thinking always affected the current way of playing.
But even so, with the experience of their predecessors, the Go they played was not comparable to ordinary people, especially the various ancient Go records. If they wanted to learn Go, they first had to understand the rules, then they had to play the records.
The two of them were playing Go now. When Old Man Pi and Old Man Yao came over, they just happened to see the layout of the Go board. The two of them were stunned at the same time. Just as they were about to take a closer look, Zhang Xiaobao suddenly wiped the Go pieces, messed up the Go board, and said, "I'm not playing anymore, I always lose."
"Well, then I'm not playing anymore." Wang Juan also found that there were two more people watching. This kind of famous game could not be taken out casually. It was easy to be praised high and then be flattened.
The two of them stopped playing, but old man Bi and old man Yao had memorized quite a lot of what they had just seen. They felt that something was not right with this Go game. At the very least, it was not something that two children could play. It was as if they had seen the gleam of the blade and the shadow of the sword amidst the majestic wind.
It could be said that every step was thrilling. How was it possible?
Seeing that they messed up the Go board, the two old men were more certain that it was not simple.
"Let's continue," said Old Man Pi, who wanted to continue watching.
"I'm not playing anymore. It's not fun. Grandpa Bi, you're back? Did you eat well outside? "Zhang Xiaobao asked Old Man Pi as he started to put the chess pieces into the box.
"Alright, alright. Actually, a few more days won't hurt. It's good to go out for a walk. I heard that you and Cuckoo are sick. What happened?" Old Man Pi deliberately teased Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
Zhang Xiaobao glanced at the other person and knew that it was Yao Chong. It was a good opportunity to vent his anger, so he replied, "Actually, it's not a serious illness. I'm just tired. So tired that I fell ill. My head hurts. I'm playing chess to relieve it."
This was the first time the two old men had heard that a headache could be relieved by playing chess. Wouldn't that mean that the more they played, the more painful their head would be?
Old Man Pi continued to ask, "How did you get tired?"
Zhang Xiaobao was waiting for this sentence. "Math. Calculating and calculating made me tired. It said that from here to the riverside, you have to walk 660,000 feet. From the riverside, you only need 640,000 feet. How is it short? Cuckoo and I haven't been able to calculate it. It also said that if I were to walk, walking 1,800 feet would be the same as walking 2,200 feet for Cuckoo. They're both 200 feet long, and then …"
"Wait, why do you have to use a ruler to calculate? If the number is too big, wouldn't it be too small if it's changed to li? When the time comes, it'll be easy to calculate it into a ruler."
Yao Chong didn't know what was wrong with him. He also wanted to learn from Old Man Pi and tease Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
Zhang Xiaobao really didn't expect the two of them to be fooled. However, when Yao Chong asked, Zhang Xiaobao finally found an excuse and immediately said, "There's no other way.
Originally, this place was also reasonable. However, since people who don't understand reason started to not understand it, then we can only use a ruler and a zhang to calculate. "
Yao Chong was in his teens and had seen everything in his life. He had long become unperturbed. However, when he heard Zhang Xiaobao's words today, his old face turned red. He understood that Zhang Xiaobao was scolding someone, and the person he was scolding was him.
He was saying that he was unreasonable. Who asked the person he sent to not do a good job? No, he would go back and give him 20 more whips. Without him, would he be scolded?
"Hahahaha! How about it, Yuanzhi? Now you know, right? It's fine to offend adults, but you can't offend children. Xiao Bao, be reasonable. Everyone is reasonable. Some people are lawless just because the people behind them are powerful. Since they have been dealt with, don't make things difficult for others. Tell us, what is the thing that dropped? "
Old Man Pi laughed. After laughing until Yao Chong's face turned from red to black, he said something to Zhang Xiaobao. He believed that Zhang Xiaobao would understand what he meant.
Zhang Xiaobao indeed understood. It seemed that that person must have been dealt with when he went back. That was why Grandpa Bi and Yao Chong came over personally. Since someone was unlucky, then forget it. Yao Chong wasn't that stupid. He could clearly distinguish what should be done and what shouldn't be done.
"Grandpa Bi, it seems that you are a blessed person. My head doesn't hurt anymore when you come. Cuckoo, how about you?" Zhang Xiaobao had recovered. Wang Juan nodded, meaning that she had also recovered. It was very miraculous.
"Since you don't feel uncomfortable anymore, then tell me why the thing that was hung up lit up." Old Man Pi had been troubled by this matter. He couldn't sleep well.
Zhang Xiaobao was waiting for these three lights to go out. When that time came, he would see what was going on. Was it a problem with the material, or was it because the air wasn't sucked dry?
At this time, when he heard Old Man Pi ask, he said, "This thing can't be explained in a sentence or two. There are too many things involved. Grandpa Bi, you just need to know that this thing uses a type of electricity, and the place where the windmill is can produce electricity.
What is electricity? For example, when you wear a sweater in the winter and take it off when you sleep, sometimes you can hear crackling sounds and see sparks. This is a type of electricity. Electricity can be used to make this thing light up. "
After Zhang Xiaobao spoke, Old Man Pi and Old Man Yao both sank into deep thought. They had indeed only encountered the kind of thing that happened when you took off your sweater in the winter. So this was the case. The electricity that lit up. This thing was probably the thing that could cause that kind of situation to happen continuously.
"Then what is the use of this thing? Does it mean that we don't need to light candles in the future? Is it expensive? " Old Man Pi had long known that the Zhang family wanted to make money by making something, so he directly asked for the price. "It's expensive.
The thing that can produce electricity costs one thousand strings of coins. It uses a lot of copper and also requires magnets. This thing is cheaper. It costs fifty strings of coins. It can't be sold now. The time that it lights up is too short. No one can spend that kind of money. We have to think of a way to make it light up for a longer time. "
Zhang Xiaobao repeated what he thought to Old Man Pi. Anyway, the price had already been set. No one could change it.
Old Man Pi estimated the price and knew that it could not be used by ordinary people. The thing that could make this thing light up cost one thousand strings of coins of coins. How many ordinary people could not earn money in their lifetime? And the thing that could light up cost fifty strings of coins of coins. How could ordinary people afford it?
Seeing Old Man Pi frown, Zhang Xiaobao knew what Old Man Pi was thinking. This wish was beautiful, but it could not be realized. After all, the technology was there. Did he want to connect the whole country to electricity? This project should be completed by future generations. He did not have the ability to do so.
What he could do was to use this thing to make money, and at the same time, change people's minds.
"Grandpa Bi, actually, it doesn't have to be so expensive. As long as you buy a lot of these things called light bulbs, you can get a free thing that can produce electricity. After research and understanding it, these light bulbs should be able to be used for a month. One light bulb can light up at least ten candles. It's cheaper than lighting candles."
Zhang Xiaobao added.
Old Man Yao nodded. He felt that it was indeed so. That meant it was saving money.
However, Old Man Pi did not think so. He asked Zhang Xiaobao, "Is that thing that can produce electricity able to make many light bulbs light up?"
"Yes, more or less. As long as there is a good place and power that can make the generator work, it won't be a problem even if a hundred light bulbs light up. When the time comes, the whole yard will be lit up."
Zhang Xiaobao already felt that Old Man Pi had found the problem.
Sure enough, after Old Man Pi heard this answer, he said, "That is to say, as long as this thing called generator can make as many light bulbs light up, people who can afford it will try their best to make as many light bulbs light up as possible, right? You can't let the generator's electricity go to waste, right?
Also, every rich family will compare themselves with each other. You are selling too many light bulbs. It's not like you don't know how much a light bulb is worth. Can't it be 20 strings of coins? "
"How much is it worth? Grandpa Bi, how much do you think this light bulb is worth? Give me a number. My family will pay for it. As long as my family can afford it, I will buy it. You can get someone to make one. It's best if it can be a light bulb that can last longer. "
Zhang Xiaobao immediately asked.
Old Man Pi was speechless. He really didn't think about the problem of technology. Other people didn't know how to make glass. Even if they could use colored glass to replace it, they wouldn't be able to make such a shape. Who knew that the light bulb was blown out? Even if the shape was blown out, how could it light up? No one knew what was inside.
Even though he knew how the glass was made, people who didn't know wouldn't be able to make it even if they had millions of strings of coins. This was the most valuable part. Just like the propeller. How much did it cost to make a propeller? Wasn't it just stainless steel? Why couldn't others know about it? It was because they were afraid that others would learn it. Technology was the most important.
The simplest example was how much a cucumber in winter in the North was worth. How many cucumbers could be grown with that technology?
Old Man Pi was no longer the person who used to measure things based on their actual value. He knew the importance of technology.
After considering all kinds of aspects, Old Man Pi looked at Old Man Yao and asked Zhang Xiaobao, "Xiao Bao, tell me the truth. How much is the cost of this thing, not including the cost of the technology?"
Zhang Xiaobao didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Old Man Yao. Old Man Yao immediately swore, "I promise that I won't tell anyone outside of this place. Otherwise, my Yao family will have no descendants. I won't even tell the emperor."
Zhang Xiaobao smiled and said, "Actually, I'm not afraid that you two grandpas will tell anyone. At most, it's just the last thing. To be honest, this light bulb costs five or six coins. The expensive part is the generator. It needs magnets or good magnets. More importantly, it needs a lot of copper.
One copper is a thousand pieces. It can be made with less than 20 strings of copper. If you include the various wires, that is to say, with 30 strings of copper, it won't be a problem to buy a thousand light bulbs and a generator. If you include the windmill and the consumption after failure, 40 strings of copper will be enough. "
"Then why is your family selling it so expensive?" The two old men said at the same time. Their hearts also lit up. A light bulb only cost four or five coins and could be lit for more than a month. Didn't that mean that ordinary people with a little money could use it? One generator per family would be enough. A generator like that could light up a thousand light bulbs, and it wouldn't break down so easily.
If a thousand families used one generator, then the cost would be even lower. There was indeed little copper, but wasn't there copper in the newly discovered place?
Zhang Xiaobao knew what they were thinking when he saw their expressions. He said, "Grandpa Bi, Grandpa Yao, it's not what you think. I said that a generator can light up a thousand light bulbs, but that's only in theory. Grandpa Bi knows what theory is. It's impossible in reality.
It can't be turned that fast. Moreover, this generator also has a time limit. It's about the same as the light bulbs. It's not bad to use it for two months. It has to be done bit by bit. You can't eat a mouthful and become fat. "
"Ah? So that's how it is. Then a hundred families will do. At most, the cost of this generator … your family will pay for it. Let's light up a state first. "
Old Man Yao and Zhang Xiaobao's families had only been in contact for a short time. There were many things that he didn't know, which was why he said that.
"We can pay for it, but can you guarantee that this technology won't be stolen by others? Especially this generator. If others learn it, then trouble will come. Grandpas, come with me. I'll show you something fun. "
As Zhang Xiaobao spoke, he pulled Wang Juan up and asked someone to bring out a generator from the warehouse. He put it on the carriage and drove with the two old men. After an hour, they arrived at the side of a large river.
They tied up a horse and asked someone to drive it to provide power. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan each took a line to the side of the river. They found a good position and put the two lines into the water.
Old Man Bi and Old Man Yao saw an extremely frightening scene. The fishes in the water started to float up, one by one.
"Grandpa Bi, Grandpa Yao, do you see this? This thing can be used like this. It has a wide range of uses. If we want to light up a state, how many people would have to be sent to guard each place? How much manpower would the guards have to waste? It's not worth it. "
Zhang Xiaobao said as he took back one of the lines in his hand.
This was what Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan valued the most. This was technology, technology that could generate electricity. Anything that was produced in the future would require the support of this generator. There was an even more important matter that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not mention. Now was not the right time to tell them.
Old Man Pi and Old Man Yao finally understood. The generator was very important and had many uses. If it was stolen or taken away, the Tang Empire would suffer a great loss.
"Treasure, it really is a treasure. No wonder you said that you had to meet their requirements. So that's why," Old Man Yao said with emotion.
Old Man Pi knew that he was not talking about the generator, but the person that the Zhang family could not find. Things were dead, but people were alive. The real treasure was the person. With such a person, what else was there to worry about?
Old Man Bi understood this principle a long time ago. "That's why, no matter what, we can't tell anyone. Otherwise, unless we can catch them all at once, it might not be useful even if we catch them. Many people can't even pry open their mouths, not to mention those two people who can calculate."
Old Man Pi said this close to Old Man Yao's ear. He meant to tell him not to have any crooked thoughts. It was useless. The Zhang family would naturally give them what they could. If they did not give it, it was because it did not belong to the people's livelihood or because it had not been researched properly.
Old Man Yao nodded. He understood now. It was not that the Zhang Family and Wang Family were not unpatriotic. It was just that there were many things that could not be used directly. They had to be researched thoroughly before they could be used. Otherwise, it would be easy for spies from other countries to learn.
"When we have earned enough money, the first thing we will do is to get people to build more ships. Then we will go out to sea and go to places further away," Zhang Xiaobao said after he put away the things.
"Where are we going?" The two old men asked again at the same time.
"Even if I tell you, you won't know. It's very far away. It's even further away than the island that belonged to Tang Empire that was just discovered last year. There are things we need there. If we want to let the people use this kind of light bulb, we have to go there. Maybe we can find more copper mines along the way.
Now, we can ask the Ministry of Works to send people over. We will teach them, research little by little, and improve little by little. When the day comes, we will be able to let the people of Tang Empire use this kind of thing and produce better things. "
Zhang Xiaobao could not say, and he could not explain it clearly. He could not tell the two old men that the Zhang Family and Wang Family needed a fleet to go to the Straits of Malacca, or even further away. He would not go there personally, as it would be easy for him to get lost in the sea.
Old Man Pi knew that the Zhang family had many secrets, so he did not press them. It was not a coincidence that he could understand so many things now. He had put in a lot of effort to gain the recognition of the Zhang Family and Wang Family. Otherwise, with Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's smart looks, how could they reveal all the secrets?
Old Man Yao was also getting used to it. He also understood that the two children in front of him were not easy to fool, especially after Zhang Xiaobao's reaction after the people he sent did the wrong thing. Other than the current Emperor who was smart when he was young, whose child could be so smart? He immediately knew that he should not come to meet him and Old Man Pi.
On the way back, Old Man Pi deliberately sat in the same car as Old Man Yao and drove Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to another car. He still had something to say to Old Man Yao.
"Yuanzhi, you must remember one thing. That is, it is not a big deal to lie to Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. The two children are just playing with us. It is okay to be tricked and suffer losses, but you must not lie to their families. For his father, that Xiao Bao is willing to do anything."
Old Man Pi warned Old Man Yao in the car.
Old Man Yao was really not clear about this matter. He asked, "Long Ze, what will happen if I bully Zhang Zhong? After bullying me, he will run back to the capital. What can that child do? "
"Then he can ask the Emperor to hand you over. If he doesn't hand you over, he will blow up the capital. Don't doubt whether he will do it or not. Don't test whether he dares or not. There is only one chance. He is special to his family. Look at the four children's houses. Don't you know?"
When Old Man Pi thought of how Zhang Xiaobao dealt with people who looked down on his father or bullied his father, he trembled like a madman. In addition, the Zhang family did have something very dangerous, so no one could stop him.
Old Man Yao nodded and said, "I saw it. Although the outside of the house is well made and other spices are used, I smell it. There is agarwood inside. Could it be …?"
"Yes, the entire house is made of agarwood. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are very good to their family. The master who taught them also seems to spoil them. Many things are not made to make money, but to make their family more comfortable.
The two children are smart, but the best thing about them is not in their studies, but in their cooking and making clothes. The clothes they make are the most comfortable to wear, and the food they make is also the best. It is to make their family more comfortable. Do you understand? "
Old Man Pi touched his clothes, meaning that he also had clothes made for the two children.
Yao Chong had experienced so many things in his life, but now he was shocked by Old Man Pi's words. He really did not expect it to be like this. He could not understand, really could not understand. At the same time, he was a little jealous of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. They gave birth to a son and a daughter, and they were so sensible and filial since they were young.
"Now you know, right? This is also the reason why I am not willing to interact with the rest of the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. If I don't pay attention when I speak, the two children will definitely be angry, so I usually stay with the two children. The food they make is delicious, and they know how to take care of people. There is nothing wrong with joking with them and lying to them.
Many people do not know and offend Zhang Zhong. The result is that they can neither live nor die. Needless to say, the two children will blow up the capital for their family. With their methods and the guidance of the master behind them, they can use benefits to exchange for other people's lives.
If you don't believe me, you can find someone with enough power to try and see if they will give up all their technology in order to buy that person's life. If you don't like anyone, you can ask that person to come and find trouble with Zhang Zhong. "
Old Man Pi looked at Old Man Yao's shocked expression and said a few more words. This time, Old Man Yao finally believed him. He did not think that Old Man Pi would lie to him.
He asked, "Then how can I let the two children follow me and ask for more information in the future?"
"That's simple. Just teach them knowledge, and they will follow you. They are very eager to learn. After teaching them, you will know. It is lucky to be able to teach such children. Smart, you can't find anyone smarter."
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