Liu Feitong was stunned by the question. He replied, "Aren't you the judges? I'm asking you why you gave me such a low score. Do you know what the thing I made is used for? "
"Yes, we are the judges, but we also represent the highest level of craftsmen from the Zhang Family and Wang Family. Do you think you can get 10 points for making a counting device for a carriage? If you didn't use it directly on the carriage or connect it to other things, we might have given you 9 points.
Because it can also measure the speed of flowing water and wind, but you only used it on the carriage. Do you want all the carriages in Tang to have the same size of wheels and the same spacing between the supporting ribs? All the people riding the carriage don't directly ask how much it costs to travel from the East to the West. Instead, they look at how many times the wheels turn and the price is different every time.
Do you think that if you don't say it, no one can tell? We gave you 6 points because your theory is not bad and you came up with it yourself. But this thing of yours has been around for a long time. When the young master and young lady tested the speed of the washing machine and the generator, they got someone to make a more precise device than this. It's just that no one has seen it.
You're always at home. Didn't you notice that young lady Xiaobei always carries a box and jumps around? Sometimes, she even shakes the box vigorously. That's called a pedometer. You're not one of the craftsmen from the Zhang Family and Wang Family. Otherwise, we'll give you 0 points. When did the Zhang Family and Wang Family become so arrogant in their research? "
The judge said to Liu Feitong in exasperation. Liu Feitong had just raised his head and puffed out his chest. His words were getting louder and louder.
He really didn't expect that the design that he thought would amaze the world with a single brilliant feat was not only seen through by others, but it had been around for a long time. He was criticized as worthless.
"Go down. Remember, you can't be arrogant on the path of scientific research. You have to be cautious, cautious, and cautious. Next." The judge advised Liu Feitong again and looked at another person who was about to come over.
Liu Feitong didn't say anything. He lowered his head and stood to the side. The other craftsmen also lowered their heads. They didn't know what it was just now, but the craftsmen from the Zhang Family and Wang Family knew more about it. Looking at their temperament, it was indeed different.
He Zhizhang also heard it. He sighed and said, "No wonder the Zhang Family and the Wang Family make the best things. This kind of attitude is not something an ordinary person can have. Just like learning, one has to be cautious and cautious. One can't be arrogant."
As the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, Wei Shu felt the same way. "When we go back, we have to have a good talk with the craftsmen. We have to have good ideas, but we can't forget to think about the specific application of the materials. We have to do it step by step to lay down a good foundation."
One by one, the craftsmen came forward to be evaluated. When almost all of the craftsmen were done, there was still one craftsman who was still working. Seeing that the time was almost up, he still looked calm and unhurried. The two apprentices beside him also didn't show the slightest bit of anxiety.
The three craftsmen made wooden birds with wings one by one. After a while, they threw them out. After throwing them out, if they were not satisfied, they would either fix them or remake them.
Just when there was still a few minutes left and everyone was anxious for them, the craftsman finally put down his tools in satisfaction and took out the last bird he made. Although it was a bird, it didn't look like a bird. The two wings looked flat at first, but if one looked closely, they would find that there was a slight curve in the shape of a Weiwei.
The body was straight, and there was no hair on the tail. It was also a small wing, and there was a piece of wood on it. At the very front, there was an object made of two pieces of wood connected to the body by a wooden shaft. There were also two cow tendons.
When the craftsmen from the Zhang Family and Wang Family saw this, they immediately stood up from their chairs and looked at each other nervously. Their eyes were full of suspicion, as if they were questioning, "Did you pass on the technology?"
This thing had just been made by the young master and young lady, and it had only been flown by Xiaobei and the others in the inner courtyard. How did an outsider learn it?
This craftsman didn't know. He thought that the judges were waiting anxiously and wanted to quickly look at the thing he made before going to eat. He straightened his clothes and walked while spinning the thing in his hand and winding it.
When he got close to the judging table, he held the thing in his hand and closed the buckle. He said to the judging craftsmen from the Zhang Family and Wang Family, "This thing I made is called the Burning Firebird. As long as the tendons are twisted, when the buckle is loosened, it will fly out. The thing in front will rotate, and it will fly further and faster with the Burning Firebird.
Even if there is wind, as long as the wind is not too strong, the deviation will be small. Moreover, if the wind comes from the front, it can make the Burning Firebird fly a little higher. When the thing in front rotates for a long time, or when the small thing in the back rotates for a long time, the phosphorus placed inside will burn.
The Burning Firebird can carry fireworks. As long as you make thousands of Burning Firebirds and find a good wind direction, you can send the Burning Firebird to the enemy camp, either burning the tents or the provisions. "
"What's your name?" The judge who spoke to Liu Feitong just now asked.
"Zhang Tianyou. I represent Xu Province in the competition." The craftsman holding the work in his hand respectfully answered.
"How did you think of the thing in front that can rotate?" The judge asked again.
"Bamboo Dragonfly. I found that the bamboo dragonfly can fly because it rotates upwards. I first wanted to make a Burning Firebird that could fly upwards, but after making a few, I found that the strength of the ox tendon couldn't lift the Burning Firebird at all. Even if it was lighter, it would fall down immediately.
Then I thought of the paper duck. When the wind blows, as long as there is a connecting line, the paper duck can fly continuously in the sky. I thought of a way to make the Burning Firebird like the paper duck when the wind blows, flying higher and higher. In the end, the Burning Firebird was too heavy, so I could only add something like a bamboo dragonfly in front.
Although it can't fly continuously in the sky, it can fly very far. It's a very good thing to use in battle. It's also not troublesome to make. Any carpenter can learn after looking at it a few times. After making a lot of them, even if a few fly off the mark, there's no need to be afraid. "
Zhang Tianyou explained his thoughts when making the Burning Firebird. He looked at the judges, hoping to give a high score.
At this time, the judges didn't say anything. They looked at each other, and one of them left. After a while, he came back with a big box in his hand. Under everyone's gaze, he opened the box and took out the items one by one. The other judge helped to assemble the Burning Firebird.
There were also two pieces in front that were connected to a shaft. They were made of ox tendon of better quality. The most important thing was that this thing was bigger. It was four feet long, and its wings were six feet wide.
After assembling the Burning Firebird and placing it on the ground, the judges looked at Zhang Tianyou.
Zhang Tianyou was dumbfounded. He had worked so hard to figure out this thing, but he didn't expect that other people already had it. He still had to give a zero. The surrounding people also felt sorry for Zhang Tianyou. At the same time, they were also a little dissatisfied with the Zhang Family and Wang Family. Since they were so powerful and could do anything, why did they still need to find craftsmen?
"Zhang Tianyou, right? Full marks. If there's nothing else, you can take the ship from Beijing to Luoyang tomorrow. After that, you can transfer to Boxin County. Little Master and Little Miss will happily wait for your arrival."
The leading judge nodded at Zhang Tianyou and said.
"What? Full marks? But didn't you guys already make it? "Zhang Tianyou asked in disbelief. His two disciples also didn't have the calm expression from before.
"What we made is what we made, and what you made is yours. What we care about is not the quality of the thing you made, but the thought process when making this thing. Craftsmanship can be practiced, but not everyone has the thought process when making this thing. I hope that in the future, we can jointly make better things. Go, find Little Master and Little Miss, and you will see even more good things."
The judge sincerely congratulated Zhang Tianyou.
Zhang Tianyou suspected that he was dreaming. He looked at the judge, then looked at his two disciples, and then looked at the people around him who were also happy for him. He was so excited that he couldn't say a word. His hands were tightly clenched into fists.
"The Emperor has decreed that Zhang Tianyou will be registered in the Ministry of Works as a supervisor of military equipment. He will be rewarded 100,000 yuan and 50 bolts of silk. Go to Boxin County's Deputy County Magistrate and the Registrar to receive it." At this time, Gao Lishi loudly shouted to the people below the stage.
He shouted three times in a row. When he was sure that the people below heard it, he stopped and turned his head away in embarrassment. The Emperor was really too … too … Ai ~! He even wanted Xiao Bao and Cuckoo to pay for the rewards. He was working for the two of them, but he couldn't do this.
The judges all curled their lips at the same time. 100 strings of silk and 50 bolts of silk were not a lot. How could the Emperor be stingy to this extent? When Little Master and Little Miss found out, they would scold him again.
Zhang Tianyou didn't know who paid for the money in the end. When he heard that he was an official and was rewarded by the Emperor, he forcefully pinched his thigh. He suddenly knelt on the ground and cried loudly. He cried as if he had been wronged.
As he cried, he said, "Who said that I can't be an official? Who said that the things I studied were useless? I want to go back. I want to go back to Xuzhou and see if they will let me return to the sect. "
After muttering for a long time, he finally remembered to thank the Emperor. After thanking him, he worriedly asked the judge, "Will there be a ship to Luoyang tomorrow?"
"Yes, there will be one when you get there. The ship association will give you one. When you arrive at Boxin County, you have to clearly report your place of origin. Naturally, someone will go and check. As for the specifics, you will know when you get there."
The judge put away Zhang Tianyou's small plane and had someone take the big plane to see Gao Lishi. This was specially sent for Gao Lishi to play with. He wanted to let him see how to fly and keep it as a souvenir.
The surrounding commoners cheered for Zhang Tianyou. At the same time, they didn't forget to praise the Zhang Family and Wang Family. As expected, they weren't biased and acted fairly. The craftsmen also heaved a sigh of relief. They didn't have to worry about cheating in other competitions.
After everyone was happy for a while, it was time to eat. Li Longji also walked down the stairs. As he walked, he said to Gao Lishi, "When we go back, take a look at this plane and make it bigger. I reckon that it won't be a problem for people to fly on it. I also sent a talent to Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. Don't you think that they should accept this kindness?"
"Yes, they should." Gao Lishi naturally followed along. As for what he was thinking in his heart, no one knew. He looked at the big plane again, "Your Majesty, this subject guesses that even if this plane is made bigger, it won't be able to fly. How many ox tendons would it take? How long would it be able to fly for? Perhaps there is another way. "
"Oh, there is always a way. Let's go to Savant's Restaurant to eat." Li Longji came out once and didn't want to go back immediately. Thus, he went to Savant's Restaurant to eat. The food there was no worse than the food in the palace. Perhaps there would be new dishes.
*****
Those who were looking for a place to eat did so. Those who were willing to sell snacks waited for the competition in the afternoon. When most of the people had left, Liu Feitong lowered his head and walked towards Savant's Restaurant alone. He didn't want to go to Savant's Restaurant in a fit of pique, but he didn't have any money on him.
Since his uncle wasn't in the capital, he could only go to his own restaurant to fill his stomach. As he walked, he muttered, "Six points, just give me six points. If they have good skills, they won't teach me. They even said that I'm part of the Zhang Family and Wang Family. They must be doing this on purpose."
"Sigh ~! I didn't expect that the Zhang Family and Wang Family would actually oppress their own people. What a pity, what a pity. " Just as Liu Feitong was muttering to himself, a person beside him, who seemed to be going the same way as him, also sighed and spoke up for him.
Liu Feitong heard the voice and turned his head. He didn't know who it was. That person didn't look at him and continued walking with his head down.
Seeing that he didn't know who it was, Liu Feitong continued walking. That person started talking again.
"If it were my family, I wouldn't deliberately oppress my own people. I would teach him the best skills and let him show off in front of everyone. What a pity, what a pity, many people are deceived by the name of the Zhang Family and Wang Family."
Liu Feitong still didn't reply and walked faster. That person finally raised his head and said as if he had just seen Liu Feitong, "Isn't this Brother Liu? I didn't expect to meet you while walking. "
"You are …?" Liu Feitong was puzzled and asked curiously.
"Who I am is not important. What's important is that I feel wronged for Brother Liu. You are part of their family. Why would they deliberately give you six points just to put on a show for others? That's too much of a bully, too much of a bully. Brother Liu, don't take it to heart. Today, it's my treat.
There's a shop nearby. The duck there is not bad. It's roasted and cut into pieces. There's some skin, some fat, and some lean. Put some sauce on it and eat it. That taste, tsk, tsk. Let's go and eat it. It's my treat. "As the person spoke, he pulled Liu Feitong.
"Isn't it just roast duck? I'm not going. I'm going back to Savant's Restaurant. There's also wine and food there. Why don't I treat you? "Liu Feitong didn't plan to go with others.
This person had a helpless expression and said, "You still want to go back to Savant's Restaurant? Do you want everyone to laugh at you? The waiters there must know about what happened today. Tell me, what will they think of you? "
"Then I have to eat roast duck? Fine, I'm not going back to Savant's Restaurant. I'm going to eat roast duck. " Liu Feitong suddenly changed his mind and followed this person to the nearby roast duck shop. When the two of them arrived outside the shop, there were already many people waiting in line.
Brother Liu, I'm a student of the Four Seas Academy. My surname is … surname is Jiang. My name is Jiang Yang. I just arrived yesterday and ate at this big mountain roast duck shop once. The taste was extraordinary. Brother Liu hasn't eaten here before, right? "
The person who pulled Liu Feitong over also lined up and talked to Liu Feitong with nothing to do.
Shaking his head, Liu Feitong replied, "I haven't eaten here before. How can it be better than Savant's Restaurant?"
"It's not the same. Savant's Restaurant doesn't sell roast ducks. Each has its own strengths," the person who called himself Jiang Yang commented.
Liu Feitong didn't say anything this time. He followed behind the line and moved forward bit by bit. The ducks in the shop were served very quickly. Some people wrapped the ducks in oil paper and walked back to eat, while others waited for others to finish eating before sitting in the shop to eat.
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Jiang Yang said to him, "Brother Liu, are you afraid that I will harm others?"
Liu Feitong's eyes looked at the waiters who were wrapping ducks for others. He suddenly shook his head and felt that something was wrong. He nodded at Jiang Yang and said very honestly, "I don't know you. I only drank a little wine."
"Since Brother Liu shook his head first, it means that you aren't afraid. Are you worried that the Zhang Family and Wang Family will find you and think that you are casually interacting with outsiders and leaking secrets? To be honest, I don't think that Brother Liu can learn real skills. Even if they are leaked, it won't be a big deal. "
Jiang Yang observed very carefully. When he saw Liu Feitong shake his head first, he thought that he was not worried about interacting with strangers. As he spoke, he stared into Liu Feitong's eyes and revealed an expression that said that he didn't believe that Liu Feitong could learn real skills.
"Who said that? I learned … Yes, I didn't learn real skills." Liu Feitong was about to refute angrily when he suddenly lowered his head and admitted it.
Jiang Yang rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "As expected, I was right. Actually, with Brother Liu's ability, even if you are not in the Zhang Family and Wang Family, it won't be a big deal. Maybe you will become even more powerful in the future. Let's not talk about it anymore. Let's eat. There are more than ten people in front of us. "
When he said that he wouldn't talk about it, Liu Feitong really stopped talking.
After waiting in line for a while, it was finally their turn. After asking around, they found that there were no seats on the first floor, but there were seats on the second floor, but the price was expensive. Jiang Yang didn't seem to care about money. He pulled Liu Feitong upstairs. As they walked, the rooms on the side were all taken. Finally, they came to a room with the best location. The waiter flipped the sign that said "Occupied" and changed it to "Empty". He then brought the two of them in and flipped the sign back to "Occupied".
Jiang Yang looked at the waiter in puzzlement. In the end, he smiled and asked, "How much do you want?"
"Sir, you can decide." The waiter seemed to have been seen through. He blinked his eyes like a mouse.
He took out a small string of coins, which should be a hundred copper coins, and threw it to the waiter. Then, Jiang Yang said to the waiter, "Bring up the best wine and Duck's signature dish."
The waiter left happily. Jiang Yang invited Liu Feitong to sit in front of him and opened the window to look downstairs. He said, "It's better to be high up. It's bright and spacious. What do you think, Brother Liu?"
"Ran, ran, I said that you'd treat me. I didn't bring any money. If you don't have money, why don't we go to Savant's Restaurant? I don't need to spend money there."
Liu Feitong seemed to be a little nervous. He first told Jiang Yang that he didn't have money.
"Brother Liu, with your skills, do you really lack money? They don't have a single copper coin on them. They shouldn't do this. I'm not lying to Brother Liu. If Brother Liu wanted to go to another place, there would be many people waiting on you. How could you be like this? What a pity, what a pity. If you … just leave it here. You don't have to come back if you don't tell me. "
As they were talking, the waiter came in with food. A few cold dishes made with duck and warm wine were placed on the table. The waiter turned around and left.
"Brother Liu, try the wine here. It's different from the wine Between the Clouds and the Water. It has a different taste. Try the duck head." Jiang Yang began to pour wine and pick up food for him.
Liu Feitong couldn't do it either. He ate and nodded. When the waiter served him wine, he drank it. When the waiter served him food, he ate it.
Jiang Yang looked down from time to time and kept toasting him. However, he was a little absent-minded when he ate. As he ate, Liu Feitong's eyes started to blur. He looked at the people coming and going below in a daze. He also started to talk to Jiang Yang.
"It's all my uncle's fault. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to enter the Zhang family. He said that he wanted me to learn some useful skills, so I went. In the end, they didn't teach me any skills. They just made me memorize the books they wrote. I memorized them, but I didn't know what they meant.
When my uncle asked me, I memorized a part of the book for him. He was very happy. In fact, he didn't know that the Zhang family never really taught me anything. Let me count. How many books did I learn? Five? No, it should be six books. If not, it should be seven books. I can only know how many books I memorized from the beginning.
Tell me, with someone like me, how could they possibly teach me their true skills? I heard that they had ten books, but they wouldn't tell me the other three books no matter what, insisting that I learn the first seven books. I don't believe their lies. What do you mean by learning the first five books, the other craftsmen of the Great Tang can't compare to you? Look at me, I've already learned the first seven books, but didn't I get six points? "
This time, Liu Feitong started to take the initiative to pour wine for Jiang Yang. As long as Jiang Yang's cup was empty, he would pour it. When it was his turn, he would drink one cup after another. When he finished, he would pour the wine again.
When Jiang Yang heard Liu Feitong's words, he swallowed his saliva and whispered, "Brother Liu, I think you don't need to continue learning from the Zhang Family and Wang Family. You can go elsewhere to teach people. As long as you say that you learned from the Zhang Family and Wang Family, people will be willing to believe you even if it's a lie. Brother Liu, I also want to know what they teach. If Brother Liu can still remember it, why don't you recite it for me?"
"Recite it? No, I can't recite it. Eh, what's that horse down there? Why does it have two heads? I'll go take a look. You sit here. "Liu Feitong looked down and suddenly pointed at a horse that was pulling a carriage.
"Brother Liu, you drank too much. Don't drink anymore. Why can't you recite it? Did you not memorize it? "Jiang Yang poured more wine for Liu Feitong.
"I didn't drink too much. It's just that my eyes are playing tricks on me. Who said that we memorized it? It's just that there are too many books. I can't recite them all. I studied for many years and only learned seven books. Those books are so thick. I'm so tired. One of my heads is missing. Come, drink. "
Liu Feitong shook his head vigorously. He raised his cup and downed the wine. He took off his shirt and was shirtless. He was sweating all over.
He put down the empty cup and hummed a tune. Jiang Yang continued to pour wine. "Brother Liu, why don't you let me listen to it when you have time? Since there isn't enough time, why don't you recite the seventh book first so that I can broaden my horizons?"
"The seventh book? What's the seventh book again? I've been memorizing it since the first book. Let me tell you, the first book, the first volume, the first chapter, the way of smelting. Every smelter should know how to control the heat and understand how to be flexible. First of all, turning iron into steel. Aiya, whose family is that little girl? Why is she so fat? She even swayed when she walked. "
Liu Feitong started to recite from the first book. After reciting a few sentences, he pointed at a woman who just got out of the carriage and said.
"Brother Liu, don't worry about her. We'll carry our own things." Jiang Yang couldn't tell that the woman was fat, let alone swaying. He closed the window beside Liu Feitong and let him continue to carry her. When he sat down, he saw someone downstairs making a gesture to him. He could only sigh regretfully and say, "
"Brother Liu, I'm so happy today that I forgot to do something important. Why don't we drink another day? I'll leave first. Here's the money for the wine and dishes."
Jiang Yang took out two pieces of silver worth about three coins and stood up to leave. Liu Feitong was still behind him. "Take care. Look at how swaying you are. You must have drunk too much."
Jiang Yang quickly agreed and left in a hurry. As soon as he left, the waiter came in and said to Liu Feitong, "Do you want some hangover soup?"
"No, I used to be a blacksmith. This little bit of wine is nothing. Did you send someone to follow him? This is the money he left. "Liu Feitong opened the window again, picked up the wine and took a sip.
The waiter looked at the money and said, "It's not even enough. The wine is expensive. Do you want to pay for it or the other one?"
"Of course I want to pay for the other one. I don't have money. Is Dashan in the shop? What is he busy with? If not, I'll go find him to drink. This time I'll let him have it. "
Liu Feitong put away the two pieces of silver on the table and asked the waiter.
The waiter was going to get the money, but seeing that Liu Feitong had taken it, he gave up and replied, "He's right next door. He's afraid that you won't be able to handle him if he suddenly does something bad, so he brought two people with him. If something really happens, he'll come over. Go find him yourself. You know it's from your shop, but you still eat it. Look at the duck head.
"You dare to sell it without biting it? I'll go find Dashan. You take your time to clean it up. I'm drunk, I won't help you. " Liu Feitong picked up the remaining half of the wine jar and went to the room next door, leaving the waiter to work alone. He muttered, "You're bullying me. I'm just a little short of stars."
When Liu Feitong came over, Zhang Dashan and the other two people had already sat down at the table and started eating. Just now, they had been very worried. It was supposed to be lunch time, but the waiter outside saw Liu Feitong and another person coming to line up.
The waiter asked with his eyes if he wanted to come up directly. At that time, Liu Feitong shook his head. The waiter immediately realized that something was wrong and quickly came to report. Under surveillance, he led them all the way to the reserved room on the second floor. Otherwise, Jiang Yang would be dreaming if he wanted to get a seat.
When Zhang Dashan saw Liu Feitong come in, he congratulated him, "Congratulations, today's meal is on you. Didn't you bring two pieces of silver with you? It's just enough. "
"No, I'll keep it. I have to bring some money with me. This time, he happened to choose your shop. If he changes places, what should I do? I think this person has big plans. Don't lose him. "Liu Feitong touched the place where he kept the silver.
"How can that be? We've infiltrated most of the people in the capital. Even if we don't own the shop, we should have our people in the shop. It's just a spy battle. The young master and the young lady have already arranged it. In the capital, except for the palace, who else can escape?"
Zhang Dashan took half a jar of wine and put it on the table. He usually couldn't bear to drink this wine. Of course, it was different from the wine sold at Savant's Restaurant. The craftsmanship was also different. Savant's Restaurant and Between the Clouds and the Water sold sauce-flavored and distilled spirits and fruit wines. This was the full-flavored type.
He came to sell roast duck to avoid suspicion. The young master had specially prepared a recipe for him. Half a jar was not a small amount, and he could drink as much as he could.
He poured a bowl for himself and took two big gulps. Zhang Dashan said to Liu Feitong, "When you go back, you can participate in other design and production projects. Congratulations on passing the organization's test."
"Drink your wine. Even if this didn't happen, I would still participate when I go back. My uncle is no longer an official in the Ministry of Works, so naturally, there is one less layer of concern. Do you still need me to continue to interact with the other party? And teach them the contents of the seven books? "
Liu Feitong laughed. There were no seven books. There were only two. One was called physics, and the other was called chemistry. As for the other derived books, he had to do his own research. He could only ask others when he didn't understand them.
After drinking the rest of the wine in the bowl, Zhang Dashan exhaled comfortably and said, "There is no need. Someone will take over the rest. We don't need to use too many tricks to deal with them. It's just the Four Seas Academy. When we first established this academy, we thought that this day would come."
"Give me a bowl of noodle soup. I still have to continue participating in the competition in the afternoon. I can't go hungry. The chef can't handle it, so he ordered a bowl from our other shop. Oh, I'm hungry."
Liu Feitong suddenly felt sorry for Jiang Yang. He wanted to drive a wedge between the Zhang Family and the Wang Family. Only he could think of such a thing. The unity between the Zhang Family and the Wang Family was not guaranteed by money or skills. There was a faint but strong connection between them, just like the canned food that was specially made for the inner courtyard. They didn't expect to achieve much outside, just take care of themselves.
*****
Jiang Yang, who felt that he had tricked someone, looked around vigilantly as soon as he left the Dashan Roast Duck Restaurant. He stopped an empty carriage that happened to be coming, entered the carriage, and said to the coachman, "Let's go out of the city."
The coachman didn't ask for the specific location and drove the carriage in the direction of the Cheng Gate. But before they could walk out of the gate, Jiang Yang said to the coachman, "Stop the carriage. Get off here."
After getting out of the carriage, Jiang Yang threw three copper coins to the coachman and slipped into an alley. He went straight through it to another road, stopped another carriage, and ordered, "Go to the West Gate."
After more than two hours, Jiang Yang finally arrived at a field outside the South Gate. He had changed his clothes. He didn't look like a scholar, a farmer, or a businessman. In any case, he just gave people the feeling that he was a little awkward.
There were few pedestrians on the road. Occasionally, a few would pass by, but they just glanced at him casually and didn't pay attention to him anymore. If it weren't for the peddler behind him, who was carrying a pole and hawking all the way, it would be even quieter.
Finally, the peddler was stopped by others. Jiang Yang seemed to have no purpose. He walked alone to a small river beside the field. There was a man wearing a bamboo hat fishing by the river.
Jiang Yang came to the side and looked at the fish in the basket. He said casually, "It's not easy to catch. How long have you been fishing? You've only caught three fish, and they're so small."
"That depends on what kind of fish they are. Ordinary fish are worthless even if they're big. Although the fish in the basket are small, they're very good. You should be satisfied with three. Didn't you bring a fishing rod? Why don't I lend you one? "
The fisherman said to Jiang Yang without turning his head.
Jiang Yang took out a ball of string and a few hooks from his bosom. He broke off a branch from a nearby tree and casually tied it to a float before throwing it into the water. After a while, he saw the float move. He lifted the branch and caught a small fish. Only then did he say, "Brother Li, you've been waiting for a long time.
He said, "I was about to catch a big fish, but someone asked me because he didn't know how to fish. So I can only keep the big fish for now. I wonder where the fish are not easy to catch?"
"Where else? Of course it's the fish in the Sinongsi Temple. There are only farms and the fish are abandoned. The people below don't know why the radishes by the pond are planted there. They're obviously not good, but they don't sell them."
The fisherman pulled back the hook and put the bait again. He then said to Jiang Yang.
"Not selling? Is the price too low? Those radishes are not good radishes. Is one kilogram of radish seeds cheap for ten coins? One small radish is worth three coins, isn't it? "
Jiang Yang didn't believe that someone wouldn't be tempted by such a price. He stopped and asked.
The fisherman put the hook in again. "It's not about the money. It's that no one is selling them. The people in the Sinongsi Temple don't know anything. They only said that all the radish seeds and radishes are under the charge of the Shaoqing. They haven't contacted the Shaoqing Jiang Cen yet."
"Why is that? If it doesn't work, I'll go and take a look. I don't believe that I can't catch any fish. " Jiang Yang couldn't figure it out. Logically speaking, the people in the capital should have done this long ago. A radish was not worth much. Why did it take so much effort?
"That's not necessary. Before you came, a person who also liked to fish just left. He said that he would think of a way." The fisherman replied.
"Then why did you call me here? I'm about to get some useful technology. Sigh! Why is it so awkward to do things the moment you enter the capital? "
Jiang Yang complained. He didn't have the mood to fish anymore. He threw away the branch in his hand and sat there sulking.
"After all, the capital is different from other places. If everything is done according to us, would it still be the capital? Not to mention the capital, even in Boxin County, would it be comfortable to do things? "
The fisherman caught another fish and put it in the basket. After saying this, he put away the tools, picked up the basket and left without looking back.
Jiang Yang picked up a stone and threw it into the water angrily. He scolded, "A bunch of incompetent people. They even delayed my business."
*****
The sky was so blue, the clouds were so white, and the wind was so gentle. Walking on the road, it felt like the whole world was alive.
Jiang Cen had a good time recently. After coming back that day, he asked people to collect all the failed radish seeds and didn't allow anyone to take away any radish that was still planted in the field.
The people in the Sinongsi Temple didn't know the reason, but they all knew that the Sinongsi Temple was no longer the Sinongsi Temple of the past. The person who could really make decisions was not the Shaoqing, nor was it the people of the various departments. Even the people of the Ministry of Revenue couldn't do anything. If they wanted to do something, they had to get the consent of others first.
This' others' was Zhang Zhong. After all, all the things were sent by him. The Shaoqing was called by the Emperor once, and when he came back, he issued an order. It seemed that it had something to do with the people on the other side. If they didn't want to touch the radish, they wouldn't touch it. Anyway, the radish was not a good thing.
The people in the Sinongsi Temple thought so, but who knew that in the past few days, some people came to them one after another and offered them a very high price. If Jiang Cen hadn't issued an order, they could have sold the radish to themselves or to the Sinongsi Temple to make more money and reduce the loss.
But now that there was an order, they couldn't touch the radish. Even if the price had been raised to ten copper coins per catty, they couldn't touch the radish for three copper coins. Otherwise, it was very likely that they would be caught for secretly selling something. When that time came, it would be difficult to deal with the Emperor.
It was precisely because he saw that his subordinates were so obedient that Jiang Cen's mood was very good. He had already heard of the price that others offered, but it was still too little compared to the price that he wanted to sell the radish for, and the price that the Zhang Family and Wang Family wanted to sell it for. How could the seeds be sold by catty? It had to be sold by the grain. As for the radish, the price that was offered was really too low.
Others didn't know, but he knew very well that this was a good thing to use as ginseng. Ginseng, not to mention hundred-year-old ginseng, how much would an ordinary six- or seven-year-old ginseng cost? Pharmacies sold it in slices, and one slice cost several copper coins.
Although it was impossible for this radish to become ginseng, it was Xiao Bao's great ability that made people believe him. He reckoned that the people who came to buy radishes and seeds from his subordinates this time were people from the Four Seas Academy. To be precise, they were Japanese.
He definitely couldn't sell them. He would only sell them when the price was set by Xiao Bao, or when it was higher.
Thinking like this, Jiang Cen prepared to go to the east market to watch the craftsman competition in the afternoon. It was very interesting. He had watched it in the morning and saw that the people from the Zhang Family and Wang Family did things fairly. He also saw a lucky person being recruited by the Zhang Family and Wang Family before all the competitions were completed.
There were also all kinds of strange things. He didn't know what kind of situation would appear in the competition in the afternoon.
"Master, don't you have to work in the afternoon?" Jiang Cen was followed by a servant sent by his family. Normally speaking, the servant had to wait patiently outside the Si Nong Temple and wait until everyone else had returned home before the master could appear.
He didn't expect that he didn't have to stay so long starting from this morning. The master insisted on coming out for a stroll. Could it be that there was no work in the Si Nong Temple now? Did the master just become idle?
With such doubts, and also afraid that the master wouldn't work, Jiang Cen's servant asked Jiang Cen.
"What do you know? I am working right now. If I do well, the Si Nong Temple won't lack money for the next ten years. En, at least five years. The main thing is to see what kind of new experiments there are. "
Jiang Cen really wasn't in a hurry now. For the sake of the big money in the future, he would first stop working.
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