Li Longji didn't care about who would be the county magistrate. When Xiao Bei suggested it, he immediately agreed. Thus, Cat became the county magistrate of a county that he didn't belong to yet.
Cat was very excited. A county magistrate was such a high position. He didn't expect to be a county magistrate one day. However, just as he was happy, he became worried again.
"Your Majesty, I … I haven't been an official before. How can I be a county magistrate? I have to know what to do. "
"It's simple. I'll find someone to teach you. I was a county magistrate before." Xiao Bei said from the side to reassure Cat.
Only then did Cat feel relieved. He happily turned around and told the seven people who were still squatting on the ground. The seven people cheered.
After confirming that there wouldn't be any danger, Cat and the others were treated much better. They didn't need to be guarded against as if they were thieves.
The things they brought could be considered as gifts for Li Longji. There were deer, roe deer, and the wooden basin was filled with fish.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were surprised that there were fish. Didn't they say that the fish would appear later?
"There were fish originally, but they disappeared after a few eruptions. The terrain now is different from ours. I don't know if we can still find hot springs. Even if we can, the location will be different."
Zhang Xiaobao whispered to Wang Juan. Wang Juan nodded gently. "I think so too. Why? Do you plan to develop tourism here?"
"Not now. There isn't even a decent road. Who would travel here? Let's wait for the future. When more people have money and are willing to travel, we'll let a few businessmen compete to develop tourism resources. "
Zhang Xiaobao looked at the beautiful scenery around him and seemed very helpless. He wanted to build a road, but no one would come. Just the annual maintenance cost alone wasn't a small amount.
"Are you planning to give it away and not develop it yourself?" Wang Juan asked.
"Development. I am also one of the businessmen. There are some things that can be monopolized, and some things that cannot be monopolized. Without competition, the pressure on the businessmen will be reduced. When the time comes, it will be easy for the businessmen to not want to make progress. Let's go and try the fish in the Heavenly Lake first. It is not easy to catch fish with shaved ice."
Zhang Xiaobao looked at the fish that were still alive in the basin and gulped. He really didn't know what the fish in the Heavenly Lake tasted like.
The others were also curious. There were fish on such a high mountain. If word got out, most people would not believe it. If it was sold in the capital, there would probably be people who would rush to buy it.
Xiao Bei began to discuss with the other eight people about bringing the fish back and raising them in glass jars. They said that they would put them in their precious candy house to attract children.
Li Longji said that he wanted to eat with Cat, so he really ate with Cat. The dishes were prepared by Zhang Xiaobao. Of course, not everyone could eat it. If it was soup, there might be enough soup.
During the meal, Cat introduced himself. His surname was Li. Because the Emperor of Tang Dynasty was surnamed Li, many people in Xinluo were proud to have the surname Li. They were called Li Mao because he was agile, so others just called him Cat.
Cat said that many people in Xinluo were having a hard time. Those who were close to the water had to fish for a living so that their family would not starve to death. Those who were close to the mountain had to make a living on the mountain.
He was closer to the mountain. After walking for more than half a month, he reached the mountain. Then, he would hunt some prey and spend more than half a month to go back. He would eat the meat at home and sell the fur to the people of Tang Dynasty. He would then buy food from Tang Dynasty.
After all, the closest place was only a river. It was very easy to come over. Furthermore, Tang Dynasty did not stop them, saying that they were not allowed to come over.
There were also people from Xinluo who ran directly to Tang Dynasty and worked for very little wages. Women who were slightly more beautiful also went to Tang Dynasty to sing and dance for people. If they were fancied, they would immediately go to rest with people. When it was over, they would not ask for money but for food.
Cat said that in a village next to him, there were three families of women who often went to Tang Dynasty to do work. Each time, they could bring back about 50 kilograms of rice. They would go back with it on their heads. Any more and they would not be able to do it. It was too heavy.
Furthermore, it was easy for the people of Xinluo to find out and take them away. They usually came at night and went back at night. There was still work to be done at home.
Li Longji listened and could not bear it. From time to time, he would look at Zhang Xiaobao, meaning to say, "Look at how you are tormenting people."
Zhang Xiaobao was very innocent and mumbled, "What has it got to do with me? I used food to restrict them. That was a strategic goal, but I did not not give them food. It was their aristocrats who sold the food. Who is to blame? "
"The officials are the ones who rule, so the people can live. Corrupt officials are the ones who scam people the most. We have to catch more in the future." Xiao Yuan was also very emotional.
After the meal, Cat and the rest were going back to recruit people to spread the news of the establishment of a new county. More people would know and take the initiative to come over. When the time came, the new county would be very big.
Zhang Xiaobao and the rest went to the side of the Heaven Lake to take a look. He really did find a hot spring. It was a hot spring that the guards here usually used to bathe.
Hence, Zhang Xiaobao gave a new order to the guards. He asked them to look for more hot springs and remember the location. In the future, this place would be valuable.
Li Longji also made a reservation in advance. He said that he would leave two or three good soup for him when he came over in the future.
As such, everyone stayed on the mountain for a day. They immediately went back the way they came because they could not continue to go against the flow of the Yellow River. They had to change to a land route. Li Longji did not want to be not in the capital during the New Year. How could he celebrate with the people?
The speed of returning was faster than when they came. It was downhill, so they just had to control the skis well. In less than a day, everyone returned to the ship. They sat on the ship and went straight to Henan Province. The people waiting in Jili Province also set off at the same time. They would gather in Henan Province.
The generals were already rubbing their hands together. There should be no other things to do this time, right? It was time to hold the military examination.
At night, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan stayed in the cabin to discuss things after teaching their younger siblings.
Zhang Xiaobao used this period of time to carefully understand the information of each general. He provided them with food and drink, analyzed their personalities. When they were still on the ship, he let them compete. Their fighting styles were also exposed.
Now, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were summarizing and thinking about how to deal with the generals.
"Where do you plan to compete?" Zhang Xiaobao put the information on the table and asked Wang Juan.
"I want to go back to the capital to compete. If we go by land, how can we have time to compete? But when we go back to the capital, it will be the New Year. I don't think we can compete. Do you think that if we keep delaying, they will be angry and not compete? "
Wang Juan said with a smile. The generals had been waiting for too long, but she and Zhang Xiaobao could always find an excuse to delay time so that they could understand their opponents.
"Probably … not?" Zhang Xiaobao said uncertainly, "Why don't we find some work for them? Don't let them be idle."
"What work? Continue to let them play by themselves on the sand table? "Wang Juan couldn't think of any other excuse.
Zhang Xiaobao waved his hand and said, "No need. They will only be angrier if we use the same method. I plan to go to Shandong and go ashore. Then, on the way here, there will be a lot of local people coming over to reward the army. We will pay for it.
Let the commoners drink with the generals, chat, and compete in horseback riding, archery, and so on. Especially the hunters, their methods are not inferior to the soldiers. They have to compete all the way, even if they don't want to compete, won't that be cowardice before the battle? "
"You still have a lot of bad ideas. Alright, we'll do as you say. Compared to the past, we can further increase the goodwill of the soldiers. We can even ask the soldiers to help the villagers repair their houses when we stop by a village during the journey."
Wang Juan happily agreed and thought of other things to add.
Sure enough, when the troops arrived at the shore of Henan Road, a large group of people greeted them. They took out all kinds of local specialties and stuffed them into the hands of the soldiers. They also prepared a place and invited the soldiers to play, holding a military and civilian party.
The generals were helpless. They knew that this was Zhang Xiaobao's stalling tactic, but they had no choice but to jump into the pit with their eyes wide open. They led their subordinates to hold a party with the commoners, and then achieved good results in the competition venue one after another.
When they got on the train, there were countless houses that had been repaired by the soldiers and the hearts of the people behind them.
The train was very fast. After a day, Li Longji returned to the capital. There were six days left until New Year's Eve. The generals continued to wait. They would compete again after the New Year.
The results of the imperial examinations were also released. Zhang Xiaobao got first place, and Wang Juan got fourth place. She was too embarrassed to stand in another position. That way, there would only be one place left in the top three.
The two of them were both ranked in the Advancement Section. At the same time, their papers were also on the other subjects. There was no lack of their names on the rankings. Their positions on the rankings were relatively high, causing the people who came to see the rankings to exclaim in admiration.
Of course, because of the two of them, most of the examinees were unable to go home during the New Year. What could they do in six days? They could only stay in the places around the capital.
Fortunately, the examinees were used to it. Some of the examinees who had planned to participate in next year's Spring Examinations were caught up in this year's Autumn Examinations. Regardless of which, they were unable to spend the New Year at home.
The only thing that made the examinees happy was that their expenses during the New Year were still covered by Savant's Restaurant. Those who wanted to go home next year would still be paid for their travel expenses. Those who passed the examinations would naturally wait for the arranger. When the time came, their families would also follow them.
"Finally, I can take a break." Zhang Xiaobao sat on a stool next to the ice skating rink. He watched his younger siblings skating in circles and said in a relaxed manner.
Wang Juan wore ice skates on her feet and sat beside Zhang Xiaobao. She said, "The construction is really fast. The news from Changbai Mountain said that the ice skating rink was completed in a month. It's a pity that there are too few people who know how to skate, so we can't hold any competitions for the time being. You actually charged 50 copper coins per person. It's too expensive."
"It's not expensive. When there are more people playing, the price will increase to 100 copper coins. Otherwise, it won't be enough to cover the maintenance costs. This is not a roller skating rink. Those who use wheels to run on it are ice skates. It has to be maintained every day. Otherwise, if there are too many potholes, how can other people play?
This is the price in winter, and it's even more expensive in summer. Can the Ministry of Works make artificial ice machines now? They can only rely on saltpeter and the ice stored in the ice cellar during winter. Aiya, speaking of this, I have to get someone to watch the riverside. "
Zhang Xiaobao suddenly thought of a problem. Once the ice skates in the ice skating rink were released, it would become a trend for a period of time. Those who thought that the ice skating rink was expensive would take ice carts to the river to play. If the ice surface was not frozen properly, it would be easy for accidents to happen.
He had to inform the yamen in cold places to send people to guard the riverside. Otherwise, what would happen if a child fell in?
"There's also the ice skates. We can't be too anxious now. There's not enough iron. Most of it is used in the industry and military. The ice carts don't use much iron. Two iron wires and two thicker iron nails will do. We can't use an ice stick that is made of iron."
Zhang Xiaobao added another sentence.
"You can think about it yourself. I'll go take a look around and bring Xiaobei and the others to play." Wang Juan got up and looked for Xiaobei and the others to skate.
There were very few people in the ice skating rink who could skate on the ice as easily as Xiaobei and the others. They had played before. The other children couldn't even stand. Only a few talented people could put on ice skates for the first time and get used to it for a short while before being able to skate.
The others could only push a chair. The sound of wood rubbing against ice could be heard in the rink. It was very lively.
However, Zhang Xiaobao could tell from the clothes of the people that he had just seen that not many of them were from ordinary families. They were all the kind that had a bit of money. Perhaps only they were willing to spend fifty copper coins to play once.
Zhang Xiaobao didn't have any good ideas about this. He couldn't let all the people of the Great Tang play. If it was just a cold place in the north, perhaps with some effort in the winter, most people could afford to play as long as they wanted to without making any money.
It rarely snowed in the south, and even when it snowed, it wouldn't freeze easily. The cost was too high, and many people probably couldn't afford to play. They couldn't afford to play because it wasn't worth it. In contrast, they couldn't afford to play. There was always a choice between eating meat and playing.
"Brother, there's no one competing." Xiaobei turned around and came to Zhang Xiaobao's side. Looking at the scene of people pushing chairs, she asked.
"Because there are too few people who know how to play. After the New Year, when more people know how to play, your precious candy house will be able to give out prizes. Why don't you discuss with the people who play polo and organize an activity? You can give out prizes."
Zhang Xiaobao hugged his sister and said with a smile.
Xiaobei shook her head. "Polo won't do. Those who can play polo are all rich people. If they don't have money, they can't even afford to buy a horse. Even if I don't advertise them, as long as they want to eat sweets and pastries, or give them away, they will choose my precious candy house first. Like you said, eating isn't just a matter of food, but also a kind of identity.
I'd better go and play Cuju. There are many people who play this game. I'll set up new rules for them. According to the rules that you and sister said, it's meaningless to always see who can kick high and who can kick accurately. "
"Oh, that's good. Go and do it. When the time comes to organize it, you can make more money. Remember not to get involved in gambling projects. Keep an eye on the players. Don't let others bribe them. Otherwise, the game won't be good."
Zhang Xiaobao thought that his sister was just casually saying it, so he followed along and didn't take it to heart.
Xiaobei nodded seriously. "Okay, I'll do this. When the time comes, I'll definitely come up with the best Cuju team in Tang Dynasty."
After saying that, Xiaobei turned around and went back to skiing. Zhang Xiaobao continued to sit and enjoy a rare moment of leisure.
Chinese New Year's Eve came just like that. Every household in Tang Dynasty prepared for the new year. Even those who didn't have a good life wanted to have a good new year. If they couldn't afford mutton, they would buy pork. If it was especially difficult, the local government would naturally take care of it. Li Longji asked Zhang Xiaobao to transfer the money over.
During the process, there might be corruption in the price difference, but the people in the local government definitely wouldn't dare to keep the money. Those who didn't buy things and didn't have a good life would be in great danger if they were caught.
In terms of living conditions, the best place was naturally the capital. The lives of the people in the capital were generally better than elsewhere. They could do more work, even if it was to help people carry goods, even if it was to sell snacks, there was still a lot of work waiting for them to do.
Therefore, the new year was more festive. Every family bought firecrackers. Those with good hands made their own lanterns. Those who didn't had to buy them. There were all kinds of lanterns. In the afternoon, they were hung up with candles inside.
There were electric lights in special places. They were also painted with a layer of color on the outside. For example, the Imperial Palace and the properties of the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family. As for other places, there were no conditions.
The first diesel generator that was made was used to light up the streets of the capital. It was heavily guarded and didn't give others a chance to steal it. Although it couldn't be dismantled and made, it still couldn't be done. It had to be kept a secret. There were too many technologies involved.
Zhang Xiaobao brought his younger siblings to put up the New Year pictures. Wang Juan went to instruct people to arrange for the villagers from Sanshui County.
They couldn't return to Sanshui County for the new year this year. Therefore, the villagers of the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family got together and discussed. They sent many people to the capital to spend the new year with the main family.
As for the expenses, they didn't think about it at all. All of them were very rich. In order to get a place to come, they fought and fought. In the end, they reached an agreement. The children and the elderly were all in the crowd. It couldn't be all adults who came to spend the new year with them. Without children, it wouldn't be lively.
When they arrived in the capital, they naturally had to arrange a place for them to stay. The only regret was that they couldn't spend the New Year's Eve with the main family of the Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family in the same place.
Li Longji chose to spend the new year in the Hibiscus Garden. People from various industries were selected to accompany the emperor. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's families naturally had to accompany Li Longji. There were limited places.
When the dumplings were served, the sound of firecrackers for the new year sounded almost at the same time. The medical center and the people in charge of putting out the fire were nervous. Although the quality of the firecrackers was good and the people who made them were very serious, it was easy for people to be injured.
In the Hibiscus Garden, Li Longji sat in a relatively high place happily. He ate a mouthful of dumplings first. Only then did the people who were invited eat. They ate very carefully, afraid that the emperor would suddenly ask. How could they eat dumplings in their mouths?
Xiao Bei found more than a hundred children. They ran around and were very happy.
"Xiao Bao, in the future, we will celebrate with the people every year. Help me think, where should we go for the New Year's Eve dinner next year?" Li Longji looked at the performance on the stage. When the sound of the firecrackers died down, he asked Zhang Xiaobao, who was accompanying him.
"It seems to be too early to think about next year. It's better to wait until then. Actually, it doesn't matter where it is. What's important is that the venue is big enough to hold more people. Next year, you can let the people in many places see your appearance and hear your voice.
We'll record it in advance and pretend that you only said it during the New Year. When the New Year's Eve comes, we'll show it to the people together with the recorded performances. Unfortunately, there's no live broadcast. That thing is still too far away. "
Zhang Xiaobao was a little bored as he accompanied Li Longji. The performance on the stage was very good, but Zhang Xiaobao was not interested in it. If it weren't for the fact that he wanted to let his younger siblings have fun, he wouldn't even care if they didn't celebrate the New Year.
Wang Juan was the same. She sat there and felt sleepy. If it weren't for the firecrackers, she would have fallen asleep easily.
The others didn't have the same experience as the two of them, especially the people from all walks of life who were invited. They were able to enjoy such a good performance while eating delicious food. For a moment, they felt that their lives were not in vain. To be able to experience such a thing once in a lifetime was enough.
Even Li Longji found it very interesting. This was because many of the performances this year were set by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Not only were there singing and dancing performances, there were also many skits and crosstalk performances. There were also acrobatic performances, magic, and so on. Li Longji couldn't bear to take his eyes off the stage.
When the performance that established the positive image of soldiers was over, Li Longji asked Zhang Xiaobao, "Xiao Bao, when do you plan to leave after the New Year?"
"I think it will be in March. After the 15th, the new work in the imperial court will have to be arranged. The money collected in the last two months of last year will also have to be calculated. After that, Cuckoo will have to participate in the military examination. We can only leave after the examination is over. At that time, the weather will be a little warmer, and it won't be hard to walk."
Zhang Xiaobao had long since made up his mind and told Li Longji about it. In fact, even if they left in March next year, it would still be very cold when they arrived. If it snowed this year, the snow might not have melted, but they would be able to see more greenery.
Li Longji nodded and looked back at the stage. At this time, Xiao Bei ran over and said happily to her brother, "Brother, when I was playing with them just now, they said that they wanted to form a cheerleading team to cheer for our team. Isn't that awesome?"
"Awesome. What's the name of your team?" Zhang Xiaobao saw that his sister had brought up the topic of football again, so he followed along and asked.
"It's called the Victorious Cuju Team. There are a total of more than 30 people. During the competition, according to the rules that you and sister said, 11 people can go up. The people I picked are all awesome people, so it will definitely be victorious. Brother, don't you think so?"
Xiao Bei shook her head, looking as if she had a card up her sleeve.
"Yes, yes. When I heard the name, I also thought that the Cuju Team would be very awesome. They would get a few more victories." Zhang Xiaobao naturally wouldn't say anything against it. It didn't matter what name they gave it. Wasn't it just for fun?
What he didn't know was that Xiao Bei's nine people had already established the team a few days before the New Year. They even had an internal competition. They used the name of Precious Candy House to find people and pay them. Xiao Bei's nine people planned to wait until the fifth day of the New Year to find someone to compete with.
"Okay, I'll continue to talk to them about the cheerleading team." Xiao Bei ran away happily.
The lively Thirtieth day passed just like that. The next day, many people woke up very late. The night watch was too long, so they only went to bed in the morning.
Especially those who were overly excited because they were invited, they first lay down and couldn't sleep. Then, they didn't want to wake up.
Xiao Bei's nine people were even more so. They only opened their eyes in the afternoon of the first day of the New Year when they felt hungry. Immediately, the people in charge of the shift came to serve them. After eating their fill, the nine children gathered together to discuss their own important matters while they had a few days of rest during the New Year.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had to follow their families to welcome the people who came to pay New Year's greetings. Due to different customs, the two of them had to welcome and send off people. Some people would pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the New Year, while others wouldn't go out the entire day. They didn't even take out the garbage.
The sanitation workers in charge of cleaning the streets had a harder time. They drove the cars, swept up the firecrackers, and moved them away. When the sun came out, the streets were already cleaned.
Li Longji, who was becoming more and more considerate, knew that the sanitation workers worked hard, so he gave them a lot of 'overtime pay'. The money they earned during the New Year was equivalent to two months of their usual income.
Therefore, each and every one of them worked very seriously. They felt that it was worth it to be a little tired.
In addition to the sanitation workers, there were also people who had been sticking to their posts. They also received a lot of compensation. Even the farmers who worked for the main family received more rewards than usual.
This was all because of the relationship between the Zhang Family and the Wang Family in Sanshui County. With people from Zhuangzi, the relationship between the Zhang Family and the Wang Family could be written into a big book. Especially the farmers, all of them were very loyal and didn't slack off when they worked.
Therefore, they tried to give more benefits to their own farmers. They found that not only did their family's income not decrease, it increased instead.
On the fifth day of the New Year, Xiao Bei and the others still hadn't gone to do their own things. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan found them and went to Xingqing Palace to play together.
"Are you looking for Uncle Emperor to eat?" Xiao Bei had been afraid for the past few days. No matter where she went, she could smell the strong smell of meat. Especially when she went out to do things, as long as she lightly sniffed, there would definitely be a strong smell of meat floating over.
In the beginning, she was very happy, because it meant that the people in the capital were living better lives. But after smelling it, she felt disgusted. Only when she was at home did she feel better. There wasn't much meat at home. Except for the food that had to be made during the New Year, everything else was about the same as usual.
Xiao Bei naturally thought that when she went to the palace, there would be too much meat waiting for her to eat. How terrifying was that?
Wang Juan knew what Xiao Bei was thinking. She smiled and said, "We're not going to eat. We're going to take you to watch cartoons. The thing has been made. I think it will be damaged after one performance. Uncle Emperor will also watch it together."
"Oh, it's good that you don't have to eat. I'm scared. The cartoons are done? Let's go, let's go quickly. "Xiao Bei urged.
The group of people sped up and directly went to Xingqing Palace. Li Longji was also waiting. There were many people busy in the courtyard. A large shed was first set up, blocking the surroundings, making it dark inside. There were also people carefully holding bundles of glass pieces, gently lifting and placing them.
Li Longji already knew the principle, but he hadn't seen it in detail. While watching others busy, he occasionally said a few words to Gao Lishi.
He wasn't the only one watching. Many concubines, palace maids, and eunuchs in the palace also gathered to the side. As long as the shed was big enough, more people could go in.
When Zhang Xiaobao arrived, the glass pieces were all carried into the shed. There were even people who specially hung a large piece of white cloth in front of the electric lamps. They adjusted the angle of the light so that it shone on the white cloth.
Xiao Bei and the others anxiously waited until someone said it was done. Only then did they rush in and find a good place to sit. From time to time, they would look back at the place where the light came from.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan also sat down with Li Longji. The others were naturally arranged by others. When everything was stable, the glass pieces on the other side were quickly rolled up. A continuous animation appeared on the white cloth in front of the shed.
Only Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were used to this. The others had never seen this before. Although there was no sound, they were very shocked.
Li Longji's mouth was opened by Weiwei.
Suddenly, there was a sound. There was the sound of a cat and a mouse moving in the animation, as well as background music. When they looked in the direction of the sound, they saw many people busy there.
In fact, the dubbers were already in position when the scene started. They had practiced a few times in private. This time, because the Emperor was present, they were nervous. The person in charge of directing didn't do the action properly, so there was a blank period.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan chose the style of a cat and a mouse. This was because there was no need to speak. Just by looking at their actions, they could know what they were trying to express.
The cat and mouse were drawn very cartoonish. This was achieved by correcting the animation over and over again. Otherwise, the animators would have to show their own style.
The background of the animation was also the current situation in Great Tang. There was nothing that should not be there. For example, there was no television. There were sofas, chairs, and so on. There were also no high-rise buildings in the environment.
After Zhang Xiaobao saw it, he curled his lips. The animation was too bad. Sometimes, there would be a short pause. It was obvious that there was a problem with the glass at the back. When that thing was pulled quickly, it was not as good as film.
Wang Juan also had a calm expression. There was nothing to be excited about. If there was anything to be excited about, it would be because the first animation had appeared in Great Tang. It would be written in the history books and emphasized that the first animation had appeared because Zhang Xiaobai and the other nine people wanted to watch it.
Yes, it would be written like that.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan could be calm, but the others could not. Xiaobei's eyes were wide open. From time to time, he would point at the cat that was being bullied and laugh. The palace maids and eunuchs were also trying hard to hold back their laughter.
As long as Li Longji heard Xiaobei laugh, he would definitely laugh out loud.
Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, the animation suddenly ended. It was a little more than a quarter of an hour. About 20 minutes later, the animation was over.
"Is there more? I still want to watch it. " Xiaobei turned around and looked at the area where the light was coming from. Although there would be a pause from time to time when the glass at the back was pulled out, the next roll had to be pulled, so there was a pause.
However, no one cared. Everyone had tacitly agreed that the animation was continuous. Even when the scene changed, everyone could immediately understand what was going on.
A quarter of an hour was like an instant in everyone's hearts. It had just started and it ended. It was really not satisfying.
After Xiaobei asked, Li Longji also asked, "Is there more?"
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head regretfully. "There's no more. In just a quarter of an hour, more than 20,000 pieces of glass have been used. The people behind have to keep working. If things go wrong, someone might get hurt. I'll ask them later. Even so, the animation's speed is still not good. It can't reach 24 times per second. Let's just make do with it."
"There's no more?" Xiaobei also felt regretful. "If only we had that much more time. Bro, let's continue. I can take out my pocket money. It's really fun." "Okay, let's continue.
Furthermore, this can be replayed. If there are any broken pieces of glass, just replace them. If we make another one, we'll have to wait. It's very time-consuming. When the film comes out in the future, I'll make 100 episodes for you first and let you take them to your precious Candy House to play. "
Zhang Xiaobao knew that it was not easy to make, but so what? It was fine as long as his younger brother and sister liked it. Furthermore, after it was made, if they let the rich buy tickets outside to watch it, they would probably be able to recoup the cost in just a few episodes. Was it expensive to watch it 100 times per episode?
"Alright, I still want to watch that cat and that mouse. Why do they look so cute? They look like humans. " Seeing that his brother had agreed, Xiaobei happily described the actions of the animals in the animation that he had just watched.
Even though he had only watched it once, Xiaobei could still describe it pretty well.
The others were also reminiscing about the scene that they had seen in the past 15 minutes. Today, they had broadened their horizons. There was actually such a wonderful thing in the world. They had never heard of it before.
"Xiao Bao, leave this thing in the palace first. We will watch it two more times. Oh, when we watch it, we will definitely call Xiaobei and the others. We will wait for the new one to be made. You can take the old one and earn money."
Li Longji opened his mouth to ask Zhang Xiaobao. Suddenly, he saw Xiaobei looking up and pouting, so he could only add on.
Zhang Xiaobao knew what Li Longji meant. There were many people in the palace. After hearing about it from those who had never seen it before, they would keep thinking about it and would not be able to do things properly. It was better to watch it together and see what was strange.
Thus, he nodded and agreed. Even though Xiaobei was still a little reluctant, he could only endure it. When the time came, when Uncle Emperor saw it, he would definitely come.
Li Longji went to the back and looked at the people who were busy just now. No one was injured, but a few hundred pieces of glass were broken. They would have to be redrawn. They had been pulling too quickly just now and had broken them.
Looking at the pieces of glass, Li Longji suddenly said, "According to this drawing method, won't we be able to draw our movements?"
"Yes, we can draw it. Your Majesty, why would you draw yourself? How long will it take you to draw it once? If it suddenly breaks, we will have to redraw it. Moreover, it is impossible to broadcast it everywhere. It is inconvenient to transport it, and it is not easy to repair it after it breaks. It is better to wait for the film to come out. "
Zhang Xiaobao first admitted that Li Longji's idea was good, but then rejected it. Li Longji's character movements were not as attractive as cartoons. Once it was produced, it could only be shown to a small number of people. It would not be able to be sold outside to earn money.
More importantly, the shape of a character was much more difficult to draw than a cartoon. Cartoons only needed to be drawn according to a certain style and look like a cartoon. However, if a character had to be realistic, it would take a lot of effort. When drawing a character, they would have to draw a small piece of glass. It was estimated that the time it took an artist to draw a character would be enough to draw 50 cartoons.
Zhang Xiaobao explained this principle to Li Longji. Li Longji's hope that had just risen was gone again. He wanted his character to appear in the eyes of all the people of Great Tang. Just like a cartoon, it had to be coherent and look like a real person.
Now, he could only temporarily give up on this plan and continue to wait for the film to come out. He hoped that the production would be faster. Waiting was really making him anxious.
The glass piece was put back by the staff and the shed was removed. After the show ended, the palace maids and eunuchs returned to their posts and began to talk to the others about what the cartoon was, how fun it was, what the cat and mouse looked like, why the two animals would fight, why the mouse bullied the cat, and so on.
Thus, the thing that Li Longji was worried about happened. Although the palace maids and eunuchs who had not seen it with their own eyes did not dare to slack off, they still occasionally fell into a trance even if they tried their best not to think about it.
Some of them would even dream at night and say a few words in their sleep.
In the end, Li Longji urged the staff to fix the glass piece the next day and play it again. Xiaobei and the others came again and watched it. On the third day, they continued to play it again. Only after playing it twice did the palace maids and eunuchs finally calm down and get back to work.
However, their conversation still revolved around the cartoon. They began to think about when they would be able to watch the next episode together.
Xiaobei and the others began to study again. Most of their time was spent on studying. Occasionally, they could go out to play and participate in their soccer match. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was gradually approaching.
The people who had just celebrated the New Year were once again happily busy. The price of meat and vegetables was also very high, 30% more than usual. However, Zhang Xiaobao did not care. It was the New Year, so it was normal. After the New Year, the price would naturally fall.
On the fifteenth day of the month, one could also see the moon by watching the lanterns. Taking advantage of the cold weather, many ice sculptures were placed on the streets of the capital. There was space left for candles, making the entire capital look sparkling and translucent.
Li Longji, who had just invited people from various industries, once again hosted a banquet at Hibiscus Garden. Those who came last time did not have to come this time. There was a Lantern Festival, a variety of stuffed Lantern Festival dumplings, and also a large-scale party.
They even played the cartoon, which shocked countless people. They did not know what was going on beforehand, let alone understand the principle behind it. They thought that the animals in the cartoon were real people. Oh, they really looked like a cat and a mouse. They were probably the celestial cat and mouse from the immortal palace. Otherwise, why would they be in the cartoon? Furthermore, they could wear clothes.
Therefore, after the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the month, rumors began to spread in the capital. It was said that celestial animals had come down to perform for the emperor. Each and every one of them became more and more amazing as the rumors spread.
Zhang Xiaobao knew that it was time to open the market and make money.
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