"So that's how it's used! Brother, the mechanism you created is truly amazing! It doesn't require any Dao patterns or beast cores at all!" Yuchi Baolin exclaimed in surprise after watching Qin Mu's demonstration.
"Isn't this driven by human power? What's so strange about it?" Qin Mu said irritably.
“That’s true! How come no one thought of something so simple?” Yu Chi Baolin patted his forehead and said.
"I don't think that's surprising. People who are skilled in mechanics and divination all work on complex and powerful things, and they don't care about these small things at all. Besides, carriages and warhorses are fast, so why would they need people to pull them?" Qin Mu analyzed.
“Not bad, not bad, then why are we making this? Wouldn’t it be better to use a horse-drawn carriage?” Yuchi Baolin asked.
“Oxen and horses are expensive and require feeding, which is beyond the reach of ordinary families. Although these human-powered vehicles can't pull as much as oxcarts, as long as you have the strength, you can do it, and they are more convenient in the city. Compared to handcarts pulled by people, these machines can pull much more.”
“That’s true, but it’s not easy to do, especially the gears and pulleys. At least a skilled blacksmith would be needed to make them, so the cost isn’t low,” Yu Chi Baolin said with a frown.
"Why don't you just have ordinary blacksmiths do the simple tasks, and make the gears and pulleys separately? As long as they're all the same size, you can easily divide the work and cooperate!"
"Hmm! Brother, you're really sharp! This kind of vehicle is smaller and more convenient to use than a horse-drawn carriage."
"Yes, this tricycle for hauling goods is a bit inadequate. It's only suitable for hauling light items, otherwise the chain will easily break."
"That's easy! Just make it bigger. Anyway, it's for hauling goods, so speed isn't that important. As long as it's sturdy, that's fine," Yuchi Baolin said confidently.
Qin Mu thought about it and agreed. Small chains wouldn't last long, so they should make them bigger, including the gears. Although it would require more effort, the people in this world were generally stronger, so making them bigger wouldn't have much of an impact.
Through continuous experimentation with the people brought by Yuchi Baolin, some shortcomings were quickly identified in the three types of vehicles, and Qin Mu also offered suggestions for improvement. These included adding leather seats, a sunshade canopy, and hanging bells as reminders.
"Don't worry, I guarantee I'll make something that will satisfy you." After summarizing, Yuchi Baolin patted his chest and said.
"We need it as soon as possible; we need it when the restaurant opens. We also need to hire a group of people to pull the carts," Qin Mu said.
"Brother, you still haven't said where this is going to be used?"
"This won't be quick to set up. We'll use it ourselves first. Wine sellers can deliver it to their customers' homes. Restaurants that pick up customers can use it to take them home after their meal. For nearby places, we can use two wheels, and for farther places, we can use a pedal tricycle."
"Everyone has their own carriage, who would want to ride in ours?"
"Hehe, of course we do. Some guests come together, but when they part ways, they don't go the same way. With the restaurant's help, isn't that much more convenient? That's our service; others can't imitate it even if they want to," Qin Mu said with a smile.
Although wealthy families all have carriages, it's still much better to be pulled around by someone! The difference in status and the novelty are completely different. Imagine sitting with your legs crossed, being pulled around the street by someone, holding a folding fan in your hand—how dashing and classy that would be! Otherwise, if you're sitting in a carriage, who would know who you are or what you look like?
Qin Mu was absolutely certain that tricycles and two-wheelers would never lose money, after all, another world had already proven this point.
Actually, what Qin Mu really wanted to make was a bicycle, but the roads weren't smooth, and ironware was too expensive, so he figured he wouldn't be able to sell many of them, and he gave up on that idea for the time being.
In the city, pedicabs are much more convenient than horse-drawn carriages, at least saving on livestock, which should be very useful for many people in the lower and middle classes.
However, Qin Mu only thought of doing this because of Yuchi Baolin's family; it was an unexpected move. His main focus, of course, was still on the restaurant, especially working alongside the craftsmen in the workshop, which taught him a great deal. Yan Lide only explained it to him briefly before assigning him the array diagram as a calculation task.
This kind of simple, stable formation is the easiest to learn. However, most people aren't asked to calculate such large-scale formations when they first encounter them; they usually start with something about the size of a room. But Qin Mu has strong calculation abilities, so his first formation was a hotel reinforcement formation.
Qin Mu's apprenticeship was quite low-key, with only the Cheng Zhijie and Yuchi Gong families, along with Li Chunfeng, serving as witnesses. Yan Lide originally wanted to invite more people, but Qin Mu persuaded him against it. Yan Lide did not object to this.
"Uncle! Why didn't you let anyone know so I could have come to pick you up?" Qin Qiong had asked someone to inform Qin Mu to meet a guest, but unexpectedly it was Luo Cheng.
Upon seeing Qin Mu, Luo Cheng, whose face was cold, also revealed a smile, though it was only fleeting.
Qin Mu didn't take it to heart; it was perfectly normal for him. After greeting Luo Cheng, he cupped his hands to the people behind Luo Cheng and said, "Brother Bu, Second Brother Bu."
"Cousin!" Hearing footsteps behind him, Qin Mu had just turned around when a child's voice called out, and then a small figure rushed to his side.
Although he was happy to see Luo Tong, a snotty nose ruined his mood. He carefully helped Luo Tong up, squatted down, and used a handkerchief hanging on his clothes to wipe his nose. Fortunately, he hadn't forgotten this detail, otherwise he really wouldn't know how to proceed.
Trying to avoid looking at Luo Tong's red nasal groove, Qin Mu smiled and patted Luo Tong's head, saying, "Not bad, it's grown a little longer."
Children grow very quickly, especially when you only see them once every month or two. That feeling is most obvious then. On the contrary, when you see your own child every day, it always feels like they haven't grown.
"Really?"
"Yes, you've definitely grown taller!" Qin Mu gestured. He wasn't exaggerating; you could tell just by looking at your height.
"I practice martial arts every day!"
"You're still growing, don't overdo the physical training. Have you done the homework I gave you?" Qin Mu asked.
“…Yes!” Luo Tong hesitated for a moment before answering.
Needless to say, Qin Mu understood that the student hadn't studied much. He wasn't angry, but simply smiled and said, "Well, I'll check if you've tried when I have time."
As soon as Qin Mu spoke, Luo Tong's face fell, and his previous excitement vanished.
"Why haven't I seen Auntie, Uncle?"
"Mother has gone to the new house!" Luo Tong interrupted before Luo Cheng could speak. Qin Mu understood this perfectly. After all, Dou Jiande had died at the hands of the Tang Dynasty, and she certainly didn't have a good impression of Tang officials. Although they were relatives, she wasn't familiar with Qin Qiong, so she would naturally avoid them if possible.
"I just came to take a look and familiarize myself with the place so that Tong'er can learn from you in the future," Luo Cheng said.
"No problem, I will teach him well," Qin Mu nodded.
When Luo Cheng arrived, Qin Qiong naturally had to treat him well, but he was soon summoned to the palace by Li Shimin.
They ate at the Qin family's house the next day, but the meal was very dull. Luo Cheng was quiet in front of people he didn't know well, and Dou Xianniang was also quiet. They ate quickly and left.
"Phew! It's so comfortable here!" Luo Cheng finally let out a long sigh as he entered Qin Mu's courtyard.
"Uncle, if you like it, please come often."
"I really like the furniture you sent. Have your people make another set for your aunt," Luo Cheng said bluntly. He was referring to the furniture Qin Mu had just had delivered earlier that day. It was originally a wardrobe, sofa, and coffee table that Qin Mu intended to use himself; it had just been made and he was planning to move in after airing it out for a few days. As luck would have it, Luo Cheng arrived, and it was given as a congratulatory gift for the new house. After all, they didn't lack nice things.
"Uncle, you're really not being polite. Look how busy I am. That whole set is my own, and I don't have time to do those things right now," Qin Mu complained, pointing around.
It was indeed very busy; dozens of carpenters were constantly preparing for the restaurant. Qin Mu had only intended to use the situation as a pretext to get one for himself first. He hadn't even had a chance to enjoy it yet.
"Alright, alright, I know you're busy, we can do it later. I heard you're opening a restaurant?"
"yes!"
"Count me in."
"Of course, give me the money!"
"You want more money? How much?" Luo Cheng asked, his eyes wide.
"How can it be free? We've already spent nearly 300,000 strings of cash on this restaurant, not even counting the manpower and resources we've invested," Qin Mu said hurriedly.
"Spend so much? How big of a restaurant are you planning to build?" Luo Cheng asked in surprise. His investment was a spur-of-the-moment decision, mainly because he and Qin Mu got along well. Three hundred thousand strings of cash would be enough to equip ten thousand soldiers, and elite ones at that.
"Hmph! Go see for yourself, I guarantee it's worth the price!" Qin Mu said confidently.
"I don't have much money, only 10,000 strings of cash, but I can provide manpower. Brother Bu and the others are here this time, and they can help you out," Luo Cheng said somewhat guiltily. His money was all with his wife, and there were many expenses in Chang'an, so he didn't dare to spend it recklessly.
The Luo family is certainly wealthy, but they've had to maintain their army over the years, so their cash reserves aren't that high. Luo Yi wouldn't give him much either, since spending money in Youzhou is even more extravagant.
With Luo Cheng's arrival, the wet nurses and others naturally returned as well, making the courtyard even more crowded. However, considering the hardships the wet nurses had endured in the past, Qin Mu decided to let her enjoy her retirement by simply helping to manage the courtyard.
"That feels good! I didn't expect you to have so much ice." Luo Cheng exclaimed after taking a sip of chilled water.
"With Brother Bu and the others helping us, that's wonderful! I was just worried that the restaurant didn't have any experts to manage it!" Qin Mu said happily as he invited the group to sit down.
"Hehe, Huaidao, if you need anything, just give the order," Bu Fang said with a smile.
"There will definitely be many dignitaries at the restaurant. If the security is not adequate, it will be troublesome. I'll leave the safety to Brother Bu and Brother Bu's care," Qin Mu said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"No problem, no problem, we brothers will definitely do our best."
Luo Cheng's decision to hand over two experts pleased Qin Mu greatly, as neither the Yuchi brothers nor the Cheng brothers could remain in charge of the restaurant indefinitely. The Bu brothers, with their superior martial arts, were naturally even more reassuring.
Several families still need to form hunting teams, so they don't have many skilled hunters to offer. This has solved their immediate problem.
…………
"Young Master!"
"Dongmei, why did you make me new clothes again?" Early in the morning, Dongmei brought the clothes into the house, and Qin Mu asked with a smile.
"This was sent to me by Wang Ma."
"oh!"
“Hang them up! Wang Ma is always so restless. She’s already made three. How am I supposed to wear them all?”
"This is for you to wear today, young master!"
"Why are you wearing this today? Is something wrong?"
"Young Master, have you forgotten? Today is the Qixi Festival!" Dongmei asked with wide eyes.
"The Qixi Festival!" Qin Mu thought for a moment before realizing that the Qixi Festival was actually the Double Seventh Festival, also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day. People would wear new clothes and make Qiqiao (a type of pastry). Girls, in particular, would dress up beautifully to show off their dexterity and to pray for even greater skill.
Everyone seemed to be looking forward to this day, and everyone put on their new clothes early in the morning.
"Big brother! Is it pretty?" Qin Yuling twirled around in front of Qin Mu and asked with a smile.
"Yes, Yuling is very pretty." Qin Mu said with a smile as he looked at his two beautiful younger sisters.
Compared to the lively Qin Yuling, Qin Yuxin wore a new silk dress today, revealing a section of her snow-white neck and her collarbone. She also wore several pieces of jewelry, making her look particularly beautiful.
"Yuxin, you should wear more pretty clothes. Our family isn't short of money," Qin Mu said to the quiet and gentle girl.
"Mm." Qin Yuxin nodded, giving Qin Mu a grateful smile. Since her older brother came back, she felt like she had never been so happy. She used to be like an invisible person at home, but now someone cared about her. Thinking of this, her eyes welled up with tears.
“My sister, Qin Mu, should live better than others, so there’s no need to be frugal. Use what you need. I haven’t seen you wear the fabric His Majesty bestowed upon you last time.”
"I understand, big brother." Qin Yuxin happily withdrew the mist and smiled sweetly.
"I'll design a few outfits for you guys another day, I guarantee they'll be gorgeous!" Qin Mu said with a smile.
He certainly couldn't design, but finding a few nice-looking outfits from his memory was no problem.
"Big brother! I want pretty clothes too!" Qin Yuling said coquettishly, pulling Qin Mu's hand and looking up at him.
"Okay, okay, of course I won't forget you, but you have to do your homework well. Once you've learned addition and subtraction within 100, your big brother will do it for you." Children need encouragement to motivate them.
"Really, brother?"
"Of course, Big Brother keeps his word."
"I'll definitely learn it quickly," Qin Yuling said earnestly, her face tense.
"Let's go! Big brother will take you shopping today!" Qin Mu said with a smile. Not only was Cheng Huaibi absent today, but even Qin Huaidao was not here. They probably had somewhere else to go. Qin Mu never forced them to come every day, but fortunately, these little guys were obedient and rarely missed a day. It was normal for them not to come today because it was a holiday.
Hearing that they were going shopping, the two younger sisters were overjoyed and followed Qin Mu out.
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