Chapter 133 Modifying the Carriage
Jiang Ling pushed open the wooden door, and the air outside felt several degrees colder.
With no work in the fields, every household is starting to stock up on supplies for the winter, eating at most two meals a day.
The rest of the time, they would go into the mountains in twos and threes to collect firewood for the winter and dig up some wild vegetables.
Those with the means can venture deeper into the forest to try their luck and see if they can hunt some wild game to improve their meals, and also save up some hides to keep warm.
Fewer and fewer villagers are selling vegetables outside the door, and the variety of fruits and vegetables has been reduced from a wide variety to just two or three types.
"Good morning, Miss Jiang!" Uncle Zhao, who was at the front, looked up and greeted her.
Good morning, Miss Jiang!
"The weather is getting colder today, Miss Jiang, you should wear an extra layer of clothing."
Jiang Ling smiled and replied, "Good morning, everyone."
While waiting to sell their vegetables, the surrounding villagers chatted about everyday things.
Some people said they went to the back mountain in the morning and dug up half a basket of shepherd's purse, which they blanched and dried to last for a few days.
Some say the man in the family was lucky yesterday, he caught a fat rabbit, and he can make a better meal for the kids tonight;
Others sighed, saying that many people had fled famine in the north this year, and although the government was distributing porridge at the city gates, it was still heartbreaking to see.
Jiang Ling listened, occasionally nodding in response.
Back at the counter, Jiang Ling first opened the letter on the table with sealing wax on it; it was from Zhao Jingxing, sent from the capital.
The letter paper is fine Xuan paper, and the handwriting is strong and powerful.
"To Miss Jiang: I am deeply grateful for your medicine and manual, which enabled me to escape danger. I will remember this kindness. My condition has stabilized, my fever has subsided, and my wounds are healing. The imperial physician also praised the miraculous effects of your medicine, so you can rest assured. The main culprit in the human trafficking case has been captured, and my subordinates are handling the follow-up matters. I can focus on recovering. Once I am fully recovered, I will definitely visit Jishui Village to express my gratitude."
Seeing that Zhao Jingxing was out of danger, Jiang Ling finally felt relieved after a long period of anxiety.
If Zhao Jingxing had not yet woken up, or if his wounds had worsened, she would immediately take all her tools and head to the capital.
She found a piece of paper, picked up a pen, and wrote back, telling him to focus on recovering and not to worry about investigating the case.
After finishing writing, she packed up some nutritional supplements suitable for recovery from injury, as well as some snacks that could be stored for a long time and improve her mood. She then entrusted a courier to send them to the capital.
After finishing all that, Jiang Ling finally had time to think about the newly bought carriage.
Last time she came back from Ping'an County, it was only an hour's journey, but the bumpy ride almost made her bones fall apart.
There was no shock absorption system in this era, so we had to modify it ourselves.
Yesterday, she specifically measured the dimensions of the carriage's axles, went back to the physical store near Hyundai to buy two rubber tires, and also brought some springs and hardware parts.
She called Xiao Ran over and asked Xiao Ran to call his father Zhao Yin and his younger brother Xiao Qi to come and help.
When Zhao Yin heard that Miss Jiang wanted to modify the carriage, he naturally felt obligated to help.
Several villagers passing by came over enthusiastically: "Miss Jiang, what are you doing to the carriage? Let us lend a hand!"
"Thank you all for your help!" Jiang Ling said with a smile, and directed everyone to carry the carriage to a spacious area inside the shop.
Zhao Yin had previously seen how the caravan teams modified their vehicles, and Jiang Ling explained it to him briefly, which he then understood.
He first helped remove the old wooden wheels, revealing the bare axles;
Xiao Ran and the villagers worked together to lift the rubber tire and carefully put it onto the axle. The tire was much wider than the wooden wheel, so they had to push it in with force when they put it on.
Little Qi was too young to help with the heavy work, so he squatted down beside the tires, handing them screws and wrenches, his eyes always fixed on them with curiosity.
"Sister Jiang, this dark, soft thing, can it really be used as a wheel?"
"This is called a tire. It's like putting a soft coat on the wheels, making them more stable when walking on the road," Jiang Ling explained.
The villagers gathered around to watch, and some even touched the tire in surprise, exclaiming:
"This thing is really strange. It feels soft yet strong, much better than wooden wheels!"
After the two wheels were installed, Zhao Yin directed the installation of springs at the bottom of the carriage.
First, remove the frame, then fix the springs between the bracket and the carriage. After each spring is installed, have Xiaoran sit on it to test the ride and adjust the spring tension.
Uncle Zhao watched from the side, occasionally helping to stabilize the frame, muttering, "With it installed like this, the carriage won't directly hit the frame when driving on bumpy roads. It's a good idea!"
The modification was finally completed when the sun was high in the sky.
Jiang Ling couldn't wait to have everyone reassemble the carriage, and then she sat in it herself to try it out.
Xiao Ran rode his horse back and forth for a short distance on the dirt road at the entrance of the village.
The previous feeling of being bounced around with every step is gone. Even when driving over gravel roads, there is only a slight sway, and the cushions on the seats don't shift much.
"It's so different now!" Xiao Ran exclaimed excitedly as she drove the carriage.
"Before, when I rode in an oxcart, the ride on this road was so bumpy that my internal organs felt like they were going to churn, but now it doesn't shake at all!"
Jiang Ling sat quietly in the car, feeling the impact. The intense, hard-hitting jolts from before had almost disappeared, replaced by a much gentler swaying.
Although it was still a little different from what she had imagined, Jiang Ling was already very satisfied.
Now, going to town won't be so bumpy anymore.
Xiao Qi was eager to get in the car and experience it, but Zhao Yin stopped him.
This is Miss Jiang's carriage, so naturally they are not allowed to move it.
Jiang Ling saw through his thoughts, and got off the carriage after it had gone around for a while.
"Xiao Qi, you should go up and give it a try. Brother Zhao, you should also try and see if there's anything that needs improvement."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yin and Xiao Qi beamed with joy and nodded quickly, "Okay, we'll give it a try right away."
"Brother, I'm here."
The villagers who were helping also took turns sitting on it. However, none of them dared to sit inside the carriage, for fear of getting it dirty.
Jiang Ling smiled at everyone and said, "Thank you all for your help. If you need to use the carriage in the future, you can come to me or borrow it from Xiao Ran when it is not in use."
"No need, no need!"
"I'm glad I could help!"
The villagers quickly waved their hands, saying that they had no chance of using the carriage, and that they were covered in mud and shouldn't get the luxurious carriage dirty.
On ordinary days, an oxcart is enough for going out.
There's a saying: Even wearing a dragon robe doesn't make one look like a prince.
Their attire and the fact that they're sitting in such a luxurious carriage don't seem appropriate at all.
Such a luxurious carriage is only fitting for someone as talented as Miss Jiang.
With that, they each shouldered their tools, smiled, and took their leave.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Jiang Ling noticed that there was still one person standing on the outer edge of the crowd who had not left immediately.
Xiao Ran, with her sharp eyes, ran over happily and bowed respectfully: "Sir! Were you here to help too?"
Jiang Ling looked in the direction of the sound and saw Fu Chengze standing there.
He had already put on those silver-rimmed glasses, the lenses reflecting a faint color in the sunlight.
The ends of the two temples were carefully tied with cords, which were looped around the ears and hung behind the neck to prevent them from falling off.
As a result, he appeared even more refined and handsome, and his eyes became exceptionally clear and bright.
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