Chapter 239: The Road to Beijing
Lin Shiqi also asked whether the video she posted caused any abnormal phenomena or if anyone had abnormal behavior, but the old man and Assistant Li both said no.
Lin Shiqi had no choice but to put it aside for the time being. Zhou Lang asked Li Tezhu to continue observing and send messages as soon as there was any situation. The two of them could now connect online every day.
Zhou Lang secretly filmed some videos of the academy, but from the perspective of Lin Shiqi, a semi-professional master, the videos were not very good, and many of the angles were problematic. However, she did not win by her shooting skills, so it was okay if the pictures were a little distorted. Everyone just had to make do with it. It was already a great honor to have the opportunity to see a real ancient academy, so what else could she ask for?
I just edited it and posted it.
Sure enough, netizens only complained about the picture problem for a while, and then they were shocked by the scene in the academy.
The pavilions, corridors, and even the flowers, plants, and trees there all looked authentic and were very different from their impression of the ancient times.
The lower half of the classroom was made entirely of stone, and the upper half was carved out of wood. It showed signs of age and definitely did not look like a temporary structure.
Although the tables and chairs inside are of simple structure, they are much longer than the desks in modern classrooms and look very sturdy. They are all painted with a mixture of raw lacquer and tung oil, giving them different sheens, but some corners and tabletops have been polished to the original wood color, revealing the unique simplicity and heaviness of the academy.
Of course, what attracted more attention were the scholars.
A certain fat man had not come to school since he got married, which led to a significant drop in the proportion of obese people in the academy, especially in the scholar class, which was almost entirely thin. And probably due to diet, their faces were not as round as those of modern people; but because the air quality in Dayu State was quite good, their faces looked very energetic.
In short, even if we put aside particularly obvious differences such as clothing, they are still quite different from modern people.
There is also an old teacher in the academy, with a slightly curled beard and a face full of poetry and books. His appearance, spirit and demeanor are not possessed by modern people.
Everything refreshed the netizens' cognition, causing them to marvel at it and to be suspicious for a while.
…
Soon, it was time to set off for the capital.
Transportation is slow these days, so you must arrive plenty of time in advance to avoid missing the time.
According to Zhou Lang, many classmates in the academy had already set out, especially those from poor families who planned to walk there, some several months in advance.
Because most people have never been to the capital, they have to ask for directions along the way. If they take the wrong route, they have to change route. This is a very common situation.
There are also other unexpected events, such as heavy rain or robbers, which need to be taken into consideration.
Lin Shiqi invited Mrs. Zhou to go to the capital with him, but Mrs. Zhou refused, saying that it was already great for her old body to be able to come to Dayuan. The capital was too far away and she would be a burden if she went with them.
Lin Shiqi thought about it and felt that the trip to the capital might not be so peaceful. It would not be too late to take her there after she and Zhou Lang had established themselves.
Zhou Laowu also said that he would stay for the time being as the situation in the capital was unclear. He was now very skilled in running the shop. In addition to the goods specially supplied by Lin Shiqi, he actually approached those merchants who came from overseas to trade. Even without Lin Shiqi's provision of goods, he could still hold on.
Of course, business would plummet.
Lin Shiqi simply transferred the shop to him without taking a penny, and left him a large number of modern cups, which were supplied in limited quantities every day to ensure the reputation of special supply from overseas.
Liu also stayed and continued to be in charge of making tofu. Her two children were still young, and although Zhou Laosan was gone, she had the support of everyone else, so her life was no problem at all.
There are also Erlang, Sanlang, Daya and Erya, the younger ones who can help with the two businesses. Especially Erlang and Sanlang, who are considered half-grown boys, Lin Shiqi specifically told them to stand up and help run this big family.
I made a special trip back to my hometown, Taohua Village.
There were not many people left in Taohua Village. Old Man Zhou took care of the crops with his eldest and second sons. With only a few people in the family, the eldest son could not be lazy anymore and changed a lot. As for the promised marriage for him, it had not been settled yet. Mrs. Zhou pinched him and said that if he didn't work harder and make more money, he would forget about marrying a wife.
The second son and Ruan became more honest. No one tempted or deceived them anymore, and no one talked about their fertility issues anymore. Their lives were ordinary, but they were already content. Mrs. Zhou and Old Man Zhou took this into consideration and did not mention kicking them out again.
Lin Shiqi checked with his family members one by one, and only after he felt that there were no problems did he set out for Beijing.
There were only three of them: her, Zhou Lang, and the mute girl.
Zhou Lang, who was not short of money, bought a carriage with a compartment for the three of them to ride together.
In order to avoid bumps on the road, Lin Shiqi laid thick mattresses in the carriage and on the seat. Considering that cotton has no elasticity and will become hardened over time, he returned to the space and ordered a batch of thick sponges to pad the bottom.
Zhou Lang didn't even ask for a driver, he just took on the job. For this day, he even practiced driving skills with a master.
Lin Shiqi also admired him a little. He was a very ambitious guy and full of energy.
The mute girl was also very active. Perhaps she was worried that Zhou Lang would be too tired to drive alone, so she took the initiative to learn driving skills from Zhou Lang on the way. It didn't take long for her to successfully graduate. However, she was a little short, so sitting in the carriage affected her vision a little. But it was not a big problem. There were few cars on the road, so she didn't collide with others.
Finally, Lin Shiqi also started to learn. Driving a carriage is a technical job. It is always a good thing to have multiple skills. He is free anyway and cannot let Zhou Lang take all the credit.
So the three of them took turns driving the cart. They didn't feel tired at all, but rather felt relaxed and comfortable as they were just sightseeing.
Of course, Little Mute Mother didn’t quite understand why her parents liked to look at the scenery. What was so good about it?
This was something he was used to. In the eyes of Lin Shiqi and the others, the scenery of this world was indeed very different. There was no industrialization, the grass and trees were particularly lush, the plants were abundant, and the vegetation was thick. Even the most common wild thatch was taller and denser than modern ones.
None of the three mentioned the dangers on the road.
But what is coming will come.
That day, when the carriage passed through a forest, more than 40 men suddenly rushed out, each holding a steel knife. One of them shouted:
"I opened this mountain and planted this tree! If you want to pass through here, you have to leave money for passage!"
Seeing such a standard shout, Lin Shiqi was a little curious. He pulled aside the car curtain and looked over. The little mute girl also stuck her head out.
But this scene was seen by the bandits on the opposite side, and a man who seemed to be the leader said in surprise:
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