Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Liu Yu (3rd update)
Zhu Dan followed Li Xueyao to the side hall and met Hu Hai and Zhao Gao who were also drinking tea.
"Zhao Zhongche is really leisurely, unlike me. I received the military order for seven days and refined the golden elixir promised to Your Majesty no matter what." Anyone could hear the sarcasm in Zhu Dan's words.
She never concealed this from beginning to end.
After all, Zhu Dan is very self-aware. She is not the kind of person who is scheming and good at concealing her expression.
In that case, she always plays it straight.
An upright person can be like a blade, stabbing people and making them bleed.
Look, isn’t this good fortune rolling in?
Hearing Tangyuan's excited baby voice, Zhu Dan's lips curled up.
Zhao Gao deliberately put on a wry smile and put down his teacup. "It is I who am useless. I failed to complete the king's instructions. The imperial preceptor is a disciple of a divine being, with extraordinary talents. I am not as good as him."
Zhu Dan's outward personality was so easy to see through, and Zhao Gao undoubtedly had the same idea as Li Xueyao. He could only show weakness and avoid it.
In the eyes of the king, he was acting impartially. Knowing that Zhu's identity was questionable, he reported the matter to He Fengchang, and was therefore resented by Zhu.
He is really too innocent.
As the king is clear about rewards and punishments, he won't do anything publicly, but he will definitely give some compensation in private.
At the same time, Zhao Gao was confident in his ability to control people's hearts. If he showed weakness, Zhu Dan would not hold on to it. Instead, he would feel guilty.
To be honest, Zhao Gao didn't want to be hated by a disciple of a god.
Despite the previous grudges, he was confident that he could resolve them.
However, Zhu Dan did not follow the routine. Although Tangyuan had already collected the luck and was also analyzing Zhao Gao's attributes, who would think it was too little if it was a little more?
"Zhao Zhongche is really modest. Everyone knows that His Majesty's trust in you is no less than that in Prime Minister Li Si. His Majesty has always been wise and brave. How could he have made a mistake? It must be that you, Zhao Zhongche, have outstanding qualities. But you actually only captured Lu Linyong this time. I wonder if you accepted a large sum of money from them or if you have some kind of relationship with them..." Zhu Dan clicked his tongue twice, looking meaningful.
Zhao Gao's face changed slightly: "I dare not agree with what you said, Imperial Master. Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng betrayed the king, and they deserve to be torn in half and beheaded. I share the same mind as the king, and I am concerned about the king's concerns. That's why I have always worked diligently for the king, and I have earned some" pity.
"Gao is very ashamed of this misstep."
"Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng are no ordinary people either. They seem to be colluding with the remnants of the Six Kingdoms. Gao was about to capture Lu Sheng, but someone rescued him. That person is quite skilled in martial arts, and neither Gao nor the Jiawei are as good as him..."
The others watched the two of them talking back and forth - Zhu Dan was sarcastic, Zhao Gao was ashamed, I am incompetent so I am really ashamed, they all lowered their heads to drink tea, not daring to interrupt.
Fusu understood Zhu Dan's character and knew that if he interrupted, Zhu Dan would confront him. This... Although Fusu didn't know the saying "It is better for me to die than for my friend to die", he had the same idea.
Li Xueyao's thoughts were more complicated than Fusu's.
Liangren treated Hu Hai as his own brother and always took care of him, never thinking anything bad about it. However, her intuition as a woman made her discover the malicious intentions of this nine-year-old brother early on.
So she would not speak for Zhao Zhongche.
Zhao Gao could predict that these two men would not speak, and he could not help but look at Hu Hai. Hu Hai avoided his gaze and moved his butt to the other side.
Zhao Gao was so angry that he almost laughed.
Where is your usual arrogance and recklessness?
He originally wanted to use the innocent words of Hu Hai, a hostage, to interrupt Zhu Dan's offensive. After all, with his status, it was impossible for him to contradict the imperial teacher.
But Hu Hai was different, so he ended up getting scared?!
Hu Hai avoided the gaze of his teacher and felt uneasy, but what about letting him face Zhu Dan?
No no no!
Hu Hai had few unhappy things in his life. The only person he needed to be careful with was his father. However, he suffered many losses at the hands of Zhu Dan, and his father even changed his attitude towards him because of her.
Moreover, Zhu Dan was not like the others who feared or flattered him. Her voice was like a knife, and she ordered him around like a servant. No, she was politer to those servants than to him!
How could Hu Hai, who always bullies the weak and fears the strong, not be cowardly and retreat?
Zhao Gao was isolated and helpless, and had no way to break off relations with Zhu Dan. In the end, he only sat there for a quarter of an hour before leaving, suppressing his anger and frustration.
As soon as he left, Zhu Dan's cold face instantly turned into a flower-like smile.
Fusu was helpless: "Mr. Zhu, I know you are angry about what happened in the court and are taking your anger out on Zhao Zhongche, but why are you so aggressive?"
"I'm aggressive? Who am I doing this for?" Zhu Dan was so angry that he almost laughed.
Fusu looked bewildered, but Li Xueyao understood Zhu Dan's defense of her beloved and quickly said, "Don't be angry, Mr. Zhu. My beloved has a mental illness. You'll only get angry if you argue with him. We've all seen how good Mr. Zhu is to us."
Zhu Dan looked at Li Xueyao in surprise and sighed, "I wonder how many years of blessing Fusu must have accumulated to be able to marry you."
Li Xueyao smiled shyly: "Although my lover often makes me angry, he is also very good to me."
Fusu: “…”
Obviously one was his wife and the other was someone he met first, but he inexplicably felt excluded.
Fusu felt aggrieved. He looked at Zhu Dan and then at his own wife.
The two of them were too lazy to pay attention to this blockhead and just kept talking to themselves.
"I know that you, Zhu Dan, are very angry because you were falsely accused of being a princess of Zhao State. But with my father's mind, he has long since stopped taking Zhao State seriously. Even if you really are one, it will not have any impact." Fusu showed his presence unwillingly.
Zhu Dan: “…”
Li Xueyao: "..."
Zhu Dan grabbed Li Xueyao's hand and said affectionately: "You have suffered so much over the years!"
Li Xueyao laughed.
While the two were showing their deep sisterly love, Zhao Gao returned to Hu Hai's palace. The anger on his face instantly disappeared, replaced by confusion.
He suddenly asked Hu Hai: "Did she deliberately anger you and Fusu before?"
Hu Hai was feeling a bit scared. As he grew older and became more sensible, he no longer bossed Zhao Gao around like he had when he was little, nor did he think the ever-smiling Zhao Gao was easy to bully. He had been trying to figure out how to explain this all the way, and was stunned when he heard this. "I don't spend much time with her, but she does tease me from time to time, and even looks pleased when she sees me angry. As for Fusu..."
Hu Hai recalled for a while and said with certainty: "Although she defended Fusu in front of my father, she was not very good to him."
He described the scene of the three of them getting along.
Zhao Gao's eyes grew darker. "Sure enough, she's set her sights on me."
At first, he did think that Zhu Dan was taking her anger out on him, and since the other party was just a child, it was not surprising for him to behave that way. But gradually, he discovered that Zhu Dan was deliberately provoking him and saying whatever hurtful things.
Although he doesn't care about some things, from outsiders' perspective, he should care a lot.
Hu Hai didn't quite understand: "She likes Fusu's hypocrisy, and can't stand me making fun of the palace maids, so she specifically complained to my father..." Hu Hai curled his lips. He felt that it was Zhu Dan who slandered his palace maids in front of his father after he was replaced by Jiawei.
Isn't it normal that he then came to hate his teacher Zhao Gao?
Zhao Gao was speechless. This idiot had already reminded him to this point!
I can only put it more bluntly: "She also wants to use me to make pills."
Ever since returning to the palace and learning about everything that was going on there, Zhao Gao has been wondering what the so-called luck that allows one to refine elixirs is.
Hu Hai's luck was drained away, so he broke his leg, and Fusu also fell ill. This was a manifestation of their bad luck due to their low fortune.
This luck can also be transformed into divine power!
However, apart from the two of them, no one else suffered the same misfortune. Zhao Gao even sent people to Lantian County to investigate the people around Zhu Dan to verify this.
Therefore, Zhao Gao boldly guessed that in addition to extraction, there are other ways to collect luck.
Combined with what Zhu Dan did in Lantian County, everything becomes clear.
As long as someone gets benefits from her, she can give him good luck in return. However, Fusu and Hu Hai are obviously different from those people. They can also gain good luck by being angered by her...wait!
Maybe as long as I am influenced by her, it will be enough.
Relying on the information he got from Hu Hai and various clues collected in the palace, Zhao Gao almost guessed Zhu Dan's magical power and the principles of alchemy.
After Hu Hai and Fusu, Zhu Dan set his sights on him again. Thinking of the fate of the two who had their luck drained away, Zhao Gao frowned.
He discovered another key point. Hu Hai broke his leg and it has not fully healed yet, but Fusu was only ill for a short time. When they went to visit him today, he did not look bad.
The difference... is too obvious.
Zhu Dan is not afraid...
Zhao Gao's eyes darkened. Yes, she was not shy about showing that she had a clear distinction between likes and dislikes.
People she dislikes will be drawn more, and even worse, if their luck is also drawn, she can choose to help resolve the problem or watch from the sidelines.
There is no doubt that he is also a person that Zhu Dan hates. Zhao Gao thought to himself: I have to find something for our national teacher to do.
The king has recovered, so whether to refine the elixir is not so urgent.
But if his luck was ultimately unavoidable, Zhao Gao hoped that it would be done after the feud between the two had been resolved.
*
It is not very surprising. Although Zhu Dan thinks that Zhao Gao is a more sinister mastermind than Hu Hai, his analysis of fate is more troublesome than that of Fusu and Hu Hai combined.
Compared to Hu Hai's pure poison attribute, it is more inclined to the illusion type.
Thinking of his misleading and deceiving people, Zhu Dan could hardly be patient.
There was no result on Zhao Gao's side, but Zhu Dan's appointment as the imperial teacher was approved by everyone in the court.
Li Si studied the past and discussed the present, pondering how to write this edict.
He Fengchang and Hu Taizhu were asked by Ying Zheng to arrange a grand ceremony, one that must be unprecedentedly grand.
There was no precedent in the past, so the two of them only thought of the King's Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, but the result was not very good.
Moreover, considering the importance the king attaches to Zhu Sheng, he must have higher requirements.
One is the emperor of the human world offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, while the other is the disciple of a god who comes down to earth to be appointed as an official. The two have different tendencies.
Thinking of the workload, He Fengchang and all his officials felt their scalps tingling.
They seemed to have already imagined the tragic future in which they would submit petitions many times but only have them rejected by the king and asked to be rewritten.
Zhu Dan doesn't know their pain. If he knew, he would only gloat over their misfortune - let you target me!
Of course, she had no time to gloat at this moment, because the Shaofu came to take her measurements to make clothes.
But tailoring the clothes is secondary. The key is that the Shaofu said that none of us have ever seen gods, so Zhu Dan has to give his opinion on the sacrificial clothes on the day of the ceremony.
Zhu Dan: “…”
It was as if I was dreaming back to those years when I accompanied my childhood friends shopping and tried on clothes until my hands and feet were tired.
Fortunately, the Qin Dynasty favored black, so for such a grand occasion, the only suitable clothing for the ceremony was black. Otherwise, the combination of different styles would be even more diverse.
Of course, the Shaofu was very considerate and said that Zhu Sheng could also choose some fabrics and styles to use for secondary occasions such as meeting the king and court officials, as well as for casual wear in daily life.
Zhu Dan: “…”
Why did she feel that the Shaofu was pointing at her?
Didn’t you just rush here from Lantian County and forget to change your clothes?
She is not dirty. You know, since Zhu Dan has sufficient spiritual energy, whenever she doesn't have time to wash up, she will remember to do a cleansing spell for herself.
Moreover, after drawing the qi into the body, the body will not be as easily contaminated by dust and dirt as that of an ordinary person, and will always display an immortal aura that is different from the mundane.
But the Shaofu didn't say it directly, and Zhu Dan didn't know how to explain it.
Just, hold your breath.
After the clothes comes the jade crown.
Zhu Dan didn't know that the relevant personnel had a heated discussion before coming to him.
The point of contention is which one should be chosen between the jade crown and accessories?
Some people think that Zhu Dan is now a woman, and may be a fairy from the fairyland who has come down to earth. Naturally, she should choose jewelry that women like. She can refer to the clothes worn by concubines in the harem and the ladies of various families.
On this basis, try to design decorations that are more like immortals or gods.
However, there were also some people who strongly opposed it, saying that although Zhu Dan was a woman, her status was like that of a minister in the court, so all the systems should follow the court's side.
The king stipulated that officials should wear mountain crowns, legal crowns, and military crowns, and also wear ribbons.
The number, color, and patterns of the ribbons worn by officials of different ranks are different. Because the disciples of gods are different from mortals, the jade crown and ribbon can be designed to be more exquisite and elegant while being solemn, highlighting the characteristics of the imperial teacher.
They couldn't agree on who was better, so they went to ask the king for advice.
The king directly chose the latter.
Zhu Dan also listened to Jiawei's report when he expressed his requirements for his future husband in the inner court.
Although because of Zhu Dan's personality, Ying Zheng always regarded her as a junior like his own children, he had this thought at some point.
This is the true immortal that he has been pursuing for so many years.
Living to over a hundred years old is great, but who doesn’t want immortality?
But now the last trace of regret in his heart disappeared. Ying Zheng wanted the two of them to practice together for immortality, without involving sexual desire between men and women, but it was obvious that Zhu Dan did not think so.
From this we can see that Zhu Dan is only a disciple of a god, but not a god after all. As a woman, she inevitably has the reserve and conservatism of an ordinary woman.
So Ying Zheng decisively gave up the idea.
Don't be in a hurry, take your time.
Mr. Zhu was unwilling and not in a hurry to use this method. He thought there might be other ways to cultivate immortality.
He has the patience.
He defined Zhu Dan as a collaborator who was higher in level than his subordinates in the court, so how could she not be happy with everything?
Ying Zheng didn't want Zhu Dan to misunderstand, but when Zhu Dan saw the Shaofu coming again and again, an ominous premonition reached its peak in her heart. She went directly to find Zheng Ge and asked about the process of the ceremony.
It just so happened that He Fengchang got a rough first version, although it had already been rejected by Ying Zheng.
He handed the memorial to Zhu Dan: "The general framework is similar to this, but the details are much more grand."
Zhu Dan: “…” Although he already knew that he was illiterate, it was the first time he felt ashamed of his illiteracy.
She turned around and handed the bamboo slips to Wang Changshi, "Read it to me."
Ying Zheng: “…”
Wang Changshi: "..."
Zhu Dan was furious: "I just don't recognize your Great Qin characters!"
She understands both simplified Chinese characters and the writing system used in the world of cultivation.
She knows a lot.
Wang Changshi took it silently and began to read it. However, before he was halfway through, Zhu Dan's mouth was already wide open in surprise. He couldn't help but say aloud, "Is it so complicated? Can't we keep it simple?"
She really wanted to say that this was more complicated than the ancient wedding ceremonies she had seen.
And most likely, they would only do it once, but on her side, in order to avoid mistakes during the ceremony, she would definitely have to rehearse.
It's not just her who is in trouble, but others as well.
However, this time, Ying Zheng, who always followed Zhu Dan's wishes, refused: "Whether you are a disciple of the immortals or the Imperial Master of the Great Qin, you should all be treated with such respect."
"Don't worry, you don't have to worry. There will be ceremonial officials accompanying and guiding you throughout the whole process. Just this once, Mr. Zhu, please consider it as working hard for me."
"...Okay." Zhu Dan responded dryly. Perhaps... the sense of ceremony is still very important?
Woohoo, I can’t handle the white-haired Zheng brother making such gentle demands on others.
*
Zhu Dan stayed in the Xianyang Palace for a while until everything that could be confirmed about the ceremony was confirmed and the rest did not require her cooperation. Then she returned to Lantian County without stopping.
This made Zhao Gao, who was still wondering whether Zhu Dan would come to him to make elixir, a little confused.
It is easy to figure out who is around Zhu Dan, but it is not easy to cause trouble for them and thus affect Zhu Dan.
Qin Mo, her two good friends, and her junior fellow apprentice Gongsun Liu stayed in Lantian County and did not return. Liu Bai did return, but he stayed with Zhu Dan and studied painting together.
Su is the easiest person to make a breakthrough, but he stays in the Taoist Temple and doesn't go out. If Yun Bazi needs anything, he can go to the Shaofu.
This woman is as cunning as a fox, and she was specially placed by the king to be by Zhu Dan's side. Minor bumps and bruises will have no effect on her, and it will easily alert the enemy. If the situation gets out of hand, it will be bad if she catches her.
So seven or eight days passed and Zhao Gao still did not take any action.
Compared to the bad luck of having his luck drained away, the consequences of being discovered against Zhu Dan were more serious and more unbearable for him.
"Did I guess right? She is not in a hurry to make elixirs recently?" Zhao Gao pondered.
Suddenly he was stopped by a eunuch who said that the king was looking for him.
Zhao Gao was startled, but when he inquired, he only knew that the king also called Hu Hai.
This gave him a bad feeling.
When the king took out two bracelets and asked them to put them on, this premonition became reality.
This is the bracelet that Zhu Dan once gave to Fusu.
Wang Changshi helped explain, "According to the Imperial Master, this bracelet can store the Qi that is lost daily. Over time, it accumulates, so when the Imperial Master is preparing to refine the elixir, he won't have to draw so much at once. That's why Master Fusu was luckier than Master Hu Hai and only got sick once."
"There is such a good thing? Wang Changshi, put it on for me quickly!" Hu Hai was young after all, and he smiled when he heard the benefits of this bracelet.
His broken leg has almost healed. He never thought it was great to be able to run and jump before, but recently he has had a very profound experience.
Wang Changshi broke the bracelet open and put it on him, then instructed him, "When the color of the bracelet fades, please ask Master Hu Hai to come over and tell him. The king will immediately send you to the Imperial Master."
Zhao Gao's face froze for a moment, then quickly returned to normal. He also stretched out his hand, but in his heart he was thinking that Zhu Dan had no intention of using them to refine the elixir only once, otherwise why would he go to so much trouble to give him the bracelet?
When he thought about how his luck would be drained away many times in the future, he almost lost his composure.
*
At this time, Zhu Dan, the culprit, had returned to Liuyeli and was walking through the pigpens. He smiled brightly at the piglets grunting and scrambling for food, "Very good! Eat more! We'll fatten them up so we can kill them."
She has high expectations for the pig-killing banquet at the end of the year.
As for why Zhu Dan gave up on using Zhao Gao to refine the elixir immediately, it was not because she suddenly softened her heart, but because she had already designed and simulated the elixir she wanted to refine.
Not to mention that only half of the materials can be found, this requires too much luck, right?
By drawing samples from Hu Hai and Fusu to make elixirs, Zhu Dan roughly estimated the bottom line of what one person could draw.
This is like drawing blood. If the amount exceeds a certain level, it will affect physical health. In terms of luck, bad luck will only bring them bad luck, but drawing too much may cost them their lives.
And it will violate the restrictions set by the laws of nature.
Therefore, Zhu Dan was very glad that Wutong came up with this method of accumulating luck, otherwise the elixir she wanted to refine would be too powerful, and directly drawing from Zhao Gao would not be enough.
Fortunately, Zhu Dan always remembered that there was never too many magical instruments that could hold one's luck. After returning to Xianyang Palace, he specially found the Shaofu and went to Zhengge's private warehouse to check, and added a lot of stock to the alchemy furnace.
So before leaving, Zhao Gao also happily received a big red bracelet.
Uh, he inexplicably thought of the silver bracelet and the tears behind the iron bars. Zhu Dan showed a weird smile. He was afraid that for them, the role of this bracelet was not much different.
None of them are good.
After checking every pigpen one by one, they didn't find any sick pigs. It was obvious that the five pig farming technicians were qualified. They took her instructions to heart.
As for the loss of two or three piglets, there is nothing we can do about it.
Each person is responsible for ten piglets. This is the first time we raise pigs on a large scale, so we don't have much experience, which is normal.
Zhu Dan left the pigpen and asked the housekeeper, "How's the record going? Show it to me."
Unfortunately, these five people were illiterate, so Zhu Dan specifically instructed the housekeeper to find someone who could read to take notes.
It doesn't involve privacy, but we need to know in detail what these five people do to the pigs every day.
The housekeeper didn't think too much about it at first, he just thought that Zhu Dan was monitoring them while they were working. After all, everyone's wages were not low.
Considering Zhu Dan's emphasis on pig farming, he specially selected a well-educated slave to send over.
He planned to train this person to be an accountant. Of course, there were more than one alternative like him.
Because he asked to see the records every day, the man did not feel that he was exiled. He worked very seriously and kept very detailed records.
Gradually, the housekeeper saw the clues.
Even if you know nothing about raising pigs, with this booklet you will know how to raise pigs that are big and fat.
Not to mention that Zhu Dan also offered a reward, giving one gold coin to anyone who could cure the sick pigs.
The housekeeper had read many booklets and knew that pigs could get sick like humans, and that the diseases that the piglets that died were not the same.
But if every disease is discovered and treated, then wouldn’t every piglet be able to grow up?
The butler took a deep breath.
Although he had guessed that the young lady was going to do something new when Zhu Dan asked her to castrate the pig, just like making tofu, at this moment, he found that he had underestimated the importance of what the other party was going to do.
So even if the young lady never came back, he did not dare to neglect her and ran to the willow leaves almost every day.
When Zhu Dan asked for the work log, the housekeeper immediately asked someone to bring it to him. Knowing that Zhu Dan was illiterate, he began to read it consciously.
Zhu Dan was actually trying to jog her memory. She had read the news about the pig farm, but it was too complicated, and she couldn't remember a single specific disease or treatment plan...
Well, she knew about swine fever.
But it’s useless to know. It seems that even in later generations there is no good way to deal with it. The only thing is to isolate and kill the sick pigs.
"By the way, don't eat dead piglets from now on. Just burn them!"
Zhu Dan really didn't expect this. She thought it was common sense not to eat sick pigs.
"Pig diseases can be transmitted to humans."
The butler's expression changed slightly. He really didn't know this.
After all, he is the steward of the Meng family, how could he be exposed to these things?
But he didn't know, those pig farmers should know... The housekeeper sighed inwardly, even if he knew, he would still be reluctant to give up the meat because of a fluke.
How is this possible?
After all, I am an employee of the young lady, how can I still be as stingy as before?
Forget it, just give them half a month's salary first so that they can feel it.
"Don't worry, Mr. Zhu, I will personally watch them burn clean."
In fact, it could be covered with lime and buried, but Zhu Dan was afraid that someone would dig it out and eat it, so he burned it clean.
Zhu Dan was most concerned about the piglets, but since they had all arrived in Liuye, she took the opportunity to see the water-powered mill made by Xiang Lichun and Xiang Liyuan.
Good news, it's been assembled.
The bad news is that this hydraulic mill is not very easy to use. From time to time, it gets stuck due to some problems and needs to be repaired for a long time.
This made the two of them extremely anxious, and they couldn't even catch up with Zhu Dan when he returned to Xianyang to refine the rejuvenation pill.
Therefore, this hydraulic mill cannot be operated externally and can only be used by oneself and adjusted at the same time.
Although the two were often angry, they were excited and spoke very clearly about the water mill.
It is obvious that they have gained a lot from the continuous maintenance.
At the beginning, I couldn’t find the problem for half a day and could only check each component one by one. Later, whenever a problem occurred, I could determine where the problem was in just half a quarter of an hour.
Zhu Dan did not disturb them.
She was originally thinking about helping to cheat?
But judging by the situation, she is really no longer needed.
Afterwards, Zhu Dan went to see Gongsun Liu and Xiaohua. Both of them were immersed in their research and even took time to learn characters. They were very enthusiastic at such a young age.
This teacher is none other than Liu Bai.
Although he is a painter, which seems a bit out of place, he has a high level of cultural literacy.
Finally, Zhu Dan found Hu Tou and said, "I want to go see Liu Yu. Is there anyone suitable to lead the way?"
Hu Tou really knew: "There is no one more suitable than this."
The next day, Erlin stood in front of Zhu Dan with a stiff expression on his face, hunched over and humbly asked, "Young lady, you want to see Liu Yu, but is there anything important you want her to do? How about I help pass on the message?"
Zhu Dan sensed her worry and soothed her, "I heard she'd developed tofu with sour syrup, so I was curious. I also wanted to go to the village to see how the tofu was selling, so I decided to go to Changpingli, where her family lived."
It turned out to be about tofu, Erlin felt relieved.
He had originally planned to split the profits from the blue stone equally with Liu Yu's family, but unexpectedly Liu Yu refused.
She spoke very sincerely. Her family consisted of the elderly, the weak, women and children, and they could not dig much blue stone. If they wanted to carry it to the county, they would have to hire a car, but the situation of her house was too conspicuous.
Erlin felt that this was true, so he did not force it.
However, Liu Yu was the first to discover it. He believed that his family had this source of wealth thanks to her, so he insisted on giving her 20% of the profits.
This time, Liu Yu did not refuse.
They sent the blue stone to the stall of the young lady, and after getting the news that she was willing to buy 100 kilograms first, they ran to secretly dig up 100 kilograms of blue stone, disguised it as wild vegetables and mushrooms from the mountains, and sold it quietly.
After sharing it with Liu Yu, the whole family was stunned by the golden color.
I knew the price the young lady paid for the blue stone was not low, but I never expected that I could get gold!
Erlin's parents thought of finding a wife for their youngest son.
Brother Erlin thought that the family had grown in number and the house was a bit cramped. The roofs of several houses were leaking, so they had to be demolished and rebuilt.
Erlin thought of buying a shop on the street. In the future, when he went to the countryside to collect mountain products, he would sell them in the shop. Then he could buy more goods at one time and save a lot of money.
There is a shop in this county, which has been the livelihood of three generations of my family. We can make money no matter what.
Erlin thought of meat. Now that there is gold at home, can he eat meat every day?
After discussing it, the whole family finally decided to listen to Erlin and first bought a shop that could make money.
To prevent anyone from having bad intentions, I didn't tell anyone.
Even when they later opened a shop and did business on their own, they pretended that the shop was rented.
With the shop making money, it would be natural for them to have more food, repair the house, and find a wife for their younger brother.
Everyone unanimously kept the bluestone mine a secret.
Although the young lady only said she would buy 100 kilograms, what if she wants more in the future?
They really tasted the sweetness.
Just one hundred pounds has actually changed the fate of their entire family. If there is more to come, I can’t even imagine how happy they will be.
The whole family regarded the young lady as a benefactor, and now that they knew that she was just curious about tofu, Erlin felt at ease to lead the young lady on the way.
If Zhu Dan went alone, she could walk faster, but since Erlin was there, she asked the housekeeper to prepare a carriage.
This was Erlin's first time riding in a horse carriage. He was nervous, expectant, and excited, but it soon turned into discomfort.
He actually gets carsick!
It is normal to ride in donkey carts and ox carts.
Zhu Dan clapped his palm on Erlin's shoulder, sending him some spiritual energy. "The carriage is fast and bumpy, and many people are not used to it the first time they ride it."
Erlin was a little embarrassed at first because the young lady touched him, but he soon felt the warmth coming from his shoulder, which seemed to soothe his discomfort. His eyes widened in surprise: "Young lady, you..."
"Didn't I tell you? I'm still a Taoist priest, and I just know some small Taoist spells." Zhu Dan was not the kind of person who would brag to everyone that he was a disciple of a god.
In front of Li Si, Zhao Gao and others, she used this identity to intimidate them. In front of ordinary people, she was too lazy to do those things. Isn't it good to be down-to-earth?
Erlin didn't really think much about it.
They are close to Xianyang, and the rumor that the king is seeking immortality is widespread. To common people like Erlin, alchemists are considered masters who know the art of immortality.
Now that he knew the young lady was an alchemist, he felt he understood. No wonder the young lady could make tofu from beans.
Zhu Dan opened the curtain to let the wind in, and then spoke to divert his attention and asked about Liu Yu's family.
Erlin talked about what he knew about Liu Yu's family.
Upon learning that Mingming was a hero who fought for his country, but had no male children in his family and had to resort to such a wasteful act as selling his land to protect himself, Zhu Dan was silent for a moment.
She originally thought that the Qin Dynasty was not so feudal.
But in reality, as long as technology is not developed and the country does not break away from the small peasant society that values strong labor, women will always be inferior to men.
If a woman has no male children in her family, she will be targeted and the whole family will be wiped out.
This is not even a question of feudalism or not, it is a very realistic situation.
The reality is that those who can work and make money occupy the high ground.
Even though the level of civilization in later generations has reached a very high level, this is still the reality.
It is said that parents' love for their children is pure and unadulterated, but they naturally value the promising one more.
Zhu Dan took a deep breath: It doesn’t matter, this is Daqin, the starting point of the feudal dynasty, everything is still in time, I have plenty of time.
Girls don’t have as much muscle as boys, but it doesn’t matter. They can’t do heavy work, but they will be responsible for using their brains in the future.
If you start to overtake others from here, you won’t end up foolishly thinking that girls are born stupid. On the contrary, it can be the other way around.
Zhu Dan suddenly smiled. Men are strong and naturally suited to physical work, while women are dexterous, smart and careful, and are more suitable for commanding. Isn't that great?
She didn't notice that Erlin subconsciously shrank to the other side of the carriage.
Somehow, even though the young lady was smiling, he felt a little scared.
The carriage soon arrived at Changpingli, but the road ahead was difficult to travel on, so they got off the carriage.
Erlin's steps were weak, and he stood for a long time before walking to the front to lead Zhu Dan.
Zhu Dan looked around the small village and sighed. During the Qin Dynasty, the land was vast and the population was sparse. Every household occupied a large piece of land, but the houses built on it were not very beautiful.
Unlike Lantian County, although the houses are low, traces of bricks and tiles can still be seen.
Changpingli is not too far from Lantian County and has more opportunities, but the houses here are basically adobe houses, with only a few using bricks and tiles.
Liu Yu’s family was one of them.
At this time, many people were coming in and out, most of them went in with empty baskets and came out with baskets. When Zhu Dan saw that the baskets were filled with tofu, he understood everything.
"This business is pretty good."
Erlin shook his head. "Not as good as before. Now, the people who come to buy tofu are all from this village. It's not like two weeks ago when many people from other places came to Liu Yu to buy tofu and take it back to their own village to sell. Back then, people were waiting outside the house before dawn. Liu Yu even asked me to buy candles for light."
"Tofu vendors kept leaving, and when I came over there were still people waiting for their tofu to be made."
Zhu Dan was a little surprised at the popularity of tofu.
It seems that keeping up with the fashion is also the nature of the Chinese people, no matter whether they are from Lantian County or the countryside. This tofu is not expensive, and you don’t need to spend any money. You can just take some beans and enjoy the freshness.
Even frugal families would not be unwilling to do so.
Erlin continued, "Although Liu Yu's family, including women and children, were hardworking, grinding beans was no easy task. Liu Yu, relying on the good relationships he had accumulated in the village over the years, selected young men with good character to hire."
"She used to dislike going to the county, and she always asked me to sell her mountain products. But I didn't expect that she would make several trips just for this tofu. Whenever there's a new product at the stall, she'll go and learn how to make it. For example, the yuba thousand sheets, although much more expensive, some people still love it and are willing to spend money on it."
"It's a pity that once people from other villages learned how to make and sell tofu, there were fewer vendors coming to Liu Yu's place."
"Why?" Zhu Dan is a qualified supporting actor.
"It's obvious that the young lady has never been to the countryside, so she doesn't know that the relationship between here and the village is much more closed than that of Lantian County. Although the people in the county don't like outsiders coming to work, at most they just deduct some wages and say something unpleasant, but it's different in the countryside."
"If you don't know someone in a village, you can't easily sell goods there. Peddlers like me, selling daily necessities like bone needles, silk thread, and bean paste, have suffered losses many times, not to mention competing with the people in the village for business selling tofu." Erlin shook his head. "They will definitely be driven away. With those vicious people, they can lose half their lives."
Zhu Dan's expression changed: "Is xenophobia so serious?"
She had more or less realized the weight of the saying that imperial power should not extend to the countryside.
"Yes, I've been to a few villages selling goods, and I've heard people there complain that the tofu makers there are lazy and greedy. For the same price, the tofu they sell is nowhere near as big as Liu Yu's, and it's not as clean, but people in their area still only buy from that store."
"Because those who can afford a stone mill are all rich and powerful, often a prominent family in the village. How could ordinary people dare to offend them?"
"You know a lot!" Zhu Dan gave him a thumbs up.
Erlin smiled shyly and said, "It's nothing. I just go to the countryside often and see a lot of things."
But not all peddlers can observe and remember these things.
Zhu Dan felt that Erlin was very smart, quick-witted, good at thinking, good at observing things around him, and courageous enough to be the first to step forward and seize business opportunities.
He also values gratitude and loyalty.
If it happens in the future, it is likely that the big guys who made their fortune by riding the trend will not lose everything.
Unfortunately, he lived in Daqin and was born into an ordinary family. He was just a peddler selling goods in the countryside. Before selling blue stones, he didn't know whether the largest amount of money he had handled was even one hundred taels of silver.
As they were talking, they had already arrived at Liu Yu's house.
As I walked into the yard, a little girl greeted me warmly: "Are you here to buy tofu? Our tofu is fragrant and tender..."
Halfway through the conversation, she recognized Erlin and exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle Erlin? Mother, mother, Uncle Erlin is here!"
She walked as lightly as a bird and quickly went into the inner room to call for help.
Erlin told Zhu Dan, "This is Liu Yu's granddaughter Cao'er."
Zhu Dan nodded and suddenly shrugged his nose.
In addition to the smell of fresh tofu, she also smelled a foul odor, like something moldy.
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