Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Hydraulic Waterwheel
Lin Si didn't know that Mo Jinglian had already dreamed about her past life, she was very busy.
Although the drawings given by Lin Si were abstract, they contained many details and were very detailed, so the master and apprentice spent all day chiseling, hammering, and sawing on the wood.
There are ten main spokes alone, not to mention the six long and short inner spokes, sixteen crossbars, six scrapers, and thirty-two tail crossbars.
After the wood has been severely punished, we have to collect some bamboo to make water tanks and troughs.
By the end of the work, the master and the apprentice had big dark circles under their eyes and looked extremely tired.
Lin Si gave them two days' vacation and then took the equipment to the farmland for trial use two days later.
Sun Chang and Fan Li did nothing during these two days. They slept almost for two days and two nights, only getting up in the middle to have a meal.
Two days later, Lin Si and Liang Nian came to the farmland to observe the trial use of the small waterwheel.
Lin Si also asked Zuo You to bring the children from the manor to visit, so that they could take a labor and nature class.
There are too many steps and parts to assemble the waterwheel, so Lin Si sent Nan Qiao to help carry the wooden parts over.
Nan Qiao didn't understand what these parts were used for, so he simply tied up half of the strips with a hemp rope, and then easily carried them on his back, and walked ahead, leaving Sun Chang and Fan Li stunned.
So what Liang Nian and Lin Si saw was Nan Qiao walking briskly in front, carrying a huge bundle of wood behind him. Sun Chang and Fan Li were carrying less than one-third of Nan Qiao's weight, and they walked very slowly, stopping to rest from time to time.
Zuo You looked into the stream and saw his silly carps.
Zuo You was scattering fish food while muttering to the fishes.
Guo Han was closest to Zuo You and asked curiously, "Master Zuo, what are you talking about to these fish?"
Zuo You scattered the last handful of fish food and said, "Nothing much, I just hope they can learn to be smarter."
Nan Qiao walked in front and soon came to the side of Liang Nian and Lin Si. She put down a pile of wooden parts and placed them on the ground.
Sun Chang and Fan Li, who arrived later, were panting and also placed the wooden parts on the ground.
There is a waterwheel support carved in advance by the river, also made of wood.
Sun Chang and Fan Li sorted the wooden parts and arranged them, took out the main shaft and stuck it tightly in the middle of the waterwheel bracket. The two took out a small hammer and started knocking.
For Lin Si, the process was a bit like playing with building blocks.
As the two assembled, the waterwheel gradually took shape, until it was fully assembled except for the bamboo water storage tank.
Lin Si reached out and touched his chin. The waterwheel looked a bit like a large bicycle wheel. From the outside, there was no problem. The main thing now was to test whether it could be driven by water power.
Nan Qiao got Lin Si's look and immediately moved the stones on both sides that were blocking the water flow.
A magical scene happened. With the force of the water flow, the entire water wheel began to rotate by itself with a squeak.
Sun Chang and Fan Li had been concentrating on making parts for a while now, but now that they saw that what they made was actually turning on its own, they felt a sense of accomplishment.
Of course, not much.
After all, who wants to saw wood day and night?
Liang Nian walked to the river and looked at the waterwheel again and again. He could already imagine what it would look like to tie a bamboo tube to the waterwheel.
This thing is as useful as a treadle plow!
Lin Si also took the opportunity to talk to the children in the manor about some simple physics knowledge such as fluid mechanics and energy conversion.
Sun Chang and Fan Li received Lin Si's order to tie the prepared bamboo tube to the water wheel. They saw that the water wheel scraper continued to rotate slowly with the impact of the water flow. Water was stored at the bottom of the bamboo tube, and when it rotated to the top, it tilted to release the water.
At this point, the experiment of the small waterwheel was considered a real success. All that remained was to build the carved bamboo trough.
Liang Nian was the most excited person present.
With a waterwheel, water can be drawn day and night. As long as the water trough is extended, even farmland far from the river can be irrigated, and people no longer have to work hard to carry water!
"This thing is very good, this thing is very good!"
Sun Chang and Fan Li also watched in amazement. Fan Li muttered quietly, "This waterwheel is really useful."
Sun Chang turned his head and gave Fan Li a complicated look. "It's indeed very useful. Do you know how many water wheels we need to build next?"
Fan Li's eyes suddenly turned dark and he almost fainted.
The production of a waterwheel is much more complicated than that of a treadle plow. A treadle plow has only three parts in total, while this waterwheel has nearly a hundred parts, large and small. If Sun Chang and his apprentice alone were to make it, even if these two people did not eat or drink, it would take several months.
Lin Si understood the hardships of carrying water for the common people, so he pointed at the parts and discussed with Liang Nian, "If it were just up to Carpenter Sun and the other two to build this waterwheel, it would probably take too much time."
Liang Nian nodded, "What does the county lady mean?"
Lin Si called Sun Chang and the other two over.
The two men lowered their heads and listened to Lin Si's instructions.
Lin Si thought that as long as the size of the parts was fixed, he could take some parts to the carpenters in Shizhou and ask them to make a certain number of identical ones. This would save a lot of time. If there were not enough carpenters in Shizhou, he could also look for them elsewhere.
As soon as these words came out, Sun Chang raised his head, his eyes gleaming with hope, "County Lady, this method is very good. It can save a lot of time."
Liang Nian thought for a moment and said, "This method is indeed feasible."
Lin Si nodded slightly at Liang Nian, "Then I'll leave this matter to County Magistrate Liang."
Liang Nian nodded in agreement.
Sun Chang and Fan Li both breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the county magistrate was understanding, otherwise the two of them would have been exhausted and would not have been able to do enough!
The next day, the news that the county lady had built a waterwheel spread throughout Li County.
The two people who had been arguing with each other said after they returned that thanks to the county lady, they would no longer have to carry water to irrigate the farmland. Therefore, the people immediately knew what the waterwheel was used for.
But the people could not imagine how this water could be used to irrigate the farmland without having to carry it.
At this time, a short man cleared his throat, raised his chin high, and boasted proudly to the people next to him, "When the county lady took that carpenter Sun to test the waterwheel, I happened to be by the river bank, and I saw what the waterwheel looked like!"
"Really? You really saw it? What did it look like?"
The short man gestured with his hand, "It looks like the wheel of an oxcart, but much bigger. I don't know why, but that water wheel turns on its own. There's a bamboo tube tied to it, so it pumps water all by itself!"
“Oh, it’s so magical!”
“Why does this wheel turn by itself?”
"How would I know that? I haven't been to school."
"The county lady is so kind. We really can't repay you."
"Then when can we use it?"
"That depends on Craftsman Sun."
"It's not that it's a very big wheel, but I'm afraid it will take a lot of effort."
"No wonder Sun Chang and his apprentice were sawing wood in the yard a few days ago."
After the short man finished speaking, the wheel began to brag about some nonsense. The people were tired of listening and dispersed. He hurriedly said, "Where are you going? I haven't finished speaking yet. I saw the maid! The one with the strongest body."
Everyone dispersed. "I've seen the county lady's maidservant before. Last time, she bought four cakes from my house and ate them all in front of me."
"The county lord's servants always buy the mountain rabbits my son catches. What's so good about that?"
"This craftsman Sun has worked hard."
Although some parts were shared by carpenters from other places, Sun Chang and Fan Li still had a lot of work to do.
However, the work was a little easier, and the two of them did not have such a hopeless expression while working, but they still had big dark circles under their eyes.
As the two were knocking on the wood, they heard someone knocking on the gate.
Fan Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Master's Wife, someone is looking for me."
There was so much work to do that Sun Chang's wife Deng Nan also came to help pass things and wash wood.
Deng Nan quickly wiped his hands, got up and opened the door, but saw Kang Zhuqing from an alley.
Kang Zhuqing smiled and handed over a clay pot. "Madam Deng, now the whole county knows that Craftsman Sun is making a waterwheel. It's really hard work. This is the boiled water I made myself. Let Craftsman Sun and Fan Li drink it when they are tired from work."
Deng Nan was stunned. "How can this be so embarrassing? You are really... Take it back quickly. It takes a lot of effort to make boiled water!"
Since it was something he had brought, there was no point in taking it back. "Hurry up and put it away. If you don't take it and let go, this clay pot will fall to the ground and break!"
Deng Nan had no choice but to accept it.
Sun Chang and Fan Li had been working for the whole morning and were thirsty, so they each took a bowl and drank it in one gulp.
The cool feeling in my mouth spread, and the coolness slid down my throat, making me feel much more awake.
Fan Li praised: "It's mint water, just the right amount to refresh the mind!"
Kang Zhuqing muttered outside the door, "As long as this waterwheel can be made quickly, I'm willing to deliver boiled water to Craftsman Sun every day!"
Shitu went to fetch water every day, and her shoulders were red from the weight of the carrying pole, especially in the summer when the sun was so hot. She felt so distressed!
*
Yao Niang and others returned to Li County safely with the cotton seeds. After getting the cotton seeds, Zhu Shixi also visited many medical clinics for academic discussions along the way. It can be said that it was a smooth trip.
The only regret is that I was unable to bring Mo Jinglian back. There was also some bad news: Mo Jinglian had a fungal infection in the lungs.
Lin Si had already anticipated that Mo Jinglian would not come. Mo Jinglian was a smart person and would not rush there just because of a few words from Zhu Shixi and Feng Ling. But by giving her the option of Li County first, Lin Si could wait.
However, fungal lung infection is really difficult to treat. This is ancient times, so where can we get antibiotics to cure her illness?
Since he said that he could cure her if she came to Li County, Lin Si was unwilling to be a person who went back on his word.
Lin Si went to the system mall and took a look. Penicillin was indeed available, but the number of human heart exchange points required was more than that of potatoes and sweet potatoes, a full 200, and only one pill was available.
Lin Si gave up. Now it seems that rubbing allicin by hand is the only solution.
Zhu Shixi and Lin Si had the same idea.
Hand-rubbing allicin is not complicated, at least simpler than penicillin, but it does not guarantee that the allicin produced will have a certain effect. In addition, the alcohol content of ancient wine was not high, so it had to be distilled.
Zhu Shixi was eager to try, "County Lady, I want to try it." The medical book Zhu Shixi read had the method of making allicin.
Lin Si originally wanted to put the production of antibiotics in the later stage of infrastructure construction, but the situation is special now, and the production of allicin is relatively simple, so he can only let Zhu Shixi try it.
After getting Lin Si's permission, Zhu Shixi blinked his eyes and said, "The medicines prescribed by those famous doctors are only treating the symptoms and not the root cause. I believe that Madam Mo will think of us when she realizes that her cough has not improved."
Lin Si supported his cheek with his hand. "Try to do it. Ice cubes and a lot of garlic can be bought tomorrow."
The production and storage of allicin require a low-temperature environment. Winter has just passed, so ice should still be available in Shizhou.
It is impossible to get an objective opinion of Mo Jinglian from Zhu Shixi and Feng Ling, not to mention Nan Shuang. It is estimated that she doesn't even remember what Mo Jinglian looks like.
There is only one person I can ask, Yao Niang.
Yao Niang stood respectfully, lowered her head and thought for a moment before saying, "This Madam Mo seems to be wary of me, but from what I see, Madam Mo is a smart and reliable person."
Lin Si knocked on the table intermittently, "Smart people are always on guard against each other, and only fools get along with smart people."
Yao Niang thought of Zhu Shixi and Feng Ling, and simply remained silent.
Lin Si gestured to Yao Niang to continue.
Yao Niang continued, "That Madam Mo seems to be very dissatisfied with your age." Yao Niang paused, as if she was choosing her words.
Lin Si didn't care at all, "Very confused?"
The mother nodded.
Lin Si is taller now, not as short-legged and short-armed as when she first arrived, but at her age, it is normal for Mo Jinglian to find it puzzling.
After all, as Lin Si showed in Feng Ling's letter, he cared about the people, had many subordinates, and was loved by the local people.
This is totally unreasonable for an eleven-year-old girl.
After talking about Mo Jinglian, the topic returned to the main track.
cotton.
Speaking of this, Yao Niang's tone became noticeably more excited. "I've seen the white fluff from the cotton bolls, and it can indeed be woven into clothes. I just don't know how to weave it into cloth. Does it have to be washed and then boiled like flax?"
Lin Si shook his head slightly. "The white cotton wool cannot be directly filled into the cloth. The cotton seeds must be removed. This is a troublesome process. When the waterwheel is finished, a series of tools will also need to be produced. The most important thing now is to sow the cotton in the spring and harvest it in the summer."
Yao Niang nodded and agreed.
"Wait a few days, until the waterwheel work is done, and then I'll recruit two ladies skilled in embroidery and weaving to assist you."
Yao Niang took her leave and handed the small cloth bag of cotton seeds to Liang Nian, who would arrange for the sowing.
The weather is very good today. It is a bright spring day and the warm sunshine feels very comfortable on my body.
Yao Niang stepped out of Lin Si's room, looking straight ahead. In a trance, she seemed to see the small figure in linen clothes, carrying a backpack bigger than her body, bending over to cut hemp, sitting in front of a large basin to wash hemp. She was in the wild all day, her face was ugly, and the linen clothes on her body were dirty.
While washing hemp, the little body rubbed the back of his hands impatiently and talked to himself.
"Why can ordinary people only wear linen? Isn't there any cheap and comfortable fabric in this world?"
Her parents would only take the flax she washed and sell it for money, and would not listen to a word she said.
No one knew that the little girl had secretly vowed to make cheap and comfortable cloth in the future so that people would no longer have to wear prickly linen clothes.
But everything ended when her younger brother was born and she was sold to a pawnshop.
Yao Niang took two steps forward and said to the little girl who was washing safflower seriously.
“There really is cheap and comfortable fabric in this world, and you will be the one to create it.”
*
As the weather warms up, people are more energetic when harvesting wheat.
But when they were carrying water, everyone said, "Oh, these days of carrying water won't last long. Once the waterwheel is built, we can irrigate the fields ourselves."
The men who went to the river to fetch water all had smiles on their faces, and they saw the people who came to fetch water together joking with each other.
"I won't see you by this river anymore."
"I went to see Craftsman Sun's house yesterday. He and his apprentice were working very hard."
"I heard that the waterwheel is very complicated, with almost a hundred wooden parts alone. It must be very time-consuming to make one, and with so many, I wonder if it can be used in the summer. Carrying water in the summer is not a pleasant experience."
"But I also heard from my niece that the county lady took some of the parts to Shizhou City to find a carpenter to make them so that we can use the waterwheel as soon as possible."
"Carpenters in Shizhou City are much more expensive than those in the county..."
"Our Li County is truly blessed by God. Although the location is not good, we have such a good county magistrate, Liang County Magistrate, and such a good county lord."
"Yes, yes."
Ever since Kang Zhuqing came to deliver boiled water, this alley in Sun Chang has almost become a tourist attraction for locals.
From time to time, people would sneak around outside the courtyard gate. At first, Fan Li thought they were thieves, but later he found out that they were a group of civilians who came to see how well the waterwheel was built.
At first, the master and the disciple were quite uncomfortable and felt awkward being stared at, but as more and more people watched them, they got used to it.
Therefore, some people saw Kang Zhuqing delivering boiled water twice. Kang Zhuqing said, "They are tired and thirsty. Drinking the boiled water I delivered will refresh them and quench their thirst. This will speed up the construction of water wheels, so that we can use it sooner."
The other people all thought it made sense. Since Lin Si came to Li County, the people's living standards have greatly improved. Even if they couldn't afford other things, they could still send some fruits and vegetables.
At this moment, Sun Chang was knocking on wood vigorously, and Fan Li was chiseling wood vigorously. As there were too many people coming to watch, the gate of the courtyard was now wide open, and there were at least a dozen people gathered at the gate. This was only in the morning, and after lunch, when people came out for a walk to digest the food, there would be more people.
On one side of the yard, there were a lot of fruits piled up. A closer look revealed pears, apples, apricots, and plums.
Sun Chang and Fan Li would take two to eat during their breaks while working, and Fan Li would take the rest back with him, as Deng Nan couldn't finish them all.
Deng Nan had no choice but to tell them not to send any more food because they couldn’t finish it, they really couldn’t finish it.
Finally, Deng Nan simply took out a large basin that he had at home, peeled the leftover fruits and vegetables, boiled them into a paste, and then added water to make boiled water that could quench thirst.
Deng Nan forced everyone who came to watch to bring a bowl, and each person drank a bowl of boiled water.
Anyway, the fruits and vegetables were given by everyone, and now they like to come here for a walk after dinner.
Otherwise, these fruits and vegetables would rot in the corner, and Deng Nan felt really bad about it.
When Chunyi and Nanqiao came to check the construction schedule, they saw dozens of people at the door, each holding a bowl and drinking while chatting, which made Chunyi look puzzled.
Nan Qiao pointed directly at the bowls held by the people and said, "What is this? I want to drink it too."
When the people knew that it was the county lady's maid who came to supervise the work, they all stepped back and stopped chatting.
Deng Nan hurriedly took out a clean bowl from the house and said, "This is boiled water. Would you like some, my lady?"
Nan Qiao nodded, took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
“It’s delicious.”
After asking about the completion of the parts, Chunyi asked Dengnan why so many people were watching here.
Deng Nan sighed lightly and told Chunyi honestly what had happened during this period.
After Chunyi understood the situation, she took Nanqiao back home. Without even drinking the water that was handed to her, Nanqiao quickly grabbed the second bowl.
Walking out of the alley, Chunyi stood on tiptoe and poked Nan Qiao's forehead, "The county lady said that she would not take a single needle or thread from the people. If someone hands you water, you should drink it."
Nan Qiao's mouth drooped. "But that boiled water is delicious, and it has the fragrance of fruit."
Chun Yi continued to scold, "You can't drink that either! Our words and actions represent the county lady, how can you bring shame to her?"
Lin Si heard Chunyi's retelling and smiled while drinking tea.
The people of Li County are quite interesting. Aren’t they just modern live broadcast supervisors who even give out gifts?
Under the people's eager anticipation, all parts of the waterwheel were manufactured.
Sun Chang and Fan Li were granted five days' leave by Lin Si. During these five days, the master and apprentice did nothing but eat and sleep.
On the first day of the holiday, Fan Li even had hallucinations. He woke up with a start and subconsciously wanted to pick up tools to chisel wood before he reacted.
The wood was finished, he was on vacation, and then he fell asleep again.
Sun Chang's life was not easy either. A few days ago, the gate of his courtyard was wide open every day during the day, and these days, there were still people coming in for a walk.
Sun Chang: "Didn't I tell everyone that the parts for the waterwheel are all finished?"
The man scratched his head and said, "I've gotten used to it during this time. I'll come to your door after dinner. I'll be leaving now."
Sun Chang: .........
After five days of rest, Sun Chang and Fan Li still had a lot of work to do. First of all, the yamen runners carried piles of parts to Sun Chang's yard, all of which were made by carpenters from other places.
The yamen runners chatted with Sun Chang as they carried the items. "The carpenters from Shizhou were very happy at first, thinking they had a big business. But when I went to get them later, I saw they were exhausted."
Sun Chang smiled and said, "This requires that everything be made to the same quality, which is quite a bit of work."
After all the parts were moved in, Fan Li and Sun Chang had to check them carefully to see if there was any damage or obvious differences in size. Only after they had checked everything could they be spliced and assembled. The assembly alone would take several days.
The first day of assembly started from the upper reaches of the stream. The people who had farmland upstream were so happy that they brought their whole family to watch that day.
Since the waterwheel can irrigate 8-10 mu of farmland, it is used by two households together. When it is time to irrigate another household, the water trough can be moved to another position.
Although Kang Zhuqing's home was not upstream, he still brought stones, soil, gold and stones to see the place that day.
She finally saw what the so-called enlarged version of the wheel looked like. Shitou excitedly cried out, "Mother, look, the waterwheel is moving by itself. It's really moving!"
Shi Jin also saw how the bamboo water barrel tied to the water wheel drew water and discharged water, and how the water flowed to the farmland through the bamboo troughs.
As expected of the county lady, Shi Jin thought.
Kang Zhuqing and Shi Tu stared with their eyes wide open.
"This, this, this, it's running day and night, this thing is amazing!" Kang Zhuqing's eyes widened in surprise.
Shi Tu was tongue-tied and after a long moment of surprise, he could only say, "This thing is great."
The family watched Sun Chang and Fan Li hammering and assembling the waterwheel, and they were so excited that they didn't want to leave. Although the water was not irrigating their farmland, they couldn't help but smile.
Kang Zhuqing's mouth froze with laughter. "No, why can't I stop laughing?"
Shi Jin also felt sorry for Shi Tu carrying water back and forth in the hot summer, "Now Dad doesn't have to carry water in the hot sun anymore."
Shitou felt a little regretful, "Even if it is installed in our house, it will take at least three to five days."
Kang Zhuqing rubbed the corners of his stiff smile and said, "What's the big deal? I've been waiting for so many days. I can still wait for three to five days."
However, what Kang Zhuqing was most satisfied with was that his farmland was not adjacent to that of the neighboring family surnamed Wang. That family was so stingy that they were unwilling to spend money to build a warm kang in winter. If he used the same waterwheel as their family, it would be a disaster. He didn't know how much trouble would be caused. There would definitely be a small quarrel every three days and a big quarrel every five days.
The family watched for a long time before going home.
When Kang Zhuqing got home, he couldn't contain his excitement. "How come the water wheel can turn by itself in the water? How did the county lady come up with such a wonderful idea of tying bamboo tubes to draw and pour water?"
Shi Tu silently continued, "That's the county lady. She grew up in Anjing. She was a person of noble birth. She must have read a lot of books."
After being out for a long time, Kang Zhuqing was thirsty and quickly poured himself a glass of water. "Yes, no wonder they say there is gold in that book. People who have read books are different."
Then she felt a little sad. It was a pity that her son and daughter could not go to school. Li County was too poor. There were not even a few literate people, let alone teachers. No teacher was willing to come to a place like Li County to teach.
Shi Jin didn't say a word after returning home. She had worked in the papermaking workshop for a while, and the wages she received were indeed very good. However, since yesterday, after learning an inside news, she has become a little restless.
The county magistrate wanted a wife who was good at weaving and needlework.
Shi Jin's needlework skills are recognized as good, and she wants to give it a try.
If for no other reason, Shi Jin thought that this would help the county lady better. Papermaking was not difficult and any careful girl could do it, but needlework was her strong point. Among so many girls in Li County who could sew, her needlework skills were among the best.
Although she doesn't know how to weave, she can learn.
Shi Jin hesitated for a long time, then finally said, "Mother, Father, I...I heard the county lady might be looking for girls who can sew and weave, and I want to go."
Kang Zhuqing was still cursing Shi Tou just now, but the whole room suddenly became quiet.
Kang Zhuqing asked tentatively, "So... you don't plan to stay in the paper mill anymore?"
Shi Jin nodded, "I'm good at sewing, I want to give it a try."
Shi Tu thought for a moment and then asked, "But what about opening a workshop like making paper?"
Shi Jin shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it. I heard they're looking for an assistant to do some experiments, and they'll pay him a salary every month."
Shitou was very proud at this time: "Dad and Mom, you don't know what assistants and laboratories mean, right? I know that they are apprentices like Mr. Fan, who help the master with work. As for experiments, they are new things, such as the kang, which we have experimented with before."
Kang Zhuqing grabbed Shitou's ear and said, "You know a lot. Where did you hear that from?"
"That's Mr. Guo, the supervisor who came to our house before. I ran into him when I came back from the fields last time. He said he was going to do some experiments, so I was curious and asked a few more questions."
Kang Zhuqing was a little confused now. "What if there's no work after this experiment? Then you'll lose your job at the paper mill. You have to think about it carefully, Jin Niang."
Shi Jin bit his lower lip and said, "I've made up my mind. I want to go."
Shi Tu came out to smooth things over, "I think this is a good idea. Everything that comes out of the experiment is good. Look at this kang, the treadle plow, the waterwheel, which one is not a good thing? If Jin Niang becomes that assistant, maybe she can be appreciated by the county lady."
Kang Zhuqing finally sat down and thought carefully. After a while, she seemed to have thought of something and lowered her voice. "What do you think? Could it be that the county lady wanted to open a textile workshop, so she did this experiment first?"
Shi Tu's eyes lit up. "Don't say...it's really possible. If Jin Niang becomes an assistant, and the workshop opens, will she be afraid of not being able to get in?"
Shi Jin didn't think about all that mess. Whether he could get into the workshop or not was secondary.
She just wanted to help Lin Si with her own hands, that's all.
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