Great Tang Idyll

Book 2: Chapter 55

Volume 02

Wang Juan really didn't expect that Zhang Xiao'bao would use poultry feathers for this. She really had no idea how Zhang Xiao'bao's brain was formed. Almost all impossible things were not a problem for him.

"Can it really be used to make a boat? Then that's really good. At least if I was standing near the lake, and I had to make a choice, I would choose the boat that was made with advanced craftsmanship. But why did none of the people from our time do this? Are they stupid?"

When Wang Juan agreed with Zhang Xiao'bao, she suddenly realized that if feathers could be made into boats, then why did nobody in the modern era do this?

"They would be stupid if they did this. How much does a down jacket cost? How much does animal feed containing feather meal cost? How much does an ordinary boat cost? Who would make a boat with all of that poultry feather? Back in the modern times, plastic swan boats are always seen near the lake, and they cost only 400 yuan to make. If you want to buy it, you can buy it for about over a thousand yuan. For one with higher quality plastic, it would be maximally 1,500 yuan.

How much does it cost to use poultry feathers? Glue must be used to stick poultry feathers closely together. The cost of labor and materials is much higher than that of swan boats. Whoever makes it would be an idiot. Besides, poultry feathers can only last for a limited period of time."

Zhang Xiao'bao felt that Wang Juan's daily life was too monotonous, and he explained to her about the boat.

Wang Juan nodded, "So, those boats are made of plastic, no wonder they're hard when knocked on."

"Not all of them are. Plastic is still expensive. There is a cheaper thing called fiberglass and the boats can be made using this material. Only the sealed bearing at the bottom is more expensive; the rest are worthless stuff. Those things should be considered to be inorganic materials, so they take a long time to decompose. However, poultry feathers will decompose after a period of time."

Zhang Xiao'bao continued to explain to Wang Juan and she frowned when she heard this. She continued to ask, "What you're saying is that we should use the poultry feathers to make boats, and then let others play on it. But how big can you make them to be? Other people have large flower boats."

Then we can set up a large slide and let the water flow down from there. Once the water reaches the bottom, the slide would have a slight upward curve. You can sit in the boat with a wooden block tied to you, and when the boat slides down from above, we can watch who would fly out the furthest. It can also ... "

"It can also be like a water coaster, and have endless twists and turns, right?" Wang Juan cut him off.

"No, I don't dare to do that. Without the correct technology, that will kill people. However, we can use that kind of boat for water fights. It's light so it's easy to maneuver. We just need to add a few water guns onto it. Do you know the principle of water guns? It depends on the pressure, and it doesn't matter if the seal isn't that good."

"Okay, good idea. Let's do that. No, wait, Zhang Xiao'bao, if it's just like that, then you aren't you anymore. Hurry up and tell me, what else did you not mention. Do you really think I'll believe that an international conman would only think of things like building, making boats, selling poultry feathers? In total, that's only three things. If you make animal feed, then it is only four, but these four are all basic things. Is this possible? Zhang Xiao'bao, do you think I'm stupid or are you stupid? Tell me everything all at once."

Wang Juan already believed him and just when she nodded in agreement, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. Zhang Xiao'bao always linked his plans together, so it couldn't be that simple.

"Nope, there's nothing else. It's just these few things. Look at my eyes. Do you see how genuine they are?" Zhang Xiao'bao turned his head and blinked his big eyes for Wang Juan to see.

Wang Juan smiled suddenly and she also blinked her eyes. "Look at me. Do you think I'm quite genuine too? Zhang Xiao'bao, tell me the truth, or else you can sleep on the ground at night. Your eyes are pure, but for a person like you, even a lie detector can't detect your lies. I'm proficient in several areas of psychology and I can even hypnotize myself. Are you going to say it or not? I'll crush your bottom thing."

"That's the only thing you know how to do. At the beginning, you tried to threaten me, do you think I was scared? Let me tell you... I already told you everything already. Stop stretching out your hand. Poultry feathers have another characteristic. When it is put outside to dry, it will attract a lot of flies. I don't plan to grow maggots; soybean paste is sufficient for doing that.

Think about it, after that Li Xun guy is done with the survival training and the reconnaissance thing in two or three months, we need to get him to work on the fish meat business, and also sell our soybean oil and eggs too, but do you think he would be satisfied? Even if he's satisfied, would his other brothers be satisfied?

I always have to make plans ahead of time. If they don't find me, I won't talk, but if they do find me, I have to arrange something for them to do. What is the best thing? As of now, we have been in battles with the surrounding places. Not many of the battles are big ones, but I heard that the previous army sent by the Imperial Court had lost.

After that, the tension would never ease. Poultry feathers can attract flies and bacteria will grow. There will be all kinds of bacteria. Think about it, in that kind of environment, how many bacteria will there be on the poultry feather? In addition to this, our manor also raises pigs. I will get some other cow and sheep fur. Bloody fur would be the best. And then I'll put everything together under the sun.

When there's enough bacteria accumulation, I'll place them at the tribes in the prairies or other neighboring countries. Do you think the immunity system of their livestock is strong enough to protect them from the invasion of these bacteria? I really didn't want to tell you this thing now because it's too..."

Wang Juan moved Zhang Xiao'bao's head so that he faced her. She looked at him carefully, and spoke as if she was muttering to herself.

Zhang Xiao'bao tapped Wang Juan's nose with his finger, and said, "Are you so silly that you insist on placing it near the borders? Can't you just come up with some sort of excuse and transport it to the center of their country? When diseases break out in their place, we can just refuse to buy any of their livestock, and then spread a lot of lime powder near the borders.

Maybe the two of us can't do it, but Li Xun and his brothers could. They absolutely have to find a way to do this. I just think that doing this disrupts the harmony of nature. Tomorrow I will prepare the Seven Star Lantern1, and you can help me find petroleum oil. I'll use that in the lanterns. Who would be able to kick my fiames then? "

"I really don't know what to say about you anymore. You're good since you were able to sacrifice yourself to save a child. I believe that that child and his parents will still appreciate you even if they know that you are an international conman, and they will think of you as a good person.

If I say that you're bad, you are indeed very bad. You can kill people without batting an eye. A lot of people died in your hands, right? According to the law, shooting you to death ten times would still be too less. You have always measured the life and death of others according to your own standards.

You are a person who can thrust a knife into another person's chest while smiling at a child. Can you tell me, what is your standard? "

Wang Juan looked at Zhang Xiao'bao with a complicated expression in her eyes and asked.

"What standard? Does Confucius have any standards? People didn't treat him well, so he said that villains and females are the only difficult ones to raise'. The standard of the strong is their mood, and the standard of the weak is hope. Don't analyze me anymore. Even I don't know what kind of person I am, so how would others be able to make a judgment of me? Let's go ride our bike and have a look outside."

Zhang Xiao'bao moved his arm to the front of his waist while speaking, and he slightly lowered his head and turned his body. Wang Juan smiled and put her hand into the hole formed by Zhang Xiao'bao's arm. He bent his knees slightly, and the two of them walked outside in this posture.

The weather outside was just as hot as the farmers in the various places anticipated. There was no sign of rain. The farmers would rather get their clothes wet by their own sweat than see a single drop of rain fall.

"Xiao'bao, are we going to still get the residents' children to catch grasshoppers this year? The autumn harvest has delayed a lot of their study time."

Just like before, Wang Juan controlled the direction at the front, and she asked Zhang Xiao'bao while she pedalled.

Zhang Xiao'bao knew that Wang Juan always had the desire to rule. Even when she was riding a bicycle, she had to be the one who controlled the direction. Good thing she didn't appear during the time of Wu Ze'tian2, and good thing he came here along with her, otherwise there would not be a single person that could constrain her. Oh, right, he was the one who caused her to come here.

"Speak, Xiao'bao, are they still going to catch grasshoppers or not? I still want to eat it. The protein content of that thing is higher than what we usually eat. It's like silkworm cocoons. They have to do this to live better." Wang Juan waited for a while and found that Zhang Xiao'bao didn't make a sound, so she asked him again.

"Of course. The children in our manors have to catch them, and the other manors' children have to catch them too. The Ge Manor, Li Manor, and Han Yong'yao's manor. We will use things here to exchange for the grasshoppers. One hundred grasshoppers for an egg. Actually, cross that, fifty grasshoppers for one egg, one hundred grasshoppers for a duck egg, and one hundred fifty grasshoppers for a goose egg.

Once that Han Yong'yao guy knows that we are making these exchanges, he will definitely stop the little kids in his manor. Then he would lose his people's support and loyalty, while we can gain the loyalty of other manor's people. Making exchanges like this is not a loss at all, whether it is in terms of nutritional value or animal feed. "

Within an instant, Zhang Xiao'bao had new plans.

"Collecting grains, collecting old grains. Four coins per dou of millet, seven coins per dou of rice, six coins per dou of flour. Collecting grains, collecting old grains."

As soon as Zhang Xiao'bao finished speaking, there was a yelling voice coming from over there. Zhang Xiao'bao and Wang Juan frowned at the same time. This kind of thing was too rare, and it was definitely not that simple.

Translator's Notes

1. Seven Star Lantern

This is also known as a "Life Preserving Lantern" or "Spirit Calling Lantern". It is an ancient magical spell. According to one of the sayings, if all seven lanterns are kept lit for seven days straight, the spell caster's life will be extended by 12 years.

Zhang Xiao'bao mentions this because it is commonly believed that doing evil deeds will cause one's lifespan to shorten.

2. Wu Ze'tian

Wu Ze'tian was the only female in China's history to take on the title of "Emperor". Emperor Xuan'zong (the emperor currently in reign in the novel) is Wu Ze'tian's grandson, so Wang Juan arrived too late in time.

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