Great Tang Idyll

Book 2: Chapter 71

In the light rain, the pier was still a lively scene as usual. The people who carried cargo had a rough rag around their shoulders, and they loaded a bag onto each. After making a grunting noise, they held onto the bags with their hands, and walked away.

"Those people are just dockers, Xiao'bao, what are you looking at? Could it be that you did that kind of work before?" Wang Juan knew that the ratio between a docker's workload and income seemed to be relatively unproportional when compared to others, but she couldn't stop them from working because it was a form of income after all. Seeing Zhang Xiao'bao stunned in place there, she thought that he was reminiscing about the past.

Zhang Xiao'bao shook his head, "No, I have never done this kind of work before, but if I had to do, I would do it."

"Then what are you looking at? Do you feel bad for them?" Wang Juan guessed.

"They're not pitiful. What's so pitiful about earning money with their own hands? I'm wondering whether the efficiency can be improved. The train station and wharf back in our times have more advanced equipment, and the throughput is tens of thousands of times higher."

At this moment, Zhang Xiao'bao's eyes did not continue to stare at the people carrying the freight, and he scanned the flat ground beside the pier with his eyes.

"If you can make those equipment, why don't you help me make a combine harvester? I will open a refinery for you." Wang Juan finally found a chance to retaliate.

"Do you really not know that you can change it from being automatic to manual? A simpler one would be a pulley system. There is no need for high-speed bearings; wooden wheels can rotate, and ones made from iron could too. The gear mesh does not need to be so tight, and the quality does not have to be every high. If necessary, they can be replaced every time they're damaged. It's still better than getting people to carry the freight bit by bit."

Zhang Xiao'bao didn't plan to make any high-tech equipment. As long as there is a lifting device and a horizontal conveyor, the efficiency can be improved by a lot. The gears don't need a high degree of tightness. They can just make more of them and use whichever ones that seem to work. After grinding the gears a bit, the mesh would become better anyways.

Wang Juan was better at physics than Zhang Xiao'bao since he never studied it systematically. Once she heard this idea and thought about it, she felt that it was actually feasible. It was nothing more than creating a strong frame with chains and gears on it. Wooden wheels could turn, norias can turn, so why can't the wheels be made of iron?

Whether it was crafted by hand or casted by pouring molten iron, it was not a problem, however, the problem was that the chain seems to be not flexible enough. With uncertainty, she asked Zhang Xiao'bao, "Are you sure you can make an iron chain? Then we could also make a bicycle."

"Can't we just use ropes? Hearing you ask that, I can tell that iron chains can't be made. If iron doesn't work, then how about copper?" Zhang Xiao'bao really didn't understand anything that involved junior high level of education or higher, so he could only ask Wang Juan for advice.

Wang Juan thought for a moment, and said, "Iron, copper, rope---all of these don't really matter, we just have to find someone to do it for us. For example, when iron is forged well, then its quality is good. What about the workers on the wharf? Many people will become unemployed when the wharf's throughput efficiency increases."

"Workers will continue to be workers. The loading of the dock still needs people. After getting familiar with the system, these workers are the most important. For example, handling the distribution of goods, or tying ropes--- these are all areas of knowledge.

Additionally, once the throughput of the wharf is increased, more people will be attracted to this place, and there will be more freight. Won't we still need experienced workers to transport freight even if we use these equipment to transport the goods to the shore?"

Zhang Xiao'bao thought more thoroughly than Wang Juan in this regard.

Wang Juan was not stupid, and after thinking about it for a bit, she stared at Zhang Xiao'bao and said, "I get it now. You're saying that we are not giving up the original industry, but we're adding a department and creating additional job positions for people. What you want them to do is..."

"In the future, for the logistics part, these people will not only help us manage short-term transportation around the terminal, but also help us collect information. Just like the pricing power at the manor's market, I want to know the prices of various items at different locations within the shortest amount of time."

Zhang Xiao'bao was accustomed to holding information in his own hands. Now that he had to take so many factors into consideration, he had long felt exhausted. He only dared to place his chess pieces in one county because he didn't have much information to support him. He could not make more accurate judgments and long-term decisions. For him, enemies were not scary because they were strong, but they were scary because of the unknowns.

"Your ambitions are really not small, huh? You even want to use this place. What do you want to do?" When Wang Juan heard about collecting intelligence, her mind became energetic since she used to deal with this. In fact, she was more keen than Zhang Xiao'bao. Zhang Xiao'bao only wanted to control the information, while she used to be responsible for collecting the information.

"I'm not going to do anything. Didn't someone say that when give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world'? Then what I want to say is, give me accurate information, and I shall disrupt the universe, and dominate the air and the sea. Regardless of what, having control over information is the true victory."

"You're talking about controlling sea power? How large is your ambition?" Wang Juan understood what he was talking about.

"My ambition is that there will come a day when I can eat what I want, wear what I want to wear, and do that thing when I want to do that thing." Zhang Xiao'bao said yearningly.

"What thing?" Wang Juan looked at Zhang Xiao'bao with an unusual look in her eyes.

"The range of this is quite broad, for example, the1......"

"Can you speak human words? I already know that you have roamed all over the world before for a while, so don't try to show up in front of me, you know1?"

"Ye~!......"

"Zhang Xiao'bao!"

"Ok, I get it. Just things like when drinking soy milk, I can make it with white sugar whenever I want white sugar or brown sugar whenever I want brown sugar."

Zhang Xiao'bao looked at Wang Juan's disdainful gaze, and he finally admitted that sometimes working hard and putting in effort could only put a person on par with a genius. He remembered that Wang Juan was proficient in the languages of nine countries, and some regional dialects. When this kind of person existed in the world, he announced to the world that success or failure was determined by the one percent of talent.

"Zhang Xiao'bao, let me solemnly tell you now, I won't let you to think of anything else." Wang Juan said with a stern voice.

Zhang Xiao'bao nodded, "I didn't think about anything else. I'll tell you the truth and I'm not afraid that you would laugh at me, but I tried hard to live just to fulfill my Dean Grandfather's last wish, and I still don't know what love is."

"You give me candy, I give you fun things to play with, and when the disaster strikes, you will reach out a hand to me---this is love." Wang Juan thought for a bit and then she replied.

"What if I don't want to hurt you, so I let go."

"That's coldheartedness."

"Shouldn't it be like that folk's song from a hundred years ago, Unless the mountains disappear, unless the sky and earth come together, I will not abandon my feelings for you'?" Zhang Xiao'bao thought hard, and finally came up with a better line to describe it.

Wang Juan was amused. "Shallow. What are you talking about? When we get---no, starting from tonight, I get you to read Classic of Poetry'. I'll let you know what that song means by, Oh Heaven High, I desire to meet you.summer rain snow.I will not abandon my feelings for you'."

"Who are you calling shallow? What about male hierarchy?" Zhang Xiao'bao had never heard this long line before; he always thought there were only those two lines. He stared at her with displeasure and spoke.

"Who do you think I'm talking about? What hierarchy?" Wang Juan stared back.

"Yeah, that's right. Nothing about hierarchy, you misheard. I meant to say Meng Po soup at the Nai'He bridge2. Stabbing pains of sorrow when looking back while holding a bowl. Who said that in this lifetime, it is easy to forget one another. Only hoping that in the next life, I can lie by your side'." Zhang Xiao'bao responded quickly and recited a line.

"So are you saying that I had a relationship with you in my last life or before?" Wang Juan laughed at what Zhang Xiao'bao said.

"Fated or not, cultivate for a hundred years to sleep on the same pillow. Sleep on the same pillow. Heavy rain crashing down, holding an umbrella. Holding an umbrella in the sea of people, not meeting each other. Not meeting each other, the magpies flew away and the moon waned." Zhang Xiao'bao immediately changed the topic, and continued to babble on.

Wang Juan stretched out her hand to cover his mouth, and then she leaned her head onto Zhang Xiao'bao's shoulder. She spoke with a quiet voice, "You little smoothtalker. Tell me, how many girls have you tricked?"

"Why would I con girls? I have been targeting men the whole time."

"Xiao'bao, let's not talk. Let's go to the First Near Water first. I want to eat some ginger, I feel nauseated."

"Don't you throw up on me. I wonder what you are thinking of in your head all day long."

"Brother Jia, you are late. You need to drink a goblet of wine first as a punishment. It's fine if you neglect us, but you can't make the beautiful ladies wait, or else that would be a serious sin."

The person referred to as Brother Jia scanned his eyes across the room and saw the woman next to the resident turn her head. Without saying another word, he took the goblet into his hand, raised his head and drank the entire goblet. Then, he said, "A goblet of wine is also a goblet with weight; tens of thousands of emotions yearning for a beautiful maiden."

"Good poetry." As soon as the person surnamed Jia had finished speaking, someone shouted loudly there.

"Brother Wei'ran really has good literary talent, and after a goblet of wine, a wave of poems poured out from you." Another person also praised him. Judging by what he called the man, it was evident that the relationship between these two was closer.

Jia Wei'ran didn't act cocky. He respectfully made a greeting gesture with his hands. He raised his head, and just when he was ready to welcome the attention of the beautiful maiden, he realized that she had her head turned away and she was looking at the scenery outside, leaving only her graceful back facing towards him.

"Brother Wei'ran, hurry, hurry, sit here." The person who seemed to be closer to Jia Wei'ran raised his hand to greet him, but Jia Wei'ran did not walk to him. Instead, he walked to another window. He rejected them with the expression in his eyes and sat down.

"Xiao'ying, there is no scenery to look at outside. It's better to talk about poetry together than to watch those ill-mannered and naked individuals work, right?"

As soon as he sat down, Jia Wei'ran spoke to the woman who was sitting at the other window. Unfortunately, the woman did not turn her head, and all he could see was the side of her face.

Just when he was going to continue to talk, another person appeared at the door, and it seemed like he heard Jia Weiran's words just now. He said in response,

"What Brother Jia had said is wrong. Why are the people down there naked? Are they not wearing pants? They also have a piece of linen cloth draped on their shoulders. In my opinion, that piece of linen cloth is better looking than some people's cloth hats. What does everyone else think?"

"Oh, Young Master Han is here."

"I didn't expect that Young Master Han would make an appearance at the party here today, it is an honor for all of us."

"Young Master Han, come and sit here."

The people sitting down seemed to know the newcomer at the door, and they all greeted him.

The person standing at the door nodded with a smile. He didn't wait for others to punish him with a goblet of alcohol and he poured a goblet for himself, "I arrived late by a moment, I deserve punishment."

After talking and drinking, he walked to the window again. He stood behind Jia Wei'ran, and looked down at the scene below and said, "I have a few doggerel verses that I can recite to everyone just for fun. The tides on the two shores of the Luo'shui rise, leaves yellow in autumn and are few in the four seasons. Can more be eaten when the five grains are insufficient? Why bother with making prayers if harvests were bountiful? Seven turns and eight twists to enter this place. Nine hu, ten piculs carried by hundreds of shoulders. Millions of workers gather like ants. Tens of millions of commoners receive millet rice. Ten boats travelled to nine villages to make deliveries. Eight li and seven journeys arrived in twelve hours. Five classics and four virtues are forgotten to be mentioned today, and one person mocks with a few words and lines?"

The person surnamed Jia was not bad and he understood what Han Xuan'feng meant. He was saying that when this river arrives in the autumn, the commoners of the San'shui County will no longer have grains, so why would they care so much about being properly dressed while rushing to transport the grains. Millions of people work together to deliver grains to commoners. Even if it was night, they will still be making deliveries. Only those that forget about the righteousness of fathers, the kindness of mothers, the respect between brothers and friends, and the four merits of gentlemen would try to show off their knowledge and ridicule those people.

Unable to resist the anger in his heart, he turned around and charged towards the person surnamed Han. Naturally, the people around would not let him succeed. While pulling onto him, everyone praised Han Xuan'feng's doggerel.

"It's so lively here; there are so many people. Xiao'bao, come in. Brothers and sisters, keep talking. We're not here to cause trouble; we're just taking a look. We won't talk. We even brought our own stool."

When those people were tugging and pulling at each other, Wang Juan pulled Zhang Xiao'bao into the room. She smiled shyly at others, and explained as she dragged Zhang Xiao'bao in. Both of them were each carrying a foldable stool, and they both ran to the corner to sit there.

Translator's Notes

1. "For example, the.", "you know"

For these two lines, Zhang Xiao'bao and Wang Juan are actually speaking English.

2. Meng'po soup at Nai'he Bridge

Meng'po soup is given to people before they cross the Nai'he Bridge in the underworld so that they can forget about the past life when they were alive and then reincarnate.

3. Hu

A measuring unit for volume. Ten 10 dou makes 1 hu.