Chapter 058 Zhao's New Numbers
When we left the city and arrived at the dock, we saw Liu Yuru directing the construction. The old master came over to greet us in high spirits and said that the freight terminal was different from the passenger terminal and that a deep foundation had to be laid. It would probably take until the second half of next year to complete the entire construction.
Zhao Yulin said there was no rush, it was a good opportunity to try out our new technologies and new tools .
He told Chen Zhizhou about his idea of using new technology to revive dead salt wells, and asked the old master to go back and discuss with Chen Xian, and organize people to explore whether there is a good way to dredge the wells and bring those abandoned salt wells back to life?
Liu Yuru immediately agreed to find a solution when he returned.
After Zhao Yulin gave Liu Yuru some safety instructions, he crossed the river and returned home. Her mother came to talk to him.
He asked his mother if she was obsessed with Jiangbei again.
His mother said my son's marriage is a big deal.
Zhao Yulin knew what his mother was thinking, probably that she hoped to gain recognition from the Zhao family.
He said that they didn't even consider accepting us back when the previous flood passed through their territory. Should we beg them now in order to get married?
He would never do that.
While Zhao Yulin asked Fan Zheng to call Chen Xiaomin and the others back, he stood up and gave his mother a shoulder and neck massage.
His mother smiled and said that the Yibin County Magistrate was very happy about his wedding and was afraid that people would laugh at him.
Zhao Yulin was not interested in these traditional feudal etiquettes at all. He said with ease that as long as our mother was happy, it was fine.
He could cross the river to ask the Zhao family for help, but he was afraid that they would not be willing, or that the conditions they proposed would be unacceptable to him, which would make our mother worried and upset. It would be better for us to set up our own business.
His mother then said, "It's okay, it's okay, just let everything be as it is."
At this time, Chen Xiaomin, Ma Ling and Wu Yuqi came back. Zhao Yulin smiled and said to them, "They are all daughters-in-law. Please rub our mother's shoulders and back."
Several women ran over and surrounded his mother with smiles on their faces.
Zhao Yulin said that he was about to get married and start a family, and it didn't matter that his father hadn't figured it out yet. He thought of a simple wedding, which could be held at this year's New Year's Eve party. He would kowtow to his parents and serve them tea in front of the blind dates, and let the elders and villagers of Cuiping Mountain be witnesses for us.
Chen Xiaomin was delighted when she heard this. She thought this wedding was trendy and nice. However, Wu Yuqi covered her mouth and asked if this was appropriate.
What did Zhao Yulin say was appropriate or inappropriate?
As long as we think it’s good, that’s it.
He said that our family lived in this county government office, and asked Wu Yuqi to go back and tell Lu Youpeng to move the intelligence transmission team from Shunfeng back, and then arrange three teams of guards on duty, and demolish all the extra houses.
Zhao Yulin made all the arrangements and finally secured the housing and wedding gifts.
His mother said happily that she had never heard of him doing such a thing.
He said there would be many new things in the future, and told his mother not to worry, everything would be fine.
After Zhao Yulin made all the arrangements, he followed Chen Xiaomin to make perfume. It was time to produce wine again, and this was the last batch at the end of the year, and the quantity was particularly large.
Xiaomin sweetly asked her husband to work harder, saying that she wanted to make a lot of money to support the family in the future.
In Jiazhou City, the prefect was scolding someone.
The suppression of bandits in Qianwei became a meat grinder. The bandit leader Ba Chi Qing made gunpowder and defeated the government army in one fell swoop. He rushed down the mountain and seized the government army's baggage and food. His reputation was greatly shaken. Bandits from far and near went to Ziyun Mountain to join him. Ba Chi Qing's group suddenly grew to over 500 people and directly cut off the water of Qingxi River. People had to go to and from the county town by land.
While the judge Xu Chaolin was still defending himself in the hall, the prefect was furious and charged him with the crime of delaying military affairs. He ordered him to be taken out and beheaded in public.
The prefect was in charge of the Jiazhou army, so he certainly had the power to decide life and death. He was trying to silence all the people who knew about the Typhoon Shelter incident.
Then he dealt with Lieutenant General Niu, saying that his ancestors in the Niu family were all fierce generals, braver than the three armies, so why was he so afraid of the enemy like a tiger?
The prefect scolded him and fined him half a year's salary, and ordered him to go back to Jianwei to supervise the battle and ensure that the waterway was unobstructed.
Lieutenant General Niu took out the powerful weapons from the armory with his men and rushed to Qianwei angrily.
At this time, the border troops returning from Muchuan Village also arrived. These border troops had been hiding in the mountains and forests all year round, and their means of killing and robbing were much more numerous than those of the soldiers in the city.
Admiral Niu treated the Border Army Commander Pu Fa to a delicious and entertaining meal in Jianwei County. Then he came back and ordered his soldiers to fight the bandits desperately. After the catapults and eight-ox crossbows were put into use, how could the bandits resist?
Seeing that the government troops were coming too recklessly and suffered heavy casualties, Bashiqing quickly abandoned the position he had just occupied at the foot of the mountain and retreated to the top of the mountain.
When the government troops attacked again, heavy firepower like catapults was no longer effective. The bandits used the gunpowder they had snatched from Xu Chaolin to make gunpowder cans and smashed them down, greatly increasing their power and causing sharp increases in casualties among the government troops.
The border army commander Pu Fayong called back his troops without waiting for Brigadier General Niu's order. He did not want to see the little property in his hands disappear in a minute.
Lieutenant General Niu glared at him and asked him why he withdrew his troops.
Pu Fayong said that there are rules for soldiers to eat food, and they have to pay for each charge. The brothers rushed from one side of the river to the other side and cleared out the bandits under Ziyun Mountain. Where is the silver?
He knew that soldiers fought for their lives and that they had to charge for money.
The two generals actually started to settle accounts on the battlefield. Where would Brigadier General Niu get the money? He still had to go to the prefect to ask for money.
The war was put on hold. At least they had driven the bandits into the mountains and ensured the smooth flow of water.
He asked Pu Fayong to guard the place while he went back to ask the prefect for the silver.
For the sake of his own family, Zhao Yulin was tortured in the workshop by Chen Xiaomin for ten days before he was released. Cargo ships coming up the river to buy wine had begun to gather in Yibin.
Xiaomin obediently waited for him to bathe and change clothes, and then sat down in the study. Before he had even taken two sips of tea, the prefect Chen Yun came in to find him, followed by Yang Zhishan, who was even more anxious than Chen Yun.
Chen Yun said that Jiazhou had received an official document, requesting the Shenwei Army to be dispatched to suppress the bandits in Ziyun Mountain. The Shenwei Army was also required to pay the money for suppressing the bandits. Otherwise, the prefect would send someone to check the accounts of Xuzhou.
It’s Mag’s fault. This prefect is too overbearing.
Zhao Yulin looked at Chen Yun and Yang Zhishan calmly.
Yang Zhishan said that it was the prefect who was anxious, so he sent troops to Ziyun Mountain to help his superior relieve his worries.
Zhao Yulin is a soft-hearted person and would rather get things straight first.
He welcomed his superiors to come and check the accounts of Cuiping Mountain, but the Shenwei Army currently had only two thousand soldiers, and they were unable to protect the country and the people. How could they have the troops to go to Ziyun Mountain to suppress the bandits?
When the two former acquaintances and friends saw that he had turned against them, their expressions suddenly changed.
Yang Zhishan asked him sternly if he was going to disobey orders?
Zhao Yulin said yes, so what?
Everything must be done with reason. Even if the powerful prime minister issued an order, he would not be afraid.
It is not impossible to send troops, but the government troops are all funded by the imperial court. Why should the Shenwei Army pay for it? And should it also pay for the government troops to suppress the bandits?
He paid every penny of tax he was supposed to pay, and did every thing he was supposed to do. Why should he be afraid?
Seeing that he looked determined and spoke without hesitation, Chen Yun knew that he would not give in. After taking a sip of tea, she said that the matter could be discussed later. The passenger service at Yibin Port would be opened the day after tomorrow, so it would be a good time to have some fun before the New Year.
Then the two of them got up and left.
This commotion made Zhao Yulin uncomfortable, so he asked Fan Zheng to arrange a beggar's chicken and go to the academy to have a drink with Mr. Zhang.
Mr. Zhang was very happy. Since this descendant of Yue Family Army arrived in Cuiping Mountain, his freedom had increased by a hundredfold, just like Sun Wukong entering the Flower-Fruit Mountain.
Zhao Yulin told Zhang Xiangyang about the unreasonable demands of the Jiazhou prefect. Zhang Xiangyang slammed the table and said it was too much. He asked the young man what his plan was.
Zhao Yulin said that he still had to obey the military order, but the issue of silver must be sorted out. He was not greedy and did not owe the court anything.
Zhang Xiangyang was right and this matter must be made clear, otherwise it would be like yellow mud falling into the crotch of pants, and it would be hard to tell whether it was shit or not.
Zhao Yulin also believed in this principle, that money should be given openly. So when Chen Yun and the others came, he firmly resisted.
Zhang Xiangyang said that he would ask the teacher to write a few articles about the reduction of taxes across the country, the monopoly of local tyrants, and the corruption of corrupt officials and unscrupulous businessmen, and asked the whole country to check the taxes in various places and fill the Ministry of Revenue.
Zhao Yulin felt that they were thinking the same thing, so they both picked up their glasses and left.
Just as he was about to speak, Chen Chen came in. He opened his mouth and said, "Brother Yulin, I don't want to study anymore, I want to work."
Zhao Yulin looked at her in surprise, then turned to look at Mr. Zhang.
Zhang Xiangyang spread his hands helplessly and said that he had no other choice. Ever since the child came to the academy, he has been talking about wanting to work instead of studying.
Zhao Yulin said that the territory of the Shenwei Army would become larger and larger in the future, and the things they would face would be very arduous, so how could they not study? The girl didn't listen to him at all, and ran to him to linger and play tricks, and entangled him.
Zhang Xiangyang said that Chen Chen loved to play with him when they were still in Jiangbei. Did he really forget everything after he fell? Mr. Chen had something to say, so he had to make Chen Chen happy.
Zhao Yulin said she was still young, so why was she thinking about doing something?
Chen Chen puffed out her little chest and said that she would be thirteen next year, so she was still young?
Zhao Sihan has already done it, what can I say?
He was at a loss, and suddenly he saw the chopsticks on the table and had an idea. He stood up, pulled Chen Chen and asked Zhang Xiangyang to go to the study.
Zhao Yulin picked up his pen and wrote out the Arabic numerals from zero to ten neatly, and then taught Chen Chen to write out addition, subtraction, multiplication and division formulas for application.
Zhang Xiangyang asked him in surprise how he came up with this set of numbers and arithmetic rules?
He said that he simply modified the shape of Indian numbers, and using this set of numbers to calculate and write made it much easier.
Chen Chen was very happy, changing the numbers to do addition and subtraction. Zhao Yulin said that he gave her the numbers and calculation method, and when she could use them fluently, she could teach Chen Xiaomin and let her do the work.
The little girl was very happy and ran away happily with the manuscript paper.
Zhang Xiangyang looked at him in confusion, asking him how he came up with this idea as if he was examining an alien.
Zhao Yulin would definitely not reveal his identity as a time traveler. He said that he had just looked through Xiaomin's account books recently and felt that the traditional accounting numbers were too complicated, so he came up with the idea of carving it out.
Zhang Xiangyang didn't believe it and asked him why he didn't tell Chen Xiaomin?