mage in the late qing dynasty

Chapter 548

The water base is a diving suit, but it is more primitive.

The stall owner even gestured and said in vernacular: "Shark skin making water support is an ancestral craft in our family. Others can't learn it. If you look at the folds, you know that you should do it accordingly, but when you swim, your arms and legs must be smooth. In which direction? This is all about particularity..."

Hearing what Balabala said, Zhao Chuanxin roughly understood it.

There are "V"-shaped folds on the shark skin, and the sharp ends must be smooth.

As long as you go along with the water, you can cut through the waves, and you will have no disadvantages underwater.

If it is a normal dive, one's arms and legs must be moved.

When moving, how to go smoothly is a test of workmanship.

It is necessary to force the arm to go along with the water when it is stretched forward, and to block the water to the greatest extent and increase power when it is drawn backward.

The stall owner said: "Young man, seeing that you are strong and strong, you must be a good player in the water. Why don't you try it out? I will keep you in the water to save time and effort..."

Going into the water to touch eggs is diving for pearls.

There are some masters of freehand diving in the coastal areas, who can hold their breath and go to the bottom of the sea to touch giant clams or pearls of other shellfish, which is quite difficult.

Zhao Chuanxin bared his teeth and smiled: "No, I want both arms and legs to flow backwards, can you do it?"

The stall owner was confused: "Young man, listen to me, you have to move when you enter the water..."

"Just say it can be done?"

Zhao Chuanxin dives and doesn't swim by himself.

"Yes!" The stall owner looked at him like a fool.

It's just that it can't highlight his skills.

Zhao Chuanxin asked again: "How much?"

The stall owner looked at his clothes and complexion, and the old god stretched out five fingers.

Look at the dishes!

"Oh..." Zhao Chuanxin drew a long voice: "It's okay, only 5 Wen, not bad."

"..." The stall owner's eyes widened: "5 Wen? Not enough for shark skin."

Zhao Chuanxin sneered and said, "Just tell me how much it is, don't show off your quack tricks with me, should we talk it out?"

The stall owner saw that Zhao Chuanxin couldn't be fooled, and said with a sneer, "5 yuan."

"Silver dollars, or Portuguese dollars?"

Last year, Portugal let their Atlantic Bank issue 1 yuan and 5 yuan banknotes for circulation on the Australian island.

The stall owner hurriedly said: "Naturally silver dollars, silver can also be made."

Although it is in circulation, but the quantity is small after all, it is still reliable in real money.

Zhao Chuanxin shook his head: "You little old man, you are not very honest."

"how do I say this?"

Zhao Chuanxin pointed to the passers-by on the market: "The people who come here are all fishermen from the nearby villages, right? They are willing to pay 5 yuan to come to you as a shark skin water supply?"

This old guy is a jerk and a jerk.

The stall owner: "..."

He stomped his feet and simply said, "Then you bid."

Zhao Chuanxin picked up the sample on the ground and looked at it. It was purely handmade, with traces of isinglass, fine stitching, and exquisite tailoring. This kind of purely handmade object is actually very valuable for future generations.

He said: "It's not impossible for 5 yuan. But I want you to add something to it, it depends on whether you have the skills to earn this money."

The stall owner was stunned: "Add what?"

Zhao Chuanxin took out the skin of the wound of war: "I want to add this as a lining."

The stall owner took it curiously: "Eh? It's not cowhide or sheepskin, it's such a strong leather. I can try double-layered shark skin for you."

Zhao Chuanxin nodded: "Yes, I also need to make a pair of shark skin socks, and also need leather lining."

The stall owner scratched his head: "In this life, the old man has never heard of such a request..."

Zhao Chuanxin asked him: "How long will it take you to finish?"

The stall owner thought about it: "I can pick it up after noon tomorrow."

"I'll give you the money. If you want to take the money and run away, where can I find you?"

The stall owner pointed angrily at the house not far from Daji and said, "I will live there. You will know when you come home with me."

Zhao Chuanxin only paid some fixed money, and then went to find the snot-nosed children and bought them food.

There are all kinds of things to buy.

There is also an agreement that after buying, we will share half with each other in exchange for food.

Zhao Chuanxin doesn't care about it at all, he just pays for it.

When it was Xian Yuqing's turn, she lingered and stopped in front of a crowded bookstall.

Zhao Chuanxin came over and asked, "Girl, have you figured out what to eat?"

Xian Yuqing hesitated for a moment: "Uncle, can I ask for a book?"

She looked a little embarrassed.

At her age, she is already sensible.

She knows that the price of books far exceeds that of snacks.

Zhao Chuanxin glanced at the bookstall: "Which one do you want?"

Xian Yuqing pointed to a copy of "Book of the Later Han Dynasty": "I want this one."

Wearing a melon cap and a pair of round tortoiseshell myopia glasses, the owner of the bookstall shook his head and said, "Girl, you have to buy a set of ten volumes for this book, and we won't sell the individual copies."

Xian Yuqing showed a disappointed expression, and quickly waved his hands in fright: "Ah? Then don't do it..."

One book is very expensive. After ten volumes, I don’t know how much it will cost.

The owner of the bookstall seems to be a scholar, and his temperament is quite different from that of the cunning old man who sells shark skin water. He seems a bit old-fashioned.

He glanced at Zhao Chuanxin: "A woman who has no talent is a virtue!"

Xian Yuqing bit her lip and said nothing, but there was some stubbornness in her eyes.

"Fart." Zhao Chuanxin spat: "How much is ten volumes?"

The book stall owner blushed and had a thick neck when he was scolded: "It's so vulgar, I won't sell this book to you!"

Zhao Chuanxin handed the coat in his hand to a snot-nosed kid next to him, and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt: "Old boy, I advise you not to be ignorant of compliments."

Zhao Chuanxin, who was wearing a coat, looked very thin, but only the shirt was left behind, and the sleeves of the shirt were bulging with his arms, and the exposed forearm muscles were stretched.

The owner of the bookstall saw that this person was extremely physically strong, so he swallowed involuntarily, but still stiffened his neck: "Not for sale!"

Xian Yuqing pulled Zhao Chuanxin's sleeve: "Uncle, I don't want it anymore, let's go."

Zhao Chuanxin broke away from her, ran to the book stall owner, held his collar with one hand, and lifted him up: "Say, how much is ten volumes?"

The peddlers around were dumbfounded.

What kind of power is this?
Especially the little old man who sells shark skin water, watching from a distance, shrinking his neck in fright.

The owner of the bookstall was finally persuaded: "Foreign currency is 1 yuan and 4 cents."

Scholars speak differently.

The quotation "foreign" should be placed in front.

Zhao Chuanxin didn't put him down, and asked, "Why is it so expensive?"

One ocean, as much as all the snot-nosed kids' snack money.

When it came to the professional field, the owner of the bookstall was still kicking his legs in the air, but he was not convinced: "This is tissue paper from Jiangxi, so it is naturally expensive."

Zhao Chuanxin knew that such a nerd would not dare to deceive him, so he put him down, took out 1 yuan and 4 cents, threw it on the stall, and picked up ten volumes of "Book of the Later Han Dynasty".

This book still has rough edges, is uneven, and is old, so Zhao Chuanxin will definitely find it disgusting.

But since Xian Yuqing wanted to study, Zhao Chuanxin didn't care about it.

Xian Yuqing was dumbfounded.

1 yuan and 4 cents, so expensive.

Zhao Chuanxin stuffed the book into Xian Yuqing's arms: "Hold, you bought the book, and the snacks are gone."

Xian Yuqing stammered, "Uncle, I don't want it, it's too expensive."

Zhao Chuanxin touched her head: "Why is the war flag so beautiful? The hero's blood stained it red; why is Jiang Shanchun always there? The life of intellectuals is blooming. Study hard, exercise, get up early, and be useful to society." people."

Seeing Zhao Chuanxin saying this with a cigarette in his mouth, Xian Yuqing was bewildered.

The scholar widened his eyes and shouted loudly: "Well said!"

Zhao Chuanxin squinted at him: "Didn't you say that a woman's ignorance is virtue? There are thousands of compatriots in China, half of them are men and half of them are women. There are very few readers, and now only half of them are studying. If the other half are also proficient Astronomy and geography, can build ships and cannons like Westerners, can smelt steel, and know how to invent trains and cars, will China still lag behind and be beaten? Will Portugal dare to stay on the island of Australia with peace of mind?"

Zhao Chuanxin was disdainful with a cigarette in his mouth, and the book stall owner was speechless.

Xian Yuqing's eyes lit up.

People around are thoughtful.

A group of snot-nosed children thought very shallowly. Seeing that the ten volumes of books were so valuable, they suddenly felt that the snacks in their hands were a bit unsavory.

One by one shouted: "Uncle, I want books too..."

Zhao Chuanxin asked them: "Are you literate?"

All shook their heads.

Only Xian Yuqing said: "Uncle, my father taught me how to read, and next year I will go to a private school to study."

Zhao Chuanxin smiled: "You bastards, I don't care what method you use, as long as you can read, uncle will buy you books!"

A group of children are easy to coax, and suddenly they smile again, as if reading is very simple, and they can learn a lot overnight.

The owner of the bookstall had lost the bitterness and hatred he had just had. After listening to Zhao Chuanxin's words, he bowed his back and said to the peddlers on both sides: "This man is willing to pay for other people's children to study. De..."

The peddler spat: "If you have money, don't mind your business."

"..."

Zhao Chuanxin waved his hand: "Go!"

He brought a group of snot-nosed babies to the little old man's house.

Sure enough, as he said, you can tell at a glance.

There are still several pairs of sharkskin swimming pools hanging on the wall of the little old man's house. Some of them have been very old for some years, and the color has gradually darkened, and there are traces of smoke and fire.

There is also an old lady in his family who is at a loss when she sees a group of children.

Zhao Chuanxin paid the full amount directly: "You can't cut this leather, so just give me a measurement now, and I will just tell you what to do for your staff."

Seeing that Zhao Chuanxin paid 5 yuan, the old lady was so frightened that she hurriedly pulled the little old man aside: "Are you afraid that you will go out to fool people again? What if you ask someone to come to your door again?"

Zhao Chuanxin had sharp ears, and when he heard it, he laughed: "Don't worry, old lady, I won't turn the tables."

The little old man also said: "This is a noble man. Don't be afraid of a man who promises everything he says."

Otherwise, the farts are also wise. In a word, the boss who gave Zhao Chuanxin a fight would not be able to step down if he wanted to repent.

The water was close to the body, so Zhao Chuanxin took off his shirt and asked the little old man to measure it.

Seeing Zhao Chuanxin's tattoos all over his body, the little old man was amazed: "Such tattoos are rare in this world. The little old man also has them, but they are not as dense as yours."

As he spoke, he opened his chest and rolled up his sleeves, revealing a pattern drawn by simple lines that could not be distinguished as a fish or a dragon.

At first glance, it looks like a child's scribbled stick figure, but when you look closely, it is full of charm similar to ancient murals.

Zhao Chuanxin asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

The little old man closed his shirt, sighed and said: "The ancestors were all Dan people for several generations, and they drifted on the sea, and it was only my generation that came ashore. We, a Dan people, have to tattoo blue fish and dragons before we can go into the water, otherwise the Dragon King will not bless you." , in the event of a strong wind, you will die..."

Dan people are easily discriminated against by the people on the shore, and it is not easy to integrate into life on land.

So when it comes to your own identity, not only is there nothing to show off, but it's also a bit embarrassing.

In this era, ordinary people don't know how to get tattoos. The little old man thought that Zhao Chuanxin got tattoos because of some difficulties. He couldn't guess that Zhao Chuanxin endured this pain in order to pretend to be a ghost and elevate his status.

While talking and measuring, the movements of the little old man's hands are very agile, but his legs and feet seem to be somewhat inconvenient.

It's not lame, but the bow legs are serious, and the feet are bent badly.

According to the little old man, this is because the ancestors lived on the boat or launched into the water all the year round.Most of the life on board has to work with legs spread apart, or to sit cross-legged, or to sleep with knees bent.

It has been passed down from generation to generation.

The people of Min call this a curved hoof.

Zhao Chuanxin took out the pen and paper: "According to what you said, I will draw it first, and we will cut the leather according to the shape..."

Seeing that Zhao Chuanxin wanted to paint, Xian Yuqing, who was holding a book, was very interested in it, so he hurriedly moved behind him to watch...

(End of this chapter)