Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 662: Zong Ge'er Loves Inventions [Thank you! Goodbye! 37k more to go]

"Ever since I was old enough to understand, summer has been particularly difficult for me."

Hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng nodded thoughtfully, looked at Rong Feiyan and said, "I do have a summer diet menu for my own use. Wait a minute and I'll ask the maid to bring it over."

As he spoke, Chai Zhengzheng turned around and waved his round fan at his maid, and continued, "Miss Feiyan, take this home as a reference. Ask the imperial physician to take your pulse, and then increase or decrease the dosage to see how it works."

Rong Feiyan was just looking for a topic temporarily to suppress the question in her heart. After hearing what Chai Zhengzheng said, she nodded continuously: "Thank you very much."

"Just a little thing."

Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile.

The summoned maid Yunmu also came over with a smile and looked at Chai Zhengzheng: "Miss?"

Chai Zhengzheng: "Go and copy my summer diet list and give it to Miss Feiyan's maid later."

"Yes, girl."

Yunmu responded with a bow and turned to walk out of the pavilion.

Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile: "Miss Feiyan, let's go and try the watermelon that was just delivered. If we don't go over now, Wu Niang will eat it all."

Rong Feiyan smiled and nodded, then followed Chai Zhengzheng over.

"Eh? What do you think the leader of the group named Li Shishi looks like? She actually made His Highness curious enough to go and see her." In the pavilion, Tingyi's sister-in-law Meng Jie'er asked curiously.

"Hehe! Second sister, you have some good news." Before Zhang Jiawu Niang finished her words, she felt Chai Zhengzheng's gaze looking at her.

Looking at Chai Zhengzheng who shook his head slightly, Zhang Jia Wu Niang pursed her lips and continued: "You are quite smart!"

Meng Jieer smiled and said, "I also heard it from the market."

"Didn't they say that the young men from the Qi, Liang and Xu families were all there that day?" said another noble lady.

Seeing that everyone was about to talk about Zhao Fang, Chai Zhengzheng quickly changed the subject and said with a smile: "Second Mother, if you are curious, you can take a look at Wei Xingshou, there is not much difference."

Huang Qingmeng heard this, turned around and looked at Wei Fangzhi, and said with a smile: "But she is beautiful."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded and smiled: "Speaking of Yuan Ruo, it reminds me of Master Lu from my eldest sister-in-law's family."

As Chai Zhengzheng spoke, the girls in the pavilion all looked at Chai Jin's wife, Lu.

Mrs. Lu looked at her sister-in-law in confusion, and said with doubt in her eyes: "Zheng Zheng, what's wrong? Is there something about Ze Zong that I don't know?"

"Sister-in-law, didn't you say before that Zong Ge'er wanted to get you to join him, so what was the matter with the spinning fan?" Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile.

Lu thought for a moment, then a look of realization appeared on her face. She said to the noble ladies in the pavilion who were curiously looking at her, "Oh! This? Now I remember, Zong Ge'er said that Brother Xu Wu told him about a miscellaneous book called 'Xijing Miscellaneous Records'."

"There's a story in the book about a skilled craftsman in ancient times who made a seven-wheeled fan wheel that had the effect of 'one person turning it and making the whole room shiver.'"

"After Zong Ge'er found out, he thought of making this thing to cool down during the dog days of summer."

"Oh? Miscellaneous Notes of Western Capital? Sister Hai, have you ever read this book?" Shen Hezhen, who was sitting in the pavilion, turned around and asked.

Hai Chaoyun shook his head in confusion: "Don't even mention seeing it. I haven't even heard of it."

After saying that, Hai Chaoyun looked at Chai Zhengzheng and said, "Miss Zhengzheng, do you have this book in your Sibaozhai?"

Upon hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng smiled and shook his head.

Miss Chuhong of the Zhao family, who had come from Northern Liao and was dressed like a noblewoman in Bianjing, asked in confusion, "Miss Zhengzheng doesn't have any of these? Could it be some rare and precious copy?"

Seeing everyone in the pavilion nodding in agreement, Chai Zhengzheng hurriedly said with a smile: "No, no!"

"Then why are you shaking your head and waving your hands?" Ting Yi looked at Chai Zhengzheng with an angry look.

Chai Zhengzheng said innocently: "Sister Tingyi, what I meant by waving my hand and shaking my head is that I am not saying this to sell the books in my study."

"You! Zheng Zheng, you really deserve to be beaten for saying that in front of the sisters!" Zhang Jia Wu Niang put down the melon peel in her hand, put her hands on her waist and said, "No one in the pavilion would think of you like this!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Wu Niang is right!" Ting Yi agreed.

Everyone in the pavilion nodded in agreement.

Seeing the crowd getting excited, Chai Zhengzheng quickly begged for mercy, saying, "It was my sister's fault, so I'll punish my sister-in-law. What will be the final result? Did Zong Ge'er accomplish anything?"

When Chai Zhengzheng asked this question, no one in the pavilion felt that it was a fantasy. After all, the Lu family had a good relationship with the Ministry of Works, and the idea of ​​young master Lu Zezong could still be realized.

"Made?" Mrs. Lu smiled and shook her head, "What are they made of? The cool fans used in the palace today are an improvement on the seven-wheeled fan cart."

"Oh?"

"what?"

Looking at the surprised people in the pavilion, Mrs. Lu nodded affirmatively.

"Now that you mention it, I remember it! I remember when I entered the palace and met the Queen, I felt a cool breeze with the fragrance of flowers blowing towards me."

"I always thought it was the wind from the big fan!"

"Then why didn't I see him when I entered the palace?"

"When did my sister enter the palace?"

"It's winter."

Listening to the chatter of the noble ladies in the pavilion, Rong Feiyan asked with a smile: "What about the back?"

Mrs. Lu smiled and said, "Later? Later, Zong Ge'er told Brother Xu Wu about it. I heard from the nanny beside Zong Ge'er that the two of them whispered to each other for a long time, and Brother Xu Wu was even writing and drawing on paper."

"If you're curious, I'll send someone to ask."

Hearing this, everyone in the pavilion nodded.

Seeing this, Lu waved her hand, and a maid responded and walked out.

Zhang Jia Wu Niang picked up another piece of watermelon and said thoughtfully, "In fact, my father and brothers also mentioned the fanning thing in the army to me."

"Sister Zhang, are there fans in the army? Could it be that they are the instruments used to provide cool air at the school gate?" Shen Hezhen asked doubtfully.

Zhang Jia Wu Niang shook her head and said, "Sister He Zhen, it is not used for cooling off. It is used to send poisonous smoke into the enemy's tunnel when we discover it during the defense of the city."

"Ah? Poisonous smoke? But I read in a book that if you find a tunnel, don't you have to flood it with water?" asked Shen Hezhen.

Zhang's Fifth Lady pursed her lips and shook her head, explaining, "Sister Shen, that also requires water! If it's the dry season, or the water is frozen, how can we pour water in so quickly? At this time, the effect of poisonous smoke is better than flooding."

"I see!" Shin Hezhen nodded.

"Besides sending poisonous cigarettes, there are other ways," Wu Niang said, and then looked at Gu Tingyi.

Gu Tingyi smiled and said, "Wu Niang, can you pour kerosene in there?"

Wu Niang nodded repeatedly.

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about this anymore. These are all things on the battlefield." Ting Yi waved his hand.

On the other side, Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said to Rong Feiyan: "Speaking of the battlefield, we have to congratulate Miss Feiyan's brother for his achievements in the south!"

Rong Feiyan smiled and waved her hands: "Brother has only been in the south for half a year. If he can achieve any merit, it is only because of the help of the Xie and Xiong families."

Gu Tingyi smiled and nodded, looking around at everyone and said, "By the way, guess who I ran into the other day?"

"Sister Tingyi, stop keeping me in suspense and just tell me!"

Seeing the urging eyes of the crowd, Ting Yi smiled and said, "That day, my second mother and I went to the farm outside the city and met the old lady of the Sheng family who was leaving the city."

"Is the old lady of the Sheng family Brother Xu Wu's great-aunt?" Wu Niang asked.

Gu Tingyi nodded: "Yes, after greeting them, I found out that Madam Sheng has a farm outside the city, and she took the two girls to the farm to escape the summer heat. The two girls from the Sheng family followed the car on horseback, and they looked really nice."

Hai Chaoyun, who was standing by, waved her round fan and said, "No wonder when someone sent an invitation to the Sheng family, only the fourth young lady Sheng went."

"The two lines of poetry that came out of the poetry gathering were said by Fourth Miss Sheng, right?" Zhao Chuhong asked softly. "Yes!" Hai Chaoyun smiled and said, "Sister Chuhong has heard it too?"

Zhao Chuhong nodded: "Yes! Although it's just two sentences, I like it very much! In fact, before in Bei Liao..." Looking at the people in the pavilion, Zhao Chuhong continued: "When I get together and chat with other girls, I often talk about some poems of our dynasty."

"I had a good friend who particularly liked the song 'The Rain on the Street Is as Soft as Butter'."

Hearing this, the ladies in the pavilion had different expressions. Shen Hezhen smiled and said, "Sister Chuhong, I heard that 'The rain on the streets is as soft as butter' and these two lines were written by the same young master."

"Ah?" Zhao Chuhong looked surprised.

Seeing everyone in the pavilion nodding their heads in the affirmative and listening to Zhang Jiawu Niang's brief account of how the poem came to be in Chai's bookstore, Zhao Chuhong thought of her good friend in Bei Liao Zhong Jing.

She was the extremely beautiful sister who came from the Liu family in Changping.

The thought of "maybe I could write a letter to help sister Liu to clear up her confusion" flashed through my mind.

Afterwards, the girls changed the topic to delicious summer snacks in Beijing.

"Sister Tingyi wants to eat this? Then let the cook at home make it for us." Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile.

"It's a deal!" Gu Tingyi said with a smile.

At this time,

On the corridor leading to the pavilion, four strong women followed Lu's maid and walked over, carrying something.

Some 'huge' lineups instantly attracted everyone's attention.

When the strong women arrived in front of the pavilion, the hanging gauze was lifted up, and Chai Zhengzheng looked at something as tall as a person not far away with a confused look on his face.

"What is this?" Lu asked her personal maid.

"My dear Madam, this is what our young master has researched, a manual rotating fan. Hearing that you were curious, he asked the servants to bring it here."

Glancing at Chai Zhengzheng and Gu Tingyi, the maid continued, "The young master also said that he knew Miss Zhengzheng and Miss Tingyi were here, and asked me to ask if the two of you would like to join the family!"

Upon hearing this, all the girls in the pavilion started laughing.

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said, "This fan blade looks different from anything I've seen before, but if you want me and Sister Tingyi to pay for it, you have to let us see the effect. Bring it in!"

"Yes!"

As they spoke, the strong women carried the things into the pavilion. After placing them there, one of them squatted beside them, holding the horizontal handle and started turning it.

As the sound of metal biting and colliding was heard, the blades on the rotating fan, which were quite similar to those of later generations, began to spin rapidly.

Looking at the healthy woman's slow movements, the rapidly rotating fan blades, and the visible breeze, the girls in the pavilion all looked surprised.

"Put the ice jar behind this object, let me feel it again." Chai Zhengzheng, who was standing in front of the fan blades, ordered.

After the maidservant did as she was told, the wind became even cooler.

"Eh? How does this thing spin so fast?"

"Yeah, look at this guy, he's not turning that fast!"

“Is there something wonderful in the box under this fan?”

"How about asking Young Master Lu to come over?"

The girls in the pavilion asked questions one after another while also looking at Lu's maid.

The maid of the Lu family bowed and said, "My dear ladies, the young master said that some of the things here were the ideas of the fifth son of the Xu family, and some were improved after he consulted Lord Su."

"Master Su?" Gu Tingyi asked uncertainly, "Master Su Songsu?"

"Yes!"

Chai Zhengzheng looked at the item in front of him and said with a smile, "Did Zong Ge tell me the cost of this item?"

"My dear, the young master said that this item would cost more than 100 strings of cash, but if we replace one or two of the above items, the cost can be much lower."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded, looked at the rotating copper fan blades and said, "For example, this can be replaced with bamboo blades."

The other ladies nodded.

After a moment's silence, Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile, "Okay, I'll pay for this."

Gu Tingyi nodded: "I'm out too!"

"Hey, you two can't do this. I have some pocket money too." Zhang Jiawu Niang said with a smile.

noon,

The sun is shining,

The cicadas chirp.

There were far fewer people walking on the streets of Bianjing than in the morning or evening.

Looking into the distance from the ground along the Imperial Street, you can find that the scenery in the distance has been distorted.

Jiying Lane,
Sheng family,

The big tree behind the school provides shade, but also provides a place for cicadas to rest.

Amid the chirping of cicadas,
The place where the partitions were placed on one side of the school in winter has now been replaced with light-transmitting and insect-proof gauze.

There was wind blowing in the room, causing the gauze to sway gently.

In the school,
Master Zhuang sat in front of the screen, looking at the object next to him that was emitting wind with confusion.

Seeing that the man was sweating like a cow while shaking the handle, Zhuang Xuejiu stood up and waved his hand, saying, "Go and have a rest first."

As he spoke, Master Zhuang walked towards the hand-cranked fan.

"Scholar, you don't want to give it a try, do you?" Changbai stood up and asked worriedly.

Chang Qiang, who was standing by, also looked at Zhuang Xuejiu.

Zhuang Xuejiao stroked his beard and said, "I, the master, just want to see why this thing is spinning so fast."

Changbai turned his head with some doubt in his eyes, looked at Xu Zaijing who was smiling behind him, and said, "Wulang, come over and tell me. I have seen the rotating fan in my grandmother's room in Shou'an Hall before, and it rotates much slower than this one."

Xu Zaijing stood up with a smile and said, "Okay, then I'll open it again and let everyone take a look."

Seeing Xu Zaijing approaching, Han Niu quickly wiped the sweat off his face and stood aside.

After Xu Zaijing casually pushed away the iron pin that fixed the outer casing, several delicate metal gears were revealed under the fan blades.

After taking it apart, Xu Zaijing shook it a few times and watched the metal gears turn together. Zhuang Xuejiu nodded in realization, "Haha, so that's how it is! But it does look a bit tiring."

As he said this, Master Zhuang looked at the servant Han Niu who was sweating profusely.

Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Student, we can actually do some more research and use animal power instead. It will not only turn faster, but also save manpower."

Zhuang Xuejiao stroked his beard and nodded: "Wu Lang, you said before that the palace has actually been using this for a long time?"

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Yes, scholar, but the one in the palace is moving with water. When I entered the palace, I saw it from a distance several times."

Zhuang Xuejiao nodded and said, "It looks so exquisite. I think only rich people can use it. It is not available to ordinary people."

"What the scholar said is correct." Xu Zaijing bowed.

Not to mention in ancient times, even in later generations, it has only been a few years since everyone had access to air conditioning.

Zhuang Xuejiao looked around the fan and said, "In winter, if we put a charcoal brazier and firebox behind it, it would provide some warm air."

Xu Zaijing was stunned, his eyes lit up and he said, "Scholar, that's a good idea. Blowing warm air might be able to dry your hair!"

(End of this chapter)