Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 286 The Kitchen God is a thing of the past!

"What are you doing?" Lu Cang took a step back and stared at the skinny young man with a vigilant look.

The skinny young man's cheeks were slightly red and his body looked a little unnatural.

Lu Cang's face became more alert.

For a while.

The skinny young man blushed and said, "I'm Zhang Zhicheng. I want to ask, was that steam engine really made by Lord Xia?"

"Steam engine?" Lu Cang was stunned. He looked at the young man suspiciously and nodded, "Of course it's true, but it doesn't count. Brother Xia only provided the blueprints. The specific manufacturing method is still up to the engineers. But why are you asking this?"

Zhang Zhicheng said excitedly: "I am very interested in this."

"Didn't Yingtian Prefecture distribute a lot of brochures related to steam engines before? I even asked someone to get me a copy, and now I have it at home. I'll wait a few days. Can I go and see some specific steam engines?"

Hear the words.

Lu Cang's expression relaxed.

It turns out he is a steam engine enthusiast.

Lu Cang smiled and said, "Of course you can. This is one of our goals. We want to let more people in the world know about steam engines through the exhibition. If we can get more people involved in the research and development of steam engines, that would also be a good thing."

"There are many things that can be excavated with a steam engine."

Lu Cang couldn't help but praise him.

Zhang Zhicheng nodded repeatedly and said, "I think so too."

Seeing that Zhang Zhicheng was only interested in the steam engine, Lu Cang completely relaxed. He walked forward, put his hand on him skillfully, and said, "If you want to ask about the steam engine, you've asked the right person. I've been with Brother Xia for more than two years, and I know the whole process of the development of the steam engine."

“And I have also made suggestions on the subsequent applications of the steam engine.”

"picture"

Two young men, about fifteen or sixteen years old, were walking forward in the sunlight.

The notice posted in the city quickly spread throughout the city.

But what was more widely circulated was what Lu Cang said, especially his statement that the price of salt would not rise.

This is even more exciting for the people in the city.

Only the kitchen owner was trying to figure out the second half of what Lu Cang said. When it got dark, several people sneaked out of the city and told Deng Muzi the news.

Upon hearing the news, Deng Muzi was delighted, but then he felt a little uneasy.

He was worried about a trick.

People in government offices are the most untrustworthy.

It's always nice to say but never to do.

"Brother Deng, what do you think?" asked a middle-aged man of medium build.

Deng Muzi stroked his chin and said in a serious tone, "I'm worried that the government is cheating me and is deliberately trying to trick me out."

"But this person was sent by the imperial court," said the middle-aged man.

Deng Muzi said, "So what if it's the imperial court? The officials in the imperial court are also people. Who can guarantee that the imperial envoy is not colluding with local officials? Haven't there been many such incidents in the past? It doesn't matter if I die, but I am afraid that if something happens to me, my wife and children will also die."

"The people in the government are all very cruel."

"I have offended them so much before, I am afraid they must be hating me to death now."

The middle-aged man nodded and advised: "What you said is not wrong, but I think we should still trust it. After all, it is sent by His Majesty. His Majesty came from a poor family and knows the sufferings of the people. He should not embarrass us."

"And hiding all the time is not a solution."

"How long can you hide?"

"What if it's true?"

"If you don't get out now, you'll miss your chance to escape punishment, and your whole family will be in real trouble in the future."

There was a hint of struggle in Deng Muzi's eyes.

He was actually a little moved.

But we had such a bad relationship with the government before, and we were really worried. The middle-aged man said, "We are an ordinary family, how can we beat the government? Now the government has given us a way out, so we should stop while we are ahead. If we miss it, we may never have another chance. After all, this person was sent by the court, so even if he is not very good, he is not too bad."

"And they said it themselves in public."

"I won't embarrass you."

"I think he will keep his word."

Deng Muzi was silent. He hesitated for a moment, then suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "Didn't you just say that the Jinyiwei are here too? Can you contact them?"

The middle-aged man was also shocked when he heard Deng Muzi's words.

Jinyiwei?
Is this what they could think of?!

And how can they get in touch with these people?

The middle-aged man smiled bitterly and said, "Deng, what are you thinking about? How can we worry about it? Forget whether we can meet the Jinyiwei. Even if we do meet them, I'm afraid we will be captured by them right away."

"These people are ruthless in killing people."

"We can't afford to offend."

"You, stop struggling. What's the point of struggling?"

"We have no use for the stove."

"The notice issued today directly stated that in the future, all salt production in the world will be done by machines. This is the attitude of the court. If you want to change it, what can you do? You were not here today, otherwise you would have seen how happy those people around you were to hear that the price of salt would not drop."

“The salt we make ourselves is just not as good as the salt made by machines.”

“You have to admit that.”

"Now, except for us, the salt farmers, everyone in the world relies on the salt produced by machines. What can you, a small salt farmer, do? Can you really smash the machine? Even if you smash it, you can just assemble a new one. You can stop making salt, but can you stop others from buying and eating salt?"

"It's already good enough that the government is willing to calm things down now."

"And the government officials also said so."

"We are willing to give us a chance to sit down and talk."

"Even though we can't reach any agreement, if it can save your life and find you a job, the result is not bad. What's there to refuse?" The middle-aged man persuaded patiently, not wanting Deng Muzi to get deeper and deeper into trouble.

The era of the stove-keeper is over.

If you continue to dwell on the past, you are bound to drift further and further away.

Moreover, I am afraid that in the future, not only the kitchen households will be affected, but other industries will also be affected. How is it possible that the government will make concessions again and again just because they are dissatisfied?

How can an arm twist stronger than a thigh?
What can they use to compete with the government and those businessmen?

Deng Muzi was silent.

There was a hint of loneliness in his eyes.

Before the steam engine was invented, the salt produced by their family was famous throughout Yuhang. When the government came to buy it, the price was higher than that of other families. They had always been proud of it. But now, hundreds of years of salt production had suddenly come to an end, and it had come to an end in his hands. How could he be willing to accept this?

The middle-aged man sighed and said, "Everyone has to look forward."

"Salt making is not an easy job, so it's better to stop early. If the government can give you a few acres of land, wouldn't that be better than being a cook? Do you still expect your whole family to continue to be a cook for the rest of your life?"

"I've been making salt for most of my life, and I'm tired of it."

"If I hadn't been unable to do other things to make a living, I would have quit long ago. You should clean yourself up and behave better in front of the government. You are not a bad person. You are forced to do this to make a living. I believe the government officials can understand."

"Think about it."

"I have already told you this."

"As for your choice, it's up to you, but I should go and ask. If the government can really give me a job, I can finally get rid of salt production, and there will be no more stove households in the future. The stove household system will be abolished."

"I'm afraid we'll all be farmers from now on."

The middle-aged man laughed, looked up at the cold moonlight, and left along the same path he came.

Deng Muzi stood there, his expression changing again and again.

It finally turned into a long sigh.

(End of this chapter)