I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 830 Forever Bicycle
This is the territory of Liangxiang County, Shuntian Prefecture, which is only separated from Wanping County and the five cities of the capital by the Lugou River, and is dozens of miles away.

Many relatives from all over the country live in Wanping County and the five cities of the capital.

Now that the economy is booming, villagers often go out together, driving donkey carts and ox carts, to transport their own fruits, vegetables and agricultural and sideline products to Wanping and the five cities of the capital to sell.

Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, many villagers would go to Nanyuan in the capital to broaden their horizons and have fun.

So the villagers here were quite knowledgeable and could tell at a glance that the people on the official road were riding the bicycles that were popular in the capital.

A sewing machine and a bicycle, if anyone has these two items, they will be so happy.

These two items, sewing machines are sold everywhere, even in department stores in Wanping and Liangxiang counties.

It’s just that the price is a bit high and not many people can afford it.

Bicycles are very rare.

It is said that this item is popular this year. You can ride it over mountains and hills, on flat roads and country roads, and it can be easily controlled.

It is very convenient to travel dozens of miles in just a few minutes. In the eyes of the villagers, it is a very magical object.

Not only is it expensive, but the quantity is also extremely limited. Even in the five cities of the capital, there are only a handful of shops selling it, and the prices are staggering.

However, according to the second uncle from the next village, the nephew of the fourth cousin of the third uncle of his niece-in-law's aunt works in a factory in Luanzhou. He came back to visit his relatives a few days ago and said that many people in the factories and mines in Luanzhou have started riding this bicycle.

He also said that the factory was preparing to give bicycles as prizes to this year's annual Red Flag Commandos, outstanding and advanced workers.

The nephew also said that this bicycle was produced by the Lulong Bicycle Factory under the Lulong Manufacturing Bureau, and the brand was called Forever.

The villagers and farmers stood with their hands on their hips, looking enviously at a group of people riding bicycles speeding past on the official road.

The two groups in front and behind, about ten people, all riding brand new bicycles.

It’s really enviable!

Some ambitious villagers began to plan in their minds that when the last crop of wheat was harvested in the autumn this year, they would also carry their bags and look for a job to earn more money.

Now the Holy Emperor is in power, the world is prosperous, and the people are living a better and better life. But farming can only fill your stomach, not starve to death or freeze to death.

But now there are more and more good things on the market, which makes people dazzled and feel itchy.

Cigarettes, alcohol, candy, toothpaste, soap, vanishing cream, colorful cloth, kettle, honeycomb coal stove, sewing machine, bicycle, clock
Everyone likes it, especially young men and women, who can't take their eyes off it.

Every time I return to the city, I need a long time to calm down.

But these items need money to buy.

Nowadays, we can have enough food to eat, wear warm clothes, and live a peaceful life as the older generation talked about, but young people are experiencing more and more troubles.

Old basic desires are satisfied, but more new desires are aroused.

make money!

Make a lot of money!
This has become the idea of ​​many young people in towns and villages.

For the people in the towns and villages of Liangxiang County, there are actually many opportunities to make money.

If you are close, you can go to the Five Cities of the Capital.

There is a large-scale construction going on there, and many construction workers are needed. You don't need to be literate, as long as you are willing to work hard.

You can also go to the Songcun freight yard at Beijing South Railway Station to do some porter work. They are in urgent need of porters and all they need is your willingness to work hard.

If you went to a private school when you were young and know some words, that would be even better. If you want to be close to home, go to Tianjin; if you want good welfare, go to Luanzhou.

The factories and mines in these two places recruit people every day, but the requirements are higher now. They need to be literate, and it is no longer like before when just having a bit of strength is enough.

There is no need to travel across mountains and rivers to Tianjin and Luanzhou for work.

Luanzhou and Tianjin have offices in the capital, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi provincial capitals and county seats, and Shanghai has offices in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, the two Hubei provincial capitals and county seats. They are managed by the companies stationed there and recruit people all year round.

As long as they pass the preliminary examination and gather a certain number of people, they will be sent back to Luanzhou, Tianjin and Shanghai.

In the field, a young man was holding the handle of a hoe stuck in the ground with one hand, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the other hand, looking at a group of people riding bicycles away in the distance, with his mind full of dreams.

If I can read and write, I will definitely be able to enter the factories and mines in Luanzhou, Tianjin and Shanghai.

Shanghai is too far away.

Tianjin is close, but Luanzhou has good welfare!
If you go to Luanzhou and work for a year or two, become a "formal worker", and then ride a bicycle back, you can be as impressive as these people.

By then, the threshold of your house will be trampled down by the matchmaker.

He looked down on other girls and only liked Chunni from Yantai Village. She was a famous pretty girl within a hundred miles.

Well, what will the eldest child be named after marriage?
The young man had not yet thought of a name for the baby he and Chunni had when he was hit on the back of his head.

I turned my head subconsciously in pain and saw my father standing behind me, scolding me with a stern face, "You can be so distracted by watching others riding a bike, what can you do about it?
Want to buy? Farm well!

If you don't farm well, you won't even be able to eat shit, let alone this iron wheel cart!"

The young man waved his hoe angrily and continued to work in the field, feeling indignant.

I never thought that the biggest obstacle in my pursuit of happiness would be my own father!
Alas, this damn family bond!
Shu Youliang suddenly burst out and stepped on the pedal hard, his speed surpassing Yang Guian, but he was still not as fast as Ren Boan.

"You, Ren Jingxiu, don't respect the elderly. I'm old, so what if you give way to me?"

Shu Youliang was panting, pedaling his bike, and muttering in the back.

"Master Shu, you always say that you are still young and in great shape, and you never give in. Why are you talking about being old now?"

"No, no, there is an open space over there, let's take a rest there for a while."

The four of them stopped their bicycles, pushed them into the open space and parked them aside.

Shu Youliang sat down on the grass, picked up the kettle, and drank it down with gulps.

Six more people followed behind, all riding bicycles. They greeted with a smile, parked their bicycles on the other side, and sat down to drink water and rest.

They were the followers of Li Xuan and Ren Boan, forming a separate team and lagging behind.

"Master Shu," Li Xuan said a little embarrassedly, "Riding a bicycle southward was just a temporary impulse of my junior. Master Shu, why do you have to suffer with me?"

Shu Youliang laughed, "Mr. Li, this is 'I am an old man, but I am still as wild as a young man. I hold the handlebar with my left hand, step on the stirrup with my right hand, and ride ten carts up a long slope with dishevelled hair and cloth clothes.'"

Everyone laughed.

Shu Youliang looked at the bicycle parked in front, and then at the few pieces of luggage on the rear rack. "Fortunately, we handed the large luggage to the transport company, which packed it and shipped it to Kaifeng City.

I didn’t expect that this bicycle is not very good to ride on a normal day, but it is really tiring to ride it for dozens of miles.”

Li Xuan came over curiously and asked, "Master Shu, have you visited all the factories and mines in Luanzhou?"

"Of course. In mid-May, my master was in a meeting, so I accompanied the two Portuguese people and walked around everywhere every day. We visited dozens of factories in the three cities of Luanzhou, and even took a look at the famous Lugang High School at the gate."

"Master Shu, what's the origin of this bicycle? Why is it called a 28-inch bicycle?"

"Haha, I've asked the right person. I've also been to the Lulong Carriage Factory. I heard from the workers inside that it has been manufacturing horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws and flatbed carts.

This bicycle was designed a long time ago, but the tire problem was difficult to solve.

We have tried all kinds of wheels, including wood, cast iron, cowhide, and cow tendon. They are either too hard, not durable, or too expensive. So we have been in the experimental stage.

Later, the Chemical Research Institute developed vulcanized rubber and replaced the wheels with rubber outer and inner tubes. This was finally completed and they started selling them on the market.

As for why it is called Erba Dagang, I don't know, it is said that it may have come from Xiyuan. However, the factory divides it by wheels.

The wheel diameter of our bicycle is 70 centimeters, and the model assigned by the factory is Type 70, and the full name is Forever Type 70 bicycle.

The others include Type 66 and Type 60, which are classified according to the size of the wheels.

But the best-selling one is the 70-type, which is a 28-bar truck. It is sturdy and durable, and can carry people and goods, and can easily carry 200 to 300 kilograms. "

"Master Shu," Yang Guian came over and asked, "I heard that this bicycle is expensive because it uses high-quality steel, and the chain and pedals are all exquisite."

Shu Youliang shook his head, "You didn't get to the point.

Bicycles are made of high-quality steel. But does the Ming Dynasty lack high-quality steel? Not at all. The Jinggu and Jingqin railways, nearly a thousand miles of rails, four lines, all made of high-quality steel, how many tons of steel would it take?

And can this chain and pedal be more sophisticated than a sewing machine, watch or machine tool?
Bicycles are expensive, and these two reasons are not the reason at all. That’s not right.”

Yang Guian asked, "Master Shu, what makes it so expensive?"

"On the tire!"

"tire?"

Everyone was curious.

Why are these two inconspicuous wheels so expensive?
"This tire has an outer tube and an inner tube. Although both are made of vulcanized rubber, they are not the same type of rubber. I don't know which two types they are. I only know that the production process is different and the performance is also different.

But their raw materials are all latex from rubber trees in the south, which is very precious.”

Li Xuan asked: "The latex from the rubber tree? That's the same as the lacquer from the lacquer tree."

"Young Marquis is really smart, he hit the nail on the head."

Li Xuan was a little puzzled: "Master Shu, why don't you ask the south to plant more rubber trees?"

"My Lord, it's not that simple.

We didn't have this rubber tree here before. It was not until Marquis Dinghai (Li Chao) was conquering Genxunzhou that he found it in the dense forests of Xunzhou. He had people send it here and planted it in the Sanbao Peninsula and Yanzhou Islands.

It will take five or six years before rubber can be tapped.

The imperial court not only planted a large number of rubber saplings in the South China Sea every year, but also transplanted a number of mature trees from Xunzhou. Together with the latex harvested from Xunzhou, there was barely enough latex.

However, it will take another two or three years before large quantities of latex are produced and available.

Things are rare.

Nowadays, there is less latex, and less vulcanized rubber is produced, so the price is naturally higher. Half of the high price of this bicycle is due to the tires. "

It turned out to be the case.

Everyone suddenly realized.

Shu Youliang continued, "In another three to five years, when the rubber trees in the Nanhai area mature and can be tapped, the price of rubber will naturally drop, and bicycles will be sold at a lower price."

After talking about bicycles, everyone started chatting about other topics in groups of three or four.

Ren Boan looked at Shu Youliang and asked curiously, "Master Shu, did you really take a Western Yi woman as your concubine?"

Ren Boan and Shu Youliang are old acquaintances. When Hai Rui went to the south of the Yangtze River to investigate the three major cases in the south of the Yangtze River, Ren Boan made great efforts in the process and once served Hai Rui. He knew Shu Youliang at that time. They were old friends and got along very well.

He was the only one who dared to ask such a personal question.

"Of course, I am so charming." Shu Youliang said proudly.

"Master Shu, don't pretend in front of old friends. Tell me the truth, why did that Xiyi woman like you? Could it be that she wanted to become a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, so she married you out of grievance?"

"What are you talking about! My wife Suo said that I have an interesting soul in my ordinary appearance."

Yang Guian was shocked: "Master Shu, is this Xiyi woman a witch? Can she see ghosts?"

Shu Youliang's eyes widened. "Nonsense! My wife Suo is a famous painter in Xiyi. She's an artist, don't you know what an artist is? She's full of artistic germs!"

After everyone chatted for a while, Shu Youliang stood up and said, "Everyone, keep going. We have to get to Gujie Posthouse before dark today, otherwise we will have to sleep in the open.

In late autumn, the wind in the wilderness is not so delicious. "

"Okay, let's go."

Li Xuan, Ren Boan and Yang Guian all stood up to respond.

Everyone pushed their bicycles onto the official road, pedaled and swung their legs, and rode steadily on the slow-moving bicycles. After a few hard pedalings, the speed gradually increased.

They were divided into two teams, the front and the back, and they drove in a line on the right side of the official road.

The sunlight passed over the distant mountains, filtered through the leaves of the roadside trees, and fell in spots, flickering on their bodies.

From time to time, a horse-drawn carriage would gallop past in the middle of the official road, raising clouds of dust.

Shu Youliang and the others covered their noses and continued pedaling.

I couldn't help but press the bell.

The crisp sound of jingle-ling-ling bells, flickering in the colorful sunlight, jumped out from the leaves of the poplar trees on the roadside, jumped quickly on the endless golden wheat fields on the roadside, and finally disappeared like a few birds.

(End of this chapter)