Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

As he was talking, he poured hot sesame oil into the heated pan, threw in the river shrimp with their shells cut open, added minced garlic and salt, and stir-fried them to make a stir-fried shrimp dish. Meanwhile, a bean aroma wafted from another pan, and his mother started making tofu pudding.

The sound of horses' footsteps came from outside the kitchen. Father had returned home just in time for dinner. He had bought fresh fish, but he didn't need it, so he simply threw it into a wooden basin filled with water and left it there.

"If I had known you had bought them, I wouldn't have bought them," Zhuang Liangqing murmured.

"Daddy, have a pancake!" Xiao Zhuangming entered the mode of stuffing pancakes into everyone she met. These were all snacks she had picked out. She stubbornly stuffed the mung bean pancake into her father's mouth. Perhaps this was how her father used to feed her with a spoon, bite by bite.

"Mmm..." Zhuang Liangqing mumbled a few words with his mouth full of biscuits, it was unclear whether he was protesting or saying how delicious it was.

While the father and daughter were playfully fighting, the food was served: stir-fried shrimp, steamed crab, tender tofu, white rice, braised pork buns, and garlic-flavored river clam meat.

The family enjoyed a satisfying and harmonious lunch, a meal that was quite substantial, rich in meat and oil.

Of course, Zhuang Xing didn't forget about the white rat and the black horse.

Since Wuzhui was a vegetarian, he would give it some of the mung bean cakes and peanut brittle he had bought. Unfortunately, Wuzhui wasn't very interested in human food. Its favorite food was the winter radish leaves that Zhuang Xing had picked for it.

Just like humans, the white mouse family eats everything, so a portion of these dishes was reserved for them.

Zhuang Xing ate until his belly was full and he was completely satisfied.

Zhuang Liangqing took on the task of washing the dishes and pots. He felt it wasn't right for him to just eat without doing anything. He wasn't a chauvinist and didn't think that washing dishes and pots was a woman's job.

After resting for a while in the main room, Zhuang Xing helped Yunling carry the gift box, saying he would take her home.

My younger sister originally wanted to go with us, but my mother suddenly took her away, saying she was going to boil water to wash her hair.

"Mom, is my hair dirty?"

"You're a girl, you should be clean."

Zhu He earnestly educated her daughter and then pulled her away.

Zhuang Xing and Yun Ling walked side by side on the path. It was lunchtime, and most people were still at home cooking and eating. This was an old village, and in the cold winter, everyone preferred to stay indoors and didn't like to wander around. So there were no other people on the road.

Zhuang Xing stopped, holding the gift box with one hand and taking out the jade bracelet he had carefully selected from his pocket with the other, placing it in front of Yunling.

"Yunling, I think this bracelet will look good on you, so I bought it. Try it on and see if the size is right."

"Mmm." Yunling responded softly, took the bracelet, and easily put it on with her snow-white hand.

Zhuang Xing had held her hand many times, so he estimated that the size was definitely just right.

The translucent emerald green jade bracelet perfectly matched her temperament. She already possessed a cool and aloof air, and the white snow accentuated her long, flowing black hair. She stretched out her small hand and showed it to Zhuang Xing, her fingertips white and translucent like jade.

"Is it pretty?" Yunling asked.

"It looks beautiful," Zhuang Xing said sincerely.

...

Yidu.

Inside the printing factory, Cai Bei carefully checked the engraved printing plates.

"How did this character get wrong..." Cai Bei said in frustration, making a cut on the wrong character with a knife.

If it's movable type printing, you can simply replace the wrong character. The same trick can be used for woodblock printing, it's just a little more troublesome. You just need to cut off the wrong character and glue a new one on.

These are all characters he carved himself; he did everything himself, striving to do it perfectly.

He lit the lamp and secretly worked in his bedroom until late at night, his hands frozen stiff, but it did not affect his concentration at all.

Meanwhile, Bai Yu handed the newly revised blueprints to the carpenter and blacksmith.

A few days later, she took out a pulley with a rotating shaft from the blacksmith's shop. The skilled craftsman assembled the parts together, and a miniature version of a crane suddenly appeared before her eyes.

This is a lifting device with four movable pulley axles. The most important pulley part is made of iron.

According to calculations, this is equivalent to dividing the force into eight parts, enabling a person to lift an object with a weight eight times their own strength.

Of course, this is just theory. According to Zhuang Xing, the friction of the pulley will cause wear in the middle. How much it can pull depends on the test.

At this moment, Bai Yu was testing the crane. A bag of stones weighing 100 kilograms was hung on the other end of the crane. Bai Yu calmed down and reached out to pull the rope.

She felt the weight of the stone, but just as Zhuang Xing had said, she could hardly feel how much force she had used.

Become!

Chapter 296 Lifting Equipment and Treasures

"The pulley system is complete!" Bai Yu clenched his fist, his eyes shining with excitement.

The craftsmen didn't quite understand why she was so happy. They stared at the machine in front of them, which had a long arm made of sturdy elm wood. This machine could also be seen from the city wall. Pullers were used on the city gates to lift things up from below, such as stones used to repair the city wall.

It looks much like that type of sled, except it has a few more metal rings.

It didn't matter; they just needed to complete the tasks assigned to them. Most people present thought the same way.

However, when Bai Yu handed the rope to them and asked each of them to drag it, expressions of utter astonishment appeared on their faces.

How can it be so light!?

Some even ran directly to the bag of stones and tried to hug them with their hands.

They thought the stones in the bag were of inferior quality, but that wasn't the case. The stones weighed a full hundred pounds, and they could feel their heavy weight. But when they used the rope on the machine to pull the stones, everything changed.

The heavy stone became so light in their hands.

Everyone who tried it was utterly astonished.

"How exactly did they do that?"

"Did Miss Bai hire some immortal master to perform a spell?"

"How strange, how strange."

While everyone was discussing it, someone pulled on the stone and suddenly broke the bearing of the crane.

With a clatter, the bearing came off and fell to the ground, the cloth bag containing the stones hitting the ground with a dull thud.

The man was terrified and cried out, "I have elderly parents and young children to support. I had no intention of offending you. I had no intention of offending you. Please, Gods, spare my life! Please, Gods, spare my life!"

He almost knelt down and kowtowed, feeling as if he had offended the gods and spirits, and his face showed great fear.

Bai Yu just laughed loudly, "Hahaha."

"This has nothing to do with gods."

"Miss Bai, you shouldn't say things like that," someone whispered, trying to persuade her.

Bai Yu, however, showed no respect for ghosts or gods. She understood things far better than these craftsmen. This was by no means some kind of supernatural or bizarre phenomenon. She had a clear and thorough understanding of the underlying principles.

This is neither magic nor supernatural power; it is a profound truth that everyone can use and learn. This is the true truth of humanity.

She knew it was just a structural problem with the iron pulley, but it didn't matter. Everything was just beginning. If she failed once, she could try a second time, a third time. This was the right direction, and before long, she would see pulley systems appearing in every city.

And she would be a witness to all of this, so she burst into laughter.

...

On the other side, Cai Bei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

With a mix of excitement and trembling, he picked up the entire engraved text and rushed out the door. He walked briskly to the printing factory, found the person he had contacted beforehand, and asked them to print his book.

The paper he used was all high-quality paper made by his own family; he secretly took a batch from the paper warehouse.

He carved the printing blocks himself and got the paper from home, so his savings were enough to barely cover the printing costs and ink expenses.

The first batch of printed copies of "The Demon-Slaying Chronicles" consisted of only five copies. He couldn't afford any more. He kept one for his own collection, planned to send one to Zhuang Xing's hometown in Manggu Village, and took the remaining three copies to the most famous teahouses and brothels in Yidu, where he found renowned storytellers.

After he showed it to Mr. Dong of Zuixianglou and had him look it over, he held up both hands and made a number.

Mr. Dong shook his head: "The price is too high. Although the stories in this book are good, you can hear them for just a few coins in a teahouse. It's not worth it."

“Mr. Dong, you’re not right about that.” Cai Bei smiled mysteriously. “That’s the money we make from the time frame. You can spend four or five days telling a story, or at least several months. Aren’t the customers you attract during that time worth the price?”

He's a seasoned veteran; he knows the ropes in this business best, and no one can fool him.

Mr. Dong hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How many copies did you print?"

"Only five copies have been printed so far, but I will only sell three of them," Cai Bei said. "Moreover, the woodblocks and the original are still in my possession. Mr. Dong bought them, and although they are not unique, they are still treasures."

Cai Bei said calmly, "Mr. Dong should think carefully. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"This..." Mr. Dong thought for a moment, then held up an eight with his index finger and thumb, "Eighty percent, I'll take it."

Cai Bei shook his head. Mr. Dong gritted his teeth. This "Demon-Slaying Chronicles" was extremely different from the folk tales on the market. Not only was the content of the story different, but the narration was also very different.

In the past, those miscellaneous books and vernacular stories were all written in a literary style, but this one is entirely written in plain language. As a storyteller who has been in the industry for many years, Mr. Dong naturally understands that this only has advantages and no disadvantages. There aren't that many cultured people in the world, and most people just like plain language.

"Are you really only selling three copies?" Mr. Dong asked again.

"I can guarantee that there will be no more printing for at least three months," Cai Bei said.

Some time later, Cai Bei left Zuixianglou with a heavy wad of silver in his pocket.

A few days later, "The Tale of Subduing Demons" spread throughout the teahouses of Yidu and became a great hit.

Cai Bei sold the two copies of "The Demon-Slaying Chronicles" to Zuixianglou and Wangjianglou respectively. One was the largest brothel in Yidu, and the other was the most famous restaurant in Yidu, both of which made him a fortune.

For the last book, he took it to a place that wasn't very well-known.

He strolled into Wu's teahouse. The day Zhuang had brought Wu's youngest daughter to his paper shop, it was clear that Wu's family and Zhuang had a close relationship. He planned to do Zhuang a favor by giving him this last copy.

Anyway, he had already made his money back and recouped his investment. His wish was not to make more money, but to spread the story of "The Demon-Slaying Chronicles" so that people all over the world could hear the good story.

When he arrived, he discovered that even before he had handed the book over to the Wu family, their business was already booming, leaving him in awe.

There was even a long queue outside the tea shop.

Even some servants were queuing up; they were there on behalf of their masters. They didn't drink tea, listen to storytelling, or chat.

Instead, they bought several kinds of pastries that Cai Bei had never seen before. They looked very appealing. One looked soft and fluffy with dates embedded in it, and the other looked crispy and sweet with melon seeds sprinkled on top.

"I'd like a red date cake!"

"I'd like a box of peach shortbread!"

This tea shop no longer resembles a tea shop, but rather a pastry shop.

The Wu family members were even starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by the long queue, unsure of how to maintain order.

Chapter 297 Dream