No one can disturb my retirement life in the Red Mansion

Chapter 1034 Gathering Qi
After the Chinese New Year, Xu's illness became more serious. The Lantern Festival was organized by Sun Shangxiang, but Ou Mengmeng, Xu did not need to attend. After Sun Quan and his ministers gathered together, he held Sun Deng and lit the lanterns hanging in front of the mansion gate, and asked each family to receive lanterns, and that was considered the festival.

Of course, because it was organized by Sun Shangxiang, she still had some competitive spirit, so she took out the various paper lanterns that Ou Mengmeng had asked the widows in the workshop who had nothing to do but make bamboo articles, and added simple patterns to them.

Before, Ou Mengmeng thought that paper was not good enough for writing, so she turned it into pulp and asked someone to copy it thinly, and paste it into the disposable small lanterns in costume dramas. Everyone thought this was a bit strange at first, but soon realized that before, lanterns were all made of silk, and poor people used torches. At this time, paper replaced silk to make books, so it was normal for paper to replace silk to make lanterns. At that time, it was just a practical tool. The recycled paper was sold cheaply to the widows, and they sold lanterns themselves, which was simpler than making bamboo products before and made more money.

The Lantern Festival would have all kinds of palace lanterns, all of which were extremely luxurious. Sun Shangxiang would definitely not want to spend so much money on it. She happened to think of the women who made lanterns quickly and well, so she discussed with Sun Quan to change to paper lanterns this year.

Now the paper is better than before, tougher and more transparent. Of course, she would not tell Sun Quan that it was to save money, but to share the joy with the people. In this way, people can spend a few coins to buy a lantern to comfort their children.

Ou Mengmeng didn't stop them. The craftsmen were supposed to give them a fulcrum so that they could lift the earth. Ou Mengmeng's eyes didn't even know how to do it, but they could do it with their hands. So, the people who made the palace lanterns took the paper and started working directly, without giving them a chance to discuss.

In this round, Sun Shangxiang didn't actually make much money, but she didn't lose any money. However, the market in Jiangdong seemed to be thriving.

In the evening, Ou Mengmeng went to the inner city wall with Sun Quan and Sun Lang to watch the street scene of Central Street. Suddenly, she thought of a TV series, which was also about the Lantern Festival. Under various lights, the streets were crowded with people, and the people showed long-lost smiles on their faces. That play also made her feel the aesthetics of the lens for the first time. At this time, the streets of Jiangdong were not much worse than those shown on TV. There were crowded pedestrians, acrobatics, hawkers hawking, and Kongming lanterns made by Ou Mengmeng on both sides.

With steel wire as the frame and silk as the surface, the lanterns are tied to the street with fine threads. The bright red lanterns have auspicious words written on them, which are a rare sight for the people. Of course, they also have practical value. There are no larger street lamps at this time, otherwise, how can their small lanterns be popular on weekdays? At this moment, Ou Mengmeng is using this large lantern as a street lamp to illuminate the streets of Nanxu.

Below, there were various paper lanterns hanging. The night of Nanxu seemed to be lit up at this moment.

"My mother is really good at playing. How did she come up with this flying lantern?" Sun Quan admired the old lady's flying lantern. It was not expensive, but the effect was excellent.

Ou Mengmeng felt sorry for Zhuge Liang. This thing is called Kongming Lantern, and she didn't know if it was really invented by him. She wanted to borrow it, but she didn't know if Zhuge Liang would mind. Even if he minded, there was nothing she could do. When he asked her what it was, she would just say it was called Fei Lantern.

"Do you believe in Feng Shui?" Ou Mengmeng didn't want to talk about Kongming lanterns, so she just changed the subject.

Of course, this was also the purpose of her bringing them out today. The Lantern Festival actually represents comprehensive strength. If it was the first few years, when ordinary people couldn't even afford to eat, who would have the heart to come to the Lantern Festival? For extremely poor people, being a beggar is actually not an option. They were stepped into a deep pit, with no chance of struggling at all.

The same is true for those in power. Many people would say that the Lantern Festival is a whitewash. But you have to know that without a foundation, people would not even have the mood to whitewash. Even in Nanxu, it was the first time in more than ten years that a lantern festival was held. Ou Mengmeng said that she took them out to stroll around just to let Sun Quan see the peaceful scene.

"Is this the art of Huang Lao?" Sun Lang thought about it. He knew his mother, who actually didn't believe in anything. The old lady never worshipped in the temple. She was a person who liked to read books randomly. It was because her family was relatively wealthy that she would grab some books from her father's time, and her aunt Mrs. Wu didn't stop her. Now, no one knew what the old lady had read.

"Actually, Lao Tzu's doctrine is quite interesting. It believes that people should follow the will of heaven. But what is destiny? I don't really understand. I just think that destiny is comfort. When the common people feel comfortable, they will say that your second brother is destined by heaven! Look, is our Jiangdong destined by heaven now?" Ou Mengmeng pointed downwards.

"The right time is not as important as the right location, and the right location is not as important as the people. What you mean, mother, is that Jiangdong has the spirit of harmony among the people?" Sun Lang tilted his head and looked back at Sun Quan.

He and Sun Quan came out to see the economic method they wanted to experiment with. For example, he and Sun Quan did not encourage the lantern project, but Sun Shangxiang herself thought that the use of paper could be infinitely expanded, so that she could expand reproduction and classify it into different categories, such as making lantern paper, printing paper, and writing paper, and set up production lines.

They just looked at how many people Sun Shangxiang mobilized, not just paper making, but also the idle people in the workshop making bamboo frames, painters painting lanterns, people selling to various households, and people delivering goods. And those who did these jobs for Sun Shangxiang were paid according to the piece. Everyone was very motivated.

Sun Lang also noticed that these people in the workshop cut at least a pound of meat to make new clothes for their children. When they went out to the Lantern Festival, they would always buy snacks for their children. With money coming and going, they really saw a beneficial cycle. Everyone made money and everyone was happy. In general, this is a beneficial internal circulation model. They also thought about how to encourage the expansion of this cycle, not only in Nanxu, but also in Jiangdong, Jiangnan, and the southwest. As a result, the old lady came to the front again, and she asked them to see something deeper.

"Gather the Qi!" Sun Quan nodded. If the people are happy, everyone will be happy. This is the ideal political harmony.

"Yes, gather Qi! Gather Qi well!" Ou Mengmeng nodded. These people often talk about returning to the scenery of a hundred years ago. In fact, let alone a hundred years ago, even if the country was founded, the foundation of the Eastern Han Dynasty was not stable. Liu Xiu was a good emperor, but he was established under the support of those nobles. In the final analysis, he was not popular enough! And now, is she the embryo of the national bourgeoisie? The opposite is the feudal landlord class.

The mother and her two sons sat quietly on the city wall, watching the lantern festival quietly. At this moment, something new was injected into their hearts.

Okay, this chapter is almost a rewrite.