Red Mansion Huacai

Chapter 173 Neighbors

move place? I want to move in, but whose family is moving out right now?

Li Weijian opened the curtain and took a look, and sure enough, he saw a carriage passing by, loaded with boxes and cages. Just as they were about to send someone to urge them, the carriages and horses set off again. When the family that was moving learned that Li Weijian was moving here today, they quickly made way.

Jia Lian then smiled and said: "This guy knows his stuff, otherwise I would definitely scare him if I handed him a post."

Li Weijian smiled and was speechless. Sure enough, no matter how gentle, courteous and thrifty he is, a son of aristocratic family is a son of aristocratic family. His arrogance deep down is unparalleled by others?

Entering the alley, the Ding brothers and others had been waiting here all morning. The car stopped and after greetings, they hurriedly sent the boxes and cages into the house.

Li Weijian invited Jia Lian to sit down for a while. Jia Lian knew that Li Weijian was busy today, so he only drank a cup of tea and left.

Qingwen and Hongyu first moved Li Weijian's clothes and belongings to the main room, waiting for Fu Qiufang to collect them, and then turned around and went to place them separately.

Li Weijian just put the books in the bookcase into categories and placed them on the bookshelf, then sat idle and watched Fu Qiufang gather her clothes.

Fu Qiufang folded a moon-white gown. Seeing that it was not old, she said: "I will pull some fabrics later and make more clothes. After being knighted, I will always be able to deal with big and small things in the future." Dress formally."

"Yeah." Li Weijian responded.

After a while, Fu Qiufang asked again: "Qingwen and the others, are they also going to be matched with maids?"

"It's not urgent. It's better to add an extra tael of silver every month according to the status of a first-class maid."

Fu Qiufang secretly thought to herself that it was a shame that the master could endure the four beautiful maids who were fat, thin, and with different appearances who were guarding her day and night. Last time, I heard some maids mention that the second master Bao of Rongguo Mansion was just eleven years old and was hanging out with some maids.

Then I thought about it, maybe it was because of my perseverance that I got to where I am now.

Fu Qiufang thought about it and asked in a low voice: "Sir, since Qingwen and the others are here, will I get a share of the errand in hand?"

Li Weijian smiled when he heard this and asked, "What do you think?"

Fu Qiufang said: "Qingwen doesn't tolerate disdain in her eyes, so let her take care of the accounts; Hongyu can speak well, so she and Qianxue take care of the inner house; Xiuying is very skilled, should she be responsible for the night inspection?" Up?"

Li Weijian smiled and nodded: "Okay, Qiu Fang has thought carefully. From now on, you will still be in charge, and the rest of the errands will be divided out, so as not to tire yourself again."

Without waiting for Fu Qiufang to complain, Li Weijian said again: "That's right. I asked Jia Yun to go home and rest for a few days the day before yesterday. You can also take care of the greenhouse in the east cross courtyard."

Fu Qiufang thought: "How about asking Xiangling to patrol every day?"

"Well, that's fine too."

Seeing Li Weijian nod, Fu Qiufang said again: "Sir, although the status has not yet been determined, Qingwen and the others will always keep some rough servants around. Sir, are you hiring a few?"

"Just make up your mind on such a small matter." After talking about family matters, Li Weijian suddenly asked, "Why did the neighbor to the west move away?"

Fu Qiufang frowned and said, "I just got the news yesterday, saying that a rich man fell in love with the Erjin courtyard and paid a big price. The master was afraid that the rich man would regret it, so he even left his belongings behind. Yesterday, I have been tidying up all day, and I have to move out early this morning. But did I bump into the master? "

"Never."

Fu Qiufang said: "There is only one official doctor living in this alley. Although I have been knighted, I am still a junior in terms of age. I am a little flustered today. I will always have to pay a visit later."

"Well, that makes sense." Li Weijian said, "Who is in charge of the official department?"

Fu Qiufang was well prepared and said, "It's Chief Zheng who inspects the seal of the Qing Dynasty Officials Department."

The Department of Officials and Officials of the Qing Dynasty is in charge of matters such as titles, inheritance of official titles and titles of ancestors by descendants, posthumous gifts of titles, official calculations, etc. There are also evaluations for the title of Dashun. If you have offended the official inspection department for nothing, you will write a few more bad comments in the evaluation in the future. Who knows how much you will be demoted when Sun attacks the title in the future.

Li Weijian blinked and said with a smile: "You have to be careful about this, so as not to cause trouble for me in the future."

Fu Qiufang looked at him with charming eyes and said: "I heard that Master Zheng is a very decent man and can be regarded as a breeze. I just want to acknowledge him with a four-color gift, but I don't want to mess with him after spending money."

Hey, Li Weijian suddenly felt relieved. Smiling, he stood up and came over, put his arms around Fu Qiufang's figure, and couldn't help but praise: "I am so lucky to have Qiu Fang. I can't find such a virtuous wife even if I hold a lantern."

Fu Qiufang was amused and said: "I just thought too much, how could it be as good as the master praised me?"

"It's just fine, why don't you let others talk about it?"

Fu Qiufang pursed her lips in joy and did not argue. After picking up the clothes, Fu Qiufang went to the courtyard by herself, called a few maids over, and divided the errands in front of them.

Qingwen was still in charge of the accounts, so she just nodded slightly and didn't care. For more than half a year, Qingwen read and read every day, and also learned how to manage accounts from others. She learned hundreds of Chinese characters, and the running account was replaced by the four-column accounting method, which is no longer what it used to be.

When Xiu Ying heard that she was going to inspect the inner house at night, she immediately patted her chest to ensure that no thieves would dare to break in. He turned around and went to find Li Weijian again, asking him to make two Qi family knives. Look at that, this girl won't stop until she kills a few thieves;

Xiangling heard that she had to inspect the greenhouse every day, so she nodded in obedience. Then I thought about what Li Weijian once said, that the greenhouse was as warm as spring, which allowed fruits and vegetables to grow even in winter, and I felt secretly happy. Looking at the vast green plants in this winter will always make you feel better;

Hongyu got the job of housekeeper and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had some feelings for Fu Qiufang in her heart, but when she saw that Fu Qiufang ignored the past grievances and even went out on separate errands, she suddenly felt ashamed. I thought I would just wait until the next day to repair it.

Everything was arranged, and when it was approaching noon, Fu Qiufang was preparing to have lunch, when suddenly Qianxue came to report that the second young master, Yan Fengzhen, had come to the door.

Fu Qiufang knew that the second young master and Li Weijian were close friends, so she hurriedly went into the main room to talk to Li Weijian.

When Li Weijian came out of the ceremony gate, he saw Yan Fengzhen standing with his hands behind his back with an impatient expression.

"Brother Jingwen, why are you here now? Could it be that something happened with Shixue Qiuwei?"

Yan Fengzhen frowned and cursed: "Bah! A dog's mouth can't spit out ivory! Who in the world doesn't know my father's practical skills among those who are practical? I am naturally better than the old, and those poor and wealthy people don't dare to stare at me even if they don't open their eyes."

Li Weijian smiled and said, "Why did Brother Jingwen come here so quickly?"

Yan Fengzhen said: "You say I am happy? The junior officials in the Military Academy couldn't find you, so they looked for me."

Li Weijian immediately stopped laughing: "You mean-"

"Well, your cannon stand is ready. King Zhongyong is playing with it right now, but he just can't figure it out."

It can be regarded as created! Li Weijian turned around and nodded to the Ding brothers: "Go to the warehouse, take the wheel hub and the tire with you, and let's go to the Armed Forces Academy." Yan Fengzhen said in surprise: "Huh? I haven't been here for a few days. Could it be that Fusheng fiddled with the air nozzle? ?”

Li Weijian pushed Yan Fenzhen and left: "Talking as we walk."

After repeated attempts and increasing the sulfur and carbon ratio little by little, the tire formula was tested, and it was nothing rare. The real difficulty is inflating the tire valve!

Although Li Weijian has not disassembled the air nozzle to see the inner structure, he generally knows the principle. It is just pressed by the spring. When the external pressure is greater than the internal pressure, the air can be inflated. Li Weijian and Yan Fengzhen made a pump by themselves, but something went wrong when they were making the nozzle.

No suitable spring steel! Li Weijian spent a lot of money on this, searched for steel materials, and hired craftsmen to draw springs. After several days, he got some suitable springs.

Li Weijian thought of the difficulties he had experienced before, and couldn't help but curse in his heart. When he became an official in the inner government, he had to find an opportunity to work in his old profession. Dashun's metallurgical level was really a headache.

As the carriage passed the intersection, Li Weijian glanced north and saw that there were indeed many people gathered near the Shuntian Mansion Yamen. Most of them are actual scholars, and most of them are just ordinary people watching the excitement.

Li Weijian smiled and said: "This group of people lacks courage and only knows how to surround Shuntianfu Yamen. If they really want to make a big fuss, they might as well go knock on the gate."

Yan Fengzhen sneered and said: "They are just poor people with no talent and learning. At least they still have the reputation of being scholars. If they really go to knock on the temple, the background knowledge of the leading few will be lost."

"Too."

Yan Fengzhen said with a smile: "Even so, Chen Shoufu is still very worried now. My father said at noon that Chen Shoufu is waiting at home now and is preparing some self-defense memorials." After a pause, he added: "Look, there are these good people with great measures. . Our Chen Shoufu is not a broad-minded person."

The two of them were chatting and laughing on the way, and in a blink of an eye they arrived at the Outer City Military Academy.

The two carriages parked one after another, and the Ding brothers followed behind carrying the wheels and tires. Li Weijian and Yan Fengzhen handed the signs and entered.

Arriving near the shooting range, I saw King Zhongyong playing with the new gun mount. The rocker arm rotates and the muzzle slowly rises.

Li Weijian and Yan Fengzhen came forward to salute. King Zhongyong waved his hand and said, "This gun mount is indeed much lighter than before, but where are the wheels?"

Li Weijian smiled and said, "Go back to your lord, didn't you bring the students with you?"

"Ok?"

Li Weijian waved, and the Ding brothers exerted all their strength to carry the tires and wheels. King Zhongyong flicked his fingers, and the wheel hub was made of steel and made a crisp sound; the tire was black and elastic, but he didn't know what it was.

After thinking for a moment, King Zhongyong came to his senses and said, "Could this thing be made of latex?"

"Your Majesty has a keen eye, it is latex."

While speaking, Li Weijian took out a letter from his sleeve and presented it with both hands, saying: "Your Majesty, it contains detailed records of various formulas. Please take a look at it."

More than just a recipe? This letter also roughly records the performance of various formulas.

King Zhongyong opened the letter and read it briefly. He had never seen the actual application of this thing, so he did not express his position. He just waved his hand and ordered the soldiers to install the tires on the gun mount.

After waiting for a while, the tires were installed properly, and King Zhongyong ordered two more mules to be brought in. After a while, the mules were harnessed, the coachman waved his whip, and the two mules exerted their strength. At first, the artillery carriage moved with great difficulty, but then it moved faster and faster, and the two mules were already trotting.

King Zhongyong watched the two mules pulling the artillery cart around the shooting range several times, then raised his hand and slapped the fence heavily: "What a good thing!"

Li Weijian said: "Your Majesty, this tire is easy to say, but the valve is difficult to fix, and the spring must be made of high-quality steel. The two valves are not very useful now, and they are a little slow to deflate."

King Zhongyong just nodded without saying a word. When the horseman drove the mules and pulled the artillery cart, King Zhongyong immediately called the horseman and asked, "How is it?"

The groom cupped his hands and said, "Back to your lord, this new gun mount is indeed much lighter than the original one. I looked carefully and found that the wheels made of unknown materials are wide in width and light in weight. I don't expect them to fall into the pit easily."

"Okay, okay, it is indeed a good thing." King Zhongyong's face became lively, and he raised his hand and patted Li Weijian heavily on the shoulder: "Resurrection has achieved another meritorious service! It's a pity that I have just been knighted. Otherwise, counting this meritorious service, the resurrection will at least Can be awarded the third grade."

Li Weijian said hypocritically: "It is a student's duty to serve the imperial court without asking for rewards."

"Bullshit! If rewards and punishments are not clear, who among the courtiers will contribute? Who among the generals will die? Don't worry, I will remember this merit for the time being and leave it to my ancestors some time later."

Li Weijian smacked his lips, with tears of gratitude on his face and curses in his heart. A piece of credit has nothing to do with me, but it has benefited my parents whom I have never met... Who can I talk to to explain this matter?

Then King Zhongyong said again: "Qiongya is thousands of miles away. I'm afraid it won't be good enough to rebuild it in the capital."

"Your Majesty, it is best to build this thing locally in Qiongya and then transport it to Tianjin by sea. This way, there will be less loss."

"Hmm." King Zhongyong frowned and thought, and then called Chief Chen to ask about the manufacturing cycle of the new gun mount, and then he was a little undecided for a while. He said: "Don't worry, we will wait until the king reports this matter to the saint."

After carefully observing the new gun mount, King Zhongyong turned back and left. After bidding farewell to King Zhongyong, Li and Yan returned to the inner city by car, then parted ways and went back to their respective homes.

Li Weijian was very hungry at this moment, but he hadn't even eaten lunch. When they got home, Fu Qiufang had indeed left some food. Li Weijian was ironing his clothes and had just eaten a few bites of the dishes that were warm on the stove. New neighbor here.”

Li Weijian looked at Qian Xue's face and asked, "Is there something strange?"

Qian Xue said: "I took a quick look through the door and felt that it looked familiar, but I was afraid that I might admit it wrong."

Does Qian Xue look familiar?

Li Weijian was puzzled, so he immediately put down the bowls and chopsticks, got up and walked out. After leaving the Deyi Gate and entering the side hall, I saw a person standing with his back to the door, pretending to be looking at the calligraphy and paintings on the wall.

Judging from his stature, he is extremely familiar. The accompanying servant said: "Guest, my master is here."

"Oh?"

The man turned around, with a very surprised look on his face: "Jian... why is he brother Jian?"

Li Weijian's face soothed and he smiled and said, "I heard that the new neighbor came to visit. Could it be that Brother Wen Long bought the house next door?"

　I was too sleepy, so I checked it roughly and went back to correct any mistakes.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)