Wentang

Chapter 765
Lao Han was originally a craftsman registered in the Ministry of Industry, which is commonly known as a craftsman. His ancestors have been repairing and regulating rivers for the imperial court for generations.

If the officials above are kind, their life will be easier, but if the people above are a little bit harsh, their life will be worse than that of a horse, and they will have no chance to get rid of their current status and find another job.

With the shackles of a craftsman on his body, not only he himself has to live like this for a lifetime, but all future generations have to live like this for a lifetime.

Whenever he thinks of his identity as a craftsman, he hates it very much. Why did his ancestors want to be a craftsman?Why let him be born in such a family?
Just when he thought he was going to live like this for the rest of his life, the imperial court issued a decree to cancel the craftsman's registration and release the craftsman to be free.

His joy at that moment was indescribable. Anyway, after returning home, he set up a longevity tablet for Li Shimin, and burned incense every morning and evening to wish the Holy Son of Heaven a safe and long life.

After getting free, Lao Han didn't let go of his craft. It wasn't that he didn't want to change his career, but...

Because the Ministry of Industry rehired them to work at a high price, and for the same work, the money and food they received were dozens of times higher than before.

And the officials who used to ride on their heads to show off their power, don't be too polite when they see them.

In a word, they give too much.

Now what Lao Han is struggling with is no longer whether he should continue to work on the river, but whether he should pass this technology on to his grandson.

That day, he was lying in the yard basking in the sun, when he heard someone shouting outside the door: "Old Han, Old Han, are you there?"

He knew who it was by hearing the voice, and replied: "Old Liu, right? I'm here. The door is unlocked, so come in."

Lao Liu is his fellow countryman and colleague, but Lao Liu's grandson was up to the challenge and passed the Weishui Academy the year before last.

But this does not hinder the relationship between the two.

Old Liu ran in excitedly, saw his appearance and said, "Why are you still lying down, something serious happened."

Old Han jumped up suddenly, and said: "What happened, is the court going to go back on its word?"

Old Liu choked for a moment, and said angrily, "What are you thinking? How could it be restored after being canceled for so many years? Besides, do you think my expression looks like a bad thing?"

Lao Han breathed a sigh of relief, sat down again and said, "What's the big deal? Could it be that your grandson was accepted as a disciple by Lord Xia?"

Old Liu said angrily: "Can you talk well, no, I'm leaving."

Old Han said: "Look at you, why are you still in a hurry. Tell me, I'll listen."

Only then did Lao Liu say: "Duke Xia built a museum, you know that, right?"

Old Han asked suspiciously: "What is a museum? Xia Guogong is a child of a fairy. The things he made must not be simple, and you have no chance to go in. Why are you so excited?"

Old Liu said: "Who said there is no chance to enter? The Weishui Journal has said that the museum recruits all kinds of talents, as long as they have a skill, they can apply. Xia Guogong personally assesses, as long as he passes, he can enter the museum."

Old Han said like a green snake and scorpion: "Isn't that the same as Jiangji, if I don't go, I won't go."

Lao Liu explained: "How can it be the same? It's different. My grandson said that joining the museum is equivalent to having an official status and enjoying the treatment of being an official."

"It's just that our usual work is still the same as before, and we don't have to manage the people. We do whatever the people above tell us to do. If there is no task from the top, we study our own crafts."

Old Han said in disbelief: "There is such a good thing in the world? When have you ever seen a person like us who can't read a single word become an official? It's all about scholars. It's not our turn, so don't think about it. "

Old Liu said: "How can it be called blind thinking? The newspapers have said that you don't need to be able to read and write, as long as you have a skill and pass his assessment."

"The assessment is not asking you to write, it's just showing him your best handcraft."

Old Han said: "I am a river builder and not a carpenter. How can I show him a show? Can I still dig a river with my bare hands?"

Old Liu was also angry, and said: "Stop talking so much nonsense, just say whether you will go or not."

Old Han said without hesitation: "Go, why not go, what if it succeeds."

……

Maritime merchants gathered in Quanzhou, and there were countless rich people.But to say the richest, there is definitely a place in the rich mansion.

Back then, the Qian family was just an ordinary wealthy businessman's family, but their patriarch Qian Duoduo gambled all his assets to get several pieces of colored glaze from the newly opened Liuli Pavilion, and maintained a good relationship with the Liuli Pavilion.

After that, he transported Liuli to Tianzhu in exchange for a shipment of gold and silver.

Since then, the development of the Qian family has entered the fast lane, and the family property has inflated like a balloon.

Later, the imperial court developed Nanyang, and Qian Duoduo took the initiative to donate the nautical charts that the Qian family spent countless efforts to explore.

And got in touch with the navy again, the family's merchant ships ran farther, and the business was bigger.

But now it is not about Qian Duoduo, but about his grandson Qian Baojiu.

Qian Baojiu is the eldest son of the fourth generation of the Qian family. He has been clever since he was a child, and he can learn everything as soon as he is taught. He has high hopes from the family.

Qian Duoduo even took it with him to train him himself, but it was just because of this that things went wrong.

This kid has traveled all over the world, and unexpectedly became interested in climate and geography.

For example, when someone sees 'an orange growing south, it becomes an orange, and an orange growing north becomes a trifoliate', what they think of is the impact of the environment on people.What he thought about was why oranges turned into trifoliate oranges when they arrived in the north?
What factors lead to it?climate?Hydrological environment?

The Qian family tried many ways but failed to change his mind, and then they simply ignored him.Think of it as raising a useless person, anyway, the most important thing the Qian family lacks is money, so they can afford it.

So Qian Baojiu completely let go of himself, using the strength of his family to collect various related books, study geography and climate conditions, and even went to conduct field investigations.

Later, Wang Ji and the others built a Guangzhou Academy in Guangzhou, and he would come over to attend lectures and ask questions from time to time.

It’s just that no one can answer most of his questions, those gentlemen can only helplessly tell him that if you want to know the answers to these questions, you can only go to Weishui Academy, where there are all kinds of masters, as well as Xia Guogong who is a scholar of heaven and man.

From then on, he had another goal, to go to Chang'an Weishui Academy.

It's just that his family didn't support him this time.

First of all, I was worried that he would go so far away.Secondly, he felt that he could just play with the things he studied behind closed doors, and would be laughed at if he took them out.

Qian Baojiu's plan was stranded again and again, until today, the new issue of Weishui Journal was delivered.He saw Xia Guogong, whom he regarded as his idol, on it, and also learned about the museum.

Regardless of background, whether you can write or not, as long as you have a skill, you can go for an interview, and if you pass the exam, you can enter the museum as an official.

Seeing this, he made a decision that surprised even himself. He ran away from home and went to the capital to find Duke Xia.

He is not the kind of pedantic scholar who doesn't understand anything. He has been in business with his grandfather since he was a child, and later he often goes out for inspections. He has very rich life experience.

He first planned the travel route, and then used an excuse to go to a place hundreds of miles away to investigate and asked for some money from his parents.

Everything was ready, he left a letter and boarded the merchant ship to Chang'an.

……

Weishui Journal, as the newspaper with the largest sales volume in the country at this time, has a huge influence, and the news about the museum has spread throughout the country in a short period of time.

However, in fact, Yue Shan knew very well that the effect of this thing was not great.The target group of the newspaper is still the scholar class living in the city, and the vast countryside cannot be covered.

However, the current scholars basically hold the idea that being an official is the only right way, and few are willing to join other industries.

But Yue Shan insisted on making this advertisement, with three purposes.

One is to tell scholars all over the world through this matter that even if you don't become an official, there is still a way out.

The second is to give confidence to those scholars who do not want to be officials and want to study science and engineering, and tell them that science and engineering can also succeed.

The third is to cast the net widely, and there will inevitably be some scholars who have different ideas from the public, and they like to study all kinds of things.In addition, this matter will inevitably reach the ears of some craftsmen through word of mouth.

At that time, as long as one in a thousand percent is willing to come, it will be earned.

In fact, the situation was far more optimistic than he had imagined. Someone came to find the journal just three days after it was published.

"I'm a bridge builder, and I've been building bridges all my life..."

"I am a blacksmith, and the craftsmanship passed down from my ancestors..."

"I farm the land, and the yield of the crops I grow is higher than that of other families..."

"..."

It's just that the quality is a bit worrying, and they don't know what the news will be like when it reaches their ears. Anyway, those who think they have a skill are here.

Just like the bridge builder in front of him, he built bridges all his life, and only built two wooden bridges across the creek.

After two consecutive days of interviews, no one passed the interview. On the contrary, he was so tired that his mouth was dry. Yue Shan once wondered if his method was wrong.

At this time, two more people came, aged four or fifty, looking timid.Yue Shan was startled and gave up hope, but he cheered up and asked:

"What specialties do you two have?"

Seeing their blank looks, he explained: "What are you good at?"

"Oh." The two suddenly realized, and one of the old men said:

"Back...to the nobleman, my name is Han Gen'er and his name is Liu Mao. The two of us know how to build rivers. We have built rivers for several lifetimes, and the mouth of the Yellow River has been blocked several times."

Hearing that the mouth of the Yellow River has been blocked several times, Yue Shan's spirit was shocked. Could it be that someone really came here?Only then did they formally look at the two of them, and it seemed that they were veteran craftsmen for a lifetime.

Although his expression was a little frightened, his eyes were bright, the kind of light that was confident in his craft.

"Let me ask a question, why is there so much sediment in the Yellow River?"

The two were officially Lao Liu and Lao Han. Hearing this question, they looked at each other in blank dismay. Finally, Lao Liu smiled wryly:
"Xia Guogong, you are really embarrassing us. We have never been to the upper reaches of the Yellow River and dare not tell. But we know why the water in the Jing River is turbid."

Yue Shan became more interested, and said, "Oh? Please advise me, sir."

Old Liu said: "I heard from our ancestors that the Weishui was turbid and the Jingshui was clear in the past, but in recent decades it has become turbid and the Weishui is clear. Lao Han and I went there to inquire, and found that in recent decades the imperial court has moved upstream of the Jingshui. A large number of people were relocated."

"The people cut down all the trees on the ground to reclaim farmland there. The trees can...that can...can...that is, the soil on the ground with trees is not easy to be washed away by water."

"Now that the trees and grass on the ground have all been cut down, there is no way to protect the soil on the ground. When it is cloudy and rainy, the soil will be washed into the river and flow down the river, and the Jingshui will become turbid."

Yue Shan was excited when he heard it, and everyone knew what it meant, but which river was clear and which was turbid, and few people knew what caused this situation.

In the previous life, this caused a lot of controversy, and everyone used their own evidence to prove that the other party was wrong.In fact, everyone is right. The turbidity of the Jinghe River and the Weihe River has changed in different periods.

When the imperial court placed people in the upper reaches of the Jing River to reclaim farmland on a large scale, the Jing River was turbid.When the imperial court decides to abandon this place, the Weihe River will become muddy.

But this truth was not summed up until later generations. Now these two old river workers have judged the reason for the turbidity of the Jing River based on their own experience. That is definitely true knowledge through practice.

It can be seen from this that he is definitely the kind of person with real materials.

"Okay, your answer is good, do you have any more? As long as it's about water control, any idea is fine."

Seeing that Lao Liu had taken the limelight, Lao Han was a little anxious and tugged at his clothes.Old Liu closed his mouth with unsatisfactory intent, and gave Lao Han the opportunity to speak.

"Going back to Xia Guogong, too much sediment in the Jing River will raise the river bed and increase the risk of breaking the embankment. We must find a way to clean up the river sand."

"The same is true of the flooding of the Yellow River. Too much sediment has settled at the bottom of the river. Raising the embankment alone cannot solve the fundamental problem."

"Now the Yellow River is higher than the ground, and it is almost impossible to seal it once the embankment breaks. Therefore, I think that to control the Yellow River, we must first control the sand, and the only long-term solution is to control the sand."

Of course, Yueshan knew the slogan of controlling yellow and sand first, but it was quite new to hear it from the mouth of an old river worker who could not read a single word.

"Is there a way to control sand?"

Lao Han said: "We have thought of a way, but we just don't know if it will work."

Yue Shan encouraged: "Whether it works or not, let's talk about it and listen first. If it works, you will make a great contribution."

Old Han said: "It is to build a sluice at a certain distance, and lift the sluice from time to time to use the impact of the water to take the sand out."

After speaking, the two old men looked at Yue Shan anxiously.

Yue Shan nodded slowly, and said, "You two really have a deep understanding of water control. Congratulations on passing the assessment."

"Ah?" The two old men didn't react at first, and they were stunned for a while before they realized what happened.Surprised: "We passed?"

"Thank you Xia Guogong, thank you Xia Guogong..."

Successfully finding two useful talents lifted Yue Shan's spirit, and felt that the hard work these days was worth it.

This thing is the same as Taobao, the process is very tiring, but the joy when you find the treasure cannot be fooled.

Everyone has their own circle of life, and Lao Han and Lao Liu naturally have their own. Their circle is the circle of artisans under the name of the Ministry of Industry.

The news that the two were chosen by Xia Guogong to join the museum as officials spread throughout the circle in an instant, not only stunned all the colleagues, but even the officials of the Ministry of Industry were dumbfounded.

Many people can't help but have an idea: times have really changed.

(End of this chapter)