lovenovelstory Chapter 67 0065 [A Gentleman's Revenge]
Chapter 67 0065 [A Gentleman's Revenge]
Chapter 67 0065 [A Gentleman's Revenge]
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
That night, it was as if nothing had happened.
Because of the national mourning ban, Shi Xun no longer hired performers to sing, but instead stayed at home drinking and studying musical pieces—daring not to sing, purely for theoretical research.
Music banned!
That morning, Xu Lai was about to leave when Liang Wensu came to the school to look for him.
"Did Magistrate Shi cause any trouble for your family?" Xu Lai asked.
Liang Wensu said, "How could we not cause trouble? Shi Tongpan doesn't even need to show his face; Shi Dalang can persuade those officials. Those officials don't really listen to Shi Dalang; they're just using this as an opportunity to extort money from my family. But they don't extort too much, since we all know each other and have to send them money every year."
Xu Lai couldn't help but laugh.
Shi Xun, the prefectural magistrate, had only been in Guangzhou for a few months; how could he possibly have real control over the officials?
Especially the seasoned officials, they're all very cunning.
The Liang and Ding families spent money to settle the matter, not to give money to the Shi family father and son, but to appease the clerks in the magistrate's office!
Even Shi Xun's nickname "Skin-Peeling Magistrate" was given to him by the clerks.
In his pursuit of wealth, Shi Xun arbitrarily levied commercial taxes and miscellaneous duties. If he dared to overcharge by five coins in commercial taxes, the clerks would dare to overcharge by ten coins. In any case, the magistrate would bear the blame, while the clerks would secretly divide the money.
This kind of overcharging is considered illegal and will not be recorded in the accounting books.
"Where is Sanlang going?" Liang Wensu asked, pressing for an answer.
Xu Lai strode forward: "To the blacksmith's shop."
"What are you going to the blacksmith shop for?" Liang Wensu followed along.
"I ordered some ironware," Xu Lai asked. "What brings Uncle Gong to see me today?"
Liang Wensu said in a low voice, "My father was afraid you would be too extreme, so he sent me to say that the matter has been settled and that you should not post any satirical poems."
"No." Xu Lai smiled.
This time, we were just lucky.
Perhaps because it was during the national mourning period, Shi Xun was warned by Yu Jing not to act recklessly, which is why he did not make a big fuss about his son being beaten.
A month ago, how could the Liang family have withstood this? Even with the secret help of the clerks, it was useless!
Liang Wensu followed Xu Lai out of the school gate, and instead of continuing on foot, he hailed a donkey cart nearby.
Someone paid for a taxi, so Xu Lai took a ride.
Xu Laiye has changed without realizing it. He is no longer as cautious as before and takes rides in cars hired by others without feeling guilty.
After traveling for a while in a donkey cart until they left the city and saw beggars, Xu Lai realized that his mindset had changed.
He seems to have integrated into the scholar community and is gradually moving away from the lower class.
Xu Lai was suddenly startled and broke out in a cold sweat!
"What's wrong with Xingzhi?" Liang Wensu asked.
Xu Lai replied, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about the concept of 'being cautious when alone.' It's hard to maintain one's true self; one can easily forget it without realizing it."
Then I thought, if one cannot be self-disciplined in solitude, then one is merely feigning moderation. Once one becomes feigning moderation, one becomes a follower of the crowd.
Upon hearing this, Liang Wensu's expression turned serious, and he said, "We were indeed too complacent because of our merits and rewards. If we had remained calm, we wouldn't have had that trouble that night."
Xu Lai said, "Let us encourage each other."
"Let's encourage each other!" Liang Wensu nodded solemnly.
Upon arriving at the ironware shop, the two jumped off the donkey cart.
As Xu Lai entered the blacksmith shop, the proprietress exclaimed joyfully, "The scholar is here!"
The middle-aged blacksmith hurried over, beaming, and said, "Scholar, your shears are really good. They cut branches as thick as a finger in one snip."
Xu Lai frowned: "Why isn't there a spring?"
The blacksmith explained, "Springs are difficult to make. Cast iron is too brittle, and wrought iron is too soft; you have to use steel wire. But making springs with steel wire is time-consuming and laborious, so the scissors made from it are expensive. It's the same with leaf springs; you have to use steel or copper sheets."
"It's okay without the spring, it's just less convenient to use," Xu Lai asked. "How much?"
The blacksmith replied, "I don't want the money; I'll refund the deposit. Scholar, could you please tell me what you're going to do with these scissors?"
It's easy to guess what the blacksmith is thinking.
He felt that the mulberry shears would be very useful and would definitely sell well in the future, as many farmers in Guangzhou grow mulberry and lychee trees. Mulberry and lychee trees need to be pruned every year, and these shears would save time and effort.
But how do we promote it?
The farmers didn't know this thing existed.
By the time many farmers found out, other blacksmith shops could easily replicate the work, making it difficult for this blacksmith to earn more money immediately.
Since he wasn't charging money, Xu Lai smiled and said, "The government will be promoting this soon, so it's a good idea to make more in advance. When that time comes, other ironworks will have to slowly build their own, but you can sell finished products directly."
The blacksmith wanted to know more: "Which government department is promoting it?"
"No need to ask any more questions, believe it or not," Xu Lai asked, "How much would a pair of these scissors cost if sold to a farmer?"
The blacksmith replied, "This is a new product; I'm not skilled at it yet. Once I'm more proficient, I can make it much faster. One piece—may sell for fifty or sixty coins."
"Goodbye!"
Xu Lai grabbed the scissors and left.
Liang Wensu followed in a daze and soon arrived at the riverbank on the outskirts of the city.
Xu Lai held a pair of scissors in his hand and started snipping away at the bushes.
"This is truly a divine object!"
Liang Wensu stared in astonishment, then said, "It's a pity they're so easy to counterfeit. No matter where they're transported, they can only make a quick buck, and it's hard to do business in the long run. Moreover, they're not easy to sell in unfamiliar places because farmers have never seen them before. Even if you sell them to local merchants, they'll hesitate, afraid that they'll be copied very quickly."
The development of scissors was slower than expected.
Cross-section scissors were still in use until the Tang Dynasty.
It wasn't until the Five Dynasties period that the pivot shear, which is the most commonly used type in later generations, appeared.
It was the mid-Northern Song Dynasty, and both cross-handled shears and pivot shears were used. No one had yet used the lever principle to lengthen the handle and shorten the blade to create shears that could cut thick branches.
That thing didn't appear until the Southern Song Dynasty.
Xu Lai bid farewell to Liang Wensu and walked all the way to the government office area, heading directly to the inner office of the military governor's office.
"I am Xu Lai, a student from the state, and I have something to ask of Master Yu," Xu Lai said to the doorman.
The gatekeeper probably knew he was Yu Jingshou's disciple, so he immediately gave him a warm welcome and ran to report the matter without accepting any bribes.
Before long, Xu Lai was led into a hall.
"Student Xu Lai greets teacher!" Xu Lai stepped forward and bowed.
Yu Jing, who was reviewing official documents, said without looking up, "Sit down."
"Mr. Xie!"
Xu Lai sat and waited patiently.
After a while, Yu Jing put down his brush and asked, "What brings you here today?"
Xu Lai said, "I, your student, offer this item which benefits the country and its people."
Yu Jing laughed and said, "I thought you brought 'Mencius's Preliminary Discussions.' What kind of book is it that benefits the country and its people?"
Xu Lai presented the scissors: "The student's family has more than half an acre of mulberry fields. Every summer and autumn, the father and brothers have to prune the mulberry branches."
Chopping with an axe or cutting with a knife is very strenuous. The student wanted to invent a pair of scissors to ease the burden on his father and brothers.
Yu Jing took the scissors and examined them closely: "These scissors are nothing special, except that the handle is extremely long and the blade is extremely short. Can they really cut thick branches like that?"
"Sir, you may try pruning in the West Garden," Xu Lai added. "It can be used to prune mulberry trees, as well as fruit trees, tea trees, and flowering plants. If farmers had this, they would achieve twice the result with half the effort. If scholars had this, pruning flowers and trees would be even more elegant."
Yu Jing smiled and said, "If what you say is true and indeed beneficial to the country and the people, then go to the West Garden and try cutting it."
The teacher and student walked together toward the West Garden, where flowers, plants and trees were everywhere.
Yu Jing's health is actually quite good. Although he speaks slowly, he walks quite fast.
Upon arriving at the West Garden, Xu Lai pulled down a branch, and Yu Jing used scissors to apply force.
Click.
The branch snapped in response.
Yu Jing examined the scissors carefully again, seemingly trying to figure out why they could cut through thick branches.
Xu Lai guided him, saying, "Sir, if you've lost your key and want to replace the lock, will you tear the old lock off by hand, or pry it off with an iron bar?"
"We'll use an iron bar to pry open the lock," Yu Jing replied without hesitation.
Xu Lai continued, "Why is it easier to pry the lock off with an iron bar than to tear it off by hand?"
"Of course it's more economical—"
Yu Jing swallowed his words halfway through his sentence.
Because he realized he couldn't really explain it clearly, and could only say "it's just a guess" at best.
Xu Lai ran off to pick up pebbles, then used the twig he had just cut as a crowbar: "The pebbles are the lock, the twig is the iron bar, and the student's hand is the fulcrum. The closer the fulcrum is to the pebbles, the less effort is required, right?"
This is a common phenomenon. Yu Jing nodded and said, "The farther the fulcrum is from the stone, the more effort is required."
Xu Lai pointed out, "Don't scissors look like two crossed crowbars? The point where they cross is the fulcrum."
Yu Jing suddenly realized: "So that's how it is!"
This old man doesn't just read Confucian classics; he has a wide range of interests and hobbies, and he studies all sorts of random things. He immediately pulled Xu over to study leverage.
Xu Lai just went along with his aimless tinkering, squatting on the ground drawing diagrams and explaining concepts like lever arms.
In particular, the formula for the leverage principle really piqued Yu Jing's interest, but unfortunately, he was too busy with official duties to conduct experiments to verify it.
We'll talk about it when I have time.
Xu Lai steered the conversation back to the pruning shears: "Sir, in another month, we'll be starting the summer pruning of the mulberry trees. Now is the perfect time to promote mulberry shearing."
Yu Jingkao asked, "How do we promote it?"
Xu Lai said, "Make a dozen or so mulberry shears and send them to all the prefects in Guangdong. Then have the prefects make mulberry shears and send them to the county magistrates in their jurisdictions. The county magistrates will then make some more mulberry shears and send them to the elders of their counties. If the elders are willing to use mulberry shears, ordinary farmers will naturally follow suit."
"This method is feasible and doesn't cost any money." Yu Jing was quite pleased.
As Xu Lai helped Yu Jing back to the hall, just as they were about to leave the West Garden, he began to sow discord: "Sir, there is something I must say, which concerns the reputation of the young lady of the Yu family."
"Um?"
Yu Jing suddenly turned his head, his dim old eyes becoming sharp.
Xu Lai leaned close to his ear and whispered, "A few days ago, my classmates and I received a reward for our water conservancy survey, so we went out for drinks to celebrate. We happened to run into the son of Magistrate Shi, and a fight broke out over a disagreement. I asked Magistrate Shi why he got angry when he heard the name Xu Lai. Magistrate Shi actually shouted in public that he had taken a fancy to the sixth daughter of the Yu family first, and asked me why I was trying to take her from him."
After a long silence, Yu Jing asked, "Was anyone else there?"
"I don't know, everyone was already fighting at the time," Xu Lai said truthfully.
Yu Jing said, "I understand."
Xu Lai continued, "Originally, I shouldn't say much, but Magistrate Shi's reputation is just too... In Guangzhou, Magistrate Shi has two nicknames. One is the Gong and Drum Magistrate, and the other is the Skin-Peeling Magistrate. If Miss Yu gets involved with Magistrate Shi, it will really damage her reputation."
Yu Jing knew what the "Gong and Drum Magistrate" referred to, so he asked, "Why is he called the 'Skin-Peeling Magistrate'?"
Xu Lai said, "Some miscellaneous commercial taxes inside and outside Guangzhou have always been collected directly by the magistrate's office. After Magistrate Shi arrived, the miscellaneous taxes increased daily, causing great suffering to the merchants, hence the saying 'the magistrate skins them alive.' Moreover—"
"And what?" Yu Jing asked.
Xu Lai said in a low voice, "Moreover, there are rumors circulating that Prefect Shi is so bold because he has Lord Yu protecting him. If you don't believe me, you can send your staff to inquire in the neighborhood."
Xu Lai's words were nine parts true and one part false.
Aside from matters of state, Yu Jing cared most about his own reputation and his youngest daughter, Pianpian.
The Shi family, father and son, are no longer able to make a living in Guangzhou.
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