After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the temperature gradually dropped. It had rained for several days, but now the weather had cleared up. The refreshing breeze seemed to bring a bit of vitality to this city, which had been closed for nearly a month. During the day, the sky was clear and bright, and at night, the starlight was also clear and pure. Cotton clouds floated in the sky, one after another. Search: \(Complete Book God Station\) to read excellent literature for free.

For over a month, the situation of the starving people inside and outside the city had been pushed to its limit. Of course, it was said that there had been even more difficult situations in previous years. The string had been stretched taut, but it was hard to say where the limit really lay. The government occasionally distributed food, and some wealthy families also helped by providing porridge and meals, taking care of both inside and outside the city. During these charitable relief efforts, soldiers also helped maintain order, and no major disturbances occurred.

However, some gangs and factions had formed among the disaster victims, and fights and robberies for food were common. These disturbances often occurred after the government and wealthy families had finished distributing food and porridge, and it was difficult to manage. After the city was closed, some people died. Actually, only a few starved to death. The majority died from fighting, robbery, or were gradually weakened and died from lack of medical care. But overall, it was said to be less than in previous years.

Living in this era, people had heard about previous years countless times. Most people had compassion, but the current situation was already not bad, and life had to go on. Business continued to be discussed, and socializing continued, but the atmosphere of the entire city became slightly quieter. The continuous autumn rain a few days ago made the feeling of silence and stagnation even more serious.

The Mid-Autumn Poetry Society was held as usual, just as lively as in the past, but the content of the poems and lyrics was somewhat different from previous years. It had changed from flowery descriptions of various grand scenes or sentiments about the wind and moon to lamenting the things that were not reunited on the night of reunion, mainly depicting the scenes of the disaster victims inside and outside the city. New works by Li Pin, Cao Guan, Liu Qingdi, and others appeared, and some previously famous poets and lyricists had even made breakthroughs this time. Of course, the author of that "Shuidiao Getou," which caused a sensation last year, did not participate. He was deeply involved in family business matters and had no time for other things. Some people discussed his clumsiness in business, either mocking or sighing, which reduced the sense of mystery behind the name "Ning Liheng."

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, life returned to its original trajectory. People waited day by day for the impact of the floods to pass, and many merchants and shops in the city operated as usual in this atmosphere. This morning, a refreshing morning breeze blew through. It was about eight or nine in the morning when, in a small room next to the warehouse of the Su family's cloth shop in Jiangning City, several people were busily doing something. The warehouse room was also connected to the shop next door, but in the current situation, business was not very good. A maid named Juan'er occasionally ran in to take a look.

Busy in the room were Ning Yi and the Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu siblings. The siblings were dressed as shop assistants in blue clothes and small caps, but their skin was fair and delicate, indicating that they were children with a bit of background. They had inexplicably followed Ning Yi for a month. Some members of the Su family had become accustomed to their presence, thinking that they were children of the master's family or Ning Yi's disciples, so they were taken around. Sometimes Ning Yi asked them to pour tea and water, and sometimes even to help move some goods - of course, not heavy ones.

For these siblings, this kind of life was quite novel. The day before yesterday, Ning Yi even gave them their first month's salary, one tael and two qian of silver each, the standard for child labor this month. After comparing it with outside prices, the siblings realized that one tael and two qian of silver was probably not very useful, but the next time would be quite novel.

Of course, using them as child labor was just occasionally for fun. Most of the time, Ning Yi fulfilled his responsibility as a teacher. When he was free, he would give the two of them lessons. He also taught Zhou Pei modern arithmetic, verifying the courses of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with the calculation methods of the time in a relatively casual manner. At first, Zhou Pei dismissed the Arabic numeral codes, but now she often asked questions about them.

The reason why the three of them were busy with today's affairs was because the two of them followed him all the way when he went to the laboratory a few days ago, so he let them visit and briefly explained the concept of physics. Ning Yi mainly found a few pieces of glass that could be used as convex lenses and prepared to make a telescope to play with. At the time, he was inspired to show the two of them the principle of focusing and magnification. Zhou Pei was not impressed and said that it was very simple and that everyone knew it. Since the telescope was still being made, Ning Yi prepared to do something very simple but that not everyone necessarily knew to see.

He had just knocked and hammered to get someone to help him make a wooden box. Now, he used some black cloth to make a light-shielding tent around it. The three of them hid inside and lit a candle. Then, Ning Yi covered the candle's side. Because the box was only half-covered, the light was still leaking out. Ning Yi took a thick piece of rice paper that had a hole cut in it and was pasted with a bamboo frame and placed it down, doing a simple pinhole imaging experiment.

Juan'er stood at the door, looking at the black cloth tent with some doubts. After a while, she heard them saying inside: "Look, the light on this side is upside down."

"Uh..."

"Ah, teacher, how can this be!"

"It must be magic."

"Magic also has its principles."

There was a lot of chattering inside. When Juan'er leaned over, Ning Yi had already walked out of the black cloth and smiled at her: "Go in and take a look, it's not very interesting, but you probably haven't seen it before..."

Juan'er went in with doubts and then saw the upside-down candle flame appearing on the side of the wooden box.

For the past month, Ning Yi had been opening an early meeting every morning like a worker, walking a fixed route, and then freelancing. He seemed diligent, but he didn't do much. Most of the time, he was followed by Chan'er, and sometimes by Juan'er. The few maids had also gotten to know the Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu siblings. The polite Junwu often called them Sister Chan'er and Sister Juan'er. Zhou Pei was more reserved, but she also had a familiar attitude towards them and towards Ning Yi.

"Some people will say it's a clever trick, so for the time being, don't take it too seriously, but some things are very interesting. For example, these two lenses, they are placed at such a far distance, so they can magnify things... Well, I've already asked Carpenter Chen to help me chisel a good cylinder, and then find a way to fix them..."

Ning Yi always liked to lecture in a casual way. This morning, the long bamboo tube was placed on the table by the window. Little Pei, Junwu, and Juan'er, who came in, took turns looking inside, and then they were dumbfounded. The lenses could not be fixed temporarily. Ning Yi just found the approximate focal length and wrapped the lenses with circles of rice paper and put them into the bamboo tube to take a look temporarily. The lenses were not fixed, so it was easy to fall down. Therefore, this small telescope could not be moved yet, but at least from the effect, it was already quite amazing.

"The inverted image formed by light through a small hole can actually illustrate that light travels in a straight line. But in some cases, such as putting a chopstick in water, it bends. Here, the light will turn. If you say you can do something by seeing an inverted image, it's difficult, because this telescope is a product of the combination of many different things and principles. Once people can study to this extent, and everything is clear, then you don't have to take your chances slowly like me. You know directly that you want to make a telescope, what kind of lens to use, and what this convex and concave surface should look like... When you know more principles, you will also know how to accurately create those convex and concave surfaces, how to accurately control them."

"However, you don't have to consider how to make these. What I want you to know is... a way of thinking, the combination of because and therefore, don't just know what it is but not why. Many craftsmen have been using old methods for many years, but they don't know why the old methods have such and such effects. If you know the principles, you can create more transparent lenses and telescopes that can see farther and clearer. Efficiency will increase tenfold or a hundredfold. It's the same no matter what you do..."

"Zhou Pei, the calculation you like is also like this. It's clearer. From because one plus one equals two, two plus two equals four, it can be continuously extended. We are the world of people, that is the world of numbers. In fact, to calculate how light refracts, how it magnifies, and how much it magnifies, you need numbers to assist. The world of numbers is a simple cause and effect, clear logical relationship... I don't want you to become craftsmen in the future, but I hope you can understand this logical relationship. This should be very useful."

"Of course, in calculation, there are also some more extreme examples that are interesting to think about, for example..."

After doing the experiment, he probably extended it to talk about some messy things. Junwu looked at the pinhole imaging device intently, occasionally fiddling with the telescope. Zhou Pei was also surprised by the experiment just now, but at this time she was listening more carefully. Juan'er listened for a while and went out to check the situation in the shop, sighing in a place where no one was around: "The young master-in-law is so amazing..."

After another while, Xi Junyu passed by here and came in to chat with Ning Yi. Junwu and Xiao Pei went to pour tea and move seats. This was also the tacit understanding between the two children and Ning Yi. In fact, besides listening to lectures, they had been wondering what Ning Yi had been doing for the past month.

Xi Junyu was passing by here today because the cloth shop's gathering was about to open in three days, and the chips of each household would have to be officially displayed, so he came to see Ning Yi's current situation. In fact, all the shopkeepers were busy running around. Xi Junyu had just met with the head of a shop this morning and was now preparing to go to another social engagement.

"Although after this month, it seems that the Su family has the highest voice now, but the business world is full of deceit, and various things have to be guarded against. Although we now have the support of Lord Han, and Lord Dong also favors our Su family, it is difficult to say whether there will be any changes. The Xue and Su families also have quite thick networks of relationships in the officialdom, and it is difficult to say whether they will suddenly turn the tables. If there are any follow-up moves, they have to be arranged as soon as possible."

Xi Junyu belonged to the young and vigorous faction in the Su family, keen to make progress, but he was also clear-headed. After listening to him, Ning Yi nodded: "The old master has also done his best in matters of the officialdom. Shopkeeper Xi, I am not very clear about the inside information. Have there been similar things in the past?"

"In the past, the cloth shops have never fought too fiercely. Of course, no one can say for sure about the calculations hidden under the surface... Hehe, maybe I am overthinking it. The Su, Xue, and Wu families all have a foundation. Since it has reached this point, there will probably not be too many changes. If they can still turn the tables at once at this time, and cover the sky with one hand, then in the past, I am afraid they would have swallowed my Su family long ago."

"Probably impossible." Ning Yi laughed, "Opening the door to do business, it's been so many years. When we put our things out, even if they have any actions in private, it is impossible to close their eyes and tell lies and say that our things are not good. We are small merchants, that's all... Hehe, in fact, we were forced to do this this time. An assassination, a frame-up, and then the imperial merchant was taken away. I still don't know who it is. If it weren't for this, there would probably be no need to be so high-profile this month. In short, burn the boats. If we can get through it, there will be a future, if we can't, there will be nothing to talk about. The 150,000 taels that were squeezed out little by little are now being laid down at once to improve the weaving machine. We are waiting for the imperial merchant. There is really no way out..."

Xi Junyu nodded, sighed, and then looked up and smiled: "There are only three days left. There should be no problem. Don't worry. Also, please tell Miss Er that no matter what, this matter has been done to the best."

"Do your best and leave the rest to fate." Ning Yi nodded. "Shopkeeper Xi has also worked hard recently. Thank you."

"It's my duty." After a few more polite greetings, Xi Junyu invited him to go to the social gathering over there to meet an official from the Weaving Bureau. Ning Yi then shook his head and declined. It wouldn't be very meaningful for him to go. After Xi Junyu left, Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu frowned and spoke.

"Why aren't you going?"

"Maybe you can persuade that person..."

Ning Yi packed up his things and said with a smile: "I have so many things to do. Why do I have to bother about that?"

"But you have nothing to do." Zhou Pei curled her lips.

"Who said I have nothing to do? I'm going to eat in a while. I'm going to go to the street in the afternoon and get the outer shell of the telescope from Carpenter Chen. By the way, I'm going to study how to fix it better. Uh, I also plan to paint a layer of paint on the outside, and by the way, I'm going to go to the East Market to see if there are any new story books and novels for sale. Which thing is not more important than socializing..."

"If the social engagement doesn't go well, there will be problems in the teacher's family."

"But they have socialized well, so it's useless for me to go. The preparations for getting the imperial merchant have been made, right? You two also know, we don't need to do any small tricks. We just run relationships and let everyone speak with their conscience. We don't need those adults from the Weaving Bureau to be too biased towards us. We also sent money and things, and we don't make it difficult for them. As long as they don't go against their conscience, we are confident that we can get it."

"Wouldn't it be better if they went against their conscience for the Su family? This way, it would be even more certain."

"Of course, that's not bad either..."

"Anyway, I don't think you've tried your best..."

Junwu was a little unhappy, but Ning Yi smiled: "Don't worry, don't worry, I've already done what I should do. It was originally a small matter. I don't know why you are so anxious. It's already getting late. Let's go, I'll take you to lunch..."

He was about to leave when Zhou Pei suddenly came over and stood in front of him, smiling and said: "Uh, wait, there are only three days left. Can we also see that cloth?"

Ning Yi thought for a while and then tilted his head: "Hehe, okay." He took out a key, opened the cabinet next to him, and then took out a brocade box to open it, showing it to the two children. Xiao Pei and Junwu surrounded it and touched it a few times.

"Wow, it's really more beautiful than what I saw at home..."

"I haven't seen cloth of this color much before."

"It's a secret recipe." Ning Yi smiled, and then set three rules, "But one thing I want to say first, you two guys are not allowed to talk nonsense at home, not allowed to help find people, not allowed to try to hint at the few adults in the Weaving Bureau or anything... Of course, you don't have that influence now, but I want it to be fair."

"Show off, we won't help." Zhou Pei rolled her eyes with a smile.

Little Junwu nodded beside him: "If we can't get the imperial merchant, it must be because that Dong Decheng took money, a lot of money."

"Hehe, let's go, let's go eat... Juan'er, let's go together!"

At noon, the group of four walked out of the cloth shop, and the Wangfu guards, also dressed as cloth shop clerks or passers-by, followed from all around. The sun shone down, and the voices spread chirpingly.

"Is this what they call a good fighter without any brilliant achievements... But teacher, you really haven't done anything... Sister Juan'er, right?"

"Uh... The young master-in-law has done a lot of things..."

"Of course you help your own young master-in-law, but my sister and I haven't seen anything... But that's right, there's no need to do too much. I originally thought it was a big crisis, but step by step, step by step, it has reached this point. This is called a conspiracy in the open, right, sister."

"I don't know..."

"Why?"

"Those people only did one thing, and then there was no conspiracy. Isn't that strange?"

"Yes, yes, teacher, what my sister said makes sense. Don't you think it's strange?"

"A conspiracy in the open, not afraid of conspiracy."

"That's right, that's right, sister... Ah..."

"...Too noisy."

There were three days left until the Weaving Bureau's gathering. After a peaceful noon, it was an uneventful afternoon. Ning Yi went to the street to get the outer shell of the telescope, and then bought some small tools to better embed the lenses.

Time passed to evening and night, and at the dead of night, there were also crowds of people leaving the entrances of brothels and taverns. Xi Junyu said goodbye to a few shopkeepers at the street corner, and also refused the invitation to ride home in a shopkeeper's carriage. The weather was good today, and he decided to take a walk alone.

Walking along the Qinhuai River all the way, he came to a relatively secluded river bend. He looked around, and then walked towards the small pier next to him. After a while, the sound of rowing a boat rang out. The boatman rowed the small boat towards the depths of the water. Xi Junyu stood on the small boat, looking at a hazy circle of light in the distance, his eyes calm.

That was a small pleasure boat that didn't seem very lively. When the two boats approached, Xi Junyu stepped up and walked on board. The hall in the center of the pleasure boat seemed to have been cleared up not long after a banquet. The lights were dim, and the tables were quite messy with leftovers. In the very front, a man was sitting in the master's seat, holding a bowl of white rice, filling his stomach with his head down. Hearing the footsteps, he ate a meatball, still with his head down, while picking vegetables from the vegetable bowl with his chopsticks and saying:

"I was just thinking, did I send people away too early? Perhaps leaving a beauty to accompany me would make this meal taste even better. Fortunately, Brother Xi came early, which is the same."

Xi Junyu walked to the side and picked up a bowl casually, "I am not a beauty."

"Hehe, but... Brother Xi always brings me good news."

The man smiled, raised his head, and in the light, the person in front of him was actually the eldest young master of the Wu family, Wu Qilong.

************

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