The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

Chapter 377: Offering a Car

The next day, Min Xi called Zhao Shizhen again, and the two continued to study the advantages and disadvantages of muskets and firearms. This time they both disassembled the guns and studied them slowly.

While studying the musket, Min Xi went to the blacksmith's shop and placed an order for ten bicycles. The blacksmith now had no work to do except making bicycles for them. Although it was difficult, Min Xi paid a lot, much more than they could make by selling iron by themselves, and they didn't have to worry about no one buying their products.

With the previous experience, the owner of the blacksmith shop also had experience, and it was much faster to make the car. The first car took more than two months to debug and find various solutions. Now there is a fixed pattern and size, and there are not many changes. A car can be completed in ten days.

From this perspective, only three cars can be made in a month, which is a bit inefficient. In order to improve efficiency, Min Xi also asked the boss to recruit more people to expand the scale.

It's just that blacksmithing requires a long period of practice to master it, so it would be better to hire skilled workers. The boss is reluctant to teach this skill to others, so he has been making excuses.

Yun Ji couldn't stand his procrastination, so he asked Yun An to buy a blacksmith shop and hired the owner of the blacksmith shop, asking him to recruit disciples so that Min Xi could do other things in the future.

However, the quality of iron in the blacksmith shop they bought was not as good as the previous one, so it was not yet capable of making bicycles.

At this time, Min Xi had to rack his brains and try his best to use the little chemical knowledge he had learned to synthesize steel. After all, whether it was a musket, a bicycle, or even a steam engine, steel was used without exception.

In fact, every blacksmith has his own little tricks when forging iron. He will add something to the molten iron, so that the hardness and toughness of the iron produced will be different.

Min Xi knew that steel needed to contain carbon, manganese, silicon and other elements, but he had no idea how much to add and how to add them. So in order to study these, he handed the job of designing the musket to Zhao Shizhen, and he followed the blacksmiths in the Yunxiang Blacksmith Shop to learn how to forge iron, and then tried to add carbon, silicon and other things into it.

Min Xi also built a furnace for himself and tried to synthesize steel.

By the end of the year, the blacksmith shop that helped make the bicycles handed over eight bicycles, two of which were smaller than the previous ones.

As agreed, Min Xi made a bicycle for Zhao Shizhen and a smaller one for Yunlin. He also took another smaller one to the palace and presented it to Wanli.

The first bicycle sold was bought by Feng Hao at a friendly price of twenty-five taels of silver, which was almost the cost price. After all, he was helping them.

Sun Hua's was also a friendly price of twenty-five taels of silver, but they said that they claimed to the outside world that they bought it for one hundred taels. Min Xi was still hesitating whether to sell it for fifty taels or one hundred taels, but now it's okay, he doesn't have to worry about it.

Soon after Feng Hao rode his bicycle back, the other three bicycles found buyers, all of whom were Jinyiwei colleagues. As soon as they rode away, Sun Hua came with his friends and wanted to buy the bicycles, but was told that they had already been sold.

Sun Hua’s friend said, “When will the next one be available? Be sure to reserve one for me. I can pay the deposit now.”

Min Xi smiled and said, "No need to pay a deposit, I will definitely reserve one for you. Wait until after the New Year, we will all be resting during the New Year. I will give you the first one when it's ready."

The man then left satisfied.

Yunlin was so excited when he received the small bicycle that he immediately clamored to learn how to ride it.

But Yun Ji and Min Xi refused. It was too cold outside. It was freezing cold and snowing for days. The car was not skid-proof at all. If he fell, it would be no joke. Moreover, the wind was strong. Although he was stronger, he couldn't stand outside in the cold wind.

So Yunlin looked forward to spring every day and didn't even look forward to the New Year.

It's Chinese New Year again, and Min Xi, Yun Ji and Yun Lin are celebrating together.

On the first day of the new year, Yun Ji took Yun Lin to pay New Year's greetings to the elders in the clan. When they came back, Yun Lin pulled Min Xi aside and whispered in his ear: "I heard my aunt and the others were discussing finding a sister-in-law for my eldest brother."

Min Xi looked at him: "What did your elder brother say?"

Yunlin said, "My eldest brother said he would not get married and asked them not to worry about it. My eldest uncle scolded him for being an unfilial son."

Min Xi looked at Yun Ji's expression and found that he looked normal, and did not seem to feel frustrated about being scolded. It was not easy to be scolded on New Year's Day, but he could still remain calm. He really had good self-cultivation.

Min Xi asked: "Were you scolded by your elders?"

Yun Ji looked up and said, "No. He just said a few words. It's nothing serious. I just let it go in one ear and out the other."

"Aren't you sad?"

Yun Ji held his hand and said, "I'm not sad. When they scold me, they always say 'There are three unfilial acts, and the worst is to have no offspring.' Nowadays, there are many people who cannot give birth to sons, and many adopt sons. We still have Lin'er in our family. You can adopt a child from your family in the future."

Min Xi smiled and said, "I don't care."

"Yes, when a person dies it's like a light goes out, what can we know? It's just a tradition." Yun Ji said.

Min Xi said, "Let's talk about it later. It's New Year's Day, so let's not talk about this topic."

"Yes, let's not talk about this." Yun Ji said, "Has anyone come here today?"

"Yes, someone from the palace came and asked us to go to the palace to see the emperor tomorrow."

"Your Majesty may want to chat with us. We haven't received a response since the bicycle was sent in."

Just like in previous years, on the second day of the new year, Wanli summoned Min Xi and Yun Ji into the palace again.

Ever since Wanli received the bicycle, he has been extremely curious. Although he knew it was called a bicycle, he didn't know how to use it, so he kept waiting to summon them to the palace to explain.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, Wanli pointed at the bicycle and said, "You say it is a bicycle, but I can't imagine how it moves."

Min Xi said, "I will demonstrate it to your majesty."

The Qianqing Palace was not big, but Min Xi did not go out. He just rode the bicycle around the palace.

Wanli watched with great interest: "This is how you ride. Let me try it."

Min Xi said: "Your Majesty, you need to learn how to ride this bike. Only when you master the riding method can you ride it steadily. Otherwise, you will fall down."

"Then you teach me." Wanli said.

Min Xi had no choice but to say, "Your Majesty, there is not enough space in the palace. It is too windy and cold outside. Why don't we wait until the weather is better before we study?"

Wanli looked at the bicycle and said reluctantly, "Okay then!"