North and South groceries

In mid-June, Guo An Guo Shiwulang, who had previously discussed a fermented bean curd business with Luo Yong, finally arrived late in his carriage.

Behind his carriage, there are several other carriages. Some of those carriages are luxurious and some are simple. The horses that pull the carriages are all high-quality horses without exception.

It was originally agreed to come to pick up the goods in March and April, but it has been delayed until now. It was not Guo An's intention, but a few friends he had made in Chang'an City came to visit suddenly, saying that he was looking for him to go out for a spring outing. After one visit, he swam for two or three months.

Guo An was away, and his servant Du Yishan was also brought with him. The rest of the Guo family had never been to Xipo Village. They thought they should go back after traveling for a month at most, so they didn't send anyone else to Xipo Village. This procrastination took a long time.

"Hurry up and go, my appointment with Na Luo Sanlang is several months late." Guo An's car was walking in front of him, and when he looked back, those people hadn't kept up again. Even if Du Yishan He stopped the carriage, turned his head and shouted at them helplessly. He stopped and stopped along the way, and he didn't know how much time was delayed.

"Fifteen, it's not that we are delaying on purpose, but we are rushing this way, the bones of the brothers are about to be torn apart, let's rest for a while before leaving." Several of his friends asked for a rest.

Although the carriages of this era also have shock-absorbing devices, they are still wooden wheels, and they don’t feel anything when they walk slowly. It’s just that when the horse starts to run, the carriage is very bumpy. Short distances are fine, so bear with it. In the past, the long distance is really suffering.

However, even if they suffer, these people still have to run away. You said it would be nice to stay in Chang'an City, where it is rich and prosperous. In this era, there is no better place in the world than Chang'an City.

"I told you to wait in Lishi County, but I refused." Guo An was also a little helpless towards these guys.

"I've heard people say that Lishi County is famous before. Namaji Trading Company in Chang'an City sells fermented bean curd. It's a pity that there are not many of them. I went there late. I haven’t bought any, but I heard that Luo Sanlang, who makes fermented bean curd, is in Xipo Village, why don’t you go and have a look?” It’s been a while since these people left Chang’an City, but they haven’t heard anything about the cashmere socks yet.

Those people just didn't want to leave anyway, they insisted on taking a rest, Guo An had no choice but to get out of the car and talk to them.

At this time of year, the climate in Hedong Road is really good, the sun is warm and not hot, and the wind is also gentle. Although it is summer, it is not as hot as Chang'an City.

Several people were talking and resting by the side of the road, but they saw two people walking not far ahead.

This road is not considered desolate, and you can meet pedestrians from time to time along the way. It is not unusual to see two people at this moment, but what are those two people riding under?

They are not animals, but they run so fast, and they don't bump up and down like horses. They seem to be very stable. When they get close, there is a puddle on the road ahead. From front to back, the handle in his hand tilted, his body tilted, and he passed by the puddle with a swish. His posture and movements were like the swallows in the sky, light and fast.

These people were all dumbfounded, and when the two of them had gone a long way, they remembered to call them over to ask, but they didn't hear them after they called out once or twice.

In fact, it’s not that they didn’t hear it, it’s just pretending, these days they are riding around on this pedal bike, and they have to be caught and asked for a long time when they meet someone, since these people didn’t react just now, then they are naturally If you see the opportunity, run away quickly.

"Do you want to ride your horse to chase?" one person asked.

"Forget it, these two seem to be on their way, why not go to Xipo Village to have a look, after I ask Na Luo Sanlang, he should know about it." Guo An said.

Now that Guo An said so, the others also felt that it made sense, so they stopped resting, each got into the carriage, rode their horses and galloped to Xipo Village.

For those two or three people riding together, it is inevitable to chat a few words along the way.

I saw several horse-drawn carriages bumping forward on this dirt road, but the people in the carriages sat evenly, without any embarrassment of stumbling around. Presumably this is the legendary aristocratic heritage?

……

"Look at that thing just now, but it's a car?"

"It must be. I think it is obviously made of wood, but it is so light and fast on the road. It must be carefully crafted by skilled craftsmen."

"I don't think there is such a strange thing in this small rural village."

"What kind of strange thing, I think it is a divine weapon, so ingeniously crafted, that person must be the reincarnation of Lu Ban."

……

……

"The carts in other places are either pushed by manpower or pulled by livestock. It's amazing that the carts here can be pedaled."

"Pedaling is naturally more labor-saving. Don't you see that delicate little lady, I'm afraid she can't even lift a bucket of rice in her hand, but her legs can support a body weight of one hundred and eighty catties, so she can walk freely."

"Brother's words are wrong. After deducting the weight of the legs, who can still weigh a hundred and eighty catties? With those one hundred and eighty catties, she is not a charming little lady, hahaha!"

"If you don't have the hundred and eighty catties, there will always be a few tens of catties, which is stronger than the strength in your hands anyway."

"That's true."

……

……

"I am lucky enough to see this strange object today. Even if I sell this horse, I still want to buy a car like that."

"If I knew it, I wouldn't hang out outside for so long."

"Brother Yun, do you have any money left?"

"No."

"No?"

"Really nothing."

"I don't know how much that car costs, Guo Shiwu, do you know if there is a pawn shop in Lishi County?"

……

These few people all thought in their hearts, no matter how expensive the price is, they must be able to buy that car, and when the time comes to bring it back to Chang'an City, riding it on the street will surely make those old friends die with envy.

I just don't know what the price of the car is, and whether the copper coins on my body are enough...

These people came to Xipo Village with anticipation and apprehension. When they found Luo Sanlang and asked, the price quoted by the other party almost shocked their jaws.

"What! It only costs three hundred Wen! Are you serious?" The person who spoke was a little bit higher than usual because he was overly surprised.

"..." Many people in the courtyard cast their eyes on these people one after another, and where did this rich gentleman come from, and he didn't take the three hundred wen seriously.

If the bucket of corn is calculated at five Wen, the three hundred Wen is worth six Dendrobium of corn. The annual harvest of five or six acres of land is here, and it has to be in a year with good weather and the fields can’t be too big. Thin.

A few days ago, when the carpenter Heng and his son had just built this kind of car, the villagers understood its benefits. Needless to say, this kind of car with pedals is definitely more labor-saving than pushing it by hand. Ah, and go fast too.

At that time, there was that brave young man who rode on it and walked back and forth on the dirt road in the village. At the beginning, he still used his two legs to paddle on the ground. Dare to step on the foot.

The villagers were shocked when they saw him shuttle on that dirt road lightly. It turns out that people can run so easily and fast without riding a horse.At that moment, many people even felt that if they could get such a car in their lifetime, they would have no regrets even if they died.

However, the carpenter Heng said that a car like this would cost three hundred yuan.Almost every household in Xipo Village now sells tofu. After saving for half a year, they must have some family assets, but they are still very reluctant to ask them to take out the three hundred Wen at once.

Although I was dazzled for a moment just now, but after the impulse passed, my senses returned, and I couldn't get the money out anymore. It was a whole three hundred coins.

There are also those young people in the nearby villages who got the news and ran over to see what happened, but when they heard that this car would cost [-] Wen to buy, all of them looked regretful and angry. regret.

But Luo Sanlang also said that if he didn't have the three hundred Wen, he could also get it through other means. One was the car chain, as long as he could make ten chains, he could exchange for a car.

The structure of the chain is not particularly complicated, but it is relatively fine. Each chain is composed of several small parts, among which there are two thin pieces with holes at both ends, and two rings. The rings are clamped at both ends of the two sheets, and the four small holes are opposite to each other, and then two small sticks are passed through the holes, and a section of the chain is made.

The ring spacer has two sizes of thin and thick, and the assembled chain parts are also thin and thick. When connecting, you can directly superimpose the thin piece on the thick piece on the outside of the thinner part, so that one ring is one ring. Connected end to end, a chain is made.

The principle of this chain is relatively simple. Young people are smart enough to understand the truth after seeing it a few times. It's just that the small parts are really laborious to make.

The material used is a kind of iron bamboo on the nearby mountain. Although it is also bamboo, its texture is very fine and hard. It is said that it takes decades to grow into a small tree. In the past, many local people used it as a kitchen knife. Yes, props made of this kind of bamboo are also quite sharp and durable.It is also very strong to make a chain out of it, but it is very difficult to work, especially in the absence of tools.

It is said that if you don't want to change the car, if you want to change the money, you don't need to make a whole chain, as long as you can make ten parts like that, you can sell it for two yuan.

In the past few days, some old farmers have also made such a piece of chain at home and sold it, and they have indeed obtained copper coins from Luo Sanlang.This money is really not easy to earn. When many people come to exchange money, they have deep and shallow holes in their hands.But this is also because the first time, I didn't do it proficiently. After I become proficient in the future, the situation should be much better.

If you want the car again, but you can't afford the money, and you can't make the chain, there is another way, and that is to make wheel pads.

This wheel pad is much simpler to say, just like the sole of a shoe, but instead of being made into the shape of a shoe sole, it is made into a circular strip of cloth connected head to tail, the size of which should correspond to the size of the wheel.At that time, fix the cushion on the wooden wheel first, and then wrap a layer of soft and hard sheepskin on the outside, and then the wheel can go on the road.

There are also requirements for the softness, hardness and fineness of the leather layer on the outside of the wheel. If the leather is too hard and old, the friction and grip will not be enough, and it will easily slip when riding, especially when driving on grass, it is easy to roll over.

If the leather is too soft and the grip is too strong, it will be very strenuous to ride and the wear will be serious.Of course, this also has something to do with the cushion inside. The hand-made laminated bottom is relatively hard, and the problem of being too soft is relatively easy to appear.

In addition to the cortex, the strength used when stretching the skin is also very particular. The three of Hengyu and his son have also gained some experience after several attempts.

Now, there are several processed wheels in the Luo family yard, and other parts are not too difficult, but the chain is troublesome, so it is a good thing to exchange ten chains for one car. If the wheel pad, It takes sixty pieces to exchange for a car. Of course, they only care about the layered bottom, and the outer leather is not included.

In Luo Sanlang's grocery store, there are now a lot of bicycle parts, such as wheel pads, bicycle chains, and pedals. There is also a jar of ceramic beads on the shelf.

Speaking of the pottery beads, Luo Yong really admired the creativity of people at this time. Anyway, he never thought that the steel balls in the bearings could be rubbed out with clay balls, and fired with good clay. The round beads came out, and the texture was fine and firm. Luo Yong took one and threw it on the stone. After shaking it hard a few times, it didn't break, but left a little scratch on the surface, which was really serious.

·

Those aristocratic lords who came from Chang'an City just saw the four words "North and North groceries" written on the yellowed paper outside the courtyard, and they didn't think much about it at the time, but when they entered this courtyard, they immediately felt A bit taller, this mountain grocery store actually sells such high-end things!

Looking at the things that the young people in the yard are making, they are clearly the parts of the pedal bike. Everyone here knows this kind of technology?

Then I asked about the price, what, a car like that only costs three hundred Wen?Suddenly there was a feeling of falling into a nest of blessings! ! !