An old lady's life

In a blink of an eye, tomorrow will be the full moon of the eldest sister, because Jia Zheng and the Wang family are indecisive, the name of the eldest sister has not yet been determined, which caused Jia She to laugh for a while.

Now the days are gradually getting longer and the nights are getting shorter. After dinner, the sky is not completely dark yet, so the family enjoys the coolness in the courtyard of Rong'an Hall.

Since the Lantern Festival, the weather has changed day by day, but in a few days, spring will return to the earth, and all things will recover. The flowers, plants and trees in the yard have sprouted green buds, and the whole world is covered with a layer of green clothes.

Wherever Hongye lives, the flowers and plants in the yard grow extraordinarily juicy. Jia She and the others also like to come to their mother's yard when they have nothing to do.

"Second, the name of the eldest sister, have you two not decided yet?" Is it so difficult to choose a name?There are so many words next to the word Wang, Shan, Lin, Ling... Hongye couldn't help but mutter in her heart.

When Jia Amnesty heard this, he couldn't help laughing again, embarrassing Jia Zheng. The name of his nephew's son was chosen by his father. When it came to Jia Zheng to name it himself, he didn't know which word to choose.

The three brothers Jia Hu, who were holding a flower to observe, heard that the three of them rushed forward, clamoring that they wanted to name their sister.

From the characters next to the word Wang, there are only a few characters suitable for girls, so the characters selected by Jia Hu and the others are also in the midst of hesitation between Jia Zheng and Wang.

It was getting dark, and Hongye made a decision: "Okay, you can go back and rest. It doesn't matter if you don't choose the name of the eldest sister, anyway, it doesn't matter if the girl has a name or not. Before marriage, she will be called Miss Jia according to her ranking. After marriage, she will be called Jia Shi. Go out to socialize and call someone Mrs. X or Mrs. X."

Jia Zheng felt ashamed for a moment, and said quickly, "Mother, my son is ashamed."

Jia She laughed openly and honestly, Jia Hu and the others couldn't laugh at the second uncle (father), so they had to turn their backs and snicker.

Seeing them leave, Hongye shook her head and couldn't help laughing. She was telling the truth. It doesn't matter whether a girl has a name or not in this era. Isn't the eldest sister and eldest sister called very well in the mansion these days?

But this is the sorrow of women, caused by social rules, and they can't change it.

Jia Zheng, father and son, and Jia She, father and son, separated at the gate of Rong'an Hall, one to the left and the other to the right. Jia Zheng could still hear his eldest brother and nephew bragging far away.

Jia Zhu trotted for two steps, and boldly reached out to hold his father's hand, "Father, what's your sister's name? Are you sure? I thought about it for a while, and I still want to name my sister. The name is the unique identity of my sister. "

Jia Zheng swiped the screen silently in his heart, but he didn't have a clear idea of ​​what he was thinking about. Instead, he thought of the good news that the craftsman at Qianshan Workshop told him during the day. The five of them tried countless times and finally had a small It seems that one time they accidentally mixed the wrong formula, but it had the effect of what he needed, and after they tried a few more times, they would definitely find the perfect formula.

"How about the character Shan? Jia Shan, sister Shan, what do you think of Zhu Er?" Jia Zheng used two things in one mind, and many of the characters had good connotations.

Jia Zhu looked up at her father and blinked: "Sister Shan is pretty good, in fact, the characters Mei, Ling, and Lin are also acceptable." He couldn't help muttering, "Father, why are you and mother hesitating?" How long has it been?"

Jia Zheng coughed and looked at the flowers and trees on both sides of the path, "Even if you think it's okay, it's not okay."

Back in the west courtyard, the father and son entered the confinement room. This was Wang's last night in it tonight. In fact, Wang didn't want to see them very much now, because she didn't wash her hair or take a bath for a month. The hot veil was wiped off, but I was still uncomfortable.

Jia Zhu bounced to the bed of her mother and younger sister, looking at the younger sister who was playing with her eyes wide open, "Mother, my father said that my younger sister is Jia Shan, sister Shan. Tomorrow my sister is full moon, and our house will have guests. It can't be that my sister has no name all the time, right?"

Mrs. Wang moved into the bed, and nodded upon hearing this, "Okay, my sister will be called Sister Shan." Mrs. Wang thought it was Jia Zheng who finally decided which name to choose after discussing it with his mother.

"Since you don't object, then the eldest sister is named Shan." Jia Zheng was tall, standing in front of the bed as if condescending.

The husband, wife, mother and son talked for a while, the maid and mother changed Shan's diaper, and Wang also drove the father and son to rest. After they left, Wang felt relieved.

She can take a bath tomorrow morning, wash off the dirt all over her body, and then she will be able to see people.

For Sister Shan’s full moon banquet, only relatives came, namely the married aunt in Rong’s mansion, Baolinghou’s mansion, and then Ning’s mansion. I didn't arrive, I was afraid that emphasizing filial piety would bump into the happy event.

Naturally, Jia Zheng did not invite Yu Qiu and Zhou He to come because of many scruples at home.

However, although this full moon banquet is simple, it is more warm.

Jia Min was five months pregnant, and Luo Shi was a month earlier than her. However, Jia Min had severe morning sickness in the early stage, and it gradually turned around after the fetus was four months old. Therefore, Jia Min, a young pregnant woman, is in better condition than Luo Shi.

Ai Cao was worried about Jia Min, this time they came together, so she would sit with Hong Ye and gossip.

The new year and the new weather have finally swept away the depression of the past two years. This year is full of vitality from top to bottom, and God has given me face. Since the beginning of spring, it has been sunny and rainy. The farmers are busy planting seeds, and the young ladies in the city Traveling in twos and threes caused a lot of lawsuits.

Ai Cao talked excitedly, and Hongye also listened quite interestingly. This daughter is so cute that no one can hide from her.

The daughter of the official family fell in love with the down-and-out and poor scholar, thinking it was true love, but she didn't want her parents to beat the mandarin ducks. The naive daughter eloped with the scholar, and the consequences were not yet known.

"It's a pity for this girl. Although there are many good men in the world, but in this case, eight out of ten out of ten this scholar is a heartless person." Ai Cao shook her head, unfortunately, it's not all the girl's fault, even in modern society, this The story of the rich daughter and the poor boy is not good either. No matter what their parents taught them, those modern girls are still educated in school anyway.

Hongye nodded, but she didn't talk about this topic, and talked about other things instead. There are a lot of gossip in Beijing, but there is no one place to inquire, and they are all heard by people from all over the house. Hongye really misses the convenience of newspapers.But she just thought about it, and didn't plan to get the newspaper out. If she didn't pay attention to this thing, everyone in the family would die.Moreover, the court is very chaotic. Even though the most chaotic roots, the ex-prince and the former eldest prince, have died, the court will only become more chaotic in the future. Thinking about it, I feel powerless.

I don't know how Zhou Chao and the others are investigating overseas?Hongye thought silently, as Jia's mother in her life, she might not have the opportunity to go out for a tour in an upright manner.

Zhou Chao and the others just went to sea this year, and this time they are still going to the same place as before, but since Hongye told them last time that they plan to buy a boat and do it alone in the future, they have great ambitions.

Hongye thought of her mother's island, which is actually not far from the land. It only takes two or three days' voyage. If she goes further east, she can still meet many islands after sailing for half a month. Encountering natives, so in fact, their ships can change their routes and develop.

After Sister Shan's full moon, the weather got better and better, and it was even more beautiful in March.

During this period of time, Jia Zheng spent most of his time in Qianshan Workshop, and for this reason, he took on many other errands. Of course, these errands were also things like product review in Qianshan Workshop. They were not complicated, but trivial. Well, working for a long time will breed inertia, but Jia Zheng's purpose is not pure, so he is willing to take this job.

"Master Jia, it's done." A craftsman wearing a hat and wrapping himself tightly came out of the house. Next to this is the kiln dwelling. They specialize in firing porcelain, but Dafeng's is the best. The craftsman who fired the porcelain was not in the Qianshan Workshop. The Qianshan Workshop had never produced famous porcelain, but it was just a title.

In the past, these craftsmen would also make some porcelain, but they were not as good as those offered by the imperial merchants, and the craftsmanship of other people's porcelain firing was generally not passed on to the outside world, so the porcelain firing skills these craftsmen knew were mediocre.Since Jia Zheng came to the Ministry of Industry, they would study new things with Jia Zheng as long as they completed the tasks assigned by the superiors.

After several months of experiments, they finally developed a cohesive ash-like substance with good bonding performance, which is ash powder made by mixing and firing a variety of mud clay, rocks, and iron ore powder in a certain proportion.

Jia Zheng followed the craftsmen into the house. The windows were opened, but the room still smelled of dust. A craftsman in his forties said, "Master Jia, we have already tested, and the ashes are not removed from the production process. Aside from the pungent smell, it is not poisonous."

Jia Zheng nodded, "Thanks for your hard work." He then squatted on the ground to look at the hard gray land, stretched out his whole palm and pressed it, and several craftsmen explained separately.

After learning about all the ash powder, Jia Zhengcai said: "I think you all know that this thing will be of great use in the future. Just talking about repairing roads and making the road surface smooth and convenient for people to travel is a great achievement. Not to mention that ash powder can be used on river embankments. On the other hand, it can strengthen the firmness of the embankment, and it can also be used to build houses.”

The five craftsmen were silent for a while, and Jia Zheng said again: "You may not like to hear what the next official said, but we have been working together for almost a year, and everyone knows what kind of temperament I am. The benefits are huge..."

These five craftsmen have been craftsmen since they were born. From their ancestors, fathers to their generation, they all work in Qianshan Workshop. Gossip behind your back.

"Lord Jia, I don't want my son and grandson to be artisans for generations." The speaker is in his thirties, but his son is not yet ten years old.

"Master Jia, I want future generations to be able to freely choose their occupations. They can take the imperial examination if they want to, and be a craftsman if they want to be a craftsman, without being restricted by household registration."

.. ......

Their craftsmen are better than the actors and prostitutes among the lower class, but the children born to actors and prostitutes after they have become good can still take scientific examinations, but they will never be able to.

Jia Zheng nodded when he heard the words: "It's not impossible to do this. When the emperor rewards you for your merits, I ask the emperor to restore you to be good citizens."

The five people froze for a while, and after a while, all of them were excited. They hadn't seen someone who had become a good citizen for many years, and even more people were demoted to be a craftsman or a happy citizen because of mistakes made at home. of.

After returning home, Jia Zheng returned home with a bag of ashes. It was not dark yet, so he found a vacant yard. The yard was not big, and it was only 50 meters away from the entrance of the yard to the main hall of the yard.Jia Zheng asked people to close the gate of the courtyard and pave the road inside.

After the path was paved, Jia Zheng asked people to seal off the courtyard and no one was allowed to enter. When asked by Mrs. Wang, he only said that he was doing an experiment and that no one should enter the courtyard and destroy his things.

Although Mrs. Wang was curious, she still obeyed what Jia Zheng said, and she didn't allow anyone to enter the small courtyard afterwards.

After observing like this for about ten days, Jia Zheng has verified in many ways that this pavement is really good. Although it has a certain bearing capacity, the road surface will still collapse, but it can play a big role after all, and the gray The quality of powder can also be improved!

At the end of March, the weather is gradually getting hotter. People have already put on double-layer single clothes. It is almost dusk, and the sun is still struggling to evaporate the residual heat.

Just as Hongye was about to go for a walk in the garden, she saw Jia Zheng coming in. During this time, Jia Zheng always came back around mid-afternoon, shutting herself in that small courtyard every day. Out of curiosity, she used her spiritual sense to investigate After a while, he naturally discovered what Jia Zheng was doing.

It has to be said that the dedicated research spirit of professionals in any era is admirable, but the initial cement was invented in just a few months.

"Mother." Jia Zheng didn't beat around the bush, but directly explained the purpose of his visit. He is now hesitating, should he tell the Minister of Industry or find someone else?

Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, he didn't have many chances to meet him, and he didn't have much contact with Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, so I don't know what kind of person he is.

Hong Ye nodded: "When your eldest brother comes back, ask him to check whether there is anyone behind Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry. Someone and no one will look for him, but the method of someone and no one is different."

Hongye originally planned to go for a walk. Now that Jia Zheng mentioned this, she went to see for herself what the effect of the original cement was.

Jia Zheng was very happy to be affirmed by his mother. He talked eloquently about everything about ashes, from the production process of ashes to its bonding ability to its load-bearing capacity.

The corner of Hongye's mouth was smiling. This cement is indeed quite rough. If it is placed in later generations, the road surface should be crushed by cars in less than two months, but it should last for four or five years now.

When Jia She came back, Hong Ye told him that he was very surprised, the second child really made it?It seems that mother's nonsense is really useful!He immediately ordered people to check the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the search lasted for five days.

The minister of the Ministry of Industry was transferred back from other places six years ago, and the emperor still trusts him quite a bit. However, his family has an in-law relationship with King Xiangjun and King Gongjun, although this detour is very far away.

Focusing on these two points, Jia Amnesty and Jia Zheng knew what to do. Regardless of whether there was anyone behind them, they would act in front of someone. First, protect the five craftsmen, so as not to be misplaced by others.

After several days of arrangement, Jia Zheng took his notes and a bag of ashes into the separate office of Minister of Industry.

Although he had expected it many times, Jia Zheng breathed a sigh of relief when Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry heard about it, but there was no other emotion on his face. He was really afraid that he would want to take the credit for himself.

"Cunzhou, you have made great contributions this time. It is indeed a young man who is full of enthusiasm." The Minister of the Ministry of Industry said with emotion, "If everyone thinks of the common people like you Cunzhou, Dafeng will soon be in the world. Just Haiyan River is clear."

Jia Zheng felt ashamed, he didn't do anything that deserved the most credit, "Master Shang Shu praised it, this is what a subordinate official should do, since I have promised this in front of the emperor, I will try my best to achieve it."

The Minister of the Ministry of Industry stood up and turned out from behind the table, "Go and see your experimental road first, after I have seen it, we will enter the palace to face the saint."

Jia Zheng got up quickly, and the two left the Ministry of Industry one after the other, which made many officials of the Ministry of Industry suspicious, especially since Jia Zheng was only the head of the sixth rank, and he had many bosses on his head.

Arriving at Rong Mansion after a while, the two went straight to the small courtyard where Jia Zheng was doing experiments.

Even if Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry did not know some handicrafts before, since he entered the Ministry of Industry, he must understand many aspects, so he may only talk on paper, but these are enough for him.

Crouching on the ground, he touched it carefully, then stood up and stomped hard on the road.There is no movement between stones and stones. Depending on the situation, the adhesion is indeed very high.

"My lord, I used several horses that came with heavy loads..." Jia Zheng explained how he did the test, "However, this is only a preliminary test, and more accurate data must be measured on a large area of ​​road."

Minister of the Ministry of Industry nodded, looked up at the sky, it was still early, "Let's go, follow me directly into the palace to meet the emperor."

After obtaining the emperor's permission, they can use it on a large scale on the road, and wait until the results are stable before they can gradually use it in other areas.

Before noon, Emperor Changping was quite tired after reviewing the memorials all morning, so he moved his body in the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Zhao, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, seeks an audience." Wang Wei came in from the outside, "He also brought Mr. Jia Zheng Jia."

Emperor Changping nodded, "Xuan." He was curious about what Jia Zheng was doing here. It had been almost a year, and he seemed to have disappeared among the many officials of the Ministry of Industry, and he hadn't heard of any achievements he had made.

Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Jia Zheng came in, saluted and greeted him. After being called by the emperor, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry explained the intention of coming. Jia Zheng only glanced at the emperor when he just got up, and lowered his head for the rest of the time.

As expected, Emperor Changping's interest greatly increased, and his eyes fell from Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry to Jia Zheng.

"Jia Zheng, is what Zhao Qing said true and not adulterated?" He sighed for a moment. Jia Daishan is really a good son. He actually implemented it because of a policy theory. If all officials are like him, the people in the world will be happy How much better life should be.

Jia Zheng cupped his hands and bowed: "Reporting to the emperor, I dare not deceive the emperor. This is the correct formula that I found out after months of experimentation with the five Qianshan workshop craftsmen. They are all used and can be seen everywhere on the roadside." The materials are limestone, clay, and a little iron ore powder."

Emperor Changping listened very carefully and carefully, and when he asked questions from time to time, he could get sufficient answers from Jia Zheng, and the advantages and disadvantages were also explained one by one.

Finally, Emperor Changping thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry about this matter. You should produce a large amount of ash powder first, and use a piece of ground next to the palace racecourse to test."

"If the effect is true, I will naturally reward you a lot."

As for the poor effect, if you continue to experiment, it will always get better. Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Jia Zheng dare not bully you!

After the emperor gave such orders, Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Jia Zheng returned to the Ministry of Industry and naturally became busy. After a while, everyone in the Ministry of Industry knew that Jia Zheng and the craftsmen of Qianshan Workshop had jointly invented a kind of ash powder, which was used for paving.

When the Minister of the Ministry of Industry left the Ministry of Industry with his left and right ministers, Jia Zheng, and several doctors and principals, the rest of the Ministry of Industry immediately huddled together to discuss.

Minister of the Ministry of Industry and the others naturally went to Qianshan Workshop. They met the five craftsmen in person and observed the site. Many people came to assist the five craftsmen in producing ashes.

As the sun was setting, a group of talents left from Qianshan Workshop. The minister of the Ministry of Industry decided to treat the guests to a banquet in a restaurant. Jia Zheng couldn't refuse, so he went too. After drinking, everyone else was drunk, only Jia Zheng had clear eyes.

Jia Zheng returned to the mansion and immediately went to Rong'an Hall to report the incident to his mother and eldest brother. Jia Amnesty stroked the short beard on his chin and said, "Second brother, just do your own thing well and don't meddle in other people's affairs. thing."

Hong Ye also thinks so, Jia Zheng lacks a piece of tact after all, but the tact he lacks is made up by Jia She, who is behind the scenes to ensure that other people's ghosts and ghosts cannot be used on Jia Zheng.

Jia Zheng nodded: "Don't worry, brother, I will be careful."

The Ministry of Industry invented a kind of ash powder, which can be used to pave roads and build city walls... In fact, it has not been widely spread.

Half a month later, under the close attention of the Ministry of Industry, Qianshan Workshop produced a batch of ash powder and put it into use immediately. A large piece of land next to the Imperial Palace Racecourse was used as a binder with this ash powder. Under the circumstances, the ground was paved in one day.