Seeing his father's confused look, Qi Xiao hurriedly explained: "It's not far, just in our backyard."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yu couldn't help but laugh.
It is certainly not a big item to bring an invention into your home!
Perhaps, it's just a gadget for children to play house with.
In fact, Qi Yu only guessed half of it right this time.
Qi Xiao's invention is indeed just a technical gadget, but the technological content hidden behind it is like gold and cannot be compared with ordinary objects.
What exactly is it?
It was a miniature toy car made of hard wood. It was not large in size, only about two feet long. Looking closer, I found that the keel and four wheels of the car were all made of wood.
The appearance is somewhat similar to the tractor in the previous life, and the structure is quite ingenious. However, in terms of its production level, there is almost no precision at all, and it is even a bit clumsy, which is inferior to that of an amateur carpenter.
Qi Xiao didn't know anything about carpentry, but because he watched Tong Yanhuo repair cars all the time, he gradually learned a little bit about it. However, the two of them are laymen and professors, so the car can be made into what it is now.
It's pretty good.
However, what caught Qi Yu's attention was not its production process, but the power source loaded on this car.
What?
It was a miniature steam engine that used an alcohol lamp made of high-strength liquor as a fuel source.
Steam engine!!
"Son, where did you get this object?" Qi Yu asked excitedly, his eyes flashing.
But Qi Xiao looked shy, and after hesitating for a while, he replied sheepishly: "Actually, this thing is the design of my aunt Yin Tao, who I stole from, oh no, it's the teacher Yin Tao who I learned from secretly.
.Then, I found an iron craftsman and asked him to make it according to the design in the drawings."
You little devil, why are you talking so nonsense?
Do you know what the word aunt means?
However, Qi Yu's thoughts were all focused on the steam engine at this time, and he really had no time to worry about it.
"Son, please tell dad what's going on."
"This matter... is a bit disgraceful..."
"It's okay, it's okay, just tell me."
With Qi Yu's constant encouragement, Qi Xiao finally plucked up the courage to tell the whole story.
It turns out that in recent times, Yin Tao has given top priority to the development of steam engines. Based on Professor Qi Yu's physical principles, she has designed several possible experimental plans.
However, she regretted that several tests failed. The sample steam engines were either leaking or running poorly, and none of them could start normally.
As the saying goes, failure is the mother of success, and this is indeed true.
After Yin Tao learned the lesson of failure, he finally designed a more reliable improved version, which is the version in Qi Xiao's hands.
At that time, the little guy was deeply curious about this mysterious thing and kept asking Yin Tao. He wanted to know what wonderful uses this thing called a steam engine had.
Popularizing and imparting knowledge is the foundation of being a teacher, and Yin Tao is naturally happy to teach.
She told Qi Xiao that the use of steam engines is very wide. It can not only promote industrial production, but also become the source of power for vehicles and ships. Its importance cannot be summarized in a few words.
What?
Can it drive the vehicle forward?
real or fake?
Yin Tao told him very seriously: It is absolutely true!
Well, I didn’t expect that there is a way to drive without oxen and horses in this world. It’s really interesting.
Driven by this curiosity, Qi Xiao became a little itchy and wanted to experiment impatiently.
So, he secretly copied the drawing while Yin Tao was eating. Then, he found the foreigner Ma Han and asked him to make a "miniature" steam engine for him to use as a power source for the toy car.
source.
Because of Qi Yu's face, the foreigner Lao Ma had no choice but to agree, and within a few days, he really tricked him out.
The steam engine already existed, but it still lacked a driving vehicle for testing.
How to do it?
What's so difficult about this? Just do it yourself.
Thinking of this, Qi Xiao took action.
Ever since he was a child, he had often watched Tong Yanhuo repair the carriage. He knew how to use various carpentry tools. In this way, he conceived and manufactured it himself, and then came up with such a tractor-shaped toy car.
From a technical perspective, the steam engine part is plagiarized from other people's research results, but the toy car in his hand is based on his own conception and design.
Just after the production was completed, he saw his father praising Guo Chunhai, and the feeling of imbalance in his heart immediately arose spontaneously.
Aunt Yin Tao once said to herself that those people who talk about the Four Books and Five Classics are all poor and rotten scholars. From this, it can be seen that the little prodigy must have exaggerated and only lived up to his reputation.
Definitely not as good as myself!
There is a saying in "Han Feizi": There is no better person than a father who knows his son.
Qi Yu observed his words and emotions and quickly figured out his son's true thoughts. However, he just saw through it without telling him.
He believes that everything must be based on facts.
fact?
That’s easy!
Now let you take a closer look at how awesome this car I designed is!
"Son, let's light a fire and try it!"
"Father, just watch it!"
Then there was a sound, and the fire sickle ignited.
Under Qi Dalang's expectant gaze, Qi Xiaoju confidently lit the alcohol lamp on the toy car.
With gradual heating, the water in the mini steam engine begins to slowly heat up.
Finally, after a 'whoosh' sound, the boiling effect began to occur.
At this time, Qi Yu looked solemn, staring closely at the steam engine on the toy car and observing its every move.
Suddenly there was a creaking sound, and the toy car moved slowly, moving forward at a snail's pace.
The only drawback is that the wheel is a little out of round and it turns very bumpy.
However, this does not affect the results and significance of the experiment.
"Dad, look, it's moving!"
"Haha, it's so wonderful!"
Qi Xiao saw the surprise on his father's face and couldn't help but feel proud too. Just when he was about to say a few words of praise to himself, he suddenly heard a creaking sound.
When he turned around, he saw that the steam engine on the toy car had been deformed, and the boiling water in the belly of the engine had spilled all over the floor.
ah?
Why did it break down so quickly?
Faced with this embarrassment, the little guy's face turned blue with embarrassment, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn down, as if he was about to shed tears soon.
At this time, Qi Yu suddenly smiled and said: "Xiao'er, don't be sad, you have done a very good job."
"Really?" Hearing this, the corners of Qi Xiao's lips raised again.
"Of course, how could I lie to you as a father? Let's put it this way, today's ignition can definitely be regarded as an epoch-making pearl of light. Its significance is so great that it is almost as good as the public transport saw!" Qi Yu was delighted.
He patted his son on the small shoulder and said with approval.
"Ha ha……"
Xiao Qixiao couldn't help but cheered when he heard this praise.