Serdan led Saimar and others through the large mounds where Qing soldiers were buried, and came to two small graves.
"This is what you are looking for. On the left is the tomb of Hailancha, and on the right is the tomb of a general. I don't know what his name is."
Saimar gratefully clasped his fists at Serdan and saluted: "Brother, thank you so much! My name is Saimar, and I am from Wuketun, Qihechen Township. How do I address you?"
"My name is Seldan."
As soon as the words came out, Saimar and others' expressions suddenly changed. They didn't expect that the strong man in front of them was actually a wanted criminal by the imperial court!
"Are you Seldan? I heard that your archery skills are very good. It is true that seeing is better than hearing a hundred times."
Tak Tiyin asked excitedly: "Brother Seldan, I heard that your arrows were not in vain. You once killed two armored soldiers with one arrow. Tell us about it?"
Serdan thought of that snowy night when he was escaping, shook his head and said, "It's all in the past."
Seeing that he didn't want to say anything, Saimar asked his men to take tools from the horse and pick up the bones of Hailancha and the general. He sat down next to Serdan, took out a dry tobacco bag and asked the other party
Said: "Want a couple of bites?"
Serdan shook his head, took out a pipe from his coat pocket, and then took out a bag with cut tobacco, and said to Saimal: "You'd better smoke mine."
Saimar's tobacco leaves were ordinary goods bought from Wula, Jilin, which were too expensive for him to buy. Serdan's shredded tobacco was the special grade Jiaohe tobacco given to him by Zhao Xin, which is the authentic Guandong tobacco of later generations.
Zhao Xin saw Serdan smoking before and gave him a few cigarettes from later generations. However, Serdan thought the cigarettes were boring and took back the pipe. Later, Zhao Xin simply gave him a briar pipe and a few kilograms of special grade cigarettes.
Guandong shredded tobacco. Serdan fell in love with it immediately.
Saimar took the cut tobacco from Serdan, opened the bag and smelled it, and couldn't help but praise: "What a good smoke!" But then, he saw something even better.
I saw Serdan take out a small box from his pocket, and take out a small stick wrapped in red at one end; then he lightly scratched the side of the small box, and with a "Crack!" sound, the small wooden stick unexpectedly turned out.
It caught fire.
"Put it on!" Serdan lit the cigarette, blew out the match, took two beautiful puffs, and turned around to see the stunned Saimar.
"Brother Seldan, what kind of treasure are you?! How come you become popular with just one stroke?"
Serdan said solemnly: "Oh. This is called a match. I heard it is made of green armor. I don't know the details."
"Brother Seldan, how many more of these 'matches' do you have? We want them all!"
"You want this? I can't make the decision. I have to go back and ask my family." After Serdan finished speaking, he stood up and said a few words to a soldier. The soldier saluted, turned around and left.
In 1680, the British chemist Boyle made the first match in modern history. He coated one end of the stick with sulfur and phosphorus on a piece of rough paper; when making a fire, he placed the stick on
The match was rubbed on rough paper, and the match ignited. However, because the price of an ounce of phosphorus was extremely expensive at that time, the cost of Bol's matches was extremely high and the sales volume was very small. People still used flints to make fire every day.
This kind of early Bosch matches were brought to Guangzhou by British businessmen and presented as tributes to Kangxi and Qianlong. However, because they were sold for as high as one tael of silver each, they were only regarded as rare treasures.
In 1771, the Germans created a match called the "phosphorus candle." It was a slender sealed glass tube with no oxygen inside, but a strip of wax paper with a phosphorus tip. When making a fire, break the glass tube.
, phosphorus will burn when it meets air. The price of this match was worth 1 mark of gold coins at that time.
It was not until 1844 that phosphorus-free matches, also called Swedish matches, began to appear in the world. This kind of match head was made of antimony trisulfide, potassium chlorate and other chemicals. It can only be rubbed on a friction surface coated with red phosphorus.
If it burns, it will not ignite if rubbed against other surfaces. Therefore, each package of matches at that time came with a friction surface. This is the match commonly used in later generations.
The earliest record of matches entering China in modern times is the book "Miscellaneous Records" written by Sun Yuzhang in the ninth year of Tongzhi. At that time, one tael of silver could only buy 10 boxes of matches. "In the reign of Daoguang, there were so many obscene, clever and fun things tribute from the British barbarians.
Among them, there is a self-confined fire, only an inch long, with one end of five-color foreign medicine. When rubbed, the fire breaks out. The scholar-bureaucrats are all surprised when they see it, sighing that it is a ghost. Nowadays, there are people in the market in all major commercial ports, but the price is very high.
Rich merchants show off the ears that officials cannot ask for."
The two continued chatting for a while, and Saimar felt that the time was almost up, so he asked tentatively: "Is that Yalha also with you?"
Serdan's originally smiling face suddenly dropped, and he said seriously: "What do you want to ask?"
Saimar said with a sincere face: "Brother Serdan, you are all subjects of the Qing Emperor. Why do you want to rebel against the imperial court? Why do you want to get together with the Red-haired Yi people?"
Serdan asked in confusion: "Red-haired barbarians? When did I get together with red-haired barbarians?"
"Brother Serdan, please don't hide it from me. The imperial court has already found out that the people living at the mouth of the Xila River are red-haired barbarians. Oh, and there is that big white boat."
Serdan almost laughed out loud. He didn't answer and looked at Saimal with a playful expression. He wanted to hear what else the other party would say.
"Before I came, Master Duerjia asked me to tell you and Yarha that the Hunchun Governor did not consider things well at the time and should not have arrested Yarha's family. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a tragedy. As for the
Brother, the imperial court has decided to let things go by the wayside."
"Oh?" Seldan grinned and asked, "How can I count if I killed so many armored soldiers?"
"The current General of Jilin, Mr. Duerjia, is different from Mr. Qing in the past. He is the yellow belt of the clan, and what he says represents the emperor. I hope you can make meritorious deeds. As long as you can exterminate the red-haired barbarians, what happened in the past
Write it off with one stroke! And the flag will be raised.”
"Hehehe, it's interesting, I actually thought that Mr. Zhao and the others were red-haired barbarians." Serdan chuckled and muttered a few words.
Saimar quickly asked: "Brother Seldan, what did you say?"
"It's nothing." Cerdan knocked the finished pipe gently on the ground, stood up, patted his butt and continued: "Take out the bones, and you should go back as soon as you finish getting the things."
Saimar was stunned and looked at the other party in confusion.
Serdan took two steps and then stopped, turned around and said to Saimar: "Go back and tell the Manchu officials not to send spies here again. If you want to do business, we welcome you; if you want to spy on news, remember,
You are not allowed to approach within a five-mile radius of Beihai Town, any trespassers will be killed!"
After hearing this, Saimar's expression changed and he said in shock: "Beihai Town?"
"Yes, the fifty miles around the mouth of the Xila River are our territory!"
Saimar looked at Serdan in disbelief, thinking about what Durga's staff taught him, and stood up to persuade him: "Brother Serdan, are you really determined to go against the imperial court? I am a member of the Qing Dynasty.
Billions of trillions, millions of soldiers."
Serdan raised his hand and interrupted: "Stop saying this. The court, the court knows how to ask for furs from us border residents. Where was the court when we were starving? When the Yalha family froze to death,
Where is the imperial court?! It’s okay not to have such a imperial court.”
Saimar thought that it wouldn't work this time, and maybe we could talk again next time when we have an opportunity, so he smiled and said to Serdan: "Brother Serdan, I just want to send a message to the court. Since you don't agree, then I
I won’t say it anymore. But if I come to you for business in the future, how will I find you?"
"You come with me." Serdan led Saimar all the way back uphill, pointing to the place where Saimar and the others camped and rested just now, and said: "Next time you come, just wait there, someone will come.
Looking for you."
Taktiyin and the others worked hard for a long time and finally pulled out the bones from the two tombs. However, it had only been three months since the last defeat of Fukang'an. The corpses had already rotted, but the clothes on them were still clearly identifiable.
Everyone had no choice but to cut down trees in the surrounding area and build a simple coffin. This work lasted until the afternoon.
At the other end of the story, over in Beihai Town, Zhao Xin had been scolded by Lao You and nine other teachers all morning. In order to retain these teachers, he could only apologize while holding on, hoping to wait until these people had finished venting their anger.
Lao You and others were very angry that Zhao Xin and others had put sedative and sleeping drugs in the food last night, and said that if something happened, it would be murder.
Zhao Xin just mentioned that there was an attending doctor named Hong Tao in Beihai Town. As a result, Lao You and others became even more angry.
"It's great to have a doctor! Who's to blame if there is a medical accident?!"
"Yes, yes, everything you said is right."
"No! This matter is not over yet. Tell me how to solve it."
"Compensation, I will definitely compensate you both financially and mentally."
However, when Zhao Xin was being scolded, he noticed that the chemistry teacher surnamed Fang among the nine people rarely spoke. Even if he was criticizing, he would only say a few sentences in a non-trivial manner; this person was sometimes very generous.
He walked to the window with interest and looked out.
Chemistry teacher, physics teacher, mathematics teacher, these people are all gods to Zhao Xin! They have to provide for him. His explosives matter has not been solved yet; Zhao Liang's subordinate named Zhang Fang still works tirelessly to expose the sun every day
Drinking those big jars of urine.
When the criticism meeting reached almost 11 o'clock, Zhao Xin smiled and offered to take everyone to visit the school. Lao You and others were tired of scolding them all morning, so they stood up and let Zhao Xin lead the way.
When the group of people arrived at the school gate, the old refugee man guarding the gate saw that the Lord was coming and immediately bowed and saluted.
Lao You's evil fire hadn't finished yet. When he saw this scene, he stepped forward and helped the old gatekeeper up, saying loudly: "It should be him who salutes you! Stand up straight!"
After Zhao Xin led them into the school with a wry smile, Lao You and the others saw many children in the classroom studying by themselves, lying on the table one by one practicing calligraphy, so they asked Zhao Xin what was going on.
What's going on? It's not because there are not enough teachers, so just a few people take turns teaching the children. Zhao Xin counted the existing teacher resources with his fingers. Counting himself, there are only four people in total.
"Why don't you teach on TV?" a teacher named Li suddenly asked. This person teaches physics.
Zhao Xin explained with a wry smile: "Mr. Li, our electricity supply is currently limited to the workshop on the other side of the river. I would like to build a power station, but the quality of these farmers is really not good. It takes three years for a skilled worker to
It only took me half a year to train them!
The thermal power station must have coal, but the coal is now in the mountains of Ezochi! Water and electricity are definitely not good. When it freezes here in winter, the turbines can be frozen. To build the power station, there must be workers, but my literacy rate is not high
Not enough. Over the past six months, communication in Mandarin has just become normal.
Next year, we will have to transport refugees from the Qing Dynasty, not to mention these people, almost all of them are bankrupt farmers.
Teachers, I know I have deceived you. But it is true that I asked you to teach the children. If I had no other choice, I would not take this step!"
Lao You and others looked at each other, and their strong sense of responsibility made them quickly ignore their anger towards Zhao Xin. So accompanied by Chen Qingsong and Zhang Bo, they began to chat with the children.
When Zhao Xin saw that Lao You and the others' attention was no longer on him, he quickly winked at Zhang Bo and Shen Xuan who came out to greet him, turned around and left the school quietly. As soon as he returned to his office, Liu Sheng led a soldier to
coming.
"Want to change matches?!" Zhao Xin couldn't help being stunned after listening to the report of the soldier sent back by Serdan. "I'll go, how could I forget this thing!"
Liu Sheng looked at him puzzled and asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Zhao Xin became a little excited: "No problem. Change! You must change. This is an opportunity for us." He thought for a moment and said to Liu Sheng: "Give them fifty boxes first."
"How to price this thing?" Liu Sheng asked.
"One tael of silver per box."
"I'll go! You are so dark!"
"You don't know, matches are a scarce commodity in this era. You can't find a box in all of China. You forgot, when we were in Yangzhou, they used either fire sticks or flints to light the lamps at night."
In Zhao Xin's memory, the old people of his grandparents' generation used to call matches "matches." Since they are "foreign", they must be imported. Zhao Xin estimates that matches entered China after the Opium War.
Yes. But when were matches invented? I have to look it up quickly when I have time.
Liu Sheng then asked again: "What to do with the bodies of Hai Lancha and the general? Give them to them."
"Here. Let's keep it for some use. Take it away quickly."
Zhao Xin took fifty boxes of matches from the cabinet and handed them to Serdan's men, and warned: "Remember, one tael of silver per box. These are fifty taels of silver." After that, Zhao Xin explained the details of the match to Serdan's men.
The soldier said a few words and told him to tell Serdan when he went back.
After the soldier repeated it, he turned and left.
Two hours later, Serdan handed Saimar the fifty boxes of matches brought by his men and said: "One tael of silver per box."
Saimar said in embarrassment: "Brother Serdan, we don't have enough money. You see, I can exchange it with you for leather goods."
Seldan nodded indifferently.
Saimar was overjoyed. From the forty horses he brought, he picked out ten that were loaded with furs and ginseng, and explained to Serdan: "Before coming, Master Durga was worried that you would not be willing to bring Hailancha to the country."
Your Excellency's body was given to us, so we asked us to bring you furs and horses. These six horses were brought to you by Master Durga, and these four are my own."
Serdan nodded and asked the soldiers to take over the pack horses.
At this time, the temporary coffins had been prepared, and Taktiyin and others placed the corpses into the coffins, and then placed them on the backs of two pack horses.
Saimar carefully put the match into the saddlebags on his horse, and said to Serdan: "Brother Serdan, after finishing Jilin Ula's business, I will bring the goods to do business with you."
Serdan asked his men to return Saimar's bows, arrows and daggers to each other. He followed what his men reported to Zhao Xin and said, "Come on, we have everything here. Salt, iron pots, grain, cloth, and winter clothes."
.We don’t want money either, you can just exchange it for leather goods!”
After Saimar and his entourage left with their horses, Serdan asked a few of his men to follow them until they were five miles away, and then they withdrew.