Chapter 1,160 Chatting

The new canal from Bianjing to Zhengzhou is one-third wider than it was twenty years ago.

Due to the regulation of water storage projects along the way, the canal's hydraulic power can now allow ships to pass even during the dry season.

Simply solving the water problem is not enough. This section of the river can also freeze in winter.

The Department of Rivers and Drainage handed over the subject to the Polytechnic Institute, which invented the ice-breaking plow and the elastic ice-breaking hammer used on the pier, but it could only solve the freezing problem near the pier, not on the river.

In the end, with no other option, the River and Drainage Department offered a reward to the public for this problem and publicly solicited solutions.

In the end, the bounty worth 30 guan was obtained by a waterman, and the method was shockingly simple - starting a night flight.

The main reason for the freezing of the river is that there are no ships to break the ice at night. The solution is to open night sailing, so that there are ships sailing back and forth on the river at night, and then install ice-breaking plows on the passing ships at regular intervals, which is enough to solve the freezing problem.

Nowadays, the brightness of gas lights is already very high, which is enough to provide lighting for rivers. The River Canal Department conducted an experiment and found that the real mud code is feasible!

Moreover, after the opening of night flights, the transportation capacity of Bianqu has been increased by more than half. It is also more convenient to transport many things that need to be kept confidential at night.

In order to solve the safety problem, the River Canal Department also set up navigation lights along the way, stipulated traffic regulations, added health stations and post stations along the way, and also solved the problems of night lighting and health station stations on the land road from Bianjing to Zhengzhou.

Because the land route is right on the edge of Bianqu.

Su You is now at a very high level, and Zhao Xu appoints Di Yong to accompany him personally to escort him.

It is a tradition of the Song Dynasty that military ministers serve as magistrates of border states. Di Yong has now received the appointment to govern Huanzhou, while his younger brother Di Zi is going to Hebei.

So this time Di Yong took the opportunity to carry out the escort mission.

However, Su You did not follow Di Yong. While Di Yong was still waiting for the flags to be issued by the Ministry of Rites, he, Zhang Qi and Cheng Yue, had already boarded the ship carrying supplies to Zhengzhou.

Originally, Su You was unwilling to let Zhang Qi go with him, after all, Lu Ruo was pregnant.

On the contrary, Lu Ruo was worried about Su You, so Zhang Qi had to follow him.

The three of them still behaved the same way, with a scholar leading a scholar and a bodyguard. The boat boss had seen this a lot, and comforted Su You by saying that he would go back and study for another two years, and he would definitely be in high school next time.

There will be an examination this year, so Su You is considered to have failed the examination.

This is a fleet, a mixture of public and private, mainly transporting grain, but also various cans, spray-glued waterproof linen, rubber soles, and some chemical raw materials.

Su You and the others were traveling on a private ship. Shen Kuo completely inherited the water transportation management methods of Zhang Fangping and Xue Xiang. He adopted this supervision method and set rewards for reporting. The behavior of greedy water transportation was effectively curbed.

.

Moreover, the Caoding of public ships were not allowed to go ashore. They had to sail all the way to Luokou warehouse before calculating the ration consumption and wages and grain, and the rest was put into storage.

As for the rest of the supplies, it is easier to deal with them. Even if officials and ship owners deduct them, they cannot cash them in, so there is no need to worry about them being greedy.

In this way, while Su You was chatting with the boss of the ship, he sailed towards Zhengzhou.

Several sluices were passed in the middle. The gatekeepers first lifted the gates, put the fleet in, and closed the locks to store water. After the water level rose, the ships could continue sailing.

There is nothing we can do about this. The water volume in Bianqu in winter is just like this. Even after a lot of improvements, the navigation conditions are not superior.

Although it is a bit troublesome, it is already a huge improvement to be able to turn it from being unnavigable in winter and spring.

The boss of the boat was a talkative person, probably due to the loneliness of being a boatman for a long time. In addition, Su You also seemed very interested in the water transport business, so the two of them chatted all the way without feeling lonely.

After a day's sailing, in the evening, the ship arrived at Banqiao Town. Su You directly occupied the kitchen and asked Zhang Qi to go to the market town to buy vegetables, chicken, and fish. He set up a table, opened a jar of Yongchun Dew, and invited the ship's boss to join him.

Take a seat and eat.

The boss of the boat didn't dare to shout. Along the way, the boss of the boat admired Su You's knowledge and experience very much. He could talk about everything about the things transported by water. Those things that he had not noticed while running the boat all the time, after Su You talked about them,

Only then did I realize that it has its uses.

This is not something that ordinary scholars can do, and the boat boss has more and more respect for the scholar-bureaucrats of the Song Dynasty.

The person in front of me can't even pass the Jinshi exam. How powerful are the men in the court who carry their fame? They really should be in the lower realm of Wenquxing.

Su You poured a glass for the boat boss: "So, after reading a thousand books and traveling thousands of miles, I have gained a lot of experience by following you all the way here. Lao Li, come and give you a drink. Driving a boat outside in this weather is also hard work."

"

Lao Li was still embarrassed: "When a guest rents a boat, the meal is supposed to be cooked by the owner. This means that the old man is harassing the guest, but I will bear it."

Su You smiled and said: "That's how it is when you're out. You should help each other. There's no need for a night flight tonight, so let's eat well and drink well and rest early to refresh ourselves. Come and try this mushroom and chicken soup pot."

This pot of chicken soup has been stewed in oil for half a day. After that, dried mushrooms, dried yellow flowers, and dried bamboo shoots were added. Now there is a plate of chicken breast meatballs, a plate of luncheon meat strips, a plate of chicken blood soup, and the remaining

It's enough cabbage.

There was a small copper pot in front of everyone. Under the pot was burning a kind of fuel that Lao Li had never seen before. It was a snow-white clot, but the flame was lighter than a candle. Most importantly, there was no trace of smoke.

The seasoning is a kind of sauce added with chive flowers and a spoonful of chicken soup. Not only is the aroma fragrant, but it also has a bit of heat when you eat it.

Lao Li didn't know that it was a high-end product made from Konjac and peppercorns on Nanhai Road. In Bianjing City, a small bottle of the condiment was Lunguan, and its value was comparable to the famous Xiaolong Tuan Tea.

Lao Li had never eaten such delicacies in his life, and asked cautiously: "Sir, did your ancestors have high officials?"

Su You smiled and said: "It did happen, but it was during the time of Empress Wu Zetian in the previous dynasty. How did the old man know?"

Lao Li smiled and said: "I have never tasted such wonderful wine and food in my whole life... What is this... the storyteller talks about fine wines made of gold and delicacies on jade plates? So I think your ancestors must have had high officials."

Su You smiled and said: "It's not that exaggerated. It's actually home-cooked food, but it takes more effort. Lao Li, hurry up and eat. These meatballs are yours. I like this plate of tender tofu..."

After drinking wine and eating vegetables, they finally added a handful of silver noodles into the soup and sprinkled a handful of bean sprouts to make cabbage. Su You regretted: "If this was Wei's, it would be better if I added pea tips..."

The two were chatting while eating, and Su You asked: "Old Li, I don't think you can make any money on this trip. How much difference can there be in bringing food from Bianjing to Zhengzhou, even if it's noodles?"

Lao Li said: "That's right, it's true that you don't make money by pulling these things, but there is another benefit."

"Oh?" Su Youlai was interested: "Can you tell me about it?"

Lao Li said: "There are several large workshops and factories in Bianjing that consume a lot of noodles and flour. It is true that you can't make much money by pulling goods for them, but the merchants who pull goods for them will be able to talk to them if they buy from them.

too much."

"I see. Lao Li, you know how to do business." Su You understood: "Then you can bring some goods from Zhengzhou to Xijing. That will be fine, right?"

Lao Li smiled and said: "I have a nephew who is a steward in the enamel factory. I buy some enamelware and take it over there, and the freight for this period will be covered."

Today's folk enamel products all have a green base, because light green glaze is the cheapest.

In order to attract buyers, in addition to spray painting, producers also invented the decal process, which is like window grilles. They are engraved and applied to the enamel products that have been sprayed with primer, and then sprayed red again, and the fired utensils will look much better.

Although the items are not expensive, there are requirements for the craftsmanship. For example, to make the tire, it must be made of wrought iron, which is thin, soft and easy to stamp.

Sitong doesn't do these things now, but does stamping machines, wrought iron sheets, and various enamel glazes.

As for what to make and what patterns to add, that is left to the vast and intelligent working people.

Nowadays, among the people in Shaanxi, if a wedding party does not have a pair of enamel washbasins, spittoons, teacups, and rice bowls with red circles on top and bottom and a red flower and double happiness peony seal in the middle, the procession to receive the bride will not be able to hold their heads up to the mother's family.
Chapter completed!