While Guo Kang was thinking about the portrait, Theodora put the cork back on the bottle.
"I'll take it back and try making desserts." She said to Guo Kang, "There should be many ways to use this drink."
"Okay, use it as you like." Guo Kang said and took out a few more bottles: "These are made of grapes and taste good. Of course, they are not as precious as the bottle just now. You can try them out, even if they fail. Don’t feel bad.”
"Are grapes easier to process?" Theodora asked.
"Actually, all kinds of fruits are similar, but we have no shortage of good grapes here, and the industry is mature." Guo Kang said: "There are still two boxes in the warehouse. I was planning to give them as gifts, but they didn't. What do you tell Wu Han? Just ask him to take the people and move them directly to the palace."
"Why don't you?" Theodora continued to ask.
"Well, those Tianfang Sect merchants still felt that they were fooled." Guo Kang was a little helpless: "They tasted a bottle and found that the taste was wrong. They thought we were using unfermented grape juice to trick them."
"This thing is no less technical than wine." Theodora commented.
"Everyone has his or her own merits, and I can't help it." Guo Kang shook his head: "The merchants said, 'We won't accept anything that's not fermented.'"
"Maybe it's not easy to sell this kind of thing over there." He guessed: "The market conditions in different places are really different..."
"Is this also the leftovers given to others?" Theodora did not discuss business issues with him, but asked with mango juice.
"Yes." Guo Kang nodded.
"Who did you give it to?" Theodora said dissatisfied.
"They have all been distributed to priests and craftsmen." Guo Kang said: "This is already the fifth batch. The first two batches failed completely. For the third batch, we overturned the entire previous process and refilled it before we succeeded. The fourth batch It was just these grape juices and a few cans of apple juice. By the fifth batch, it was relatively mature, so I was willing to use mangoes."
"There must be dozens of bottles in this batch. But I took this one myself, and gave the others to them as souvenirs. It was originally an experiment, and I didn't expect to make any money."
"They have all made a great contribution to this matter. I think it is reasonable to let them taste their fruits. For us, this is also a necessary way to motivate citizens to work." He did not give in anymore this time. He said calmly: "If you think this is just picking the rest, you don't have to. But I won't give in on this matter."
"Oh, that's fine." Theodora looked completely unconcerned: "I thought you gave it to an 'old friend' like little Jeanne."
She specially emphasized the words "old friend" and looked at Guo Kang.
Guo Kang originally thought that this was an issue of understanding between noble and humble, and the distribution of labor results. Who knew that instead of caring about important social issues, she was preoccupied with jealousy, which left him quite speechless.
"I'm afraid it's too late for the banquet tonight." Theodora said, "I'll use it to entertain guests in a few days and help you promote it."
"What kind of banquet is it?" Guo Kang asked.
"Those French people." Theodora said: "It's actually very simple to deal with them. The more luxurious and exotic the things you bring out, the more powerful they think you are. I plan to use this drink and cake as a publicity point, and then I brought the Central Plains-style clothes ordered from Javanese merchants. These were enough to scare them for a long time."
"You really bought clothes from Sun Shiwan." Guo Kang still felt sorry for money: "To be honest, I think this is playing the piano to a cow. Those people can only understand swords. If you show them that you are rich, they will I only think about doing 1204 again."
"Both of these are indispensable. Since you and Tuo Huan are both studying swords, I will study how to use money more effectively." Theodora still didn't care: "By the way, you are right. How is your research on weapons that surpass swords now?"
Guo Kang took out two pistols and put them on the table: "Now there are two more types."
"The one on the left uses a metal spring, and the one on the right uses a torsion spring like a ballista. Both of them can ignite gunpowder through flint." He introduced: "Now there are four routes. I also I don’t know which one is better.”
"Then do some." Theodora said, unbuttoning her robe, and Guo Kang discovered that there were two pistols stuck in her waist. It was just that the complex lace decoration on the outside blocked the ups and downs, so he couldn't see it just now.
"You gave it to me last time." Theodora introduced: "The matchlock pistol is too difficult to hide, and I don't like it very much. This lightning gun is very useful, so I always carry it. But you can adjust the shot at the back. Hammer? It triggers too slowly. You have to slow down after pressing the trigger before it fires."
"Uh..." Guo Kang was startled, and then he realized: "The disadvantage of this weapon is that it is too sensitive, so I designed it this way on purpose. If the trigger is too sensitive, it will easily fire by accident."
"Okay, then these two this time may be the most suitable. I'll give it a try when I go back." Theodora said, reaching out and grabbing two pistols, and actually inserted them directly into her skirt. Here, gone. Guo Kang stared at it dumbfounded for a while, not understanding how it was hidden.
"You are really..." He didn't know what to say.
"Forget it, there is one last gift, take a look." He shook his head and lowered himself to open another box.
"How many new things have you made?"
Before Theodora could finish her emotion, she saw Guo Kang taking out another thing with a complex structure - it was composed of a lot of strips of material and many ropes. Even though Theodora was well-informed, she was confused for a moment. I couldn't understand what this was.
"This time it is really made just for you." Guo Kang explained proudly: "I call it a composite gravity dispersion device!"
"What is this..." Theodora still didn't understand.
"I'll show you and you'll understand." Guo Kang said, and brought out a semi-finished female plaster bust. It has carved out the basic outline of the human form, but the facial features and clothes have not yet been made.
"Let's use this as a demonstration." He said, quickly fixing the device on the bust, and buckling the straps while introducing it.
"These elastic materials are whale baleen. They have a shaping effect and are very tough. They can be used as a skeleton to provide support for the chest." Guo Kang pointed to the bust and gestured: "Then, below, there will be Some of the weight is transferred to the waist through these braces."
"And above." He pointed to the straps fixed on the shoulders and back: "I used a diagonal pull method here, and also pulled it from above."
"Look, in this case, the gravity of the entire chest can be broken down. Isn't this much easier?"
Theodora was also stunned for a moment, and then her face turned red: "You...why do you still design such a thing!"
"Why are you so shy? We have nothing to do with each other." Guo Kang originally focused on force analysis, but when she said this, he felt a little embarrassed: "Last time... wasn't it the time you were in my room? You said your shoulders were sore and I just remembered."
(End of chapter)
