To be honest, Yuan Zai was quite surprised that this giant businessman from the adult country could come back. The scenes from ten years ago flashed back in his eyes and formed a picture. At that time, the tribe was so poor that it cost more to buy two packs of salt. bargain.
It’s different now, it’s richer! Got money!
"Li Kui, you must have bought a lot of goods when you went to the West! Show me quickly!"
There are many good things in the west, which can only be brought back by buying goods. Once in the Central Plains, Yu Zai went to the Queen Mother of the West to buy a batch of goods, such as flax, broad beans, garlic... Yu Zai used the advancement of animal husbandry. Technology is exchanged for help from others, but the influence of the Western Queen's Motherland covers the Qilian Mountains and the West Sea at most, and the out-of-control areas would only be smaller in ancient times, not larger.
Therefore, the goods obtained are still limited, but it is different for merchants from the adult country.
After Likui and Yuzai exchanged greetings, he put down his package without any hesitation. There were many strange things inside.
"The seeds you asked for are all rotten. There is no way to save them, so we can only bring the seeds back."
Of course, seeds are easier to preserve than the crops themselves. Seeds with high oil content generally have a short lifespan, while seeds with hard and lignified surfaces have a longer lifespan. In addition, the types of seeds of various crops are different, and the internal and external structures of the seeds are different. Different storage environments naturally have different effects on the survival life of seeds.
As a qualified traveling businessman, Likui certainly has his own storage method. Normal crop seeds can generally be stored for one to three years, and if refrigeration is used, it can be extended to five years.
Low temperature, low humidity, darkness and reduced oxygen content in the air are ideal storage conditions. Wheat seeds can only be stored for two or three years under normal conditions, but in an environment below zero degrees, with limited humidity and water content, they can be stored for thirteen years. year effect.
It’s just a purchase. It took thirteen years. The pilgrimage to the West is almost over, and it’s time to crawl back.
Li Kui grabbed a handful of bags and placed the small bag in front of Yu Zai, like a big sack of fifty or sixty kilograms of grain. Yu Zai began to pick, and the situation here also made many people in the market Come around.
People always like to join in the fun, and the people in Hongzhou know that wherever Azai appears, there must be something new and interesting.
Yu Zai saw some of the goods that the Queen Mother of the West had given her. In addition to things like garlic and broad beans, there were also carrots, coriander, flax, pomegranates, spinach, cotton apples...
Of course they are all ancient versions, even the colors of the seeds are slightly different, and according to Li Ke's description, the appearance of these vegetables and grains is also different from what Yu Zai is familiar with.
Domestication is a long process. These vegetables and grains were originally introduced to the Central Plains during the Han Dynasty, but the Western Han Dynasty was two thousand years ago.
Thanks to the chat between Yan Zai and Li Kui ten years ago, as well as the advancement of farming equipment in recent years, Li Kui previously took a batch of high-imitation OEM plows made by himself from Hongzhou and Zhongyuan and sold them in the western region. After paying a high price, he became particularly focused on agriculture. Better farming equipment meant that more grains could be grown. There were many strange grains and vegetables in the western region, so he made money by selling plows. A lot of goods were brought in.
Basically, anything that was imported during the Han Dynasty can be obtained here in Likui now.
It's a pity that some crops grown in South Asia were not obtained. After all, the footsteps of adult merchants only reached the edge of the Middle East and stopped. Peppers, cucumbers, eggplants and other things are native to India. In ancient times, these crops have not spread. Naturally It won't appear in these pockets.
As for sesame, it is native to the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and is not the same thing as "sesame" or "flax" in the Western Regions. Flax is an oil crop and was called "Jusheng" in ancient times.
Yuzai was rummaging around and suddenly found something good.
Some strange seeds were placed alone, and there was a small tied bag next to it. There were a few dehydrated and shriveled "plants" that had even rotted, but their appearance could still be seen... onion.
This was an unexpected surprise. It turned out that Likui didn't know what this plant was. He just saw that some tribes were planting it and it had a pungent and spicy smell, so he brought it back.
The earliest recorded cultivation of onions was in 3000 BC, which is one thousand years earlier than the era of Yao and Shun. The etchings on the Egyptian tombs in 3000 BC regarded onions as sacred objects. Ancient Egyptians placed their right hands on onions. It is believed to be a symbol of eternity because the onion has a circular shape composed of layers. One type of onion is even worshiped as a god...
Yan Zai looked at the seeds and smiled meaningfully.
Now that this thing is in my hands, it can no longer be called an onion. No matter what the savage tribes in the west call it, it is time to name it myself.
If onions enter China, they will become Chinese.
The people on this land are best at farming.
There is no unusable land in the world (×).
There is no land in the world that cannot be used to grow vegetables (×).
There is no vegetable that cannot be grown in the world (√).
Likui told Yuzai that he had more weird things. There were many weird things in the west, and this vegetable with a round spire was just one of them.
This batch of goods instantly filled a large gap in the planting industry. Ruanzai had people transport the seeds immediately, store them well, open up new farmland, and start planting next year.
Yuzai wanted to pay Likui, but Likui said that he didn't need those Tao Bei.
"This land has undergone amazing changes. I saw a lot of new things when I came here. I hope to exchange those things for these seeds and goods..."
"Travel equipment, columbine, rake... To be honest, I still have a lot of things I haven't seen. There are too many things I want to exchange for!"
Li Kui counted and paused: "And the most important thing, paper!"
"I want this thing. I don't have to give anything else, as long as there is enough paper."
When registering, Likui saw the paper. The appearance of this thing was extremely impactful to the ancient people.
There is no doubt that if he takes the paper back or sells it to other large tribes, he will definitely make a lot of money.
Small tribes are not interested in things like paper because they are primitive and technologically backward and do not need to record many things. However, large tribes and states have many things that need to be passed down and even promoted. Paper The advent may be a huge shock to the wizards, but there is no doubt that the clan leaders and leaders are happy to see this thing.
The appearance of paper in their country is likely to bring about drastic changes in the ancient system. Those who worship and talk about gods and ghosts will fall from the altar.
From now on, there will no longer be an era when “the final right of interpretation belongs to the official”.
Even if it is not used by tribes and people but is used by themselves, it can record more things than in the past. This is a kind of cultural monopoly.
Ordinary people in the tribe only need to use clay tablets and wooden boards, but how much can be recorded by these primitive recording products such as clay tablets, wooden boards, and bamboo chips?
But paper is different. It is small in size, large in carrying capacity, easy to carry, and easy to store. The leaders of those large tribes are not fools. They must understand that as long as they control the purchase channels of paper in their own hands, then their descendants will You can learn much more cultural knowledge than ordinary people.
So, according to the leader selection system of the current era, people with cultural knowledge, great abilities, and great virtues can inherit the position of leader. In this way, there is no reason for a bloodline successor who has been influenced by cultural knowledge since childhood not to be stupid. Which one is chosen by the people?
Yu Zai agreed. The paper was originally going to be sold. Part of it had already been sold in the Rongyu Mountain area. People from the Junzi country also bought some, and the Fire-weary country also gave it to them. After all, the coal had to be purchased from there.
Therefore, trade with Li Ke and use it elsewhere to make a lot of money...
The market is like this. If there is demand, there will be production. Give gifts in exchange for word of mouth, and then go back to expand your influence. What's more, the other party brings the crops they need.
However, the paper-making technology is not available for the time being. If you want to sell it, of course you have to wait for a good price... The adults in Bogu Mountain obviously cannot afford the "price" that Yu Zai wants.
This price is not measured in terms of goods.
Paper only plays a big role in places where civilizations gather in large numbers, not in fringe areas like Bogu Mountain... And papermaking, the technology of this thing, in ancient times, even if you use your brain to think and ponder, it will not work. You can definitely figure it out, especially since there are so many processes involved.
As many paper biscuits as Lamb has eaten, this paper has gone through so many ups and downs.
For paper to play its greatest role, of course it must be in the Central Plains region. Once the Central Plains breaks through the shackles of thinking in the current era, it will enter the next civilization era at a very high speed. With its influence on the four directions, Dongyi and Xirong , Beidi will be affected, and the ideological tide will quickly sweep across the entire world.
At that time, other regional leaders who may have used paper to monopolize culture will be dumbfounded, and wizards will also be affected.
Therefore, guidance such as ghosts, gods, and destiny is no longer their patent. If they want to maintain their lofty status as ancient intellectuals, these wizards can only change their profession and become "philosophers" and "thinkers"; or, they can undergo plastic surgery and skin change. , to become a prophet of "religion"; or, to find another way to explore and experiment in the material realm, like people like Mozi and Chenzi.
Or else, it is to remain stagnant, waiting to be forgotten by the times, and finally become a part of the garbage heap of history.
But no matter which one, its impact on the current era is unparalleled.
In the past, wizards only had one way to change their profession, and that was to be a Qi Refiner. If they failed to achieve Qi Refining, they would lay down and start again. Now, there are more choices. After the version is updated, some people may not be able to adapt to it. Of course, there will also be "really good" people. .
When a new version arrives, there will always be the presence of father and grandson.
"No matter what, history is always better than the next."
Ruzai started thinking, maybe he could give Likui another steel tool.
This is not only to promote it through the mouths of the merchants of the adult country, but also to let some distant tribes understand that Hongzhou no longer bothers to play house with you. Before you can see the dawn of the Bronze Age, we have already begun The Iron Age.
This is pressure, and it's clearer than past rumors.
The world has long known that "Hongzhou has a strong military and cannot be taken away", but Taotie, Zize, Sanmiao, and Ba people still united to fight against it. They believed that Hongzhou's strength lies in gods rather than ordinary people.
But gods also bleed and are afraid.
A mortal man may not be unable to fight if he is strong and strong.
Yuan Zai had a plan in mind. There was still a big threat around Hongzhou that had not yet been resolved. Yuan Zai decided to wait until some of the steel equipment was equipped, and then carry out a targeted attack on Sanmiao. However, he could not destroy them. If Sanmiao did not surrender, he would not surrender. , then use Sanmiao as a place for Hongzhou to train troops.
Chi You was just wearing a crude bronze armor and holding some of the original smelted iron tools, so he was fearfully called the "Eighty-one Invulnerable Brothers" by later generations. Then he was wearing a full set of infantry armor and holding steel tools. , will future generations write in the history books - Hongzhou has mechas?
Shocking, the truth behind the demise of the glorious ancient civilization turned out to be...!
In short, Li Kui was happy to obtain the right to sell paper as an agent. Under the leadership of Yu Zai, he visited the various constructions and inventions created in Hongzhou in the past ten years.
From paper to steel casting, from scales to levels, from bricks and cement to water conservancy facilities, from drama to painting, from poetry to porcelain, from school to medical care, from mechanics to chemistry, from instruments to animal husbandry, from markets to agricultural and sideline products , from glass to economic trade...
Dazzled and overwhelmed, Likui was confused as he listened to Yuzai's introduction.
"Actually, there is nothing difficult to understand. You have to learn to think divergently. I will summarize the development of the past ten years and prepare to publish an atlas in the future to tell everyone what a technology tree is..."
There are not many people in this era who are good at divergent thinking. Yuzai told Likui that we must learn to make unreasonable associations.
Unreasonable associations are the driving force for human progress!
"When the wood rolls into the river, you should know that the circle runs fast and the buoyancy can float on the water. Then you have wheels and ships, and then you can test the flow rate of the water per second..."
"When you find an archery target, you can think of the Yellow Emperor..."
Fantasy can keep a group of people full of vitality. This thing is called dreams by great men and daydreams by mortals.
"I really want to take away everything here, but I know it's impossible. The things here are beyond my ability to think. I have no idea how they were made, and I can't understand your thoughts."
Li Kui left behind those new goods, which were not limited to seeds of vegetables and grains, but also some ancient wisdom from more distant places. Of course, he believed that these distant wisdom had already become dusty in front of Yu Zai.
Yuzai gave Likui a strange object, so small that he had to squint to see what was on it. He saw a needle under the glass cover. The needle seemed to always point in one direction.
"It's made of magnets."
"A magnet? A magnet from the mountain of questions?"
In the Beishan Jing of Shanhaijing, it is said that in the mountain of Guanti, water from Jianghan comes out, and flows westward into the lake, which contains many magnets.
"Lonets are not only found in the Guanti Mountain... This thing is called the Sinan Qi. The Yellow Emperor used it a long time ago. Now I just made some small improvements."
The so-called "Si Nan" that Yu Zai gave to Li Kui was actually a real and complete compass, but it just used the more pleasant name of Si Nan.
