Fang Er held out the ring like a treasure, coming before Chai Yue.
"Come, Yue'er, extend your left hand."
Chai Yue's expression changed drastically upon seeing what Fang Er held.
"My lord, what are you doing? We are not yet married. This... this is improper."
Fang Er was stunned.
"Yue'er, what's wrong? Your lord is merely giving you an ornament, and this item holds great significance."
Chai Yue shook her head repeatedly.
"Yue'er knows the significance of this item, and therefore, Yue'er cannot accept it, at least not before the wedding."
Fang Er was even more bewildered.
"Could it be that rings already held such an extraordinary meaning in the Tang Dynasty?"
"Then, Yue'er, tell me, what is the meaning of this ring?"
Chai Yue, with a flushed face and lowered head, spoke softly.
"In ancient times, concubines would present themselves to the ruler according to etiquette. The female scribes would record the date and present a ring to signify their attendance. Upon giving birth, a gold ring was used to signify retirement; when summoned, a silver ring was presented and worn on the left hand. After attending the ruler, it was worn on the right hand. All matters, great or small, were recorded according to established practices."
"These things are clearly written in the Book of Songs."
Fang Er slapped his forehead.
He had indeed made a mistake.
He quickly explained, "Yue'er, you've misunderstood. Your lord did not mean it that way. Furthermore, these customs were for the palace, not for ordinary people like us. My mother-in-law specifically said this is called a 'ring,' not a 'ring,' and it is a symbol of love between men and women a thousand years from now. That's why I made this for you. Of course, it's not an expensive gemstone, only glass. But, rest assured, in this world, there is a place filled with gemstones everywhere. Once your lord conquers that place for the Emperor, I will give you countless gemstones!"
Chai Yue looked at Fang Er with some doubt.
"Did Mother really say that to you?"
Fang Er nodded.
"Why would your lord lie to you about such a thing? You can often enter the palace. Have you not noticed any differences between these rings and those worn by the Emperor's consorts?"
Chai Yue sought confirmation.
"Are you truly not deceiving Yue'er, my lord?"
Fang Er nodded again.
Chai Yue accepted his explanation and became happy.
"Then, did Mother ask you to give this to Yue'er?"
"Yue'er wants this. Yue'er doesn't care for gemstones. Yue'er only wants this!"
"My lord, please help Yue'er put it on."
With that, her eyes curved into crescent moons, and dimples appeared on her cheeks as she smiled. She extended her left hand towards Fang Er.
Fang Er took Chai Yue's wrist and carefully placed the ring on her left middle finger. He had paid attention to the size of Chai Yue's fingers when they had held hands before.
Looking at the ring on her jade-like hand, Fang Er said, "From today onwards, you are not allowed to take it off."
Chai Yue nodded.
"Mm, I won't take it off."
Then, as if remembering something, she reached up and removed a jade pendant from her neck. She placed it on Fang Er's neck, tucking the pendant inside his clothes, close to his chest.
"My lord, this is for you. You must also wear it and not take it off."
Feeling the lingering warmth of the pendant, Fang Er pulled Chai Yue into his embrace.
"I won't take it off, never for a lifetime!"
They held each other quietly. After a while, footsteps were heard from outside the door. Chai Yue nervously pulled away from Fang Er's embrace. Fang Er looked towards the door, and Zhao Gang pushed it open and walked in.
"Marquis."
Just as he was about to say more, he saw Chai Yue's flushed face and quickly turned to leave. Fang Er was somewhat speechless.
This fellow must have misunderstood something. He then called out to stop him.
"Come back, what is it?"
Zhao Gang, looking embarrassed, bowed to Chai Yue.
"Greetings, Princess."
"Mm, yes." Chai Yue's official title was Princess. Chai Yue nodded to Zhao Gang, then retreated behind Fang Er. It wasn't out of arrogance. Given her status as a Princess, it would have been improper for her to return Zhao Gang's bow.
Zhao Gang said to Fang Er, "Reporting to Marquis, I happened to be passing by, saw that the door here was unlocked, so I came to check. There's nothing else."
Fang Er nodded.
Patrolling the workshop was his duty.
"Go call a few craftsmen over. I'll teach you how to make something."
Zhao Gang was overjoyed.
"Yes, Marquis!"
With that, he excitedly went out to call people. Soon, seven or eight craftsmen followed Zhao Gang into the room.
"Greetings, Marquis, greetings, Princess."
Fang Er waved his hand.
"Come over here."
Saying this, he turned and walked to the lathe. He took a suitable steel ingot from the material rack. He started the lathe, demonstrating the technical points as he worked. The item he was making this time was very simple. But the simpler the object, the more it tested skill! In just half a day, all the required parts were completed.
Fang Er walked to a corner and opened a box. From an angle where they couldn't see, he took out two sets of tires from his spatial storage. All the parts were assembled together. Along with them, a simple bicycle pump was also made. A women's bicycle appeared before everyone.
Zhao Gang pointed at the bicycle and asked, "Marquis, what is this machine for?"
Fang Er smiled and shook his head.
"This isn't a machine; it's a bicycle."
Zhao Gang looked puzzled. He knew what a 'car' was – pick-up trucks, armored cars, as well as horse-drawn carriages and ox carts. What was a 'bicycle'?
Fang Er used the pump to inflate the tires and then exited the workshop. Chai Yue curiously followed him closely. Zhao Gang and the others followed behind, also looking curious.
Once outside the workshop, Fang Er swung his leg and mounted it. His rear end was raised high. It was unavoidable, as the seat hadn't been made yet, and the necessary leather and padding were not available in the workshop. He tried pedaling a few times. The bicycle moved forward steadily.
Chai Yue was merely surprised. Zhao Gang and the others, however, were shocked as if they had discovered a new continent! Two wheels, and yet it could move so steadily! This once again exceeded their understanding!
Fang Er rode the bicycle in a circle and stopped at the entrance of the workshop.
"How is it? Isn't it magical?"
Zhao Gang nodded repeatedly.
"Marquis, why can it stand without falling with only two wheels?"
Fang Er lifted the front wheel of the bicycle with one hand. With the other hand, he gave the front wheel a forceful tug. Then, pointing at the rapidly spinning front wheel, he said, "This is called the gyroscopic effect. It is the inertia of a rotating object to maintain its direction of rotation. When a gyroscope spins at high speed, its axis stably maintains a certain direction. Even if you deliberately nudge its axis with your hand to make it tilt temporarily, it will naturally return to its original state of rotation after a while. This is the gyroscopic effect."
Zhao Gang stared at the spinning wheel, lost in thought. Seeing his expression, Fang Er smiled slightly.
"Let's go, Yue'er. We're going home."
With that, he loaded the bicycle onto the back of the pick-up truck and took Chai Yue back to Fang Manor.