The general, please uphold justice for me. I merely saw that my nephew was young and feared he couldn't protect the land left by his father, so I had him entrust the property to his elder brother for management, with the annual harvest to be returned to him. Moreover, his elder brother was about to get married, so I borrowed a old house from him to serve as a bridal chamber. Who knew that, despite my usual kindness to him, he not only refused but also insulted and bullied me, even having his household guards throw me out! Please, Great General, decide this matter for me and punish his filial impiety!
Hmph, my temper! Guards, bring this family head to me at once!
Upon hearing this, the general became enraged. It was understood that possessing the ability to help relatives and friends was a matter of kindness, and not helping was not something to be criticized. However, throwing an elder out of the house was a bit too much.
Greetings, General. Please allow me to explain the sequence of events.
Before the general could call for anyone, Fang Er stepped forward and bowed to the general.
You speak, and if you are in the right, I will settle this matter for you. If you are in the wrong, then you may reside in prison for a few days.
The general, with one hand on his waist and the other pointing at Fang Er, said this.
Fang Er was not evasive and quickly began to explain from his grandfather's death and the subsequent division of the family into two brothers.
Fang Li, kneeling on the ground, grew paler as he listened. He never imagined his nephew would show no mercy.
As for the general, his face grew darker the more he listened. He kicked Fang Li aside.
Guards, throw this scoundrel out of Chang'an City! You infuriate me!
Two strong men emerged from behind him, grabbed Fang Li, and headed towards Chunming Gate.
After the guards left, the general cupped his fists towards Fang Er: I almost misunderstood you, young man. Rest assured, if he dares to cause trouble again, I will have him directly expelled from the city. If anything happens, I, Old Cheng, will take responsibility.
Fang Er looked at this General Cheng in astonishment.
He had read the "Romance of Sui and Tang." In the Tang Dynasty, with the surname Cheng and being a Great General, who else could it be but Cheng Yaojin?
The general's surname is Cheng, could he be the Great General Cheng Yaojin?
Fang Er stared wide-eyed at Cheng Yaojin.
Hahahaha, it is indeed this general. You, a young man, know of me?
Who does not know of the great General Cheng? Do you think I might have the chance to invite Great General Cheng to my humble abode for a drink of wine? Fang Er looked at Cheng Yaojin with anticipation.
Although he was powerless regarding the invasion of Jie Li, it was still good to remind those in power.
Hahahaha, interesting, interesting. You, a young man, are not only unafraid of meeting a reigning general but even dare to invite me for a drink? However, I am on duty today. I shall come again another day. I want to see what fine wine you have.
Cheng Yaojin finished speaking and left with his men.
Fang Er wanted to say something but opened his mouth and did not.
Looking in the direction Cheng Yaojin had departed, he fell into thought.
That's right, wine!
If there was anything that could interest a rough soldier fresh from the battlefield, it would be divine weapons, fine horses, good wine, or beautiful women.
Fang Er could make divine weapons, but he couldn't, as privately forging weapons was a capital offense in ancient times.
As for fine horses, the army would certainly not be lacking, and as a common landowner, he couldn't acquire them.
He himself was short of beautiful women. In his past life, he had been so focused on researching technology that he hadn't even dated.
Good wine, however, he could manage.
Upon returning home, he arranged for Uncle Zhang to send someone to the winery to buy wine, all kinds of wine, a few jars of each.
When Uncle Zhang heard it was for Cheng Yaojin, he personally went out.
Fang Er returned to the courtyard, found paper and charcoal sticks, and began to draw.
No steel, that is controlled material, unobtainable.
No glass, which even with money, cannot be bought now.
He could only use wood to make a simple distillation apparatus.
When Zhuzi and the steward returned, Fang Er was still drawing.
Young Master, these are the carpenters you asked for. They have signed the indentures; there are three in total, all here.
Zhuzi pointed to the three men behind him.
These three men were of similar age, around thirty years old, with rough hands, clearly calloused from years of labor.
Tell me your names and what you can do.
Fang Er pushed the paper and charcoal pen aside and reclined in his chair, looking at them.
A lean man on the left spoke first.
My name is Wang Wu. It is a family trade; I can make doors and windows.
My name is Niu Liang. It is also a family trade; I can do fine work, like buckets, pot lids, and such.
The man in the middle continued after Wang Wu.
The last man on the right also spoke.
My name is Lin San. I learned half-way from a master; I can do all sorts of carpentry work.
Fang Er took a drawing from the table and pushed it towards the three men.
Can you understand this?
On the drawing, Fang Er had marked the units as centimeters and millimeters.
After the three looked, Wang Wu and Niu Liang remained silent, but Lin San spoke.
Master, I can roughly understand the meaning of the drawings, but we don't understand the symbols you've marked.
Come here, I will explain the meaning of these symbols to you.
Accordingly, Fang Er began to explain the relationship between dimensions and their respective symbols. The three were experienced carpenters and learned things related to their craft quickly.
After all three had accepted the new dimensional relationships and recognized the symbols, Fang Er took out a ruler.
I made this while making chairs yesterday.
He had also carved the markings on it himself.
For a Level 8 craftsman, precisely crafting parts by hand to the slightest degree was not an issue, let alone making a ruler with millimeter units.
The three men took the ruler and were greatly excited.
Rulers existed in this era, but they followed traditional specifications, with one foot divided into ten inches, precise to about three centimeters. It was fine for making large items, and smaller pieces could be enlarged with mortise and tenon joints, while larger ones could be trimmed. However, for making precise small items, it was impossible to use; it all depended on the craftsman's intuition.
With this ruler, the craftsmen's skills could be elevated by a whole level.
This is a ruler. Now you all understand the dimensions. Take the drawings, there is lumber in the backyard. Each of you make one item according to the drawing. Whoever does the best will be the carpenter in charge from now on. Zhuzi, take them to the backyard to work.
Please rest assured, Master. We will use the fastest speed to create the most suitable items.
The three nodded repeatedly and, after taking the ruler, followed Zhuzi to the backyard.
After they left, Fang Er looked at the wine jars behind Uncle Zhang. There were five in total, each with a red paper pasted on it, bearing different names.
He walked over, picked up a jar named Xinfeng Wine, placed it on the table, and broke the clay seal.
A faint aroma of wine mixed with a sourness rushed into Fang Er's nostrils.
Young Master, this is the most commonly sold wine on the market. This jar weighs five catties and costs three qian of silver.
Three qian, that's three hundred wen.
Damn it, this crappy wine?
The wine was cloudy white. He dipped a finger and tasted it.
Pah! What is this stuff!