Loyalty in the Time of Tyranny Chapter 9

"I entered the room and looked up to the sky, drinking wine and admiring the chrysanthemums in the east window. Did I invite you to come and admire the chrysanthemums?"

Adrian Tang asked back: "Isn't it, sir?"

Oliver Liang looked at Adrian Tang intently, and after a moment, he smiled and said, "Yes. Yuzhi, bring me the painting "Chrysanthemums in the East Window" for a look."

In the distance, the young man in blue who had gone to Zhaojia Village with Liang Daru nodded respectfully and went to the study to get a scroll. He stood in front of the withered lotus pond, opened his hands, and slowly pulled open the scroll.

On a five-foot-long piece of white rice paper, a bunch of ink-colored chrysanthemums are quietly blooming. The brushwork is elegant and smooth, and very light traces of ink can be seen on each chrysanthemum, as light as flowing water brushing against willow buds, and as colorful as bluestone covered with fine moss. The scroll is left blank, except for this bunch of ink chrysanthemums under the window, and only a small poem is mentioned in the upper left corner.

The flower blooms not among hundreds of other flowers, but alone by the sparse fence, and the fun is endless.

I would rather die with fragrance on the branch, than be blown away by the north wind.

The handwriting was in the hairpin-shaped small regular script, written very thinly and lightly, but Adrian Tang could not help but be mesmerized by it. The handwriting was graceful and elegant, and even though it was written in the elegant small regular script, the writer's extraordinary strength could not be concealed between the lines.

Adrian Tang looked at the signature on the painting.

There are two cinnabar red seals on the painting, the first one is signed "Diao Chong Zhai Zhu" and the second one is "Wang Zifeng".

Adrian Tang took a few more glances at the name "Wang Zifeng".

Adrian Tang had just traveled to ancient times for half a year, and had spent most of his time in Zhaojia Village. He had not had the opportunity to come into contact with any calligraphy and painting, let alone calligraphy and painting by famous artists. But when he was studying for a doctorate in his previous life, his doctoral supervisor was a fan of calligraphy and painting. The supervisor himself was a professor of science and engineering, but he liked to collect literati calligraphy and painting, which led Adrian Tang to dabble in this area.

Normal literati would have their own nicknames engraved on their seals, such as "Qinglian Jushi" for Li Bai and "Dongpo Jushi" for Su Shi. Those who only had their own names engraved on their seals were either young and inexperienced and did not have a nickname, or they were famous for their literary talent and were well-known to the world.

Could it be that as an outsider he had made a mistake?

Adrian Tang thought about it for a while, but didn't express his doubts. He said, "Sir, I am stupid. I just lied to you. I don't know how to appreciate paintings."

Oliver Liang smiled and said, "You are honest."

Adrian Tang was born in a poor family and was very young, so it would be fake for him to say that he could appreciate paintings.

Adrian Tang changed the subject: "But I think this painting is very beautiful, and the poem and calligraphy are also well written."

Oliver Liang: "The painting is beautiful, and the calligraphy is also beautiful? You are praising it in a simple way. Tell me, which is better, the painting or the calligraphy?"

Adrian Tang was stunned. It turned out that this painting and this calligraphy were not from the same person?

Adrian Tang remained calm on the surface, but he was thinking in his heart. It's not that he really doesn't know how to appreciate paintings. He fooled his boss several times in his previous life. But Adrian Tang from Zhaojia Village shouldn't understand these things, but this painting was obviously made by Liang Daru's friend.

After holding it in for a while, Adrian Tang said sincerely: "They are all very good. They are things that I can neither draw nor write."

It's okay for him to belittle himself, right?

Oliver Liang laughed and said, "This calligraphy was written by Zifeng. He was very smart and talented since childhood. Everyone knows that he is an excellent calligrapher and painter. It is really difficult for you to catch up with him. But this painting is different. This was painted by that old man Yu. His painting skills are terrible and he has not improved at all over the years. It's not that you can't catch up with him at all."

Adrian Tang nodded repeatedly, then shook his head again and again: "The master is making fun of me."

After this incident, the atmosphere in the pavilion became more pleasant.

The two of them ate some food and wine. Adrian Tang behaved generously, neither humble nor arrogant, neither flattering nor timid, which made Liang Daru admire him. When another pot of tea was served, Oliver Liang put the teacup on the table with a click. He smiled and said, "Three months ago, you asked me why scholars read books."

When Adrian Tang heard this, he knew that the topic had come to the point, so he immediately put down his chopsticks.

"Yes, I dared to ask."

Oliver Liang said: "You said that scholars read books to learn knowledge and reason. Is that right?"

"right."

"You are right. Reading is for the purpose of understanding reason, and distinguishing right from wrong. I did not give you an answer that day. Today I meet you again, Adrian Tang, and I ask you, is your answer still the same?"

Adrian Tang hesitated for a moment. He was a little confused about what Liang Daru wanted to say. He said, "Yes."

Oliver Liang smiled slightly and sighed, "A widow does not care about her weft, but worries about the demise of the Zhou Dynasty, and is the one who will do it."

Adrian Tang looked up and subconsciously said: "Ah?"

Liang Daru looked at the delicate and graceful little boy in front of him. There was admiration in his deep eyes, but also a trace of undetectable regret.

"That's my answer to you."

Until he left the Liang Mansion, Adrian Tang didn't understand the meaning of Liang Daru's words. He didn't even know what the words meant.

Adrian Tang wanted to return the invitation to the Liang family's housekeeper. After visiting, the invitation should be returned to the host. However, the housekeeper said, "Young Master Tang, please accept this invitation."

Adrian Tang was surprised and asked: "Why?"

"This is the master's order."

...Liang Daru’s order?

For the first time, Adrian Tang felt confused and went home with doubts in his heart.

After returning home, the four members of the Tang family began to enjoy the chrysanthemums and hold a banquet. They were a small family, with only four people, but they followed all the customs of the Double Ninth Festival. There are no mountains in the city of Gusu Prefecture, but there is a small hill outside the city, and there are Tianping Mountain, West Mountain, and East Mountain further away.

Adrian Tang simplified the customs of the Double Ninth Festival and only went to the small hill near the tower and planted a dogwood branch.

At night, Ivy Don happily moved a pot of chrysanthemums to the yard, and the four of them enjoyed the chrysanthemums while eating.

Adrian Tang teased: "You are a young girl, but you are quite formalistic."

Ivy Don: "What is formalism?"

Adrian Tang: "You won't understand even if I tell you."

Ivy Don: "I don't understand what you said. I understand, but it's not a good thing."

Adrian Tang laughed out loud.

Soon, four or five days passed, and Adrian Tang would take out the invitation sent by Liang Daru from time to time to study it.

He understood on the Double Ninth Festival that the reason why Liang Daru sent him this invitation must be because there was something fishy about it.

Adrian Tang initially guessed that Liang Daru was going to have dinner with him on the Double Ninth Festival, because the invitation said that Liang Daru was going to enjoy chrysanthemums. The reason why he guessed that it was at noon instead of in the evening was because Liang Daru, as the prefect of Gusu, had to attend the Double Ninth Festival banquet in the evening to entertain several aristocratic families and wealthy gentry in Gusu Prefecture, so he had no time.

It turns out he was right, but...

"What else is there that I haven't discovered?"

In addition, Tang Juan also read through all the Four Books and Five Classics. Unfortunately, the words "a widow does not care about her weft" mentioned by Liang Daru could not be found in the Four Books and Five Classics. Adrian Tang had to give up and wait for a chance to read other books.

The pancake shop's business was getting better and better, and Ivy Don secretly hid the money in his own treasury. As the weather got colder and autumn came, eating a hot multi-grain pancake in the morning was very comfortable, and more people came to buy pancakes.

Adrian Tang originally wanted to make only 200 a day, but Mason Yao and Aunt Yao refused.

Mason Yao: "Little master, you take a rest. You go to study, I will get up early and make as many pancakes as I can every day."

At this point, it didn't make much sense to stick to hunger marketing. Adrian Tang's multi-grain pancakes were already famous in Suijin Street, and many people came every day. Mason Yao saw Adrian Tang often reading the Four Books and Five Classics, and thought he wanted to start studying, so he took over the job of making pancakes.

Adrian Tang didn't stop him. He hadn't gone to study yet, but he did have other things to do.

"Brother Yao, go buy some quicklime and a screwdriver."

Dough starter is a commonly used food leavening agent, similar in composition to baking soda in later generations. Dough starter is not used to make multi-grain pancakes, but it is often used to make steamed buns. Mason Yao thought Adrian Tang was going to sell steamed buns: "Little boss, are we going to sell steamed buns again?"

Adrian Tang knew Mason Yao had misunderstood, but he couldn't explain it, so he just said, "Go buy it first."

Soon, Mason Yao came back with two bags of things.

The Tang family had two large iron pots. The ancient large iron pots were the same as the ones used in the countryside in later generations. Unless they were in a restaurant, most of the iron pots were integrated with the stove and could not be moved. The Tang family had only two iron pots, both of which were used by Aunt Yao to cook.

Adrian Tang looked at the two iron pots and said, "Brother Yao, go buy another iron pot."

When Mason Yao came back with a new iron pot, Adrian Tang poured quicklime into the pot and added some water.

As soon as the water hits the quicklime, it makes a sizzling sound and boils instantly.

Ivy Don and Aunt Yao were attracted by the sound. Ivy Don asked in surprise, "Brother, what are you doing?"

Adrian Tang didn't even raise his head: "Be a good person."

The reaction between quicklime and water was rapid and intense, and soon a turbid milky white solution appeared in the pot. Adrian Tang immediately put the dough starter in, and while stirring with an iron rod, he quietly observed the reaction in the pot.

Mason Yao and others were confused, but if Adrian Tang's actions were put into later generations, even a high school student would know what he was doing.

Yes, he was making sodium hydroxide, commonly known as caustic soda.

After the slaked lime reacted with the starter, a layer of white solid gradually settled to the bottom of the iron pot, and a layer of colorless liquid emerged on the surface. Adrian Tang waited patiently, and when the reaction in the pot almost stopped, he carefully grasped the sides of the iron pot and poured the liquid into a porcelain jar.

Due to limited conditions, Adrian Tang was unable to obtain sodium hydroxide of higher purity and could only make do with what he had.

Then he took a pot of rapeseed oil from the kitchen, poured it into the cleaned pot, made sure it covered the entire bottom of the pot, about one finger high, and then placed the iron pot on the charcoal stove and lit it to heat. The oil heated up quickly, and before the oil heated up, Adrian Tang picked up the porcelain pot and carefully poured the contents of the porcelain pot into the center of the oil pot.

Mason Yao: "What are you doing, young master?"

Aunt Yao had no idea, and Ivy Don didn't understand at all. The three of them just felt that Adrian Tang seemed to be possessed by a demon. They didn't know what they put in the pot and jar, and soon a strange liquid came out. But because they trusted Adrian Tang so much, the three of them didn't disturb him, but watched carefully from the side.

Adrian Tang poured half of the wine, put the porcelain pot on the ground, and said, "Don't touch this pot."

Mason Yao nodded: "I definitely won't touch it."

Then, Adrian Tang began to slowly stir the rapeseed oil and sodium hydroxide in the pot. He kept stirring while heating the iron pot. After about a quarter of an hour, he stopped moving and waited quietly.

While waiting, Adrian Tang said to Mason Yao: "Brother Yao, if I want to make an iron can, do you think anyone in Gusu Mansion can make one?"

Mason Yao said: "What kind of iron can do you want to make? Give me the blueprint and I will ask the blacksmith Wang on the street."

"You wait."

Adrian Tang went back to his room and got a pen and paper. He drew a picture while thinking.

Mason Yao took the painting and took a look at it.

This thing is really weird, it looks like a jar, but it is hollow, and there are some strange lines painted on it. Mason Yao looked at it for a long time and said, "Little Master, what is this thing? I don't understand it."

Adrian Tang: "Oh, yes, you can't understand this kind of perspective drawing, and maybe even the blacksmith Wang can't understand it. Forget it, after we finish making the things, I'll go and ask him with you."

"good."

Tang Juan had no idea what her brother was cooking. She asked, "Adrian Tang, what are you cooking? Is it delicious? You put both starter and oil in it, but I can't smell anything. Is it better than a multi-grain pancake?"

Adrian Tang heard it and said: "Delicious? I can't eat it."

"What, you can't eat it? Why are you putting something inedible in the pot?"

"It's inedible, but it will buy you tons of multi-grain pancakes!"

At this time, the contents of the pot gradually solidified. The dark yellow rapeseed oil turned into a layer of solid. Adrian Tang's eyes lit up and he shoveled out the top layer of solid.

Adrian Tang put the yellow solid in a jar and called Mason Yao: "Brother Yao, put your hand in the rapeseed oil and try it."

Mason Yao: "Ah?"

"Just give it a try."

Mason Yao inexplicably put his hand in and took it out again, and his hands were covered with oil.

Adrian Tang fished out a yellow solid from the jar: "Use this to wash your hands."

Mason Yao doubtfully washed his hands with the yellow solid. He thought it was from rapeseed oil and would become oilier the more he washed. But he was able to wash his hands clean after a few washes. There was no oil on his hands at all.

Mason Yao: "Hey, what is this? It's better than that soap!"

Adrian Tang laughed and said, "What is this? Good stuff, soap!"

Tang Juan and the Yao family mother and son all put their hands into the rapeseed oil in amazement and washed them with soap. Only Adrian Tang walked out of the kitchen, looked up at the sky and sighed.

"I didn't expect that after traveling through time for half a year, I, Adrian Tang, would not be able to escape the common fate in the end!"

Adrian Tang made the soap, a must-have for time travelers, today.

But he smiled again, and decided to make things that were not necessary for time travelers!

"Okay, Brother Yao, don't wash it. Let's go out first and lock the kitchen. I've made it clear that you are not allowed to enter the kitchen before I come back, and you are not allowed to touch anything in the kitchen, especially the porcelain jar." Adrian Tang said, "Brother Yao, come with me to Wang the blacksmith."

"Okay!"