Chapter 45

The list of students who would be going to Luoyang to attend the poetry gathering was quickly announced. In the academy, each of the six teachers taught a group of students, and they were well aware of who among them had quick wit and literary talent, so they didn't need to think much before reporting the names to Yan Shigu. After Yan Shigu reviewed the list, it was announced. As Xia Hongsheng had expected, Bai Jianzhi and Xu Qixian were on the list, and the other four were also well-known students in the academy. They would soon be accompanying Yan Shigu to Luoyang. Xia Hongsheng had no objections, but Xu Qixian was different. Seeing that his junior was not on the list, he became anxious and was about to pull Xia Hongsheng to find Yan Shigu, arguing that Xia Hongsheng's poetry skills were better than theirs, so why wasn't he allowed to go. Xu Qixian didn't understand, but Xia Hongsheng knew the inside story. Yan Shigu had already said that although Xia Hongsheng was nominally still a student at the Luozhou Academy, he didn't need to attend classes or be taught by any of the teachers, so Yan Shigu wouldn't let him go. On the other hand, Xia Hongsheng himself didn't want to go. He knew his own capabilities and could recite some poems and lyrics from later generations. However, how could a poetry gathering let him decide what to write? There would certainly be specific requirements for the content of the poems, and they might even ask him to write a poem on the spot, which he wouldn't be able to handle.

"Oh no! What can we do? I was planning to take you to see the flower competition!" Xu Qixian regretfully pounded his chest and said to Xia Hongsheng, "The flower competition only happens every three to five years. Due to the wars, it hasn't been held for many years. This year it's being held again, and it will be especially grand. How can we miss it?"

Xia Hongsheng found Xu Qixian's anxious look amusing. He patted him and said, "Xu Brother, don't worry. You forgot that I'm a free man in the academy? I will still go to Luoyang with you, but I won't participate in the poetry gathering. I need to go to the tea shop to check on the marketing plan I wrote for Uncle Xu. I'm afraid the people at the tea shop won't be able to manage it, so I need to go personally. I've already reported this to Master Yan, and he has agreed."

"Marketing plan? What's that...?" Xu Qixian scratched his head, looking puzzled, but then his face brightened, "So you're going to Luoyang too? That's great! Luoyang has so many interesting things compared to this small Luozhou city. I'll take you around and show you around Luoyang for a few days!"

Lin Erdou's family also came over. Lin Erdou's wife would have someone to look after her, and he had also asked Xu Qixian's father to take care of his wife. Uncle Xu had already agreed and would send a guard to follow them after Xia Hongsheng left, to protect them. This was unexpected but very grateful to Xia Hongsheng. With this, the trip to Luoyang would be worry-free.

Leaving the academy, Xia Hongsheng passed by his home without going in and went straight to Old Zhang the carpenter's house. When Old Zhang saw Xia Hongsheng, he brought over a few thin bamboo tubes and said that the thing Xia Hongsheng asked him to make was ready.

"Old Zhang thought about it, but couldn't make the mechanism that could spray water by pressing a button as Xia Hongsheng described. Old Zhang is ashamed," Old Zhang said to Xia Hongsheng, "However, I came up with another idea. I made a hole at the bottom of the bamboo tube and inserted a bamboo stick. The front of the stick is wrapped in leather dipped in wax, and there's a small opening at the front of the tube. The wax seals the opening, preventing the water from leaking out. To spray the water, just push the stick forward, and the water will break through the wax and spray out!"

Xia Hongsheng was surprised and looked at the thing in Old Zhang's hand. Sweat! This old man had accidentally made a syringe?!

Xia Hongsheng quickly took one of the crude bamboo syringes, pulled out the stick, and then ran to fill it with half a tube of water. He inserted the stick and pushed it forward, and a mist of water immediately sprayed out. The bamboo syringe didn't have a short tube at the front, so the water spread out, making it easier to get on the face, which suited Xia Hongsheng's purpose.

"This... Old Zhang is truly... a master craftsman! Your skills are unmatched, I'm so impressed!" Xia Hongsheng was very excited, holding the bamboo syringe. Perhaps history would be rewritten, and the world's earliest syringe would appear in Tang Dynasty China, not in 15th-century Europe.

"Hehe, I'm just a simple carpenter, how can I deserve such praise?" Old Zhang stroked his beard, though his face showed pride, and he was clearly pleased with Xia Hongsheng's words.

Xia Hongsheng waved his hands, "Old Zhang, just call me Xia family's boy or Hongsheng. We're neighbors, I'm just a kid from the Xia family, not some young master!"

"Hehe, then I'll be bold. The neighbors all say you're a star of literature, very capable! In the future, we neighbors will all be proud of you!" Old Zhang stroked his beard happily.

Xia Hongsheng laughed, shook his head, and suddenly remembered a toy. He said to Old Zhang, "Old Zhang, I just thought of something. Have you seen a crossbow? The trigger at the bottom, can you modify it and attach it to the bamboo tube? When you pull the trigger, the water inside will be squeezed out. That would be great! I have a rough idea, let me draw it for you."

Without waiting for Old Zhang, Xia Hongsheng turned around, grabbed a piece of charcoal from the hearth, and started drawing on a stone. If he couldn't make a spray, a water gun would be fine too!

Leaving Old Zhang's house, Xia Hongsheng took the bamboo tubes back home. His sister-in-law and Lin Erdou's family had already returned from the market and were cooking. Xia Hongsheng went into the kitchen and took out a lot of ground Sichuan pepper, prickly ash, and mustard, mixed them in a small copper basin, and boiled them. After boiling, he filtered out the residue, let it cool, and carefully poured it into the bamboo tubes.

"Master, what are you doing?" Lin Erdou's wife was cooking with his sister-in-law, and Lin Erdou squatted next to Xia Hongsheng, watching him.

Xia Hongsheng didn't look up, having given up on correcting the title, and replied, "I'm making something for your protection. I might be going to Luoyang soon. A few days ago, I heard that some ruffians were targeting the food stalls. I've asked people to take care of it. Lin Erdou, you're the only man at the stall, and the two women need your protection. I'll teach you how to use these things in case of emergencies."

Hearing this, Lin Erdou patted his chest confidently, "Master, don't worry! I'm strong, and those ruffians, hum, even ten of them wouldn't be enough for me!"

Xia Hongsheng laughed, "Lin Erdou, I know you're strong, but if they come in a group and grab your sister-in-law or sister to threaten you, can you still fight?"

"This..." Lin Erdou hesitated.

"Relax, Lin Erdou, I have it all arranged. I've asked the Xu family to send a guard to protect you after I leave. If there's trouble at the market, go to Yixiangju, and they will protect you. If you have other problems, you can seek help from the Xu family, and they will help you. This way, there shouldn't be any issues. However, to guard against those ruffians who might ambush you on the way, I made these. Each of you should carry a few. If there's trouble, spray the liquid in their faces. The liquid is easy to make, just grind the Sichuan pepper, prickly ash, and mustard, boil them, and let it cool before pouring it in." Xia Hongsheng pointed to the liquid in the copper basin, and the smell alone was enough to make one's nose burn.

After dinner, Xia Hongsheng called the three of them together and told them he would be leaving for Luoyang soon. The women immediately wanted to prepare his clothes, but Xia Hongsheng stopped them, took out the bamboo tubes, and explained how to make the liquid, how to fill the tubes, and how to use them. He told them to carry three tubes each, as the tubes were small and wouldn't take up much space.

"Hongsheng, will this really work?" His sister-in-law held the small bamboo tube, doubting it could make someone cry and lose their strength just by spraying it on their face.

"I'll try it!" Lin Erdou suddenly took the bamboo tube and aimed it at himself. Before Xia Hongsheng could stop him, Lin Erdou had already pressed the stick, spraying the liquid on his face.

"Ah!... My eyes! My eyes are blind!" Lin Erdou threw the bamboo tube to the ground, covering his eyes and rubbing them, howling and sneezing, rolling on the ground.

The two women were shocked and quickly went to help Lin Erdou. Xia Hongsheng said irritably, "See, you didn't believe me and sprayed it on yourself! If you encounter bad people, use this to spray their faces, especially their eyes, and they'll be like this, giving you a chance to escape. Remember to change the liquid daily!"

"Hongsheng!" His sister-in-law scolded, "Stop joking and help him!"

"It's fine, it's fine, nothing serious. Go get some clean water and rinse his eyes until they stop stinging," Xia Hongsheng said to Lin Erdou's wife, who was about to cry. Lin Erdou, hearing this, quickly rushed to the water bucket and rinsed his eyes.

After a while, Lin Erdou's pain subsided, but his eyes were red and swollen, still tearing.

"See the power? I told you it's dangerous and not to get it in your eyes..." Xia Hongsheng patted Lin Erdou's shoulder, laughing, "Lin Erdou, you'll be fine in a few days, but don't be so reckless in the future!"

Lin Erdou regretted it and hit his head hard.

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