Scale Model

Chen Tongmin left with the Sacrificial Text.

Liang Qu believed that Chen Zhaoan would not refuse his request.

Firstly, it's harmless; in countless folk legends, the Jiang Huai River God is the embodiment of the Jiang Huai River itself, and for fishermen, the two are one and the same.

Secondly, the change from worshipping the River God to worshipping the Jiang Huai River is a very minor one. For most villagers who are illiterate and have never been to school, Xudu not even notice the change after hearing it once at the altar.

Everyone just wants good weather and a good harvest; they don't care about the details. As long as the sentiment is there, that's enough.

I wonder if skipping over this "middleman" and taking advantage of the special date of June 6th, a day when rivers supposedly flow back to their source and all things flow into the sea, will ultimately result in a stronger response.

Liang Qu has high hopes for this.

In this way, the normal sacrificial process, the Chief Priest, and the scale of the sacrifice have all been enhanced, with only the final sacrificial offerings missing.

Liang Qu was prepared. He had sent the Fat Catfish and the others to search for the corresponding Spirit Monster in the water. They were not to kill them, but to keep an eye on them and then capture them alive and bleed them out.

Offerings cannot be randomly chosen from three-headed Spirit Monster; like playing mahjong, it requires matching pairs.

They can be categorized into three main types: birds, beasts, and scaled creatures.

On a grand scale, it refers to the phoenix, the qilin, and the dragon—three mythical beasts; in a more fictional sense, it refers to the chicken, the duck, and the fish—three domestic fowl.

It could also have three meanings: diligence, peace, and abundance.

The three most common auspicious symbols are the cow, sheep, and pig.

It is said that every year during the Da Shun's sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, three major categories of Great Demon were used, with the Martial Saint wielding the weapons.

On the day the beast was killed, the air was thick with boiling vapor, and the Sha Qi was so strong that ordinary people would easily die if they got close to it. Even those with strong constitutions would fall seriously ill for three days and lose half their lives.

Those courtiers with weaker cultivation levels could only stand in the distance and observe.

After the ritual, the land where the three demons' corpses were divided will instantly bloom with abundant flowers.

It's difficult to gather three major categories of creatures in the water, mainly birds. Beasts are hard to find, as it's not the domain of Liang Qu and Water Beast.

But it's easy to find animals that fit the three auspicious meanings in terms of appearance; they are simply robust, cute, and plump.

Last time, I didn't know that the sacrificial ceremony could increase favor. Chief Priest only to increase my prestige in Yi Xing City. I didn't prepare much from beginning to end.

This time, Liang Qu is fully prepared, determined to drastically increase the favorability of the Jiang Huai River!...

Early morning, just as dawn was breaking.

The stonemason chiseled a square hole in the ground, cleaned the soil under the stone slab, confirmed the depth, and then carefully aligned and inserted the hitching post into the square hole, compacting it again.

"A Quan's skills are getting better and better, just like a real monkey's."

Liu Quanfu came from the street, touched the Stone Monkey crouching on the post, and exclaimed in admiration.

The hitching post is for visitors to tether their horses. Horses are associated with fire, and wooden houses are most afraid of fire. Monkeys are associated with water, so a Stone Monkey is often carved on the hitching post to suppress fire.

Such a lifelike Stone Monkey is a rare sight.

Stonemason A Quan looked up when he heard the sound.

"Oh, it's Uncle Liu! It's a craft passed down from our ancestors. When it comes to carving monkeys on stone, my dad is still the best. What are you doing here so early in the morning, Uncle Liu?"

"Lord Liang asked me to make something earlier. I've been busy for a while and finally finished it. I'm here to ask when it's needed."

"What object could stump Skillful Carpenter like you, keeping you busy for so long?"

"You little brat, go back to your horse and stop messing around. You think you can pry into the affairs of big shots?"

"Just curious, isn't it?"

The Tower Ship Model for the giant Toad is finished? In the courtyard, Liang Qu, shirtless, held Fubo in his hand, panting heavily.

The Martial Artist was sharp-witted and had heard the conversation between the two people at the door. He then shoved Fubo into the pool, put on his coat, and opened the door.

"Lord Liang! *2"

"Uncle Fu, come in and talk to me. A Quan, thank you for your hard work. Come and get my wages after you've installed the hitching posts."

"Yes, Lord Liang."

Liang Qu smiled, turned around and led Liu Quanfu into the house.

"Uncle Fu, I heard you say in the yard that the warship is finished?"

Liu Quanfu said with a happy expression, "I have done my mission well. I just applied Tung Oil this morning. It probably won't work in the water. I don't know how to sew, but as you said, it looks exactly like the two multi-story ships docked at the wharf in Ping Yang County."

It's a bit of a boast, but I think it's actually better looking than those two ships on the dock, because it's not that big.

Liang Qu was overjoyed; his first deal with the giant Toad was finally about to go through.

He couldn't wait to see the new ship. "Come on, take me to see it quickly."

"Alright! Lord Liang, please follow me."

Liu Quanfu took the lead.

Building such a large ship was exhausting for him; he and his seven or eight apprentices worked day and night to complete it today.

Fortunately, Liang Qu's reward was generous enough, and everything went smoothly. He would receive the money today! "A Quan, Uncle Liu and I are going out for a bit. Here's the money for you. Don't come to let me know when it's all packed. If there are any problems, I'll send someone to find you."

"Don't worry, Lord Liang. Don't let my youth fool you. I started carrying stones with my father when I was nine. I've been doing this for over ten years. I guarantee I'll do a perfect job for you, without a single fault."

"Okay, Uncle Liu, let's go."

"This way."

Led by Liu Quanfu, Liang Qu passed through a street and two alleys before arriving at a large courtyard.

There were many people standing in the courtyard, all of them Liu Quanfu's apprentices. The place was very spacious, and the corners were piled with wood shavings.

But none of these were what Liang Qu was concerned about. Right in the middle of the courtyard, a miniature building ship, eight meters long and more than two meters high without counting the mast, was quietly moored on a wooden frame.

A strong smell of Tung Oil filled the air.

The ship frame, Dragon Bone, Dragon Tendon, ribs, beams, bow and stern pillars, hull, side plates, bottom plates, decks, masts—everything you could need is there, nothing is missing.

The tower ship was much more complex in its overall structure than the boats on the Liang Qu.

The ship's hull is made up of four layers of "buildings" stacked one after another, which is not flat at all, hence the name "building ship".

Looking at the side of the boat with the Liang Qu attached, the planks appear densely packed.

The entire hull is made of teak, the most distinctive feature of which is its excellent grain, which is further highlighted by applying a layer of Tung Oil.

The dark lines extend out like waves, complementing the golden hue of the teak wood itself, like a warm fire in winter.

Liu Quanfu was right. Thanks to the meticulous carving, the entire "miniature building ship" is more beautiful than the two large buildings over 100 meters long on the dock, just from its appearance.

"My lord, please come and see this side."

A quick-witted apprentice stepped forward and led Liang Qu up the stairs to open the carved windows on both sides of the ship.

Looking through the large window, one can see that the small room is fully furnished with tables, chairs, cabinets, beds, oars, and utensils; there are even bird patterns on the cabinets.

There is one of each pair of windows in the similar rooms, and each one is different.

During the Ming Dynasty, there was a man of extraordinary skill named Wang Shuyuan, who could carve palaces, utensils, figures, and even birds, beasts, trees, and rocks from a piece of wood only an inch in diameter. Each figure was shaped according to its shape and had its own unique expression.

Liang Qu suddenly thought of this sentence.

"My lord, you may not know this, but my Master went to great lengths to build this small ship. Every day before dawn, he would go to the dock to inspect the ship and draw up plans to ensure that not a single detail was off."

We don't know what the ship's interior is like, and we don't dare to go in and look, but my Master has been to other merchant ships and has recreated what he imagined.

"Look, are you satisfied? Whether we can please that lord is secondary. Whether we carpenters make money is secondary; if that important person blames us and harms Lord Liang, then it would be a huge loss."