The young should not read Water Margin; the old should not read Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The next morning, Ling Yi asked Zhang Changwu to go with him to deliver goods to County Commandant Su.
Jingyang Ridge and Yanggu County are more than ten miles apart. If it hadn't snowed, the road would still be passable, but with the snow and ice, the carriage simply couldn't make it into the mountains.
So Ling Yi had someone notify County Commandant Su in advance that he would handle the delivery; Ling Yi only needed to bring the carriage to the outskirts of Yanggu County and wait there.
The heavy truck had always been parked at the entrance; people had seen it, but no one knew what it was used for. Some mischievous children had even climbed into the back of the truck to take a look.
As the heavy truck billowed thick smoke and roared out of the Wu Family Manor with the distinctive sound of its diesel engine, it once again drew gasps from the crowd.
This behemoth has a huge impact on people of this era. Let alone in ancient times, even in modern times, if this behemoth were to drive on the highway, it would definitely be the coolest thing on the road.
Wu Yong witnessed the entire process of Ling Yi getting into the car and driving it. The first thing that came to his mind was the Legend Mechanism Arts of the Mohist School.
" Ling Yi's origins are likely extraordinary; he must have inherited some kind of legacy to be able to create so many rare and unusual items."
That morning, Wu Yong looked around and indeed discovered many problems.
The management was extremely chaotic, or rather, there was no management at all.
Many people didn't leave their rooms until late morning, and after that, they would just wander around for a bit before going to the cafeteria for a meal, doing almost nothing.
Such people are useless; they not only waste food rations, but also corrupt the atmosphere of the Wu Family Manor.
Some people were building city walls, some were leveling the ground, some were doing laundry, and some even went to the canteen to take ingredients home to cook.
Some people even want to go into the mountains to hunt.
The more Wu Yong looked, the happier he became.
Isn't this exactly where he needs to showcase his talents? If Wu Da manages everything perfectly, what use will he have?
Compared to seeking refuge with Chao Gai Headman Chao, Wu Yong felt that staying at Wu Da University would allow him to fully utilize his talents.
After all, Chao Gai was renowned and had many followers, so it wouldn't be easy for him to stand out.
But Wu Yong's gains didn't stop there; he also learned something else from these people.
Wu Da, a man of exceptional martial arts skills, had just uprooted a decades-old willow tree, about half a foot thick, from the ground in front of many people a few days ago.
It can be described as having Innate Divine Power.
Ling Yi had formed a general impression of Wuhan University.
A person who is very clever, capable of doing business with a county constable, cannot be without brains.
Whether his martial arts skills are high or not is unknown, but his innate Innate Divine Power is enough to make him a fierce general.
They are charitable and public-spirited, at least that's how they seem at the moment.
Oh, and there's that beautiful Jiaoniang from Wu Da...
Thinking of this, Wu Yong frowned, hoping that Wu Da wasn't someone obsessed with women.
The saying "even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman" is not just a saying.
Outside Yanggu County, when County Commandant Su saw Wu Da drive such a huge vehicle in front of him, he was also taken aback.
" Constable Wu always manages to do something amazing," County Commandant Su remarked. He increasingly felt that offending Wu Da in the first place was a very unwise move.
"I wonder how much money you brought with you this time, sir?" Ling Yi asked bluntly, not wanting to waste time arguing with him.
"Three thousand taels of gold!" When County Commandant Su said this, an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face.
After all, he made a fortune with Su Bao Heavenly Palace Noodles, Heavenly Palace Noodles are now exclusively for the royal family.
A single bucket of Heavenly Palace Noodles costs as much as ten taels of silver, which means... this old guy sold instant noodles for a sky-high price of 5,000 yuan a bucket.
If modern people knew this, they'd probably be shocked.
One tael of silver had roughly the same purchasing power as one string of cash, and one tael of gold was roughly equivalent to ten taels of silver.
As the number of transactions increases in the future, it will be impossible to use copper coins for every transaction, as transportation would be too troublesome.
Gold would be much easier to carry.
Three thousand taels of gold sounds like a lot, but it actually only weighs six catties.
County Commandant Su had a wooden box opened, inside which were fifteen Jin Yuan.
A Jin Yuan two hundred taels, totaling three thousand taels.
It was also the first time Ling Yi had ever seen Jin Yuan. He curiously picked one up and played with it in his hand for a while before putting it back and closing the box.
" Zhang Changwu, get to work!"
As Ling Yi spoke, he jumped into the cargo box of the heavy truck and threw the noodles out. Zhang Changwu caught them and put them aside. It took more than half an hour to retrieve the more than two thousand boxes of instant noodles.
Even if Zhang Changwu was terrible at math, he still figured out the problem.
He swore there weren't nearly this many in the carriage before, maybe not even half full.
Where did all these extras come from?
But Zhang Changwu knew very well what he should ask and what he shouldn't ask.
" Constable Wu, deliveries are made every three days. Can you keep up with the demand?"
"The money is in place, any amount is fine. Changwu will handle the handover from now on." Ling Yi waved his hand, got into the car, and sat in the passenger seat.
On the way here, he had already taught Zhang Changwu how to drive, so on the way back, he naturally wanted Zhang Changwu to try it out himself.
If he has to make a special trip every time he delivers goods, what else can he do?
Zhang Changwu rubbed his hands together, opened the driver's seat door, and sat down.
As soon as the car started, Zhang Changwu was sweating profusely with nervousness.
"Relax a bit, carefully recall the steps I told you, take your time."
"Okay, okay!"
How could Zhang Changwu possibly relax? He gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, muttering to himself, "Clutch, accelerator, brake, first gear uphill, neutral downhill..."
He had no idea what a clutch or accelerator was; he could only memorize it by rote. Fortunately, he was quite clever and managed to roughly remember it by copying what he heard.
The heavy truck's engine roared loudly before slowly starting up.
To Ling Yi's surprise, Zhang Changwu actually learned it almost perfectly.
His expression was extremely solemn and serious, as if he were about to go to the battlefield to fight.
" Zhang Changwu, that traitorous bastard."
County Commandant Su wasn't stupid; how could he not see that Zhang Changwu had been bribed by Wu Da?
"Sir, should we contact some Lin Zhong...?" A constable next to County Commandant Su whispered, making a throat-slitting gesture.
After pondering for a moment, County Commandant Su asked, "Are there any heroes nearby?"
"Reporting to your master, a reckless man wielding axes with both hands has recently appeared in the Mo Mountain area. He is eight feet tall, with a full beard, a violent temper, and extremely skilled in martial arts. It is said that he killed someone in Yishui County and came to Mo Mountain to escape the law."
"This man's name is Li Kui, nicknamed Black Whirlwind, and he has already harmed many villagers in the vicinity."
" Wu Da can't be moved, but living a peaceful life won't be so easy." A cold glint flashed in County Commandant Su's eyes.
"Find some unfamiliar faces to lure Li Kui over. When Zhang Changwu is returned after the next handover, wouldn't that be a good deal for Black Whirlwind?"
"Your Excellency is wise; I will arrange it immediately."
They returned to Jingyang Ridge without incident. After getting off the bus, Ling Yi stopped Zhang Changwu was also about to get off.
"You drive yourself to find an open space to practice; put everything else aside for now."
"Yes!"
Zhang Changwu was overjoyed and readily agreed. He had already come to enjoy driving and wished he could live in his car forever.
"A man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. Constable Wu Yong, I think this statement is unreasonable. What do you think?"
"One should have foresight, not be preoccupied with immediate worries?" Ling Yi paused for a moment before replying casually.
"The situation in the Wu Family Manor is not optimistic at present," Wu Yong sighed.
"Good heavens, he's come here to show off his skills," Ling Yi thought, quite curious about what Wu Yong had to say. So he smiled and said, "Sir, please speak your mind."
"What is your opinion on the world today, sir?" Wu Yong walked up to Ling Yi and asked earnestly.
"A chaotic dance of demons!" Ling Yi thought for a moment and gave four words.
Upon hearing Ling Yi's words, Wu Yong was taken aback, not immediately understanding the meaning of those four words.
Seeing Wu Yong's puzzled look, Ling Yi found it amusing. Didn't understand? That's right, I just said it offhand... but it wasn't entirely nonsense.
The Water Margin boasts 108 heroes, but very few of them truly caught Ling Yi's eye.
Putting everything else aside, most of those 108 people didn't deserve the title of "heroes".
Wang Ying, nicknamed "Stumpy Tiger," was an extremely ugly man who made a living by robbery and plunder. He had countless innocent victims on his hands, and was ruthless, greedy, and cruel. Could such a person be called a hero?
Black Whirlwind Li Kui, is lawless and utterly indifferent to life, showing no moral compass whatsoever. In the original story, he even cleaved a four-year-old child in two with an axe, demonstrating the extent of his cruelty. What kind of hero is such a demon?
In the original novel, Sun Erniang, the Female Yaksha, is described as follows in her family's kitchen:
"Upon looking, I saw several human skins stretched on the wall, and five or seven human legs hanging from the beam. I also saw two constables, one swaying and the other lying upright on the stripping bench."
Cannibalism! Damn it, is this guy a hero?
The greatest villain was none other than Song Jiang, the " Timely Rain."
Did he truly consider the people of Mount Liang as brothers? In Ling Yi's opinion, no.
He merely used the Mount Liang brothers as his tools, and after taking the top position, he began plotting to win the imperial court's amnesty.
And this Wu Yong in front of us is even less of a hero.
It was his idea to send Li Kui to chop up children.
The story of Lu Junyi Lu Junyi particularly tragic, as it led to the destruction of his family, the separation of his wife and children, and the death of his family.
He's a bit clever, but all his methods are underhanded and beneath him.
Ling Yi's description of a chaotic dance of demons was also tinged with malice and contempt.
There's a reason behind the saying, "Young people shouldn't read Water Margin, and old people shouldn't read Three Kingdoms."
There aren't many good things in Water Margin that teach people to be virtuous, so children won't learn anything from it; they're more likely to become Young and Dangerous.
" Constable Wu, this Wu Family Manor is full of rare treasures. Perhaps you, sir, don't care much, but it's inevitable that some unscrupulous people will covet them." Seeing that Ling Yi wasn't getting to the point, Wu Yong simply took the initiative to get to the point.
"If word gets out and outsiders find out, it could be a disaster for Constable Wu."
Ling Yi didn't speak, but gazed at the distant, pristine White Snow, lost in thought.
Wu Yong, however, assumed Ling Yi was pondering his question and continued, " Constable Wu should establish some rules for the manor; as the saying goes, without rules, there can be no order..."
"The food in the cafeteria should be ready soon. I've been running around all morning, and I'm a little hungry." Ling Yi interrupted Wu Yong, rubbing his stomach as he walked towards the cafeteria.
Wu Yong's face flushed red and then turned pale. Ling Yi's Ignore made him feel extremely humiliated.
"This brat is not worth discussing things with!"