"Let him see." Gu Moran handed the list back to Uncle Fu. "Once the first one is released, he'll know whether he should laugh or not."
Uncle Fu responded and stepped aside.
Zhen Daijin came over carrying another bundle of bamboo tubes, his shoulder muscles taut. He put the bamboo tubes on the shelf and casually asked a question.
"Your Highness, can this thing really blast out an ear of rice?"
"Yes," Gu Moran replied.
Murong Xue, wrapped in a thick cloak, walked over from downwind, her cheeks reddened by the wind and the tip of her nose frozen red.
Walking up to Gu Moran, she said irritably, "It's 30% colder here than in the city, and you're just standing here leisurely watching the wind."
"I'm trying to save money," Gu Moran replied. "If the wind direction is wrong, the bamboo tube might tilt and hit someone on the head, and Su Yao will be the one paying for it."
Murong Xue pursed her lips and didn't reply, but instead moved closer to him, shielding half of his body from the wind.
Lin Qingdai, clutching the knife, stood on the outermost edge of the riverbank.
His gaze swept over every suspicious patch of reeds, then over the scattered onlookers in the distance, his expression more tense than usual.
She spoke softly as she approached Gu Moran.
I've already made arrangements everywhere.
"Alright, don't alert anyone if anything seems amiss," Gu Moran. "Everything will wait until today's fireworks are over."
Lin Qingdai nodded, asked no further questions, and turned to set up the outer perimeter.
At this moment, Shen Ling'er walked over carrying a bowl of hot soup, with a few slices of ginger floating on the surface, steaming hot.
She shoved the bowl into Gu Moran's hands, her tone leaving no room for refusal.
"Drink it," she said. "It's windy here, and you didn't get enough sleep last night. Drink this to warm yourself up."
Gu Moran finished his drink in one gulp, handed the empty bowl back to Shen Ling'er, and then turned his gaze back to the center of the riverbank.
The bamboo tubes were already set up, the fuse tray was on the side, and Xue Huan and his men were conducting a final check.
In another half hour, the merchants should start to arrive.
This performance not only needs to be spectacular, but it also needs to be convincing enough to win people's hearts and minds.
He looked up at the sky; the wind had subsided somewhat, and the direction had become more stable.
Half an hour later.
Along the riverbank, merchants gathered in twos and threes, discussing the matter in hushed tones.
" Yi Prefecture has certainly been up to something these days," said a merchant in a silk robe, stroking his beard.
"Blasting mountains, smelting iron, building latrines, and now they say bamboo tubes can fly into the sky and blast things."
I think this is just another new way to squeeze money out of our pockets.
"Who says otherwise?" someone chimed in. "Last time there was a lottery in the public restroom, my shop assistants were clamoring to try their luck every day, which caused them to miss a lot of work."
I wonder what new trick they'll pull this time.
The steward of the Gan Family stood at the front row, listening to the discussions, his lips twitching slightly. He remained silent.
He came on Gan Lingmu's orders. Before he came, Master Gan specifically instructed him not to get involved, but to just watch and see how Prince Yi would stumble this time.
Xue Huan then walked to the launch pad and glanced at Gu Moran.
Gu Moran nodded.
"Light the fire!" Xue Huan shouted.
The man held the torch close to the fuse.
The sparks crackled twice and shot upwards along the fuse.
The crowd fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the bamboo tube.
"Laugh--"
The bamboo tube made a soft sound as it left the ground, trailing a wisp of smoke that shot straight upwards.
Someone in the crowd gasped. Before they could even see what it was, the bamboo tube shot into the air and exploded in a burst of golden light.
A chorus of gasps and exclamations rose and fell from the crowd.
The second bamboo tube was lit.
Once in the sky, the golden fire dispersed in the air, slowly revealing the shape of a heavy ear of rice, with the tips drooping slightly, as if it were truly bent under the weight.
this time.
The riverbank was initially deathly silent, then erupted in gasps of surprise.
"How... how did this happen?"
"Rice is growing in the sky!"
The steward of the Gan Family stared with his mouth agape, his arms clasped together but unconsciously loosening their grip. His eyes remained fixed on the gradually dissipating golden light in the sky, unable to close for a long time.
Xue Huan didn't stop; he lit a third one.
This time it's a waterwheel.
The bluish-white flames trailed arcs, arranging themselves in the night sky to resemble a rotating wheel, creating a truly illusory effect of rotation.
When the third one took off.
The red, gold, and blue-white colors intertwine to create a pattern reminiscent of Shu brocade, layer upon layer, as if someone had hung the entire brocade in the sky.
The merchants were in complete uproar.
"My God, this... this is magic!"
"Celestial arts my foot! This is something the Prince Yi's Residence created themselves!"
"That's too unbelievable! A bamboo tube flying into the sky and exploding in all sorts of ways? I've never seen anything like it in my entire life!"
The steward of the Gan Family had no idea that he had come to watch the spectacle. He squeezed to the front of the crowd, craning his neck and staring into the distance without even blinking.
Taking advantage of this moment, Su Yao gave Uncle Fu a wink.
Uncle Fu unfolded the contract and shouted loudly.
Gentlemen.
Rice ears represent grain merchants, waterwheels belong to timber and iron workshops, and Shu brocade is left to cloth shops.
Whoever claims ownership first will have their business name displayed to the entire city!
Upon hearing this, the merchants who had been hesitant immediately swarmed forward.
"We own a grain shop, we'll take these rice ears!"
"Wait a minute, wait a minute! My family's grain shop opened ten years earlier than yours. This position should be mine!"
The two grain merchants immediately started arguing, each saying their piece, and the price went from three hundred taels to six hundred taels.
Su Yao stood calmly to the side, her abacus clicking away, recording the name of whoever offered the highest bid.
At this point, the steward of the Gan Family no longer cared about maintaining his composure and reached out to squeeze into the crowd.
Unfortunately, his spot was too far back, and the vendors in front of him were all vying for the same price, so no one paid any attention to him even after he called out twice.
"Make way, make way! Our Master Gan wants to know the location of the waterwheel!"
Uncle Fu didn't even look up, only saying calmly.
"The waterwheel has already been taken over by a timber merchant for five hundred taels, and the contract has been signed."
"If the manager wants it, he should go and compete for the Shu brocade; there's only one shop left to buy it from."
The steward of the Gan Family blushed crimson and didn't know where to run for a moment.
Just as things were getting chaotic, Gan Lingmu's own carriage hurriedly arrived at the riverbank.
He had been hiding a mile away, and when he heard the fireworks explode, he told the driver to hurry up, even faster.
When they arrived, he didn't even put his hat on properly before stumbling off the bus and squeezing into the crowd.
"Gan must also acknowledge one!"
Uncle Fu glanced at him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
" Master Gan, you've come at the perfect time." He flipped through the contract. "The cloth shop just offered seven hundred taels for this Shu brocade piece. If Master Gan is interested, the price will have to be increased."
Master Gan gritted his teeth.
"Eight hundred taels! My Gan Family accepts it!"
"Damn you, I'll pay nine hundred taels!"
Gan Lingmu gritted his teeth. "One thousand taels!"
The bidding was in full swing, and Chen Qing, who was hiding in a corner, couldn't hold back any longer.
He started imagining things again.
ヾﾉ≧∀≦)o
[Thanks to: Qinghe for the likes, Ziyou's Milk Tea, Zhenjun for the flowers, gjchg for the likes, and Twelve for the Milk Tea! And thank you everyone for your support! Grateful! *͈ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈ෆ!]