Chapter 174: Woo woo woo, the little train is coming~

Yulan sis, heading back, eh?

Lu Yuan greeted Wang Yulan and also headed back.

After returning home, Su Changliang and Gu Lie also stopped quarreling.

Each held a towel, wiping the dirt off their clothes.

Those two really were rolling all over the ground just now.

Their clothes were completely dirty.

Lu Yuan also ignored those two, instead dragging the main hall's table out and then looked at Gu Lie, saying:

Did you bring the map I asked you to get?

Gu Lie stared, then nodded repeatedly and said:

Got it, got it.

The next second, Gu Lie looked toward the kitchen and shouted:

Sis!!

Gu Qingwan poked her head out from the kitchen, glared at Gu Lie and said:

In my bag, get it yourself!!

Afterwards, Gu Lie rummaged through Gu Qingwan's bag and then produced a large map.

He unfolded it and placed it on this large table.

Lu Yuan then opened a window, lit a cigarette and said:

Come, let's talk: this time suppressing bandits in the south, you're preparing to command this elite unit—where will you start first?

At this moment, Gu Lie also got serious, ignoring the dirt on his body, he set aside the towel and began to seriously explain his deployment.

Lu Yuan listened from the side.

From time to time, Lu Yuan would also interject a few sentences of his own thoughts.

Anyway, overall, Gu Lie's ideas weren't much different from Lu Yuan's after reading Military God.

Gu Lie really is capable.

As for where they disagreed, Lu Yuan also didn't insist that Gu Lie follow his own ideas.

Leading troops in battle isn't the same as just looking at a map versus reality.

An excellent general's strength lies in adapting on the fly.

After all, speaking of this, Old Li has something to say.

As long as I can break through, it doesn't matter whether I go head-on or flank.

I'll just smash the Sakata Union head-on!

So far, Gu Lie is really not bad.

Plus, this time's mortars are basically a dimensional strike—no need to worry about it.

After Lu Yuan and Gu Lie finished studying,

It just happened to be mealtime.

This noon we just casually snack; tonight we'll have a proper meal.

However, even though it's just a casual snack at noon, Lu Yuan's household standard still tops others' feasts.

After lunch,

Usually Lu Yuan takes a nap, otherwise he'd lack energy in the afternoon.

But now he definitely can't sleep, those two brats, Gu Lie and Su Changliang, really can argue and make a fuss.

They snap at each other at the drop of a hat.

So, we can't stay home; better go out for a stroll.

Lu Yuan also planned to buy a watch for himself and his wife today.

But today there are a lot of people.

Lu Yuan glanced at this person, otherwise……

One each?

This would make the foreign neighbor think……

Not……

Mainly, Lu Yuan indeed has plenty of money now.

The watch isn't that expensive, one each will do.

Walking~

Five people finished dressing.

Hats on, scarves wrapped.

After Su Liyan locked the door, she hurried over and hooked her arm around her man's.

Only then did they prepare to leave the courtyard.

Lu Yuan, Su Liyan, and Gu Qingwan walked side by side.

Meanwhile, Gu Lie and Su Changliang walked ahead in a line.

Speaking of which, these two are barely adults this year.

Boys this age make friends most easily.

Just now they were snapping at each other, but now they don't know what to talk about when together, secretly exchanging hehehe smirk.

And Lu Yuan's trio also couldn't be bothered to manage those two.

Upon arriving at the front yard, they just happened to see Gao Tingyu leading Chen Taohua out.

Chen Taohua is now obviously pregnant, her belly has already grown big.

Yo, Taohua girl, what are you up to?

Lu Yuan immediately smiled and greeted her.

Before Chen Taohua could say anything, Gao Tingyu, who was holding her hand beside her, looked at Lu Yuan very proudly and said:

My wife wants to eat hawthorn fruit leather; I'm taking my wife to buy some~

Hawthorn fruit leather?

Sour baby, spicy girl?

Hey!

Gao Tingyu came over here to show off?

Speaking of which, my wife seems to have no reaction yet.

After all, she's only been pregnant a short while, and she hasn't said she wants to eat this or that.

After hearing Gao Tingyu's words, Su Liyan looked at Lu Yuan adorably and said in a coquettish voice:

Brother~ I also want to eat hawthorn fruit leather~

Lu Yuan looked at his wife's cute appearance and realized that her heart had started to compete.

He found it somewhat amusing.

And when Su Liyan saw her man not speaking, she acted coquettishly, shaking his arm and said:

Brother~~ I also want to eat~~

Lu Yuan couldn't hold back any longer, he rubbed his wife's head and laughed:

What hawthorn fruit leather? That stuff is just rotten hawthorn, rotten apple, the leftover scraps not even good enough for canning, pressed out; brother will take you to eat proper candied hawthorn skewers~

Su Liyan blinked her eyes, then immediately threw herself into her man's arms, acting coquettishly and said:

Okay~

Gao Tingyu beside them blinked, then looked at his wife seriously and said:

Wife, we won't eat hawthorn fruit leather either; brother will buy you candied hawthorn skewers to eat!

However, just as Gao Tingyu finished speaking, Gao Xushi happened to come out from the door.

As soon as Gao Xushi came out and heard that, she immediately changed her expression and said:

What candied hawthorn skewers? How much does a string of them cost!!

However, nowadays Gao Tingyu has also become bold, after all, the money he earns now is his to decide.

This is the wages from the job that just started yesterday.

This time Gao Tingyu's wages are those of a second-rank forging worker~

Immediately, Gao Tingyu then said:

Mom, Taohua has been pregnant for several months and hasn't wanted to eat anything sour or sweet; what's wrong with having a bite once in a while!

Having said that, Gao Tingyu pulled Chen Taohua and walked away directly.

Gao Xushi wanted to say something more behind them, but couldn't get a word in.

Finally, Gao Xushi pursed her lips and went straight back inside.

After the two families left the alley, there just happened to be someone carrying candied hawthorn skewers to sell.

Lu Yuan bought his wife a string of hawthorn, and also a string of apple.

This stuff is really not cheap, one string for one mao.

Two strings of candied hawthorn skewers almost equal the price of a plate of meat at normal market rates.

Su Liyan, upon hearing the price, was a bit reluctant to buy, but before she could say anything, her man had already plucked one off and put it straight into her mouth.

Seeing her man so doting, Su Liyan's heart filled with sweetness, and she didn't say anything to spoil the mood.

She immediately blushed, opened her small mouth, and bit off a piece.

Beside them, Gao Tingyu also bought his wife a string.

Chen Taohua now also has a face full of happiness.

Since marrying in, Chen Taohua really hasn't eaten anything good these days.

Before, her husband was just an apprentice worker; only after the New Year this year was he promoted to second-rank worker.

Before, they had no money; now their life is finally considered good.

Especially…… her husband now also starts to protect her~

Just like earlier, this makes Chen Taohua feel very happy.

Their life really is getting better day by day.

Gu Qingwan stood quietly to the side, looking at the two families, the two couples, blinking her lovely eyes, not knowing what she was thinking about.

Gu Qingwan stood quietly to the side, watching these two families, these two couples, blinking her beautiful eyes, also not knowing what she was pondering.

This…… is really good……

"We want to go to the department store; are you going?"

Lu Yuan also held a string in his hand, looking at Gao Tingyu and Chen Taohua as he asked:

If we go, we'll go together; more people, more lively.

And before Gao Tingyu could say anything, Chen Taohua immediately shook her head, looked at Lu Yuan and smiled, saying:

"Brother Lu, we're not going."

"Our family's situation isn't comparable to Brother Lu's; the department store isn't somewhere our family can go."

Lu Yuan then nodded and said:

Lu Yuan then nodded and said:

All right, do you still want these candied haws?

Gao Tingyu and Chen Taohua didn't know what Lu Yuan meant, but Chen Taohua still immediately shook her head and said:

"No thanks, Brother Lu, one skewer is enough for me."

Lu Yuan immediately nodded, then took out three coins from his pocket and shoved them into the candied haws seller's hand, saying:

"Give me all the rest, and hand over that stack as well."

The candied haws seller was a bit dazed, but after coming to his senses, he hurriedly and excitedly shoved the stack from his own hands into Lu Yuan's hands.

Lu Yuan then looked into the distance and shouted:

"Su Changliang!!"

Su Changliang, who had been chatting with Gu Lie up ahead, immediately lifted his chin and raised his head, looking toward Lu Yuan and said:

"Hey, brother-in-law!"

Lu Yuan immediately raised an eyebrow and said:

"Come back, carry it."

Su Changliang immediately ran back, and Lu Yuan handed the stack to him to carry, then turned his head toward Gao Tingyu and Chen Taohua and said:

"We'll go ahead first."

Chen Taohua nodded, looking confused, and said:

"All right... Brother Lu."

Afterward, Lu Yuan led the group toward the department store, and, in passing, plucked a string from above and handed it to Gu Qingwan beside him.

Gao Tingyu got angry just looking at Lu Yuan's earlier demeanor.

He said through gritted teeth:

"Pfft, it's just a couple of stinking coins—what's there to be arrogant about!"

"Don't worry, wife, I'll take the third-rank forging worker exam this year; from then on I'll earn thirty-something coins a month, and then I'll buy you a stack too!!"

Chen Taohua didn't think Lu Yuan was wrong at all; Brother Lu is capable and wealthy—what's wrong with buying a bit more candied haws for his wife?

However, her own husband is also fine; because of this he's been working even harder, and even said he'd buy her a stack as well.

This made Chen Taohua feel sweet inside.

She linked arms with her husband and sweetly said:

"Brother, let's go buy some white flour; I'll go home tonight and make you some noodles."

Gao Tingyu blinked, really craving it—since the grain rationing started, he hadn't eaten a bite of white flour.

Gao Tingyu immediately took his wife's hand and laughed, saying:

"Let's go!"

……

At this moment, Lu Yuan, holding his wife's hand, suddenly thought of something.

You see……

If there were a little car here, how great would that be?

If I had a little car, wouldn't that be more comfortable?

Come Sunday, I could take some people out to play elsewhere.

Lu Yuan pondered a bit and felt it was kinda arrogant.

The biggest problem is the energy issue!

The Great Zhou Dynasty is actually quite similar to pre-modern China on Earth.

But there are also differences.

And the biggest difference among them is the energy source.

Earth has many kinds of energy.

For example, electrical energy.

For example, light energy.

Of course, the most common is petroleum.

Or coal and such.

But in the Great Zhou Dynasty, there aren't that many things; the only true energy source is one kind.

That is the spirit power core.

This thing can actually be considered a kind of ore.

Just like petroleum on Earth.

Here in the Great Zhou Dynasty, basically everything is developed with the spirit power core as the foundation.

For example, the drive of some large machines in the Forging Bureau is entirely powered by spirit power cores.

This thing is extremely precious, as far as the Great Zhou Dynasty is concerned.

There are only two spirit power mines.

All of the spirit power cores currently in the Great Zhou Dynasty come from these two spirit power mines.

Now these spirit power cores are all used in military and industrial applications.

They are all used for matters of utmost importance.

You say, if Lu Yuan were to rig a little car powered by a spirit power core,

that would be pure daydreaming.

Basically, don't even think about it.

Unless one day a large mine is suddenly discovered.

Spirit power core explosions are many.

But having said that.

This is a world of cultivation; it is not an ordinary world where the various dynasties exist.

If it were an ordinary world, having a super-large spirit power mountain range would be nothing.

The key is that this spirit power core thing is also useful for cultivators.

If we discover a super-large spirit power core mountain range.

Then the cultivators would come sniffing the scent.

The cultivators here are just like the American Federation on Earth.

You have a lot of oil, right?

Slap on a hat accusing you of hiding lethal weapons, then start grabbing the oil.

This thing is really quite uncomfortable.

These dynasties also want spirit power core mines, but they don't want them too big.

Lest they attract the covetousness of cultivators.

Although these cultivators certainly won't take it for nothing, they will also grant some benefits to the dynasties.

But no matter what.

Surely the dynasties will still be the ones losing out.

Of course, most importantly…

Where can we find a spirit power core mine?

This thing is like oil; it's usually found tens or hundreds of meters underground.

Anyway, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the only energy source is spirit power core.

As for coal and such.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, they aren't considered any kind of energy source.

Coal in the Great Zhou Dynasty is just used for heating in winter.

Hmm…

But… having said that…

Coal is actually an extremely important energy source.

It can generate electricity, it can do many things.

As for electricity… just don't even think about it.

That thing, Lu Yuan currently really doesn't know how to do it.

But this coal… can actually be used to make something else.

That is…

Steam engine.

This is the greatest invention in the First Industrial Revolution!

An epoch-making super invention!

Woo woo woo, the little train is coming~

Thanks to A Quan Lao Ge for the 1666 book coin tip, thank you very much~

Thanks to the nameless, faceless helmsman old brother for the 1666 book coin tip, thank you very much~

Thanks to book friend 202211 old brother and Road Lamp Again Bright, Ultimately Night Old Brother for the 100 book coin tip, thank you very much~

Second update incoming, little flying stick incoming~

(End of chapter)