Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 705: National affairs are going smoothly, but the family is in complete chaos.

It's not that the Han Chinese area is uninteresting; on the contrary, the population density there is ten or even twenty times that of the minority and other nationality areas. It's just that Xia Lin thinks it's uninteresting because she's seen too much of it already.

As we all know, when a person is full and has nothing to do, they will suddenly have a brilliant idea. If a knowledgeable and cultured person is full and has a salary, then he basically makes a living by having a brilliant idea. At this time, as long as there is a leader in each field, the industrial ecosystem will present a state of flourishing, which can be dazzling in a short period of time.

Xia Lin incorporated a large amount of basic science into the textbooks, so children's early education was no longer limited to the "Standards for Being a Good Student and Child" or the "Three Character Classic," but rather focused on why thunder and rain occur, and why there are winter and summer...

When this group of children grows up, with their terrifying curiosity and desire to explore, the speed at which they develop their technology will not only exceed the imagination of this era, but may even surpass Xia Lin's imagination.

It's no exaggeration to say that students in Jiangnan Province now look down on those scholars who rely on classical Chinese texts, and even despise the imperial examination system. They believe that the mysteries of heaven and earth are the driving force for the progress of all living beings, and that the energy contained in wind, fire, thunder, and lightning is enough to make people fight against heaven and earth.

Copper wire motors were far too simple for them. These children, whom Xia Lin had raised single-handedly, were now in their twenties and the backbone of society. They firmly believed in science and knowledge, and had carved out their own path in this chaotic world.

And the fact that they can roam freely in the ocean of science is actually thanks to Xia Lin, because over the years he has truly fought a bloody path for these children and for the orthodoxy of China. I dare not say anything else, but to a large extent he has broken a huge hole in the unbreakable monopoly of powerful clans.

What is that? That is the wall of sighs that has been the foundation of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. Countless people have tried to break through it but have all failed. Yet, Xia Lin managed to drill a hole in this seemingly insurmountable wall. Although the road ahead is still long, at least there is now an opening.

The separation of arts and sciences in the college entrance examination has decisively severed the monopoly of education and career advancement held by aristocratic families. This new model represents a new era, and this new era will naturally catch the old money family off guard. No rush, no rush. In a few years, a large number of ordinary people, or what they call the lower class, will taste the benefits here. Eventually, they will become a minority, and the tide of the times will surely crash down on them.

To get back to the point, the Hanmin District is actually filled with a large number of industrial and handicraft products, and there is nothing worth Xia Lin observing, but to people from other places, they are simply masterpieces, rare and exotic things they have never seen before.

It was as if the whole village was amazed when they first saw television in the 1980s.

However, when Xia Lin arrived in other countries, he felt more gratified, because he finally regained a bit of the feeling of being in the 7th century. Arab craftsmen demonstrated the forging of Damascus steel knives, competing with Tang Dynasty gold and silver craftsmen; Indian monks debated Buddhist scriptures with scholars from the Hongwen Academy in Chang'an; and Arab scholars demonstrated astrolabes and quadrants. And there were also magnificent wool carpets being slowly woven by the skillful hands of a group of women.

"coffee?"

Xia Lin pointed to a stall and asked a large food merchant in their language fluently. At that moment, he was holding a dumpling in his hand, which had a strong coffee aroma.

The merchant waved his hand: "No, no, no, this is Qahwa, it's for warriors going to war. Just one pill will keep you energized all day."

Xia Lin nodded: "It's coffee. Do you have any beans? Let me see."

The merchant picked up a bag containing processed coffee beans. Although it was only simply roasted, the products brought over for display were all carefully selected, so the taste was truly exceptional.

How much is it per pound?

The merchant took out a scale: "One tael of silver."

"It's a bit expensive." Xia Lin scratched his head: "Eight hundred coins, I'll buy five catties."

"Nine hundred."

"I bought it from the Persians!"

"Sell!"

Carrying five pounds of top-quality coffee beans, Xia Lin continued walking forward. Dugu Han, standing beside him, asked curiously, "Why did you waste so much time talking to someone over a mere tael of silver?"

"Brother, I'm unemployed now. I have no land or property, and I only have a little over sixty taels of savings. If I don't save, I won't make it to the end of the year."

Bean Sprout chuckled: "Really? If you just ask, I might reward you. Three to five thousand taels of silver, I'll give it away without batting an eye."

"Do you believe that if I ask you to hand over five taels of silver, you'll cry and wail?"

Dugu Han fell silent, while Xia Lin simply walked forward with his hands behind his back: "Money is the simplest and most useless thing to me. If I wanted money, all the wealth in the world would be in my hands within three years. But it's meaningless, you understand? I don't get involved with money to prevent you parasites from corrupting me. If you do it once, you'll do it again. If even I can't control my conscience, how can the people on my side fight against you?"

Dugu Han remained silent, fuming, but he had always been like this for so many years, so there was nothing Dugu Han could say.

Even Tang Bao'er, who was closer to him, didn't actually benefit much from his business; in fact, she could be said to have been dragged down by him. Otherwise, the Tang family would have become a rising power long ago, instead of remaining stuck at the level of a large trading company and unable to move up.

"By the way, didn't your Miss Tang tell you?"

"What did you say? I haven't seen her in a long time."

"She said she plans to put her business on hold for the next two years and focus on having a child. Her sisters from the same clan are now almost grandmothers, while she doesn't even have a child."

"This can't be rushed."

“You’re not in a hurry, but they’re very anxious. They’re already middle-aged, and if they had a child now, people would say it’s like an old clam holding a pearl, which sounds awful.” Bean Sprout said, sounding indignant, “You’re the one who’s wronged them.”

Xia Lin didn't speak, but just looked up at the sky.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares filled the air, and every now and then a unique aroma wafted over. However, Xia Lin was not in the mood for anything. After all, he felt he owed Tang Bao'er and the little princess a lot, as they had spent far fewer time together over the years.

"And all those women you had when you were young, I'm the one supporting them now, but you don't even give them a second glance."

"I know!" Xia Lin frowned. "You've seen it too, haven't I stopped for a single moment all these years?"

"Yes, we women are naturally incomparable to men like you. You prioritize the country and its people, but for women, it means a lifetime of scars. And yet you can't even criticize me. If you do, you're accused of not knowing what's important."

"Stop chanting, Master, I know I was wrong..."

As the two were talking, a commotion broke out ahead. Xia Lin went over to take a look and saw that the owner of a stall was grabbing someone and wouldn't let go of him. The person being grabbed was none other than Emperor Tuoba Jing of the Great Wei Dynasty...

"If it's not good, it's not good. Why should I pay for it? Is this how you do business? Let go! I told you to let go!"

The guards beside him had daggers in their hands and hidden in their sleeves. If the other party made even the slightest mistake, three stabs and six holes would be done in the blink of an eye.

"You have to pay for what you eat!" "When I first came here, you said I wouldn't pay if the food wasn't good!"

Xia Lin saw that the guy was blushing, and even the little bean sprout couldn't stand it anymore. She tugged at Xia Lin's sleeve: "Go and do something about it?"

“I’m sick, I’ll go upstairs.” Xia Lin grabbed her hand and took a few steps to the side: “He just owes me.”

"Then let's go!"

"Yes, let's go!"

The two hurriedly walked away for a while. The crowd was dense, and the noise soon faded away. However, the guards who had been stationed there eventually made their way through the crowd. Xia Lin was truly glad that she hadn't gone up to him to acknowledge him...

Not far ahead, they came to a platform where six Persian dancers were swaying their serpentine waists and singing seductive songs. Although it was a way to attract customers, it was incredibly passionate, considering that the women's clothing was considered revealing even a thousand years later.

How to describe it... You all know what sheer gauze and thin silk are, but there's no milk foam or lining inside. It's just that open and that's that hot.

Such a scene naturally attracted a crowd of onlookers, and Xia Lin immediately spotted Old Zhang standing at the very front of these lecherous men.

He clung to the railing, a greasy and sleazy smile on his face.

"No wonder you guys can travel all the way, always choosing the same places. There's an emperor who eats for free and a prime minister who's a womanizer. It's really great. Great Wei has it all in this lifetime."

"That's called appreciation, you know? Look at those dancers' legs, they're longer than your life."

"Then you can spend your whole life with them!"

"It's a deal, Sister Dayun."

Dugu Han shook off Xia Lin's hand and started walking forward, disappearing into the crowd after a few quick movements.

Xia Lin raised her hand and beckoned, and three minutes later, Dugu Han was brought back to Xia Lin's presence.

"Let me go! You're incredibly audacious! You even dare to arrest the Grand Duke!"

But the secret agents behind him just stood there expressionless, their eyes showing no fear of dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, or barons, only a desire to complete the mission.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Several secret agents nodded and silently disappeared into the crowd. Xia Lin stepped forward and put his arm around Dugu Han's shoulder, saying, "We're an old married couple, why are you arguing?"

"Ha, old married couple, old married couple, you used your scouts from the Investigation Bureau to bring me back? You've really gone above and beyond."

At this moment, the most abstract thing happened: news came from the nearby Beihan District that someone wanted to have a martial arts contest. Xia Lin went over to see what was going on and found that Li Shimin wanted to challenge the number one warrior of Beihan. The two were currently exchanging blows.

In this world, abstract people will always be abstract together. Xia Lin always knew that this genuine Emperor Taizong was a master of abstraction; even in official history, he was quite abstract—and that was a beautified version. But who knew that in real life he was even more abstract beyond measure…

How did this happen? Li Shimin brought his wife and son to visit. They were eating roasted lamb in a 1:1 replica of a grassland tent, and the "First Warrior" and his family were sitting next to them.

They were having a normal meal and chatting when the topic turned to who was the greatest warrior in the world. The person in question didn't even mention himself as the greatest warrior, but instead named Luo Shixin. Li Shimin immediately flew into a rage and rushed forward to challenge him to a duel.

He was eating lamb with his wife and kids, and he didn't even know this jerk. Who would put up with his grievances? The two of them started arguing right then and there. It wasn't a big deal in itself, but the key issue was that it involved international face. Neither of them was willing to back down, and things escalated out of control.

Upon hearing this news, Xia Lin put his hands on his hips and sighed, "Damn it, there isn't a single good person among them."

"Is that lamb leg really that delicious?"

"Hey! Your focus is different from others, no wonder you deserve to be rich."

In the end, the two chose to eat lamb leg over watching Li Shimin fight one-on-one.

I have to say, the lamb leg is really delicious. It's made from live lambs from the grasslands, roasted until crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, and served with a special grassland sauce. You can't stop eating it once you start.

The grassland people are generally hospitable. Outside, they were driving a challenge car and inside, they kept toasting the Han friends. If Xia Lin hadn't given up drinking, he might not have been able to wait for the lamb leg to be cooked and served. Three of the four tables of guests next to him were drunk and passed out, and the other table was also swaying.

Bean Sprout drank some, but the host didn't force-feed her because she was small. Even so, she couldn't take it anymore and felt dizzy. Just when they thought it was safe, the second round started...

Just as Xia Lin started sharing mutton with Douyazi and watching those stubborn men being forced to drink until they collapsed, cheers erupted outside. He grabbed a leg of lamb and ran out while eating. From afar, he saw the number one warrior of the grasslands thrown to the ground, while Li Shimin stood there as the victor, receiving cheers from the crowd.

"He's such a competitive man," Xia Lin shook her head. "He must be incredibly resentful to have lost to me."

On the first day, they hadn't even explored a tenth of the entire exhibition area, but they encountered so many abstract figures all at once that Xia Lin couldn't even imagine what would happen in the next few days when they had a blast.

However, Xia Lin couldn't continue playing around like this. Early the next morning, he took his real wife to the exhibition area of ​​another real wife.

Upon entering, one could see Tang Bao'er busy at work. As the head of the household, she couldn't possibly not personally participate in such a large event. However, upon seeing Xia Lin, she merely rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"Oh dear, you're doomed." The princess nudged Xia Lin: "Try to coax him, or you'll be in trouble."

"Teach me how to coax him."

"I don't know how. Why don't you ask the other girls around you?"

Xia Lin gasped, "Hiss~~ You didn't let me off the hook either."

(End of this chapter)