Chapter 698: Chinese New Year

This idea of ​​the Chu businessmen quickly got the approval of most people, and they also prepared some funds for this project. This kind of behavior of the merchants of Chu State virtually enabled Shang Wen's original plan to be carried out.

If it attacked by land, the Qin State would need to develop eastward and annex the entire Chu State, and then move to the south. If such a strategy is implemented, it will be quite difficult. First of all, the State of Qin must shift its strategic goals. Then it is to concentrate all of Qin's national strength to integrate resources to expand eastward. Expansion is not just military expansion. There are also a series of military and diplomatic adjustments. The magnitude of this adjustment is quite large.

Especially in terms of diplomacy, Qin must shift its focus and first annex South Korea, so that the two countries of Wei can further border on going abroad. Not only that, diplomacy must appease Zhao and send a certain amount of troops to protect Qin from expanding eastward. The harassment of its flank, Zhao Guo, can then go south with all its strength. Such a road requires a considerable amount of money. Moreover, it will take one to two years to refurbish after occupying the Chu country before it can go south with all its strength. Quite a waste of time.

Moreover, the roads in the south are steep and densely covered with jungles, which has brought considerable inconvenience to military operations, and the pressure of road transportation supplies is quite large. In fact, history is also true. The continuous use of troops by the Qin State to the north and south emptied the entire Qin Empire's overall strength. This strength led to the emptiness of the entire Guanzhong, and this emptiness was disastrous. So that in the end, Qin did not have a decent main force to resist the attack of the insurgents.

What Shangwen has to do now is to avoid such a situation. Qin has only one main direction, and other directions can be secondary, but there must be one main direction. This is necessary for rational development.

No one is particularly concerned about the actions of Chu merchants. Because this requires historical merits before it can be told. It still takes time to see it.

In Qin, people are busy celebrating the New Year. Time flies very fast, especially as Qin's New Year atmosphere is getting stronger and stronger.

The first is to paste couplets. Shangwen was the first to practice the custom of sticking Spring Festival couplets, especially the development of paper manufacturing and printing industry. It’s worth mentioning that Qin’s progress in chemical dyes has allowed Qin to produce paper of various colors, and red paper is naturally not lacking.

When the people of Qin people celebrate the New Year, they will post couplets to express their joy. Especially red, that kind of festive atmosphere. Every shop, big family, and ordinary people will put red paper on their door.

However, the Qin couplet at this time did not have the meaning of writing words, because Shangwen did not write the words when he posted the couplets, so when the Qin people imitated them, naturally they did not put the words on the couplets.

Although it is red paper, it is posted by every household, and it is naturally red in the city. In addition to sticking couplets. And eat dumplings. Steamed rice cakes. Dumplings are called "shuibao" in Qin. Baohebao is a homophonic, so it is also called "shuibao." The name dumplings has not yet been called.

Dumplings are sourced from the abundant flour in Guanzhong, Hetao, and regions of Qin State. Pasta has become the staple food of Qin people's three meals a day. There are many ways to eat dumplings. For example, Koreans invented the steaming method. People in Zhao Kingdom, especially in the north, invented fried dumplings. The Chu people obviously have a great talent for cooking.

The original Korean food stalls began to be replaced by Chu foods of some Chu people. The people of Chu invented fried dumplings. In particular, they developed another kind of noodles, steamed buns. This kind of larger dumplings began to become the earliest steamed buns and sold to the Qin people as soon as they became popular.

In addition to dumplings, there is also rice cakes. Qin people do not eat rice very frequently. Although the output of rice is not as large as that of wheat. This shows that the Northern Central Plains is still the center of Chinese civilization. But in terms of how to eat rice, Chu people most want to find the best way to eat it.

The people of Chu processed and steamed glutinous rice to make pastries and sold them to the people of Qin. The people of Qin cherished them because they did not have these foods. Especially the pastries made of glutinous rice were crystal clear and very beautiful. Therefore, people of Qin often bought them. Come to worship their ancestors, so during the New Year, the people of Qin bought this kind of glutinous rice cake specifically to worship their ancestors. At the time of sale, people began to call this kind of glutinous rice cake rice cake, which means that it is a cake specially used for the Chinese New Year.

In addition to these, Qin also has other foods, such as oil cakes and sesame cakes. The wealthy people also buy wine or red wine to make sacrifices. This kind of sacrifice is already quite abundant. You know, Qin has just taken the Western Regions, and the grape technology of the Western Regions is still in Qin's agricultural laboratory. The amount of wine consumed is quite small.

In addition to wine and red wine, there is also white wine. However, the degree of white wine has begun to become diversified, ranging from 20 degrees to 72 degrees, and high-level wines are suitable for Zhao people. The Qin people’s wine making technology was also developed in the southern state of Chu. The Chu people invented another wine making technology, which is to use koji to make wine. However, this type of koji wine has not been widely promoted. And the people of Qin are only interested in this fragrant wine. Especially the army, the army provides low-alcohol liquor, because they have to keep a clear mind to fight.

The people of Qin had the habit of drinking before the war. But there is no guarantee that the soldiers are drunk. For this reason, the alcohol level provided by Qin Jun cannot exceed 25 degrees. In addition, the amount of drinking must be strictly controlled. Drinking is to make soldiers brave and maintain a state of pre-war excitement.

But there is no such requirement in the rear. People can drink a lot of alcohol. The emergence of alcohol means the emergence of a large amount of surplus grain in Qin State.

In addition to these, the Qin people are richer in meat. Qin people have the north, and the west serves as their meat base to supply Qin's meat needs. Beef has replaced pork, and dog meat has become an important meat variety in Qin. The law also revised the relevant regulations for the slaughter of beef cattle because of new labor input in the fields, such as the use of slaves and tractors.

In addition, there is a huge demand for meat during the New Year in Qin. This is due to the improvement of Qin's refrigerator technology. This improvement comes from an invention by Shang Wen. The use of liquid ammonia as a refrigerant is an important reason for the appearance of refrigerators, but liquid ammonia is very corrosive, and this corrosiveness will cause the refrigerator to explode. Therefore, this makes Qin’s refrigerator sales and popularization suffer a lot. Big loss. Scientists are looking for a way to completely solve this kind of refrigerator. But they mainly focused on the re-selection of materials.

Shangwen borrowed an invention from Einstein. This invention was once used in the He Nuclear Power Plant. This technology is an electromagnetic pump. To use electromagnetic phenomena to drive the liquid to flow, as long as the liquid metal is added to the liquid, such as liquid sodium and so on. In this way, the time bomb problem is solved very well.

However, sales of this type of refrigerator are still not very large. The main reason is that the sound of the electromagnetic pump will become buzzing over time. Qin people also call him "buzzing refrigerator." People will put him in the basement, or a special freezer, or a large-scale or a meat shop. Large households also treat this kind of refrigerator with special noise treatment, because the sound of this kind of refrigerator is really too noisy.

When I have to say. The advent of this refrigerator solves the problem of meat storage. the most important is. People found a safe refrigerator. But this also brings another bad phenomenon. That is, the Qin State reserves a large amount of meat for sacrifice during the New Year. And people cannot consume so much meat in a short period of time. The result is. Meat was wasted for nothing.

Apart from food is clothing. Qin people almost always buy a set of clothes for the New Year. Wearing new clothes has become the standard for the New Year. The big family will not buy it. Instead, it adopts a customized approach. And the styles of Qin people began to absorb some exotic styles to show their uniqueness. For example, the sharp-angled shape of Western Region boots. The round neck design of the clothes and so on.

In addition to these are some large-scale outdoor activities. Sports events have become the focus of people. Motor racing is far more interesting to race horses. The most important thing is that the car is fast. And it takes a long time to run. The sound of the engine is enough to make people feel excited.

In addition to the car race, there are bicycles, horse racing, running, pistol design races, rifle shooting races, flying races and more. These entertainment activities enriched the lives of Qin people. However, these games are less interesting. Women are not very concerned about this. They think this is a man's business.

Women are more concerned about color. For example, beautiful lights. In Qin State. There are many types of lanterns. Chu people made Chu lanterns out of paper. This kind of lamp uses candles. The light is relatively weak. But it seems soft. This Chu woman is generally pretty. And this kind of lamp is very beautiful when it floats in the Wei water.

South Korea uses another kind of lamp. This kind of lamp is wrapped into an ellipse with red yarn. Candles can be used. Light bulbs can also be used. Because this kind of lamp is used in the Han Palace. So it is also called palace lantern. This kind of lamp is specially provided for Qin State's display. These all come with strong handmade products.

Qin State uses a lot of new technologies. This technology is neon light. Because it can change different colors. and so. Mainly used in commercial night markets. This kind of light makes Qin's commercial district look like a red light district. Full of ecstasy. But this kind of lamp is unique to Qin State.

Except for the lights. It's fireworks. But for fireworks. There is a voice of criticism in Qin. Qin State is a country of martial arts. Especially after the advent of gunpowder weapons. Qin's gunpowder supply has always been used for military purposes. But the use of smokeless gunpowder allows black powder to be used for commercial purposes. But even so. Qin still opposed it. They think that the charge of a firework bomb is enough to make a grenade. Instead of wasting it in vain. It's better to make weapons.