Chapter 527: Chapter 525 Watching
Du Dazhong saw that Miss Ye agreed and was imdiately overjoyed. He signaled a fellow companion with a wink, and the two hastily hung the willow basket on the hook of the Chain Inversion Device.
Du Dazhong was even quicker to grab hold of the chain, asking Wong Qiao, “Manager Wong, do we need to start hoisting?”
Wong Qiao took another look around the base and legs of the gantry fra and, gesturing for those nearby to step back, nodded in agreent.
Shi Yin had not been involved in the creation of the Chain Inversion Device. Since the components for this creation had been made separately by many people at the sa ti, without any completed device for him to study, Shi Yin was unaware of the construction and working principle of the Chain Inversion Device.
At this mont, seeing the iron-clad device suspended high on the fra about to undergo a lifting trial, Shi Yin felt extrely expectant, wondering if the craftsn tucked away in such an obscure corner could indeed create an apparatus that would astonish the world.
He in fact did not expect the device to genuinely hoist a weight of a thousand jin. As long as it could smoothly lift this basket full of iron blanks, these youngsters would be quite impressive. Especially for Miss Ye and Wong Qiao – he would really have to view them with newfound respect.
The hoisting process with the Chain Inversion Device was much like the previous trials with the wooden core model. Du Dazhong began by briskly pulling on the chain, and as soon as he felt resistance, he slowed down the pace, his movents becoming careful and tentative.
As the willow basket began to budge, everyone held their breath, their eyes flickering restlessly back and forth between the iron chain in Du Dazhong’s hand and the willow basket.
And Du Dazhong was all the more cautious. He knew that the basket of blanks, weighing a hefty two hundred jin, had been filled by him – a not insignificant mass, difficult for two people to lift together. He was ticulously pulling on the chain, ensuring a steady, even pull.
Then the basket shifted again, slightly levitating, until it was completely off the ground. Du Dazhong paused and looked towards Wong Qiao.
Shi Yin also looked at Wong Qiao. Indeed, the basket was heavy, and yet it had truly been lifted. Moreover, as an accomplished craftsman, he keenly noted that although Du Dazhong had stopped pulling, the basket wasn’t falling.
Wong Qiao signaled with a gesture for Du Dazhong to continue. Afterward, the basket rose inch by inch and, when it reached the height of a person, Wong Qiao called a halt, “Alright, lower it down.”
Only after the basket was entirely back on the ground and the hoisting chain completely slackened did the craftsn burst into cries of approval.
Among the cheers of the crowd, Shi Yin, who had been sitting on a stool, now stood up and walked towards Wong Qiao, “I want to give it a try.”
Seeing Shi Yin wanting to try again, Wong Qiao looked at Ye Xinyan, as the craftsn’s applause and buzzing discussions quieted down. Although Shi Yin hadn’t been in Clear Water Village for a long ti, his skills were solid. He was able to outdo a group of them on his own, so these people didn’t join the clamor but watched from their places instead.
Ye Xinyan nodded, “Try it one more ti.”
Shi Yin mimicked Du Dazhong’s actions pulling the iron chain. When the chain in his hand stopped moving so easily, Shi Yin paused in confusion. Had it already begun to take weight? It rely took this tiny amount of effort to hoist the basket?
Then he watched in amazent as the willow basket was hoisted bit by bit with his seemingly feeble pulling.
Looking at the willow basket steadfastly suspended mid-air, and noting that even with the chain released, the basket of iron did not fall the slightest bit, Shi Yin’s eyes widened as he looked again to Wong Qiao, then to Ye Xinyan, Zhou Biyao, and the surrounding crowd. These few youngsters, together with a group of ordinary craftsn, could create such a device?
The ordinary craftsn, who were gazed upon with such astonishnt and disbelief by the great craftsman capable of outperforming them all, could not help but feel an intense sense of exhilaration.
Forget outperforming us, but we aren’t to be taken lightly either, capable of creating sothing as astounding as this!
`…
Clear Water Village sent soone to the Qingyuan County governnt office to inform Magistrate Sir that the Chain Inversion Device was ready and they were only waiting for him to test its effectiveness. Jiang Yifan didn’t even consider whether there were still official duties to be done at the office and told the ssenger directly that he would co over to observe first thing in the morning.
Fortunately, Ye Xinyan and Wong Qiao knew that Magistrate Sir was particularly concerned about the progress of this matter, so they arranged for the preparations for the Chain Inversion Device trial to be completed that very afternoon.
That evening after dinner, Zhou Biyao described the process of the initial test of the Chain Inversion Device to Madam Yin in an exaggerated fashion, “Madam, you didn’t see it, but a basket of iron that was tough for two or three craftsn to lift by force was easily hoisted by the Chain Inversion Device. Uncle Shi, brought in by His Highness Prince Yu, is a master craftsman who is admired by all in the chanical Workshop. They were so amazed they almost popped their eyes out.”
“Really?” Madam Yin chuckled in response. This was a creation coming from her daughter’s workshop—it was her pride.
Ye Xinyan took advantage of the break in conversation to pick so shredded bamboo shoots for Zhou Biyao and said, “Hurry up and eat. You are becoming more and more unruly. If you continue like this, once you return ho, your parents will bla us. I won’t say anything though, I do not have much of a reputation to worry about, but even my mother gets dragged into this because of you.”
“How could that be? I am now much more capable. If my parents knew how accomplished I am now, they would certainly be overjoyed. Right, Madam?” Zhou Biyao wasn’t the least bit discouraged by Ye Xinyan’s words.
Ye Xinyan just curled her lip; just the other day, Zhou Biyao complained that everyone here was better than her and was feeling down. Now she was showing off again.
Madam Yin agreed with Zhou Biyao, “Indeed, Biyao is a capable child. If she had been born a boy, she could have taken the civil service exam, and with her talents, work in the court’s Ministry of Works. She definitely would have earned great accomplishnts for the Zhou family.”
“Exactly.” Zhou Biyao leaned towards Madam Yin, looking satisfied with herself, and said to Ye Xinyan, “See, the wife of the heir apparent knows best.” Then she turned to ask Madam Yin, “Madam, do you want to see the Chain Inversion Device lift the heavy load tomorrow?”
Madam Yin nodded quickly, “Yes, we had said before that when you have created this device, I must witness it to see how a load of a thousand pounds is lifted.”
Ye Xinyan said with a smile, “To avoid having the villagers crowd around, we always do the trials in the workshop. You should think it over, Mother. It’s already the beginning of June, a swelteringly hot ti, and the craftsn all wear but thin clothes. Could you stay in the sa room with all those craftsn, just to watch the operation of a device?”
Madam Yin hesitated for a mont, and then reprimanded looking at Ye Xinyan and Zhou Biyao, “You two young girls can work outside, and if I don’t go to have a look myself, what would be the problem with that?”
After saying this, Madam Yin rembered that Jiang Yifan would also co over tomorrow and couldn’t help but worry. Her daughter was always in the public eye; how would she manage in the future?
She discussed with Ye Xinyan, “Ah Yan, since you and Biyao have already seen the Chain Inversion Device in operation, perhaps you two should not go tomorrow. I will go and co back to tell you about it.”
“How could we not?” Zhou Biyao exclaid imdiately, “I played a part in creating such a miraculous device, I’ve done quite a bit of work on it. I want to go and watch.”
Ye Xinyan laughed, “You should, since you just blatantly flattered my mother.”
Zhou Biyao beca exasperated, “Don’t forget, Madam also doesn’t want you to go and watch.”
“Then I won’t go,” Ye Xinyan stated rather smugly. As long as Wong Qiao took care of the safety asures, it didn’t matter to her whether she went or not.
She had seen heavy objects lifted before. She had witnessed equipnt and supplies weighing dozens of tons being hoisted into the air, dozens of ters high. The Chain Inversion Device in operation? She was not eager to see that.
Zhou Biyao instantly petrified.`
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