The mage in the late Qing Dynasty

The water support is just like a wetsuit, but more primitive.

The stall owner gestured and spoke in vernacular: Making shark skin for water support is an ancestral craft in our family, and no one else can learn from it. Just look at the folds, and everyone knows that they need to be done correctly, but when people swim, their arms and legs should follow the rules. In which direction? This is all very particular...

After listening to what he said, Zhao Chuanxian roughly understood.

The V-shaped folds on the shark's skin have to be pointed with the water.

As long as you follow the current, you can cut through the waves and be invincible underwater.

If you are diving normally, your arms and legs will definitely move.

When moving, how to follow the current will test the workmanship.

You need to force your arms to follow the water when stretching forward, and to block the water to the greatest extent when paddling backward to increase power.

The stall owner said: Young man, seeing as you are strong and strong, you must be good at getting into the water to touch eggs. Why don't you give it a try? I'll keep you in the water to save time and effort...

Diving for eggs is like diving for pearls.

There are some masters of free-hand diving in coastal areas. They can hold their breath and go to the bottom of the sea to find pearls from clams or other shellfish. It is quite difficult.

Zhao Chuanxin bared his teeth and smiled: No, I want both arms and legs to move backwards, can you do it?

The stall owner was confused: Young man, listen to me, you have to move in the water...

Just tell me if you can do it?

Zhao Chuanxin dives without swimming on his own.

Yes! The stall owner looked at him as if he were a fool.

It just doesn't highlight his skills.

Zhao Chuanxin asked again: How much is it?

The stall owner looked at his clothes and skin color, and stretched out five fingers.

Let’s see what’s on the plate!

Oh... Zhao Chuanxin said in a long tone: It's not bad, it only costs 5 cents, not bad.

... The stall owner's eyes widened: Five cents? It's not enough to make shark skin.

Zhao Chuanxin sneered and said: Just tell me how much it is. Don't show me your tricks. Do you want us to talk about it in detail?

The stall owner looked at it and seemed to be unable to hoodwink Zhao Chuanxin, so he smiled and said: Five yuan.

Silver dollar, or Portuguese dollar?

Last year, Portugal asked their Banco Atlântico to issue $1 and $5 banknotes for circulation on the island.

The stall owner hurriedly said: It's natural silver dollars, and silver can also be used.

Although it is said to be in circulation, the quantity is small after all, and real money is still reliable.

Zhao Chuanxin shook his head: You little old man, you are not very honest.

how do I say this?

Zhao Chuanxin pointed at the pedestrians coming and going on the market: The people who come here are all fishermen from nearby villages, right? Are they willing to pay 5 yuan to come to you to make shark skin water rafts?

This old guy is a thief.

Stall owner: ...

He stamped his feet and simply said: Then you bid.

Zhao Chuanxin picked up the sample on the ground and looked at it. It was purely handmade, with traces of isinglass, fine stitching, and exquisite tailoring. This kind of purely handmade object is actually very valuable to future generations.

He said: Five yuan is not impossible. But I want you to add something to it. It depends on whether you have the skills to earn this money.

The stall owner was stunned: What to add?

Zhao Chuanxin took out the leather from the war scar: I want to add this as the lining.

The stall owner took it curiously: Huh? It's not cowhide, nor sheepskin, it's such strong leather. I can try it with double-layer shark skin for you.

Zhao Chuanxin nodded: Okay, I also need to make a pair of sharkskin socks, which also need to be lined with leather.

The stall owner scratched his head: This old man has never heard of such a request in his life...

Zhao Chuanxin asked him: How long will it take you to do it well?

The stall owner thought about it and said, I can pick it up after noon tomorrow.

I'll give you money. If you want to take the money and run away, where can I find you?

The stall owner angrily pointed to a house not far from the market and said, We'll live there. You'll find out when I come home with you.

Zhao Chuanxin only paid some down payment and went to find the snot babies and buy them food.

There are all kinds of things to buy.

It was also agreed that after buying, they would share half of the food with each other.

Zhao Chuanxin didn't care about anything and only paid for it.

It was Xian Yuqing's turn, and she lingered in front of a deserted bookstall.

Zhao Chuanxin came over and asked, Girl, have you thought about what you want to eat?

Xian Yuqing hesitated for a moment: Uncle, can I have a book?

She looked a little embarrassed.

At her age, she is actually already sensible.

She knows very well that the price of books is much higher than that of snacks.

Zhao Chuanxin glanced at the bookstall: Which book do you want?

Xian Yuqing pointed to a Book of the Later Han: I want this one.

The bookstall owner, wearing a melon-skin hat and a pair of round tortoiseshell myopia glasses, shook his head and said: Dear girl, you must buy a complete set of ten volumes of this book, single copies will not be sold.

Xian Yuqing showed a disappointed expression and waved his hands in fright: Ah? Then no, no...

One book is very expensive. I don’t know how much the ten volumes will cost.

The book stall owner seemed to be a scholar, and his temperament was very different from the cunning old man selling shark skin water, and he seemed a bit old-fashioned.

He glanced at Zhao Chuanxin: It is virtue for a woman to have no talent!

Xian Yuqing bit his lip and said nothing, but there was a bit of stubbornness in his eyes.

Fart. Zhao Chuanxin spat: How much does ten volumes cost?

The bookstall owner blushed when he was scolded: It's so vulgar, I won't sell this book to you!

Zhao Chuanxin handed the coat in his hand to the snotty boy next to him, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt: Old boy, I advise you not to be disrespectful.

Zhao Chuanxin, who was wearing a coat, looked very thin, but with only his shirt left behind, his arms held up the sleeves of the shirt, and the muscles of his exposed forearms were all stretched.

The bookstall owner took one look and knew that this man was very strong. He swallowed his saliva involuntarily, but he still stiffened his neck and said, I won't sell it!

Xian Yuqing pulled Zhao Chuanxin's sleeve: Uncle, I don't want it anymore. Let's go.

Zhao Chuanxin broke away from her and rushed to the bookstall owner. He held his collar with one hand and lifted him up: Tell me, how much does ten volumes cost?

The surrounding vendors were stunned.

What kind of power is this?

Especially the little old man selling shark skin water bottles looked at it from a distance and shrank his neck in fear.

The bookstall owner gave up after all: 1 yuan and 40 cents foreign.

Scholars speak differently.

The foreign quotation should be placed first.

Zhao Chuanxin did not put him down and asked: Why is it so expensive?

A piece of ocean can keep up with the snack money of all the snot-nosed babies.

When it came to the professional field, the bookstall owner was kicking his legs in the air, but he was not convinced: This is tissue paper from Jiangxi, so it is naturally expensive.

A nerd like Zhao Chuanxin did not dare to deceive him, so he put him down, took out 1 yuan and 40 cents, threw it on the stall, and picked up the ten volumes of Book of the Later Han Dynasty.

This book still has rough edges and uneven coverings, and it is old. Zhao Chuanxin would definitely dislike it.

But since Xian Yuqing wanted to study, Zhao Chuanxin didn't care about it.

Xian Yuqing was stunned.

1 yuan and 40 cents, so expensive.

Zhao Chuanxin stuffed the book into Xian Yuqing's arms: Hold it, if you buy the book, the snacks will be gone.

Xian Yuqing stammered: Uncle, I don't want it, it's too expensive.

Zhao Chuanxin touched her head: Why is the battle flag so beautiful? The blood of heroes stained it red; why is spring always there? The life of intellectuals blooms. Read well, exercise, get up early, and be useful to society people.

Seeing Zhao Chuanxin holding a cigarette in his mouth and saying this without hesitation, Xian Yuqing was fascinated.

The scholar's eyes widened and he shouted: Well said!

Zhao Chuanxin looked at him sideways: Didn't you say that it is a virtue for a woman to have no talent? There are tens of millions of compatriots in China, half male and half female. There are very few readers, and only half of them are reading now. If the other half are also proficient, Astronomy and geography, if we can build ships and cannons like Westerners, can refine steel, and know how to invent trains and automobiles, will China still fall behind and be beaten? Will Portugal still dare to stay in Australia with peace of mind?

Zhao Chuanxin was holding a cigarette with disdain on his face, and the bookstall owner was speechless.

Xian Yuqing's eyes lit up.

The people around me were thoughtful.

A group of snot-nosed kids thought very lightly. Seeing that these ten volumes of books were so valuable, they suddenly felt that the snacks in their hands were a bit unpalatable.

One by one they shouted: Uncle, I also want a book...

Zhao Chuanxin asked them: Are you literate?

All shook their heads.

Only Xian Yuqing said: Uncle, my father taught me how to read. Next year I will go to a private school to study.

Zhao Chuanxin smiled: You brats, I don't care what method you use, as long as you can read, I will buy you books!

A group of children are easy to coax, and they suddenly start to smile happily, as if studying is easy and they can become rich overnight.

The bookstall owner no longer looked bitter and resentful just now. After hearing Zhao Chuanxin's words, he cupped his hands towards his back and said to the vendors on both sides: This person is willing to pay for other people's children to study. This is a big sign. Virtue...

The hawker spat: I don't care if I have money.

...

Zhao Chuanxin waved his hand: Let's go!

He brought a group of snot-nosed children to the little old man's house.

It's true as he said, you can tell at a glance.

There are still several pairs of sharkskin water cushions hanging on the wall of the little old man's house. Some of them have been very old, and the color has gradually become darker, and there are still traces of smoke.

There was an old lady at home who was at a loss when she saw a group of children.

Zhao Chuanxin paid the full price directly: You can't cut this leather, so just give it to me and I'll give you advice on how to do it.

When the old lady saw that Zhao Chuan had paid 5 yuan, she was so frightened that she quickly pulled the little old man aside: Are you afraid that you went out to deceive people again? What if you call someone to come to your door again?

Zhao Chuanxin, with his sharp ears, heard it and laughed: Don't worry, old lady, I won't settle the blame.

The little old man also said: This is a noble man. A true man means what he says. Don't be afraid.

Otherwise, the people are also smart. In a word, the old man who gave Zhao a salary will not be able to get off the stage even if he wants to regret it.

With the water support close to his body, Zhao Chuanxin took off his shirt and asked the little old man to measure him.

Seeing the tattoos all over Zhao Chuanxin's body, the little old man marveled: Such tattoos are rare in this world. I also have them, but they are not as dense as yours.

As he spoke, he opened his mind and rolled up his sleeves, revealing a pattern drawn by simple lines that was unclear whether it was a fish or a dragon.

At first glance, it looks like a child's scrawled simple drawing, but upon closer inspection, it is full of charm similar to ancient murals.

Zhao Chuanxin asked curiously: What do you mean by this?

The little old man closed his shirt and sighed and said: For several generations, our ancestors have all been wandering on the sea, and it was only in my generation that we came ashore. As a group of people, we have to tattoo fish and dragons before we can go into the water, otherwise the Dragon King will not bless us. , a strong wind will kill someone...

Dan people are easily discriminated against by the people on the shore, and it is not easy to integrate into life on land.

So when it comes to my identity, not only is there nothing to show off, but it's also a bit embarrassing.

In this era, ordinary people don't know how to get tattoos. The little old man thought that Zhao Chuanxin had some reasons for getting tattoos. He never guessed that Zhao Chuanxin endured this pain just to pretend to be a ghost and improve his status.

While talking and measuring, the little old man's hands moved very quickly, but his legs and feet seemed a little inconvenient.

It's not that I'm lame, but that my legs are severely bowed and my feet are extremely bent.

According to the little old man, this is because his ancestors have lived on boats or went into the water all year round. When living on board, most of the time you have to spread your legs to work, sit cross-legged, or sleep with your knees bent.

It has been passed down from generation to generation.

The Min people call this curved hoof.

Zhao Chuanxin took out a pen and paper: As you said, I'll draw it first, and then we'll cut the leather according to the shape...

Seeing Zhao Chuanxin about to paint, Xian Yuqing, who was holding a book, was very interested in it and hurriedly got behind him to watch...