Chapter 86: The Two Fools
Discover the story in "The Great Ming in the Box" Chapter 84: Li Daoxuan took the modified version of the solar car and sat down in front... Continue exploring!
Li Daoxuan took the modified version of the solar car and sat down in front of the scenic box.It was still early in the morning, and the little people in the box had just gotten up.
By now, Li Daoxuan didnât need to bring his phone in to play the âSeventh Set of Radio Calisthenicsâ anymore, because the children had memorized the whole set of movements and were reciting it together aloud: âSection one, stretching exercise⌠1, 2, 3, 4âŚâ
Just as the children started their morning exercises, the labor offenders had finished breakfast and began working.
After several days of labor by these labor offenders, many rooms in the village had wooden doors and windows.
The doors were properly built, but the windows werenât covered with window paper, because Gaojia Village still lacked the ability to make paper, so the windows had only frames.
Li Daoxuan searched around the village for a while before finding Gao Yiye. Today, she wasnât wearing that dignified-looking white robe; instead, she wore ordinary cotton clothes. Smiling at anyone she saw, she said, âLook, I spun and sewed this cotton outfit myself. Isnât it nice? My tailoring is almost as good as Gao San Niangâs.â
The crowd shook their heads, half-amused and half-aghast. âSaint Lady, you doing this⌠what about the DeityâŚâ
Gao Yiye pouted her small mouth and said, âThe Deity personally gave a decree allowing me to do this.â
The crowd: ââŚâ
Li Daoxuan was in a good mood and called out softly, âYiye, Yiye!â
Gao Yiye suddenly looked up. âAh, Deity, you are here. What is your command?â
As soon as she spoke, the villagers beside immediately stood with hands at their sides, gazing devoutly at the sky.
Li Daoxuan said, âI have a vehicle here that requires two brave, tough, durable, and fearless people to drive it.â
Once he said this, the choices were beyond doubt.
The crowd shouted loudly together, âGao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu! The Deity summons you both to meet him.â
The two fools hurriedly set down their tasks and rushed over eagerly to Gao Yiyeâs side, looking up and asking, âWhat does the Deity want us to do?â
Li Daoxuan said, âLeave the village and stand on the flat ground outside.â
Everyone quickly obeyed, rushing to the open space outside the village. Thirty-Two also joined in to see the excitement, along with many male and female villagers. Except for the children at school, the whole population of Gaojia Village was present. Even the labor offenders on the hillside couldnât resist stopping their work and turning to look from afar.
Only then did Li Daoxuan slowly lower the solar car from his hand.
The villagers looked up and saw a strange thing descending from the sky. Just by the sight of its four wheels, they could guess it was a vehicle, but it was too bizarreâcompletely different in shape from a carriage, with an odd cloth canopy on top.
And it was huge, about 6 meters long, nearly 5 meters wide, and 3 meters high.
Li Daoxuan asked gravely, âGao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu, have either of you ever driven a vehicle before?â
Both shook their heads.
âThen youâve held a plow before?â
Both nodded.
âThatâs enough then. At the very least, you should have some basic concept of turning left and right.â
Li Daoxuan pointed at the thing in front of the solar car that resembled the handlebar of a walk-behind tractor and said, âThink of that thing as a plow. Turning left and right, can you understand how it works?â
Gao Chuwu grinned broadly. âI understood just by looking, haha. Iâm so clever.â
The crowd drew a sharp breath of cold air: They seemed to doubt the sincerity of his words.
Li Daoxuan said, âGood. Youâll be in charge of steering soon. Zheng Daniu, do you see that strange cloth on the vehicle?â
Zheng Daniu: âI see it!â
Li Daoxuan: âLater, when you pull open this sunshade, the car will move forward. Pulling it back makes the car stop.â
Zheng Daniu: âOpen to move, close to stop. I get it, hahaha! Guess Iâm no idiot either.â
The crowd collectively drew a sharp breath: Do you honestly think that makes you clever?
Li Daoxuan: âAlright, get aboard. You two work together and try making this car run.â
Under everyoneâs gaze, the two clumsy companions climbed onto the solar car.
The vehicle itself stood ten feet high (translating to 1.5cm in real life, equivalent to Great Mingâs 3 meters). Clambering up from the tire rim was strenuous for the pair; someone with poorer physical coordination genuinely couldnât have scaled such a height.
Li Daoxuan thought silently: Seems I overlooked this. Need to add a ladder for easy access. Cai Xinzi will probably assume Iâve been eating hallucinogenic mushrooms again.
No sooner had they climbed aboard, Gao Chuwu, who was supposed to steer, hadnât even reached his position when Zheng Daniu approached the sunshade. Grinning broadly, he reached out and yanked it open completely.
The solar panels kicked into full power.
The car instantly sprang to life, rumbling loudly as it surged forward.
Though it crawled at a mere ten-plus centimeters per second at full solar power in the real world, scaled up 200 times in the late Ming era, it soared close to 100 kilometers per hour.
Completely unprepared, Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu were hurled off their feet by the extreme acceleration. Ordinary reflexes stood no chance. Both inepts tumbled simultaneously as the car shot straight toward the âcolorful wallâ built by the labor offenders.
âWah! So fast, so fast!â Zheng Daniu roared. âChuwu, steer! Steer quick, weâre gonna crash!â
Gao Chuwu, clinging to the car, didnât dare move: âWah, I canât get up! I canât get over there now! You pull the sunshade shut!â
Zheng Daniu was also flattened against the car: âI fell down! Canât get up! Canât close the sunshade now!â
Gao Chuwu: âWaaah! Weâre gonna hit!â
Zheng Daniu: âAaaaah! Weâre gonna die!â
The villagers all covered their ears.
Just as the solar car was about to crash onto the Lego bricks, Li Daoxuan reached in, plucked the car up, lifting all four wheels off the ground.
The vehicle hovered suspended in mid-air, its wheels still spinning crazily.
Finally, Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu could scramble to their feet.
They first thanked the Deity for saving them. Then, Zheng Daniu pulled the sunshade shut, and the wheels stopped spinning.
Gao Chuwu glared wide-eyed: âDaniu, you idiot! You only open the sunshade after Iâve reached the steering plow!â
Zheng Daniu: âHow was I supposed to know youâd be so slow, you oaf?â
Gao Chuwu: âAnyway, youâre the idiot!â
Zheng Daniu: âYouâre the idiot!â
âEnough, stop squabbling.â
Li Daoxuan set the car gently back on the ground: âZheng Daniu, when you pull the sunshade open, do it slowly. Donât yank it completely open in one go. Open it gradually for a slow acceleration; that way you can keep control. This car is ruled by light. More light makes it run faster. No light makes it stop. Understand?â
Zheng Daniu nodded: âI understand.â
âGood. Try again.â
Li Daoxuan withdrew his hand.
Gao Chuwu gripped the âsteering plowâ firmly with both hands. Zheng Daniu slowly, gradually, pulled the sunshade open just a littleâŚ
The car rumbled to life once more, this time accelerating to a controlled speed of roughly 60 kilometers per hour.
Gao Chuwu burst out laughing: âWatch me turn left!â
He wrenched the steering plow violently to the left. It was far too abrupt. The tiny car screeched into a spectacular rollover. Both simpletons wailed: âAaaaah! Weâre gonna die!â
Nearby spectators swiftly covered their eyes.
Li Daoxuan had no choice but to reach in again, supporting the tumbling car with a hand. He couldnât help but chuckle and scold aloud: âUtter fools!â
Gao Yiye: âDecree of the Deity: Utter fools!â
The entire village shouted in unison: âUtter fools!â
Then they burst into simultaneous laughter.