Chapter 121: Measuring Height, With Prizes

After Wang Erlang returned home, he pulled the ox cart to the front of the shed. Wang San hurried over to help unload the grain—a total of six bags: three of beans and three of wheat.

Once finished, Erlang led the ox to the shed opposite, carried the basket of manure from the cart to the outside of the outhouse, and dumped it into the pit.

Inside the shed, Wang San opened the grain bags, grabbed a handful of beans and wheat, and chewed them to assess their quality. With a sullen face, he stepped out and asked, "Second Brother, why is this all last year’s grain? Didn't I tell you that buying second-rate, old grain for the tenant farmers would suffice?"

"I tasted it at the grain shop. The second-rate stuff is inedible."

"How is it inedible?" Wang San sighed heavily. "We aren't mixing chaff into it. If the grain shop can sell it, the tenants can eat it!"

"Fine. Tomorrow, you go to Weiting and ask Father for money, then go buy the second-rate grain yourself to eat."

"Second Brother? What are you saying? The tenants all eat old grain—you’re asking me to eat second-rate old grain?"

Wang Erlang, now annoyed, kicked over a woodpile, startling the chickens and sending them fluttering in their coop. Despite his handsome features, his expression darkened, transforming him entirely. "Whatever grain I eat, our tenants eat! Wang San, mark my words: if you dare to mistreat them behind my back, I will beat you to death first, and then pay for your life with my own! Bah! Get out of my sight!"

The bond between the brothers felt as though it had reached an end, much like the passing of the first month of the year.

By the second month, the grass on Ancient Tomb Mountain began to turn green. Within the lush, verdant screens, the workers were busier than ever. The excavation of the Qin tomb was complete, and all the artifacts were to be transported to the Directorate for Palace Buildings in the capital.

"Why? Why must all the fine artifacts go to the Directorate for Palace Buildings?" Jiang Tongmen, the youngest of the eleven official students, pouted as he looked at Wang Ge.

Bian Zi stood perfectly straight against the tall, vertical wooden board behind her. She agreed, "That makes sense."

Wang Ge replied, "It does make sense, but it’s no use telling me. Don't move."

Starting from the soles of Bian Zi's feet, she used a stone to mark lines on the board behind her, measuring in inch-intervals until she reached the top of her head, where the remaining space was less than an inch. "Measured. Bian Tongmen is forty-three inches tall."

"My turn." Sima Nandi stood with her back to the board.

Wang Ge remarked, "Tsk, stop standing on your tiptoes."

Sima Nandi instantly shrank by two inches. Jiang Tongmen laughed until he doubled over.

Bian Zi went over to Wang Ge’s tent to draw a prize. Xie Ju sat behind the desk like a little old man; on the desk sat an urn filled with wooden slips. All the students knew the rules of the draw, so he simply watched without speaking.

Bian Zi playfully rummaged through the urn and, as if by intuition, pulled out a small wooden slip. "There’s writing! There’s writing on it! Three-One?"

Xie Ju’s eyes widened. "Three-One? Bian Tongmen, you’ve won the top prize!"

"Really! Is it better than 'Wei Wu’s Strategy'?"

Wang Ge heard their innocent, joyful cheers and felt happy herself. To advance her own skills, she had come up with a clever plan: measure people's heights in inch-intervals, and after the measurement, they could draw a wooden slip from a nearby urn. Most were blank, but any with writing meant a prize.

Jiang Tongmen rushed over. Sima Nandi was anxious, constantly glancing toward the tent. As soon as Wang Ge said, "Done," she scurried over on her short legs.

In the corner of Wang Ge’s tent were three stacks of boxes, each currently consisting of only two layers. Xie Ju took the bottom box from the right-hand stack and placed it on the desk. He didn't know what was inside until it was opened. During this time, Wang Ge had shamelessly begged for many beeswax candles, clearly staying up late to craft items. Xie Ju didn't mind the cost of the candles; he only felt for Wang Ge’s grueling schedule. At the same time, he admired her perseverance even more. He vowed to learn from her and not become complacent just because he was naturally clever.

Sima Nandi rushed over, staring at the box, forgetting she could even draw a prize.

It opened.

Inside were four items: a wooden ox, horse, pig, and sheep. Each was assembled from several wooden boards. While one could tell what they were, they were—frankly—not delicate or particularly pretty.

Wang Ge walked over, took the wooden ox, and grabbed a smooth wooden board. She propped one end of the board on a piece of wood to create a slope of about fifteen degrees.

She placed the wooden ox at the top and let go.

"Ah..."

A chorus of joyful cheers erupted, nearly overturning the tent.

*Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack...* The wooden ox clumsily descended the slope. The two horizontal wooden boards forming the ox's legs no longer looked ugly to the little ones! Since the ox could walk down the slope on its own, who cared if it had two legs or four?

"Why?" Xie Ju put the wooden ox back at the top after it stopped at the bottom.

*Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack...*

"Ah... it’s moving again! Is this the kind of wooden ox that the Marquis of Wu cleverly crafted?"

"Why? Sister Ge, is it really a wooden ox that can transport grain?"

"Figure it out yourselves." Wang Ge lightly pinched Xie Ju’s ram-horn buns; she had combed his hair that morning. *Sigh, I miss Hu-tou, I miss him so much it hurts.* She stopped paying attention to them, letting them remain in their excitement and confusion. Returning the boxes to their place, she went back to the height-measuring board.

In truth, this wooden ox utilized the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy, combined with balance, to allow a wooden object to "walk" down a certain slope. It had nothing to do with the mechanical wooden oxen invented by Zhuge Liang.

As no one was currently waiting, Wang Ge used her handmade long wooden ruler to check if the markings were precise. There were marks at the bottom of the board on both sides, so no matter who came or which side they stood on, the markings always started from the same point. A horizontal check with the ruler would reveal if the two sides aligned.

If the ruler tilted when placed horizontally, it meant at least one side was wrong. For instance, right now, there was an error in the inch-intervals on the right side.

Whether right or wrong, the marked segments had to be shaved off, or they would interfere with her practice or future markings. Currently, only her fellow students came to her, but if more people came later, she would need to wedge in more long wooden boards.

As Wang Ge finished scraping one side, she turned to see Xie Ju and the others standing outside the tent. Master Zuo had arrived at some point and was squatting on the ground, "studying" the wooden ox.

"Master," she said, quickly approaching.

"Ho ho ho..." Master Zuo released the wooden ox repeatedly, his unique laughter startling away a hunting hawk. "Oh my, Student Wang, how can one obtain this object?"

Wang Ge said shyly, "First, measure your height, then draw..."

Master Zuo raised his left hand and scratched his head with his bamboo ruler as if it were itchy.

"Master can draw a prize first," she quickly corrected herself.

"Ho ho ho... The child is teachable."

Sima Nandi interjected, "But we have all..."

Master Zuo made a "hiss" sound and scratched his neck with the bamboo ruler again.

Bian Zi took over, "But we have all drawn quite a few already. What if there are no prizes left in the urn... *cough!*"

She winked at Wang Ge, suggesting she just give one to the Master.

"Bian Tongmen is right. Master, please choose one. There are also wooden horses, lucky pigs, and auspicious sheep." Wang Ge opened the box.

Master Zuo closed the box, held it in his arms, and said, "Ah, so that’s it. Xie Ju asked to borrow a box from me the day before yesterday—it turns out it was for you. I need it too, so it’s perfect that you’re returning it today."

Wang Ge and the children exchanged glances, all sighing in unison, their heads drooping and shoulders slumping.

"Are we still measuring height?"

Hearing a call, Wang Ge immediately perked up. "Yes."

The inquirer was Meng Tong, a student from Qinghe Village. As the first customer outside of her own peer group, Wang Ge smiled brightly. Meng Tong had an ordinary appearance, but when he smiled back, it was clear he was a very gentle person.

He was tall, and just as Wang Ge was about to run out of reach while marking, she went to move a stone she had prepared nearby.

"Let me." Meng Tong wouldn't let the young lady struggle. Just as he moved the stone, Sima Nandi recognized him and asked, "Senior Brother, do you know what one plus one equals... now?"