Chapter 159: Whaling (1)

April 27 of the first year of Qiande (963 AD)

In the morning, the brothers came to the dock and set sail on two warships that had sent out to sea for whaling.

Zhao Zizhong instructed thousands of times, An Dalang, Boris, and Du Dalei nodded frequently, thanking the boss for his concern.

Zhao Zizhong pulled Hu Yidao and more than a dozen other children, and told them a lot, telling them to be careful and safe, and not to act without authorization.

When he had finally finished, everyone quickly climbed aboard the ship without looking back. The sailors hoisted their sails and anchored, and the ship slowly left the dock and sailed out into the deep sea.

Zhao Zizhong was still standing on the dock, waving to everyone, and after a while, it turned into a small black dot.

Du Dalei said with emotion: "It's not easy to be the boss!" Although he is a mother-in-law, he is worried about us. This time, Lao Tzu will definitely be careful not to let the boss worry. ”

An Dalang said: "We should be careful, no one has ever caught a whale, I have never even seen it." ”

Boris nodded: "I saw it when I was on a sea boat, it was too big, and some whales were much longer than warships, so we must be careful and not reckless." ”

Du Dalei rolled his eyes and shouted loudly: "Hu Yidao, Tian Renfeng, Cheng Sangou, the three of you come here, Lao Tzu will clean you up." ”

The three boys all ran over and looked at Du Dalei curiously.

Du Dalei asked with a smile: "How is it, have you memorized the three-character scripture?" Lao Tzu wants to test you. ”

Hu Yidao said with a smile: "Uncle Du, we can even memorize a thousand-character text now, what is the three-character scripture." ”

Du Dalei was surprised, "Yo, it's not simple." So how are you doing with arithmetic? ”

Tian Renfeng replied, "Uncle Du, we are already learning the four mixed operations. ”

Several people were surprised, and Boris said, "You guys are good, who taught you the four mixed operations?" ”

"It's Teacher Fu, she learned from that gentleman."

Du Dalei said proudly: "How is it, the woman that Lao Tzu likes is smart, right?" She must have been the first girl to learn four arithmetic. ”

Cheng Sangou muttered in a low voice: "What are you proud of, it's not like you want to kneel on the washboard." ”

Boris and Antaro laughed, and several of the boys also covered their mouths and snickered.

Du Dalei looked at Cheng Sangou, and said with a smile: "Sangouzi, are you kid tight?" Do you want Lao Tzu to loosen it for you? ”

Cheng Sangou said nonchalantly: "Uncle Du, you don't have to scare me. If you have any means, you will try to greet them, and if I frown, I am not a hero. ”

Du Dalei nodded, "Good boy, ambitious, you are so tough, Lao Tzu is embarrassed to refuse you." So do it, a hundred push-ups, do it right away. ”

Cheng Sangou didn't say a word, immediately lay down on the deck, and began to do push-ups. The sailors and guards on the ship all looked at them curiously, wondering why Cheng Sangou was punished.

An Dalang shouted loudly: "What are you looking at, are you idle?" The guards were all at my behest to familiarize themselves with the process of firing the bed crossbow. Sailors don't sit idle, they all go and wipe the deck. ”

And they all wailed, and went their own way.

Hu Yidao and Tian Renfeng glanced at each other, and both of them lay on the deck and began to do push-ups.

The other dozen or so children looked at each other, and they all came over, lay on the deck, and followed suit.

Boris said: "These children are very united! Aren't we going a little too far? ”

"It's okay, it's just a physical exercise." Du Dalei thought about it and said.

After a while, the children were all done, and they all stood up and looked at the three brothers.

Du Dalei gathered them to the bow of the boat, and then asked, "Boys, I have a question for you. If anyone can answer correctly, I will reward him with consistent money. ”

A dozen children looked at each other, all eager to get the usual reward of money.

Du Dalei said loudly: "I ask you, now that we are standing at the bow of the ship, if a ship comes from afar, why do we first see the top of the mast, and then slowly see the sails." Finally, when I got closer, I saw the whole sea ship. Who can answer? ”

Boris laughed in his heart, and Du Dalei began to fool these children. An Dalang asked Boris puzzled: "Old Bao, what's so difficult about this, isn't it just a matter of distance and proximity?" ”

Boris whispered: "It's not that simple, you just watch slowly." ”

The children were all thinking seriously, and one of them raised his hand and said, "Mr. Du, I know that it is because the ship is far away from us, so I saw the mast first." When you get closer, you can see it all. ”

Du Dalei shook his head, "You're not right, who else knows?" ”

The children spoke, but none of them could give the right answer.

Cheng Sangou whispered: "He's not kidding us, is he?" How could something so simple be wrong? ”

Tian Renfeng said: "It's not that simple, I have some ideas, but I don't know how to describe it, there must be something wrong." ”

Seeing that the children were not convinced, Du Dalei asked two guards to go to the cabin and bring a large round clay pot.

This clay pot is about a meter tall and about a meter in diameter.

Du Dalei asked the guards to slowly put the clay pot down, and then took out two hard-boiled eggs, which Fu Hongyu stuffed for him in the morning.

Du Dalei winked at Boris and motioned for him to come and help.

Boris walked over, Du Dalei handed him an egg, and walked to the other side of the clay pot.

Boris understood his intentions and pressed the egg against the middle and upper part of the clay pot. Du Dalei placed the egg in the middle and upper part of the other side, and the two began to move the egg, so that the egg moved in the opposite direction along the curve of the clay pot, and eventually ended up at the top.

Seeing the children's confused looks, Du Dalei nodded to Boris, and the two repeated it again.

Du Dalei said as he did it: "What I have in my hand is our warship, and what Lao Bao is holding in my hand is a sea ship that is sailing towards us from afar. Have you guys figured it out? ”

Suddenly, Tian Renfeng shouted: "I understand! The sea is not flat, it is round! It's round! ”

The children didn't understand what Tian Renfeng meant, and Du Dalei said with relief: "Good boy, you are very smart." I'll give you the money right away. ”

Du Dalei took out a few banknotes from his pocket, picked out a denomination that was consistent, and put it in Tian Renfeng's hand.

The children all surrounded Tian Renfeng and asked him to explain what was going on.

Tian Renfeng said excitedly: "The sea surface must be round, so it makes sense, why do you see the mast first, and then you can see the whole sea ship." ”

Tian Renfeng snatched the eggs from Boris and Du Dalei's hands, walked to the clay pot, and explained to the children with both hands as Du Dalei and Boris did.

Tian Renfeng said for a long time before the children understood that the sea was round.

An Dalang also understood it and was shocked, this is too hard to believe! The surface of the sea turned out to be round! Is the earth round?

An Dalang expressed his doubts, and Du Dalei said with a smile: "Dalang, we live on a huge ball. ”

An Dalang was dumbfounded and turned his head to look at Boris.

Boris nodded and said, "He's right, we live on a big ball. ”

The children were stunned, and Tian Renfeng said happily: "I think the same way, we must be on top of a round ball." ”

An Dalang hurriedly said: "Are you lying to me and bullying Lao Tzu for reading less?" ”

Boris said solemnly: "It's definitely not a lie, think about it, why is the sun round?" Why is the moon round when it is full? ”

"The sun is round, the moon is changing, who knows why? Did you know? ”

"Dalang, the sun is a huge ball of fire, but it's too far away from us. If you want to reach the sun, it will take thousands of years to ride the fastest horse. ”

An Dalang didn't believe it, "How do you know?" Is it so hard that you are all immortals? That's! ”

Du Dalei said: "We are not immortals, the distance from the sun to us is calculated. ”

Tian Renfeng asked curiously, "Calculated?" Can I learn? ”

"Yes, I'll teach you later."

"Why don't you teach us now?"

"Your arithmetic skills are not good, and you can't learn it now."

An Dalang hurriedly said: "Don't interrupt, I haven't understood yet." Even if the sun is a sphere, why does the moon change? ”

Du Dalei asked the guards to fetch a clay pot with a large head, and put it on the deck, he pointed to the big clay pot and said, "This is the sun." ”

Then he pointed to the small clay pot, "This is the earth we live on." ”

Du Dalei took the egg, kept circling next to the small clay pot, and then said: "This egg is the moon, do you understand?" ”

An Dalang and the children shook their heads one after another, and Tian Renfeng said, "Uncle Du, I think the earth should revolve around the sun?" ”

Boris touched Tian Renfeng's head with satisfaction, "You kid is smart, the earth revolves around the sun." ”

An Dalang and the children said that they did not understand, and Du Dalei and Boris tried their best to give them popular science education.

After talking for a long time, I finally made An Dalang and some children understand that the earth is round and revolves around the sun. The moon is also round and revolves around the earth. Then he explained why the shape of the moon changes.

After speaking all morning, Du Dalei and Boris were exhausted and convinced. An Dalang and many children surrounded the two of them reluctantly, asking questions constantly.

Du Dalei shouted loudly: "You all stop for a while, and I'll tell you after eating!" Who's that, why are you kid pulling my pants? Lao Tzu doesn't do it, get out of here! I'm going to eat right away, and I'll tell you about it after eating. ”

The children all ran away, and An Dalang surrounded the two people, constantly turning in circles, looking the two people up and down. It can be seen that Du Dalei and Boris have straight hair.