Siheyuan: Happy Life of Jia Zhang Family

Zhang Dabiao is a person with strong execution ability. He came to the factory the next day after thinking of assembling fans. As a student majoring in mechatronics, he had worked as an electrician in society for several years and repaired home appliances for a period of time. For Zhang Dabiao, electric fans were a piece of cake.

But when he went to the factory to look for spare parts, Zhang Dabiao was confused. There was no motor. How could the electric fan rotate without a motor? Could anyone pull the rope to rotate it? The fan blades were no problem. The factory had machine tools and they could just press them out with a thin iron plate. The other parts, such as the base, fan frame, and shaft, were easy to deal with, but without a motor, they couldn't be made.

Zhang Dabao had no choice but to go to the department store again. However, the department store didn't have motors, and even if it did, they wouldn't sell them to individuals. Zhang Dabao was completely at a loss. He couldn't just take the fan out of the space and disassemble the motor. The gap between motors of later generations and current products is too great. If someone with ulterior motives saw it, there would be no way to explain it.

Since making an electric fan himself was not working, Zhang Dabao thought of making ice using saltpeter. Saltpeter can be purchased now and is sold in pharmacies. With this in mind, Zhang Dabao went to four or five pharmacies, bought a bag of saltpeter, and returned to No. 95 Yard.

With saltpeter, Zhang Dabiao prepared two basins, filled the large basin with water, and placed the small basin inside the large basin, making sure the water could cover the small basin. The saltpeter was ground into fine powder, and the ground saltpeter powder was slowly poured into the large basin, shaking it while pouring, until the water in the small basin began to freeze.

There were two basins of ice in the room, and I felt cool from the bottom of my heart. I didn't want to cook at noon, so I just had a bite and then took a rest.

After the nap, the two basins of ice in the room were almost melted, so Zhang Dabiao went out to make two more. As soon as he went out, he saw Jia Dongxu standing at the door, sticking out his tongue and sweating.

"Shut up, are you a dog?" Zhang Dabao couldn't help but scold Jia Dongxu when he saw his expression.

"Seventh Uncle, it's too hot. I can't stand it. What are you holding in your hand?" Jia Dongxu saw the two basins in Zhang Dabao's hands and walked over curiously.

"It's so cool." Jia Dongxu put both hands into the basin with a comfortable expression on his face.

"Don't be disgusting. Go and grind the saltpeter into fine powder. I tell you to make it and I'll make two basins for you." Zhang Dabao saw Jia Dongxu's disgusting expression and kicked him away.

"Seventh Uncle, can ice be made?" Jia Dongxu didn't believe it, because this was already in his blind spot of knowledge.

"Don't waste time, go quickly." Zhang Dabao didn't explain to him because it was too difficult to explain.

Lou Xiao'e next door was also feeling very hot. When she heard what Zhang Dabao and Jia Dongxu were going to say, she came out to watch the fun. Xiao Dang and Qin Jingru also came to the backyard.

Zhang Dabao collected the saltpeter that had just been used, and Jia Dongxu also ground some, and used two basins to make another basin of ice.

"There really is ice. Holy crap, holy crap, Uncle Seventh, are you a god?" Jia Dongxu now simply worships Zhang Dabao.

"Oh my god, this is knowledge, this is science. Your mother asked you to study, why don't you study hard? It's nothing." Zhang Dabao retorted to Jia Dongxu again.

"Where can I find such knowledge? I've never even heard of it," Jia Dongxu explained in a low voice.

"This is saltpeter. The principle of making ice from saltpeter is that saltpeter (potassium nitrate) absorbs a large amount of heat when it dissolves, causing the surrounding temperature to drop, thereby causing water to freeze into ice. This is chemistry, haven't you heard of it?" Zhang Dabao explained to Jia Dongxu.

"Painting, doesn't painting use brushes or pencils? Do you still use these things? When I was in school, the teacher never told me about this," Jia Dongxu answered firmly.

"Get out!" Zhang Dabao didn't want to talk to him anymore.

"Chemistry is a subject that teaches modern scientific knowledge. Dabiao, is this how ice is made from saltpeter?" Lou Xiao'e went to high school and is familiar with this knowledge.

"People in ancient times used saltpeter to make ice. Today I wanted to assemble an electric fan myself, but I didn't have a motor. What should I do when it's so hot? When I passed by a pharmacy, I thought of this method. This is my first time trying it. Sister-in-law, bring two basins and I'll make some for you too," Zhang Dabao said to Lou Xiao'e.

"Okay." Lou Xiao'e went home and brought two basins. Jia Dongxu also brought two basins. Qin Jingru also went back to the house and brought two basins. Then Jia Dongxu ground the saltpeter for an entire afternoon.

Now all the basins are filled with ice and placed in the house, and the feeling I have inside is different.

"Seventh Uncle, can ice be eaten?" Jia Dongxu had some free time and thought of another question.

"It's best not to eat it. Saltpeter will produce a substance during the melting process that can make people sick, and once you get this disease, it's hard to cure. Also, saltpeter will explode when it comes into contact with fire, so don't smoke," Zhang Dabao instructed Jia Dongxu.

It was hot now, and Bang Geng couldn't run any more. He was exhausted when he returned to the yard. When he entered the backyard of Jia's house, Bang Geng shuddered, "Dad, why is it so cool in the house?"

"Did you see what that is? It's ice. How can it not be cool if there is ice in the room?" Jia Dongxu said to his son.

"How much did you spend on it? What a waste?" This was Banggeng's first sentence.

He walked to the basin of ice and put his hand on the basin, "Dad, can I eat this ice?" This was Bang Geng's second sentence.

"You will die if you eat it, there is poison in the ice. Let me tell you, the ice is not bought, we make it ourselves. This is knowledge, don't you know?" Jia Dongxu rarely has the opportunity to educate his son, so of course he has to seize the opportunity to educate Bang Geng.

"What knowledge? Ice can be made? Doesn't it just freeze when the weather gets cold?" Bang Geng asked.

"You don't even know this. This is ice made from saltpeter. Ancient people knew how to make it. Grind the saltpeter into fine powder..." Jia Dongxu told his son the process of making ice.

"Dad, you are so awesome" Banggeng admired his father for the first time.

"So you have to study hard. This is chemical knowledge." Jia Dongxu is very proud now. This is the first time he feels his son's admiration for him.

"Dad, I will study hard. My seventh uncle said that if you don't study hard, you can't become a factory director. My current ideal is to become a factory director. You have been a first-class worker in the steel rolling mill for all these years. You have lost face for our family. I will earn back the face for the Jia family when I grow up," said Bang Geng.

"Get out!" Jia Dongxu was originally very happy, but at this moment his heart was ruthlessly hurt by his son, so he got angry again.

"Isn't what Banggeng said right? It should be you who should get out." Zhang Cuihua, who supported Banggeng, came in with Qin Huairu, Qin Jingru and Xiaodang.

"Dongxu, I've thought about it. There's ice in this room, so a few of us will sleep here. You go to the middle courtyard," said Zhang Cuihua.

"Mom, am I not afraid of the heat?" Jia Dongxu was speechless.

"You're a grown man, what are you afraid of if you get a little hot? Get out of here!" Zhang Cuihua raised her hand to hit him.

"I'll go ask my seventh uncle to do some more," said Jia Dongxu.

"Da Biao and Yu Shui have left, but there are two pots in the Zhuzi room," said Zhang Cuihua.

"I'm going to chat with my uncle-in-law," Jia Dongxu ran out happily again.