bookbashuk Chapter 44 Submission Test
Chapter 44 Submission Test
The grandfather and grandson immediately got to work. Li Qingge was responsible for optimizing the agricultural data, rewriting it all with a brush in neat traditional Chinese characters on durable, antique-style Xuan paper, and adding numerous simplified diagrams: cross-sectional views of different compost pits, improved ventilation structures for cellars, and even comparative diagrams of the plant morphology of several high-yield varieties (such as Champa rice and drought-resistant millet). They also prepared some books such as the Complete Treatise on Agricultural Administration and the Essential Techniques for the Common People, and packed all the materials into a waterproof and moisture-proof transparent file bag.
Li Minghua personally went to the kitchen and selected two types of rice: a small bag of top-grade Wuchang rice weighing about two pounds, with long, translucent grains; and another small bag of high-quality pearl rice weighing about one pound, round and white. He packed them separately into vacuum-sealed food-grade bags to compress the volume as much as possible and prevent moisture absorption. After thinking for a moment, he asked Li Qingge to find some high-energy compressed biscuits and individually packaged protein bars. These were small, high in calories, and had a long shelf life, which might be more useful in a disaster.
"Let's test this two pounds first." Li Qingge carefully placed the lighter bag of pearl rice and the bag of compressed food, along with the document bag, into Xiao Qingyi's backpack. The backpack suddenly became much heavier, but it was clearly a bit difficult for a three-and-a-half-year-old child to carry.
"It's not necessarily a schoolbag." Li Minghua's eyes deepened. He walked up to Xiao Qingyi and affectionately patted her head. "Yiyi, where did you put the cotton candy you brought to Sister Sizi last time?"
Xiao Qingyi tilted her head and thought for a moment, then gestured with her fingers: "I... I just held it in my hand! Then I thought of Sister Sizi and went over there!" In her simple understanding, as long as she "thought she would take it over there," it seemed that it could go over with her.
As for where she puts it, it doesn't matter. Sometimes she holds it in her hand, sometimes she puts it in her pocket, and sometimes she just places it on the mat she's playing on.
Li Qingge and her grandfather exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and realization in each other's eyes. Could it be that Yiyi's "carrying" wasn't dependent on a physical container, but rather related to some kind of "intention" or "energy field" within her? Could anything she "thought" about taking with her during her time travel, regardless of whether she directly touched it or loaded it, potentially travel with her?
If this speculation is true, then it is of great significance! It means that they might be able to try to let her carry supplies that are much larger and heavier than a small backpack!
However, this conjecture needs to be verified, and we must be extremely cautious and never jeopardize Yiyi's safety.
"Yiyi," Li Qingge squatted down and asked in a relaxed tone, "If your brother wants you to bring some... um, some heavy, tasty rice for your brother the Crown Prince, I'll pack it in a bag for you. You can hold the bag and think about going there as usual. Do you think that's okay? Will you feel tired or uncomfortable?"
Xiao Qingyi blinked, seemingly not quite understanding what "heavy" meant, but she was very confident in her ability to "carry things over": "Sure! Yiyi can carry them! If Crown Prince needs them, Yiyi will carry them!" She clenched her little fist.
"Alright, let's try a little bit first," Li Minghua decided. He had Li Qingge fetch the smallest resealable plastic bag, filled it with only about half a pound of high-quality pearl rice, sealed it, and handed it to Xiao Qingyi. "Yiyi, take this, and think about your Crown Prince brother, and think about bringing the rice to him. If you feel anything strange or uncomfortable, stop immediately and tell Grandpa and your brother, okay?"
"Okay!" Xiao Qingyi took the light little bag and squeezed it curiously.
The grandfather and granddaughter stepped back a few paces, watching intently. Little Qingyi closed her eyes, her face slightly tense with focus, silently murmuring, "Crown Prince Brother... Mimi..."
A few seconds later, her figure began to blur and fade... The small sealed bag in her hand also became transparent and illusory, and finally disappeared into the air at the same time!
"It's a success!" Li Qingge exclaimed softly, but then looked nervously at her grandfather, "Yiyi seems to be fine, the process went smoothly."
Li Minghua nodded, but his eyes remained cautious: "Half a jin is too light to indicate the upper limit. But at least it proves that the items can travel with her without a backpack, which matches our guess. Next, we need to gradually increase the weight test, but each increase must be very small, and we must closely observe Yiyi's condition."
They then used the same method to test Xiao Qingyi "carrying" a pound of rice, a small bag of compressed biscuits, and the agricultural data (in a lightweight folder). The process went smoothly. Apart from focusing for a second or two longer when carrying the pound of rice, Xiao Qingyi showed no other abnormal behavior. Her condition after the time travel was also very stable. When she returned, she even said with a smile, "Brother Crown Prince will be happy to get the rice."
When the test revealed approximately two kilograms of rice plus other miscellaneous items (the total weight was estimated to be close to three kilograms), Xiao Qingyi slightly frowned before disappearing, and the process of vanishing seemed to be a tiny, almost imperceptible, delay compared to before.
"Stop!" Li Minghua immediately halted the next round of testing. "That's enough. A little over two jin is probably the safest upper limit for now, or close to the edge of her current comfort zone. We can't add any more." The old man's face was serious.
"We must never put Yiyi at any risk just to deliver more things. Her safety and health must always be our top priority."
Li Qingge completely agreed. He lovingly picked up his younger sister, who had just returned and seemed a little tired but mostly excited about completing her task: "Yiyi, you were great! You were a huge help! Are you tired?"
"Not tired!" Xiao Qingyi shook her head, but leaned her little head on her brother's shoulder dependently. This subtle action revealed a trace of her exhaustion.
"That concludes today's testing," Li Minghua concluded. "We now know that Yiyi can reliably carry about two kilograms of supplies across the trek. This isn't much, but it's sufficient for transporting key items—such as high-quality grains, essential medicines, and important information. More importantly, we've confirmed that this method is feasible and relatively safe."
The grandfather and grandson began planning their first formal and significant "aid delivery".
"This first delivery is of great significance, and we must consider both practicality and symbolism." Li Minghua pondered, "Since Crown Prince Chengqian's most urgent need is for grain, we will send grain. Select two types: a small bag of top-grade japonica rice, about one and a half pounds, to let him see the quality of grain in the future; and two types of high-yield, drought-resistant seeds, one small packet of each, along with the most concise planting instructions. Include them with that agricultural information."
"And a letter," Li Qingge added, "a detailed reply. Besides explaining the items, more importantly... Grandpa, could we start subtly conveying some 'support' in the letter, little by little?"
Li Minghua looked at his grandson, his gaze understanding: "You mean to talk about securing the crown prince's position?"
"Hmm." Li Qingge nodded, lowering her voice. "We can't change history, but we can try to influence the process. Li Chengqian's later loss of the throne was due to complex reasons. What we can do now is to give him some different 'information' and support through this special link. For example, in the reply, besides talking about agriculture, could we subtly mention some principles of governance from later historical records? Emphasize the importance of 'the people's hearts are the foundation,' 'the assistance of virtuous ministers,' and 'maintaining integrity'? Or even... remind him to pay attention to the inclinations of certain people around him at an appropriate time in the future? Of course, it must be extremely subtle, in the tone of sharing one's observations."
Li Minghua paced slowly, pondering for a long time: "We can try, but we must proceed with extreme caution. Our influence on him now should be like spring rain, a silent, pervasive influence, not a violent storm. The primary task is to establish solid trust and effective communication channels. This reply should focus on discussing practical solutions to the food shortage, demonstrating our sincerity and capability. As for other matters… we might as well plant a seed first, for example, at the end of the letter, in the tone of 'the foolish opinion of future generations,' adding a seemingly ordinary remark or two, touching on the point and stopping there. Let's see how he reacts."
The grandfather and grandson carefully considered every word in their reply, ensuring it conformed to the etiquette of ancient correspondence while also conveying a deeper meaning. They meticulously packed the carefully selected supplies (rice and seeds) together with thick agricultural textbooks and the meticulously crafted reply.
This time, they didn't have Yiyi deliver it immediately. The supplies needed more secure packaging, and Yiyi needed rest. More importantly, they needed to set up a "receiving mechanism."
"We can't let Yiyi suddenly appear with a large amount of supplies. It would be best to have a relatively fixed and safe handover method and location," Li Qingge thought.
"Perhaps... we could agree on a simple signal, or take advantage of the times when Yiyi appears relatively frequently," Li Minghua said. "These things need to be discussed with Crown Prince Chengqian in the reply. After all, his situation is more complicated, and he needs to take the lead in ensuring a safe reception."
The plan proceeded cautiously, step by step. Xiao Qingyi gradually fell asleep under her brother's soothing touch, unconsciously clutching a grain of glistening rice that Li Qingge had given her to play with.