I Can Meet with Dead Scientists

Chapter 448 - 223 "About This Struggling Author Pulling an All-Nighter to Write 15,000 Words and Therefore Not Wanting to Choose a Title"_7

But as the saying goes.

Misfortunes never come singly.

At this time, a great famine erupted within the country, with approximately 15% of the population starving to death.

To develop the economy, the Scottish government decided to take a gamble:

They planned to establish a colony in Central America to facilitate trade with Asia.

However, given that the national treasury was already empty, the Scottish government eventually decided to fund the project through public fundraising.

Thus, members of parliament, local gentry, and thousands of wealthy citizens, including captains, doctors, and pharmacists, eagerly invested their life savings into the colonial plan.

Then tragedy struck:

Before the second colonial fleet arrived in Panama in 1699, the "New Edinburgh" established by Scotland had already been destroyed by the Spanish, and all the funds ultimately ended up in Spanish pockets.

Truly, a bearer of wealth giving.

This portion of the funds amounted to about 25%~50% of all circulating wealth in Scotland at the time, leading to Scotland’s collapse.

Under such circumstances.

Scotland could only seek political union in exchange for economic assistance and England’s promise to relax trade restrictions.

So in 1707.

The joint act was passed.

The Scottish Parliament was dissolved, and the two countries formally merged into a single "Kingdom of Great Britain."

Of course.

Not all Scots approved of this outcome, so even in the future era Xu Yun traveled to, there are still significant voices for Scottish independence.

And at this point in time.....

It is precisely one of the critical stages:

In 36 years, the Scottish Self-governance Association will be established.

Although this wave of independence movement ultimately ended in failure, recent tensions between England and Scotland have been palpable.

There were not few skirmishes at the border, even leading to armed conflicts involving hundreds of people.

However, considering the sensitivity, both sides only used hand-to-hand combat or cold weapons, and no one dared to use firearms.

Against this backdrop.

Mendisolo Village built high walls last year, using means far above the usual fences for self-protection.

A few minutes later.

Everyone arrived at a clearing outside.

As soon as they got here, Thomson and Xu Yun frowned simultaneously:

At this time, a table was set up in the clearing, surrounded by more than a dozen excited men, shouting and playing primitive gambling games.

The surrounding air was filled with a strange scent of sweat and alcohol.

The arrival of Thomson and his group caught some people’s attention, but they only glanced at Thomson’s group before continuing their gambling.

Evar seemed accustomed to this scene, as he walked up to a tall and thin man and pulled him out of the crowd.

"Hey! Slow down!"

After steadying himself, the tall and thin man shook his clothes that Evar had wrinkled, and complained:

"Old Man Elva, what are you doing? I was just about to place a bet!"

"Betting, betting, all you know is betting!"

Evar slapped the man on the head with authority and pointed to Thomson:

"Sterling, aren’t you going to greet the guests who have come?"

The tall, thin man Sterling was stunned when he heard this, then immediately realized something.

Quickly looking at Thomson, he cautiously asked:

"Are you saying....."

Evar snorted coldly, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and said:

"These gentlemen are guests passing through from Edinburgh. Their horse carriage’s main axle broke, and I remember you have a few newly made three-inch axles, right?"

Sterling’s eyes widened at the news, and by the end, his eyes almost gleamed:

"Yes, I have them; however many you need!"

Students who have studied geography should know.

The United Kingdom grows winter wheat, which is a crop sown in autumn and grows through winter.

At this time, the season is at the transition between autumn and winter, so the farmers have finished their farm work, and most of the forest animals are beginning to prepare for hibernation.

Precisely because of this.

These idle farmers and hunters came here to gamble.

Hence, as a carpenter, Sterling hadn’t had much business for days and could only try his luck at the gambling tables.

After all, the peak season for selling farm tools is during spring and summer, as are hunting traps.

That’s why, upon learning that Thomson needed a horse carriage axle, his expression was so excited.

The horse carriage axle might seem like just a piece of wood, but calibrating it requires some skill and can be rather challenging.

Especially in Thomson’s case, where long-distance travel is involved, the axles’ requirements are even higher.

Thus, the price is naturally not low. (doi10.15967/j.cnki.cn14-1312/g4.2008.06.006, this is a reference for the cost of a single-axle carriage)

Generally speaking.

The cost of the axle for a two-wheeled carriage accounts for about 25%-35% of the entire carriage cost, approximately equivalent to the carriage house + the shafts.

This price in 19th-century England was roughly equivalent to the income from selling fifteen farm tools. (Referenced from the agricultural economic classification in the 04 edition of "World Modern History," F329/K27, calling an acquaintance at the Science Institute at 5 a.m. for help, OvO)

And just as Sterling was leading Thomson to his home while bowing and scraping.

At the bustling gambling table not far away.

A burly man with a face full of scars glanced at them nonchalantly, then put on an angry expression:

"WTF, this crappy luck, unfair, start over! All three rounds must start over!"

Seeing this, the other hunters nearby couldn’t help but laugh and say:

"Kurz, you’re drunk, hurry up and get off the table and let me on!"

The burly man named Kurz, under the persuasion of the crowd, left the gambling table without any sign of being unusual, then walked to the corner, where the drunken look on his face vanished instantly.