jdhmnovel Chapter 1264
Chapter 1264
Upon suddenly hearing Zhu Biao's voice, Wei Wu turned around and saw that Zhu Biao had already sat down beside him.
So Wei Wu immediately spoke up:
"Big brother, you know my abilities. I just got another great thing, and it's the kind that can keep producing!"
"Oh!"
Upon hearing Wei Wu's reply, Zhu Biao immediately showed interest, as he knew Wei Wu very well.
Knowing that Wei Wu would never speak carelessly about such matters, if Wei Wu said it was a good thing, then it must be extremely useful.
And since it's something that can be continuously produced, that's even more important. So Zhu Biao immediately pressed for an answer:
"Even you're so happy, what is it?"
"It's a rubber tree!"
Zhu Biao was stunned. He understood the three words "rubber tree" individually, but when put together, he knew what "tree" meant.
After regaining his composure and pondering for a moment, Zhu Biao asked again:
"Xiao Wu, although I don't know what rubber is, since you said it's a tree, it must be a kind of plant!"
"That's right!"
Wei Wu nodded, and before Zhu Biao could ask any further questions, he began to explain:
"The rubber tree is a plant that produces rubber, which was introduced to China about 500 years later in normal history."
"My brother has also seen the world map I showed him. This plant is native to South America, which is incredibly far away!"
Zhu Biao knew that the Earth was round, and combined with Wei Wu's map, he could instantly understand how far away South America was.
Simply put, it's on the other side of this giant sphere beneath our feet, a place that was almost unreachable for the Ming Dynasty in the past.
Even for the Ming Dynasty, which now possesses steamships, reaching that place by boat is not an easy task.
Thinking of this, Zhu Biao couldn't help but shake his head, putting the distance issue out of his mind and looking at Wei Wu again.
"Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and now rubber trees, why are all these good things in that place called America?"
Some people might find it strange that Zhu Biao can name potatoes, which is normal, but why can he also name sweet potatoes and corn?
In fact, Zhu Biao not only knew how to describe it, but he had also seen and tasted it himself, because Wei Wu had brought out all of these things.
When Wei Wu first received the corn and sweet potatoes, he handed them over to the emperor and even taught them how to grow them.
These two crops are now being produced, but because the quantity is insufficient, they are being cultivated on an expanded scale within the imperial estate.
In another year or two, the imperial court will introduce these two crops and promote their cultivation among the people.
As for the question Zhu Biao asked, Wei Wu remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking:
"Brother, I don't know how to answer this question either. If I had to explain it, I could only say it's the result of the natural development of the world."
"But that's not important. What the Americas have, our Great Ming Dynasty has now too! And it's even better than what the Americas have."
Wei Wu's statement was not entirely unfounded, after all, what he obtained had been scientifically selected and cultivated in later generations.
Not only did it produce more varieties than the current South American varieties, but it also matured without requiring much meticulous care.
On the other hand, Zhu Biao wasn't really concerned; he was just curious why there were so many good things in South America.
So after Wei Wu finished speaking, he immediately brought the topic back to rubber trees.
"Xiao Wu, you said rubber trees can produce rubber, but what exactly is rubber and what is it used for?"
"Rubber!"
Wei Wu responded casually, then pondered for a moment before continuing:
"Brother, just think of it as pine resin, because rubber and pine resin are both liquids that seep out from the trunk of a tree."
"Once a rubber tree grows up, if you scrape off its bark, it will exude a milky white sap."