BDSMST -Chapter 154 The Little Inventor: Aiming for the Stars and the Sea

Outside, the moonlight had faded without her noticing, and the sky was beginning to brighten with the pale glow of dawn. When Jiang Suisui awoke, she found herself still cradled in Gu Yan’s arms. His strong, solid arms held her securely, his chin resting atop her head, his breathing steady and even. The argument and disagreements from the previous night had dissolved into that final, gentle embrace, leaving only the quiet and reassurance of the present moment.

She carefully shifted, trying to rise without disturbing him, but Gu Yan tightened his hold. His eyes remained closed, and he let out a lazy hum through his throat.

“Lie down a little longer,” he said, his voice hoarse from sleep yet carrying an unmistakable firmness.

Jiang Suisui obediently settled back against his warm chest. She listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, each thump solid and reassuring. She knew that from this day forward, she would no longer be fighting alone. The grand blueprint she had drawn now had the most steadfast pillar supporting it.

“Gu Yan,” she said, tilting her head to look at his sharp jawline, “have you really… thought this through? Building a naval fleet will consume enormous manpower and resources. If this gets reported to the court, it could draw a lot of criticism.”

Gu Yan finally opened his eyes. In the soft morning light, her face was clearly reflected in his gaze. “I’ve thought it through. The output of Woniu Village is already enough to attract attention. That chest of gems you kept… word will get out eventually. Instead of passively waiting for trouble to come, it’s better to take initiative and hold the power in our own hands.” He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “Besides, I promised you. Whatever you want to do, I’ll help clear the way.”

His words were calm, yet carried immense weight. Warmth surged in Jiang Suisui’s heart. She said nothing further, simply burying her face in his chest and nodding firmly.

They lingered in that closeness for a while longer before rising to wash and dress. At breakfast, Bai Yutang appeared, sporting two large dark circles under his eyes but radiating an unusual excitement. He clearly hadn’t slept all night, clutching a thick stack of papers covered in dense writing and sketches.

“Suisui! Gu Yan! I thought all night! We can’t wait! Shipbuilding must be put on the agenda immediately!” He spread the papers across the dining table and pointed to one of the sketches. “I asked the best shipbuilders in Jinling. This is the largest ‘Fortune Ship’ they can make. But I still feel it’s not fast enough, not sturdy enough. The waves on that new route Leo mentioned will definitely be stronger, and I’m worried these ships can’t handle it.”

Before he finished speaking, the door curtain to the study was lifted. Gu Xuan and Bai Ling’er poked their heads in, holding their own scroll of drawings—larger than Bai Yutang’s.

“Uncle Bai, your drawing won’t work,” Gu Xuan said bluntly, his mischievous small face serious as he pointed at the table. “The hull is too wide; the underwater resistance is too high. It won’t go fast. And look at the keel structure here—it will easily snap in strong waves.”

Bai Yutang froze for a moment, glancing down at the expensive plans he had commissioned, then at Gu Xuan’s earnest expression, both exasperated and amused. “You little brat, do you even know what a keel is?”

“Of course I do!” Gu Xuan exclaimed. He unfurled his and Ling’er’s plans with a dramatic whoosh across the floor. The drawings were highly detailed schematics of a ship’s hull, with various complex structures and measurements marked in different colors. “Last night, Ling’er and I asked Old Shipwright Zhou in the estate for guidance. He said that for a sea vessel to cut through waves, the bow cannot be flat—it has to be pointed, like this.”

He pointed to a V-shaped cross-section of the ship’s bow on the drawing. “This shape splits the waves. And the sails—using only rigid sails won’t do. We can add triangular soft sails alongside the main sail. These can rotate, better catch side winds, making the ship faster and more maneuverable.”

Beside him, Bai Ling’er added, “I also calculated that if we adjust the hull’s length-to-width ratio to about 4:1 and combine it with the new sail design, theoretically, the sailing speed could increase by at least thirty percent compared to current Fortune Ships. Also, we’ve designed multiple independent watertight compartments at the bottom of the hull. Even if one or two leak from hitting a reef, the ship won’t sink immediately.”

One child spoke, and the other supplemented, their teamwork seamless. Their explanations ranged from fluid mechanics to structural engineering to material applications—terms that Bai Yutang and Gu Yan had never even heard of. Yet the image they painted of this new type of seafaring vessel became vivid in everyone’s minds.

Bai Yutang stood with his mouth agape, staring at these two children who hadn’t even reached the height of the table, unable to utter a word. Compared to this exquisitely detailed drawing, the sketches he had stayed up all night making seemed like childish doodles.

Jiang Suisui walked over, squatting to examine the drawing. She was also surprised. Gu Xuan’s artistic talent combined with Bai Ling’er’s logic and calculation skills created a remarkable synergy. The ship’s design far exceeded the knowledge of their time.

“Xuan’er, Ling’er, how did you come up with all this?” she asked gently.

“We saw it in a book Brother Leo gave us!” Gu Xuan eagerly pulled out a leather-bound manuscript from his chest—a gift from Leo containing diagrams of navigation and machinery in the Frank Kingdom. “It showed a type of small ship with a pointed bow. Ling’er and I thought we could combine their bow design with our hull. And the watertight compartments? Grandpa Zhou mentioned them. He said there used to be small riverboats with bamboo partitions in the hull so they wouldn’t sink easily. We thought, maybe big ships could do the same.”

Ah, that explained it. Jiang Suisui understood. The children weren’t inventing out of thin air—they observed, absorbed, and boldly integrated knowledge from different sources to create something new. That was the most valuable kind of learning.

Gu Yan also stepped closer, studying the clearly marked “watertight compartments” on the schematic. A look of admiration crossed his face. As a general, he immediately understood the military value of this design: a ship more resistant to sinking meant higher survivability in naval battles.

“Yutang,” Gu Yan said, looking at the still-dazed Bai Yutang, “use this drawing to find someone and try to build a model. I’ll fund it.”

Bai Yutang snapped out of his daze. Looking at the drawing and the two proud children, he suddenly laughed heartily. “Good! Excellent! With these two little geniuses, we have nothing to worry about—there’s no way we won’t build the fastest ship in the world! I say we call our fleet the Explorers! Goal: the stars and the sea!”

He scooped up the drawing from the floor, cradling it like a treasure under his arm, and dashed out in a hurry, muttering to himself about going to Jinling City to recruit the best carpenters, blacksmiths, and shipwrights.

Jiang Suisui watched his hurried back, then glanced at the eager children and her husband beside her—his gaze steady, offering her unwavering support. Her heart felt warm.

She knew that a great endeavor, capable of changing the world’s balance, had officially begun this morning in this small rural courtyard, sparked by the vision of two children and their single piece of paper.