Behind the Yugan City God's Temple, outside the gate of the primary school.
Ma Jiu's wife stood beside the donkey, muttering to herself that there is nothing wrong with this, right? Logically speaking, Miss Qian is a widow, so it would be inappropriate to come to this gentleman's school.
But having said that, this school ground was set up by the third brother of the Li family, and the county master agreed to use it for him. The team members trained here eat and wear the Li family's clothes, and are no different from the servants.
In this case, it seems reasonable for the mistress to come to inspect. As she pondered this, she saw the five eyes of King Crab guarding the door spinning towards the sky.
He couldn't help but smile and said: "Old Wang, it's not like you haven't seen my sister-in-law before. Why are your eyes so dodgy?"
"I'm from the Ma family, I'm not hiding from you." Crab King Wu quickly explained softly: "The mistress is in the car, I, I, I'm afraid that no one will notice..., so I don't know where to put my eyes. "
Xiao Qianshi and Zhen'er heard it funny inside, and Zhen'er wanted to tease him, so she opened the curtains in the car and asked:
"Brother Wang, the young master led the team for a long time. It is said that two groups of people went there later. Why didn't you go? Is it because you can't walk and can't carry a sword or a gun?"
"Well, this little eldest lady, don't talk nonsense. It's an injustice. We all tested our legs, feet and strength before we came in. It's just... I don't know why, but I was asked to guard the door from the first day. As soon as I guarded it, He stayed there for a long time.
The day before yesterday, Li Biao came back with letters and banknotes from many people. Why should I not want to go if they have become rich?
It’s just that Saburo left the rules, and our team said it was forbidden and we could do whatever we were told. I...I have to obey orders, right? "
"Old Wang is right, you answered it very well!" Suddenly a man's voice came, and the needle immediately retracted its hand, and the curtain fell with a "snap".
"Zhu Qing, the secretary of the left-behind book office and the marching secretary, welcomes the mistress." Zhu Qing bowed and crossed his hands, and then said to Ma Jiuhun's family:
"Sister-in-law Ma, this is not a convenient place. Bring the car over quickly and I will help you find a place to park it."
After that, he called the camp gate open and led the way. When he got to the warehouse converted from the side hall, he called a horseman about forty years old to come over and catch the car and tie it up.
Then he came to the curtain and asked softly: "Mother, do you have anything to ask about when you come here today? Should I ask you here or find a clean place?"
"My brother has been gone for many days, and I am very worried, so I wanted to come over and ask sir if there is any news about him recently?"
"Reporting to my mistress, there is no new news since Li Biao came back and left last time."
Xiao Qian thought for a moment: "Brother said, if you have any questions, you can consult Yang Lianjie."
"Yang Baihu? He doesn't live in the school grounds at the moment. He stays at Renli Inn on weekdays. Mistress, please wait a moment. Zhu Qing will arrange to take you there to look for him, okay?"
After getting Xiao Qian's consent, Zhu Qing hurried back to his signing room to explain a few words and then came out. He walked in front, followed by the donkey cart, and arrived at Renli Inn in this way.
Han An went to teach in the school, and Su Siniang went out to do shopping. Sun Qian'er, the counter clerk, heard that it was Li Sanlang's mother who wanted to see Yang Dayi, so he quickly bowed and told:
"Yang Dalang is working hard in the back, and I will lead the aunt over." After that, he led the way.
Zhu Qing bowed and said, "Mother, please follow Brother Sun. My subordinates are waiting in the lobby." Sun Qian'er took Xiao Qian's, Zhen'er's and Ma's family back.
Going to a secret courtyard at the back, I heard shouts inside.
Sun Qian'er turned around and said softly: "Yang Dalang's status is unusual, so we arranged this place for him. The courtyard cannot be seen from the surrounding heights, which is safer.
After the aunt went in, she waited for a while. Yang Gong once told her not to disturb her while she was practicing. She had to wait until he stopped before calling her. You can just watch from the side, the villain is waiting outside the courtyard. "
"Thank you." Xiao Qian said and walked in with Zhen'er and the Ma family. Turning around the screen wall, I saw a shirtless man wearing a pair of calf-nose trousers, dancing with a gun flying up and down.
She hurriedly raised her wide sleeves to cover her face, but then quietly poked her head out to take a look. I saw that the man was not tall like a southerner. His whole body was shiny with sweat and his muscles were bulging.
Xiao Qian wanted to see what the man looked like, so he gestured to Zhen'er and the others to stand by the door and not move, then he took a few steps forward.
I saw this spear coming in and out like a dragon and a snake, so fierce and changeable that Xiao Qian lost his mind and took a few steps forward without realizing it.
The Ma family member was about to scream when she saw it, when suddenly the gun moved the golden snake and swung its tail. The gun tip brushed the ground and came to Xiao Qian. She lowered her head subconsciously, and the tip of the gun knocked off the hairpin ring, and her hair fell down like a waterfall. Come down.
"Oops!" Zhen'er and the Ma family shouted at the same time, which startled Yang Dayi. He didn't notice anyone coming into the yard, and he didn't expect that this person had come within his "circle".
The spear is a long weapon, so it may seem far away from the opponent, but in fact, it can be reached in the blink of an eye by moving around.
Xiao Qian didn't understand martial arts and thought it didn't matter if he was far away. Unexpectedly, within a few breaths, he had already walked into the killing range of the spear.
This is one of the reasons why Yang Dayi told him not to enter the hospital to disturb his daily practice - to avoid accidental injuries.
Yang Dayi quickly put away his gun and ran over. He leaned over and asked with concern: "Are you okay?"
"Yang Baihu, back up quickly! That's Sanlang's aunt!"
Yang Dayi was startled by this call from the Ma family. He quickly retreated ten feet away, bowed and clasped his fists: "I didn't know that the mistress was here. Yang was disrespectful by rushing in. Please forgive me!"
He had just rushed forward anxiously, and was just a stone's throw away from Xiao Qian's family. The man's body odor and breath made her blush with embarrassment. Fortunately, half of it was hidden by her hair so that Zhen'er and the others could not see it.
Xiao Qian calmed down, stood up and returned the salute slowly: "I am in poor health and disturbed the general's martial arts practice. Sin, sin!"
"Uh..." Yang Dayi felt very sorry and didn't know what to say.
At this time, Sun Qian'er heard the commotion and ran in, telling him: "Da Lang, go back to the house and clean up first. Auntie came here specifically to find you because she has something to say."
"Oh, yes! Okay, okay, please... Mistress, please wait a moment, Yang will be here!" Yang Dayi hurriedly put down his weapons and went into the house to scrub and change clothes.
Zhen'er hurriedly helped Xiao Qian sit down on the stone bench in the courtyard and styled her hair again. Ma Jiuhun's family complained about Yang Carey, but he really lived up to his name.
"It's okay. Sister-in-law, don't blame him. I saw him playing with a gun and forgot to get too close. I also need to trouble my sister-in-law to get us a pot of tea from the front."
Seeing this, Sun Qian'er also knowingly said that she would get some snacks and dried fruits, and then went with the Ma family.
The hair on this side had just been arranged, but it seemed to be echoing. There was a "squeak" sound on the door. Yang Dayi walked out wearing Shi Qing's arrow sleeves and met Xiao Qian's eyes. Both of them felt embarrassed and blushed. After resuming the ceremony, he sat down on both sides of the stone table.
Xiao Qian first asked if he was used to living here, if there were any letters from home, and if there was anyone else there who said this.
After the Ma family and Sun Qian'er put tea, snacks and dried fruits on the table, they retreated outside the door. Yang Dayi raised his hand and asked: "Madam is here today, but is there any news from San Lang?"
"There is no news, but there is a legend." After saying this, Xiao Qian looked at Zhen'er, who hurriedly told the news that she had heard that Li Dan had done an inspection yesterday.
"As expected, isn't that a good thing?"
"Having said that, there was a lot of noise in the city yesterday, and everyone said that the rebels had occupied Dongxiang. So..." Xiao Qian lowered his head in embarrassment:
"I'm a little unsure again. Is it the official army or the rebels who are more powerful? Do we need to find Saburo quickly?
I was so confused that I couldn't figure it out. Because before I left, my brother said that I could discuss something with you, so... "
"Oh, that's it." Yang nodded carelessly, calmed down and thought about it and said, "I don't think you need to worry too much, Madam. Victory or defeat on the battlefield is normal. So the rebels in Fuzhou and Shangrao are not necessarily the same group.
Moreover, the thieves were erratic and suddenly attacked various places in Fuzhou, and there were cases where the city fell unprepared.
If Saburo really did the inspection, it means that he made a contribution to winning the battle, and the traitors over there must have suffered from him. It seems that there is no need to worry. "
"Hey, this was originally about escorting grain and grass, so why is there a war again? Is it possible that the officers and soldiers are so small that they have no choice but to go to the battlefield to fight?"
Xiao Qian said worriedly, secretly glancing at Yang Dayi's thick hands on the stone table.
Yang Dayi chuckled: "My mother is so worried when she travels thousands of miles. Brother Dan is so lucky!"
"Then what should I do? My sister has left such a child, who is also my life-long support. How can I not care about it?" Xiao Qian said and sighed.
He raised his eyes and saw the big gun just now: "Why did I hear my brother say that your weapon is a flail? So when I saw you using the gun just now, I was wondering if I had the wrong person?"
"I am a cavalry commander, that is, someone who rides a horse." Yang Dayi explained:
"I am most proud of using the flail, but I can actually use spears, spears, halberds, and swords. Today I wanted to practice my marksmanship, but unexpectedly I bumped into my wife."
Both of them felt embarrassed when they mentioned this.
Zhen'er felt funny when she saw them blushing and blushing, and deliberately said: "Since Yang Dalang is so embarrassed, why not do something for my mistress to atone for his sin."
"Hey, that's right! If you have any errands, just ask. Don't worry, you don't have any other skills. It requires strength and running, and this is what it takes!" After hearing what he said, Zhen'er covered her mouth and laughed.
Xiao Qianshi glared at Needle: "When will you be my master?"
"You are so serious!" Needle bumped into her and said softly: "If you are worried about Sanlang's safety, why not just ask Yang Dalang to come and see with your own eyes."
"If Madam sends me, Yang is willing to take this trip!" Yang Dayi quickly clasped his fists and expressed.
"Here, don't listen to this girl's nonsense. The mountains are high and the roads are far away... Besides, there are still bandits outside..."
"Ha! Madam, you have forgotten that Yang was born in the frontier army and has fought against thousands of people. What's the point of fearing a few thieves?
It's just that I've given up my horse to Saburo. If it's convenient, please help me find another horse. I'll be back in a few days! "
"This makes?"
"Make!"
"In that case..." Xiao Qian ordered the Ma family to go to the front to invite Zhu Qing over, and then told him:
"I asked Yang Dalang to deliver a message and visit Sanlang. You can help find a horse with good footwork to ride with him." After that, he asked him to do it.
He asked Sun Qian'er for pen, ink and paper, and wrote a letter to the county government, explaining that he would send his servant Yang Yi to Baima Temple to fulfill his vow and inspect the properties in the surrounding prefectures and counties, and asked the county government to issue directions.
Then he handed it to Ma's family and asked her to go back and get fifty taels of silver notes for Yang Dayi to spend on the road.
"Sisters from the Li family don't have to be so troublesome. Sanlang has some money with me. I'll pay it to Yang Dalang." Before he could finish the words, someone had already appeared. It was Su Siniang, Han An's daughter-in-law, who had bought it back.
They had met each other, and Su Siniang told Xiao Qian that Li Dan had asked her to take charge of the public accounts, put the money in the cabinet to invest in shares, and used the profits to support the poverty of the brothers' families in Beicheng, etc.
"I can just pay it out from the account. There happens to be a new car that has been built and will be sent to Yu Sanlang for inspection. Brother Yang can go with the five brothers who are escorting the car."
Xiao Qian was overjoyed. She was worried that Yang Dayi would be in danger if he went out alone: "It would be great if you have a companion!"
It was agreed to set off the next day, and Xiao Qian was invited to the front to talk to Su Siniang.
At first I thought she was just the shopkeeper's wife, but later I learned that Li Dan learned calligraphy and painting from Han An, and then I realized that she also had the identity of "Master's Wife". No wonder she had just called herself "Sister".
Xiao Qian thanked her deeply and quickly. They compared their ages, and it turned out that Su Siniang was older. After wandering for an hour, I got on the bus and went home with satisfaction.
When Han An arrived home, he saw Su Siniang standing at the door watching a donkey cart drive away. He asked curiously: "Whose wife is this? Can you deliver it yourself?"
"Li Sanlang's adoptive mother is also his aunt, the so-called Xiao Qian, the second wife of the Li family."
"Oh? She never shows up. What happened today...?"
"Worried about the safety of my adopted son, I came here specifically to ask Yang Dalang to help him go to Guangxin Mansion to visit. How about this, Miss Qian is really nice to Li Sanlang!" Su Siniang sighed and said, "She can be considered a lover. A righteous man!"
"So, she saw Yang Dali?"
"Well, it was Li Dan who asked her to come to Yang Jianfail if she had anything to do, so Mr. Zhu Qing brought her over."
"Hey, this is Li Sanlang. He has no taboos!" Han An smiled bitterly.
"What's so taboo about this?" Su Siniang glared at her husband and suddenly smiled: "Besides, even if something happens, I think it's fine."
As he spoke, he told what he heard from Sun Qian'er about Yang Dayi using a gun to knock off Xiao Qian's hairpin and break up the bun. Then he asked mysteriously: "Do you think this is some kind of fate from God?" ?”
"What's the fate?"
"Hey, one is unmarried and the other is widowed. If we can get together..."
Han An was startled: "Don't say this, if it spreads, Xiao Qian's family will be in big trouble.
Go tell Sun Qian'er to shut his mouth and don't let anyone die because of a misunderstanding. That's not a joke! "
"I'm just saying that, you don't know how they look so perfect together when they sit together..."
"Shut up!"
One night passed, Li Dan came to the construction site and saw a group of people standing in front of the stove and air duct that were built yesterday and looking at each other.
The mud ball that was as soft as paste yesterday has become quite hard today, and it is even difficult to break it off. Chen Sanwen murmured to himself: "Li Sanlang, you let me see you again!"
Wu Mao looked left and right, and when he looked back he saw Li Dan holding a hand music, he raised his hand and asked: "The inspection is really a skill, it can turn the wall into mud and stone overnight! May I ask what is the mystery here?"
"There's nothing mysterious about it. It just takes advantage of the principle that hydrated lime can sinter with sand when it comes into contact with water. The slag has many pores and can help the sand hold together. The gypsum and clay are good for smoothing and shaping. That's all!" Li Dan smiled. :
"This was the inspiration that came to me suddenly when I mentioned limestone that day. In fact, it doesn't matter if you don't have slag, you can also use pebbles to achieve a similar effect.
The various ingredients can be adjusted. I estimate that adding more gypsum and clay will make it smoother. Excessive sand will make it slightly looser. Using pebbles instead of slag will make it heavier and stronger.
In addition, if iron bars or even steel bars are used instead of bamboo bars, then even a twenty-foot-high tower can be built. Brother Ziru can try to verify these things slowly. "
"Okay, okay." Chen Sanwen rubbed his hands excitedly: "It's really a good thing. With it, building and building walls will be much faster, and it will save labor. Saburo, does this thing have a name?"
"Well, it was just a temporary idea. I didn't think of a name. I think it can be called 'cement', which is both vivid and easy to understand.
For example, the underground pool where you currently make wine and mix the ingredients is plastered with cement. It is not only waterproof, but also clean and easy to clean. "Li Dan patted his head after speaking:
"By the way, let's go back and get some to put on the wall. I think it will be very good for protecting the wall. This thing is not afraid of rain!"
"So, can we use this furnace and blower today? What are they used for? Isn't it for making iron?" Wu Mao asked, looking at the nine-foot-high furnace.
At this time, Li Dan noticed that there was a strong man behind him who couldn't help looking at the kiln. He was moved in his heart and asked, "Who is this?"
"Oh, he is Zhou Guisheng, the clerk of Hengfeng Liaoji. He is here to deliver the materials this time." Wu Mao introduced.
Li Dan smiled and nodded, beckoning him to come closer. After saluting, Zhou Guisheng said: "My shopkeeper asked me to say hello to the inspector. I heard that the young inspector is a hero, but I didn't expect him to be so knowledgeable. I also want to learn more."
Wu Mao felt a little bad on his face. In this era, craftsmanship was like private property and others could not peep at it at will.
What your guy said about learning skills was a bit rude from Wu Mao's point of view, and it also made him unable to get off the stage. He blamed the shopkeeper Liao in his heart.
I know he was wondering why the army needed these things, so he sent a guy to find out, but it would be embarrassing if you said it. Wu Mao couldn't help but look at Li Dan apologetically.
Unexpectedly, Li Dan didn't care. He had hundreds of years of knowledge in his heart, so why was he afraid that this guy would learn something from just a few glances? Not only did he not blame him, he nodded and said:
"A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier. If you want to learn more, it shows that you are motivated." After saying that, he turned back and asked Chen Sanwen: "Did Tie Linglong find the master who built this kiln for you?"
"Exactly. If it weren't for him, I, a layman, would really be a little confused." Chen Salmon nodded in reply.
"Okay, that's right! Give him a good treatment and stay under your command. This kind of work will be inevitable in the future! Go and invite him to watch together, so that I don't have to teach him in the future."
After Li Dan finished speaking, he turned to Zhou Guisheng: "You are making porcelain, so you should know that the fire temperatures of pottery and porcelain are different."
"Yes!" Zhou Guisheng nodded: "The fire temperature of pottery is lower than that of porcelain."
"Today I am going to melt this quartz together with feldspar and other materials to make a special material that looks like glass. You are here just in time, and you may be able to help me."
After speaking, he pointed to the baskets of fine sand: "These are materials that have been crushed, ground, and screened yesterday. They contain black lead, kaolin, and clay.
I need you to use the clay embryos they make and bake them into two or three crucibles for melting quartz. Can the size and style of the firing be as shown in my picture? "
"This is the craftsmanship of a villain. Don't worry, sir, I will hand it over to you before evening. But this man's hand...?"
"You need a few people, Mr. Chen, to make arrangements for you." After speaking, Li Dan nodded to Chen Salmon, and Chen Salmon immediately turned around and called one of his men to take this person to prepare. Then Li Dan said to Chen Sanwen:
"The quartz needs to be crushed and ground, then passed through a magnetic roller to remove iron, dried, and mixed with kaolin, lime, feldspar, soda ash, thenardite, etc. The crucible will be ready for use tomorrow.
Remember, in one pound of material, put three and a half ounces of kaolin, four ounces of quartz, three ounces of lime, one ounce and six ounces of alkali, one pound and eight ounces of feldspar, four ounces of Glauber's salt, and two ounces of charcoal powder. "
As he spoke, Chen Sanwen took notes hurriedly for fear of missing a word.
"So, what are we doing today?" He finally asked Li Dan.
"Today? Fire the crucible and burn the kiln with fire. Just burn it to the temperature for making pottery." After Li Dan finished speaking, he turned to look at the animal-powered blower at the other end.
It turned out that there was a room with adobe walls attached to the factory shed, and two donkeys were resting in it.
Wu Mao raised his eyes and saw the wooden turntable and the gear driven by it. It was connected to a slightly smaller gear and drove the rocker up and down to continuously open and close the air outlet of the bellows at the other end, forcing air into the air inlet of the furnace.
"What an ingenious piece of equipment!" he cried.
"This is temporary and done in a hurry. In the future, we will do better in Hui Yugan. Even hundreds of steelmaking can be easily produced!" Li Dan said easily:
“Things like these smeltings rely on high temperatures.
The fuel is one thing, forcing more pure air into the furnace is one thing, the crucible is one thing, and the refractory bricks and tiles are another thing.
With these, nothing else matters. For example, if we use animal-powered blowers today, when we go back to the Xinjiang River, we can use the river flow to generate water power, which is more economical and the effect is more stable. "
"Hey, Mr. Inspector, when will you make the pencils you promised?" Chen Salmon has not forgotten this matter.
Li Dan clapped his hands: "I originally thought about it in two days. Since you are so anxious, we have ready-made black lead. Then, I will prepare the materials, formulas and required machines for you when I go back tonight. Bring the picture.
But you can’t rush this thing, because after the materials are crushed and mixed, they still have to go through processes such as plastic pressing, drying and resting, shaping, drying, wood wax oil soaking, kiln baking, wood molding, polishing, etc. It’s not as easy as you think. Simple!
However, some things, equipment, institutions and materials can be prepared. I'll bring the drawings tomorrow and explain them to you in detail. "
Some people died, but not completely...
