Liang Chuan's technique is like making a pot of stewed noodles, but it is not. In fact, it is 'stewing steel'. This technique was called solid carbonization technology in ancient times. Stir-frying the needles over low heat is to recrystallize and anneal the iron needles.
To turn an iron needle into a steel needle, the carbon content inside the needle must be increased. This process is called carburizing process. This complex process was mastered by the working people of our country thousands of years ago. It is quite remarkable. They also made a scientific summary of this and recorded it in books so that future generations could be honored to worship it.
Only from these historical books did Liang Chuan know that adding charcoal to pine wood and frying it in a pot can turn iron needles into steel needles!
Pine wood is added with charcoal and black beans and covered with a layer of soil. Pine wood and charcoal are solid carburizing agents, while black beans and soil are fillers. Liang Chuan doesn't understand these terms very well, but he still understands what pine wood and black beans are. Just add it to the pot and stir-fry.
After stir-frying is almost done, cover the pot with a layer of soil, leaving a few needles on the surface of the soil, and the remaining needles remain in the pot for cooking. After the needles on the outside can be easily crushed into pieces, the needles in the pot have been charcoaled and can be taken out.
"Lao Fang can take the needle out of the pot and quench it."
Fang Tianding carefully took out the iron needle from the pot and put it in the water to quench it. The iron needle looked like it was not very hot, so a black one was thrown into the water. Green smoke came out of the water, and there was a hiss, which made people's hearts tremble slightly.
The quenched iron needle reflected the cold light, and Liang Chuan said, "Miss Fang Wan, please try again to see how the quality of the iron is now. Is it still bending as soon as it is inserted like the needle just now?"
Fang Wan picked up a needle. This needle was the same as before. She lifted up the placket of her clothes with hesitation. The material of the placket was the same as Liang Chuan's, which was very ordinary burlap. This was also the standard for most common people. match.
Fang Wan stabbed the hem of his clothes hard, and the needle passed through the hem of his clothes casually. Fang Wan frowned and folded the hem of his clothes in half. The thickness of the hem of his clothes increased several times in an instant. The steel needle was pierced into the top of the skirt. Because the needle had not been polished yet and the needle was round and blunt, although it could not penetrate, the needle was straight and not even bent at all!
Fang Tianding thought that Fang Wan's hand was too weak so he couldn't pierce it, so he picked up a needle, held it in his hand, stretched out his thumb, and tried to bend the needle with his finger strength. He believed that his hand was very strong, and he had already used strength on his thumb. Unexpectedly, the needle in the palm of his hand did not move at all, and the hardness was more than ten times greater than before!
"This...this..." Fang Tianding was so surprised that he was speechless.
"It seems it was successful." Liang Chuan said with a smile.
Fang Tianding blinked his egg-sized eyes, and his mouth was so dry that he couldn't speak: "This... This... Will it become so hard after just one spoonful of stew in the pot?"
"You saw it just now, it seems like this is the case." Liang Chuan said cheerfully: "Old Fang, you can try it yourself to see if this is the case."
Fang Tianding didn't really believe this evil, so he pulled out another batch of thin needles, and bent two of them before putting them in the pot. He made sure that the hardness of these needles was not high, at least they could be bent easily with just a touch of finger pressure.
What Liang Chuan did just now was simple and clear. He could understand it just by looking at it. It was simple but still puzzling. Fang Tianding followed Liang Chuan's method and cooked it from beginning to end.
When he picked up the iron needle that he fried, he was dumbfounded. After a lot of heat, the iron needle really became extremely hard. It really turned from the iron needle into the steel needle that Liang Chuan said!
"Sanlang, tell me the truth. Have you long been eyeing this shabby iron shop of mine? Your skills must have been passed down by an expert. Why are you competing with me, an old ghost who is half dead?"
Fang Tianding was a little anxious. He had never seen or heard of these craftsmanship. How could anyone not be an expert know it!
Liang Chuan said speechlessly: "To be honest, Master Fang, I don't like this mess like you. What makes me like you is you. The craftsmanship in your hands is the most valuable thing. What's the use of this shop?" I don’t know how to make iron. Ask your daughter what I do. I sell department stores. Which business in the store is not faster than making money by doing hard work like yours? This needle was also made at the last moment. Fa, I’ve never thought about this before, so don’t think too much.”
Fang Wan also hurriedly persuaded: "Dad, what are you thinking about? My boss is our family's benefactor. I just went to his shop."
Fang Tianding thought about it and realized that he was judging the heart of a gentleman with the heart of a villain.
"Old man, I said the wrong thing. Don't mind, Sanlang. Today, old man, my eyes have been opened. There are really people who don't know how to forge but can forge objects well. It's a matter of self-taught... Oh, forget it. It would be embarrassing to talk about this old face any more.”
The method has been mastered, and now it’s all about production. However, this kind of skill is a secret that is not passed down, so Liang Chuan taught him step by step like a disciple. .
Fang Tianding pulled a few times and found the needles in the pot one by one. These needles still need to be polished, so that they will be sharper and easier to use for sewing.
"What a pity." Fang Tianding suddenly said this.
Liang Chuan's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. Could it be that there was an omission in his method? He hurriedly asked: "What's wrong, Master Fang? What went wrong?"
Fang Tianding twisted a few bent needles in his hand and said with a pity on his face: "It's a pity that these needles are all money. They must have been broken when they were stir-fried."
Liang Chuan breathed a long sigh of relief and looked at the curved iron needle. Hey, this curved needle looks a bit like it. . hook?
A blessing in disguise! Suddenly an idea flashed in Liang Chuan's mind! The same object that made him ecstatic appeared again!
Bend the needle and put a barb on it. Isn't this just a fishing hook?
I originally wanted to get a few fishing rods and go fishing by the Nanxi River every day, but after walking around the market countless times, I discovered that there were no fish hooks for sale in this era! It's impossible to fish without a hook, unless you have Jiang Taigong's ability.
Why there were no fishhooks in this era is because they had not yet mastered the carbonization technology of iron, and the iron was not hard enough to be used for fishing. If the fishhook is too soft, the slightest increase in the weight of the fish may straighten the fishhook. Not only will the fish not be caught, but the hook will also be gone.
It’s not that people in the market are unwilling to sell, it’s just that this technology has not yet met market requirements!
"Lao Fang, you are really my blessing. You helped me think of another good thing!"
Fang Tianding murmured: "Does anyone still want Sanlang's bent needle?"
"Of course someone wants it, but it's not called a needle, it's called a fishhook!"
Fang Tianding didn't know what Liang Chuan was so happy about, but judging from Liang Chuan's appearance, he must have discovered something good with his excitement!
Liang Chuan happily continued: "Lao Fang, tell me, how many kilograms of fish can we catch with such a strong hook?"
Fang Tianding had personally tried this 'fried' steel needle, and it was extremely hard. At least he couldn't break it even with a hundred kilograms of strength in his hand.
"I have never been to the sea so I don't know about the guys in the sea, but this river has been going up and down for decades. I should be able to survive fishing for dozens of kilograms of small fish and shrimps!"
The small fish and shrimps that Fang Tianding mentioned are not really small fish and shrimps. The Sun River leads to the sea, and where the salty and fresh water meet, the sea water stirs up the silt of the seabed and riverbed, bringing rich nutrients. The small fish and shrimps here are all Starting from a few dozen kilograms! In addition, these days there are no ships, no fishing equipment, and no equipment for fishing nets, electric fish, and frying fish. The fish and shrimp in the sea grow wildly, which is not the same thing as the small fish and shrimp in Liang Chuan's concept.
Due to overfishing in later generations, most of the fish that could be eaten as food were eaten by people. After Fang Tianding made a casual gesture, the length of the small fish seemed to be nearly a foot, which weighed several kilograms. What are these small fish and shrimps?
However, even if it is a "big thing" that is one foot or even several feet long, today's fish fishing can handle it, because the hardness of the fish fishing is enough. If it is not enough, then make it thicker and use a big hook to catch big fish. Don’t be afraid of not being able to bear it.
Fishing is a fun activity that takes time, effort and money. Don’t underestimate the cost of fishing. This hobby is no more expensive than playing with a SLR or playing with small items. The fishing rod needs to be high-performance, and a complete set of equipment can cost a lot of money.
The key point is that fishing is a bit like psychotropic drugs. It can be addictive and difficult to quit. There are basically no recreational activities in this era. Fishing is undoubtedly a good activity that can relax people and add food to the table! After going down to the field, he could catch two fish with a fishing rod and make a pot of soup at home. Why not do it? Besides, a hook can be used for a long time. Liang Chuan has already made a plan in his mind. This business will also be profitable, and he will not worry about sales. What a good business!
"Old Fang, I think you need to recruit a few guys in this shop so that our production can increase. We can't just make so many needles in one day. It's a waste of good craftsmanship... Uh..." Liang Chuan turned around and looked at Fang Wan, and said with a sly smile: "I don't have any arrangements for my man to recruit a younger brother. We might as well ask him to come to your shop to help. You are good at blacksmithing, but let him The job of needle annealing and crystallization is not that difficult. If you recruit a younger brother to help you, you don't have to do everything yourself. Once you are proficient in it, you can hire a few young guys and apprentices. It won't take long for you to relax. You can definitely make more money!”
Why do craftsmen not like to invite unrelated or unrelated outsiders to learn their craft? As the old saying goes, the apprentice starved to death of the master. Competition is so cruel.
The two of them looked at Liang Chuan, taking this expensive craftsmanship that could be regarded as a family reception so casually, and couldn't help but respect Liang Chuan.
"When I go back, I will think about how to promote our steel needles and new fish hooks. I believe that in the near future, the entire Quanzhou Prefecture and the grocery stores and tailors on Fujian Road will be obsessed with our steel needles!"
