In the smelting house, Bi Maokang noticed that the craftsmen here were very proactive.
Everyone is taking the initiative to do things, and will actively discuss any problems they encounter.
Unlike what he saw in other workshops, the craftsmen were like old scalpers, driven to drain their energy and their eyes were dull. When I have nothing to do, I will just be bored and idle, and I will not help others like here.
There are also some managers here, all young people.
These young people speak very kindly and respect the craftsmen without being arrogant. Even beating and scolding craftsmen is impossible to see.
What shocked Bi Maokang the most was that in a corner of the smelting house, he suddenly saw a young man teaching the equally young craftsmen how to read.
From the front military camp to the smelting plant, everyone here has an almost pathological pursuit of reading and literacy.
"Chizao said that craftsmen are those who master technology, and technology can continuously improve. Every time technology advances, the wealth created will increase. Therefore, he requires future craftsmen to be literate and master Some knowledge is used to improve the level. At first, everyone thought that this matter was too vague, but since doing so, the craftsmen have really improved a lot of techniques when working. The smelting site is now producing iron at a faster rate than when it first started. It’s more than twice as fast.”
Bi Maokang was so shocked that he was now able to accept it calmly.
But he knew very well what it meant to double the speed of smelting steel.
If Zuo Mengeng is given a steady stream of raw materials, it means that he can make more weapons than others.
If one of the other people's muskets is damaged, one will be lost. When will it be replenished? It will have to wait until the Year of the Monkey and the Horse. But here you can add it anytime and anywhere. If things go on like this, victory will belong to him sooner or later.
After leaving the smelting factory, he went to the gun-making factory that he had longed for.
It was only one day later, and Bi Maokang suddenly discovered that there were new changes here.
The original three rifling machines turned into five.
There is also one more hydraulic hammer forging machine for forging gun barrels.
Seeing that the craftsmen who had worked hard for a month might not be able to make a barrel, but it only took more than an hour to cast it here, Bi Maokang felt that that boy seemed to be really capable of achieving great things.
"You...are you Master Bi?"
Xu Daqian came over cautiously, not daring to recognize him.
Bi Maokang didn't recognize him either.
"Who are you……"
Xu Daqian clapped his hands and was very happy.
"Sir, you are so busy with things that you don't remember the young ones. When you were at the Luanzhou Ordnance Institute, you taught us how to make pear-shaped spears."
Bi Maokang was quite surprised to hear this.
"Since you are a craftsman from Luanzhou, how come you are here?"
Xu Daqian answered honestly.
"We came here after receiving an order from the Ministry of War, but it's really nice here. Zuo Qianzuo is kind and fair, and he doesn't default on our wages. Our whole family is here, and we can have everything we need. We have work to do and food to eat, which is much better than in Luanzhou."
He remembered something again, and a happy smile appeared on his face.
"The school at Zhuangzi will be completed soon, and my grandson will be able to study. What else is there to be dissatisfied about?"
It was reading again, and Bi Maokang was a little numb.
"That kid...do you Zuo Qianzao even care about children's study?"
He did not say clearly, is it really so important for the descendants of mere craftsmen to study?
Speaking of this, Xu Daqian became excited.
"Qianzao said it, what is it called? Oh... By the way, it takes ten years to grow trees and a hundred years to grow people. I don't know much about it, but if my grandson can read, it is better than being blind."
Bi Maokang is a scholar. Hearing this, he couldn't help but agree.
After leaving the gun-making place, he thought for a while and said to Li Xiangzhu: "Can you take me to Zhuangzi to have a look?"
Yesterday, he noticed that there was a large village outside the military camp and workshop. It was crowded and extremely prosperous.
Chestnut incense builds itself.
"Qianza has given orders. Except for the gunpowder factory, the boss can go anywhere he wants."
The gunpowder factory was not allowed to enter again. Bi Maokang couldn't help asking: "Why is the gunpowder factory so important?"
Li Xiangzhu led the way first. When he heard the words, he smiled and said: "Qianzuo said that the muskets used in our rear camp can be made by learning from other places. The only thing I cannot learn is the art of gunpowder. This is the magic weapon for my rear camp's victory. It's not We are not allowed to spy on our own people unless they are in an important position."
Bi Maokang thought of the magical fire hat.
After returning home yesterday, he tossed and turned, not without thinking about it. However, despite exhausting my brain, I still don’t know why.
On the Musket Road, Bi Maokang thought to himself that no one in the Ming Dynasty would be more powerful than him.
But this time, Zuo Mengeng was disappointed.
He took the flash cap in his hand and looked at it carefully inside and out. Except for the discovery that there was powder inside the flash cap, it was impossible to tell what the powder was made of.
Zuo Menggeng said it was the top secret of the rear camp, and it seemed that he was right.
In fact, after seeing the flash cap gun yesterday, Bi Maokang knew that with Ming Dynasty's technology, apart from the slightly difficult reed, the rest was not impossible to make with inferior materials.
Even if you can't use a flash cap to fire, you can still change it to a flintlock gun.
But the problem is that the flash cap gun demonstrated by Zuo Mengeng yesterday was not only surprising in the use of the flash cap gun, but also the black powder poured into the gun chamber was completely different.
The ratio of black powder must be the optimal ratio, so that the projectile can hit that far.
They couldn't make a flash cap, and they couldn't get such fine black powder. Even if Ming made a gun, they would still be completely defeated on the battlefield.
In their wild thoughts, the two walked out of the gun factory. Turning onto a small road, after walking for a short time, we arrived at the edge of Zhuangzi.
But I saw it was so lively here.
Outside Zhuangzi, some men were moving bricks back and forth, as if they were going to build a house.
But the person commanding them was a woman.
"The house should be built bigger, and the door should be bigger. Qianzuo said he would get us a machine to make clothes. When the time comes, the clothes will be enough, and you won't have to bare your buttocks."
Men, women, old and young, laughed one after another, and their hands and feet became more agile.
Bi Maokang pointed at the woman and asked, "Who is this woman? Who did this?"
Li Xiangzhu was startled and quickly reminded: "Oh, sir, you can't say that. This is Wang Xiuqin, the director of the quilt factory, who is in charge of the dignity of the entire army and everyone in the village. If you offend her, I won’t have anything to wear from now on.”
Bi Maokang didn't believe it.
"A mere woman, how could you, a man like you, be overtaken by her?"
Li Xiangzhu remembered something and sighed.
"There is nothing we can do. Factory Director Wang has the rank of captain, which is higher than those of the squadron commander and brigade deputy. She is someone who can report directly to Qianzao. Who dares to mess with her? Some people thought she was a woman and would not obey her. The order is still hanging over my head. Qianzao said that obeying orders in the army is not a matter of concern. Anyone who dares to disobey superiors and military orders will be killed without mercy!"
"Can women also join the army?"
Bi Maokang watched a peepshow today.
But looking at Wang Xiuqin commanding Ruoding from a distance, everyone is accustomed to it, and they know that this place is really different.
Going around this large construction site, the riverside is also busy.
Dozens of men were putting water tankers into the river at this time, their chants were loud, and there were many people watching the excitement on the bank.
An old man was speaking loudly next to him.
"The old man went to see the young master and said to the young master, why does everyone else have waterwheels, but our village doesn't have one? Spring is about to begin, and the wheat in the fields must be watered. The young master said, Old Uncle Qin said That's right, the water tanker must be installed. This way, we have our share. You bastards, you have to be careful, this is the lifeblood of our farmers. If anyone damages it, the old man will hang him on it."
The young people working were laughing and laughing, not afraid.
"Old Uncle Qin, just take a look at it. The waterwheels at the smelting station were all installed by us, and we have already done the work."
The old man was Lao Qin. Hearing the words, he said: "That's it, you guys do it. Old man, I have to go to the school to see if there is anything missing, and we can't miss the place for the children to study."
Bi Maokang caught up from behind.
"Hello, brother."
Lao Qin turned around and saw an old man who was younger than himself. Although his clothes are simple, his demeanor shows that he is not an ordinary person.
When I saw Li Xiangzhu accompanying me respectfully, I still didn't understand anything.
"Hello, sir."
Bi Maokang waved his hand and said with a smile: "I am no longer an official. Now I am just idle."
Old Qintou listened and nodded.
"It's better not to be an official. What's the point of being an official in the Ming Dynasty? If you eat people without spitting out their bones, you will defeat the whole world sooner or later."
Bi Maokang couldn't take a breath, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
This is the first time I heard that it is a good thing not to be an official.
In this place, not only the young man lacked respect for the imperial court. Even an old farmer from the countryside is so unruly, what a den of thieves!
