"Just now I came out of the east gate and saw the Tang people going to Luwei Ze for hunting!" Hui Cong whispered: "Spring is when wild beasts are in estrus, and there is not much meat. Normally they don't hunt. The Tang people hunt at this time. It’s obviously to prepare dried meat for the expedition!”
At this point, Huicong heard footsteps outside and hurriedly whispered: "Someone is coming, let's talk about it next time!" After that, he ran away from the back door.
Liu Chongguang's eyes widened. He didn't understand why Huicong ran away. Just when he was hesitating whether to call him back, Wang Wenzuo appeared at the door. He quickly bowed and saluted: "Join the army!"
"No need to be polite!" Wang Wenzuo waved his hand: "Master Liu, call your son and a few capable craftsmen. Let's work overtime tonight!"
"Working overtime?" Liu Chongguang didn't understand for a while and stood there blankly.
"Yes, time is tight, some things must be done in advance!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "Don't worry, everyone gets overtime pay!"
"No, no!" Liu Chongguang shook his head subconsciously, indicating that he didn't agree immediately because of the overtime pay. He realized something was wrong just after he said the words, and hurriedly said: "Joining the army, it doesn't matter whether you get overtime pay or not, I'll call someone right away. !”
Seeing Liu Chongguang's look, Wang Wenzuo laughed and shook his head: "That's wrong. You get money and food for work. The more you work, the more you get. It's a natural thing. Otherwise, who will really contribute? This overtime work Fei is good to the craftsmen and good to me, it’s the best of both worlds!”
"Yes, yes!" Liu Chongguang habitually said yes repeatedly. He always behaved like this in front of superiors, but after he went out, Wang Wenzuo's last words left him in a daze. The best of both worlds? Is there such a good thing between the master and the craftsman?
After half a cup of tea, Wang Wenzuo and Liu Chongguang, father and son, led more than a dozen craftsmen out of the city and came to the dam. The running water pushes the waterwheel, making a rhythmic sound. The craftsmen lift the logs with the ink lines on the saw table one by one, trigger the mechanism, and then the logs are pushed by the moving slide rail under the saw blade that moves up and down, making a harsh sound. The sound of sawing wood seemed to never subside.
"What do you think of this hydraulic saw?" Wang Wenzuo suddenly asked.
"What a masterpiece!"
Liu Chongguang hesitated for a moment, but was overtaken by his son. He glared at his son fiercely and whispered: "It is indeed very good. Not only does it save a lot of manpower, but the wood cut out is much better than manpower!"
"Well! Have you ever thought that water power can be used for other things besides sawing wood?" Wang Wenzuo asked.
"What do you mean by joining the army?"
"For example, forging iron!" Wang Wenzuo pointed to an empty water outlet: "Hydraulic forging hammer?"
"Hydraulic forging hammer?" Liu Zhongguang was stunned for a moment, and then he understood: "You want to build a hydraulic forging hammer?"
"Yes, human strength is limited after all, but water power is infinite!" Wang Wenzuo waved his hand: "I didn't waste so much effort to build the dam just to saw wood!"
Huicong's words just now flashed through his mind, and they flowed out of Liu Chongguang's mouth like a ray of light. He couldn't help but ask, "Are we going to fight again?"
Wang Wenzuo glanced at Liu Chongguang and said straight to his heart: "The war has never stopped!"
Liu Chongguang lowered his head, feeling chilled to the bone. He almost thought that he would be ordered to be beheaded in the next second. A few minutes later, he heard Wang Wenzuo's voice: "I will give you the drawings. How long will it take to complete the construction?"
"One month!" Liu Chongguang replied carefully.
"No, within half a month, no, within ten days!" There was an unconcealable anxiety in Wang Wenzuo's voice, which was unprecedented in the past.
"Yes, villain, I obey!"
Wang Wenzuo glanced at Liu Chongguang. The man's body was trembling slightly, and he was obviously afraid. Maybe my tone just now was too harsh, but this is war, and every slack and hesitation will be at the cost of tens of millions of lives. My duty requires that I must be strict enough.
"You have to remember it within ten days!" Wang Wenzuo forced himself to be tougher: "I will give you the drawings later. Starting tonight, you and your people must work overtime. Of course, everyone will get overtime pay. !”
"Yes, I understand!"
The candlelight dances and illuminates the tabletop. Liu Chongguang unrolled the scroll and spread it on the table. Wang Wenzuo's drawings were as exquisite as ever, with clean ink lines and detailed annotations. Everything was so concise and clear. Liu Chongguang subconsciously exhaled a long breath and let out a slight sigh.
"Father, look at this crankshaft, it's so beautiful!" Liu Pingji sighed: "Why didn't I think of doing this?"
"Nonsense, if you can draw it, wouldn't it mean that you can also be a soldier and join the army?" Liu Chongguang snorted coldly, pushed the drawing away, stood up and paced back and forth in the room. Liu Pingji on the side saw this and asked carefully: "Grandpa, what's wrong with you? Did something happen?"
Liu Chongguang glanced at his son and sighed: "Pingji, do you think this hydraulic forging hammer is a good thing?"
"Of course it's a good thing?" Liu Pingji was stunned: "How could it not be a good thing? In the past, blacksmiths were so tired, sweating profusely by the furnace and swinging the hammer again and again. With this thing, you only need to Just put the red-hot iron block on the anvil and let the forging hammer hit it, and it doesn't take any effort!"
"That's not what I meant!" Liu Chongguang waved his hand: "Of course the hydraulic forging hammer can save labor, but have you ever thought about what the Tang people used to build this?"
"Of course you're blacksmithing?"
"That's right, to be precise, they are the ones who make weapons. Who are these weapons used to deal with?"
Liu Pingji paused, the answer was obvious. Liu Chongguang did not wait for his son to give an answer. He continued to pace back and forth in the house, staggering, stumbled to the window, stretched out his hand to steady his body: "Those weapons are all used to kill Baekje people. We, father and son, both He is a guilty person!”
"Grandpa, I don't think so!"
"not necessarily?"
"Hydraulic saws and hydraulic forging hammers can certainly be used to make murderous weapons, but they can also be used for other things!" Liu Pingji said: "If you think about it, take the construction of a temple as an example. In the past, the wooden boards and rafters were all used. How much effort, blood, and sweat does it take to make a saw and plane? But with a hydraulic saw, one person can use it for ten or twenty people;
Not to mention the forging hammer, hoes, axes, and knives can all be used. These can be considered merits, right? Nowadays, people in the Tang Dynasty use it to make weapons to kill people, but the war will eventually be over. After the war is over, these water-powered saws and water-powered forging hammers can be used to do good things. Even if we are guilty now, we can atone for our sins in the future with our accumulated merits. "
