The blast furnace is a good thing.
After carefully discussing the iron-making methods of this world with Wang Liang, Lin Hai discovered that they were still at a very backward stage where they directly built a disposable iron-making furnace, heated the iron ore, and then removed the furnace to obtain the iron blocks and forged them.
Simply put, it is what any wilderness survival program in the future will show you.
The reason why the major countries still had enough iron to support the war was entirely due to the huge manpower that supported production with low efficiency.
Lin Hai does not have a large manpower base, so he needs efficiency.
Fortunately, the refractory bricks made by mixing different colored clays still looked the same, so the construction of the blast furnace was put on the agenda.
The person specifically responsible for the construction of the blast furnace was Wang Liang's apprentice. Yes, as a county lieutenant, Wang Liang had to give up his love for blacksmithing. He selected several blacksmiths from the refugees he rescued to be his apprentices. After checking their blacksmithing skills, Wang Liang handed over his blacksmith shop to them with confidence.
Of course, this is what Wang Liang said.
Many years ago, a very small open-pit iron mine was discovered in the mountains where Qinghetun is located. While it might be difficult to use it for large-scale weapon production, it was perfectly adequate for forging farm tools. Therefore, the local blacksmithing skills have been passed down very well. Even Lin Hai, a layman, couldn't help but sigh after watching Wang Liang and his apprentices compete in ironwork. Fortunately, Wang Liang was a county lieutenant. If he had come here to work as a blacksmith, he would have most likely gone bankrupt.
Wang Liang told Lin Hai that the blacksmith shop could not be closed and all the people could not be transferred to that damn steel plant. Lin Hai agreed without hesitation and dismantled the entire blacksmith shop and moved it to the riverside that day.
This move was unanimously praised by the people of the city. God has mercy on him. Every day after work at the county government office, Wang Liang would start forging iron, banging on and on until midnight. The key point is that his main job was still a county lieutenant. Do you think this would make people live like this? Now, the blacksmith shop has finally moved away.
"Now, our steel mill has finally begun construction," Lin Hai confidently declared to Wang Liang and his three apprentices. As a backdrop to these words, on the leveled ground, a group of laborers were attempting to build the first blast furnace using refractory bricks, following Lin Hai's own, though admittedly incomprehensible, drawings. Nearby, a waterwheel was being constructed to provide power, and the first digs of the waterway had already begun.
"Everything is difficult at the beginning, don't be afraid, but all work must be recorded to facilitate our future improvements. In any case, this is no longer a blacksmith shop." Lin Hai glanced at the blacksmith shop equipment tossed aside and continued, "This is an industrial area, and this is a steel plant."
As the steel mill continued to be built, Lin Hai could no longer always be on site with the militia. Two brothers with limited mobility became the mill's security officers. Every day, they were carried to a platform by the militia to monitor the workers' work. Simply put, without legs, they could only issue orders from the platform. If anyone tried to slack off, the brothers would shout, and the militia would whip them. However, Lin Hai still prepared a bow and arrow for each of them. If anything serious happened, these two brothers, once archers, would be able to use their bows wisely.
On the third day after the steel mill was built, two corpses with feather arrows stuck in their backs were carried down. It is said that management became much easier after that.
When Lin Hai went to teach at the school, he and Master Shi chatted for a long time behind closed doors. No one knew what they talked about. Anyway, from the moment Lin Hai left the school, the industrial area became the school's children's internship. They needed to accurately record the daily construction progress, the ratio of various raw materials, the firing time of iron ore, and the status of the finished product. Anyway, in the words of Lin Hai, who only knew a concept or a noun, he said: "I don't know what is most important, but I know that recording it must be the most important thing. So just write down everything you see. If you can't do that, just treat it as calligraphy practice."
Under the pretext of leading these children on an internship, Shi Zhener also came to the steel plant, ready to start recording the output of the first batch of molten iron.
Finally got through the busy winter.
Due to the inability to produce gunpowder, mining has always been difficult. Comparing this with the map in Lin Hai's mind, he felt that this area was likely rich in minerals, both coal and iron. The reserves were plentiful, enough to supply not only his own primitive industry but also an entire industrial zone in the original world. Now, he only needed to excavate the open-pit areas of these minerals, which was not difficult. However, the path to the mines was indeed difficult. Without gunpowder to open the mountains, the coal and iron ore that could be carried back by people was quite limited.
During the coldest part of winter, Lin Hai, in a frenzied effort, even shouted the slogan, "Warm Winter, National Sports," mobilizing the entire population under his rule. They repaired the road from the mine to Jinjiang and built a simple dock, ultimately allowing the ore to reach the industrial zone by water. Fortunately, the southwest's winters were mild and humid, so people didn't have to dig frozen soil in the heavy snow. Otherwise, a peasant uprising would have been possible...
Thanks to the successful preparation of coking coal, today is the day when the first batch of molten iron comes out of the steel plant. Everyone who can come has arrived. Even Lu You, who is busy fighting other mountain kings, has expedited the business for the King of Rolling on the Ground in Luanmu Bridge, eliminating him three days in advance and coming to watch the ceremony with the King of Rolling on the Ground's head.
The sworn brothers and representatives from various sectors selected by Lin Hai became the most important guests and entered the steel mill for the first time. In Lin Hai's mind, the steel mill, which was not even a small private steelmaking workshop in the old world, still gave everyone a huge shock.
The vast expanse of land had been leveled and compacted. Hundreds of laborers bustled about in several wooden buildings, constantly bringing iron ore and coking coal from the raw material storage area on wheelbarrows, weighing and recording them before loading them into the feed port. Although the factory had ample space, everyone strictly followed the white lines marked on the ground. Despite the apparent busyness, no one crossed them, a fact that startled the sworn brothers, who had some experience in military affairs.
Although it was a chilly spring day, the temperature inside the factory was unbearable for the guests who had dressed up as best as possible. After visiting for a while, they found that they really couldn't understand anything, so they left the factory.
"Well, Xiao Linzi, even if you tell us other things, we brothers won't understand, but we want to ask, what are these things for?"
As the nominal highest local official, Wang Liang looked around and felt that he should say something, and the words that came to his lips turned into this question.
"Oh?" Lin Hai looked in the direction of Wang Liang's finger and saw the words written in white on the outer wall of the factory:
"Work hard for 100 days to build industry and revitalize Qinghe"
"Don't forget safety, always be vigilant, cherish life and keep a clear mind at all times"
"Strictness is love, laxity is harm, ensuring safety benefits three generations"
“Safety is for production, and production must be safe”
"You have to queue up to eat in the cafeteria. If you jump the queue once, you will go hungry for a whole day."
"Safety standards must be strictly adhered to. Violation for one time will result in ten lashes, and three violations will result in beheading."
...
"Oh, these, these are productivity." Lin Hai sighed.
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