Chapter 23
Of course, there are some useless things, but it is a no-cost business after all, so Wen Yi will not have too many expectations.
By the time I had almost finished dealing with the things at hand, it was already late. There was a gradual increase in noise outside, and I guess the people at the training ground had dispersed.
Most of the people in the city were Yao Wenjun's subordinates and their families, making it relatively easy to arrange them. The team was divided into three equal parts: one for training, another to work in the fields, and the last to take turns standing guard, rotating every three days.
The rest of the people, in addition to growing vegetables in their own yards, also work in workshops, which can earn them a lot of food.
Those who need daily training and labor are given coins and food every half month to enable them to buy things.
However, all transactions and exchanges with the outside world were conducted by caravans. After discussion, Wen Yi and others pushed the price of daily necessities down to cost. Anyway, their main income was selling them to the outside world. Therefore, even if they encountered merchants while rotating farm outside the city, they would give up because the prices were too high and go directly to the shops in the city to buy them.
Yes, Wen Yi had kept all the houses in the southern area near the main road, and some of them had been used as shops, with hired workers to oversee the sales. These included, but were not limited to, soybean oil, soap, and various farm tools, as well as a place to buy things.
They could also bring their own food and have it shipped to the water mill in the northern district for varying degrees of processing. Of course, they could also eat at the designated restaurants, though those not on duty would have to pay. The price was similar to cooking for themselves, and it saved time. When the weather got hot, many people simply stopped cooking and exchanged their food for copper coins.
The copper coin molds they used retained the previous round shape, added some special symbols, and had serrations on the edges to prevent them from being worn off.
At this time, most people would accept copper coins regardless of the type. After all, they were equivalent to currency, so they could sometimes be used when traveling.
The craftsmen under him had mastered the smelting technology of bronze and were also able to smelt pig iron with a higher carbon content. This material was not expensive, so even though it was relatively fragile, it was still used by many people. It was much more practical than stone.
Changing the blast furnace to a two-sided air supply system can greatly improve smelting efficiency. Once the pig iron becomes semi-liquid, the air blast is increased to reduce the carbon content.
The hydraulic blower model that Amu and his friends had been working on earlier also came in handy. During this period, the half-grown children also stayed in the workshop with Qingping every day. Occasionally, people passing by could hear the heated discussions.
Wen Yi did not interfere with these things. As long as something usable could be produced in the end, it would be fine. The difficulties solved in the process would become experience.
After the style of the hydraulic blower was decided, Wen Yi chose the iron smelting workshop at the junction of the north and east districts downstream of the river.
The sound of forging can be heard occasionally, but it's unclear when we'll be able to produce steel of sufficient strength. Once production is ramped up, we'll be able to manufacture even stronger building materials.
These things are all long-term. What they usually do now is to trade step by step, while arming the city and themselves to deal with possible invasions after the autumn harvest.
In the propaganda of surrounding forces, their territory is portrayed as a paradise on earth, giving hope to those who have left their homes. Once the crisis is over, these people will become the lowest level of the city's operations. Every winter, some people will disappear due to hunger and severe cold, and new populations will be needed.
Rumor has it that Pingyi has not yet emerged from the shadow of its occupation, and the people patrolling the fields are usually armed. They don't need the influx of refugees, as that would only make the city more chaotic. But every time they see the way others avoid them, they can't help but sigh.
"It's because we don't need them, but they haven't abandoned us. Don't think too much about it."
Wen Yi turned around and saw Yao Wenjun approaching. He was still damp, as if freshly washed, and he also had a hint of herbal scent, which was added during the soap-making process and was very popular with everyone.
"That's right." Wen Yi threw the document beside her into her hands, "Take a look. I'll go check on Amu while it's still light."
Yao Wenjun took it and took a look. It was about some matters in summer.
"You guys just make the decisions on these matters." She put the documents back, then took out the waste paper from the bamboo basket and poured it into the big box next to it for recycling.
*
As expected, Amu was still squatting in the East District. Not only her, but Zhong Ji and others were also here, watching a man using a hammer to hit the iron blank that had been shaped.
This has gone through three stages of hammering, and the carbon content is still not low, but compared to the initial ones, it is infinitely close to steel, and even the forging master is beaming.
She had been an apprentice in an ironworks, a registered craftsman, but because her master favored another apprentice, she was forced to do menial labor from which she learned nothing. Unexpectedly, she learned that her sister was still alive, and after hearing the news, she immediately packed up her belongings and came over.
When she entered the city, she heard the owner was looking for experienced blacksmiths, so she bravely signed up and unexpectedly got hired. There were two older blacksmiths there, and they were very open with their guidance. She was thrilled to have such a sharp weapon in her hands.
She put it in water to cool it down, then polished it with one side of the stone, gradually revealing a silvery-white light. Even though there were some uneven edges, based on her years of experience, it was different from the previous soft or fragile iron products.
Wen Yi didn't make a sound when she came over. It was only after the incident that Amu noticed her arrival.
I originally wanted to go over, but after looking at the dirt on my body, I smiled and just waved my hand.
On the way back, Amu and the others were still excitedly discussing what happened today, including the sharpness of the blade. Wen Yi did not interrupt, but followed behind with a smile.
Patrols were already being rotated, and those on night patrol carried paper-made soybean oil lamps that illuminated the small area below. There was a curfew, and everyone was used to hearing the noises in the middle of the night.
In the past, thatched houses were prone to fire, requiring midnight warnings. Every household had to prepare water to deal with fires, and timely observation was also part of patrol duties. Now that most houses in the city are made of brick and stone, the main concern at night is the fear of outsiders taking advantage of the opportunity to attack the city.
The yard behind the mansion has become bustling with activity. People who worked outside during the day have returned. After taking a shower in the water heated by the sun, they change into clean clothes and lie down on the recliners, feeling so comfortable.
Yao Wenjun was lying in a chair, his tone full of joy, "I can hear the cheers over there from here. Is there any progress?"
Her hearing was better than the average person's, and with daily exercise, her physical fitness was several levels better than that of an average person. Over time, Wen Yi was no longer surprised by the fact that she could hear unusual movements from a distance, and simply nodded.
“There is some progress.”
Wen Yi didn't need to explain the rest, as those half-grown children told the whole story like pouring beans.
Shu Heshan listened with a smile and occasionally pointed out some parts that were missing from their sharing.
After being able to do things, even Amu's temperament became much more lively. Although he still had various homework to do in the morning and was very tired, the sense of accomplishment could clear away all these bad emotions.
Wen Yi also washed his hands and ate the food he had packed, then moved his chair out of the house and lay on it to enjoy the night breeze.
Lighting some hay in the yard can help repel mosquitoes to a certain extent. Combined with special soap and insect repellent cloth bags, you won't be bitten by mosquitoes unless they attract them.
Outside the city, the guys who had originally planned to sneak into the city under the cover of night were in trouble in front of the raised city walls and finally had to leave.
The next day, the people patrolling the perimeter reported the damage on the wall to Yao Wenjun.
Upon hearing this, Yao Wenjun immediately took his spear and walked outside the city. He found that there were indeed traces of climbing and digging, but perhaps the height was beyond their expectations, and it was only half the height.
There are also two lines of footprints under the city wall.
The soldiers sent out to track down the suspects have returned, and their footsteps finally disappeared on the main road. The footprints there were so complicated that it was impossible to identify the final whereabouts of these people.
"I understand. We'll strengthen night patrols these days and deploy more personnel on the city wall. If anything happens, we'll act immediately."
Yao Wenjun has been preparing for a long time.
Although the news hadn't been widely publicized, it was easy for someone with ulterior motives to gather information about the change of ownership from passing refugees and dispatched caravans. The crops grown outside the city were the perfect bait, but it was surprising that someone would be so eager to find out and send spies so early.
The atmosphere in the city became tense, and Wen Yi also hurried to make the copper and iron into handy weapons.
Looking at the report, long weapons are extremely advantageous on the battlefield. Since spears require little metal, they are the weapon of choice for most soldiers. A few also chose hammers.
The iron hammer here is naturally not the kind used by blacksmiths in later generations, but something with an irregular iron block as big as a fist on the top. Otherwise, it would be difficult to swing, let alone use it in battle to kill the enemy.
Bows and crossbows are also needed when defending the city. Unfortunately, the mechanisms are too sophisticated and difficult to make in a short period of time even with the blueprints. We can only wait until the output of the smelting workshop is stable and then try to make parts with these stronger materials.
There are also some dirty things that are inappropriate, but no one cares about them when life and death are at stake.
Wen Yi counted the amount of grain in the city again. Even if the crops planted outside this year were destroyed, the old grain could barely be made into food for next year, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, she went out and exchanged a lot of crops after the autumn harvest last year, otherwise she would have to worry about how everyone would survive in the winter if the fertile fields outside the city were destroyed.
Even though the city's animal husbandry has gradually developed in the eastern district, it can only provide meat porridge every few days, and most of it is wild animals hunted from the nearby mountains and forests.
The weather had been getting even hotter these past few days, and even hanging food in a water tank would spoil the next day. The city's medical clinic had also seen a number of people who had accidentally suffered from heatstroke. Fortunately, Wen Yi had received prior training, and some temporary assistance had arrived, so no major problems arose.
However, when I came to the clinic at noon, I met a very rude young man who asked people to go to his house to see a patient.
"It's our job to stand guard here. If you feel unwell, please describe the symptoms or bring someone over."
The young man was very dissatisfied. Just as he was about to say something, he looked up and saw the guards' gazes shrinking for a moment. Then he seemed to remember something and raised his voice a little:
"My general is your superior, you are being disrespectful! Hurry up and have someone follow me, or I'll hold you accountable!"
The guard knew what was going on. Seeing that he was about to pull the busy person away, he reached out and picked up the boy and carried him out of the room, saying in a somewhat unfriendly tone:
"This is our territory. If your general is not satisfied, leave as soon as possible."
Although the matter was suppressed, this soldier happened to be one of the people who went to the general's house that day and arrested the "staff" who spoke rebellious words. Although Yao Wenjun later suppressed the matter for the sake of stability, it does not mean that this group of people will still be respectful to the so-called general.
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