Chapter 97: Big Iron
Su Zhizhi and her three friends caught fish and returned home with a full load.
It took two large tanks to hold the fish.
Su Zhizhi asked the kitchen staff if they wanted to catch more fish, and Qiu Jinyu quickly said:
"Don't catch them yet. The kitchen team won't be able to kill them all in time. Let's wait until this batch of fish starts to be pickled, then catch the next batch."
Because Xue Che's clothes were wet, he went back to his room and changed into clean clothes before coming out.
When he walked back to the kitchen, he saw Su Zhizhi lying by the water tank, playing with the fish inside.
"Zhizhi, where are Grandpa Qin and the others?"
Su Zhizhi poked the fish heads in the tank with her fingers:
"They and my dad went to the stream in the back mountain again."
Xue Che was not as calm as Su Zhizhi at this moment. He felt a vague sense of uneasiness and excitement in his heart.
When Old Man Qin talked about the iron ore, his voice was not loud, but Xue Che heard it.
Xue Che has always had a good memory.
He remembered his father telling him about the importance of iron ore.
It can be used to smelt iron, make farm tools, and also to create weapons and armor.
In Dayu, any discovery of iron ore anywhere must be reported to the government promptly.
But Xue Che had a hunch that the villagers would not inform the authorities.
…
By the stream.
Hao Ren, Song Yu, Old Man Qin, Kong Wu and Elder Zixuan stood on a red rock.
This is not directly behind the Black Bandit Mountain, but downstream of the Black Bandit Mountain. People usually don't come here, let alone come to see a stone.
But they see it now.
In pursuit of a large and beautiful carp, Su Zhizhi found a reddish-brown mineral vein.
After Old Man Qin told Hao Ren about this, the two of them called Song Yu and Elder Zixuan.
The Song family was once wealthy and powerful, with industries involving iron smelting.
Elder Zixuan knew about iron ore because the Zixiao Sect had discovered iron ore near their sect before.
Kong Wu swung a hammer and smashed it to the ground, smashing the reddish-brown surface into pieces and scattering powder.
Song Yu and Elder Zixuan wiped it with their hands, put it to the tip of their noses to sniff, examined it carefully, and then came to the same conclusion:
"It's iron ore."
“It is indeed iron ore.”
Song Yu excitedly stroked the reddish-brown powder on his fingertips, thinking that iron ore meant he could make a lot of money.
Elder Zixuan was also excited because iron ore could be used to make many swords.
Old man Qin was even more excited. He loved digging treasures out of the ground.
Kong Wu was fine, he just thought smashing rocks was fun.
Hao Ren: "This matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration. Please don't let the news leak out yet."
Hao Ren's voice and expression were calm.
No matter what happens, he seems to remain calm, like an immortal who has come to the mortal world to experience hardships.
But under the warm sunlight, there was actually a glimmer in his eyes.
His hands clasped behind his back were shaking.
Ever since he became a bandit, many bold and outrageous ideas have emerged in his mind.
Those unrealistic ideas were originally just whimsical plans in my mind, but the moment I saw the iron ore, the outlines of those ideas suddenly became clear and concrete.
Controlling iron ore is a crucial link.
Several people returned to the village, their expressions normal and they said nothing.
In the following period, until the New Year, the whole mountain was still busy with the weaving business.
Only a few villagers who originally worked as blacksmiths were transferred and sent to the stream to help the village catch fish.
The days are drawing closer to the end of the year.
The amount of cured fish and meat outside the kitchen is increasing.
When the last batch of cured products is ready, it is also the time when the workshop sends away the last batch of cotton cloth.
That day was New Year's Eve.
It won’t snow and it won’t be gloomy on New Year’s Eve in Xunzhou.
It was a sunny day.
The sun is red and round, more tempting than the red and oily salted duck egg yolk.
The temporary workers who came to Black Bandit Mountain received their wages and were even given a piece of bacon or salted fish.
Everyone was filled with joy, carrying money and meat, and rushing home to celebrate the New Year.
Although these two or three months have been tiring, it’s worth it!
The villagers of Liangmin Village gathered in the village to have a meal together, and everyone, regardless of age, received a red envelope.
Everyone says that the New Year is auspicious and the coming year will be even better.
Aunt Cuihua wore soft cotton clothes, ate pork elbows, drank Tusu wine, and then counted the money in the red envelope over and over again with her cheeks flushed.
She was a little fatter than before, and practicing bone-shrinking exercises didn't make her lose any weight.
She knew she was prone to gaining weight, but she had never dared to do so before. Not only was she not getting enough to eat, but she was also afraid that gaining weight would cost her clothes an extra foot of fabric.
But now she can gain weight without restraint, which is a kind of happiness. When others say she is fat, she becomes happier and happier.
If you say that next year will be better, Aunt Cuihua can't imagine what life will be like better than this?
This year's New Year's Eve in Heifei Mountain is much more lively than last year. In addition to the crackling sound of firecrackers, there is also a new iron flower performance.
There are so many people here, and they know all kinds of things, even how to make iron flowers.
Su Zhizhi and Xue Che had never seen what iron flower making was.
Su Zhizhi thought that the iron was polished into the shape of a flower.
In the capital, Xue Che had only seen fireworks set off in the palace. Each one cost a fortune, was expensive and beautiful, but faded away in an instant.
A temporary shed for making iron flowers was built on the open space outside the village.
The iron flower craftsman works shirtless, immerses the flower stick into the furnace, and the molten iron flows into the iron flower stick.
The master hit the iron flower stick quickly and violently, with a bang!
The sky is filled with fireworks and golden stars like rain, lighting up the night sky brilliantly.
Su Zhizhi and Xue Che were stunned.
The pupils were filled with dazzling golden light.
The new villagers' eyes turned red as they watched the flames rising into the sky.
They almost forgot that iron and fire could be such beautiful and festive things.
It has nothing to do with killing and bloodshed, nor has it anything to do with the destruction of cities and displacement.
Wei Qi cracked melon seeds and laughed:
"Grandpa, it's so beautiful. Fortunately, I'm not dead. If I were dead, I wouldn't be able to see it."
As Wei Dashuan listened to his grandson's words, his throat became blocked and he was unable to speak.
Among the crowd, only one person shook his head in frustration:
"Waste! What a waste of iron!"
Thousands of golden flowers rose in the sky again and again, and then suddenly disappeared.
When the golden flower fell for the last time, Village Chief Hao, whose appearance was more beautiful than jade, walked out, as if he had descended to the earth on a shower of stars.
"Fellow villagers, everyone in the village has been working hard lately. As you can see, our village and workshops are growing larger and larger, and with everyone practicing martial arts, we need a lot of equipment.
Therefore, we have added a blacksmith workshop in our village. If you have any tools you want to make, please let us know. "
Bai Xun stood on Hao Ren's left, ready to repeat Hao Ren's words loudly at any time.
Although Hao Ren now has a horn-like device to amplify his voice, it is still a little inferior to his deep voice.
Old Man Qin stood to the right of Hao Ren holding a small notebook, his ears moving in the wind, trying to catch the villagers' opinions at any time.
When everyone heard about the blacksmith workshop, they thought it would be very convenient.
Qiu Jinyu said first: "Get two more big pots and a few more kitchen knives for the kitchen."
Kong Wu waved his hands, "Ah, Ah," wanting a very big and heavy hammer.
The villagers said one after another:
"I need a new hoe, sickle, shovel, hook..."
Su Zhizhi stood up: "Iron slingshot!"
Xue Che also stood up: "Can you make me a sword?"
The man in the crowd who had angrily said "waste" before clapped his hands and jumped up, saying confidently:
"Okay! I'll build it for you!"
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