Skilled craftsmen operate precision machine tools with focused attention, meticulously machining the parts to ensure that each component fits perfectly.
The sounds of milling and grinding mingled together as workers skillfully and quickly assembled various parts on the assembly line, their movements precise and swift.
It was now the tail end of the summer of the second year after the war.
The first batch of AKs was only a little over a thousand, since iron mining wasn't as easy as it is today.
Moreover, the reason we were able to get over a thousand ore on the first try was because of water transport; otherwise, without water transport to bring in the ore, we wouldn't have even gotten a thousand.
Technological backwardness is reflected in all aspects.
However, Jiang Shuwan has already sent people to repair the railway tracks. Putting aside everything else, with the railway tracks and new machinery in place, the output of iron ore mining will increase.
Production increased, and the goods were transported by water to Kyoto for remanufacturing—this speed, in Jiang Shuwan's opinion, was frighteningly slow.
But in the present day, it is already terrifying.
In particular, when they tested the AK with binoculars attached at the factory, the accuracy of the AK made them so afraid that they wanted to wear a helmet.
Of course, there were no helmets.
With a shortage of supplies, where would we find the spare money to provide them with these things?
******
Cotton field.
Suburbs of Beijing.
The cotton fields on the outskirts of Beijing, bathed in sunlight, resemble a vast, boundless green ocean.
When Jiang Shuwan arrived at the cotton field, she happened to see the people topping the cotton plants.
Wearing straw hats and clutching tools, they carefully removed the growing tips from the cotton plants.
Their movements were skillful and precise, each one like a craftsman performing a delicate carving.
His gaze was very serious, as if he were treating a precious work of art.
Under the scorching sun, the people's clothes were soaked with sweat, and their faces showed deep reluctance.
"What a terrible thing! The crops are growing so well, and they're going to prune them? How can they do this to the crops!" A villager couldn't help but exclaim.
“Stop talking nonsense. The princess said that by pruning the tops, we can control the growth of the cotton, promote the development of the cotton bolls, and make the cotton grow fuller,” another commoner replied.
"You don't know, do you? Last year when cotton was planted, some people couldn't bear to leave the seeds untorn, and the final yield... well, it was pitiful... Now cotton seeds are more expensive than gold..."
An elderly resident said, a look of regret on his face.
"Where did you think the princess found the seed?" someone asked curiously.
"I heard it was traded with foreign merchants?" someone speculated.
"Are they really that good? With our Jing Kingdom in such a state, it's already a miracle they're not taking advantage of our misfortune." Someone questioned.
"That's impossible. It was obtained by the princess using her glassmaking technology, along with other seeds like pepper. Many people grow them, but they're not as valued as cotton. Last year, the princess planted an acre of cotton, which was used to make incredibly warm cotton-padded clothes," explained a local resident who knew the situation.
"You don't know, the cotton ginning factory was almost bursting at the seams. Before, those men were reluctant to send their women there, saying that women shouldn't be doing jobs that require them to show their faces in public. Haha, that's ridiculous. These female workers earn more than them."
A young woman said, wearing shorts that revealed her healthy arms, with a proud expression on her face.
In rural areas, there are no idle men, and even fewer women who are idle. Even though they are bound by social norms, they still have to go out and work.
However, they used to work very carefully, afraid of being harassed by idle men or lazy men and ruining their reputation.
Nowadays, these women work in various factories, and the princess is the chief minister. Their status has risen significantly, and they are no longer as cautious when they go out to work as before.
If any idler harasses them, they even dare to drag them to court.
If he were to encounter a princess, he wouldn't even know how he died.
The princess said that women can hold up half the sky.
"The princess said that all the cotton this year should be made into cotton-padded clothes and sent to the border. This is a great thing for the country and the people. I wonder how many people will envy us when it is displayed here."
"That's great, now my son will have warm clothes to wear this winter."
"He lost an ear to frostbite last year, waaaaaah..."
Some people started wiping away tears, while others were both crying and laughing.
"My son froze to death last year..."
"If only we had cotton back then, it would be so warm. Silk and satin are all useless. Just sew cotton into a muslin and that would be the warmest thing."
"How could a few hundred acres of cotton possibly be enough for the entire army..."
"Wait a little longer, and one day our sons will be able to wear cotton-padded clothes."
"I heard that the princess is working on some designs again, like a Jenny-woven garment and a water-powered woven garment, which I heard don't require any human weaving."
"Not people? Are you going to use ghosts? That's terrifying!"
"And why is she called Jenny? It sounds like a foreign name, like 'Princess Loom'..."
As they talked, after finishing their work in the cotton fields, they went to the rice paddies to deal with weeds and wild rice varieties. Previously, they had said to eradicate them completely, but now they carefully took out a picture for comparison.
—Now that there are government-run paper mills and movable type printing, pictures are no longer expensive.
Moreover, even the poorest villages can afford a dictionary, so they gradually learned to recognize a few characters.
Not to mention that this drawing was directly issued by the government department, and everyone received one.
"Where can I find this male-sterile rice? We've been looking for it for almost two years and still haven't found it..."
"Who knows? Anyway, the princess said that if they find it, regardless of gender, they'll be granted a noble title..."
"Women can be sealed off too?"
"Of course women can do it. Even a princess can become the prime minister. What's wrong with that?"
"Moreover, the factories on the outskirts of the capital are guarded every three or five steps. They are the most important and confidential places in our Great Jing Dynasty. Currently, they are managed by Miss Sun Wanwan, the daughter of the Sun family in the north."
“I heard that even General Lu Shaogan was questioned when he went in, but Miss Sun showed no mercy.”
"Hehe, this is called keeping public and private matters separate. Miss Sun was personally trained by the princess. As a fourth-rank female official in the research institute's management, even the three major generals' mansions, who have just returned from suppressing rebellions in various places, have to curry favor with her."
"AK is so captivating! The three generals wanted to keep it in their pockets the moment they saw it, and even wanted to hug it while sleeping at night."
"If they hadn't been injured, they would have gone straight to the border."
"They're even complaining that the princess is biased; she didn't make any last year because she didn't give them any..."
"How dare you? You used to ignore the princess, especially that young general, the General Who Protects the Nation. He used to treat the princess like dirt, but now he's practically her shadow. He's always asking the princess for AKs or begging her to send his wounded soldiers to various factories. Tsk tsk, he even got into a fight with other young generals over this, getting all bruised and battered. How embarrassing."
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