The trail stretches through the lush forest, the scenery in the forest is very beautiful, and the surroundings are very quiet, although the birds are chirping in the shade, but it is very quiet. Walking along the trail for about a cup of tea, finally, Fang Zi'an and Qin Xiqing heard the sound of clanging from the front.

There was another mansion in the open space in front of it, and the mansion did not look too large, but it was obviously an old mansion, because the walls of the gatehouse were covered with green vines and grass, and the whole house and the woods were almost integrated. The jingling sound became clearer, as if it was the sound of smelting iron.

Qin Xiqing and Fang Zi'an came to the stone steps in front of the courtyard gate, and before knocking on the door, Qin Xiqing whispered to Fang Zi'an: "This Mr. Su Heng is not very good-tempered, you don't want to provoke him for a while." Even if he doesn't want to help, don't worry, but don't quarrel with anyone. ”

Fang Zi'an smiled: "What do you think of me?" Am I so quarrelsome? But anyone who has the ability will have a weird temper, and the more this Su Heng has a weird temper, the more it means that he has the ability. ”

Qin Xiqing said with a smile: "That's not necessarily, your steam engine is too fanciful, maybe you will be regarded as a madman." ”

Fang Zi'an smiled: "If he is a real master, he should understand that I am a genius design." ”

Qin Xiqing didn't want to listen to Fang Zi'an's boasting, so she gave him a blank look, stepped forward and knocked on the courtyard door. Soon after, someone called the door, it was a middle-aged woman in ordinary clothes but with a good appearance. The woman laughed when she saw Qin Xiqing.

"It's Miss Qin, please, please."

Qin Xiqing bowed her head and saluted: "Sister-in-law Su, I'm sorry, I'm here to bother again." ”

The woman laughed and said, "What kind of harassment is this? Who is this one? ”

Qin Xiqing hurriedly said: "This is Fang Gongzi, my ...... My friend. The last time I came, I came to visit Brother Su at his invitation. Zi'an, this is Sister-in-law Su. ”

Fang Zi'an hurriedly smiled and bowed: "Sister-in-law is polite, Zi'an is bothered below." ”

The woman smiled and saluted, "Nothing, nothing." My husband is in the backyard, and I'll take you there. ”

Fang Zi'an and Qin Xiqing thanked each other, followed the woman into the house, and followed the clean path through the passage between the two houses to the backyard. The backyard was two or three times larger than the frontyard, and the whole backyard was barren, and the ground was paved with fine gravel and gravel, like a basketball court. In the middle of the courtyard, there is a small grass pavilion, in which there are stoves and anvils piled up with all kinds of sundries. At this moment, a tall, man-haired man was wielding a hammer and pounding a piece of red-hot iron on an anvil with a sturdy teenager. In the jingle bell, sparks are flying everywhere, which is very beautiful.

The woman led Fang Zi'an, Qin Xiqing and the others to the outside of the grass hut, and said with a smile: "My husband is unkempt and sloppy all day long, I'm really sorry." The slave went and called him, and you stood here waiting. Your garments are all satin, and they will be torn when the sparks are splashed. ”

Fang Zi'an hurriedly said: "Sister-in-law, don't worry, just wait for Brother Su to finish the work." ”

Qin Xiqing glanced at Fang Zi'an with a smile, and thought: You are putting on a polite corporal.

The woman smiled and said, "That's all right, you can wait here for a while, and I'll go boil water and make tea and bring it." ”

"I'm tired." Qin Xiqing said busily.

The woman left with a smile, and Fang Zi'an and Qin Xiqing stood there watching Su Heng and the young man striking iron. That Su Heng didn't glance at Fang Zi'an and Qin Xiqing from beginning to end, but the young man glanced at this side a few times and whispered something, but was scolded by Su Heng, who had messy hair.

Jingle bell, ding bell bell. Su Heng seemed to be unable to finish the work, and he was busy there. The boy was obviously a little struggling, he looked like he was only a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, and his strength was enough. It's a sledgehammer again, and it's even harder. Finally, a hammer smashed down and smashed crookedly, and the iron that was about to be formed was scrapped at once.

Su Heng shouted and scolded: "Bastard, haven't you eaten?" Can't even hold the hammer? What can be done? ”

The young man snorted, "I don't have the strength, Dad, why don't you stop." ”

Su Heng scolded: "If you don't eat less, you won't have the strength to work." The lazy cow has a lot of poop and urine on the field. How can you rest in such a hurry? ”

The young man blushed and tears rolled in his eyes, but he seemed to be afraid of Su Heng, and he lowered his head and didn't dare to talk back. Seeing this, Fang Zi'an took off the long shirt he was wearing outside and handed it to Qin Xiqing.

Qin Xiqing said in a low voice: "What are you doing?" ”

Fang Zi'an waved his hand, walked straight to the grass shed, reached out and took the sledgehammer from the young man's hand, patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "Little brother, go take a breath, I'll take your place." ”

The young man looked at Su Heng's face, and Su Heng glanced at Fang Zi'an, noncommittal. The tongs in his hand pinched out a piece of red-hot iron, and the small hammer was a little on the anvil, which was a hint of a beating. Fang Zi'an picked up the sledgehammer and began to strike iron, one hammer after another was stable and accurate, and the strength was just right, Su Heng glanced at Fang Zi'an in surprise, lowered his head and concentrated on striking iron.

A piece of iron was quickly formed, and it was the shape of an iron shovel, which was an ordinary farm tool used by ordinary farmers to turn over the soil and open up the land. Fang Zi'an couldn't laugh or cry, this master Su who was said by Qin Xiqing was actually building ordinary farm tools.

Jingle bell, ding bell!

Nearly an hour has passed, and more than 30 farm tools have been forged in a row, including shovels, shovels, shovels, and hoes. Fang Zi'an and Su Heng's cooperation was very tacit, during which Su Heng kept casting approving glances, and the indifference on his face gradually disappeared. Finally, after the last shovel was beaten into shape, quenched and thrown into the iron farm tool with a bang, Su Heng finally said in a deep voice: "It's over." ”

Fang Zi'an smiled, put down the sledgehammer and reached out to wipe his sweat. Su Heng scolded the young man standing aside: "Polishing all these farm tools in the afternoon, and send them to the Zhuangzi outside the city in the evening." You know what? ”

The young man hurriedly said, "I know Daddy." ”

Su Heng looked at Fang Zi'an and said, "Thank you." This is the farming tools that the farmers outside the city want, and the spring ploughing is imminent, so they must be forged as soon as possible, otherwise it will be bad if they miss the farming time. They feed on the sky. ”

Fang Zi'an suddenly realized that this Su Heng was working so hard to strike iron, but it was a farm tool for farmers who were farming outside the city, for fear of delaying spring ploughing. Not only did I have a good impression of him.

Qin Xiqing stepped forward and saluted: "Hello Brother Su, Xiqing is here to bother again." ”

Su Heng hugged his big black hand and said, "Hello Miss Qin, I am indeed a little bothered, I have been very busy these days." But with the help of this brother, today's work is finished. If my boy were to do it with me, I'm afraid it wouldn't be done until the afternoon. ”

Qin Xiqing said with a smile: "This one is Fang Gongzi, my friend, who I said last time I wanted to bring him to introduce you to you." ”

Su Heng glanced at Fang Zi'an and said, "Well, this brother is good, he is a piece of iron." ”

Qin Xiqing almost burst out laughing, Fang Zi'an glared at her and said with a smile: "Thank you Brother Su for your compliment." Ming'er didn't have anything to eat, so he came to be an apprentice with Brother Su. ”

Su Heng was about to speak, when the woman stood at the back door and shouted, "Husband, are you done?" The guests have been waiting for this for a long time, but Miss Qin is a distinguished guest. It's also too rude. Let's go back to the house and talk. ”

Su Heng nodded and strode into the house. Qin Xiqing put on the silk shirt for Fang Zi'an, and laughed in a low voice: "Little blacksmith, you did a good job." ”

Fang Zi'an gestured to touch her face with her black hand, but Qin Xiqing hurriedly blushed and avoided it.

After entering the house and washing my hands, I finally sat down. The woman served the tea, and Su Heng also changed her clothes and tidied up her hair and came out to sit down.

Qin Xiqing said with a smile: "Brother Su, Fang Gongzi and I are here today because there are some things I want to ask you." ”

Su Heng said: "If there is anything to say, it is." Miss Qin, doesn't she have to make an iron hairpin? ”

Qin Xiqing said with a smile: "Brother Su said that he was joking, it was Gongzi Fang who had something to ask." ”

Su Heng said: "This brother said yes, but I'm just an ironworker, and I may not be able to help you." ”

Fang Zi'an smiled: "That's the case, I heard the name of Brother Su from Xiqing's mouth, and I know that your family heirloom skills are clever and good at making some delicate things." I've been working on some things lately, but the blacksmiths in the shop outside some of the parts can't be forged, so I'd like to ask for your help. ”

Su Heng frowned and waved his hand: "I can't help this, I won't take the job." Those farm tools were made for free for the people. If you want to forge something, you should find someone else. ”

Fang Zi'an was stunned for a moment, and said with a smile: "Brother Su, this thing is very important to me, I really don't have this skill." It takes a skilled master to help me complete this thing, so I asked Xiqing to find you by all means. Please do me a favor. ”

"Then I can't take care of it, everyone wants me to help, I have to help until the next life. The court asked me to be an official, and I didn't do anything to help build the armillary sphere. I can't help you. Su Heng waved his hand.

Fang Zi'an and Qin Xiqing glanced at each other, and thought in their hearts: "This person is really not good at talking." ”

Qin Xiqing said with a smile: "Brother Su, the slave family came with sincerity this time, and once I helped Fang Gongzi, the slave family was rewarded with a lot of money." ”

Su Heng frowned and said, "Silver?" I am not short of money. I never work for money. Miss Qin, I'm looking at your face. Back then, in Wuxi, you went to sing songs, and I was invited to be in the list, and I listened to a few of your songs for free, so I felt that I owed you something. If it's an ordinary person, I don't have time to talk to them. ”

Qin Xiqing made a big red face, what Su Heng meant, I am giving you face, you don't have to be strong. Otherwise, I won't give face, and I will just blast out. When you speak with money, you are insulting me.

The scene was a little embarrassing for a while, Qin Xiqing couldn't speak anymore, and there was only the sound of Su Heng snoring and drinking tea in the room.

Fang Zi'an coughed and said, "Since Brother Su refuses, we won't be strong." Let this be done. Hey, the thing I came up with couldn't be realized. I'm afraid there is no skilled craftsman in this world who can make it according to my requirements, and there are still too few capable people in our Great Song Dynasty. Those who claim to be masters in the capital, what family skills, how the ancestors have exquisite craftsmanship, are all people who sell their fame and reputation, and they will appear in their original form as soon as they move in real style. I can understand them too. After all, if you eat by bragging, if the cowhide is punctured, there will be nothing. Xiqing, I think let's say goodbye. ”