"What did you say?" Chun Yuzhen's face was confused, he rarely spoke so literately.

Zhao Xingde explained: "Artillery is a militaristic weapon, and the artillery you cast is better than the imperial court, aren't you afraid that the Ordnance Department will detain you, and it will be difficult to see the light of day?" ”

Chun Yuzhen was stunned for a moment, and then smiled: "No, more than ten years ago, the iron bucket cannon cast by the Li Family Iron Factory was more than 100 catties lighter than that of the Ordnance Division, and Boss Li is still doing his business well, and the Ordnance Department has used his know-how, and the iron bucket cannon cast by the Armory Department has also paid the apprentice according to the agreement." The apprentice Qian Nai Xia had been in place for more than 100 years, and craftsmen could collect apprenticeship money from copycats throughout the Xia Kingdom within twenty years as long as they registered their craft know-how or inventions with the imperial court. This law greatly stimulated the emergence and improvement of all kinds of tricks and tricks, but the disadvantage was to raise the cost of goods. However, after a hundred years of accumulation, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

The convinced look in Chun Yuzhen's eyes is a clear proof that the laws of the Xia State court are ironclad.

Zhao Xingde pondered for a long time, and said slowly: "Mr. Chunyu, the cannon casting method you use is generally good, and it is extremely rare, and what is lacking is just subtle. It would be a pity to give up. I have a way to turn things around. ”

Just now he drew the drawings of Chun Yuzhen's cannon casting mechanism, and pointed out the reason for his failure, Chun Yuzhen already believed that he was a master in this, and when he heard Zhao Xingde's words, he immediately showed an excited look and said: "Really? Please also ask for your advice. ”

Zhao Xingde added a few more strokes to the pattern he had just drawn with his right hand, and said in a deep voice: "The so-called excessive, iron mold and cold water are both to promote the accelerated solidification of copper water, maybe the problem, is in this 'fast' word, in my opinion, if you use flowing warm water to cool the inner wall of the gun chamber, it may be slightly different from the effect of cold water." By the way," he asked, looking up at something, "I wonder if there are any objects in this world that measure heat and cold?" ”

Chun Yuzhen immediately said: "What Mr. said is the Yan Liang Yi, but there is one." It's just that the price is expensive, and ordinary people don't need it, so it's not known to the world. When we waited for the blacksmith shop, we mainly looked at the flame and the color of the copper and molten iron to grasp the heat, so we didn't buy it for backup. ”

Zhao Xingde nodded, and said in a deep voice: "It is this thing, if the key to the failure of the casting cannon is the temperature of the coolant, the heat of the flowing water used to cool the inner chamber will gradually increase, and at the same time, the heat of the flowing water on the outer wall of cooling can be gradually reduced." He pointed to the device he had added, wrapped around the iron mold on the outer wall, similar to the circulating water-cooled pipe on the inner wall. He thought about it for a moment, but still said in a somewhat uncertain tone, "This way we can try out the temperature of the cooling water that the cannon really needs." Accurately recording it with the heat and coolness meter you said can greatly improve the success rate of casting cannons. ”

The experience of the blacksmith is mainly in the mastery of the heat, and the influence of heating or cooling temperature on the smelting and casting of copper and iron, Chun Yuzhen can also imagine it, but he has not thought of a solution as thoroughly as Zhao Xingde.

Zhao Xingde rubbed his temples and said: "I hope the problem is in the cooling, if it is a material formula, it will be difficult to do." "In this era, most of the material problems can only be solved by trial and error, and the effort and time required to solve the coolant temperature problem are many times greater. He paused, and then said to Chun Yuzhen: "Remember, you must use the heat meter to remember the temperature clearly every time, so as not to do useless work." ”

Chun Yuzhen's eyes revealed a look of surprise, and he sighed: "I Chun Yuzhen used to think that his casting skills were unparalleled in the world, but today I listened to Mr. Yi's teachings, and I knew that there are people outside the world, and there is heaven in the sky." His expression instantly turned gloomy, "In the past, I tried to cast a bronze cannon indiscriminately, and I have already destroyed all my family property, and my husband's method must be effective, but unfortunately, I can't try it now." After he was silent for a long time, he raised his head again, his eyes turned firm, and said to Zhao Xingde, "When I revive my family business in the future, I will definitely try it according to the method taught by Mr." ”

Zhao Xingde sighed, moved by Chun Yuzhen's persistence, he glanced at the side, Li Ruoxue frowned slightly, as if he had something else to do. Zhao Xingde pondered for a moment, made up his mind, and said to Chun Yuzhen: "If you have savings in the next place, I will help you." With that, he took out the 10,000 Jiaozi placed close to his body from his arms, which was the vast majority of his property, but if he wanted to test the casting cannon, it was still difficult to say that he could hold on to success.

"This, how?" Chun Yuzhen took the hand over and looked at it, he was startled, although the money he spent on casting cannons was several times this, but Zhao Xingde was able to rely on one side alone, not only to guide him to the trick of casting, but also to generously give money to help, it was really incredible, he thought about it, he really didn't have any plans to let others, and he was even more grateful in his heart. The bitterness of being forced to pay a debt by the creditor in the morning came to my heart, and I choked up: "Mr. Zhao is my reborn parent, and I have repaid the debt, so this blacksmith shop is Mr. Zhao's." ”

Zhao Xingde originally wanted to fund him to complete the experiment of casting artillery, but who would have thought that Chun Yuzhen would actually think that it would be to help him pay off his debts and keep his ancestral family property. It was also difficult for him to change his words, thinking that he would be a good person today, and shook his head and said: "I am going to Dunhuang on business, and it is better for you to take care of your ancestral inheritance." He paused, still feeling unwilling to be buried in such a good cannon casting technique, and said, "When you turn around, you can try it according to the method I said, casting copper cannons is too expensive, so start with cast iron cannons, first cast small ones, and then cast large ones, so that the money can support several more tests." ”

Chun Yu Zhenxin said that he met a righteous man today, and when I run the blacksmith shop well, it is not too late to transfer it to him, and the apprentice money for the casting device is naturally Mr. Zhao's, so he no longer insisted, and only asked respectfully: "Can you know the name of Engong in the next place?" ”

"Under the surname Zhao Mingde." Zhao Xingde casually reported his pseudonym in Xia Kingdom.

After Chun Yuzhen walked away, Zhao Xingde looked at Li Ruoxue, only to see that she was also looking at herself with wide eyes, as if she wanted to get to know the person in front of her again.

"Don't you think there's something to say?" Li Ruoxue said in a low voice. Zhao Xingde's actions greatly exceeded her expectations, as if suddenly it became very distant and unfamiliar. As for Yuan Zhi's money to help the craftsman, she felt that this was a gentleman's metaphor for righteousness, and it was a matter of course.

Zhao Xingde looked at her, the atmosphere between the two of them became a little delicate, and finally, he spoke: "Do you believe in your previous life?" ”

Li Ruoxue was stunned for a moment, nodded, was silent for a moment, and asked in a low voice: "On the bridge, didn't you drink Meng Po soup?" ”

Zhao Xingde smiled bitterly: "Maybe." He said slowly, "I was a craftsman in my previous life, and what I said to Chun Yuzhen just now was remembered by birth. ”

Li Ruoxue's eyes were slightly red, and she was a little angry in her heart, but she didn't expect Zhao Xingde to not only hide his ability from her, but also make up nonsense so sloppily. She originally thought that these miscellaneous crafts were taught to Zhao Xingde in Chao Buzhi's spare time. She didn't refute, but continued to ask, "Then what do you remember, the wife of your previous life?" She unconsciously lifted her heart gently.

Zhao Xingde hurriedly said: "Xiaosheng has not married a wife yet, and he is not even a ...... woman" He paused and said, "There is not even a good woman." ”

Seeing his nervous appearance, Li Ruoxue felt a hint of sweetness in her heart, but she was still annoyed by his nonsense, and continued: "If you were a craftsman in your previous life, where would the workshop be?" Who is the master? "I secretly hate in my heart, tell you to make up nonsense, continue to make it up, are you the bald pen man who writes the book?

When Zhao Xingde saw her expression, he guessed her thoughts, and couldn't cry or laugh, but he still felt that he took advantage of this opportunity to give some explanations to Li Ruoxue, so he sorted out the memories that had been buried for a long time, and said slowly: "I don't have a master." Li Ruoxue was about to refute, but heard him say again, "It can also be said that there are many masters." The expression on his face seemed to be in reminiscence, if he was pretending to be a ghost, it would inevitably be too realistic, Li Ruoxue frowned slightly, but now he was more worried about him.

"At that time, the imperial court wanted to build the world's largest iron factory, because it cost a lot of money, so it gathered all the domestic craftsmen and set up a team, starting from surveying the site and sorting ores, and designing the process and process little by little. At that time, I was the same age as now, following these master craftsmen every day, running around the mountains and wilderness. That's when I really started to understand the art of smelting. ”

Li Ruoxue looked at Zhao Xingde with some sympathy, and said in a low voice: "At that time, it was very hard. ”

Zhao Xingde nodded and said with a slight smile: "Although it is bitter, there is a lot of gain." Although there is no fixed master, he keeps in mind everything that people say, just like asking for food, although he is tired, every bite of rice is very sweet. There was a look of nostalgia on his face, and he suddenly said, "The steel mill has not yet begun to be built, I slept and dreamed one day, and when I woke up, I became a little child in this world, until now, these things in my past life, I am also the first time to talk to people." ”

Li Ruxue nodded and said in a low voice: "If you say it, I'm afraid that you will be treated as a monster." She has also seen some ignorant people, because of some abnormalities in the newborn child, they abandoned it in the wild, but now she feels that Zhao Xingde has been hiding these things in his past life in his heart, and he can't talk to outsiders, which is a very difficult pain, and he is relieved to hide his small mistakes.

She pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Zhuang Zhou dreams of butterflies, butterflies dream of Zhuang Zhou, maybe, you are still in a dream now." After a pause, he muttered, "Strange to say, sometimes I also feel that today's things, one by one, seem to have been done before, but it is always after the passage that there will be a sense of déjà vu, do you say this is the destiny of heaven?" ”

"It's destiny, we're together." Zhao Xingde held her hands, feeling so warm and real. The young assistant who was busy in the expert group of the Southern Steel Mill project was once again buried deep in his distant memory.