There was no rain for two months, and the river was dry......

All the pressure is on Xin Zixiu's body, as a parent, every time he thinks of those desperate people, he is worried all day long, after all, if he continues like this, many people will definitely starve to death.

The flickering oil lamp dropped his figure on the wall. The shadow sat like him. Both the person and the figure are doing the same thing.

"Hey, the price of food has risen again, it's almost a stone or two, but how can the people live!"

Raising his face, Xin Zixiu's face was full of worry, and when he heard someone come in, he asked without raising his head.

"In the past two days, is there any news from Shi Gongzi?"

It was Master Li Hui who came in, and he saluted first with a paper fan in his hand, and then said.

"Back to Futai, in the past two days, Shi Gongzi has been in the blacksmith shop, and he hasn't come out much."

Still there and didn't come out?

"Do you know, what does he want to do?"

Xin Zixiu asked curiously. Then he muttered to himself.

"Well, I don't bother him, even if I use him, I have to believe him, don't I?"

Believe in Him...... Seeing Futai silent. Li Hui said.

"Futai, you asked Zai to go down to find out his identity two days ago, and I have already found out below."

"Oh?"

Xin Zixiu asked again.

"Back to Futai, Shi Gongzi is actually an official of the imperial court, but he is a ...... of Jinyiwei who returned to the court from the old port last year to pay tribute."

"It's him!"

Suddenly startled, Xin Zixiu remembered that there was indeed such a person.

"Isn't he in the Zhuangzi on the outskirts of Beijing? How did you get here? ”

"Futai, I heard that Shi Gongzi opened several factories on the banks of the Lugou River, and there are coal kilns with the British government, I really don't know why he came here."

"There are several factories......

Hearing this, Xin Zixiu sat there and pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Well, I know about this matter, has the identity of that Zhang Gongzi been found?"

"Back to Futai, I have checked it below, Zhang Gongzi...... There is a person with the same name as him, but the age is not the same. ”

Li Hui's answer made Xin Zixiu's brows jump and he said curiously.

"Oh, who is that eponymous man?"

"That person is the son of Zhang Mansion in Wusha Hutong."

Wusha Hutong Zhangfu!

Xin Zixiu stood up suddenly, and was so shocked that he didn't speak for a long time, and only said after a while.

"You say yes, they're not the right age!"

"Yes, indeed. So, I think it's probably just the same name......"

"There are so many people with the same name in the world, besides, the surname Zhang is a big surname, and that Zhang Gongzi is just a weak crown, and he is just a foreign scholar who went to the capital to prepare for the exam."

Xin Zixiu said seemingly casually.

"Ming'an, you go down, this matter is stopped, as for what their identities are, and what does it have to do with you and me, as long as they can save the people on this side, understand?"

Staring at Li Hui coldly, Xin Zixiu waved his hand to signal him to go down, and then his brows furrowed even tighter, sitting behind the bookcase, he seemed to be thinking about something......

"Iron......

With a roar in the blacksmith shop, the mouth of the hundred-pound iron furnace was opened, and then the fiery red molten iron flowed out of the iron furnace.

When the molten iron was poured into the sand mold, and the air eye of the sand mold kept spitting out smoke, Ma Laosi stared at the mold box and asked.

"Childe, this, this sand mold can really work?"

There was suspicion in his tone, yesterday, Li Dianshi in the yamen led this Shi Gongzi to the iron workshop, and then this Shi Gongzi took out a drawing and asked him to cast ironware.

"This cast iron must first make a clay mold, and after the clay mold dries, you can cast iron."

After learning that the clay mold would take at least half a month to dry, this Shi Gongzi suddenly wanted to make a sand mold with river sand and other raw materials.

"Sure!"

Shi Yiwen raised his head, looked at the blacksmith beside him and said.

"This sand mold is finalized, you don't need to wait for the mud mold to dry, you need to put the finished parts model or wooden model in the sand, and then fill the sand around the mold, and the sand forms a casting mold after opening the box and taking out the pattern. It's more convenient to use than a clay mold......"

In fact, now Shi Yiwen is also a little troubled when explaining many things, and such repeated explanations always make people a little helpless.

"I knew that I should let the factory do things first."

However, at that time, it was not clear what was needed here.

Forget it, let's deal with it first.

Shi Yiwen, who seems to be full of confidence, is beating the drum in his heart, after all, these craftsmen are casting with sand molds for the first time, in case there is any accident...... What's the big deal? It's a big deal, just reforge once.

The molten iron flowed into the sand mold, and the air holes that pierced out spewed white smoke from time to time, and soon, more than a dozen cast iron had been cast, and while waiting for the cast iron to cool down, Shi Yiwen looked a little anxious.

"Zhiyuan, look at your urgency, drink some water first."

Zhang Jingxiu, who came over with a teacup, looked at the sand mold on the ground, and then said softly.

"On Lugou's side, there's nothing wrong with you ordering people to make those things, let alone just such a gadget?"

"Hey, Zixuan, people are different."

With a long sigh, Shi Yiwen said softly.

"Actually, this kind of thing is more suitable for being made in the factory. And maybe it will cost less, but ......"

After hesitating for a while, Shi Yiwen explained again.

"Small things like this, and can't all be made in the factory, after all, the freight is put there, if it is made in the factory, the people who will benefit are at most the people of hundreds of miles nearby, and if it is farther, it will be beyond its reach, just like an iron pot, too far, and the freight is high, and the people will not be able to use it."

Transportation, in ancient times, the manufacture of trade was transportation, most of the time, the ancients were along the river, with the help of rivers, canals to sell materials from all over the world, but even water transportation has too many restrictions.

Finally, after waiting for almost half an hour, the sand mold was broken, revealing the still fiery casting, looking at the familiar shape, Shi Yiwen smiled, turned his head and said to Zhang Jingxiu.

"It's done!"

Then he commanded the blacksmith again.

"Alright, next, cast iron rods again!"

Although the casting has not cooled down, he is still very satisfied with what has been cast, but the rest still needs a lot of raw materials, such as cowhide or something, but it is all bits and pieces.

While the blacksmiths were busy casting iron rods, Shi Yiwen continued to be busy with other things, and he was not idle all night, and when he was busy, Zhang Jingxiu just watched quietly from the sidelines, and occasionally a trace of melancholy flashed between his eyebrows......