Cao Shuo hadn't been to the craftsman's workshop for a long time.

When they heard that he was coming, the craftsmen and guards came out one after another.

The crowd bowed and saluted.

His eyes fell on the face of the craftsman who took the lead, and Cao Shuo asked, "How many people are here?" ”

The leading craftsman looked no more than thirty or forty years old.

Due to the heavy manual labor he has been engaged in for many years, his palms are thick calluses.

Cao Shuo asked how many people there were, and the craftsman who took the lead replied: "Hui Gongzi, there are four craftsmen and twenty guards." ”

"That's the only one left." Cao Shuo said: "At the beginning, there were quite a few craftsmen in the craftsman's workshop. ”

"At the beginning, Gongzi ordered that some capable people went to Penglai, and only a few of us who didn't have much ability stayed here to take care of the family." The craftsman replied.

Cao Shuo knew that he was not being modest, but telling the truth.

But if there is ability, of course, the Penglai craftsman workshop will take them all.

Those who stay at home are generally in poor health or average craftsmanship, and they will not have much achievement if they are brought to Penglai.

Cao Shuo didn't say a word, and walked past the craftsmen and guards.

Entering the craftsman's workshop, he asked the craftsman, "How much gunpowder is left here?" ”

"Not a single thing left." The craftsman who accompanied him replied: "The craftsman's workshop now only repairs armor and sharpens weapons, and even if there is gunpowder, it is not used. ”

"If you were asked to rebuild it, would you be able to make it?" Cao Shuo asked again.

The craftsman replied: "The gunpowder formula is simple, and if Childe needs it, we can still make it." ”

"Make some." Cao Shuo commanded.

Most of the things in the craftsman's workshop were taken away, but a small number of materials were left for making gunpowder.

The craftsmen found the materials and fried the gunpowder according to the method taught by Cao Shuo.

The method of making gunpowder was simple, and it didn't take long for them to make a barrel.

Carrying a barrel full of gunpowder aside, several craftsmen looked at Cao Shuo.

"I think there should still be paper here." Cao Shuo instructed again: "Take some and get some yellow mud." ”

Including Deng Zhan and Zhu Ao, everyone didn't know what Cao Shuo wanted to do.

Although he was at a loss, the craftsman still found paper and yellow clay as Cao Shuo instructed.

"Give me the paper." Asked for paper from the craftsman, Cao Shuo tore off a long strip first.

Then he crouched on the ground and twisted some gunpowder and sprinkled it in it.

Evenly sprinkled with gunpowder, he rolled up the paper again.

He rolled it with great force, until when he rolled it up, the long strip of paper had become a slender paper stick.

When Cao Shuo did this, the craftsmen all showed a sudden look.

It's just that they didn't understand what the use of such a slender paper pole could be.

Use it to conquer cities?

It seems to be too small.

made a fuse and stuffed it into the paper pole, and Cao Shuo asked Deng Zhan to mix the yellow mud into a paste.

Smeared the yellow mud into the paper pole with gunpowder, and Cao Shuo threw it aside.

"Childe, what are you doing?" Deng Zhan couldn't help but ask.

"Firecrackers." Cao Shuo grinned: "Gunpowder can not only be used to fight, but also to create an atmosphere during the New Year's holidays. ”

For the people of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Spring Festival has not yet become a festive festival.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Spring Festival was even seen as a symbol of bad luck.

"What's there to set the mood for the New Year?" Deng Zhan said: "At that time, it was just officials from all over the country who led the villagers to worship heaven and earth and drive away evil spirits. ”

"Firecrackers exist to drive away evil spirits." Cao Shuo said with a smile: "I have also seen officials from all over the country exort evil spirits, get some fine bamboo and throw them into the fire, and the burning crackles to get rid of the evil spirits with sound. ”

Cao Shuo took the firecracker and shook it in front of Deng Zhan and the others: "With this, there is no need to burn bamboo to drive away evil spirits in the future." ”

"Fetch the fire!" He instructed Deng Zhan.

Deng Zhan waved his hand at one of the guards.

The guards departed, and soon ran back with torches.

Taking the torch from the guard, Deng Zhan looked at Cao Shuo.

Put the firecracker on the ground, Cao Shuo ordered: "Light the fuse, and open your mouth slightly." ”

The others stepped back. Cao Shuo commanded the people on the side again.

After seeing the power of the bomb, although the firecrackers were small and made of paper, everyone still retreated.

Holding the torch forward, Deng Zhan was also very nervous.

He arched his right leg and straightened his left leg, holding the torch in his right hand and carefully pressing it into the fuse of the firecracker.

Looking at Deng Zhan's appearance, Cao Shuo felt a little funny.

"General Deng, do you want me to go and order it myself?" Cao Shuo shouted.

Deng Zhan glanced back at him, swallowed his saliva, and handed the torch forward.

The flames burned to the fuse.

With a soft "snort", the fuse burned out quickly, and the flickering sparks drilled into the firecracker.

Deng Zhan's mouth was open, and he lit the fuse and was about to run back, when a crisp sound of "pop" startled him.

Turning around in astonishment, the firecrackers on the ground were gone.

Near the place where the firecrackers were placed, there were some paper scraps that were broken into irregular fragments.

Picking up a piece of confetti from the ground, Deng Zhan looked at Cao Shuo in astonishment.

"It's really done." Cao Shuo smiled and instructed the craftsmen present: "Make one or two thousand heads according to the method I just made." Weave the fuses together and connect them in long strings. It should be neatly knitted and beautifully knitted. ”

Although they were still confused, the craftsmen agreed.

As long as you can make firecrackers like Cao Shuo, weaving is no longer a problem.

"How long will it take?" Cao Shuo asked again.

"There are four of us, and it takes a whole day." One of the craftsmen replied.

"It's too slow." Cao Shuo said: "In the future, in addition to repairing armor and polishing weapons, the rest of your time will be spent on making firecrackers." It takes four people a whole day to make a firecracker with a thousand rings, and what do you do if someone needs ten thousand or a hundred thousand firecrackers? ”

The craftsmen looked at each other. They couldn't imagine how long it would take for hundreds of thousands of firecrackers to be compiled.

"There's nothing to worry about." Cao Shuo saw their doubts: "Making firecrackers is nothing more than familiarity. When you are proficient, I will instruct the local government to select a group of people to come here to help. ”

"Childe is going to ......," the four craftsmen looked at him blankly.

"I'm going to make firecrackers in batches and sell them." Cao Shuo said: "You will be my God of Wealth in the future, you have to work hard!" ”

"I will do my best to do my best for my son!" The craftsmen responded in unison.

"When making firecrackers, remember not to expose them to the sun, and don't pile them up and never turn them." Cao Shuo explained: "It is especially important that there is no open flame!" When a pile of firecrackers explodes, the power is greater than that of a bomb. ”

When the firecracker made by Cao Shuo exploded, the craftsmen secretly thought it was funny.

They saw the power of the bomb when it exploded.

A small firecracker is simply not worth mentioning.

(End of chapter)