Yuan Fang didn't say anything, these days, he sees all the hard work of the blacksmiths, they are not like Yuan Fang, they can still squint when they have time, they are all heavy physical work, and the body can't bear this kind of intense work without rest for two days.

Yuan Fang waited for the blacksmith to pour the molten iron into the mold and then ordered, "Call everyone else up, I have a new job for you." ”

The young blacksmith answered and ran to the back to call someone, Yuan Fang squatted on the ground and picked up a piece of scrap iron, and the crook drew a picture on the ground and said to the old blacksmith: "I plan to let you make a few new molds as soon as possible, the first one is very simple, it is a smaller iron bullet, well, about the size of an egg, not too much, there are two or three hundred are about the same, and the other one is the same size as the original cannonball, but I want to be hollow." At this time, several other blacksmiths rushed over when they heard the news and squatted on the ground together to listen to Yuan Fang's explanation of his requirements.

Yuan Fang first smiled apologetically at the blacksmiths who were woken up from their sleep: "I'm sorry everyone, time is pressing, everyone is tired, I continued, I want a shell of the same size as the previous one, but it must be hollow, can you do this?" The blacksmiths looked at each other with a look of embarrassment.

Three of the older and more experienced blacksmiths discussed, and the bearded blacksmith at the head of them replied: "President, this is not too difficult to do, just divide the original mold into two, insert a smaller star mold into it when pouring, and wait until the molten iron is fixed and then weld the two such iron shells together, but it is a bit troublesome." ”

Yuan Fang thought for a while, nodded and said: "This method is good, but it's not so simple, I have other requirements, on the side I want to leave a knuckle-sized hollow tube, directly connected to the space inside the cannonball, the inner diameter of this iron pipe doesn't need to be too thick, it's as thick as chopsticks, but it must be strong, can this be done?" ”

The blacksmith nodded, and before he could speak, Yuan Fang interrupted and said, "No, this won't work, you wait first, and I'll think about it later." The blacksmiths looked at each other with helplessness on their faces.

The bearded blacksmith saw that Yuan Fang's brows were furrowed, and it seemed that he would not be able to pay attention for a while, and it was not a matter for everyone to wait here stupidly, so he beckoned everyone to start making molds for trumpet shells, and specially sent someone to the kitchen to get an egg to measure the size.

Sang Rou had just helped Yuan Fang solve a problem, and at this time, her confidence was doubled, and she walked up to Yuan Fang and asked softly, "Brother-in-law, what's wrong?" ”

Yuan Fang scratched his head and said: "That's what I plan, put explosives in the hollow shell, so that the power is big enough, but the iron pipe I just said is a little too thin to meet the requirements of loading explosives." ”

Sang Rou was puzzled and said, "This is not easy to do, can't you just enlarge that iron pipe?" ”

Yuan Fang shook his head: "No, that place is used to insert a fuse, if it is too thick, the gunpowder will be loaded into it, but when it explodes, it will leak, and the power will be reduced, maybe something else will happen." ”

As for what else it was, Yuan Fang didn't say, Yuan Fang was worried that the opening was too big, the space was not airtight enough, and the heat and flames generated by the ignited gunpowder would erupt through the fuse hole without exploding, and at that time, it would not be a cannonball but a monkey piercing the sky.

Time passed little by little, and before I knew it, the sky was already white, and Yuan Fang was still stuck on this issue.

Guan Xiaoyun didn't know where to get a bicycle and rode over, and when he saw Yuan Fang and Sang Rou here, he breathed a sigh of relief, and complained: "Dean, why did you come here, we are all dying." ”

Yuan Fang sighed, his brain was too messy, he really couldn't think of a solution, his stomach was rumbling again, and he planned to go back to breakfast first. Yuan Fang instructed the blacksmiths to make the mold of the scattered bomb as soon as possible, and beckoned Sang Rou to get on the bicycle: "Sang Rou, in front of me, behind you, let's take the car back." ”

Guan Xiaoyun seemed to have been stepped on by his tail: "No, Dean, you have to rub the car even if it is so far away?" ”

Yuan Fang said impatiently: "Don't talk nonsense, you won't be tired, hurry up." As he spoke, Yuan Fang patted Xiaoyun's left hand, raised his butt and sat on the girder, Sang Rou smiled and said, "Xiaoyun, you ride first, and I'll sit on it when you ride steadily." ”

Guan Xiaoyun said depressedly: "I knew that I would be walking." ”

Yuan Fang's right arm supported the handlebar, this feeling has not been felt for a long time, he used to do this when he was a child, his father's car, and when he was older, he was no longer embarrassed to sit on the girder.

Reminiscing about the carefree childhood, occasionally, when he lowered his head and saw the screw pimple in the middle of the handlebar, Yuan Fang's mind flashed, and then he was overjoyed, and his butt twisted and jumped out of the car. Guan Xiaoyun was about to start, his right leg had already stepped on the pedal hard, Yuan Fang did this, Guan Xiaoyun suddenly lost his center of gravity and fell on his back with the car.

Sang Rou hurriedly went over to help Guan Xiaoyun up: "Xiaoyun, are you okay?" ”

Guan Xiaoyun rubbed his buttocks and stood up, glaring at Yuan Fang: "Dean, what are you doing, you fell to death for me." ”

Picking up the bicycle with a somewhat misplaced handlebar, Guan Xiaoyun wanted to cry without tears: "It's over, I have to repair the car, this time it's a big loss." ”

After sorting out his thoughts, Yuan Fang squatted on the ground for a while to write and draw, and then slapped his thigh hard and said, "It's done." ”

Sang Rou leaned over and looked at the pattern on the ground and asked, "Brother-in-law, what are you drawing, why can't I understand it?" ”

Yuan Fang smiled and explained: "I think so, we can open an egg-sized hole on the hollow shell, make a neck that protrudes outward, and use a tap sleeve on the outside, uh, it is the thread, the kind of thread of the screw, and then make a matching cover, the inner trap sleeve, so that the problem will be solved, and then the cover will be sealed after filling the explosives, which is not only convenient for charging, but also will not lose the tightness, and it should be easier to make a fuse hole in the cover." ”

Guan Xiaoyun leaned over and looked at it and said, "Why does this thing look a bit like a clay pot?" ”

Yuan Fang smiled and said, "It's almost, no matter what it looks like, it just works." ”

Next, Yuan Fang told the blacksmiths about his design ideas, and after making sure they all understood, Yuan Fang explained: "By the way, the lid should be made of bronze, it should be thicker, and the raised neck of the theme should also be strong enough." ”

The bearded blacksmith asked suspiciously, "Why bronze?" Wouldn't it work with anything else? ”

Yuan Fang wondered and asked, "What else?" ”

The bearded blacksmith said, "Bronze is not easy to find, and most of them are made of brass and red copper nowadays. ”

Yuan Fang suddenly said: "Oh, that's it, then use brass." ”