"Ah Fu, your father told you to go back."

Cao Peng was riding a horse and walking slowly on the river beach, when Wang Meng suddenly ran and shouted at him.

"What is my dad looking for me?"

"Have you forgotten that at dinner yesterday, didn't your father tell you that you were going to start the fire today? Don't you want to hit the first hammer? ”

"Ahh

Cao Peng shouted, whipped his horse and left.

According to the custom of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the new iron furnace was built, and sacrifices must be carried out, praying for the blessing of this fire god, and the business will be prosperous in the future. Ignition is an extremely critical step, and when the furnace heats up, it must be smelted and forged...... This first hammer is generally presided over by a master master. Cao Peng has always been very interested in this, so he begged Cao Ji bitterly to hit this first hammer.

It stands to reason that Cao Ji is unwilling to agree.

couldn't stand Deng Ji, Cao Nan interceded for Cao Peng, and Zhang also said good things on the side.

To put it mildly, I finally agreed to let Cao Peng hit the first hammer. After all, before this, Cao Peng had already mastered some tricks under the guidance of Cao Ji.

Wang Meng looked at Cao Peng's back and couldn't help laughing.

"Tiger head, let's go back too......"

"Dad, I want to practice a little longer."

Wang Meng's face sank, "You kid, are you ignorant?" Do you know why Ah Fu wants to learn to strike iron? He just wants to make a good knife and pay you for it! You didn't go to the ceremony for such a big thing? This will be a knife in the future, are you embarrassed to ask for it? ”

Actually, Wang Meng didn't think Cao Peng could make any good knives.

But this heart is still enough to move him. When Wang Mai heard this, he also panicked, and hurriedly grabbed his clothes and led the horse over.

"Dad, let's go back then."

"You kid, why do you want Ah Fu to pay you a knife in a good way?

It's not like you don't know how Afu's knife didn't get it...... Besides, that knife isn't worth much, you really shouldn't. ”

"I'm just talking about it casually, who knows that Ah Fu is a dead eye."

The father and son walked back in a panic, muttering as they went.

Under a peach tree next to the river beach, a black cowhide bag is quietly placed. Whether it was Wang Meng or Wang Mai, no one noticed it.

——————————————————————————————－

The family is ready.

In front of the iron-melting furnace, three animal sacrifices are placed.

As soon as Cao Peng entered the house, he was caught by Cao Ji, "You kid, yesterday you kept saying that you wanted to strike iron, why did you forget today?" ”

"I ......"

"Alright, alright, hurry up and get dressed.

Your mother has already prepared it for you, hurry up and put it on, let's prepare to sacrifice to the god of fire and start the fire...... Don't delay a good hour. ”

In these years, I also pay attention to the auspiciousness of the zodiac.

The Cao family's iron-melting furnace has been built a long time ago, but because they haven't found a good name, it has been delayed until now.

Cao Ji didn't want to delay any longer!

If you miss today, wait at least another seven or eight days. In seven or eight days, but it's the New Year, and it will definitely be very busy by then, where will there be time to start work? You know, after the beginning of spring, you have to prepare to plough the land so that you can plant it before the rains. From now on, farmers will also start preparing for resting and repairing farm tools...... It's the best time of the year.

Cao Peng hurriedly changed into a black jacket and stood behind Cao Ji.

Neither Zhang nor Cao Nan could participate in this kind of sacrifice because they were women! According to Cao Ji, the woman will collide with the god of fire, and it is likely that there will be an accident in the future. The so-called yin and yang clash with each other...... Fire is the most yang and the most rigid, and women are yin, so it is naturally not good to be in the same room.

Under the incense case, there was a stick of incense, half of which had been burned.

If this incense is burned, it means that the good time to open the furnace has passed.

Cao Ji took Cao Peng to the incense table and chanted the ancient sacrificial words loudly. According to Cao Ji, the sacrificial words of this furnace are passed down from generation to generation. It is in a very old dialect and is a lesson that every blacksmith must learn. If you don't understand the sacrificial words, you won't become a master.

Anyway, Cao Peng didn't understand a little, and honestly knelt in front of the incense case.

After about five or six minutes of singing, the prayer ended. Cao Ji took Cao Peng and walked around the stove while worshipping, which is said to be a kind of dance to open the furnace. After three laps around the stove, the initial ritual was finally over. Cao Ji invited the incense case out of the baking shed and beckoned Cao Peng over.

"Ah Fu, stand next to me and listen to my commands!"

Cao Peng grinned secretly, there are so many rules for opening an iron-melting furnace?

Cao Ji washed his hands with water and then wiped them dry with a dry cloth. I saw him take out a piece of mountain numbness and place it on the shelf of the fire. Under the shelves, the hay is piled up, which is the material used to start the fire. What Cao Ji wants to do is the most primitive way to drill wood for fire. Don't underestimate this drill wood to make fire, the tools needed to use are all specially treated. For example, this mountain is numb, and it must grow next to a stream.

The wood is soft, the coefficient of friction is large, the heat generation is relatively fast, and it is not easy to lose heat.

This kind of mountain numbness is very difficult to find, often in the deep mountains and old forests, looking for several days to have a harvest. After finding the mountain numbness, some processing must be done. For example, the middle of the mountain must be empty, and there must be a small wooden core. Only such wood can drill high-temperature wood chips...... Of course, there was no such scientific statement in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, only that the god of fire was coming.

Cao Ji put the drill wood away and picked up the drill pipe.

This drill pipe is also exquisite, about 50 centimeters long, with a slightly desharped end.

There is a small pit on the mountain numb drill plate that holds the drill pipe. At the same time, a trench is carved out of the edge of the pit, which is called a flowing fire groove. The sparks produced by drilling flow out of the drift fire trough and fall on the ignition object. The technique of drilling wood should also be exquisite, and it is difficult to grasp the mystery without some contact.

I saw Cao Ji holding the drill pipe, and after finding a balance point, he pressed down a little harder.

Taking two deep breaths, he looked at Cao Peng and said, "Let's start!" ”

I beg you, hurry up and get started...... The incense is almost gone!

These words can only be said in his heart, Cao Peng looked serious and nodded solemnly, "Dad, let's start." ”

"Fire, sun, the light you have given me...... Fire is like the sun, fire, you give me a ...... of light"

Cao Ji suddenly raised his voice and sang loudly.

This is the "Song of the God of Fire", and it is also a ballad that must be sung when welcoming the God of Fire. It is said that this fire god song has been passed down as early as ancient times, and it is almost extinct in later generations, only some areas of the Li nationality still retain this ancient ballad. Cao Ji sings in the Nanyang County dialect, and if it is translated, it roughly means this. Because some of the words and sentences sounded very jerky, even if Cao Peng stood aside and listened carefully, some local languages could not be understood, so he could only translate the content very similarly.

Cao Ji sang while rubbing the drill pipe rhythmically.

Gradually, a wisp of green smoke rose from the numbness of the mountain......

The newly drilled spark cannot be seen with the naked eye, because it is just some black carbon. Cao Peng clearly saw some black particles flying out and entering the furnace along the flow fire trough. The hay in the hearth is the ignition material. But don't think that this will start a fire.

"Peng'er, blow the fire!"

"Ah, how do you blow it?"

Cao Ji hurriedly said in between singing: "Lu! ”

"Got it!"

Cao Peng hurriedly squatted down, grabbed the lever of the stove, and gently pushed it.

"Slow down, don't be in a hurry!"

The weight of this stove is not light, and it is very difficult to pull up. If you change to the previous Cao Peng, it is impossible to pull the pole......

Under Cao Ji's guidance, Cao Peng gently pushed and pulled, sending air into the furnace.

Gradually, the black charcoal particles that fell on the thatch began to turn red, and became brighter and brighter under the continuous air supply of the furnace.

In the hearth, smoke began to appear.

Cao Ji didn't dare to stop, continued to drill the drill pipe, and sang loudly.

"Pun, push hard!"

As Cao Ji shouted, Cao Peng pulled out the pole hard, and then struggled to send it away. In the hearth, a flame rose suddenly, instantly igniting the drill plate. Cao Ji hurriedly let go, pushed Cao Peng to the side, and shouted loudly: "Peng'er, add charcoal, add charcoal!" ”

Wang Meng and his son brought in two buckets of charcoal from outside the shed.

Under Cao Ji's guidance, Cao Peng put it into the hearth very rhythmically.

Fill the furnace and keep the temperature of the furnace at bay. When the charcoal fire appeared, Cao Ji let go of the pole and motioned for Cao Peng to retreat.

Only this moment's work made Cao Peng tired and sweaty.

Not only physical tiredness, but also psychological fatigue...... This ritual of welcoming the arrival of the god of fire creates a very solemn environment. Working in this kind of environment, making one part of the force is equivalent to using three points or four parts of the force in normal times...... How can Cao Peng not be tired?