"Glass used to be an important export industry for Rome. It's just that now Rome is in decline, and even this advantage doesn't exist. In our hands, we must revitalize it. Guo Kang encouraged everyone: "Dongfang lacked suitable glass raw materials, so their early technology started very slowly. If we want to maintain the balance between imports and exports, we can only rely on these technologies. ”

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"I've used the output here to make some souvenirs for important sponsors and celebrities. From the feedback received, the results are very good. Guo Kang said: "I believe that these techniques are not only beneficial to theology, but also useful in reality." ”

"If our theology is correct, it should indeed have a positive effect on reality." Dmitry agreed: "This is also the will of the Father. ”

"yes." Guo Kang was quite emotional, and he quipped: "Studying these, at least let me have something to get my hands on." When I gave the coated mirror to my sister, who had been stinking all the time, she couldn't help but start saying nice things about me. ”

The crowd laughed.

"You are a gifted philosopher, Mr. Guo." Dmitry, for his part, kindly tried to comfort him: "We who study philosophy should not pay too much attention to the attitude of women. ”

"Family, friendship, love...... These emotions are wonderful, and they are a wonderful gift from our Heavenly Father to mankind. It is also reasonable to hope for family affection. ”

"But we philosophers should be rational. Aristotle said that women are failed men and that their souls are incomplete. In this case, they will not be able to give full love to others like men. ”

"It is reasonable to ask a woman's relatives for affection, but we don't have to dwell too much on it. Even without this, there would be no obstacle for philosophers to seek truth – after all, as the sages have long argued, it is only between men and men that there is true affection. He concluded.

Again, the monks agreed.

Guo Kang understood that he was trying to express good intentions, but this conclusion sounded strange...... However, the Greeks have been talking about this for 2,000 years, and it is useless for him to say it, so he has to try to divert the topic.

"Let's take a look over here." He led everyone out of the building and into another small building.

As before, when they climbed to the top floor, they found that there were large and small plates of glass stacked here. On a table, a piece of glass was sandwiched, and a group of Slavic slaves pushed the machine, causing the wheel above the glass to rotate rapidly. Nearby, a monk adjusted the height of the countertop, carefully bringing the glass closer to the wheel.

As the wheel and glass got closer, another priest began to sprinkle water on the glass. If you look closely, it turns out that this runner is used for polishing glass plates.

Outside this house, under a shed, polished glass is constantly being transported out. Two men, also wearing beak masks and dressed in linen colors, were carefully placing the glass on the table. Another man dressed in the same clothes, but in a black robe, picked up a brush, dipped it in the liquid from the pottery bowl next to him, and began to brush it on the glass.

"It's for metal coatings on the glass." Guo Kang said: "Mixing gray tin powder with mercury can form this liquid called 'amalgamace'. Brush it on the back of the mirror, heat it and evaporate it, and the mercury evaporates, leaving only a layer of tin. ”

"That's ......" Dmitry nodded habitually, and then suddenly reacted: "Wait a minute, this ......"

"What's wrong?" Guo Kang asked.

"You just told everyone else about this recipe?" Dmitry was surprised and asked, "Shouldn't this be a secret?" ”

"In order to study light, I also learned about the manufacture of glass." He saw that Guo Kang did not answer, and added: "The technology in Europe is not as good as that of the Roman classical period. But the Venetians have restored some of their ancient technology, selling not only flat glass, but also various glasses and lenses. ”

"The Venetians are very important to these secrets, and a hundred years ago, they concentrated all their technicians on the island of Murano, so no one knows the exact technical details. They took the opportunity to ask for a price, and our Church couldn't afford it, so we had to give it up. He said of the past: "If we can make it, we can reduce the price a lot." ”

"Actually, you don't need to think about price reduction." "The workshop is still very small, but it will definitely expand its output in the future," Guo said. We can solve this need ourselves. ”

"Wait a minute, you mean, the current output is enough for so many places?" Dmitry was even more surprised.

Guo Kang and Tuhuan looked at each other.

"All I know is that this thing should be worth a lot." In the end, Guo Kang replied: "Didn't the Venetians already make such a thing?" ”

"I don't know the craft, and the Venetians won't teach me. But what they made is definitely not as simple as the process they made, and the effect is not so good. ”

"Look." He pointed to the man who had brushed the mercury.

As he spoke, he had finished brushing and placing the glass in a nearby iron box with the fixed iron ore, and closed the lid.

A fire was lit under the iron box, but it wasn't too strong. After the box was closed, a group of Slavic slaves outside the shed were given the order to begin pushing a large gear with a belt attached to it, under the discipline of the monk.

After a while, the priest ordered the slaves to stop. The gears slowed down. The priest opened the lid and, with a clip, carefully picked up the already bright mirror, and brought it to a wooden box next to it.

"Oh, there's a fan on the other end of that belt." Guo Kang explained the covered part: "The belt enters through two small openings and allows it to rotate, so that the gas can be pumped out and into the snorkel. ”

"At the end of the snorkel is a small pool of water – right there." He pointed to a pool dug in the ground not far away: "The gas enters the pool, and the mercury is cooled. We're going to recover the mercury from there. ”

"I see, so I'm more convinced that it's not a Venetian technique." Brother Dmitry affirmed: "Their mirrors, which sell all over the world, are not as good as our craftsmanship." ”

"Huh?" Guo Kang is also aware of the problem.

All he knew was that the Venetians had made glass mirrors very early, but he himself couldn't remember exactly what year it was. After coming here, I saw a few mirrors that were said to be made by the Venetians, but I didn't think about it, they actually have other, more ancient crafts, but the later method is more famous.

As a result, Guo Kang always thought that this was a method that people had already used, and he didn't even think about deliberately keeping it secret. He thought that if it leaked, it would be uncomfortable for the Venetians at best......

(End of chapter)