Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 200: I'm here, so what are you afraid of?
Since he was very young, Lu Sanlang had always felt that he was very smart, and even had a secret joy that he was the only one who was clear while the rest of the world was turbid. After receiving the affirmation of Zhang Shou, Ge Yong, and the praise of the emperor, his self-confidence swelled to the extreme. However, today, he once again discovered that he did not know everything.
Especially the drawing that Zhang Shou took out to show Guan Qiu, Zhao Si and Luo Xiaoxiao. After he leaned over to take a look, he felt that the parts were weird and he had no idea what they were. After a while, his scalp felt tingling and his head felt dizzy.
Of course, if he knew that Zhang Shou had added a bunch of very complicated force decomposition diagrams in order to attack a guy like him who had good mathematical talent, he would not be so painful.
As for Guan Qiu and the other two, Guan Qiu knew quite a few words, but the other two knew nothing at all. But even for Guan Qiu, apart from looking at Zhang Shou's fragmented drawings of components, he still couldn't understand anything about the notes that were like hieroglyphics.
But after all, the latter two had learned carpentry and blacksmithing for many years. Even if they had not eaten pork, they had seen pigs run. Zhang Shou had also pointed out to them the word "grinder", which is commonly used by jade craftsmen. After whispering to each other for a while, they finally understood what the so-called lathes, drilling machines and boring machines drawn by Zhang Shou were.
Of course, the wooden structure was made by Zhao Si, and the tools for cutting and drilling were of course something Luo Xiaoxiao had to figure out. The young man, who was not very old but had a similar build to that of Carpenter Sun and Ironsmith Zhang, scratched his head and asked, "The grinders used by jade craftsmen all use high-quality steel for their tools. Dr. Zhang, this should be the same, right?"
Zhang Shou nodded and said, "I heard from your master that when our dynasty was first founded, we started to smelt steel. In the tenth year of Emperor Taizu's reign, the iron smelting rate in the world had increased several times that of the Yuan Dynasty, and even exceeded the peak period of iron smelting in the Song Dynasty. The Military Equipment Bureau had to make cannons and various fire guns, etc., so fine iron alone was not enough. Many parts required good steel, so the Military Equipment Bureau had the most blacksmiths. But many ironwares in the folk were also made of good steel. This shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Luo Xiaoxiao quickly responded, "That's right. That's why Master Sun is said to be the best carpenter in the capital. At most, some people will call him self-righteous, but in fact, he is always ranked in the top three. But my master dare not say that he is the best blacksmith. However, Master is quite famous among the blacksmiths in the capital except for the Military Equipment Bureau. He can easily get good iron and steel."
Seeing Zhang Shou's as if it was just what he expected, he said embarrassedly, "But the steel that has been smelted and sent here has a fixed number. I'm afraid I have to use your name, Dr. Zhang, to tell Master. Otherwise, I'll just be scolded if I come forward."
Zhang Shou was not surprised by Luo Xiaoxiao's statement. Even if there was a large-scale steel production in those days, the output of steel might be the sum of all other countries in this era, but the top wrought iron that could be called steel was a good material used in weapons and various high-demand industries, so Luo Xiaoxiao could not just come forward to make it.
While Luo Xiaoxiao was carefully examining the shape of the knife, Guan Qiu had already annoyed Zhao Si with questions one after another. Zhao Si didn't like this junior brother who seemed to be a bit of a fool. Although he didn't know why Zhang Shou wanted such a useless person, it didn't stop him from keeping a distance from him.
At this time, he ignored Guan Qiu and asked Zhang Shou about the size and material requirements of the wooden components on the drawings. He was relieved when he got a general reply like "You decide". After all, looking at the drawings, it was clear that Zhang Shou was just a preliminary idea. If they really intervened in everything in the future, they would not be able to do anything!
Seeing that he couldn't get a word in, Lu Sanlang was not discouraged. He simply left the table quietly and called Ah Liu outside. Seeing that the elusive young man really appeared in front of him in three minutes, he whispered, "Young Master said before that he wanted to buy a blacksmith shop near the Imperial College. You should have already found one? Tell me the place and I will go and buy it."
If in front of ordinary people, Lu Sanlang's boldness in buying a shop like buying cabbage would undoubtedly make people dumbfounded. But Ah Liu was not an ordinary person at all. He looked at Lu Sanlang deeply, and then asked with some doubt: "Do you need to buy more?"
Even though Lu Sanlang was considered a very tyrannical person in the past, he still couldn't help staring at Ah Liu with a tingling scalp. After a while, he asked in a trembling voice: "If you don't buy it, how are you going to take over the shop? You know, although Xiao Xiansheng is a very powerful person, he is still quite decent in some ways. He knows that if you take advantage of others, he will be very angry!"
Ah Liu said calmly, "It's been haunted for four months, the property prices have plummeted, and it's changed owners several times. The blacksmith shop is the fifth one."
Lu Sanlang was stunned: "Could it be you..."
Ah Liu looked at him as if he was a fool and said, "I hadn't come ."
Lu Sanlang then realized that he had asked a stupid question, and immediately laughed dryly: "According to what you said, the blacksmith shop will close down sooner or later, and the blacksmith may already be anxious to find a new owner. From this point of view, there is really no need to rush... But, can people live in a haunted house?"
"With me here, what are you afraid of?"
Such a simple and neat answer made Lu Sanlang speechless. Indeed, is there any evil ghost in the world that could be more terrifying than this one? After he and Zhu Er had a drink to forget their grudges, Zhu Er was so silent when he talked about the time he suffered at the hands of Ah Liu. Therefore, he laughed unnaturally again and could not help but mourn for the "evil ghost" in the blacksmith shop.
"But you're right, we still have to pay, otherwise the young master will keep nagging us." Ah Liu glanced at Lu Sanlang and smiled slightly after saying a few more words. "You look like a rich young man who is naive. I'll go with you."
I just said I was going and you said no, now I say no and you say you are going again... Lu Sanlang was worried but he didn't fight against the unconventional Ah Liu. He rolled his eyes and said with a smile on his face: "But if we leave, there will be no one watching over the young master. What if someone with bad intentions comes to eavesdrop..."
"Do you understand?"
Lu Sanlang was once again speechless at what Ah Liu said. If a carpenter or a blacksmith came, they should be able to understand, but it is obvious that only professionals who eavesdrop would do such a thing... Those guys really couldn't understand.
He immediately agreed, but when Ah Shou told him that the blacksmith shop was just two streets away and asked him to go ahead, he felt uncomfortable .
Having such a killer-like guy walking behind him, he finally understood what it meant to feel like a thorn in the side!
Although he found that Lu Sanlang was missing, Zhang Shou didn't take it too seriously, thinking that Ah Liu was watching outside and Lu Sanlang was also a very smart man, so there was no need to worry too much. He had discussed the current technological achievements with Sun the Carpenter, Zhang the Ironsmith and others in Lu Sanlang's small dark room before, but at that time he was more of a listener, not like now when he can discuss without restraint.
What's more, he had already signed formal contracts with three people at the Sun family and the Zhang family last night.
Therefore, Zhao Si and Luo Xiaoxiao asked about each component one by one in a cautious manner, and he explained it to them very naturally. Guan Qiu seemed to have changed his habit of asking why and stared at the drawings in a daze. However, when Zhang Shou mentioned to Luo Xiaoxiao that since there were many spring components, they might as well try to make a manual spring winding machine, he suddenly came alive.
"I heard from my master that this kind of spring is often used in the Military Equipment Bureau, so there is a spring winding machine specially used to make springs, but that is confidential. Most of the craftsmen who can do it outside will be recruited by the Military Equipment Bureau ."
Zhang Shou had figured it out last night. Although Carpenter Sun was rude to Guan Qiu, he actually tried to find out what use he would need Guan Qiu for on his way to see Blacksmith Zhang last night. He then lamented how difficult it was for his old friend to entrust the child to him. The implication was that he was very worried about his little apprentice.
Therefore, seeing that Zhao Si was very surprised by the secret Guan Qiu casually revealed and obviously knew nothing about it, he smiled and said, "I have informed Weinan Bo of the Military Equipment Bureau. So, even if the spring winding machine is made, you don't have to worry. If it can't be made, then wind it manually first. But like Xiao Guan said, since it is confidential, I will send two more people to guard it, just in case."
Zhang Shou thought as he spoke, and then asked Yang Hao and Qiao Dang, who were bored and had nothing to do at home, to come over and act as guards. They were both very strong country boys who had practiced some martial arts. If they could develop an interest and learn the skills of blacksmithing and carpentry, that would be a good thing. Of course, if they had no interest and no talent, they would just be guarding the house.
With these words, Zhao Si and Luo Xiaoxiao were relieved, but Guan Qiu fell silent again, until Zhang Shou took out another drawing. Zhao Si was the first to be surprised: "This... seems to be a spinning machine? I once followed my master to make it for others, but how come it's upside down?"
Guan Qiu stared at the big wheel, and seemed to have held his breath. After a long while, he spoke with some difficulty: "This spinning machine is different from the ones Master and Senior Brother Zhao made for people. This spinning machine has more spindles, and the position of this wheel seems to be able to drive..."
Zhao Si quickly came to his senses. He had followed his master, Carpenter Sun, for twelve years and had seen all kinds of strange requests from wealthy families, including making secret compartments and other shady things, and making tools for various workshops, which was even more numerous. Although he couldn't figure out why a noble doctor of the Imperial College like Zhang Shou would make a textile machine, his years of experience told him that he should do more and ask less.
Therefore, he immediately said, "Compared to the two complicated ones just now, this is very easy. I will definitely make a usable finished product in ten days or half a month at most. If the spring winding machine can't make the springs used in these places in a short time, I will draw the wire and wind it by hand!"
At this moment, Zhang Shou heard a loud cough outside. He turned around and saw Lu Sanlang, who was smiling and had a bulging chest and a protruding belly. "Young sir, I just bought the blacksmith shop. Do you want to take a look at it now?"
