The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 67 It will be useful soon

Tietou likes to hear Wen Gu say this the most.

He really likes going to Zhao's house because the food there is so good!
He went there every now and then to improve his food. The weight he had lost during his escape to the north had now grown back, and he looked even stronger.

After entering Zhao's house, Tietou was honest and well-behaved, and did not look around. This was what Wen Gu had reminded him of. Anyway, he was not interested in anything else. After finishing what Wen Gu had asked him to do, he could go eat something delicious!
There is meat in every meal!

Before coming, Wen Gu asked Chang Shun to come to Zhao's house to ask his uncle if he was free today. The reply was that Wen Gu could come.

So I came directly to review the past.

The one who led Wen Gu was the chief steward here. Ordinary followers were not allowed to go to his uncle's side.

My uncle was not indoors today. When we were reviewing the past, he was sitting in a wheelchair, controlling it forward by himself.

This wheelchair was made according to the drawings given by Wen Gu. The craftsmen of the Zhao family made detailed adjustments based on the owner's body shape and needs.

The corridor was spacious and flat, and my uncle had no difficulty controlling the wheelchair because he was wearing leather gloves.

Although it saves effort to have servants pushing the cart, the head of the Zhao family prefers the feeling of being in control himself.

At this time, other people were still standing hunched over next to the wheelchair, seemingly discussing something.

Wen Gu stopped and didn't go any closer.

Upon seeing this, the head of the Zhao family smiled and waved, motioning Wen Gu to come over, and also had someone bring a brazier over to keep Wen Gu warm.

Wen Gu then walked over, and Tietou followed with something in his hand.

The head of the Zhao family saw the object in Tietou's hand at a glance, then looked at Wen Gu, and a smile appeared on his face.

"What rare things did you bring?"

He heard from his wife that Wen Gu was preparing gifts for them. Could this be Wen Gu's gift?
Sure enough, Wen Gu came over and bowed politely, full of apology: "It took me a long time to prepare this gift, please don't blame me, uncle."

Patriarch Zhao laughed out loud and said, "Alright, we're all family, there's no need to be like this."

Someone brought a chair and gave Wen Gu a hand warmer to warm his hands. Wen Wen looked frail and not as strong as him.

"Come on, tell me what this is?" asked the head of the Zhao family.

Wen Gu sat down and said, "When I was studying abroad, I saw something similar called a honeycomb coal stove. Now that I think about it, I think it might be of some use."

He looked at the wind direction and asked Tietou to place the coal stove in the leeward direction and remove the lid with a fire hook so that his uncle and the people around him could see it more clearly.

The cylindrical coal product with small holes inside is indeed as its name suggests, and it is not difficult to understand.

Wen Gu demonstrated how to operate it with gestures, and then asked Tietou to open the round opening under the furnace.

"This round hole for scraping off ashes can also be used as a ventilation hole when the lid is closed. The size of the hole can be adjusted to control the fire..."

It's easy to use, so Wen Gu didn't elaborate much. After a brief introduction, he continued, "Based on my rough comparison, it's much more economical than loose coal, and it can be moved more flexibly."

Coal is a long-term resource, not a temporary one. Given its vast production volume, even a mere 10% to 20% savings is a significant amount.

Patriarch Zhao listened attentively, with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

Coal mining is not easy, so if we can save it, it is indeed a good thing.

Compared with these, he values portability more!
This is more conducive to the mobility of the army under the current situation!
The evil epidemic spread, accompanied by various diseases. The army needed to use hot food and hot water when going out. Due to seasonal or geographical factors, it was sometimes difficult to find firewood, so they had to carry loose coal with them before.

In comparison, the current one is definitely more convenient.

"Here, bring it here and let me see it."

Patriarch Zhao lifted it himself and felt its weight.

He just has difficulty walking, but his physique is not weak. He has been to the battlefield before and he has been exercising all the time.

Wen Gu said: "If you want it to be lighter, you can remove the patterns on it and make the outer iron sheet thinner."

He laid out the fire tongs and fire hooks and said, "But, these days, iron tools like this are considered expensive."

Patriarch Zhao didn't care. Anyone who could afford coal could also afford a pair of fire tongs.

Truly poor families cannot even afford firewood, let alone coal.

Patriarch Zhao put down the coal stove, looked at the black honeycomb coal blocks placed next to it, and asked:
"If this honeycomb briquettes are broken, can they be reshaped?"

"Yes, it's very convenient. Just use the mold and press it again."

Wen Gu asked Tietou to bring the mold for pressing the blocks.

This kind of tool is easy to use at a glance.

The head of the Zhao family took a look and then looked at Wen Gu, waiting for Wen Gu's next words.

He didn't think that Wen Gu came here just to say this.

Wen Gu had an expression that said, "Uncle, you understand me," and he smiled and continued:

"The stove can be made into different models according to needs. If portability is important, it can be made smaller. If it does not need to be carried, it can be made larger.

"The honeycomb briquettes are all of uniform specifications, making counting easier. Uncle can send someone to do the math. If we can really save, the amount we can add up to is staggering." "However, if we use it indoors, we still have to be careful of charcoal poisoning. It's best to have a chimney, or even add a smoke exhaust pipe directly to the stove."

The richer the family, the more tightly covered the house is in winter.

The head of the Zhao family doesn't care about those wealthy families, as those people still use smokeless charcoal.

He was also thinking about the advantages that Wen Gu mentioned.

Save fuel, facilitate statistics, and have strong maneuverability...

He thought about the right crowd.

If it can be used, the first batch produced will definitely provide them with the strength guarantee of the Zhao family - the army!
A small stove would be more suitable for a small team to carry and use when going out.

Wen Gu took out a small stack of drawings and said, "There are some other designs, but I'm not sure if they'll be suitable. Uncle, please take a look..."

“This is the type with a smoke exhaust pipe, which can also provide heating in winter.

"There are also larger ones like this one, which can be used for large banquets. They don't necessarily use honeycomb coal, but can burn coal and firewood directly. But they are movable, like a large movable stove that can be moved away when not in use. They can also be equipped with exhaust pipes for heating..."

If it can be used for large banquets, it means it can also be used in places with a large number of soldiers!

It is indeed what is needed now!

"good, very good!"

The head of the Zhao family patted the armrest of the wheelchair excitedly.

Now that the world has changed, we need to pay attention to the population and the number of soldiers.

Drinking hot drinks and eating hot food is the simplest and most effective way to ward off evil spirits.

Improving in this area, even just a little bit, is worth it!
Patriarch Zhao looked at the time and asked the Wen brothers to stay for dinner, and to talk about honeycomb coal and coal stoves, and to look at more details of various drawings.

Because my uncle and aunt each have their own things to do, they usually stay in different residences and don't necessarily eat at the same time.

When I came to Zhao's house before, I always ate at my aunt's house, but today I stayed at my uncle's house.

I sent someone to tell my aunt.

At the dining table of Patriarch Zhao, several counselors were silently conveying information.

Their impression of the two Wen brothers was that one was a big eater and the other was a big talker.

One is a fool and has no brains, while the other one seems polite but is actually bold and shameless.

These two don't know what restraint is!
After the Wen Gu brothers left, the head of the Zhao family sat in the study, looking at the drawings.

Once you understand it, you will find that there is actually no advanced technology involved.

Oh, there are still some.

The recipe mentioned different qualities of honeycomb coal.

You can add combustion aids, wash the coal, or wash it and then add combustion aids. It all depends on your choice.

These can be made into several grades.

Generals of different levels can provide honeycomb coal of different grades.

The stoves were also made more exquisitely and gorgeously and provided to senior generals as a benefit.

Fortifications are now being built in the outer city, and iron foundries are operating almost day and night.

As long as you have a model and know how to make it, you can make the real thing quickly.

If their efficiency was low, the Zhao family would not have been able to become one of the six major forces in the north in just two years under such difficult living conditions!

After making the decision, the head of the Zhao family immediately ordered people to carry it out.

If it succeeds, I will definitely give some of the finished products to Wen Gu first.

Considering that Wen Gu had only a few copper and iron tools on hand to build the furnace, and that they had probably all been used up, Patriarch Zhao asked someone to add some copper and iron blocks when they delivered the supplies.

There are blacksmiths in the two workshops managed by Wen Gu, so he can do whatever he wants with them.

However, these supplies were not delivered immediately, and Wen Gu himself was still staying at the Zhao family.

After having dinner with my uncle, my aunt called me over for tea and chat.

They spent the night in the small courtyard left for them by the Zhao family.

Let Chang Shun go to Jingxingfang and tell them that he will stay at Zhao's house tonight. If there is any business, please sort it out first and we will discuss it when he returns.

Before going to bed, Wen Gu was still thinking that his various coal stoves would be ready for use soon and he wouldn't have to worry about coal.

Given his current conditions, how long would it take for the Yu family to build a furnace? Their craftsmanship might not even meet the requirements.

Mr. Zhao’s workshop is still faster.

(End of this chapter)