novelraw Chapter 67: It will be usable soon
Chapter 67: It will be usable soon
Chapter 67 It will be usable soon
By: Chen Ci Lan Diao
Tietou loved hearing Wen Gu say this.
He really enjoyed going to the Zhao Residence; the food there was too good! The meals were improved every few days, and the flesh he lost fleeing north had now returned, making him look sturdier.
Upon entering the Zhao Residence, Tietou behaved himself, not looking around aimlessly. Wen Gu had instructed him on this. He wasn't interested in anything else anyway; once he finished what Wen Gu asked him to do, he could go eat delicious food! There was meat at every meal!
Before coming, Wen Gu had asked Chang Shun to go to the Zhao Residence and ask his uncle if he was free today. The reply was that Wen Gu could come anytime.
So Wen Gu came directly.
The one leading Wen Gu was the head steward here. Ordinary followers couldn't reach his uncle.
His uncle wasn't in the indoor rooms today. When Wen Gu arrived, his uncle was sitting in a wheelchair, controlling it himself. This wheelchair was made according to the blueprints Wen Gu provided, with the Zhao family craftsmen making detailed adjustments based on their master's physique and needs. The corridors were wide and flat, and his uncle, wearing leather gloves, controlled the wheelchair with ease. Although being pushed by a servant would be less effort, this Zhao Family Head preferred the feeling of being in control himself.
At this moment, others were standing bent over beside the wheelchair, seemingly discussing matters. Wen Gu stopped, not approaching further.Seeing this, the Zhao Family Head smiled, beckoned Wen Gu over, and ordered someone to bring a brazier to warm Wen Gu. Wen Gu then walked over, with Tietou following behind, carrying items. The Zhao Family Head's gaze immediately fell on the objects in Tietou's hand. He looked at Wen Gu again, a smile appearing on his face.
"What rare item have you brought this time?"
He had heard from his wife that Wen Gu was preparing a gift for them. Could this be Wen Gu's gift? Indeed, Wen Gu bowed elegantly first, full of apology, "Preparing this gift took quite some time, please forgive me, Uncle."
The Zhao Family Head laughed heartily, "Alright, we are family, no need for such formality." He ordered chairs to be brought and gave Wen Gu a hand warmer. Wen Gu looked frail, not as robust as him.
"Come, tell me what this is?" the Zhao Family Head said.
Wen Gu sat down and said, "When I was traveling, I saw a similar item called a honeycomb coal stove. I thought of it now and felt it might be useful."
He looked at the wind direction and had Tietou place the stove downwind. He moved the lid with a poker so his uncle and the others could see more clearly. The cylindrical coal product with small holes inside was indeed as its name suggested, and not difficult to understand. Wen Gu demonstrated how to operate it with gestures, then had Tietou open the round opening at the bottom of the stove.
"This ash-scraping round opening can also serve as a vent hole when the lid is closed. Adjusting the size of the hole can control the stove's flame..."
Its use was immediately apparent. Wen Gu didn't elaborate, giving a brief introduction, then added, "From my rough comparison, it is much more economical than loose coal and can be moved flexibly." Coal was meant for long-term use, not just for a short while. Even saving one to two tenths of a large quantity would be an enormous figure.
The Zhao Family Head listened attentively, his eyes showing a hint of seriousness. Coal mining was not easy; if it could be saved, it would indeed be a good thing. Compared to this, he valued its portability even more! This would be more beneficial for the mobility of the army in the current situation!
With the spread of the evil epidemic, accompanied by various other diseases, armies needed to use hot food and drinks when traveling. Due to seasonal or geographical factors, it was sometimes difficult to find firewood. Previously, they had carried loose coal with them. In comparison, this new method was undoubtedly more convenient.
"Come, bring it here for me to see." The Zhao Family Head personally picked it up to feel its weight. His legs might be inconvenient, but his physique was not weak; he had indeed been on the battlefield before and maintained his training.
Wen Gu said, "If you want it to be lighter, you can remove the decorative patterns on the top, and the outer iron sheet can be thinner." He then placed out the tongs and poker, "However, these iron tools are also considered valuable items now."
The Zhao Family Head didn't care. Those who could afford coal could also afford a pair of tongs. Truly poor families couldn't even afford firewood, let alone coal. The Zhao Family Head put down the coal stove and looked at the black honeycomb coal blocks placed beside it, asking, "If these honeycomb coal briquettes break, can they be reformed?"
"Yes, it's very convenient. They can be re-pressed with a mold." Wen Gu had Tietou bring over the pressing mold. The use of such a tool was obvious at a glance.
The Zhao Family Head glanced at it, then looked at Wen Gu, awaiting his further words. He didn't believe Wen Gu had come all this way just to talk about this.
Wen Gu had an expression that said, "Uncle, you understand me best," smiled, and continued, "The stoves can be made in different models according to demand. If portability is important, make them smaller; if they don't need to be carried, they can be made larger. The produced honeycomb coal will be of uniform specifications, making counting more convenient. Uncle can assign someone to calculate it. If it can indeed save resources, the sheer volume will be astonishing. However, if used indoors, one must guard against charcoal poisoning. It's best to have a chimney, or add a vent pipe directly to the stove." The more they were wealthy families, the more tightly sealed their rooms were in winter.
The Zhao Family Head wasn't concerned about those wealthy families; they mostly used smokeless charcoal themselves. As for the advantages Wen Gu mentioned, he was also considering them. Fuel efficiency, ease of accounting, and strong mobility... He was contemplating suitable user groups. If they could be used, the first batch produced would definitely be for the Zhao Clan's strength – the army! Smaller stoves would be more suitable for small travelling parties to carry.
Wen Gu took out another small stack of blueprints, "There are some other styles. I'm not sure if they are suitable. Uncle, please take a look... This one with a vent pipe, it can also provide heating in winter. And this larger one, it can be used for large banquets. It doesn't necessarily have to burn honeycomb coal; it can directly burn coal or firewood, but it's portable, essentially a movable large stove. When not in use, it can be moved away, and it can also be fitted with a vent pipe for heating..."
Being usable for large banquets meant it could also be used in places with a large number of soldiers! This was indeed what was needed now!
"Good! Very good!" The Zhao Family Head excitedly slapped the armrest of his wheelchair. The world had changed now; population and the number of soldiers were both things that needed to be taken seriously. Hot drinks and hot food were the simplest and most effective ways to ward off evil. Improvements in this area, even minor ones, were worthwhile!
The Zhao Family Head looked at the time and invited the Wen brothers to stay for dinner, and to discuss the honeycomb coal and stoves further, looking at more details in the various blueprints. His uncle and aunt had their own affairs and usually stayed in different residences, and didn't always eat at the same time. In the past, when Wen Gu visited the Zhao Residence, he would eat at his aunt's place. Today, he stayed at his uncle's. He had specifically sent someone to inform his aunt.
At the Zhao Family Head's dining table, several advisors silently exchanged information. Their impression of the two Wen brothers was that one was quite a big eater, and the other was quite a talker. One was brainless and simple-minded, while the other, although seemingly polite, was actually bold and thick-skinned. Neither of them knew what it meant to be reserved!
After the Wen brothers left, the Zhao Family Head sat in his study, looking at the blueprints. Once understood, it was clear there was no highly advanced technology involved. Oh, there was one thing. A formula on one page described different qualities of honeycomb coal. Combustion accelerators could be added, coal could be washed, or washed and then accelerators added – it all depended on the choice. This could be used to create several grades. Different-ranking generals could be provided with different tiers of honeycomb coal. The stoves, too, could be made more exquisite and ornate, offering them to high-ranking generals as a benefit.
Outer city areas were currently undergoing construction of defensive fortifications, and the iron casting workshops were operating day and night. As long as there was a model and they knew how to build it, physical objects could be produced quickly. If efficiency were low, the Zhao Clan wouldn't have been able to rise to become one of the six major powers in the north in just two years under such arduous survival conditions!
Once a decision was made, the Zhao Family Head immediately ordered people to implement it. If successful, Wen Gu would surely be given a few stoves first. Considering that Wen Gu had few copper and iron tools left for making these stoves, they were likely all used up. The Zhao Family Head also ordered some copper and iron blocks to be added when sending supplies. Wen Gu managed two districts with blacksmiths, so he could experiment as much as he liked. However, these supplies were not delivered immediately, as Wen Gu was still staying at the Zhao Residence. After eating with his uncle, he was called by his aunt for tea and a chat. He would spend the night in the small courtyard the Zhao family had prepared for them. He sent Chang Shun to Jingxing District to inform them that he would be staying at the Zhao Residence tonight and to sort out any affairs first until his return. Before sleeping, Wen Gu thought that his multi-model coal stoves would soon be in use, and he wouldn't need to worry about coal either. With his current conditions, relying solely on the people from the Yu family to make stoves, how long would that take? And their craftsmanship might not meet the requirements. The workshops of the wealthy Zhao mansion would be faster.