dognovel Chapter 220 Blacksmithing Steps
Chapter 220 Blacksmithing Steps
Because he stood by the stove for long periods of time, enduring the scorching heat day after day, my uncle's skin turned a bronze color.
A few strands of gray hair could be vaguely seen on his head, and several wrinkles on his forehead were left by years of frowning, each one seemingly telling the story of the hardships and difficulties of life over the years.
However, due to years of hammering and forging iron, his body looked exceptionally robust, with the thick arms and solid muscles typical of a blacksmith.
Looking at his cousin, he was tall and had regular features, giving people a sense of honesty and integrity. He also had a strong physique and firm, solid muscles.
Qingshan walked briskly to the two of them, then pointed towards the door, indicating that they should look at Xiao Han, Long Chuqing, and Qing Tong Qingying standing outside the shop.
Then they saw Qingshan begin to gesture, explaining to his uncle and cousin the purpose of their visit.
The uncle also knew that Qingshan was currently working in the Prince's Mansion, so when he learned that the current prince had personally visited his small blacksmith shop, he was quite surprised.
He dared not delay in the slightest and quickly called his son to come out of the shop to greet them.
Uncle Qingshan respectfully led his son to Xiao Han, clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and said, "This humble subject greets Your Highness."
As Qingshan had warned them to keep a low profile, Qingshan's uncle and cousin also paid their respects quietly and did not make a big fuss.
"No need for formalities." Xiao Han extended his hand in a slight lifting gesture, his movements elegant and natural. "I hope Mr. Lü will not take offense at my sudden visit today."
"No, no, Your Highness's presence at my humble shop is an immense honor for me."
After respectfully paying his respects to Xiao Han, Uncle Lü turned his gaze to Long Chuqing, who was standing beside him.
When he saw Long Chuqing, he was slightly startled at first, then bowed respectfully again and said, "This must be Her Highness the Princess! This humble subject greets Her Highness the Princess!"
Upon seeing this, her cousin also bowed and greeted her, saying, "This humble subject greets Your Highness."
Upon hearing this, Long Chuqing was taken aback at first, then hurriedly waved her hand and explained, "You two have misunderstood, I didn't mean to..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qingshan, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and pulled his uncle's arm to explain, "Uncle, cousin, you've got it wrong. This is Miss Long. Our prince is not yet married!"
"Oh... I see. I'm so sorry, I was just being presumptuous. I hope you two gentlemen won't take offense," Uncle Lü said apologetically.
Long Chuqing smiled slightly awkwardly, "It's okay."
At this moment, Xiao Han turned his head, his gaze falling on Long Chuqing, and the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, revealing a faint smile that was hard to detect.
Uncle Lü said cautiously, "Our blacksmith shop is rather shabby and we don't have good tea, so I'm afraid we can't entertain you distinguished guests. I'm really sorry."
“Mr. Lü, you don’t need to be so polite,” Xiao Han said calmly. “We are not here as guests.”
He took out the list and explained it to Uncle Lü.
When Uncle Lü learned that Xiao Han had presented him with a new forging method, a look of surprise and delight immediately appeared on his face.
He worked as a blacksmith for nearly thirty years, not entirely for a living, but out of genuine passion for the craft of iron casting.
The process of forging iron blocks involves first placing the raw iron ore in a burning furnace and firing it into iron containing impurities.
Then, wood ash or other fillers are stuffed into the pitted and uneven crevices of the impurity iron, followed by repeated smelting and forging.
During the forging process, it is also necessary to constantly adjust the temperature and control the force of each hammer blow to ensure that excess impurities on the iron block can be fully removed.
With repeated smelting and hammering, the impurities in the iron block will be extracted, and the originally dull and rough iron ore will gradually become hard and smooth.
At that point, the iron piece is considered to be finished being cast.
Next, the iron block can be shaped and forged into various farm tools, knives, and weapons as desired.
He has always inherited the casting techniques passed down from the older generation. In his spare time, he also studies and explores other forging methods, hoping to make breakthroughs on the existing technology and reach a higher level.
Uncle Lü was very excited after receiving the list from Xiao Han. He couldn't wait to call his son and start working on the steps written on it.
Uncle Lü weighed and prepared the different ingredients according to the proportions of the recipe, while his son assisted him, and Qingshan also watched from the side.
After the preparations were completed, they carefully placed the materials into the burning furnace.
As the raw ore was gradually heated, the steaming smell of rust spread throughout the shop, and the iron ore and other materials slowly turned reddish-brown.
Uncle Lü kept his eyes fixed on the furnace, occasionally pulling the bellows lever to adjust the heat and ensure that the materials inside the furnace were heated evenly.
His son also kept a close eye on the furnace, observing the situation inside, with tools in hand, ready to begin hammering and forging once the furnace was fired.
As time slowly passed, after the raw ore was forged by the hammer, a "sizzling" sound rang out, and a cloud of white mist rose from the quenching pool. The next step was tempering.
Standing outside the shop, Long Chuqing looked around. Since she couldn't help from the doorway, she decided to wander around the quaint streets and alleys.
She turned to look at Xiao Han: "I want to wander around a bit, do you want to come along? Or should we stay here and wait?"
Casting iron probably won't be easy to complete in a short time. Xiao Han said, "Alright, this place probably won't be finished so quickly, so let's take a walk around here!"
Qingying stretched and moved her legs: "My legs are getting numb from standing."
“Then let Qingshan remain here!” Qing Tong said.
He walked into the shop and said a few words to Qingshan: "Qingshan, we're going to take a walk around the area later. I'll leave things here in your care."
Qingshan, who had been all smiles, suddenly looked aggrieved after hearing Qing Tong's words. He glanced at Xiao Han outside the shop.
Then, with a hint of resentment, she said to Bronze, "You all went to have fun, leaving me here all alone. That's so disloyal! No... Bronze, you stay here with me."
Qing Tong smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and gave him a firm look.
"This arduous task is entrusted to you. You know I also have to protect the prince! Besides, your uncle and cousin are here with you, so you certainly won't be lonely."
Under the melancholy gaze of the green hills, Qing Tong walked out of the shop with light steps.
As the figures of the group gradually disappeared into the distance, the clanging and banging sounds of hammering grew fainter and fainter.