Chapter 4: The Wolf Father at Home

It is nothing; I just thought of a way that might help my father complete this task

Of course, Wei Ba cannot do it either; he is not a deity and cannot create something from nothing. However, he is not entirely without merit. He specializes in agricultural machinery and firmly believes that the advancement of tools is a hallmark of human civilization. He understands more than anyone the potential impact that even a slight improvement in tools can bring.

Seeing Wei Ba remain silent, Wei Feng angrily explained: "Yang Yi, this arrogant fellow, considers himself a prominent figure from Xiangyang and has always looked down upon my Wei family for being of military origin, often speaking ill of my father. He is now an army officer in the Prime Minister's residence, responsible for the procurement of grain, using military affairs as a pretext to deliberately make things difficult for my father. If my father refuses to comply, it would be seen as obstructing the Northern Expedition, which would surely displease the Prime Minister. However, how can so much grain be produced in such a short time? My father is angry because of this matter... If my father refuses to comply, it would be seen as obstructing the Northern Expedition, which would surely displease the Prime Minister. However, how can so much grain be produced in such a short time? My father is angry because of this matter..."

In fact, Wei Ba did not say much; he merely explained some aspects of the steel casting method. The steel casting method was likely invented during the late Han and early Jin dynasties, and by the time of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was commonly used to manufacture agricultural tools. Technically, there are no significant difficulties involved; it is merely a slight improvement on the current repeated folding and forging techniques. The finest weapons of the late Han were crafted using multiple folding and forging methods, which removed impurities from pig iron, transforming it into wrought iron, followed by quenching to increase the hardness of the blade, achieving an overall flexibility with a sharp edge. However, this method is very labor-intensive and was only used for weapon manufacturing, not for agricultural tools. The characteristic of the steel casting method is that it improves the quality of pig iron by adding wrought iron, producing what is known as 'suxie' iron, thereby reducing labor time and increasing efficiency.

Wei Feng was angrily scolding Yang Yi when he suddenly saw Wei Ba laughing, which left him somewhat perplexed. He stopped his speech and looked at Wei Ba in confusion: "A Ba, what are you laughing at?"

Wei Ba rolled his eyes at the book. During the day, Wei Wu said that his father, Wei Yan, would beat him until his backside bloomed. Now his brother, Wei Feng, is saying the same thing. Could it be that his backside often bloomed in the past? This father seems a bit violent; no wonder he feels uneasy at the sight of him. It turns out that this kind of fear has already penetrated to the marrow, becoming instinctive.

"It is too heavy." Wei Ba furrowed his brow and said, "Master, can you make it a bit lighter?"

"Blacksmith?" Wei Feng was utterly confused, while Wei Ba kept him in suspense, picking up the bowl and devouring the food like a whirlwind. Wei Feng watched and chuckled, shaking his head: "A Ba, it's the first time I've seen you eat like this, and I must admit, I'm not quite used to it."

The old master grinned, revealing his few remaining yellowed teeth, and the deep wrinkles on his face became even more pronounced. He bent at the waist and respectfully addressed General Wei, saying, "Yes, young general, I will certainly do my best."

Upon seeing Wei Ba enter, Wei Feng waved repeatedly, saying: "Come quickly, come quickly, look, the iron chisel just crafted using your method."

Not to mention other factors, if the wooden hoe currently in the hands of farmers could be replaced with the iron shovel used in later generations, a single farmer could at least exert the effort of two farmers. It is not an exaggeration to say that even doubling productivity is not a far-fetched idea.

If Wei Yan were to concede, it would be one thing, but Wei Yan is precisely the type who refuses to back down and does not regard Yang Yi at all, leading to multiple conflicts and a very strained relationship. After Liu Bei's death, when Zhuge Liang took power, Yang Yi became a military advisor in the Chancellor's office. In the previous campaign in Han Zhong, Zhuge Liang's southern expedition, he was responsible for the logistics and made significant contributions, and now he is a favored figure beside Chancellor Zhuge Liang. Coupled with the banner of the Northern Expedition, it would be an easy task for him to present Wei Yan with some challenges.

Currently, Hanzhong consists of only four counties, with fewer than 20,000 households. Even if all the children of the old and the bookish attend school, it will not resolve the issue of food supplies for over 100,000 troops. Transporting grain is, of course, unavoidable; however, the nearly 1,000-mile mountainous route from the Chengdu Plain to Hanzhong poses a significant challenge. Therefore, the optimal solution is to resolve as much as possible within Hanzhong itself. The allocation of resources is in the hands of Yang Yi; as soon as he makes a decision, no matter how hard Wei Yan tries, it will be futile, as it is certain that he cannot meet Yang Yi's demands. Transporting grain is, of course, unavoidable; however, the nearly 1,000-mile mountainous route from the Chengdu Plain to Hanzhong poses a significant challenge. Therefore, the optimal solution is to resolve as much as possible within Hanzhong itself. The allocation of resources is in the hands of Yang Yi; as soon as he makes a decision, no matter how hard Wei Yan tries, it will be futile, as it is certain that he cannot meet Yang Yi's demands.

Wei Ba suddenly realized that his major had finally found a practical application. He smiled.

"No problem, no problem." The old master, with his toothless mouth, nodded repeatedly: "This is the first attempt; I am still not very skilled. I estimate that I can reduce quite a bit more next time. Well, I can't promise too much, but reducing by another 20 to 30 percent should be possible."

Wei Feng's brows furrowed even tighter as he stared at Wei Ba for a long while: "Really?"

Wei Ba walked over, took it, and weighed it in his hand. He felt it was still somewhat heavy. It seemed that this master craftsman was making it for the first time, and his skills were not yet proficient; in some areas, it was still too thick.

After listening to Wei Feng's words, Wei Ba began to understand a little. The conflict between Yang Yi and Wei Yan had long been established. Although both were from Jingxiang, the Yang family was a prominent clan in Xiangyang with a deep cultural heritage, while the Wei family was merely a small power in Yiyang, lacking in scholarly accomplishments and relying solely on military achievements. The two families were fundamentally not on the same level.

At the very least, it marks the beginning of my journey in this era

Since ancient times, China has established itself as an agrarian nation, and the development of agriculture has always been a significant concern for those in power. The advancement of agricultural machinery is of utmost importance, and there have been many remarkable achievements in this area. However, aside from the complex machinery, the simplest tools such as shovels and hoes have been constrained by smelting technology, leading to slow development. It was not until the mid-Tang Dynasty, with the maturation of steel-making techniques, that agricultural tools transitioned from casting to forging, allowing for the production of larger and more lightweight tools such as hoes, iron shovels, and iron spades, which could truly fulfill their functions. In the Han Dynasty, there were iron agricultural tools, but they were either very small and completely impractical, such as the commonly used digging tool which could only be made primarily of wood with a small iron blade at the top, or they were only the size of a palm, similar to a spatula, making them difficult to handle. Alternatively, they could be large and heavy, requiring animal power for use. The plows in the Han Dynasty were all pulled by two oxen, primarily because the plows were too heavy and their structure was not entirely reasonable, making them ineffective in breaking the soil.

Wei Ba smiled without speaking. How much help could it be? You may not know that although this thing is small and the technology is not complex, it could potentially mark the beginning of an era.

Wei Ba said with a smile: "Why are you in such a hurry? If all goes well, you will see the items by tomorrow morning; if not, by tomorrow evening. Then you will know how much iron is needed, won't you?"

Alas, how did I end up with a wolf of a father

The master blacksmith had worked with iron his entire life, easily grasping its essence. Wei Ba had just drawn him a new design, and the master, holding the blueprint, walked away with great delight. However, Wei Feng furrowed his brow and pulled Wei Ba aside: "A Ba, the item you created, does it require a lot of iron? With the impending war, iron is in short supply; if we use too much, that would not be acceptable"

Wei Ba felt somewhat awkward, suddenly realizing that in this era, craftsmen were considered a lowly profession, unlike the working class of later generations. Moreover, they were official slaves who lacked even personal freedom. He cleared his throat and, without further elaborating on formalities, succinctly conveyed his intentions to the elder.

To put it simply, a shovel is certainly more convenient than a wooden hoe. A shovel that is the size of two palms is definitely more efficient than a shovel that is only the size of one palm. However, if we consider a cast iron shovel, only someone with extraordinary strength can wield a shovel that size all day long; an ordinary person would find it ineffective, making a wooden hoe with an iron edge more practical. Recently, Wei Ba has been running outside the city and has observed that almost all the farmers are using wooden hoes to till the land. He initially thought this was somewhat traditional, unlike the imitations of later generations that wear ancient clothing on top but expose modern shoes below. However, after hearing Wei Feng's complaints, he suddenly thought of an opportunity for improvement.

The next morning, Wei Ba, with unparalleled determination, crawled out of his warm and soft bed to once again begin his self-torturous morning exercises. Ever since he started working out, his sleep had improved significantly; he would fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, and the petty affliction of insomnia had completely vanished. However, getting up in the morning had become more challenging, requiring greater effort to pull himself out of bed.

In other words, the initiative in this matter lies entirely in Yang Yi's hands; no matter how much effort Wei Yan expends, he will be unable to accomplish the task

The old man initially appeared respectful, yet somewhat indifferent, almost dazed. However, when he heard Wei Ba speak about the technique of smelting steel using a mixture of pig iron and wrought iron, his brows and eyes began to come alive, and he seemed somewhat impatient, casting a gaze towards Wei Ba that held a touch more reverence.

When Wei Ba and Wei Wu had run a lap around the mountain, the sun had already risen high in the sky. Preoccupied with his thoughts, Wei Ba did not linger on the mountain any longer and headed straight back to the city. Upon entering, he saw Wei Feng smiling broadly while holding a newly forged iron shovel, his face beaming with joy. The master craftsman, bent over, stood in front of him, his face filled with pride and anticipation for the reward.

Wei Feng thought that Wei Ba was just trying to amuse him, so he did not take it to heart and laughed heartily, saying: "You little rascal, you have quite a small mind. There is no problem with the books; even if we reduce it by another 20% or 30%, it would still be manageable. Hmm, I would like to produce a hundred copies first for people to try out and see if they are practical. If they indeed prove useful, then we can produce more; it would certainly be of some help."

"Can I still deceive you?" Wei Ba grinned, suddenly in a good mood. He patted Wei Feng on the shoulder: "Hurry up and eat, and after you finish, take me to find a few blacksmiths."

Wei Ba felt somewhat out of place. Although he was not a model youth who adhered to the five virtues and four beauties, he still had the habit of respecting the elderly and caring for the young. He smiled and awkwardly cupped his hands together, saying: "Master, I would like to ask for your assistance in crafting something. I hope you can help me."

Upon seeing Wei Ba bowing to him, the old master was taken aback. Without inquiring whether the ground was dirty, he suddenly knelt down, which in turn startled Wei Ba. Wei Feng raised an eyebrow, somewhat displeased: "A Ba, he is just a government lackey; you are being too courteous to him, and he cannot bear it."

Wei Ba chuckled twice to mask his emotions, quickly clearing the food in front of him before wiping his mouth and letting out a satisfied burp. Wei Feng, preoccupied with his own thoughts, noticed that Wei Ba had finished eating and also set down his bowl, pulling Wei Ba along as they left. Wei Wu, seeing this, hurriedly followed, trailing behind like a shadow.

... ...

Wei Ba followed Wei Feng out of the county temple gate and arrived at the ironworks. Wei Feng called over a dark-skinned master craftsman and pointed to Wei Ba, saying: "You listen to him; whatever he teaches you, you will do. Do you understand?"

Wei Ba turned his head and said to Wei Feng: "Elder brother, what do you think... is it usable?"

Wei Feng glared at Wei Ba for a while, then helplessly smiled and said: "You stubborn character, keeping secrets from me. Fine, I won't ask anymore. We'll see when the time comes. If you do well, of course, I won't need to say anything; I'll go tell Father and have him reward you. If you don't do well, heh heh, I'll also tell Father and see if he doesn't beat you until your backside blooms."