Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 265 The Forge

  Forge Township has seven forges, and this has not changed for more than 20 years.

   "Seven Forge" is not only a literal seven forge that actually exists, but also represents seven workshops.

  Since [Bortin Mejri] moved his furnace to Revodan 20 years ago, [Peter Goncharov] has become the richest man in Forge Township.

   Old Goncharov had three sons who grew up to adulthood, all of whom were good at work, and Old Goncharov was also able to accumulate family business.

  The father and son went to battle together and made the workshop prosperous.

  Ten years ago, the old Goncharov was even more generous, and invited craftsmen from Steel Castle to build the first hydraulic forging hammer in Forge Township.

   Since then, the sound of "dong dong dang dang" has never stopped in his workshop, and the other workshops are even more incomparable to his home.

  Old Goncharov passed away peacefully in his sleep the previous year, and his eldest son is currently taking care of the forge.

   In addition to the three brothers, the Goncharov family has nine assistants and apprentices, and is recognized as the number one workshop in Forge Township.

  The smallest workshop in Forge Township is the house of [Vinicius].

   When he was young, Paul Vinicius was also a top blacksmith, and his craftsmanship was even better than Boltain.

  The first smelting furnace was built by Boltain, Vinicius, and Goncharov in partnership with iron smelting.

   Later, Boltain moved to Gervodin, and Paul Vinicius began to drink heavily.

   Old Vinicius' body was devoured and his spirit shattered. He died five years ago, and everyone said he drank to death.

   Now, only little Vinicius and two underage apprentices are left in the Vinicius family, barely supporting the workshop.

  …

   When they learned that the three tribunes were visiting Forge Township, the owners of the seven workshops hurried to the town hall to greet them. Including the three Goncharov brothers, as well as little Vinicius.

  The workshop owners were surprised to find that old Mr. Boltain had come too.

   The old Boltain has not been seen for almost ten years, many people say he is dead, but no one has attended his funeral.

  The three Goncharov brothers, little Vinicius and other new generation [forge masters] came to say hello to old Boltain.

  Bortain is old, and so are his comrades, too old to work any longer.

  Some people passed on the forge to their sons and sons-in-law, and some people's forges were sold.

  The owners of the forge have all been replaced, and now all the second and even third generations are in charge.

  Winters stayed beside the old blacksmith Boltain, watching the workshop owners, especially the three Goncharov brothers.

  The seven workshop owners in Forge Township belong to one [Trade Guild], the Blacksmiths Guild of Tiefeng County.

   Not only them, but other lower-level village blacksmiths—for example, the wolf town blacksmith Lao Misha—are also members of this guild.

The first leader of the    Blacksmith's Guild was of course the old Boltain, and now the nominal leader is Shaosha.

   But Shaosha does not have the high prestige of his father-in-law, and his forge is not in Forge Township, so the blacksmiths in Forge Township are all looking forward to the Goncharov family.

  Winterstein looked at the three Goncharov brothers calmly: the second and third looked impatient, but the eldest brother was very stable.

   As for little Vinicius... This man looked tired, with his shoulders and back slumped, and was quiet and didn't impress Winters very much.

   Winters had nothing to do with Forge Township, he just stopped by to take a look.

   After all, Forge Township was the only place in the county that could manufacture large-scale ironware, so he was quite curious.

   He also planned to go to the nearby Juntun Village to see the autumn ploughing.

   "Your Excellency, how is your smelting progress?" Dagangcha smiled complimentably and took the initiative to greet the tribunal.

  Goncharov's eldest son is tall and has strong arms, but his eyes are a little small, and he can't see when he smiles.

   Hearing Da Gangcha's question, the other workshop owners pricked up their ears and waited for an answer.

   "I guess I'm going to fail." Winters chuckled.

   As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere suddenly became cold.

   But Winters' tone was relaxed: "It's not a big problem, just come again."

  Dagoncha flattered: "My father always said that the more you fail, the closer you are to success. Iron materials are cheaper, which is a great thing for us blacksmiths. We are all waiting for your good news."

   "Thank you for your blessing." Winters smiled reservedly.

  The workshop owners also laughed along, and the small town hall was filled with laughter.

  Andre stood beside Winters and let out a cold snort.

   The relationship between the [workshop owner group] in Forge Township and the new regime can be summed up in two words: heat outside and cold inside, and business affairs.

   For Forge Township, which only governs two villages, seven forge furnaces are obviously too many.

   Therefore, the iron products produced by Forge Township must be digested by other villages and towns. Forge Furnace Township also mainly produces large-scale iron tools that are inconvenient for small blacksmith shops.

  Forge Township wants to sell iron, Winters wants to buy iron;

  Forge Township was afraid that the "rebels" would kill them, and Winters didn't want to see the "forge" go out.

   The two sides thus formed a silent tacit agreement of "well water does not violate river water".

   After a brief chat, Winters proposed to visit various workshops.

   Although Dagangcha was reluctant, he still agreed. Since he agreed, no other workshop owners objected.

   The blacksmith's workshop is similar, even the largest Goncharov workshop and the small shop of Old Misha in Wolf Town are not fundamentally different - they are all men with tight cheeks working around the hot metal.

  The workshop is nothing but a few things: a forge, an anvil, a template, and a variety of specialized gadgets.

  The only interesting thing is the hydraulic hammer.

  Ten years ago, when Lao Gangcha paid a lot of money to invite the Steel Castle craftsmen to build the first hydraulic forging hammer, hydraulic forging hammers have blossomed everywhere in Forge Township.

   Because the principle and mechanism of this thing are not complicated, you can understand it at a glance.

  The biggest problem is cost. It costs money to build and maintain, and a one-person shop like Lao Misha in Wolf Town can’t work.

   Before entering the town, Winters saw the waterwheels by the river, so he volunteered to visit the workshop.

"Your Excellency, please see. This is the forging hammer that my father hired a famous craftsman from Steel Castle to make. It has been ten years, but it is still the best forging hammer in Forge Township." Dagangcha proudly introduced a forging hammer .

   Winters looked inside and out: "This hammer is quite heavy, right?"

   "Of course, a three-hundred-kilogram hammer."

   "Hey, three hundred kilograms, amazing!" Winters blinked and asked curiously, "Can you make it move? It must be even more amazing, right?"

   Dagangcha agreed. He led a few apprentices to do some work. Outside the workshop, the waterwheel with a diameter of three meters began to slowly turn.

  The enormous force is transmitted through iron shafts, reduction gears, and a series of cranks and connecting rods.

  In the end, the heavy hammer was awakened, and with unstoppable momentum, slammed into the anvil one by one.

   An apprentice placed a hot, bright-yellow steel block under the hammer head, and with the muffled sound of the knock, the bar was thickened first, and then flattened a little bit.

   "This is how the ploughshare is made." Dagoncha explained: "The next bending, drilling, and cutting are all done manually."

   Winters nodded again and again with his hands behind his back, gasping in amazement.

   He was actually clocking his pulse behind him, and his pulse beat seventy beats—about a minute, and the hammer head repeated a hundred and four up and down movements.

   "Strong enough!" Winters asked casually: "How to adjust the strength."

   "Uh..." Dagang Chahan smiled: "Adjust the amount of water."

   "Your family only makes coulters?" Winters visited the Goncharov workshop and found no coulters, only coulters.

   "It's too troublesome to build a heavy plow truck, so each of our seven workshops builds a part." Da Gangcha carefully explained: "My forging hammer is better, and it specializes in making steel plowshares. There are also workshops specializing in making wheels and frames."

   "What about small things like axes and sickles?"

   "Those are all made individually."

   After visiting the seven workshops, Winters did not stop there.

   This was the first time he met the workshop owners of Forge Township, and both sides had a good impression of each other.

  It was about the same time, and the old blacksmith Bortain was a little tired and planned to return to Gervodin. Winters took Andre and Senior Mason, ready to go to the nearby Juntun Village to take a look.

  The three parties have done so.

   Winters and the others had just left Forge Township on horseback, and Andre's face sank immediately.

   "These **** all laugh without laughing." Andre gritted his teeth: "I don't think they know how powerful they are."

  Senior Mason also sighed.

"It's normal." Winters understands the owner's mentality. He is rarely a little lonely: "We are 'conquerors' now, and no one will immediately swear allegiance to us. What's more, they sincerely think that we will not existed for a long time.

  If the Big Goncharov threw himself down on his knees and swore, either he was crazy or he had a knife on his neck. "

   "Fuck it!" Andre laughed loudly: "Let's turn around and go back. I'll keep the grandson on his knees in tears. He can say whatever you want to hear."

   "It's okay to go, but it's boring." Winters lightly clamped the horse's rib and called the accompanying riders: "Go! Go to Juntun Village!"

   In Forge Township, the workshop owners who had just sent off the uninvited guests gathered together.

   "I thought before that the leader of the rebel army had to be thirty or forty years old." A workshop owner was still surprised: "It's actually a hairy boy? Is it twenty years old? Is Mao Changqi?"

   "Be careful with your mouth." Dagangcha said coldly, "Call the tribune."

   "Hey! What kind of tribune? It's like his mother's family." The workshop owner retorted playfully: "Just make sure I make a sign and engrave the Duke of Gervodin, so I am also the Duke of Gervodin?"

   A few people followed and laughed wantonly, but Dagangcha had a serious expression and didn't speak or laugh.

   Another workshop owner couldn't help sighing: "Seriously, when the rebels are wiped out, our good days will come to an end!"

   As soon as this statement came out, other workshop owners felt the same way.

   Since the "rebels" invaded Revodan, the business of Forge Township has been prospering day by day.

   Each workshop no longer has to worry about sales, as much iron as they can produce, the "rebels" need as much iron.

   It is even more rare that the rebels buy and sell fairly, and all the money and goods will be settled on the spot, and they will never be in arrears.

  The workshop owners sighed every time they thought that such a good day might not last long.

   "Don't think too much, and don't say such things." Dagangcha said in a deep voice: "Be careful that when the rebel army in Maplestone City arrives, they will all be hanged as rebels!"

  The atmosphere turned cold again, and the workshop owners chatted a few words and then dispersed.

   Mr. Vinicius Jr. stayed by the side and did not take part in the conversation.

  The workshop owners of Forge Township are all from the "Da Gangcha gang", and since the father of Vinicius, his family and the Goncharov family have not dealt with each other.

   Seeing the others leave, little Vinicius followed out of the town hall. Before taking a few steps, he was stopped by Dagoncha from behind.

   "Chengfu!" Dagangcha took the initiative to greet: "Mr. Vinicius!"

   Little Vinicius smiled reluctantly: "Chengfu."

   "What are your thoughts?" Dagangcha asked politely: "It's the thing I discussed with you before."

   Little Vinicius seemed to be stabbed by a needle, and anger spurted out of his eyes: "Don't even think about it! As long as I'm still alive, don't even think about buying my forge!"

"Why? Your family still owes a lot of money outside? If you don't sell the forge, how are you going to pay off the debt? Even if you sell the forge, you can still come to my house as a hired worker. With your craftsmanship, I guarantee that you will not earn less money than you are now." Dagangcha persuaded with good words.

   "Goncharov! Your father and son have hugged enough! Why are you staring at my forge?" Little Vinicius was furious: "I tell you, you are insatiable, and you will spit it out sooner or later!"

"I don't want to buy your forge either. I have three brothers, but my family has only one forge. I have to buy some family business for my brother, right?" Dagangcha smiled, squinting his eyes, and his tone was already three-pointed. Threat: "If you don't sell it, I have a way to buy it. It's just that by then, it won't be at the current price."

   "Fuck you!" Little Vinicius spat on the ground and left angrily.

   Dagangcha smiled contemptuously, shook his head helplessly, and walked away.

  The town hall changed back to its deserted appearance, and could only vaguely hear the sound of forging from a distance: "Dong, dong, dong..."

  …

  After coming to Juntun Village, Winters felt much more comfortable than when he was in Forge Township, and he even felt like he was coming home.

   As soon as you enter the village, someone will lead the horse to feed it. When they learned that the "people's security officials" were visiting, men, women and children in the village left their farm work and came to say hello.

  The ladies especially liked the handsome—compared to the rough man—Captain Montagne, twisting his waist, holding a square plate and squeezing hard in front of Winters, vying to offer salt and bread.

  Winters was wrapped in a pile of women, unable to move.

  According to the welcome etiquette, he must taste bread sprinkled with salt. However, as soon as he stretched out his hand, the back of his hand was touched.

  The hot woman's hand felt Winters' body suddenly tense. Immediately afterwards, another hand touched his thigh from behind, and it went too far.

   If it weren't for the public, he would probably be eaten on the spot.

   The pure Mr. Montagne has experienced such a thing, and he almost entered the state of spell casting.

   It was the first company commander, Tamas, who rushed into the crowd and rescued Winters.

   Winters tearfully said, "What is this for?"

   "I can't stand it." Tamas grabbed a piece of bread: "Get out! Centurion!"

  Getting rid of the overly enthusiastic greeter, Winters and Andre followed Tamas to the farmland outside the first village—Senior Mason unfortunately fell behind.

  Because no one is good at naming, the military villages were simply and rudely named [First Village], [Second Village]…

  Tamas ran away in a hurry, and soon returned with two cloth bags, which kept dripping water, leaving two wet marks on the ridge.

   "Yogurt residue!" Tamas held the cloth bag high and shouted happily from a distance: "I brought you yogurt residue."

   So the three of them sat on the ridge, picking up yogurt residue from their pockets to eat and chatting.

   The wheat seedlings in the farmland in front of them present an interesting gradient.

   To the west is the first planted wheat field, where the wheat seedlings have burrowed out of the soil two feet high and are lush.

  From west to east, the height of the wheat seedlings decreases in turn as the planting time gets later and later.

   goes all the way to the far east, where the seed has just been sown, so the fields are a lifeless black.

   "How about autumn farming?" Winters asked.

   "All the fields that can be turned have been turned out." Tamas swallowed the milk residue with all his might, with a respectful attitude: "I don't know how much it will grow. Some fields are sown too late, for fear that they will not survive the winter."

   Winters chewed the milk residue: "Just do your best, I won't give you specific land this year, I just want you to cultivate as many varieties as possible."

  Sugar is very expensive, so the farmer’s milk residue doesn’t put much sugar on it, and it’s so sour that people shiver.

   "What's wrong with Forge Country?" Winters seemed to ask casually.

   "No." Tamas replied earnestly: "Those workshop owners are still honest, and they didn't find them dumping weapons in North Eight Towns."

   "Is there anyone suspicious recently."

   "Neither, don't worry, you're all watching."

  …

  Why the refugees were placed as far away from the enemy as possible, but the army was placed in Forge Township?

   Winters has many layers to consider:

   First of all, Forge Township is located south of the St. George River. Relying on the river as a natural barrier, it can block many peeps;

  Secondly, Forge Township is very close to Revodan. Once there is a situation, the troops can be assembled quickly;

   Third, there are only two natural villages in Forge Township, and the rest of the farmland is occupied by the manor, which is very convenient to redeem;

   Finally, it was Winters' most obscure idea-to use military camps to control and monitor Forge Township.

  Forge Township, as the "important town" of ironware manufacturing in the county, is impossible not to hold firmly in your hands.

   Twelve Juntun villages now surround Forge Township and Tiefeng Mine, forming a layer of "people" barriers.

  Whether it is smuggling iron weapons or spying in disguise, you must first hide from the eyes of the military.

  …

  The two bags of yogurt residue were quickly eaten up, Winters got up and stretched his waist, and the sound of "clicking" came from the joints of his whole body.

   "Okay." Seeing that it was getting late, Winters yawned and said to the company commander, "I'll be staying with you tonight. I'll visit other villages tomorrow."

   "Okay!" Tamas was extremely happy: "I'll arrange accommodation now. What do you want to eat at night?"

   "It depends on what you have."

   Later that day, Winters saw Senior Mason, who was disheveled.

   Later, Carlos sent bad news and good news.

   Bad news, Carlos' blast furnace failed as expected.

  Good news, Carlos successfully smelted iron.

   [Thanks to book lovers for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation ticket, monthly ticket, reward and comment]

   [Sorry for being late today]

   [This chapter involves the important organizational form of "guilds", which will be slowly expanded later]

   [The following introduction is pasted from Baidu Encyclopedia]

   [Guild: Guild organization in feudal European cities. A feudal group established by handicraftsmen or merchants in the same industry to protect the interests of the industry. The guild has strict and meticulous articles of association, guarantees equal rights and obligations of members internally, and implements a monopoly externally. Generally speaking, the guild mainly refers to the handicraft guild.

   The guilds in Western Europe originated in the 12th to 13th centuries during the uprising of the urban communes. In the 13th century, there were about 100 guilds in Paris, and by the middle of the 14th century, the number had increased to about 350. At that time, the most common and developed Western European guilds were in some medium-sized cities with a population of more than 10,000 people, while in small cities with only 1,000 or 2,000 people and large port cities with developed foreign trade, guilds were not common. ]

   (end of this chapter)