1986: Old Stories in Northeast China

One has to admit that it is really convenient to work when one is strong.

With the addition of Chen Tiezhu, the bellows can be said to be pulled very well, and the flames on the charcoal stove jumped up high.

"This fire is good, this fire is good, it will probably be done in an hour." Qiao Shulin said with a smile.

"Uncle Shulin, can you finish it so quickly?" Chen Tiezhu asked curiously.

Qiao Shulin was stunned and laughed, "How can it be so fast? Today, we just beat out all the blanks. We are now burning the materials, and we have to soften the materials before we can proceed to the next step of forging."

"Is it just repeated hammering, that hundred-fold steel or something? If you want to forge a sword, you have to spray some blood into it?" Chen Tiezhu asked curiously.

This is really curious, because he doesn't know anything about this aspect. The only knowledge he has comes from film and television works.

As for those written in the book, he had already returned them.

"Hahaha, you don't need that now, otherwise I won't be able to put in as much blood as I want." Qiao Shulin said with a smile.

"At that time, the iron was not well smelted and had many impurities, so it needed to be hammered repeatedly to knock out the impurities. Now it's all good material, so you can just do it directly."

"Did you just talk about forging? After forging, it has a general shape. But this is also a general shape, and it needs to be adjusted repeatedly, which is the finalization."

"This is also a laborious job, and it can't be hammered in place at once. The thickness and curvature all need to be adjusted. After these are done, it's polishing. As long as it has a blade, it has to be polished."

"Polishing? It's almost the same as polishing?" Chen Tiezhu became more curious.

"When you were a child, you watched me forging iron a lot, but you have forgotten everything." Qiao Shulin joked.

"Hehe, I haven't been walking around much in recent years." Chen Tiezhu scratched his scalp a little embarrassedly.

"Blades need to be used frequently. For example, our hoes and knives are often used for cutting, so the requirements for blades are high." Qiao Shulin said.

"The hoes I sell are good because I am honest and use the steel polishing process. Some people fool around and make them look good, but the hoes will bend after a while."

"What is steel polishing? It is to use good steel to make the blade better. There are two methods. One is to wrap the entire blade with steel, which is called the open steel method."

"The open steel method is divided into two types, the steel wrapping method and the steel clamping method. For example, if you want a double-edged dagger, you have to use the steel clamping method."

"Just like when we make sugar cakes, there is soft iron or soft steel inside and hard steel wrapped outside, so it can be double-edged. Steel wrapping is to wrap the blade, and the back of the blade does not need to be taken care of."

"The other is the hidden steel method, which mixes steel and iron together on the blade. It is generally not used now, and most of them are steel wrapping and steel clamping."

"Wow, it's not finished yet, and there are so many comments." Chen Tiezhu said with emotion.

"So far, we have only done half of the ironmaking." Qiao Shulin continued.

"Next, we need to quench the blade to make it harder. But steel is easy to break, so we need to temper it later. The temperature must also be controlled, otherwise it will be easy to embroider in the future."

"After all these are done, it is considered half done. The rest is to grind the blade and put on the handle. The handle is also very important for whether the knife is comfortable to use."

"Then won't it take me two or three days to do all these?" Chen Tiezhu asked with a wry smile.

"It won't take that long to finish all the things. Every step can't be sloppy. Now I'll make an arrowhead for you. This thing is easy to make. Is it also in the style of the second master's arrowhead?" Qiao Shulin asked.

"Well, I have to learn how to make arrows from the second master later." Chen Tiezhu said.

Qiao Shulin didn't say anything. He picked up a piece of iron with a long iron clamp and started to knock it on the anvil with a hammer.

Every time he knocked, sparks flew.

Doudou was sitting cross-legged and eating peanuts, but now he was attracted by the sparks and looked over here.

Blacksmithing is a craft.

It looks like a rough job, but a hammer flying on the anvil shows real craftsmanship.

How big is the arrow?

Such a small thing can be hammered into a rough shape with a hammer.

Chen Tiezhu can be considered a half-expert, because this job still tests the eyesight and hand strength.

If it is too light, the force is not enough and there is no effect, which is equivalent to a useless hammer. What if it is too heavy? If you hit it too hard, it will even make a hole.

This job is really not that easy.

After all the arrows were hammered, Chen Tiezhu was also fascinated.

"Okay, let's burn the arrows first, and we'll make a kitchen knife for you first. Let's see how much steel is left. If there is enough, you canThe boning knife should also be covered with steel. "Qiao Shulin wiped the sweat from his forehead and said.

"Uncle Shulin, why don't you tell me how to pound iron later. I still have some strength, so you can take a break." Chen Tiezhu said.

"It's okay, our old woman can do this job of pounding iron." Qiao Shulin said with a smile.

Chen Tiezhu was dumbfounded, but he didn't expect that he would need his wife to do it.

"Forging iron is not a one-person job. Small objects are okay, but if there is no help for a slightly larger one, it will be too slow." Qiao Shulin continued.

"Yes, Tiezhu, you and the girl can sit on the side and watch, and you don't have to pull the bellows all the time." Wang Yulan, who was wearing a large apron with sleeves, also came over.

"Okay, it's just right for me to learn a skill. "Chen Tiezhu smiled and nodded, then stood aside.

Every profession has its own specialty. After seeing the old couple working together to forge iron, he really believed this sentence.

He thought that with his physical fitness, forging iron would be very easy?

In fact, it was not the case at all.

Qiao Shulin held the iron tongs in one hand and the small hammer in the other. But his small hammer was not used to beat the knife blank, but to beat the anvil, and it was very rhythmic.

Wang Yulan? She was holding a big hammer and became the main force of hammering iron. Under the guidance of the rhythm and angle of Qiao Shulin's small hammer, she hammered the iron blank.

This is the craft, he can feel it, but now he can't figure out the trick inside.

"Tsk tsk, childhood sweethearts, two little kids."

Chen Tiezhu was watching with great interest, and Han Xiuying came over.

"Hehe, I was young at that time and didn't know anything. "Chen Tiezhu grinned and laughed twice.

"It's a pity, but what can I say? Then there might be no Doudou." Han Xiuying muttered.

"That's right, the beauty that is missed is the real beauty." Chen Tiezhu hurriedly said.

"It's really beautiful, that means you still miss it in your heart." Han Xiuying added.

"No, how can it be, we haven't seen each other for a long time. Well, I have to continue to work." Chen Tiezhu hurriedly said.

"Tsk, you are so stingy."

Looking at his fleeing figure, Han Xiuying curled her lips.

Today, she has a better understanding of "Chen Tiezhu" through Wang Yulan's mouth.

He is really a contradictory person.

I don't know why, but I still feel a little uncomfortable in my heart.

Maybe I ate too much noodles at noon and didn't digest it well?