Chapter 61 A Gentleman's Word

Xiao Tianjian was stunned for a moment and thought, why did he encounter a kowtow worm today? So he shook his head helplessly, and the iron head shouted unhappyly, "Stand up! Our general doesn't want to watch you talk on your knees like this! What are you afraid of? Just answer honestly!"

The old stove is like a spring under his leg. As soon as he heard the scolding of the iron head, he immediately bounced up, which made Xiao Tianjian unbelievable that his legs and feet would be so sharp.

Xiao Tianjian then asked the old stove, "Didn't Zhao Datong give you wages before?"

When the old stove heard this, he was not only a little scared, but also a little excited. He gritted his teeth and said, "Don't mention it. When Zhao Datong was alive, we had to work for him. He couldn't let us starve to death, so he only care about our meals and wages. We can't think about it. Give a bucket of bran or moldy food every month. As for our family, we can't get through it. We can only dig some wild vegetables and beat cakes with bran noodles. Sometimes we secretly hide some cakes and take them back to satisfy their hunger, but we have to be beaten when we are found! There is no way to be so benevolent as the current big head. If there is no work, the money will be paid first. If it weren't for the kindness of the big head, I'm afraid that our families will really not be able to live this year!"

Xiao Tianjian sighed after hearing this. He also knew that Zhao Datong would definitely not treat these people well, but he didn't expect Zhao Datong to strip them like this, so he continued to ask, "So why didn't you escape at the beginning?"

The old stove also relaxed at this time, and then sighed, "I dare not! In the past, when I didn't make trouble, although I was poor, at least I could live! But later, there was a disturbance, and then Zhao Datong occupied the town. When Zhao Datong was here, we also had someone to escape, but as long as we were caught by them, we would kill the whole family! And you have to open the belly, that's miserable! Later, the big head killed Zhao Datong, and we didn't dare to run away. If we really fled, where could we escape? We have been doing this ironmaking work all our lives, and we can't do anything else. We will starve to death when we escape. Although Zhao Datong is very mean here, at least we can still eat. Although we don't have enough to eat, at least we can't starve to death! So I won't run away! Fortunately, the big head came and treated us with benevolence and righteousness. Otherwise, we really don't know what to do!"

Xiao Tianjian gently patted the shoulder of the old stove and comforted him, "Now you can rest assured!" I, Xiao and my Xing Tianjun are not from Zhao Datong. We will never be mean to you! As long as you work hard, the conditions are still poor now. When we come back, we have a lot of food. We must make everyone here full, so that their wives and children will no longer suffer and starve! We rebelled because you poor people have food and work to do! It will never harm you! I, Xiao, can take the head of the item to you to guarantee this! Can you believe what I said?

"Believe, believe! How can you not believe it? The benevolence and righteousness of the big head, we all know that we can have enough food here, so let's take a look, we have a lot of energy! These days, the iron produced is three times faster than before! If the big head stays here and doesn't leave, then we will be blessed!" The old stove hurriedly nodded repeatedly, indicating that he believed Xiao Tianjian's words.

Xiao Tianjian nodded and said, "Just believe it!" That's not all I have to do. Now I'll give you some news first. I plan to open a college in Lianhuazhai or Shuangfengzhai after the Spring Festival, so that our local children can study in the college smartly. The children can read well! You can understand more, and you will know why we were poor before! And as long as the children go to the college to study, eat and wear, we Xing Tianjun will bear the burden! They won't starve and freeze again!"

The eyes of the old stove suddenly lit up, and he involuntarily asked, "Is this true? Oh, forgive me, the little old man, damn it, damn it!"

"Ha ha! Of course it's serious! I, Xiao, spit it out and put a nail on it. I will never break my promise! Now the conditions are still limited. If the conditions are good in the future, not only the older children have to go to school, but also the children have to be wrapped up. I, Xiao, rebelled for this! How can you not keep your word?"

As soon as the voice fell, the old stove gurgled, and then knelt down again. He kowtowed to Xiao Tianjian with tears and choked, "Oh! We poor people are finally looking forward to good people! If the big boss really does this, even if my old bones are nailed, I'm willing to do it with the big boss!"

Xiao Tianjian pulled the old stove to sit down on a pile of stones beside him. He grabbed a handful of fried beans from a cloth bag in his arms and gave it to the old stove. He also grabbed a small handful and chewed it. This thing may be Xiao Tianjian's only privilege. When he comes to this era, he can't have any snacks. Occasionally, there are After eating a few fried beans at a time, he became infatuated with the fragrance of fried beans, so Mr. Jin always stir-fried some fried beans for him in private and asked him to take them with him. When he thought about things, he ate a few. No one thought that Xiao Tianjian was too much, but a little sour. Xiao Tianjian was the head of thousands of them, and his only preference. It's just eating a few fried beans like this, so not only will no one say anything, but everyone feels that they owe him.

The old man's teeth were okay. Seeing that Xiao Tianjian was really a bad person, he completely relaxed and followed him to eat fried beans one by one. Then he chatted with Xiao Tianjian seriously. He would hide a few fried beans in his sleeve. Xiao Tianjian didn't blame him when he saw it. Presumably his family must be small. Kid, you want to take it back and give it to the child to taste!

"How many craftsmen like you are there in Dongye Town now?" Xiao Tianjian asked the old stove while chewing fried beans.

"Not much! When Dongye Town was prosperous, there were no less than 500 iron-making craftsmen in the town. Now it doesn't work. Together, there are dozens of people. The rest of the people are either as poles, or killed by poles or officers. Some people don't want to die here and run away! In the past, there were more than 20 large stoves like this. In a year, they could produce hundreds of thousands of catties of iron, but now there is only one bigger stove left. The remaining three are still used, which are also smaller stoves. No matter how good it is done every day, it can only produce three or five or five hundred catties. If it is good, it can produce five or six hundred catties. Iron, can't produce tens of thousands of kilograms of iron all year round, and it is abandoned! What a pity!"

After hearing this, Xiao Tianjian was slightly shocked, but after conversion, he laughed dumbly. Hundreds of thousands of catties of iron, converted into tons, that is, hundreds of tons of iron, can't catch up with the fraction of iron in a day in an iron refinery in future generations. The number sounds not small, but in fact But it's not big. No wonder Yangcheng is not famous for iron production in history. It turns out that this place is still a small iron production place, but then I don't think it's right! These stoves produce 500 catties a day, so if it comes down in a year, at least this stove will produce more than 100,000 catties of iron a year! Why do so many stoves produce so much iron in a year? But if you think about it carefully, you will understand the truth. This kind of old-fashioned vertical furnace does not produce iron all year round. During this period, it must be extinguished and repaired. Otherwise, it will be scrapped in a short time. What's more, ironmaking must at least have sufficient raw materials. If the mining volume is insufficient, no more ironmaking furnaces will produce. Less iron.

"Yes! This is all caused by the world! But does my father-in-law know how to build this iron furnace? Xiao Tianjian continued to ask the old stove.

When the old stove heard it, he was a little unhappy. He reached out and secretly stuffed the remaining beans in his hand into his sleeve. He clapped his hands and said, "You know, our Lu family has done this for generations. Half of the stove in Dongye Town was repaired by our Lu family. When it came to my generation, I didn't know that it was the first generation. How can you not do this?"

"Ha ha! Father-in-law, don't be angry, I'm just asking! So for a stove like you, is there anyone else among these people who can do it?" Xiao Tianjian continued to ask.

"Of course... I don't know what the big head of the house is going to do when he asks this?" The old man was still very vigilant. As soon as he said it, he immediately stopped and asked Xiao Tianjian, as if he was afraid that Xiao Tianjian would let others hold his seat.

"My father-in-law, don't misunderstand. Would you like to see Dongye Town being abandoned like this? I definitely don't want to. Just a few stoves can't feed too many people. Why don't we build more stoves? I ask you if there is anyone else who can do this stove. I just want to restore more stoves. As for manpower, don't be afraid! Now there are a lot of people everywhere. It's no problem to find some and do some rough work! The key is that it is not easy to find a knowledgeable stove like you! If you are willing to restore some stoves, then I promise that your old Lu family is the meritorious official of my Xing Tianjun. In the future, as long as your old Lu family's children are over ten years old, they can be sent to the college to study! And I will give you three buckets of grain and five taels of silver every month from now on! Let you be the stew of Tieye in Dongye Town!" Xiao Tianjian threw the remaining beans into his mouth and said to the old stove.

"Are you serious about this?" The old stove stared at Xiao Tianjian eagerly.

"A gentleman has no joke!" Xiao Tianjian replied affirmatively.

The old stove jumped up and quickly called a few people to come over. They asked them to kneel down for Xiao Tianjian and pointed to them and said, "The big boss, these guys are all my apprentices and the two descendants over there. They are all my sons. Although they are young, they follow me to make iron here when they are young. Looking at me working next to the stove, I can be a stove! As long as there is someone, my surname is Lu dare to say that there is no problem in repairing five such a big stoves within a year!"

Xiao Tianjian smiled and stuffed the small bag of fried beans in his hand into the old stove and said, "I believe what you say, but one year is too long, up to two months, and not only to build an ironmaking furnace here, but also in Shuangfengzhai. Such a stove is too small. What I want is at least a big stove that can make a thousand pounds of sunrise! You might be able to do it?"

"Ah? ...!" The old stove is a little dumbfounded with this small bag of salted beans.