The trail extends forward among the lush forests. The scenery in the forest is very beautiful and the surroundings are very quiet. Although there are birds chirping in the shade of the trees, it is very quiet. It takes about a cup of tea to walk along the trail. , Finally, Fang Zian and Qin Xiqing heard a clanging sound coming from the front.

There is another house in the open space ahead. The house does not look too big, but it is obviously an old house, because the gatehouse wall is covered with ivy and grass, and the whole house and the woods are almost integrated into one. The tinkling sound became clearer, and seemed to be the sound of smelting and forging iron.

Qin Xiqing and Fang Zian came to the stone steps in front of the courtyard door. Before knocking on the door, Qin Xiqing whispered to Fang Zian: "This Mr. Su Heng has a bad temper. Don't provoke him for a while. Even if he is not willing to help, Don't be impatient, but don't get into an argument with anyone."

Fang Zian smiled and said, "What do you think of me? Do I love to quarrel so much? Only those who are capable will have weird tempers. The fact that Su Hengyue has a weird temper means that he is capable."

Qin Xiqing smiled and said, "That's not necessarily the case. That steam engine of yours is so unorthodox that you might be considered a lunatic."

Fang Zian smiled and said: "If he were a real master, he would understand that my design was genius."

Qin Xiqing didn't want to hear Fang Zian boasting, so she rolled her eyes at him and went up to knock on the courtyard door. Not long after, someone called the door. It was a middle-aged woman with ordinary clothes but a delicate appearance. The woman immediately saw Qin Xiqing and Laughed.

"It's Miss Qin, please come quickly, please come quickly."

Qin Xiqing lowered her head and saluted and said, "Sister-in-law Su, I'm sorry to bother you again."

The woman smiled and said: "What kind of trouble is this? Who is this person?"

Qin Xiqing said hurriedly: "This is Young Master Fang, my... my friend. The last time I came here was at his invitation to visit Brother Su. Zian, this is Sister Su."

Fang Zian smiled hurriedly and bowed his hands and said, "Sister-in-law, you are polite. I'm sorry for bothering you, Zian."

The woman smiled and said politely: "Nothing, nothing. My husband is in the backyard, I will take you there."

Fang Zian and Qin Xiqing thanked each other repeatedly and followed the woman into the house. They followed the clean path through the passage between the two houses and reached the backyard. The backyard was two or three times larger than the front yard. Times, the entire back garden was barren of grass, and the ground was paved with fine gravel and gravel. It looked like a basketball court. There was a large thatched pavilion in the middle of the yard, with stoves, anvils, and various sundries piled inside. At this moment A tall man with wild hair was wielding a hammer, and he and a strong young man were beating a piece of red-hot iron on an anvil. During the clanking, sparks were flying, which was very beautiful.

The woman led Fang Zian, Qin Xiqing and others outside the hut and said with a smile: "My husband is unkempt and slovenly all day long. I'm really sorry. I'll call him. You guys just stand here and wait." .Your clothes are all made of silk and satin, and they will be torn when sparks are splashed on them."

Fang Zian said hurriedly: "Sister-in-law, don't worry, just wait until Brother Su finishes his work."

Qin Xiqing glanced at Fang Zian with a smile and thought: You are acting like a polite and virtuous corporal.

The woman smiled and said, "That's alright. Just wait here for a while, and I'll boil water and make tea."

"Thank you." Qin Xiqing said hurriedly.

The woman left with a smile. Fang Zian and Qin Xiqing stood there and watched Su Heng and the young man forging iron. Su Heng did not look at Fang Zian and Qin Xiqing from the beginning to the end, but the young man looked at them a few times. He whispered something, but was scolded by the messy-haired Su Heng.

Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle. Su Heng seemed to have endless work to do, and he was busy there. The young man was obviously a little tired. He looked like a boy of only thirteen or fourteen years old. How could he have enough strength? It was another turn. The sledgehammer became even more strenuous. Finally, the hammer came down and smashed the iron that was about to be formed.

The device was immediately scrapped.

Su Heng cursed loudly: "You bastard, haven't you eaten? You can't even lift the hammer? What can you do?"

The young man murmured: "I have no strength, dad, why don't you take a break."

Su Heng scolded: "If I don't see you eating less, I won't have the energy to work. Lazy cows poop and urinate a lot. How can I rest when I work so hard?"

The young man blushed with tears in his eyes, but he seemed to be very afraid of Su Heng, and lowered his head and did not dare to talk back. Seeing this, Fang Zian took off the gown he was wearing and handed it to Qin Xiqing's hand.

Qin Xiqing whispered: "What are you doing?"

Fang Zian waved his hand, walked directly to the grass shed, reached out to take the big hammer from the young man's hand, patted his shoulder and whispered: "Little brother, go take a breather, I will take your place."

The young man looked at Su Heng's face, and Su Heng glanced at Fang Zian, noncommittal. The tongs in his hand picked up a piece of red-hot iron, and the small hammer touched the anvil a little, which was a hint to beat it. Fang Zian turned around with the sledgehammer and began to strike. Each strike was steady and accurate, with just the right amount of force. Su Heng glanced at Fang Zian in surprise, lowered his head and concentrated on striking.

A piece of iron was quickly formed into the shape of a shovel. It was an ordinary farm tool used by ordinary farmers to turn over the soil. Fang Zian was a little dumbfounded. Master Su, who was said to be extravagant by Qin Xiqing, actually built something ordinary. farm tools.

Jingle, jingle, jingle!

Nearly an hour passed, and more than 30 farm tools were forged in a row, including shovels, shovels, hoes, etc. Fang Zian and Su Heng cooperated very well. During this period, Su Heng kept looking at him with approval, and the indifference on his face disappeared. Gradually disappeared. Finally, after the last shovel was hammered into shape, quenched and then thrown into the push of iron farm tools with a clang, Su Heng finally said in a deep voice: "It's done."

Fang Zian chuckled, put down the sledgehammer and stretched out his hand to wipe his sweat. Su Heng scolded the young man standing aside: " Polish all these farm tools in the afternoon and send them to the village outside the city in the evening. Do you know?"

The young man said hurriedly: "I know, daddy."

Su Heng then looked at Fang Zian and said, "Thank you very much. These are the farm tools that the villagers outside the city want. Spring plowing is coming soon, so they must be forged as soon as possible, otherwise the farming season will be missed. They depend on the sky for their livelihood. .”

Fang Zian suddenly realized that Su Heng was working so hard to forge tools for the farmers outside the city. He was afraid of delaying the spring plowing. Not only did he have a good impression of him in his heart.

Qin Xiqing stepped forward and saluted: "Hello, Brother Su, Xiqing is here to bother you again."

Su Heng clasped his big black hands into fists and said: "Hello, Miss Qin, I'm really a little bothered. I've been very busy these days. But with this brother's help, today's work is considered finished. If my boy and I If we do it together, I'm afraid it won't be finished until the afternoon."

Qin Xiqing smiled and said: "This is Mr. Fang, my friend. It was the man I said I would bring to introduce you to him last time."

Su Heng glanced at Fang Zian and said, "Well, this brother is pretty good, he's a good blacksmith."

Qin Xiqing almost laughed out loud. Fang Zian glared at her and said with a smile: "Thank you for the compliment, Brother Su. I have no food to eat tomorrow, so I came to be an apprentice with Brother Su."

Just as Su Heng was about to speak, the woman stood at the back door and called out: "Husband, are you done? I've been waiting for a guest for such a long time, and Miss Qin is an honored guest. It's too rude. Go back to the room and talk."

Su Heng nodded and strode into the room. Qin Xiqing put the silk shirt on Fang Zian and whispered with a smile: "Young blacksmith, you did a good job."

Fang Zian gestured to touch her face with his dark hands, but Qin Xiqing blushed and avoided it.

After entering the room and washing his hands, he finally sat down. The woman brought tea, and Su Heng also changed his clothes, straightened his bun, and came out to sit down.

Qin Xiqing smiled and said: "Brother Su, Mr. Fang and I are here today because we want to ask you something."

Su Hengdao: "If you have anything to say, just say it. Doesn't Miss Qin need an iron hairpin?"

Qin Xiqing smiled and said, "Brother Su is joking. Mr. Fang has something to ask."

Su Hengdao: "That's what this brother said, but I'm just a blacksmith, so I may not be able to help you."

Fang Zian smiled and said, "That's right. I heard Brother Su's name from Xiqing's mouth, and I know that your family has great skills and is good at making some precision things. I've been studying some things recently, but there are some components in other shops. The blacksmiths here really can't forge it, so I want to ask for your help."

Su Heng frowned and waved his hands: "I can't help with this, I won't take the job. Those farm tools are made for free for the common people. If you want to forge something, you should find someone else."

Fang Zian was stunned and said with a smile: "Brother Su, this thing is very important to me. I really don't have the skills. This thing requires a skilled master to help me complete it, so Xiqing tried his best to find it. Please do me a favor."

"Then I can't control it. Everyone wants my help, and I have to help in the next life. The imperial court asked me to be an official, but I didn't even help build the Armillary Sphere. I can't help you." Su Heng waved his hand.

Fang Zian and Qin Xiqing looked at each other and thought, "This person is really hard to talk to."

Qin Xiqing smiled and said: "Brother Su, the slave family is here with sincerity this time. If you help Young Master Fang, the slave family will reward you with a lot of money."

Su Heng frowned and said, "Money? I'm not short of money. I never work for money. Miss Qin, I'm looking out for your face. When you went to sing in Wuxi, I was invited to join you." , I listened to a few of your songs for free, so I feel I owe you something. If I were an ordinary person, I wouldn’t have time to talk to them."

Qin Xiqing made a big blush. What Su Heng meant was, I'm giving you face, so don't force yourself on others. Otherwise, I won't even give you face and I'll kick you out. If you use money to talk, you are insulting me.

The scene was a little awkward for a while, and Qin Xiqing couldn't speak. The only sound in the room was Su Heng's snoring and drinking tea.

Fang Zian coughed and said: "Since Brother Su refuses, we won't force others to do anything. Let's let this matter go. Alas, what I came up with cannot be realized after all. I'm afraid there are no skilled craftsmen in this world who can follow my instructions. There are still too few capable people in the Song Dynasty who are required to be made. Those in the capital who claim to be masters, those who have inherited skills, and how their ancestors have exquisite craftsmanship, are all people who are seeking fame and reputation, and their true colors will be revealed when they show their true nature. I can do it too Understand them. After all, people rely on bragging to make a living. If the bullshit is punctured, there will be nothing. Xiqing, I think we should say goodbye."

"What did you say? Did you come to my house to cause trouble?" Su Heng was angered by Fang Zian's words. Even a fool could hear that Fang Zian was criticizing Sang and Huai, saying that he had no ability to seek fame and reputation.

Fang Zian chuckled and said, "Brother Su, I didn't talk about you, I talked about someone else."

Su Heng said angrily: "Do you think I'm a fool? Can't I hear your insult?"

Fang Zian smacked his lips and said, "Since you heard it, just think of it as talking about you. There's nothing you can do about it if you're unhappy. I really think so. I heard that your grandfather Mr. Su was the most skilled craftsman in the Song Dynasty. He invented the astonishing water movement instrument. So I thought that as his grandson, you must also have obtained the true inheritance. It's a pity, I think you can only make farm tools for others. Just eat and drink under the banner of your grandfather. I Only now do I understand why you didn’t dare to go when the imperial court asked you to be the head of Si Tian Jian. It’s not that you didn’t want to, but that Si Tian Jian had to make a lot of armillary spheres and seismometers and other exquisite things, and you simply couldn’t do it, so you didn’t. Just go if you dare. Xiqing, you really want to introduce some real capable people to me. Why did you bring these people to me? Isn't it a waste of time? "
Chapter completed!