Da Liu ran out and fetched a box from one of the guards’ horses.
He glanced around, spotting the millstone by Old Chen Wu’s door.
Old Chen Wu had recently planned to add a room for Hong Taoping, with several long timbers for beams stacked in the yard. A few guards used these to rig a wooden frame.
“Young Master Hong, come see this together.”
Jin Feng smiled and stepped out of the room.
Hong Taoping was very curious and quickly followed.
As they emerged, Da Liu had just taken the hoist from the box.
The chain hoist was not large, consisting mainly of three parts.
The first was the pulley group encased in an iron shell, with a hook outside the shell.
The second was a lifting hook.
The third was a length of chain.
Da Liu hung the hoist on the crossbeam. Below, guards tied the millstone with rope and lit several torches, illuminating the area brightly.
A female soldier stepped forward, skilfully pulling the chain.
Clank, clank! Clank, clank!…
With her actions, the millstone gradually lifted, finally suspended off the ground.
“This… how is this possible?”
Hong Taoping’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Old Chen Wu looked as if he had seen a ghost.
No one knew the millstone’s weight better than he.
When transported here initially, he had gathered all the village’s able-bodied men and women to unload it.
Yet one female soldier lifted it so easily.
And it appeared effortless.
“No wonder sir calls it the fairy gourd. Truly a treasure!”
Hong Taoping pointed at the hoist, asking excitedly, “Sir, where did you find such a treasure?”
Many hull components were massive. Without lifting equipment, only many workers could shift them bit by bit.
Assembly was naturally extremely difficult.
This was shipbuilding’s greatest challenge.
With the treasure in the female soldier’s hands, shipbuilding speed would vastly increase.
Hong Taoping gazed at the hoist, eyes nearly glowing.
“The fairy gourd is just a joking name we gave it. It was not sought from immortals but made by me and the children at home.”
Jin Feng smiled. “If you like it, Young Master, keep it.”
Actually, after capturing Heishuigou, Jin Feng had considered building cranes.
But the terrain was complex, making gantry cranes hard. Later, affairs kept him busy, with many captured bandits. No immediate need for cranes, so he set it aside.
Later, in the ironworks, he saw Wan Yuhong using gear sets to lift weights and discovered the little genius Wan Heming.
Wan Heming indeed had talent but also youthful arrogance.
To temper him, Jin Feng assigned homework.
He required Wan Heming to create a portable lifting device capable of easily raising tens of thousands of jin.
Wan Heming laboured half a month with no progress, claiming Jin Feng deliberately made it difficult.
Then Jin Feng worked with Wan Heming to create Dakang’s first chain hoist.
Only then did Wan Heming submit sincerely. With Wan Yuhong’s urging, he set aside pride and diligently studied basic mathematics at school.
Later, Tang Xiaobei found chain hoists convenient for use, so she had Man Cang and female apprentices produce a batch for chamber loading and unloading.
“Made together with the children at home?”
Hearing Jin Feng’s words, Hong Taoping was even more shocked.
“I told you earlier. Our sir is a master of mechanisms. You did not believe. Believe now?”
Da Liu, guessing Jin Feng wished to win Hong Taoping over, immediately said, “Our sir’s third disciple is only eight this year. Alone, he can make a large crane lifting tens of thousands of jin.”
“Believe, believe!”
Hong Taoping nodded repeatedly, bowing to Jin Feng. “A great master produces fine disciples. It is I who lacked insight. Forgive my ignorance, sir.”
“No matter, no matter.”
Jin Feng waved dismissively, asking again, “I wish to add gantry cranes to the shipyard for easier building. Is that possible?”
“Possible, very possible!” Hong Taoping said quickly. “With this, not only would speed increase several times, I could build even larger ships!”
“Speaking of shipbuilding, I have some ideas too.”
Jin Feng had Tang Xiaobei fetch a bundle from the horse. Opening it revealed all drawings.
“These are drawings I made in idle moments. Young Master Hong can build according to them.”
“Let me see!”
By now, Hong Taoping dared not question Jin Feng’s expertise in mechanisms. He took the papers, eager to enter the room.
But then an old woman approached, pulling Old Chen Wu aside and whispering, “Head of house, we have only one bowl of rice left. Not enough even for porridge.”
Though Monkey Da Zhuang led the main force to camp outside, Da Liu’s guard team remained.
So many people, one bowl of rice far from enough.
“Borrow from Old Three first,” Old Chen Wu said. “Young master will rise. Borrow one bowl, repay two later!”
“Old Three has four children. They borrowed from us yesterday.”
“Then try other houses. We cannot let honoured guests go hungry.”
“Only way.” The old woman nodded, preparing to leave.
Attentive Tang Xiaobei, about to enter, saw their troubled faces. Without eavesdropping, she roughly guessed their plight.
She signalled A Lan with her eyes.
A Lan understood, turning back to fetch two cloth sacks from the horse.
Tang Xiaobei led A Lan to the old couple, smiling. “Old sir, we intrude uninvited without proper gifts. Just some grain. Please do not disdain.”
“Madam, what are you doing?” The old woman quickly waved off. “You are guests from afar. How can we take your grain?”
“Old sir, a bit of grain means nothing to us. Do not stand on ceremony.”
Tang Xiaobei said, “Take it and cook. My husband rode all day. He must be hungry.”
The old woman wished to refuse further, but Old Chen Wu reached for the sacks.
“Thank you, Madam. Forgive our poor hospitality.”
He understood Tang Xiaobei’s intent.
For Jin Feng and Tang Xiaobei, a sack of grain truly was nothing.
Preventing borrowing was likely to avoid Jin Feng going hungry.
Tang Xiaobei smiled and entered the room.
Inside, under the oil lamp, Hong Taoping carefully examined Jin Feng’s drawings.
This set was again a galleon.
But unlike the last.
The previous was very rough, almost sketch-like.
This time, highly detailed, over a dozen sheets.
The largest was the overall section. The rest detailed parts.
Every beam’s length and width, cabin thickness, height… all clearly marked.
Hong Taoping studied the drawings, his expression growing ever more solemn, heartbeat quickening.
He knew he had met a true master this time.
