Chapter 28: Eight‑Times Artisan

The food crisis was initially eased, and Jiao Tu Zhen welcomed a brief respite.

But Chen Wen's 8-times brain never stopped working; he clearly knew that a base capable of long-term survival could not rely on food alone.

That day, he summoned all the artisans in the town.

—blacksmiths, carpenters, leatherworkers, and even a few women who could weave baskets and cloth.

In the crude workshop, everyone looked at the young leader, their eyes filled with awe and curiosity.

No one knew what big move this leader, who had repeatedly created miracles, would make this time.

Chen Wen wasted no words, directly picking up a freshly smelted iron bar that was crude and full of impurities.

"Our tools are too poor."

He spoke bluntly.

"The hoe heads for land reclamation easily chip, the arrowheads for hunting aren't sharp enough, even the knives for cutting meat chip easily. This won't do."

The old blacksmith Zhang Lao San's face flushed with shame:

"Leader, it's not that I'm not conscientious; it's just… the furnace temperature is insufficient, the fuel is poor, so the iron we produce can only be of this quality."

Chen Wen nodded; his 8-times observational acuity had already pinpointed the problem.

He walked up to the crude earthen-brick furnace, carefully observing the structure of the chamber and the placement of the air vents.

"If the furnace won't do, we'll modify the furnace. If the airflow is insufficient, we'll increase it."

His tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable confidence.

Next, the artisans of Jiao Tu Zhen witnessed what is called "superb craftsmanship."

Relying on his 8-times learning and memory capacity, Chen Wen quickly integrated the scattered metallurgy knowledge he had seen before with his own understanding of physical principles.

He personally drafted the blueprint, with precise proportions and a clear structure.

He personally participated in the renovation; his 8-times strength and control let him easily handle heavy refractory bricks and clay, precisely laying out a new furnace with a more rational structure and better insulation.

He even designed a simple wooden bellows driven by water flow, replacing the original bellows that required manual pulling!

Although the structure is simple, under his 8-times precise handcrafting, its seal and airflow far surpassed before.

【Improving smelting facilities, application of engineering and physics knowledge (x Bonus)! Diligence Points (WP)+100!】

On the day the new furnace was lit, all the artisans gathered around.

When the bluish flame burned fiercely inside the chamber and the temperature noticeably rose by a level, everyone exclaimed.

Zhang Lao San, with trembling hands, clamped out a red-hot iron billet for forging!

They found that impurities were easier to forge out, and the billet's ductility and toughness greatly increased!

"Good… good furnace! Good fire!"

The old blacksmith, excited, flushed red in the face; his gaze toward Chen Wen was like looking at a deity.

【Successfully improved smelting efficiency and quality, basic industrial level raised! Diligence Points (WP)+150!】

【Current WP: 3396】

With good iron, the next step was to forge tools and weapons.

Chen Wen once again demonstrated his 8-times imitation and innovation ability.

After watching Zhang Lao San forge, he picked up a hammer himself.

His first strikes were still a bit clumsy, but after a few blows, his movements became more standard and efficient than those of a veteran smith with decades of experience!

His 8-times force control ensured each hammer strike landed exactly where needed.

His 8-times precision allowed him to produce tools with perfect curvature and razor‑sharp edges.

He not only crafted regular farm tools and weapons, but also designed and personally made some more efficient tools:

a prototype of a curved‑beam plow for deep tilling, and a seed drill capable of sowing multiple rows at once.

even a simple lifting device made from levers and pulleys for future construction.

【Crafting and innovating tools, manual skill and innovation ability greatly increased (x Bonus)! Diligence Points (WP)+10…+10… (ongoing)】

The same went for the carpenters and leatherworkers.

With a little guidance from Chen Wen, or a personal demonstration, their work efficiency and product quality could be greatly improved.

For a time, the workshop of Jiao Tu Zhen rang with clangs, bustling with activity, as various urgently needed tools and equipment were produced in a steady stream.

Thanks to Chen Wen, this "human‑shaped industrial revolution engine," the settlement's productivity leapt up another tier.

However, amid this flourishing scene, a hidden crisis gradually surfaced.

Wang Ru found Chen Wen, who was overseeing the well‑digging, her expression grave.

"Leader, we're almost out of salt."

"Besides, although we can pick up some iron ore ourselves, the reserves are scarce and the quality poor."

"If this continues long‑term, it will be hard to sustain."

Salt and iron!

These two words struck Chen Wen's heart like a heavy hammer.

These are the two most vital strategic resources in ancient society, far harder to obtain than food.

Without salt, people become weak and feeble, their strength declines, and they may even fall ill.

Without iron, all tools and weapons would become water without a source, and the settlement's development would grind to a complete halt.

Food can be grown, game can be hunted, but salt and iron—especially salt—are not produced anywhere near Jiao Tu Zhen.

"How much do we have left in stock?" Chen Wen asked in a low voice.

"At most the salt will last half a month if used sparingly. The iron ore… at the current consumption rate, maybe one or two months."

Wang Ru replied anxiously.

"Moreover, as the population grows, consumption will only increase faster."

Chen Wen furrowed his brows.

He realized that Jiao Tu Zhen's development had encountered its first genuine bottleneck.

This problem cannot be solved merely by relying on his personal eightfold labor.

We must acquire resources externally!

Trade? Or plunder?

Who to trade with? Nearby are all impoverished villages, lacking salt and iron themselves.

The only possible stable source could be those local strongmen who possess fortified strongholds and greater strength, or

……more distant towns.

Plunder? Who is the target?

The nearby small bandit hideouts probably don't have much stock either.

Could it be that we have to scheme against those strongmen?

With Jiao Tu Zhen's current strength, it is undoubtedly like using an egg to strike a stone.

This is a dilemma.

In the evening, Chen Wen alone climbed the highest watchtower, gazing at the distant continuous mountains and the faintly visible path leading out of the mountains.

He knew that the days of leisurely farming would temporarily come to an end.

Jiao Tu Zhen must open its eyes, look toward the outside world, and face more complex challenges.

It is time to form a capable team, go out and have a look.

Perhaps we could first go scout that so-called Li Family Village, said to be dozens of li away, established by a retired official of a previous dynasty?

I heard that the place has treacherous terrain, stockpiled with considerable supplies, and occasionally engages in trade with the outside world……

A rough outline of a plan gradually formed in his brain operating at eightfold speed.

【Insight into the stronghold development core hidden danger (salt and iron shortage), strategic planning ability increased! Diligence Points (WP)+50!】

【Current WP: 3446】