Chapter 65

Since it was already the 24th of the 12th lunar month, and the New Year was just around the corner, the穿越者s decided to postpone their move at Yu Xu Zi's insistence, planning to do so after the New Year. After the Minor New Year, the穿越者s, along with the other Taoists in Yu Xu Palace, began decorating the temple and purchasing various New Year goods, getting busy with the preparations for the New Year.

During this period, the trade team took the opportunity to enter the city for procurement and reached a consensus with Mr. Chen, the owner of Tianfu Building, on all the details of their cooperation. They agreed to sign the contract after Wang Feng's wedding, and the contract text provided by the trade team was far more detailed and standardized than any cooperation agreement Mr. Chen had seen before. Both parties' rights and obligations were clearly stated, leaving no room for loopholes. This not only amazed Mr. Chen but also dispelled his last bit of concern, no longer worrying that his hard work would be taken away by these Taoists.

With the Tianfu Building issue resolved, the穿越者s' short-term development plan was considered a success. Especially with the unexpected gain from Feilong Fort, they could say they had overachieved. Everyone was very happy, and their enthusiasm for the New Year preparations soared. Wang Feng, who loved to play, went to Yu Xu Zi to ask if there were any fireworks for sale in the county town to add some atmosphere to the New Year.

Yu Xu Zi didn't quite understand what he was asking for at first, but after some explanation, he asked uncertainly, "Is what Brother Wang is talking about called 'baozhang'?"

Although Wang Feng wasn't familiar with the ancient name for fireworks, after Yu Xu Zi described 'baozhang,' he confirmed it was what he wanted. He then asked, "Yes, yes, that's exactly what I need. Brother, do you know if they sell this in Liangxiang?"

Yu Xu Zi stroked his beard and replied, "Setting off baozhang is a custom for the Han people during the New Year, but baozhang is mainly produced in the Southern Dynasty. There are no workshops here in Youzhou. As far as I know, there are no shops selling them in Liangxiang. If you want to set them off, it might be a bit difficult."

Hearing that there were no fireworks for sale, Wang Feng was somewhat disappointed but didn't give up. Although he wasn't a chemistry expert, he knew that black powder was made of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, though he wasn't sure about the proportions. So, he dragged Yu Xu Zi to find the team's chemistry expert, Liu Wendong, to inquire about the specific ratios and then asked Yu Xu Zi to send someone to the city to buy them.

Liu Wendong naturally answered Wang Feng's questions, as setting off fireworks was also appealing to him. After explaining the ratios of the three ingredients, he asked Yu Xu Zi if these items were available in Liangxiang.

Yu Xu Zi found it strange that Liu Wendong knew so much about this substance, which he understood was produced by some Taoists during their alchemy. Since Liu Wendong was definitely not a Taoist and didn't seem like a craftsman, he asked, "Brother, have you ever practiced alchemy or worked in a workshop to produce this substance?"

Liu Wendong couldn't tell him that he was previously an engineer in a chemical company and was familiar with the production and performance of various explosives. So, he made up an excuse, "Brother, you misunderstood. I was never a Taoist, nor did I practice alchemy. When I was overseas, I knew a craftsman who worked in a gunpowder workshop. I found it interesting and visited his workshop to see him make it. Sometimes, I even mixed it myself, so I know a bit about it."

Yu Xu Zi nodded in understanding, "I see. These three ingredients are not expensive, especially charcoal, which we have plenty of in the temple. However, saltpeter and sulfur are usually used as medicine, so you might need to go to the herbal shops in the city to buy them."

He then calculated, "Today is already the 24th of the 12th lunar month. If Brother Wang wants to buy these ingredients, you should hurry. In two days, the herbal shops might close for the New Year, and you won't be able to buy them."

Wang Feng thanked Yu Xu Zi and Liu Wendong and rushed to find his cousin. He planned to ask Wang Xiaojun to tell the trade team, who were buying New Year goods, to bring back some saltpeter and sulfur for Liu Wendong to make fireworks.

Although Wang Xiaojun found Wang Feng's impulsive behavior annoying, he considered that setting off fireworks would add to the festive atmosphere, so he didn't refuse. He found Fan Wucheng and You Yuan, who were in charge of procurement, and told them about Wang Feng's request. Fan and You were also interested in fireworks and readily agreed. They quickly took action and bought the ingredients that afternoon, though the quantities were not large, as they were sold as medicine in the herbal shops.

With everyone's help, Liu Wendong processed the limited ingredients, mixed them with the charcoal from the temple, and made black powder. He then carefully rolled the powder into paper and inserted cotton paper dipped in black powder as fuses, making about 300 small firecrackers. Although 300 firecrackers would be used up in less than a minute if set off in a row, it was better than nothing. Of course, setting them off one by one would last a bit longer.

However, after the firecrackers were made, the issue of ownership became a point of contention. Although Wang Feng had initially proposed the idea, once the firecrackers were ready, others in the穿越者group also wanted to set them off and were unwilling to let Wang Feng have them all. After some debate, the issue was brought to the committee for discussion.

Although Wang Xiaojun was annoyed by his cousin's constant requests, he considered the festive mood and discussed the matter with the other three committee members. They ultimately decided that the 300 firecrackers would belong to the team and be stored by You Yuan's material management group. On New Year's Eve, they would be distributed equally among all team members who wanted to set them off. Additionally, to accommodate Wang Feng, who proposed the idea, 150 firecrackers would be saved for his wedding, and the rest would be used during the New Year. Although Wang Feng was somewhat dissatisfied with this decision, he didn't argue further after his cousin gave him a stern look. He could only watch as You Yuan took the firecrackers and locked them in the temporary warehouse.

Although the firecracker incident was minor, it sparked the committee's interest in the development of firearms. They called in several high-level engineers from the technology group, especially the chemistry expert Liu Wendong, to inquire about the possibility of developing firearms that could be mass-produced at this stage.

After discussing with other key members, Li Junwu, the head of the technology group and a committee member, reluctantly stated, "The technology group has no problem with the theoretical aspects of firearm development. Whether it's me, Old Zhou, Old Yu, or Liu Wendong, we are all experts in this field and are familiar with the structure and production processes of various firearms and ammunition. The biggest challenge is the lack of equipment and raw materials. Without the necessary equipment and materials, we are like a skilled cook without ingredients. Based on the tools and materials available at this stage, we estimate that we can produce flintlock muskets within about three months. When more advanced weapons will be available is hard to predict. This is clearly stated in our work plan, which the committee should be aware of."

Although flintlock muskets were not the most ideal in terms of firing speed and usage conditions, things had to be done step by step. Therefore, the three committee members who were not in this field also understood the difficulties of the technology group. Wang Xiaojun even apologized to Li Junwu, "Mr. Li is right. These matters are clearly stated in the technology group's work plan, and we non-experts were too eager. Seeing those firecrackers naturally made us think about this. Moreover, after the counterattack against the Five Tigers Fort, the consumption of modern weapons and ammunition was significant, and everyone was a bit worried. Therefore, the desire to have our own firearms as soon as possible is understandable. We hope the technology group can understand and not feel pressured. We should follow the original plan step by step to avoid mistakes. After all, firearms are dangerous, and we cannot be careless."

Li Junwu and others nodded in agreement, expressing their understanding of everyone's feelings and agreeing with Wang Xiaojun's suggestions. The technology group would follow scientific principles and strive to produce a flintlock musket prototype as soon as possible. They would also work hard to improve their technology.

The committee members, especially Xu Shaoran, who was in charge of security, encouraged the technology group. Xu Shaoran expressed his gratitude and stated that with the completion of the Feilong Fort soldiers' training and their integration into the security team, the team's safety could be ensured even without firearms. The technology group didn't need to worry about security.

Although this small incident before the New Year passed without much fuss, the members of the technology group did not relax. Li Junwu, Liu Wendong, and others immediately found Fan Wucheng and You Yuan, who were in charge of procurement, to inquire about the prices and maximum supply of saltpeter and sulfur, as well as the number and scale of blacksmith shops in Liangxiang.

Fan and You found it difficult to answer immediately. They had already bought all the "medicines" from the herbal shops, and even if the sellers restocked, it wouldn't be much. However, Fan Wucheng suggested he could try to contact the suppliers through the herbal shops to see if he could buy in bulk. As for the blacksmith shops, since there had been no demand, the trade team or the material management group had not dealt with them. If necessary, they could seek help from Mr. Zhong.

Although they didn't get a definitive answer, the technology group members were not disappointed. They believed that as long as they were willing to pay, the sources of saltpeter and sulfur should not be a problem. As for whether there was sufficient iron supply in Liangxiang or nearby areas, they were not very optimistic. Based on the information from Zhang Weixin and Yu Xu Zi, they knew that iron supplies in this region were tight, mainly because the raw materials came from the Southern Dynasty, and it was impossible to get sufficient supplies while they were enemies. However, for initial research and development, the demand was not high, and they could meet it by paying more, even through smuggling if necessary.

Of course, in the long term, the technology group would focus on self-reliance. Many of the穿越者s were from Beijing in their previous lives and had some knowledge of the mineral distribution around Beijing. They knew that there were iron and coal deposits in the surrounding areas. For example, there were iron mines in Miyun County (now Tancheng), and the area where they were living, as well as further north, was part of Fangshan District and Mentougou District in their previous lives, which had coal mines. Although these mines were not large on a national scale, they could meet the needs of the穿越者s. Of course, the specific mining and smelting processes would require some time and the help of local authorities, which would need to be coordinated by other functional groups, especially the external relations group.

However, discussing these matters now was a bit premature. The New Year was approaching, and people in this era valued this festival much more than the穿越者s. Trying to discuss official business at this time would not yield good results. Therefore, the穿越者s only mentioned it in passing, and the specific work would be done after the New Year.