Chapter 99

The next day, the weather was still fine, with no signs of rain.

Last night, Master and Cui Lan did not return to Longtan, and Didi and Qiqi still had not come back, making Longtan seem much quieter. So early in the morning, Lin Bei took a bath and went directly to the school.

The smoke from the bonfire still lingered, and Lin Bei glanced around but did not see An Zhongzhi and the others. However, he did see a few craftsmen standing by the biogas pond with red eyes, talking about something. To his surprise, Feng Niangzi was also there.

"Has there been some progress?" Lin Bei guessed and moved closer.

The craftsmen saw Lin Bei and stopped talking, bowing respectfully to him. Feng Niangzi also bowed to Lin Bei. Lin Bei waved his tail, indicating that it was unnecessary. He wanted to ask what they were doing but knew that these people were illiterate.

These craftsmen were not seeing Lin Bei for the first time; they knew that the adult in front of them was very kind, and this biogas pond was something he valued greatly. Since Feng Niangzi was familiar with the adult, they all looked at her, signaling her to speak.

"Adult, the craftsmen are discussing... the biogas pond issue." The three words "biogas pond" were still a bit awkward to say.

Lin Bei nodded, gesturing for them to continue.

A craftsman in his forties spoke up: "Adult, yesterday we discussed, and the most important part of the biogas pond is the gas, right?"

Lin Bei thought to himself, yes, biogas is the gas produced by waste, which is the most important part. That's why Lin Bei had them seal the biogas pond; otherwise, if the biogas leaked, it could cause serious consequences. It seemed these craftsmen had some skills.

"To seal the gas, the material must be cheap and readily available. We think using sheepskin or cowhide, or perhaps imitating the method used to make military water bags, would work. Fortunately, the adult has caught a few wild bulls recently, and we plan to use their hides," another craftsman said.

The wild bulls had been eaten by the laborers, but the hides were still there, so they were readily available. But how to do it? Lin Bei looked at them, hoping they could provide an answer.

Suddenly, a craftsman pointed at Feng Niangzi: "Adult, Feng Niangzi's husband's family name is Ma. I once heard from Old Lady Ma that they are part of the Ma family of Qingzhou, known for their ingenious mechanisms. So we called Feng Niangzi here, hoping she could give us some guidance."

The Ma family of Qingzhou? Lin Bei looked at Feng Niangzi. Was the Ma family of Qingzhou so famous? Lin Bei thought for a moment and recalled a few famous people with the surname Ma, such as Ma Liang and Ma Su, but they were not from Qingzhou but from Xiangyang, which is now Hubei. Lin Bei might be mistaken about the place names of this era, but the people of the Three Kingdoms would not be wrong.

Feng Niangzi bowed slightly and said softly, "Xiangyu has only been married for half a year. My husband usually hunts and makes some ingenious things. Occasionally, my mother-in-law gives some guidance. In terms of these ingenious techniques, my mother-in-law is more skilled than I am. However, since she is bedridden, I want to help the adult, so I came here despite my lack of confidence."

A craftsman said, "Feng Xiaoniang is too modest. The Ma family's mechanisms are known throughout the world. Even knowing a little is better than us."

Lin Bei was increasingly surprised. Was the Ma family of Qingzhou so famous that even craftsmen in remote areas considered them the best? Even an outsider, just married to a member of the Ma family, was considered more skilled than them.

"Adult." An Zhongzhi's voice came from a distance, and he ran over: "Adult, you came very early today."

Lin Bei did not have time to chat with An Zhongzhi and quickly wrote: "These craftsmen say they have a way to make the biogas pond. Have them explain it to me."

An Zhongzhi was also delighted and quickly asked. The craftsmen spoke in a jumble, but they finally gave a general idea.

The craftsmen planned to use tanned cowhide to make an inner bag that would fit tightly around the biogas pond. Of course, regardless of the craftsmen's methods, Lin Bei was concerned about the sealing performance of the tanned cowhide. The craftsmen intended to use the method used to make military water bags, and they called Feng Niangzi because the Ma family of Qingzhou had once served the army and made such water bags, which were still used in many armies and were of high quality. The craftsmen assured Lin Bei that if they made it, there would be no problems.

Although the craftsmen said this, Lin Bei still asked, "You must know that the biogas pond needs an inlet for waste, an outlet for waste, and a pipe for the gas. The inlet and outlet will be used frequently. Will the sealing be a problem?"

The craftsmen looked at each other, and Feng Niangzi asked, "Adult, can the biogas pond be stopped when the inlet and outlet are used?"

"It can be."

"Then there's no problem. We can seal it with cowhide when needed, ensuring it looks the same as before."

Since the expert said so, Lin Bei could only trust them. "When can it be done?"

The craftsmen discussed and the older craftsman spoke: "Adult, it should be done the day after tomorrow."

"Good, thank you for your hard work."

"It's our duty. We are honored to serve the adult, and we are grateful for Feng Niangzi's guidance."

After Lin Bei left, the craftsmen measured the length and width of the biogas pond and remembered it. Then one of the craftsmen went to Xishan Township and found a few women who could sew, asking them to sew the wild bull hides. They were not to sew them in the usual way but to make them into bag shapes, which the craftsmen would then process. They would blow air into the bags, seal them, and throw them into the water to test for leaks. Once there were no more bubbles, they would disassemble them and then attach the cowhide to the pond.

Lin Bei did not ask about these details because he trusted the professionals. However, An Zhongzhi raised a question: "Adult, if we use wild bull hides to make the biogas pond, won't it be too costly?"

Indeed, it was costly. Wild bulls were not found everywhere, and domestic bulls could not be killed at will in this era. An Zhongzhi thought this did not align with Lin Bei's initial idea of using the cheapest and most readily available materials.

Lin Bei nodded: "Indeed, but we can start with a prototype and improve it later."

Once a prototype is made, everyone will see the benefits of the biogas pond and will be motivated to improve it. At the very least, it should be popularized in Xishan Township. If there are no wild bull hides, the people of Xishan Township will find a way. Lin Bei was not worried about the creativity of the ancients. In fact, many ancient technologies are still impressive even by modern standards, such as the terracotta warriors of the Qin Dynasty, whose weapons were treated with a special chromium process and have remained intact for thousands of years, even outperforming modern stainless steel.

PS: Some things don't need to be taken too seriously, like the biogas pond. I just wanted to write in more detail. If I didn't, I could have simply mentioned that the craftsmen had figured it out. As for using cowhide to make the inner bag of the biogas pond, the考证党 (historical考证 party) can try it out, haha.

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