It took a whole morning to register, and over a hundred children were accepted, ranging from five to ten years old. They were from Fang Family Village, Zhang Family Village, the craftsmen's families, and some had traveled from neighboring villages after hearing the news. Fang Er accepted them all.
These children were, in essence, his future capital.
On the lecture platform, Fang Er had the craftsmen make a blackboard. It wasn't made of cement yet, but of wood, painted with black oil. The chalk was made by crushing lime and pressing it into molds. Although it was fragile, it would suffice.
In the afternoon, Fang Er stood at the classroom door, watching the over a hundred children sitting obediently inside. Ma Tongyuan stood on the platform, chalking the beginning of the *Three Character Classic*.
"Come, children, read with the teacher."
"At the beginning of man's life, his nature is good. Natures are close, habits drift apart."
The children below sat up straight, tilted their heads, and looked at the blackboard.
"At the beginning of man's life, his nature is good. Natures are close, habits drift apart."
"Good, now I will explain the meaning of this sentence to you."
Speaking of which, Zhang Bo and Hu Zi should be returning soon.
Upon arriving at the workshop, Zhao Hu and the others were already helping the craftsmen with their work.
The blacksmith workshop was completed, and they were now working on the carpenter workshop, which was also nearing completion.
Only Sun Zhou and his team were guarding the blacksmith workshop.
The firearms and cannons were hidden in a warehouse within the workshop, a place that even the craftsmen were not allowed to approach.
Fang Er asked Sun Zhou to have his men assist him in retrieving all the steel scraps left over from gunpowder production.
It took a day to cast ten plowshares.
He then worked with a few carpenters, including Niu Liang, to craft the corresponding plow beams.
He had seen pictures of the curved-shaft plow in his previous life and made the plow beams entirely according to its design.
After assembly, the carpenters realized what they were making.
They were all incredibly curious.
"Young master, this is a plow, isn't it? It's different from the ones I've used before. What is this type of plow called?" Niu Liang asked curiously.
"It shall be called the curved-shaft plow."
Fang Er scratched his head; he hadn't really thought of a name.
This was entirely a replica.
He had replaced the multi-share plow with a single plowshare. Since the design of the plow body was copied from the curved-shaft plow, he would call it that.
He sent Sun Zhou to the village to find an old ox.
They hitched the plow and went to the barren land next to the workshop to test its effectiveness.
Niu Liang volunteered to take the curved-shaft plow.
Sun Zhou led the ox from the front.
As the old ox strained forward, Niu Liang held the curved-shaft plow, dragging it across the ground.
The plowshare, due to its angle and weight, dug into the earth, breaking up the compacted soil and dividing it to the sides, creating a twenty-centimeter furrow.
The old ox pulled the plow for a hundred meters. Fang Er signaled for them to stop.
He carefully asked Niu Liang about his experience.
"Young master, this curved-shaft plow is excellent, much better than the ones used before. With such hard ground, the old ox isn't even out of breath! In my opinion, with this plow, one man and one ox can plow five *mu* of land in a day without any problem. The plows we used to use could barely plow three *mu* a day, and the oxen needed to be fed and cared for!"
"Which old ox? The one pulling the plow, or the one guiding it?" Wang Wu quipped from the side.
"Get lost! I'm talking seriously!"
The old ox kicked him, and Wang Wu dodged with a smile.
Fang Er was also amused by Wang Wu's remark.
Indeed, the ox pulled the plow in front, and the other ox guided it from behind.
"As long as it's good, you all know how to make the plow beams now. Make a hundred sets first. I'll go to Chang'an and find someone to get some iron materials."
Fang Er had no intention of using the steel materials in the warehouse, as they might be needed for a crucial purpose at any time. For something as lacking in technical skill as this, it was better to do it himself.
Li Er had mentioned last time that Changsun Wuji's family was in the iron business. Therefore, he planned to visit the emperor's brother-in-law in Chang'an.