Chapter 23: The Fire God's Song (Part 1)

  "A Fu, your dad is calling you back."

  Cao Pengzheng rode his horse slowly along the riverbank when Wang Meng suddenly ran up and shouted loudly at him.

  "What does my dad want from me?"

  "You forgot, didn't your dad tell you at dinner yesterday that today is the day to light the fire and start work? Didn't you want to strike the first hammer?"

  "Ah!"

  Cao Peng shouted loudly and whipped his horse into a gallop.

  According to the custom at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, when a new iron furnace was built, sacrifices had to be made to pray for the blessing of the fire god, so that business would flourish in the future. Igniting the fire was a crucial step, and once the furnace was heated up, smelting and forging could begin... The first hammer strike was usually presided over by a master craftsman. Cao Peng had always been very interested in this, so he begged Cao Jin persistently, wanting to strike the first hammer blow.

  Logically speaking, Cao Ju would not have agreed.

  Ke could not bear Deng Ji, Cao Nan pleaded for Cao Peng, and Zhang also spoke well on the side.

  After much persuasion, Cao Peng finally agreed to let Cao Peng strike the first hammer. After all, under Cao Qu's guidance, Cao Peng had already mastered some tricks of the trade.

  Wang Meng looked at Cao Peng's back and couldn't help but laugh.

  "Time to head back, let's go..."

  "Dad, I want to practice some more."

  Wang Meng's face sank, "You child, don't you understand? Do you know why Ah Fu wants to learn blacksmithing? He just wants to forge a good knife to give to you! Such a big thing, and you didn't even go to watch the ceremony? If Ah Fu really forges a knife in the future, will you have the face to accept it?"

  Actually, Wang Meng didn't think Cao Peng could make a good knife.

  But this kindness was enough to move him. Wang Maiyi also panicked, hastily grabbed his clothes and led the horse over.

  "Dad, let's go back."

  "What's wrong with you, kid? Why are you suddenly asking Ah Fu to give you his knife?"

  "You're not unaware of how Ah Fu lost that knife... Besides, that knife wasn't worth much money, you really shouldn't have..."

  "I was just casually saying it, who knew Ah Fu is a stubborn one."

  The father and son walked back and forth in a flurry, muttering to each other as they went.

  Under a peach tree beside the riverbank, a black leather bag was quietly placed. Neither Wang Meng nor Wang Mai noticed it.

  ——————————————————————————————－

  Everything is ready at home.

  In front of the iron furnace, three sacrificial animals were placed.

  As soon as Cao Peng entered the house, he was caught by Cao Jin, "You little brat, yesterday you were still shouting about forging iron, how did you forget today?"

  "I..."

  "Alright, alright, hurry up and get dressed."

  Your mother has already prepared it for you, hurry up and change into it. We are about to make offerings to the Fire God and light the furnace... Don't delay any longer."

  These days, people also pay attention to auspicious dates.

  The Cao family's blast furnace has been built for a long time, but because they haven't found a good day to start using it, it has been delayed until now.

  Cao Ju can't delay it anymore!

  If you miss today, at least have to wait another seven or eight days. Another seven or eight days later, it will be the New Year's Day, and it will definitely become very busy, where can we start work? You know, after the beginning of spring, we need to prepare for plowing and cultivating before the rainwater. Every household farmer will also start preparing for farming tools from now on... This is the best time of the year.

  Cao Peng hastily changed into a black suit and stood behind Cao Jin.

  Zhang and Cao Nan cannot attend this ritual because they are women! According to Cao Jin's words, women will offend the fire god, and accidents may happen later. It is called yin-yang collision... Fire is extremely yang and strong, while women belong to yin, so it is not good for them to be in the same room together.

  Under the incense table, a stick of incense was lit and had already burned halfway.

  If this incense is burned out, it means the best time for opening the furnace has passed.

  Cao Ju led Cao Peng to the front of the incense table and loudly recited the ancient sacrificial text. According to Cao Ju, this opening furnace's sacrificial text has been passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. It uses a very ancient dialect, which is also a compulsory course for every blacksmith to learn. If you don't understand the sacrificial text, you can't become a great master.

  Anyway, Cao Peng was a bit bewildered and honestly knelt in front of the incense table.

  After singing for about five or six minutes, the ceremony ended. Cao Ju led Cao Peng to walk around the stove while worshiping, which is said to be a kind of opening furnace dance. After circling the stove three times, the initial ceremony finally came to an end. Cao Ju invited the incense case out of the shed and beckoned Cao Peng over.

  "A Fu, stand by my side and listen to my orders!"

  Cao Peng secretly curled his lip and opened the iron dissolving furnace, unexpectedly there were so many rules.

  Cao Ju washed his hands with clear water and then wiped them dry with a towel. He took out a piece of mountain mahogany and placed it on the frame over the stove. Under the frame, there was a pile of dry grass, which was used as tinder. Cao Ju was going to do the most primitive way of making fire by drilling into wood. Don't underestimate this method, all the tools used had been specially treated. For example, the mountain mahogany had to be grown by a stream.

  The wood is relatively soft, with a high friction coefficient, generating heat quickly and retaining it well.

  This kind of mountain mahogany is hard to find, often in the deep mountains and old forests, it takes several days to find a harvest. After finding the mountain mahogany, some processing must be done. For example, the middle of the mountain mahogany must be hollow, and there must be small wood cores. Only this kind of wood can drill out high-temperature wood shavings... Of course, in the late Eastern Han dynasty, there was no such scientific statement, only said that the fire god would arrive.

  Cao Ju put down the wooden drill and picked up the steel drill.

  This drill rod also has its own rules, about 50 cm long, with a slightly tapered head.

  There is a small pit on the surface of the mountain mahogany drilling board, which can fix the drill rod. At the same time, a groove is engraved on the edge of the pit, called a fire slot. The sparks generated by drilling are flowing out from the fire slot and falling on the ignition material. The hand movement of drilling wood also has its own rules, and it is difficult to grasp the subtlety without going through a process of practice.

  All I saw was Cao Ju grasping the drill rod and finding a balance point before applying some force to press down.

  Taking two deep breaths, he looked at Cao Peng and said: "Let's get started!"

  Come on, let's get started... The incense is going to burn out!

  These words can only be said in one's heart. Cao Peng nodded solemnly and seriously, "Dad, let's begin."

  "Oh, fire, oh sun, you give me light... Fire is like the sun, fire, give me a bright light..."

  Cao Ju suddenly raised his voice and sang loudly.

  This is the "Fire God Song", also a must-sing song when welcoming the Fire God. It is said that this fire god song has been passed down since ancient times, and in later generations it was almost lost, only some areas of the Li ethnic group still retain this old song. Cao Quyu sang in the dialect of Nanyang County, if translated, the general meaning is like this. Because some words and phrases sound very awkward, even if Cao Peng stood by and listened carefully, he couldn't understand some local language, and could only roughly translate the content.

  Cao Ju sang while rhythmically operating the drilling rod.

  Slowly, a wisp of blue smoke rose from the mountain...

  The Mars that just drilled out can't be seen with the naked eye, because it's just some black charcoal. Cao Peng clearly saw some black particles flying out, along the flow of fire trough into the furnace. The dry grass in the furnace is the ignition material. But don't think that this can ignite a flame.

  "Brother, blow the fire!"

  "What's going on?"

  Cao Quan suddenly shouted: "Halt!"

  "I understand!"

  Cao Peng hastily squatted down, grabbed the handle of the stove, and gently pushed it.

  "Slow down, don't be in such a hurry!"

  The weight of this stove is not light at all, it's very strenuous to pull. If it were the old Cao Peng, he wouldn't have been able to budge the stove handle...

  Under Cao Ji's guidance, Cao Peng gently pushed and pulled, sending air into the furnace.

  Gradually, the black charcoal particles that fell on the straw began to turn red and became brighter and brighter under the continuous blowing of the furnace.

  Smoke began to appear in the furnace.

  Cao Ju didn't dare stop and continued to drill with the drilling rod, singing loudly.

  "Come on, buddy, big push!"

  As Cao Ju let out a loud shout, Cao Peng pulled the bellows with all his might and then gave it a strong push. Inside the furnace, a flame burst forth in an instant, igniting the drill board. Cao Ju hastily released his hand, pushed Cao Peng to the side, and loudly shouted: "Peng'er, add coal, add coal!"

  Wang Meng and his son carried in two buckets of charcoal from outside the shed.

  Cao Peng, under Cao Qu's guidance, rhythmically threw them into the furnace.

  Fill the furnace and keep the temperature of the furnace. After the charcoal fire appeared, Cao Ju relaxed the winch, indicating that Cao Peng retreated.

  Just this little bit of work exhausted Cao Peng, making him sweat profusely.

  It's not just physical exhaustion, but also mental fatigue... This ritual to welcome the Fire God has created an extremely solemn atmosphere. Working in this environment, using one part of strength is equivalent to using three or four parts of strength normally... How can Cao Peng not be tired?