Chapter 42: The First Results of Charcoal Burning

Yan Er'er felt he had completely mastered the charcoal-making method described in Bamboo Slip Three, yet in actual practice, he still couldn't avoid being a bit of a mess.

According to Bamboo Slip Three, one must dig eight ventilation holes at the bottom. Once the flames at the top catch fire, one must carefully observe the holes below; as soon as a light is seen in one, it must be plugged with mud.

In reality, the first problem arose at the top of the mound. The heat caused the soil to crack and dry out, and the fissures grew wider before his eyes. Headache blooming, Yan Er'er hurriedly pulled out the bamboo slip to study the illustrations.

One could only imagine how clear the sketches drawn with ink on the bamboo slips were; if you could grasp the general idea, it meant the artist's skill was already superb.

Unable to make sense of it, Yan Er'er could only resort to the crudest method: continuing to smear more mud on top.

He had no choice but to keep smearing; if the cracks deepened any further, wouldn't the entire mound collapse?

The Qi brothers had originally thought he was being unreliable, but once Yan Er'er produced a roll of bamboo slips, the three brothers worked in silence, following his directions precisely.

Yan Er'er, holding the bamboo slip with a furrowed brow and intense focus, felt a sense of "unfathomable greatness."

Suddenly, they felt as though they were participating in something extraordinary, something of great importance.

By the time Yan Er'er reached the point where he said light could be seen through the bottom holes, the sky had turned pitch black.

One by one, the eight bottom holes were plugged, and the large opening at the very top was also covered tightly with river mud.

Yan Er'er insisted on dragging the Qi brothers away, refusing to let them stay and guard the site.

Qi Da, being stubborn, tried to persist, but Qi Si—the most cunning of the three brothers—thought of something. He helped drag his older and younger brothers away along with Yan Er'er.

"Fourth Brother, why are you pulling me? Even if this place is remote and deserted, what if some beast comes by to cause trouble? No, I still need to go watch." Qi Wu decided he would go on his own. Yan Er'er seemed exhausted and didn't stop him; if charcoal actually burned, he would just carry it back himself. Right, he'd need to bring two bags.

Qi Da wouldn't say much, but he supported his fifth brother with his actions.

"Big Brother, Old Fifth, what am I supposed to say? Didn't you see those bamboo books Yan Er'er pulled out? That charcoal is being made according to the methods in those books. Every family has its own skills passed down orally, but to be written in a book...

Think about it, wouldn't that make them incredibly precious and valuable?

The stuff before isn't important; the key might be at the end. Yan Er'er can't say it plainly, which is why he won't let us follow... why are you two so thick-headed?" Qi Si complained.

His arms were aching from all the pulling.

"Huh?" Qi Wu was stunned. "Is that how it is?"

He slapped his thigh, looking as if he had just realized something. "Right! My master treats those woodworking diagrams like treasures; he won't even let us take a peek, saying he'll only pass them down to whoever takes care of him in his old age."

Qi Wu knew he was slow and a poor learner; he wouldn't be the one to enjoy the blessing of caring for his master in his old age, but being able to steal a few glances to broaden his horizons was enough to satisfy him.

Qi Da nodded earnestly. "Then we definitely can't go."

Qi Si, playing the clever one, added, "Not only can we not go, we have to stop others from coming here to watch the spectacle."

Yan Er'er had no idea that the Qi brothers had accidentally done the right thing.

He was currently reporting to his brother, planning to check on the fire.

"Where did you learn this charcoal-making method?" Yan Huaiwen asked.

"Acquired by chance, acquired by chance." Yan Er'er had no intention of showing Yan Huaiwen Bamboo Slip Three, lest he have to explain later why there were so many rolls, one after another...

"Since you want to do it, then try it." Yan Huaiwen agreed.

Because Yan Er'er's reasoning was compelling: he planned to sell charcoal to earn money and support the family once they reached the north.

Calculating the timing, they would reach Guanzhou just as the weather turned cold.

If they could successfully make charcoal, the business would be very promising.

After Yan Er'er left, Li Xuemei timed it and went to find her eldest brother-in-law. She said she was worried about her husband, noting that since he hadn't returned by this time, he might be staying overnight there. She packed some things, intending to bring them over.

She even added, somewhat bashfully, that Yan Er'er had been working hard lately, and she wanted to take advantage of leaving the group to make him some food to nourish him.

Since there was quite a lot of stuff, she wanted to lead an ox over, and while waiting for the charcoal to finish burning, she could have the ox carry it back.

Yan Huaiwen had no objection. He even thoughtfully instructed his sister-in-law to take care of her own health, telling her she didn't need to be frugal and eat the same as them—implying she should cook something special for herself.

After informing Da Ya, Li Xuemei, Yan Yu, and an ox quietly left the group.

...

Yan Er'er was waiting halfway. Seeing the silhouette of the ox from afar, he grinned.

He hurried to meet them, smiling as he led the way.

"It's not far ahead."

When they arrived at the charcoal-making site, Yan Er'er touched the mound; it was still warm.

He rubbed his hands together. "It's the first time; I don't know if it will work."

Li Xuemei brought a small mat, spread it on the ground, and removed the charcoal cylinder tied to San Bao.

"Whether it works or not, we'll know once we try. It's fine if it doesn't work the first time; the second or third time, we'll figure it out through trial and error." Li Xuemei then spread out a large bundle of straw sandals.

"There are thirty-seven pairs here, exactly half.

You wouldn't believe how fast their hands are. This is even after taking out what each family has been wearing these past few days. Everyone in our village is wearing these straw sandals now... except for our Big Brother."

"Big Brother just isn't used to them. I wear them just fine; they're cool and lightweight. But wife, you need to improve your skills. Look, the toes are showing again." Yan Er'er lifted his large foot to show Li Xuemei.

Li Xuemei took a look, casually plucked a few strands from the nearby grass, and began weaving them in. In a few moments, the holes were patched.

It didn't matter if it looked good; as long as the holes were covered, it was fine.

When Yan Er'er estimated it was about time, he pried open the mound.

The results of their first charcoal-making attempt appeared before the three of them.

Yan Yu poked at it with a small stick. "Why are some only half-burned?"

There was a small, blackened pile, which was significantly less than the wood they had put in.

That was the nature of charcoal making; there would always be loss, though the amount varied depending on the technique.

Yan Er'er looked closely and said uncertainly, "These few unburned pieces... were they the ones placed on the edges? Did they not burn because they were covered in mud? And these in the middle are overburned; they've turned to ash..."

"The fire was uneven," Li Xuemei concluded. "Something must still be wrong."

The low yield was expected; the uneven burning was a technical issue.

"The first time is already very good! Dad, I believe in you! No one succeeds on their first try by accident." Yan Yu waved her small fists to cheer her father on.

Yan Er'er chuckled. "Hehe, you know, making charcoal is actually quite interesting. Next time, Dad will take you along."

Yan Yu's little head nodded like a pounding garlic press.

Li Xuemei picked out the poorly burned pieces and stuffed them into the charcoal cylinder, adding a handful of dry grass. Without even lighting a fire, just a few breaths were enough to make smoke drift up.

Yan Er'er rushed over to blow vigorously, quickly inserting a few small sticks, and the light grew brighter.

Yan Yu placed a small clay pot of water on top.

The family of three each watched their own task; they were working together quite well.

They looked at each other and smiled.