NABC Chapter 173 Reconstruction
Chapter 173 Reconstruction
She carefully selected wood with relatively intact bark, because the bark could protect the wood from moisture and insects during transportation and storage.
She decided to preserve the thinnest branches and the most flexible small pieces of wood for use as the framework for the house and furniture.
After being simply peeled, the timber was carefully stacked in another location by the workers, ready for the carpenters in the city to use to make small structures such as doors, windows, and furniture.
She also specifically instructed the workers to leave some hollow branches so that they could be used as pipes for the irrigation canals to meet the city's drinking water needs.
Finally, Gu Jinyan noticed some timber that was not suitable for direct use, such as twisted or cracked trunks, and arranged for them to be cut into shorter blocks for future firewood and daily brick and tile making.
These firewood blocks were piled in the farthest corner to avoid mixing with building timber.
Each piece of wood was properly placed, and the entire sorting process was carried out in an orderly manner.
Although her body was soaked in sweat, her eyes shone with determination.
The people were greatly encouraged by her leading by example and worked with great enthusiasm to transport more timber back to the city in a short period of time.
After collecting a certain amount of timber, Gu Jinyan led some people to transport the timber back to Hesha City along the mountain road.
To make transportation easier, she arranged for people to use ropes to secure the timber to the oxcart, ensuring safety during transport.
The oxcart slowly made its way through the narrow mountain road, its wheels leaving deep tracks in the mud.
Gu Jinyan and the workers pushed and pulled the oxcart with all their might. Sweat soaked their clothes and their feet ached from the stones, but each of them wore a determined expression.
Along the way, some oxcarts nearly overturned on the bumpy mountain road. The workers immediately surrounded them and worked together to secure the timber back in place.
While instructing people on how to repair the wheels, Gu Jinyan kept encouraging them: "Hang in there a little longer. These timbers will make our city walls stronger and our houses more stable."
Her voice was filled with encouragement and conviction, as if conveying boundless strength, which helped everyone grit their teeth and persevere.
After a long journey, the first batch of timber finally arrived in Hesha.
The people at the city gate had been waiting for a long time, and when they saw carts of timber slowly driving in, everyone was very excited.
Gu Jinyan ordered everyone to unload the timber one by one, sort it, and pile it up next to the city wall to ensure that every piece of wood could be used properly.
She directed the craftsmen to quickly get to work, while the people gathered around, looking at the timber with hopeful expressions on their faces.
At the same time, Gu Jinyan also realized that the lack of stone materials might delay the progress of the project.
She convened the foremen again to discuss the matter and decided to repair the long-abandoned stone kilns in the city for firing bricks and tiles.
Upon hearing this, the craftsmen exchanged glances, and one of them said worriedly, "Sir, this stone kiln has been in disrepair for many years, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to restart it."
Gu Jinyan firmly replied, "No matter how difficult it is, as long as we work together, we can always bring it back to life."
Repairing the stone kilns is our only option at present.
Gu Jinyan led the craftsmen to the abandoned stone kiln, and the sight before them made everyone frown.
This stone kiln has clearly been abandoned for many years, with its exterior walls covered in moss and riddled with cracks.
As if corroded by time, the support structure was also partially damaged, and it seemed as if it would collapse at the slightest touch.
Seeing this, the craftsmen couldn't help but whisper among themselves, their faces showing hesitation.
Gu Jinyan took a deep breath, raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then said firmly, "No matter how difficult it is, we must get this stone kiln running again."
This isn't just about bricks and tiles; it's about our home.
Inspired by her determination, the craftsmen nodded, picked up their tools, and began the repair work.
Gu Jinyan directed everyone to divide the work: one group was responsible for cleaning up the weeds and dust inside and outside the stone kiln, while the other group checked the stability of each support and the outer wall.
Mud and dust filled the air as the craftsmen toiled tirelessly, sweating profusely.
The restoration of this stone kiln is of paramount importance.
The first thing to repair is the outer wall of the stone kiln.
The craftsmen carefully scraped away the moss on the wall, removed the loose stones with shovels, and then carefully embedded the new stones into the original gaps.
Each time a stone is embedded, they carefully tap and adjust it to ensure the stone's tightness and stability.
Because the stone kiln was so old, some of the stones had rotted into powder, so they had to rebuild the walls of the entire area.
Gu Jinyan helped by handing over stones, occasionally bending down to wipe away excess mud with his fingers to ensure that each stone fit perfectly.
During the repair of the exterior wall, an unexpected situation occurred.
Because the wall structure was too old, a stone suddenly loosened when it was being struck, and part of the wall collapsed, nearly hitting a craftsman's foot.
Everyone was so frightened that they took a few steps back, a sense of fear flashing through their hearts.
The craftsmen looked at each other, and one of them whispered, "Sir, is this stone kiln completely unusable now?"
Gu Jinyan quickly stepped forward to inspect the collapsed area, his expression grave.
She did not waver because of the setback, but calmly reassured everyone: "This is a challenge we must face, don't be afraid."
We can reinforce this part with more stable stones and add a wooden frame; that should definitely solve the problem.
So the craftsmen regrouped and carefully cleared the collapsed area.
Gu Jinyan ordered people to bring in large wooden beams to build a temporary support structure to hold up the loose parts, and then to fill the collapsed area with new stones one by one.
She personally tapped each stone gently with a wooden mallet to ensure their stability.
The whole process took several hours, but no one gave up, and everyone was filled with anticipation for the revival of the stone kiln.
Next, the craftsmen began repairing the supports of the stone kiln.
Due to years of wind and rain erosion, the wooden supports inside the stone kiln have long been rotten, and some supports are even on the verge of collapsing.
Gu Jinyan had people make new supports using freshly felled timber to replace the rotten parts.
She led several craftsmen, carrying heavy wooden beams, and slowly entered the stone kiln.
Due to the cramped space, the craftsmen had to bend over and move the wood carefully to avoid touching the surrounding dilapidated walls.
When installing the support frame, Gu Jinyan and the craftsmen encountered a problem: due to the long-term disrepair of the stone kiln, the interior floor was uneven, and the wooden beams could not be securely erected.
She carefully observed the structure of the stone kiln and suddenly realized that she could place some stones under the wooden beams to balance the height of the support.
Following her advice, the craftsmen stacked the stones layer by layer to form the base of the support, and then carefully placed the wooden beams on the base.
This process requires extremely high precision; the placement of each stone is repeatedly adjusted to ensure the support structure is as stable as a mountain.
Finally, the new support structure was installed.
The craftsmen breathed a sigh of relief, but their task was not yet over.
Gu Jinyan stepped out of the stone cave, looked up at the blazing sun high in the sky, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He stated firmly, "Next, we need to clean the exhaust vents inside the kiln to ensure that there is no risk of suffocation due to stagnant smoke during kiln fire combustion."
The craftsmen obeyed the order and climbed to the top of the stone kiln to clear the chimneys and exhaust vents that were clogged with debris and mud.
These exhaust vents had been in disrepair for years and were completely clogged with leaves, bird nests, and dust.
The craftsmen carefully removed every branch and leaf, sweeping away the thick layer of dust bit by bit, finally clearing the smoke vents.
Throughout the process, smoke and dust filled the air, causing people to cough incessantly.
But no one backed down. They covered their mouths and noses with cloths and continued cleaning until every smoke vent was completely cleared.
After several days of repairs, the stone kiln has been completely restored. The kiln body is now sturdy, the supports are as stable as a rock, and the exhaust vents are unobstructed.
Looking at the restored stone kiln, Gu Jinyan felt a great sense of accomplishment.
But she knew the real test was yet to come—lighting the kiln fire.
As evening fell, Gu Jinyan led the craftsmen to fill the stone kiln with firewood and dry grass. The firelight danced in everyone's eyes, reflecting their tense yet expectant expressions.
She picked up the torch, took a deep breath, and carefully placed the flame into the kiln opening, whispering, "May the firelight once again illuminate the hope of Hesha City."
The flames gradually spread inside the kiln, and the warm orange-red light shone on the tired faces of the craftsmen. Everyone held their breath and stared intently at the burning kiln fire.
The temperature inside the kiln gradually rose, and the flames spread from the dry grass to the firewood, and the kiln fire burned steadily.
Wisps of smoke began to rise from the exhaust vent, resembling drifting clouds of hope against the backdrop of the setting sun.
The moment the kiln fire was reignited, joyful smiles spread across everyone's faces.
The craftsmen patted each other on the shoulder and cheered excitedly.
At this moment, their hard work finally paid off.
Gu Jinyan couldn't help but smile, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction.
She looked around and said softly, "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts."
There is hope for the reconstruction of Hersha City. Thank you for your hard work.
The firelight illuminated the stone kiln and the faces of everyone present.
The exhausted craftsmen sat around the kiln, gazing at the burning flames, feeling a sense of fulfillment and pride they had never experienced before.
After this arduous restoration, the stone kiln not only regained its function.
Gu Jinyan led the craftsmen to begin the brick and tile firing process.
Although Gu Jinyan was somewhat nervous, the success or failure of this brick and tile firing would determine the progress and quality of the reconstruction of Hesha City.
At dawn, the craftsmen began mixing the pre-mixed soil and water into a slurry.
Gu Jinyan required them to add a certain proportion of sand to the mud to increase the hardness of the bricks and tiles, making them able to withstand heavy pressure.
She stood beside the craftsmen, checking the consistency and moisture of the clay from time to time to ensure it met the requirements.
After the mud was mixed, the craftsmen put it into a mold and pressed it firmly to ensure that there were no air bubbles or cracks.
Gu Jinyan carefully instructed, "Every brick and tile must be compacted, and there must be no gaps, otherwise cracks will appear when heated in the kiln."
The craftsmen carefully filled the molds with clay, then scraped off the excess clay, and the neat blocks of raw clay were piled up in a cool place to dry.
Because the quality of the brick blank directly determines the strength of the finished brick, this process requires patience.
Gu Jinyan inspects each piece of raw clay, carefully checking for any small cracks on the surface, and only allows them to dry after confirming that everything is in order.
During the drying process, Gu Jinyan had people build sunshades to prevent the brick blanks from cracking due to the strong sunlight, which would affect the quality of subsequent firing.
After the raw clay pieces were dried, the craftsmen carried them into the stone kiln and stacked them.
Stacking brick blanks is also a technical task. Each brick blank needs to have gaps to ensure that the heat can penetrate evenly to every part.
Gu Jinyan directed everyone to stack the brick blanks layer by layer, forming a compact yet well-ventilated arrangement.
At this point, she patiently explained: "The bricks and tiles used for the city wall must be thick and sturdy, and placed in the center of the kiln to ensure even heating."