After a few days of smoke from the ink making workshop, the stove fire had been extinguished yesterday. When Chen Xu went there, several helpers were cleaning the carbon ash inside. The whole body was covered with airtightness and only a pair of eyes was exposed. The whole body was pitch black like several black statues.

"Master Lidian!" A middle-aged man in charge of the Mofang quickly saluted.

"How is the output?" Chen Xu jumped off the horse and asked.

"In three days, nearly a thousand kilograms of pine and cypress branches were burned, and about five dou of carbon ash could be swept out!" the middle-aged man said quickly.

"Let me see!" Chen Xu walked to a tiled basin covered with black charcoal ash and looked at it. It was indeed half a basin of black carbon ash had piled up inside. Because the pine and cypress branches contained a certain amount of grease, the carbon ash did not look like dusty as the bottom of the pot, but was a bit like slightly damp plaster. Chen Xu twisted it with his finger, and even one finger was instantly pitch black and could not be wiped off with a linen cloth, just like ink.

"Not bad!" Chen Xu was very happy. The fume ink was very dark in color, much darker than the charcoal ash powder, and the color was also very positive, almost exactly the same ink in later generations.

"Lidian, how should this toner be handled?" asked the middle-aged man.

"Make some gum, add a little tung oil, and add water to make it into a thick soup. It can be made into ink. If you add some spice ash powder and boil it into a paste, you can make ink strips. Then add water and grind it directly to write!" Chen Xu explained a little.

The method of making ink was used very early in China, and it was already in the Qin and Han dynasties. Later generations discovered the Qin Tomb of Shuihudi, not only did they find the huge value of Shuihudi Qin bamboo slips, but they also found ink blocks. In fact, the application of ink can be extended to the Spring and Autumn Period. There is a saying in "adding pens and ink" in the book "Zhuangzi", which means that ink and brushes had already begun to be promoted and cited. Therefore, by the Qin Dynasty, ink was very common, but the ink making process was still very primitive and rough, with pine smoke, tung coal, and more of graphite. There was no systematic production method.

It was not until the "Qimin Yaoshu" that appeared in the Northern Wei Dynasty that systematically recorded the methods of ink making. Ink making in the Tang and Song dynasties was already very developed. Various inks were gradually not only used to write, but also a precious gift. Moreover, because it was difficult to make, it required a lot of manpower and material resources and good pine trees. Therefore, it was of great value. A good ink ingot is more expensive than gold. The literati and scholars were also extremely happy to get a good ink, and ink also became a symbol of identity. If they could get the tribute ink given by the imperial side, all ministers would feel particularly excited.

Especially in the Ming Dynasty, the "Creating Things in Heaven" compiled by Song Yingxing recorded the ink making technique in an extremely detailed manner, making the ink among the four treasures of the study completely a symbol of culture. A large number of ink of other colors began to appear, not only with gold, silver, red, blue and purple colors, but also with spices such as musk, pearls, purple grass, and Suhexiang. The ink ingots made also depict various patterns such as the twelve zodiac signs or fish, birds, flowers and plants, and completely evolved into a precious work of art.

Among the four famous ink-making masters of the Qing Dynasty in later generations, Cao Sugong and Hu Kaiwen were all familiar figures for many calligraphy and painting enthusiasts. Chen Xu even remembered that when writing calligraphy in elementary school, he bought the ink strips of Hu Kaiwen's brand. However, those inks are no longer pine smoke ink, but chemical ink made from petroleum, and the price is only one dollar per dollar.

Because of the emergence of paper, ink, as a necessity, must be improved. Whether it is writing or painting, ink is the most important thing besides paper. The four treasures of study are ranked first, so later generations called famous calligraphy and paintings ink treasures, rather than pen treasures and inkstone treasures. Especially ink paintings, the importance of ink is undoubtedly interpreted, and it is a super-superior position. Without ink, it cannot be treasures.

In fact, if possible, it is best to develop a fountain pen, which will save a lot of ink. You should know that after thousands of years of logging and burning ink, by the Ming and Qing dynasties, almost all ancient pines in China were cut down, causing great ecological damage.

However, no technology can meet the requirements of pen writing at present, let alone the structure of a fountain pen, which requires a very high metal manufacturing process. It is estimated that if the Qin Dynasty does not fall, it may be able to be made in twenty or thirty years.

Chen Xu also thought about the method of making ink in the past few days. After all, he made tung ink a few days ago. Now there is pine soot toner, so there is definitely no problem with the ink used for printing. However, the production of ink strips is entirely based on imagination. Ink in later generations, like abacus, has almost completely disappeared from the lives of ordinary people. Maybe only calligraphy enthusiasts will buy it, and the output is also very low.

"Have you found the gum you asked you to find the day before yesterday?" Chen Xu asked.

"I got some mulberry sap and found a few wild peach trees. I picked some rubber particles from the trunk. Do you think it's okay?" The middle-aged man took out two small bamboo tubes from under the pergola. One of them had some white juice inside, and the other contained some soft rubber particles similar to QQ sugar.

"Just try it out!"

Chen Xu didn't know if these things could be used, but it was difficult to remove the mulberry sap on clothes and cars. It was a very sticky thing. As for peach gum, yes, it is said that it can beautify it after eating it, but after hesitating for a long time, he still gave up his plan to take a bite. The origin of this thing is unknown, and the helper who picked the gum may have touched other unspeakable parts, or did not wash his hands at all after shit. However, this is also normal. It is normal for Yefu, a mountain village, to avoid washing his hands after shit, and it will be abnormal if he washes. He will definitely travel through time, such as himself.

"Help me build a small earth stove, arrange for me to go to the wooden warehouse to get half a bowl of tung oil, and then go to the pottery workshop to help me ask for two small jars!" Chen Xu ordered.

So a few helpers started working. Two of them brought a few stones to build a small earth stove. One rode an old horse to the wooden ware workshop, and the other went to the pottery workshop not far away to get jars.

However, when the helper came back, he brought four people, namely Wang Jian, Bai Zhen and two guards.

"Hey, why are you here too?" Chen Xu was a little surprised.

"I heard from the children that there is a flap machine in the pottery workshop that can quickly make pottery. I was curious and came to watch it. It turned out to be extremely magical. I heard that the flap machine was also invented by Lidian!" Wang Jian said.

"Haha, I just had a sudden idea. It was rough, but it was really good to make regular ceramic blanks. Do you think it was very light and fast?" Chen Xu asked with a smile.

"Indeed, I couldn't help but try it. It was indeed very fast and the structure was exquisite. I have never seen it before!" Wang Jian couldn't help but praise.

"A few people came from afar. Maybe I don't know that our Lord Lidian also invented a hand-crank threshing machine. Now every household in Qinghe Town has one, which is a powerful tool for harvesting grain. I heard that Chi County and even the entire Nanyang County are already used everywhere. In addition, our Lidian has also improved copper saws, made bamboo knives, purse plows, wine making, papermaking, pharmaceuticals, and the ink that will be made soon..." The middle-aged man began to show off Chen Xu's contributions to outsiders with his fingers.

"So much talk, be careful I will punish you for doing push-ups, hurry up and help me make a fire!" Chen Xu interrupted the middle-aged man with a dark face.

But these words were heard in Wang Jian's ears, and his face suddenly became extremely strange. He held his beard and said, "I have seen the threshing machine in Xianyang. It is indeed extremely magical, but the improved copper saw was also invented by Lidian?"

"Hehe~" The middle-aged man didn't dare to speak anymore, so he could only smile and get the firewood.

Chen Xu asked strangely: "Improved copper saws are just a matter of convenience. After I asked craftsmen to build them in the town, he went to the county government to report his merits privately, and maybe it spread them. Does anyone in Xianyang know about this?"

"Haha, I have heard of it a little, but I heard that the craftsman Gushan had been sent to the prison of the Tingwei Mansion for deceiving His Majesty for the copper saw!" Wang Jian nodded and said.

"Ah?" Not only Chen Xu was stunned, but the middle-aged man and several helpers were also stunned.

"Who is the old man? How can you even know the affairs of the Xianyang court so clearly?" Chen Xu came back to his senses and asked.

"What, may Lidian still have doubts? I have said before that I am the general!" Wang Jian said with a calm expression.

Chen Xu looked Wang Jian up and down, left and right again and bowed and said, "The old man is indeed very brave, but I am so many generals of Qin. I dare to ask about your name..."

"Hahahaha~" Wang Jian laughed and waved his hand and said, "I won't talk about my name. Now there is almost no war in the Qin Dynasty. I have been spending time at home and I have been idle at home. I just heard that there were disciples of the immortal family appearing in Funiu Mountain. I couldn't help but be curious and then brought my servants to Qinghe Town to play. You don't need to inquire so clearly. What I'm a little curious about is what you are making so much black plaster for?"

"Oh, this is used to make ink!"

Seeing that the old man was unwilling to reveal his identity and origin, Chen Xu was too lazy to inquire. The old man was mighty and dared to take a few subordinates to fight tigers. He must have some tricks. He may be a general, but it is still questionable what kind of general he is, and he is a retired person, so he doesn't have to worry about it.

Chen Xu used a pottery bowl to scoop out half a bowl of pine soot from the pottery basin and poured it into a small clay pot. He added two bowls of water and poured some mulberry sap into it. Then he put it on the soil stove and boiled it. While cooking, he also stirred it gently with a wooden stick.

Seeing Chen Xu's serious and serious look on his face, Wang Jian didn't bother him. After watching for a few minutes, he turned around the large chimney that made pine smoke nearby with great enthusiasm, and even hugged his waist and went into the chimney to observe carefully.
Chapter completed!