She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 521 - 519 Wooden Track

Chapter 521: Chapter 519 Wooden Track

Many excellent craftsmen are just deficient in imagination, lacking that one opportunity. Sometimes, a simple suggestion can spark their latent ideas.

Although threads have been used for a long time, their widespread use probably began after the Industrial Revolution when smelting technology for steel developed.

Without widespread use of steel, the development and application of threads were limited. Wooden tenon-and-mortise structures could solve many problems, so craftsmen never thought to put much effort into threads.

Ye Xinyan casually mentioned a few uses of threads, which greatly spurred the imagination of Zhang Mian and Wang Huan. The two were eager to try and wanted to thoroughly study the things Miss Ye had talked about and how they could be applied in practice. This was pioneering work, not just following rules and conventions, and if successful, they would become craftsmen of the Great Grandmaster level.

After arranging what needed to be done, Wong Qiao continued to lead several craftsmen skilled in mechanical devices and discussed the structure of the hoisting machine with Ye Xinyan. After Ye Xinyan explained the external structure and operating principles she knew to Wong Qiao and the others, she left the matter to them and extricated herself to consider the construction of the Peach Grove.

The original plan was, in addition to expanding the cattle farms at Qingyuan County and the southern part of Yuyuan Prefecture, for Ye Xinyan to select a location in the northeast at Guanyuan Prefecture for another cattle farm and corresponding dairy product workshop. A trip to enjoy the peach blossoms and fresh air had completely disrupted the plan.

Expanding cattle farms to another province was definite, but with the mechanical workshop now underway and things so busy, she could not leave.

The other best candidates were Fan Zhengyuan and Xie Chun. They had already overseen an expansion in Clear Water Village, and the cattle farm in the southern part of Yuyuan Prefecture was also started under their supervision, with sufficient experience to oversee the construction of another cattle farm and subsequent workshops in Guanyuan Prefecture.

By mid-May, the main construction of the two houses overseen by Cheung Wusi was done, and Zhou Biyao had already sorted out the materials for the construction of the mechanical workshop and cattle farm in the Peach Grove, just waiting for the work to start.

Speaking of which, the businesses Ye Xinyan was managing were rather complex. The cattle farm belonged to Jiang Yifan and Jinrong’s business; the Dairy Products Store was Ye Xinyan and Jinrong’s business; and the Mechanical Workshop was a partnership among the three of them.

Regarding financial matters and expansion, although according to Jinrong and Jiang Yifan she could make decisions on her own, if she planned to work with them for the long term, it was still better to consult with the partners for major actions and changes.

Therefore, a few days later, when Jiang Yifan came to bring Ye Xinyan the news about the road construction, Ye Xinyan had already made up her mind, just waiting to discuss it with Jiang Yifan.

"Are you really going to build a wooden railway?" Jiang Yifan was somewhat astonished.

Ye Xinyan nodded. "I’ve thought about it carefully again; if we choose the right wood and it is well preserved against decay, a wooden railway can last as long as an iron one. And, since it’s mainly for transporting cow’s milk, as long as the scheduling is reasonable, just building a single track should suffice, which can save a lot of materials and labor."

Materials were not a problem, but Jiang Yifan was concerned about the longevity of the railway. "Have you asked, can wooden railways really withstand the elements? If the wood deteriorates and warps after a couple of years, I’m afraid it won’t be usable anymore. Should I ask around for more information?"

Ye Xinyan replied, "No need. There are so many pagodas and towers in the world that are still in good condition; none have collapsed due to weathering. Rather than spending time and manpower on that question, it’s better to look for good preservation techniques and materials."

She had heard rumors about wooden railways from the Qin Dynasty, but unfortunately, she hadn’t known she would be transported to this era, so she hadn’t paid much attention and hadn’t noticed whether there was any truth to it. However, if there was talk about it, there might be some truth, and this she believed.

Jiang Yifan thought for a moment, and seeing that there was no one else in the guest room, he asked in a low voice, "Are you so sure about making a wooden track because there are wooden railways where you come from?"

When she talked about her previous life during the construction of the Peach Grove, it had sparked his curiosity, and he would bring it up from time to time.

Ye Xinyan exaggeratedly curled her lips and said, "Back in my time, exploration and mining technology were mature, and the steel industry was well developed; why would we use wood for railways?" Would one not be afraid of having the wooden tracks stolen by those in need of firewood?

To corroborate her statement and also to suppress Jiang Yifan’s enthusiasm, Ye Xinyan asked, "Do you know what steel is?"

Jiang Yifan, puzzled by why Ye Xinyan was mentioning iron and steel together, listened to her question and quickly shook his head to indicate his ignorance.

"Actually, where I’m from, we rarely use iron to describe materials; we talk about steel. It’s actually about adding various other metals and minerals to iron during smelting to meet different purposes. For example, materials with good ductility, high hardness, corrosion resistance, good malleability... many, many, beyond count."

Jiang Yifan paid close attention to Ye Xinyan’s words and nodded, saying, "You make a lot of sense. The famous swords from ancient legends were made by Sword Masters using different ironworking techniques. It seems that they used the method you just mentioned."

Ah, she had really forgotten, in modern times, reports frequently mention that precious swords discovered in archaeological finds were said to be so sharp that not even modern science could replicate them.

Alright, she had gotten carried away; their ancestors had plenty of wisdom. It was just that they were too precious with their skills, not willing to pass them on to others, and as a result, those exquisite crafts and skills were lost.

"Exactly, we also have records saying that there were exquisite smelting techniques in ancient times," Ye Xinyan reluctantly concurred.

Jiang Yifan did not dwell on this point. "Since you want to use wooden railways, let’s follow your idea, and even if there’s no precedent, we can still try. Get the materials ready; I will have the clerks from the county government office’s engineering department look in the archives for the best preservative techniques."

"Hold on," Ye Xinyan suddenly remembered, constructing a road or railway would require land; did Jiang Yifan’s comments mean that the land issue was resolved? "The land needed for the road construction, it’s available for purchase now?"