Exile after Divorce? Empty the Scumbag Husband First!-Chapter 280 - 272: A Transparent and Smooth, Yet Hard Substance
Ruan Mian specifically designed a half-updraft kiln to make fuller use of heat, with the added wind achieving the temperature necessary to smelt quartz sand.
The calcined quartz sand is directly poured into snow water, rapidly cooled to remove impurities, obtaining purer silicon dioxide.
When it’s time for the second calcination, limestone and silicon dioxide are mixed in a certain proportion and put into the kiln again, which can be smelted into glass.
Initially, many people found it novel and wondered what this glass was, as they hadn’t heard of it before.
As for how it would look once smelted, no one had seen it.
Until the first product emerged, everyone saw a transparent and smooth hard substance.
Touching it felt like the inside of a seashell, even the knowledgeable old man and Zhang Yue were shocked as they gathered around the piece of glass.
"It looks like some sort of crystalline ore, but none of the ores we’ve seen before are this clear or this flat."
Ruan Mian smiled lightly, "This glass liquid can be shaped into various forms before cooling and setting, but this is precisely what we need at the moment."
"The purity of the material is still lacking. I will adjust further in the future to make sure it is more transparent, but it’s already enough for the solar room’s heat-gathering wall."
The old man stroked his beard, finally understanding the principle of Ruan Mian’s solar room.
"This glass is both transparent and windproof. Once a small room is enclosed, the soil inside won’t freeze, and the temperature inside can rise when the sun shines."
"Miss Ruan has also had fire channels dug under the soil to produce heat. It’s well known that spreading a layer of horse manure on the soil also has an insulating effect. Inside and outside, this gives the crops ample growing conditions, no wonder Miss Ruan claims they can be grown!"
With these results, everyone worked even harder subsequently.
However, news cannot be hidden in the village, a few days later, somehow it had reached Wuheng City.
That day, Ruan Mian was still in the textile workshop talking and laughing with the women, when unexpectedly Cui Zhu rushed in, breathless and said.
"Miss! A—a seventh-rank official! He’s planning to demolish our kiln!" Upon hearing this, everyone present stood up.
Ruan Mian furrowed her brows but remained calm: "A seventh-rank official?"
"It’s said to be Chen Bozong’s former subordinate, now that Mr. Chen is gone, and the court hasn’t appointed any official here, while General Huo has gone to the border, city affairs are temporarily being managed by that small official."
"It turns out this small official somehow heard we excavated the mountains privately without his permission and stirred trouble over at the kiln!"
Privately excavating the mountains? Could this actually be a valid reason to find fault?
Ruan Mian smiled, calmly heading to the kiln together with Cui Zhu.
Upon arrival, she found the kiln workers almost clashing with the government officer! But Yun Xiu managed to stop them.
Yun Xiu was well aware that the opposing party was from the government, and any conflict with them would only bring trouble to the villagers.
He always remembered the words of admonishment from the lord, to remain calm and avoid rash actions.
Everything can be negotiated; if unresolved, consider the next step of using force.
But though this small official is seventh-rank, he is the steward of Wuheng City, especially with General Huo not around.
Others reminded him: "Lord, we are hired by the Ruan Family, the eldest daughter of the Ruan Family is the future General’s wife, even if you don’t consider the monks, consider the temple? We are..."
"General’s wife? Ha!"
The small official stroked his goatee, full of disdain: "It’s been so long since they got engaged, but they’re not married yet; will this marriage even happen?"
"I think General Huo has little interest in marriage anymore, so don’t use this matter to pressure me! I am now the steward of Wuheng; you privately went mining in the mountain without permission and are making things that shouldn’t see the light of day! If I don’t tear all of this down today and return the land to farming, then my official hat need not be preserved!"
"Men! Tear it down!"
As soon as his words fell, a dagger flew swiftly through the air! In an instant, it pierced the small official’s official hat, and with a "thud," it nailed it hard to a nearby tree trunk.
It froze people on the spot out of fear, and before everyone could react, a silhouette darted in front of the small official, slender fingers gripping his neck tightly.
Immediately choking him, frightening the small official to pale colors, struggling and scolding: "You...vain! You dare kill...kill an official?!"
His face contorted, and the government officers behind him raised their swords in succession.
The just-arrived Ruan Mian also jumped with shock, the one attempting to choke the small official being the expressionless Shaoxi.
Her skill was indeed surprising to Ruan Mian.
Unknowingly, her skill had reached an extraordinary level, usually Ruan Mian didn’t pay much attention to this aspect.
Now it seems, she truly is the assassin cultivated by the Fifth Princess in the original book.
Even without professional cultivation, relying on her own comprehension and practice, she could reach such heights; she must truly have some skills.
However, given the current situation, Ruan Mian quickly spoke.
"Shaoxi, we should be polite, shouldn’t we?"
Seeing Ruan Mian’s arrival, everyone looked over, and Shaoxi’s hand also loosened slightly.
The seventh-rank official took the opportunity to shout aloud: "Ruan Family! Although you have been registered as common citizens, you cannot defy your superiors! With so many eyes today, do you dare touch me?!"
Ruan Mian smiled slightly, slowly looking at those government officers, calmly said.
"Lord, your subordinates altogether amount to no more than twelve people. Do you know how many people there are in our entire village?"
"You forcefully dismantle our kiln, blocking our livelihood. On all sides, you want us dead. Since you’re not giving us a way to live, why should we offer you one?"
After saying so, she handed Shaoxi another dagger from her sleeve: "Since the lord doesn’t want us alive, we can only retaliate in kind."
"Rest assured, lord, I definitely won’t leave you a single bone for outsiders to find."
Ruan Mian’s unhurried voice sounded like the King Yanluo collecting souls, making not just the small official shiver thrice, but even the nearby government officers exchanged glances, incredulous.
But they were outnumbered by the villagers, and the kiln workers had an intimidating and fierce presence!
The seventh-rank official suddenly faltered, shouting loudly: "Ruan Family, Ruan Family! How can you be so unreasonable? I’m following the law, what’s wrong with that?!"
"Law? Besides the gold mines and iron mines, no other mines are prohibited for private excavation, are they? Moreover, we are mining for agriculture, laboring for the livelihood of the people, what wrong is there?"
"Agriculture?! In such cold weather, winter crops have frozen to death, and you still use this excuse to deceive me?"
