According to the original plan, after inspecting Bianji in the morning, Yan Liqiang was going to set off for Baishiqiao inspection in the afternoon. However, because of the kerosene Yan Liqiang found in Bianji, he temporarily adjusted the plan and stayed in Yingwei County for another day.
Except for Yan Liqiang, everyone else, including Qian Su, Lu Wenbin, Fu Changde and others, didn't know why Yan Liqiang attached so much importance to the kerosene brought by a mountain villager and even changed his itinerary temporarily just for such a small thing.
…
"That mountain dweller named Lu Dahai may not be telling the truth. I've never heard of this kerosene before!" In the courtyard behind the Yingwei County government office, Fu Changde watched Yan Liqiang enthusiastically asking people to bring braziers, sand, fire sticks and other things to try out the effect of this kerosene. He couldn't help but shake his head and said, "I know there is a tree called Red Leaf Oil Nan in Yulong Mountain. As long as the bark is separated, the oil in the book will come out. The oil from the Red Leaf Oil Nan can be used to light lamps. The color of this kerosene is somewhat similar to that of the Red Leaf Oil Nan, but the smell is not right. Maybe something has been added..."
"Haven't you heard about kerosene coming out of the ground in Yulong Mountain?" Yan Liqiang asked him.
"No, never!" Fu Changde shook his head. As an old subordinate of the former Qiyun Protectorate, Fu Changde was very familiar with the situation in the Gulang Grassland and Yulong Mountain. He said that he had never heard of it, which meant that no one had discovered it before, or it was discovered but the general public did not know about it and it had not been spread.
"What about you?" Yan Liqiang looked at Qian Su and Lu Wenbin.
Lu Wenbin shook his head, but Qian Su frowned and thought for a while, "I remember meeting an old craftsman who was assigned to the Ganzhou Artisan Machinery Camp many years ago. The old craftsman went to sea when he was young. He said that he saw something similar coming out of the ground overseas, a bit like kerosene, and it would catch fire at a touch..."
"Oh, what did the old craftsman say?"
Qian Su's face showed a look of reminiscence, and he was trying to recall, "At that time, he said this after drinking. He was drunk and his words were a little vague. I remember that he seemed to say that the kind of thing he saw overseas came out of the ground on an island and flowed out a large lake. Then the large lake was on fire, and the flames shot up to the sky. It could be seen from a hundred miles away. It had been burning for hundreds of years, burning every day. The local people were afraid and said it was the fire of hell. They didn't dare to get close. When I heard it, I just thought it was a strange story overseas and didn't take it seriously. I just laughed it off after hearing it..."
"Haha, no matter what, let's just give it a try!" Yan Liqiang smiled. He understood what Fu Changde said, but what Fu Changde didn't know was that when Yan Liqiang was talking to the mountain villager named Lu Dahai, the mind snake in Yan Liqiang's head was active, so Yan Liqiang knew clearly whether every word of Lu Dahai was true or false, and even every thought in his head. Lu Dahai was telling the truth. This kerosene was really obtained by him from Yulong Mountain, and Yan Liqiang already knew where Lu Dahai got this thing from in Yulong Mountain.
As he spoke, Yan Liqiang had already picked up a wooden can, poured half a can of kerosene into the brazier, then used a fire starter to light a cotton swab and threw it into the brazier.
With a "boom...", the burning cotton strip fell into the brazier, and the flame in the brazier suddenly jumped up to more than four feet high, scaring Qian Su and Lu Wenbin who were standing nearby to watch the fun. They quickly took two steps back in the rising flames.
"What a high flame! This kerosene ignites easily, and is easier to ignite than pine oil and vegetable oil..." Lu Wenbin exclaimed.
"The black smoke is a bit too big, even bigger than the smoke from pine oil and tung oil..." Qian Su also stared at the black smoke coming out of the brazier and said, "The smell of burning is also a bit pungent!"
The blazing fire lit up Yan Liqiang's face red. Yan Liqiang squinted his eyes for a while, then turned around and asked Fu Changde, "Does the oil of red-leafed nanmu burn so big?"
Fu Changde shook his head, "No!"
Yan Liqiang was concentrating on watching the fire burning in the brazier. After seven or eight minutes, the fire in the brazier finally went out. In just a short while, the edge of the brazier had been burned a little red, and in the end, only some black ashes were left in the brazier.
But Yan Liqiang was not satisfied, so he poured out the rest of the kerosene in the can and poured it on the bluestone floor in the garden, spreading all over the floor. Then he threw the burning cotton swab on the ground again, and the kerosene on the ground also caught fire.
The third time, Yan Liqiang poured some kerosene directly into a large water tank. The oil floated on the water and was ignited again...
After trying several times, the beautiful bluestone floor in the garden was burned black, and many flowers and plants near the fire were scorched. The large water tank was also smoked black, and a strange smell of burning was floating in the garden. The originally exquisite back garden of the government office suddenly became a mess, but the smile on Yan Liqiang's face became more and more intense. At this time, Yan Liqiang was completely sure that this kerosene was exactly what he needed. Although he didn't know why this thing that came out of the ground in this world was different from the crude oil he had seen in his previous life, it didn't matter. What mattered was that this thing could be used!
And there seem to be quite a lot of them!
Watching Yan Liqiang's tireless experiments and the happy smile on his face afterwards, Qian Su, Lu Wenbin and Fu Changde slowly figured out something.
"Sir, this thing is of great use to the army..." Fu Changde stroked his chin, with that cunning and greasy smile of an old fox on his face.
"Well, I'll leave this matter to you. Lu Dahai will come to find you again!" Yan Liqiang pondered for a moment, "Lu Dahai was able to take this thing out of the mountain by himself with a backpack on his back, which means that even if the kerosene is in Yulong Mountain, it is not too far from Yingwei County. When Lu Dahai comes again, you can tell him our identities, and then promise them some benefits, recruit them for your own use, and work with them to transport the kerosene out of the mountain. Don't make this matter public for the time being. The fewer people who know about it, the better!"
"Don't worry, sir, I know what to do!" Fu Changde nodded.
"Also, since you have collected a lot of this stuff, you must be careful when storing it, otherwise there will be a big accident. I will ask the Manufacturing Bureau to send a team of craftsmen to Yingwei County to help you get this done!"
After spending a day in Yingwei County to discuss and arrange the kerosene with Fu Changde, Yan Liqiang led his men early the next morning, no longer riding in a carriage, but riding on a rhinoceros horse, and headed straight for Baishi Pass...
(End of this chapter)