Shao Shude was currently facing a major headache. Despite his best efforts to save bricks while repairing the kiln, he now realized there weren't enough left to build the chimney. He had no choice but to resort to a mixed structure, using both bricks and stones, in order to save as many bricks as possible. If that still didn't work, he might have to reduce the height of the chimney.
Originally, his plan called for a chimney that was 20 meters high. This height was necessary to create enough pressure difference between the upper and lower parts of the chimney, allowing for efficient exhaust gas discharge. Now, however, this plan seemed far too ambitious. It looked like 10 meters might be the most he could manage. His team had grown to 30 people, with 10 working on the chimney and the rest making bricks, as he put it, "playing with mud." This morning, the construction team had sent some people to build sheds for drying the bricks in the shade, along with tarpaulins and thatch. The bricks couldn't be exposed to rain or the sun, so they had to be carefully placed in the shed to dry naturally. The tarpaulins and thatch served as an extra precaution.
The bricks being made measured 240×115×53 mm (length×width×height). After collecting the clay, the debris was carefully removed before grinding the soil into a fine, mature mix. This was then combined with water and molded into bricks in a wooden form. The bricks were placed in the shed with a gap between each one to allow proper ventilation and even drying.
Typically, bricks would need about half a month to dry in the shade before being placed into the kiln for firing. This small kiln, which Shao Shude had built, could fire over 12,000 bricks in one go. If everything went according to plan, it would take about three days for each firing cycle, resulting in an annual output of 1.4 million bricks. However, given the various challenges and unpredictable factors, Shao Shude would be lucky to reach a million bricks per year. The idea of producing that many seemed like a distant dream.
Shao Shude's thoughts lingered on the housing issue for the time travelers. He knew that building a three-room bungalow would require around 20,000 bricks, and with his kiln's limited production capacity, it would only be possible to build about 50 houses per year. The demand for bricks was high, but they couldn't prioritize housing for everyone at once. Moreover, the committee would likely never approve such luxurious houses for all the time travelers.
Sighing, Shao Shude considered the solution. "It seems that continuing to build more kilns and expanding production capacity is the right way forward," he mused. "I hope the good weather lasts so I can fire the first batch of bricks soon."
Meanwhile, the logging team's progress was slower than expected. Many workers had blisters on their hands and winced with pain as they swung their axes. There were also suspicions about the presence of Indians spying on the time travelers. Peng Zhicheng kept a careful watch, though he was hesitant to search too thoroughly for fear of upsetting the situation. The forest was relatively sparse, and with a vigilant eye, they didn't expect any trouble.
The floating bridge connecting the two riverbanks was a significant accomplishment. Made of tall logs tied tightly with oil-soaked vines, it could support the weight of several people walking across at once. Xiao Mingli and Liu Dafa carried planks of wood across to the other side, where a group of carpenters and apprentices worked tirelessly at the wood processing plant. As soon as the boards were ready, they were taken by workers to build the simple wooden houses that were rapidly popping up in the residential area.
By midday, 15 of these wooden houses had been constructed in a tight row, optimizing the use of wood for the walls. Behind them, a tall lookout was being built. A young man in a blue "Beiyang New Army" uniform manned the lookout, scanning the surroundings with a telescope. Another lookout was under construction on the south bank of the river, positioned between the brick kiln and the logging site.
Smoke rose from the nearby canteen, and upstream, Xiao Bailang and a group of part-time fishermen returned with a large catch, their laughter echoing across the river. For a brief moment, as Xiao Mingli watched the scene unfold, he felt a sense of peace and tranquility. The exhaustion that had been weighing him down seemed to vanish, replaced by a quiet sense of contentment in the moment.