Chapter 539 - 53: Life at Sea
The design and construction of the Temple was an exceptionally arduous task, especially for Zebra.
This was his first time acting as a "designer" rather than a worker, planning the construction of a building from scratch.
The Leader made no demands, which was precisely what made it so difficult for him.
There were no clear design specifications, no standards for the building’s functionality, and not even a specific description of its size.
Zebra knew that even though the Leader said nothing, in reality, the Leader had said everything.
He had only one chance, one opportunity to rise from the middle level to the top, and whether he could seize it depended on whether he could satisfy the Leader this time.
...
The Steel Bone was completed at the beginning of 1666, and shortly after this massive vessel with a steel skeleton and steel core launched, Zebra took his chosen skilled craftsmen across the mountains.
To gain inspiration, he deliberately built a temporary hut next to the Temple, carefully studying the "neither Chinese nor foreign" mortise-and-tenon structure designed by Chen Zhou, attempting to reproduce every detail of the building and trying to understand how this seemingly complex and uniquely beautiful design was conceived.
At the same time, the sailors of the Steel Bone, after extensive theoretical learning and physical training, finally boarded their dream giant ship and began practical training.
...
As a "pseudo-sail-powered ship" topped with masts, the Steel Bone stood out among all the ships of its time.
Aside from the streamlined hull and the half-wood, half-metal clad shell, its most noticeable feature was its tattered sails.
The mysterious rewards never brought Chen Zhou a large batch of fabric, leaving most islanders unable to wear good clothing.
The Steel Bone was also affected, using the old canvas that Chen Zhou originally salvaged from shipwrecks for its sails.
Most of this canvas had served outside as rain covers, weathered by wind and sun, barely maintaining the shape of fabric in faded or blackened colors, the kind only worn-out fishing boats of the 17th century would use.
Even so, gathering enough material for all the sails took quite a bit of effort from Chen Zhou.
The sail on the main mast was too large, and without suitable canvas, he even asked skilled seamstresses to piece one together using treated animal skins.
When the Steel Bone started its steam engine and sounded its whistle at sea, the dull mechanical transmission sound was supposed to make this 17th-century alien beast seem majestic and frightening.
Yet, when it raised its patched sails, resembling those of a Beggar Gang Eight Sack Elder, the suffocating pressure dissipated completely, leaving an odd humor that induced both fear and laughter.
...
Chen Zhou knew the animal skin sails looked shabby, but the sailors on board didn’t mind.
Previously having only boarded small sailboats, how could they not be satisfied on such an advanced warship?
Knowing that on the vast ocean, this large ship would be their most reliable and faithful companion, every sailor cherished the Steel Bone greatly.
Islanders at the dock often saw these young men squatting on the deck, diligently polishing.
The penetrating whistle of the Steel Bone gradually became familiar to everyone.
As the fuel reserves gradually depleted, the sailors of the Steel Bone internalized the theoretical knowledge from textbooks through practice, embedding it into their muscles.
Each day, this giant ship moved towards distant places.
When it sailed into the depths of the sea at sunrise, every islander who saw it would exclaim with genuine pride—
That is our ship.
...
To welcome the next large influx of new population, Chen Zhou had started preparations as early as 1665.
Fields were cultivated one after another, and grains stored batch by batch...
Temporary housing was constructed for the new population, talented teachers were trained, patient caretakers for children selected, new textbooks written, and new standards set, all progressing in an orderly manner.
After the Steel Bone launched, the shipyard freed many workers who were expected to transition to other tasks, like farming, but were intercepted by Chen Shou halfway.
These were seasoned workers with shipbuilding experience, and Chen Zhou did not want their skills to become rusty if left unused, so he deliberately wrote a batch of shipbuilding-related teaching materials for them.
If the sailors transitioned from theory to practice, these workers moved from practice to theory.
When working, they only knew how to assemble quickly and sturdily, without understanding the principles and with only a vague grasp of the ship’s structure.
Now, with leisure and lessons, they moved from knowing how to knowing why.
The consolidated knowledge etched deeply into the workers’ minds would be invaluable when it came time to start on the island’s second steam-powered ship—
And that wait wouldn’t be too long.
...
In mid-March 1666, on a drizzly day, the Steel Bone grew its own Sharp Teeth.
After nearly six months, Chen Zhou successfully fulfilled his needs by manufacturing three types of cannons for the Steel Bone.
On either side of the foredeck of the Steel Bone, its main weapon, the Chen Family 1666 Long-barrel Heavy Cannon, was installed.
The Steel Bone had three long-barrel heavy cannons in total, fixed on the deck and immovable.
As pre-designed by Chen Zhou, the long-barrel heavy cannon used solid shot weighing over 24 pounds, with an effective range reaching 1000 meters. Its accuracy far surpassed that of any other naval guns of the 17th century.