“This is the first time I’ve heard of that,” Mr. Bolton said in surprise. “Isn’t quenching just done with water?”

“Master Zhang, have you ever heard of oil quenching?” Henry Carter asked in return.

“Oil quenching… I have heard of it,” Mr. Bolton replied. Oil quenching refers to using vegetable oil instead of water as the quenching medium, and the effect is different from using water. Mr. Bolton knew that for some iron tools, oil quenching worked better, but because of the higher cost, it wasn’t used much in practice.

Henry Carter said, “My method is similar to oil quenching. Different materials and different uses require different quenching processes, which involves using different media. The trinitrate solution I use is the most suitable for this kind of steel.”

“Trinitrate…” Mr. Bolton was completely taken in by Henry Carter. If you said Henry Carter was wrong, he sounded so convincing; but if you said he was right, Mr. Bolton had never heard of anything like trinitrate solution. Could it be that this young man knew more than an old blacksmith like himself?

“Just watch the results in a bit,” Henry Carter smiled, no longer explaining. The scientific principles of material heat treatment really weren’t something a folk blacksmith could understand. Of course, that didn’t stop these blacksmiths from, through instinct and years of practice, coming up with heat treatment methods that even material experts admired.

Henry Carter took the cooled shovel head off the furnace ash, put it back into the furnace to heat it again, and when it was slightly glowing red, took it out and plunged it directly into the prepared trinitrate solution.

“Sss!”

A crisp sound of water, a cloud of steam rose from the quenching basin, and everyone in the room smelled a strange odor, neither quite sour nor salty. Henry Carter soaked the shovel head in the water for a minute or two, then took it out, tossed it on the ground, and said to Fatty, “Alright, take it out and let those uncles test the edge.”

“It’s really done?” Fatty was overjoyed, and not caring that the shovel head was still a bit hot, grabbed it and hurried out.

“It’s done, you guys try it out,” Fatty called to the farmers.

“It’s done?” asked the farmer called Butch. He took the shovel head, looked it over carefully, and nodded, “Hmm, the color looks right. Just not sure if it’s sturdy or not…”

“Can this shovel really split a brick?” another farmer asked, still holding a grudge from earlier.

“Well…” Fatty was a bit unsure. He didn’t know if splitting a brick was just Henry Carter exaggerating. If the newly quenched tool got a chipped edge after one hit, that would be embarrassing.

“It’s fine, go ahead and try,” Henry Carter came out of the house too, arms folded, smiling.

Hearing Henry Carter sound so confident, Butch grew curious and wanted to see if the shovel was really as tough and durable as Henry Carter claimed. He fitted the shovel head onto a wooden handle, then found a half brick nearby, tapped it lightly with the shovel, and asked Henry Carter, “Young man, can this shovel really chop a brick?”

“Go ahead,” Henry Carter replied confidently. No. 65 manganese steel is a widely used material, and in later times, its heat treatment process had been thoroughly researched. If he messed up such a simple heat treatment, Henry Carter might as well just give up and start over.

Butch still didn’t dare go all out. He tapped the brick a few times with the shovel, then lifted it to check the edge. Seeing it was still perfect, he gritted his teeth, swung the shovel hard, and struck the brick.

“Bang!”

The brick shattered into several pieces. Hearing the crisp sound of the shovel hitting the brick, everyone except Henry Carter couldn’t help but wince, thinking the shovel edge must have at least a small chip. Butch quickly lifted the shovel, wiped off the brick dust, looked closely, and burst out laughing, “Ha! There’s really not a scratch on it!”

“Let me see!”

“Let me see!”

The other farmers and Mr. Bolton crowded forward to inspect the shovel’s edge. At the spot where it had struck the brick, there was only a faint scuff mark, with no sign of damage or curling. Everyone had seen how much force Butch used, and for the edge to remain unscathed under such impact showed just how excellent the quality was.

Chapter Four: Face Is Earned by Yourself

“Come on, little master, help me quench this machete too!”

“And my hoe…”

Several farmers crowded around Henry Carter, now calling him “little master” instead of “young man.” Face is earned by yourself—Henry Carter’s skill had impressed everyone, and their respect for him came naturally.

“Little master, are those methods you used just now hard to learn?” Mr. Bolton timidly stepped forward, a bit embarrassed, and asked Henry Carter. As a craftsman, seeing such superb skill, how could he not be envious? What he wasn’t sure about was whether Henry Carter would be willing to teach him, since such techniques were valuable.

“What’s this, Master Zhang, do you want to learn?” Henry Carter asked with a smile.