Chapter 25: A New Creation Forged

Based on Duan Chengliang’s limited knowledge of steel, this type of rebar—known in this era as No. 2 steel—might not be the strongest, but it possesses excellent toughness and ductility. Even without quenching after forging, a hammer made from it should have a reasonable level of durability.

Do not underestimate this rebar, which is easily obtainable at any construction site in later generations. In 1958, it was a truly remarkable treasure. Two years ago, our country could not yet produce this type of steel and could only manufacture smooth-surface steel. When the "Big Brother" from the north provided industrial aid to help us build factories and production lines, all the steel required was rebar, yet we lacked the production capacity. Those foreigners were incredibly arrogant, using this as leverage to hold us back and cause endless trouble.

In the end, driven by national pride and a refusal to be bullied, we concentrated our efforts, gritted our teeth, tightened our belts, and after much hard work, finally solved the problem of rebar production. Only then could we produce this steel ourselves, which is why Duan Chengliang now has the opportunity to salvage these scraps of rebar at the steel mill to forge the head of a claw hammer.

To reduce his workload, Duan Chengliang had already estimated the necessary length and thickness when selecting the steel. Naturally, there would be some margin of error, but since the hammer head requested by Master Shen didn't need to be overly precise, a difference of a centimeter or two was acceptable.

Watching the coal in the forge furnace begin to burn, Duan Chengliang felt a surge of excitement. He picked out the piece of rebar he found most suitable, gripped it with tongs, placed it onto the burning coal, and covered it with a firebrick to improve heating efficiency. He didn't rush to pump the bellows yet; instead, he went to the anvil, placed the tools he would soon need within arm's reach, and located a chisel. He would use it later to shape the claw, add anti-slip patterns to the hammer face, and punch the hole for the wooden handle. It was, aside from the hammer itself, one of the most frequently used tools in forging a claw hammer.

Duan Chengliang mentally rehearsed the forging process one last time, checked that his tools were ready, and took a deep breath to relax. He returned to the furnace and began pumping the bellows to increase the heat. Being in the smithy, he was fully capable of tasks like crushing coal and working the bellows, and he was getting the hang of firing the coal and heating the steel. However, when it came to the actual forging—swinging the hammer—he was purely winging it. True blacksmithing skill was something he would need to learn and refine over time. As for the subsequent steps like quenching and tempering, those remained mere ideals for now. He even toyed with the idea of finding a time to visit his biological father’s home to secretly pick up a trick or two.

Lost in these wandering thoughts, he pumped the bellows until they roared. Soon, the section of rebar glowed red and softened. Duan Chengliang judged the heat to be sufficient. It must be said that this was merely his own judgment—only heaven knew if it was truly ready. Regardless, in his view, once the rebar was glowing red and soft, the hammer could at least make a dent in it. That was enough; he didn't need to set his standards too high. For now, as long as he could change the shape of the steel and mold it to his will, everything was fine.

He gripped the rebar with tongs, placed it on the anvil, and began a frantic, clanging barrage with his hammer. Soon, one end of the circular rebar was flattened, while the other remained round, with the surface ribs smoothed out. The flat end would become the claw, and the round end would be the hammer head. This was the simple, crude claw hammer Master Shen had requested. It was precisely because it was so simple that Duan Chengliang dared to take on the task. If it had been one of those legendary, high-end Japanese claw hammers, he would never have been so bold. People often say, "Don't take on porcelain work without a diamond drill." He wasn't capable of high-precision technical work, so handling these rough tasks was quite satisfactory.

The more Duan Chengliang hammered, the more relaxed he felt. The clanging sound and the tactile feedback from the hammer brought him a profound sense of pleasure. As he worked, he felt he was developing a rhythm; what began as chaotic banging slowly grew into a steady cadence. Seeing the once-rusty rebar gradually take on the shape of the hammer head Master Shen had provided, an irrepressible sense of accomplishment welled up within him. He suddenly felt that he had created a work of his own.

Because he wasn't yet skilled, the hammer head cooled down before he could finish, forcing him to return it to the coals to soften it again. Once it was red-hot, he moved it back to the anvil, used the chisel to form the claw, cut the anti-slip patterns into the hammer face, and did some final shaping. Alas, the temperature dropped again—he was working too slowly. He put it back on the coals to reheat. If this were in the hands of a skilled blacksmith, they would only need to heat it once to finish the job. Duan Chengliang had already heated it three times; that was the gap in skill. Still, this time, he finally managed to punch the hole for the wooden handle.

Taking advantage of the final heat and softness, he hurried to finish bending the claw and refining the shape of the hammer head. It was an exhilarating moment. This was not a repair, but the complete forging of a new object. Even though he hadn't used proper blacksmithing techniques and his craft was rough and clumsy, the first claw hammer he had ever forged was finally taking shape.

Duan Chengliang couldn't wait to compare it with the sample Master Shen had given him. It wasn't identical, but it was at least eighty or ninety percent accurate, and all the essential functions were there. As for its durability, since he hadn't quenched or tempered it, only heaven knew—he just hoped it would last a month.

Duan Chengliang let out a long breath, whispering to himself that he had finally succeeded. The "space" had not disappointed him. The moment the thought of completion crossed his mind, the four small boxes reappeared in his consciousness. Just like when he repaired the kitchen knife handle, the boxes representing his body and the object were glowing, while the other two remained dim.

Without overthinking, he followed his original plan and selected the body icon.

"Oh my!" Two streams of heat, clearly thicker and longer-lasting than when he had repaired the knife handle, surged through him. He felt as energized as if he’d been injected with adrenaline; his whole body felt warm, his kidneys tingled with heat, and he felt a surge of strength. The sensation was so pleasant that Duan Chengliang couldn't help but groan. He squinted, savoring the feeling for a dozen seconds before sighing and opening his eyes.