American Farmers: Facing a Cutoff at the Start

Layla took the folding knife, gave it a gentle push, and with a "click," the blade popped out.

On the black, acid-washed blade, the cursive script "Layla" that undulates with the blade pattern is clearly visible!

"it's beautiful……"

"And my name!"

She gently traced her name with her fingertips, looked up at Fett, and her eyes sparkled with emotion:

"Fett, I will always carry it with me."

Fett smiled:

"If you like it, then last night wasn't a waste of time."

"This knife may be small, but it's sharp enough. I can use it to defend myself when I'm out and about."

Upon hearing the words "away from home," Leila's eyes darkened slightly.

She sheathed the knife and put it in her inner pocket. She lowered her head, kicked at the pebbles at her feet, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke in a very soft voice: "Fett, my departure time has been set, and I've bought my plane ticket."

"Where are you going? When are you leaving?"

"Atlanta."

Leila looked up, her eyes filled with a hint of reluctance, but even more so with determination:

"I've contacted my mentors. They need a girl who can ride a horse, shoot a gun, and has a bit of a wild side to play... well, a minor leader of a resistance group."

"I'm confident I can perform well!"

"Moreover, with a mentor's recommendation, there's a high chance of passing the audition."

She held up two fingers, a little embarrassed but also a little proud:

"Although he only had a dozen or so lines and a few shots, he was a minor supporting character."

"But they said they could pay $900 a day! Accommodation and meals included!"

"If the filming goes well, I can earn several thousand!"

"If filming doesn't go smoothly because of other actors, and they need to use me for a few more days, I can earn even more!"

Fett paused for a moment, then laughed: "Nine hundred? That's way more money than we make selling trees."

"yes."

Leila bit her lip:

"But I have to pay for the plane ticket myself. I used the money I earned these past few days to buy a ticket for tomorrow morning, and the rest... I'll just take a gamble."

"Okay." Fett didn't try to stop her, but just hugged her tightly. "Contact me if you need money. Don't mistreat yourself."

You can do it!

"Have you packed your luggage?" Fett asked softly.

"Not yet! I just got the news and came straight here to tell you!" Leila stuck out her tongue, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future. "I'm definitely going to make the most of this opportunity in Atlanta."

Fett smiled and said, "Then you should go back and pack your things, don't forget anything."

"I'll take you tomorrow, see you then!"

"Okay!" Leila readily agreed. "I'll be waiting for you at the door at nine o'clock tomorrow morning!"

"Don't be late and make me miss my flight!"

After saying that, she turned and ran away.

After seeing Lyra off, Fett returned to the garage alone.

It's time to forge the sword!

The sword is the king of all weapons.

Unlike the ruggedness and killing power of the knife, the sword emphasizes a balanced and harmonious aesthetic that combines strength and gentleness.

The eight-sided Han sword, in particular, has a straight blade like a pine tree and a high spine like a mountain peak. Its eight facets flow under the light and shadow, possessing both the elegance of a gentleman and the sharpness of a weapon. It is a rare weapon among cold weapons!

Although Fett had forged several decent knives in the past few days and was in good form, he was still a little unsure about this sword.

It is said that a sword is a three-foot-long blade, which, according to the Han Dynasty's three-foot measurement, would be about seventy centimeters long.

With the hilt added, it's almost a meter long.

Previous knives, whether Bowie knives or kitchen knives, were all within a controllable range in length; this sword is a bit beyond that.

For weapons, an inch too short is an inch too dangerous, but for forging, an inch too long is an inch too dangerous.

The increased length not only means that the forging difficulty increases exponentially, but also that in the subsequent heat treatment process, especially during quenching, even the slightest uneven heating or residual stress can cause the sword to twist like a snake, or even break and become unusable.

"If you want to do something well, you must first have the right tools."

Fett looked around and his gaze fell on the small coal stove made from an old brake drum.

This furnace is passable for making a hunting knife, but it's clearly not enough to heat a three-foot-long sword blade.

If it is not modified, it can only be heated section by section, which is not only inefficient, but also easily causes uneven temperature in different parts of the sword, which is a big no-no.

Fett went to the backyard, brought over dozens of bricks, and cleared out an area in the garage.

First, two long bases were built on the ground using red bricks, with a narrow ventilation channel in the middle.

Then they found a discarded iron pipe, drilled countless tiny holes in it, and buried it at the bottom of the ventilation duct to serve as a blower.

Next, he scooped up two shovelfuls of mud and layered the bricks to form a rectangular furnace.

Finally, connect the blower's outlet to one end of the iron pipe and seal the other end.

"Buzz—"

The power was on, and the fan roared. Fett filled the new furnace with coke and lit it.

As the wind picked up, a long fire dragon rose into the air inside the furnace, and the rolling heat made the entire garage warm and cozy.

"That's right."

Fett patted the dust off his hands with satisfaction, turned around and dragged out the untouched plate spring steel from the corner.

Fett took out a measuring tape and chalk and drew the approximate length and width needed on the steel plate.

To save effort, he did not choose to use a large piece of material to stretch it, but instead used an angle grinder to cut a strip of moderate width.

"Sizzle—"

Sparks flew as the cutting blade slicing through the steel plate with a piercing shriek.

Clang!

The steel plate landed, leaving only a narrow strip of spring steel. Although it was somewhat wasteful, there was nothing that could be done.

If you have a power hammer, you can cut large pieces and stretch them slowly.

But right now all I have are these two bare hands and an iron hammer. If I have to fight by hand, I'm afraid it will take until next year to finish.

After cutting the material, Fett used a wire wheel to clean the surface rust, then used long-handled tongs to clamp the steel plate and send it deep into the long furnace.

Amidst the roar of the blower, a few minutes later, the originally dark steel was transformed into a dazzling bright orange, becoming translucent throughout.

Start playing!

Fett took a deep breath, gripped the steel plate, and quickly transferred it to the anvil.

"when!"

The first hammer blow sent sparks flying, producing a crisp and steady sound.

The spring steel is a bit thick, so it needs to be thinned out.

Fett swung the eight-pound sledgehammer and, starting from the middle of the steel plate, used the edge of the anvil to strike evenly towards both ends.

He controlled the angle and force of the hammer to stretch and thin the steel plate little by little, while ensuring that the thickness was uniform.

With each impact, the originally flat steel plate gradually became longer, vaguely resembling a sword.

Fett breathed a sigh of relief. The material was just right; the length and thickness of the blade were now within the appropriate range. Even if there was a little too much, it could be removed during the sharpening process.