Kingdom of Heaven and Han

Chapter 470
Before dawn the next day, Saburo got up early and went to the venue.There was a problem with a machine in the morning, and Saburo was so anxious that he was sweating profusely and spent more than an hour repairing it.Seeing that it was getting late, I asked the gatekeeper He Adie to order some noodles to satisfy everyone's hunger.

Saburo took a bowl, squatted on the stone at the mouth of the well, and buried himself in eating noodles.While eating deliciously, Qiao Tong came in from the outside.Seeing Sanlang, he said: "My brother is indeed here. Fortunately, I didn't go to your house. You come out, I have something to talk to you."

San Lang put down the bowl and asked Father He to put away the noodles, and eat when he came back.Together with Zhitong, they left the gate of the arena.

After walking a few steps, Saburo asked: "It's already noon, brother, have you eaten yet?"

Qiao Tong said: "Our country people, how can we have the habit of eating lunch? But when you say it, I feel a little hungry."

San Lang said: "Not far from here, Gu Laoer's tavern sells sauced beef recently. Now the government allows cattle to be slaughtered. It is no longer the same as before, and all the cattle sold are sick and old. I ate it once, and the taste is really good. Let's go, let's drink two glasses of wine and buy some beef by the way."

Qiao Tong immediately looked better when he heard that.He said in the mouth: "How can I make my brother spend money?"

Saburo said: "A few catties of beef, what is it! We are brothers. Don't be polite to me!"

After finishing speaking, he pulled Qiao Tong and walked towards Gu Laoer's tavern.

The tavern was on the side of the main road, and there were two or three tables of guests inside.I saw all the strangers on the road, burying their heads on the table, some eating noodles, some eating dumplings.A few ordered a bowl of baijiu and took a sip from time to time.

Seeing Sanlang and Qiao coming in together, Gu Laoer hurried up to say hello.He led the two of them to the table next to the window.

Saburo said: "Each of us will have a bowl of dumplings, another plate of sauced beef, and seasonal fruits and vegetables. By the way, each of us will have a bowl of good liquor from your store. Come quickly, I'm hungry. "

Old Gu agreed, and turned around quickly.It didn't take long for the dumplings and beef to be served.

Saburo picked up the baijiu and said: "Although the baijiu has been washed a bit, it is more powerful. Brother, let's drink a bowl!"

Qiao Tong said: "Baijiu is different from ordinary wine, it's better to drink it slowly. I'm too strong to drink, this bowl is enough. Brother, do what you want."

I took a sip of wine and ate a few dumplings.Saburo asked: "What do you want me, brother?"

Qiao Tong said: "I have definite news about the Liu basket I told you two days ago. This is a big deal, brother can't miss it."

After hearing this, Saburo suddenly became serious.Hastily asked: "What is the charter? Can I do this business?"

Qiao Tong said: "The price has been set. The baskets will be sent to Xiangyang Wharf, 150 yuan a piece. If it is to be done, the supply will start at 1 a year. If it is done well, [-] or [-] is also possible."

Saburo was taken aback.Asked: "With so many baskets, what is the use of the supply and marketing cooperative?"

Qiao Tong said: "This basket is for the army to hold military supplies. I heard that from now on, all the supplies in the army will be stored in this kind of basket. This is a long-term business, and Weixi can't be compared. Of course, this is something of the army, and there is no room for any mistakes or delays."

Ordinary willow baskets usually cost more than 100 Wen in rural markets, but less than 150 Wen.But this is for the army, the quality is not comparable to ordinary willow baskets, and it is normal for the price to be a little higher.After Qiao Tong talked about it two days ago, Saburo inquired about it.The cost of making baskets by yourself is no more than a hundred cash.Earn 1 coins per basket, [-] coins a year, that's [-] coins.Thinking about Saburo made him tremble.

Seeing Sanlang's appearance, Qiao Tong smiled and said, "Brother, the people in the supply and marketing cooperative set the price, not at will. We all know that this basket in the market will not exceed 120 renminbi. The people who make the baskets have to make money, and the cost It will not exceed 150 Wen. They set [-] Wen, so there is a special reason for it. I guess, this basket is different from ordinary baskets, and the cost should be higher."

Saburo froze for a moment.Hastily asked: "The cost is high, how much higher? If it doesn't make money, how can this business be successful?"

Qiao Tongdao: "According to my understanding of the supply and marketing cooperatives, the cost they calculated should be between 120 and [-] renminbi. It is used for military supplies and long-distance transportation. The basket must be strong, so it is normal for the cost to be higher. My brother has to do it. For this business, don’t overestimate the profit of each basket. It’s very good if you earn [-] to [-] yuan per basket. This business is different from Weixi, it can be done all year round, the quantity is stable, and the price is stable. If you can continue, In the future, I can be an outsider with peace of mind and don’t have to work so hard.”

Sanlang calculated, there are two or three hundred per year in interest, which is really a lot.How many people in the world can earn two to three hundred guan a year?The most important thing is that this business is not temporary, but can be done for a long time.

He took a sip of his wine and put the bowl on the table.Saburo said: "Of course I really want to do it. I also ask my brother to help me!"

Qiao Tong smiled and said: "This is not something I can decide on my own. To do this business, you must first be reliable, and there must be no problems with the willow baskets you hand in. And you must hand them in on time. For military use, absolutely not It's late. Your elder brother is an officer in the army, so he is considered a member of the army, so the government should take extra care of him. If something happens to you, Erlang will be implicated. To put it bluntly, you can run away, but Erlang can't."

San Lang said: "Wei Xi's business, thanks to the second brother borrowing money, you know about it. He is an officer in the army, and I have benefited a lot. How can I implicate him? Don't worry, brother, I will continue this business. Surely there will be no mistakes!"

Qiao Tong said: "Your village is too small, it is not easy to recruit people to take over this business."

Saburo resolutely said: "If I take over the business, I will move the factory away! Find a bigger town and make sure we can recruit people!"

Joe waved his hand.Said: "There is no need to choose a place, the government has already decided on a place. Xiangyang Mansion has specially selected a place between Dengcheng and Fancheng, and let you factories move in. There, the government will repair the roads and even build houses, and it will be free for half a year." You just need to move there. The government requires that these factories have a fixed market and be able to operate for a long time.”

Saburo asked in surprise: "There is such a good thing in the world? What is the government trying to do?"

Qiao Tong said: "How can we understand it? I heard people say that moving factories together will make it easier for the government to collect taxes. And in a special place, it will also prevent local forces from oppressing you."

Saburo thought for a while, then shook his head again and again: "How can there be such a good thing in the world? If you do this, the government will only cause trouble, and there will be no benefit!"

Qiao Tong said: "We don't have to think hard about these things. Your reed seat is not qualified. But if you take over the business of willow baskets, it will be enough. One willow basket costs 150 Wen, and 1 is [-]. A hundred guan is not a small amount. There are hundreds of guan in tax collection every year. For the county, it is not a small sum of money. Like Dengcheng County, the annual commercial tax is less than [-] guan in normal years. Yes You are well deserved."

San Lang said: "Do I make the willow baskets for the army by myself?"

Qiao Tong said with a smile: "How is that possible! Xiangyang Mansion is made by you alone, and there are others in other prefectures. Military capital is related to national affairs, how can it be given to one person. And when the baskets are made, they must be used nearby."

Saburo nodded, some understand, some don't understand.What does the army want these willow baskets for?How many are there?Why not buy from the people as before, but build factories?Saburo actually didn't understand many things.

Wang Xiaolie is standardizing military supplies to facilitate storage and transportation.Gunpowder and shells were needed for artillery, which would later be packed in these wicker baskets.Porcelain pots for gunpowder, packed in wicker baskets together with shells, and mounted on carts for battle.In addition to other materials suitable for wicker baskets in the army, the annual consumption is huge.

These materials are very inconspicuous, but once gathered, they are of a very large scale, enough to build a workshop.Not only is there a supply and marketing cooperative supporting people like Saburo, but the government actually has its own workshops, and even specially planted willow forests.Non-governmental factories check for leaks and fill vacancies in official factories.The official workshop adjusts the cost.

Industry does not necessarily have to have a steam engine, but only needs water power, animal power, and manpower to carry out scientific scheduling and management, and it will have a very large scale.It's just that the cost is higher, more people use it, and the market scope is limited.In this day and age, with long distances and high freight costs, the cost that can be saved by the factory is not necessarily higher than that of manpower.

The purpose of Wang Xiaohun is to use the existing conditions to initially establish some industries.Dengcheng is close to Xiangyang, and not far away happens to be the selected industrial area north of the Hanshui River.Relying on the favorable location and his elder brother, Saburo reaped the benefits.

(End of this chapter)