Ming Zuo

Chapter 382 Luxury

After the relocation of major factories, Zuozhuang was much quieter.

However, it is not that there is no industry here. There are some workshops that do not require large-scale production and do not consume much resources. They are still placed in Zuozhuang.

For example, the piano workshop is one of them.

"Although the piano is large, the various parts are very delicate, and the process is complicated. We can only make it by hand, so the output is very limited."

The person in charge of the piano workshop is Liu Chunyu, who was originally Yang Gui's apprentice.

However, unlike Yang Guichun, who relies on strength to eat, Liu Chunyu's craftsmanship is very delicate.

He can make needles with the naked eye and has become a legend among craftsmen.

In view of his ingenuity, he was asked by Deng Yuhan to be the person in charge of the piano workshop.

The piano workshop is not just for making pianos, it is more like a parts processing center.The delicate and dexterous parts needed by other workshops are all made here.

There is no way to do this. The delicate parts of this era can only be made by hand, and craftsmen with less than a certain level of craftsmanship cannot even enter the door of the workshop.

Speaking of piano production, Liu Chunyu worked hard.

Zuo Menggeng saw the finished piano in the workshop, which was very beautiful.

The shell is made of spruce, and the best paint is used. No matter from any angle, the body of the piano is full of breathtaking rhythm.

The white keys made of ivory and the black keys made of ebony form a sharp contrast, full of mysterious atmosphere, and the cost of each is amazing.

For absolute pitch and sound, every part must be absolutely precise.

It took three craftsmen fifteen days to make just one soundboard.

Where is this instrument?

This is clearly the most beautiful work of art in the world.

Deng Yuhan also said: "Such exquisite things, even if they are not used for playing, will add brilliance to the most beautiful and magnificent church even if they are placed in a corner of the hall."

These words were very in line with Zuo Menggeng's intention. He asked with a smile, "So, what kind of intuitive value do you think such a superb piece of art needs?"

"This……"

Deng Yuhan was a little embarrassed.

Everyone knows that pianos are expensive, but it is really hard to estimate a price for them.

Zuo Menggeng made up his mind.

"Is that Governor Rolang also a rich man?"

Deng Yuhan said honestly: "The person who can be sent by the royal family to serve as the governor must have paid a high price."

The subtext of this remark is that since that Roland can also spend a lot of money in bribes in Europe to buy the position of Governor of Haojing, he is naturally a rich man.

Yes, many of the appointments of overseas officials in Europe in this era were bought with money.

Although Europeans are keen to explore overseas, the mortality rate of traveling far in this era is too high.Only those who dare to take risks will choose to go overseas to gain wealth and glory.

Since he is a rich man, Zuo Menggeng is more clear about his thoughts.

"A person with great wealth, a nobleman, naturally needs a top-notch musical instrument to show his extraordinaryness. Mr. Deng, what do you think our piano is worth five hundred taels of silver?"

"hiss……"

Everyone in the workshop had red eyes.

No one would have thought that Zuo Menggeng would dare to speak like a lion.

Does anyone really want to spend five hundred taels for such a thing?

In fact, only Zuo Menggeng knew that the Spaniards and Portuguese, who were the beginning of the great voyage, were not soft on luxury and waste because it was too easy to obtain wealth.

And the wealth they squandered was used to fulfill the rise of France, Italy, Germany and other European countries.

The profligate Portuguese will definitely be willing to open their wallets for something of five hundred taels as long as it touches their hearts.

"Isn't your hard work worthless day and night? In order to make every part perfect, isn't your effort worthless? Isn't your contribution small to let such a wonderful sound come to the world? It's you who made the world's most beautiful The birth of a perfect musical instrument is that you have created an artifact that can communicate with the gods. Owning this piano is equivalent to having a channel to communicate with the gods. You say, isn’t such a piano worth even five hundred taels of silver? "

Everyone was stunned. Looking at the piano they made, they realized for the first time, how could there be a sense of nobility that is so unfamiliar and inviolable?
Seeing their appearance, Zuo Menggeng snickered inwardly.

The simple people of this era have not yet touched the door of commodity sales.

Anyway, he made up his mind, the price of the piano is five hundred taels.After all, this kind of musical instrument is not within the reach of ordinary people, and if it is sold cheaply, I am sorry for myself.

And if you can afford it, how can you care if it is three hundred taels or five hundred taels?

"Mr. Deng, please reply to Governor Haojing. Tell him the price of the piano. If he still wants, we will bear the freight and after-sales service."

If the Governor Haojing was really willing to spend five hundred taels of silver to buy a piano, Zuo Menggeng wouldn't mind letting him enjoy the treatment of a god.

Deng Yuhan did not question, but wrote down the incident.

The happiest people are Liu Chunyu and others.

If the piano can really be sold for five hundred taels of silver, their workshop will not only have income, but also huge income.

In the future, not only will there be no need for funding from the Administrative Committee, but there may be money to be made.

Zuo Menggeng didn't tell them that the piano is of course a very profitable thing.

The handmade pianos of this era are basically only open once a year, and one time to eat products for a year.

But in the commodity society, this kind of luxury is indispensable.

Because the pure profit in it is so amazing, selling [-] pairs of socks is not worth as much as a piano.

Zuo Menggeng came to the piano workshop, and the movement was not small.Just as he was about to leave, a little girl ran out of the workshop next door.

"Sir, I have something good to show you."

Zuo Menggeng stopped and asked with a smile, "You wouldn't want to give me a clock, would you?"

With just one sentence, the little girl kept stomping her feet.

"Yes... oops, no... yes... um..."

Everyone laughed, and they were all adored by her.

Next to the piano workshop is the clock workshop.

Compared with the closed doors of the piano workshop, the watch workshop has already achieved self-financing.

After all, only people who understand the rhythm of piano will like it, but the price is too expensive, so the audience is too narrow.

Although the clock is not cheap, knowing the time is a must for everyone.Therefore, families where conditions permit will choose to buy.

Relying on the sale of desk clocks, the watch workshop can earn thousands of taels of silver a year.

At present, there are [-] craftsmen in the watch workshop. After deducting the cost and the profit turned over to the administrative committee, the most common craftsman can receive [-] taels of silver in salary and share every year.

This income, even within the entire camp, is terrifyingly high.

Therefore, many craftsmen dream of entering a watch workshop.

However, the craftsmanship requirements of clocks are even higher than those of pianos. People without skills and talents have no hope.

In the past year, the watch workshop has only added fifty craftsmen.

And the person in charge of this workshop that everyone admires is the shy little girl Liu Xinyue in front of her.

She is Liu Ji's younger sister and Liu Yiyuan's aunt, but she doesn't have the demure of everyone.With Zuo Menggeng's advocacy, the atmosphere in Linqing became more and more open, and Liu Xinyue was like a bird out of the cage, seeing too many new things.

No one would have thought that this weak girl would have an amazing talent for polishing metal parts.

The clockwork the size of a fingernail, she was able to manufacture with simple tools, and convinced all her peers.

Today's Liu Xinyue is not only the head of the watch workshop, but also a first-class craftsman, only one step away from the master craftsman.

The good things she showed Zuo Menggeng were really good things.

It was placed upright in Zuo Menggeng's palm, and the size was similar to that of the palm.It is covered with a curved glass cover, but the dial below is clear.

While the hour, minute, and second hands are running, almost no movement is heard.

This is a pocket watch.

When the clock was manufactured, Zuo Menggeng mentioned the miniaturization of the clock.

He gave the specific concept of pocket watch and wrist watch.

Unexpectedly, after more than a year of research, Liu Xinyue and others finally came up with the finished product.

"This watch is wound once and can run for two days. To get it back on, all you need to do is turn this little bolt."

Zuo Menggeng observed carefully, and even opened the back cover with the help of Liu Xinyue to see the structure inside clearly.

(End of this chapter)