Kai Fu Han

Chapter 223 System and People 2
The two of them were facing each other. Xu Han was pointing behind Jiang Bin. Jiang Bin looked back and explained: "This car is specially used to pull people, and it only runs from Penglai to Baishi Bend, once every half an hour." , can pull up to 20 people at a time.”

"Stop the car, let's take this car to Baishiwan." Xu Han ordered, with the prestige of being in a high position in the past unconsciously felt in his tone.

"Okay!" Jiang Bin didn't know why, but he still did as he was told. He was originally arranged by Li Si to take care of Xu Han.

After getting off the bus, they paid the hired driver and asked him to go back by himself. The two came to the "bus".

"Two of us, go to Baishiwan." Jiang Bin said to the driver.

"Ten catties of food stamps for two people, five catties for one person." The coachman replied.

After Jiang Bin paid the fare again, the two got on the bus. There were already five or six people sitting on the bus. After waiting for a while, twenty seats were already filled.

"Everyone, please sit still and hold on, we are about to start the carriage." The coachman reminded, then whipped the horse, and the carriage began to move forward slowly.

The car was quiet at first, with only acquaintances chatting quietly with each other.After driving for half an hour, the people in the car had already started talking and getting to know each other.

"Seeing as you two are both scholars, what are you going to do in Baishiwan?" asked a passenger on Jiang Bin's right.

"We are going to do business." Jiang Bin replied. He had heard from this person before that he was going to join relatives.

"It seems that you are outsiders. The goods produced by Baishiwan cannot even be supplied by our own fleet, and they have not been sold to outsiders. You will probably go to Baishiwan in vain." This person seems to often go to Baishiwan, and he is very interested in Baishiwan. More understanding.

"Can you please introduce to me what Baishiwandu produces? Even if we can't buy it, we still want to see it and learn more." Xu Han interjected.

"I know a little about this, because part of the goods produced will be sold to the locals in Baishiwan. I have a relative there. I went to join him this time. I heard that the factory there has high wages and skilled workers. People’s incomes will be higher.”

Although the answer was not what was asked, the words contained information that Xu Han did not know, so Xu Han did not interrupt and listened quietly to the passenger.

"I came by boat from Laizhou and didn't know much about this place. I didn't take the boat directly to Baishiwan. I had to take a car back again. This time I went to Baishiwan. I planned to use my ancestral potter's skills to see if I could enter. Cement or glass factory, I heard these two factories have the highest salary.”

"Look at me...," the passenger finally realized that he had lost track of the topic. He pretended to slap himself twice on the mouth, and then continued: "I'm sorry for talking so much. Let's get back to the topic. Baishiwan mainly produces cement and glass. In addition to these two unique products, there are also a small amount of furniture, kapok cloth, salted fish, etc. I heard that there is also salt, but it is not open for takeout. "

When he said the last sentence, his voice was very low, giving the impression that he was saying something shameful.

"Your news is behind. It's not right for Penglai County to sell food. Now the grain stores and grocery stores in the townships and towns of Penglai County sell salt from Baishiwan. Not only is it of good quality, but it also has no impurities." Although The voice was low, but it was still heard by other passengers, and some couldn't help but retort.

"Actually, Baishiwan also produces ironware, farm tools, and even weapons, as well as full-body armor. I heard from a relative of mine that those weapons and armor are made of Baishi Steel, and the price is not expensive, but they are not sold to the outside world." Someone else has joined this topic.

……

The people in the car showed off their well-informed information along the way, so that Xu Han already had a rough outline of Baishiwan before he even set foot on the land of Baishiwan.

"Baishiwan really produces iron and salt?" Xu Han asked Jiang Bin in a low voice. "Yes." This is not something that needs to be kept secret. As Baishiwan's salt and iron production continues to increase, it will inevitably be sold to surrounding forces, so there is no need to keep it secret.

"Salt and iron are government-run, how can you make your own salt and iron without permission? It's against national law," Xu Han said.

The Zhao State's salt tax has always accounted for more than half of the annual fiscal revenue. Now that the country is in turmoil, the government's finances are entirely supported by the salt tax. Therefore, the salt tax is as important to the Zhao State as water is to fish.

"We, the Xinghan League, openly recognize the Zhao State and consider ourselves to be from the Zhao State. As a result, we are now surrounded by enemies. It is impossible for the surrounding states and counties to sell us salt and iron. However, we do need these if we want to survive. So the salt we need Can Tie Chaoting send it to us?" Jiang Bin asked.

Of course not. Now that the Xinghan Alliance has not been recognized by the Zhao court, how can it supply important materials such as salt and iron?

Xu Han was immediately speechless by Jiang Bin.

There is a sentence in the poem "Xijiang Moon" by Yang Sichang, a minister in the late Ming Dynasty: "Don't be an An'an and starve to death, but follow the example of the Fenarm Mantis."

After all, Xu Han was a capable minister and an upright person, so he did not say such shameless words.However, I still made a request:
"Can I go see the saltworks?"

"When we get to Baishiwan, I'll ask the person in charge of the saltworks." Jiang Bin replied.

Sitting in a carriage was nearly twice as fast as walking, and it took less than two hours to travel forty miles.

After the two got off the car, at Xu Han's request, they went directly to the Baishiwan Salt Field. The salt fields were set up on both sides of the Baishiwan Port. Jiang Bin took Xu Han to the east salt field.

There were guards around the salt field, and the two were blocked at the door. After being notified, the guards only allowed Jiang Bin to enter.

"It contains the secrets of our Xinghan League, and the person in charge does not agree to let you visit." Jiang Bin, who came out of the saltworks again, said to Xu Han.

"Secret?" Xu Han was curious.

"Since it's called secret, of course it can't be said, and I don't know." Jiang Bin replied.

In fact, Jiang Bin knew something. The salt field in Xinghan League used the salt field method, also called the solar evaporation method.Jiang Bin does not know the specific production process, but he knows that the salt field method far exceeds the salt boiling method of boiling seawater in an iron pot, which will lead to extremely low salt production costs in Xinghanmeng.

"While I was waiting just now, I saw a construction site on the coast over there. Can I go over there and have a look?" Xu Han asked, pointing to a construction site on the west side of the salt field between the salt field and the port.

"That's because the original plan was to build a shipyard. Judging from this, there should be no problem. The shipyard should still be under construction now, and shipbuilding has not started yet." Jiang Bin replied.

The two came to the construction site of the shipyard, and sure enough, no one was blocking them. There were many workers on the site, digging a hole on the seashore. It was a very huge hole, thirty feet long and more than ten feet wide.

(End of this chapter)