After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 63 Glass Industry
Of course, the glass workshop does not only make wine vessels. In fact, among its two new batches of finished products, there are bowls and teacups.

It’s also a nice-looking device but not very fancy.

According to Xie Wenzai, Haixiya was very satisfied with this. He felt that as a small border town, Suzhou could produce glassware of this level. He really could no longer expect to produce more exquisite and expensive things.

It's a pity that if the workshop wants to make some new styles, it may be a little tight on time.

After firing two batches of glassware, the Dashi craftsmen have proven their strength. The apprentices taught in the Suzhou workshop have also learned the basic techniques of glassmaking. Dusi in Ganzhou can't wait to take over. In the past, it is best to pick it up years ago.In this way, Ganzhou City can also establish its own glass workshop and get involved in the highly profitable glass business.

According to the gossip revealed by the general on Wednesday, Dusi is actually a little anxious.I don’t know who spread the news to Chang’an. Someone there heard that a glassmaker from Da Shi was living in the border town of Da Chu. He seemed to be very interested in the glass business and asked many people about it.

Considering the profits that the glassware business can bring, Xie Wenzai is worried that neither Suzhou nor Ganzhou may be able to retain these big food craftsmen.After all, there are too few wealthy households in the northwest and their family resources are limited. If you want to sell more glassware and sell it at a good price, you still have to go to a prosperous and prosperous place.Not only in the capital and Jiangnan, but at least in a big city like Chang'an.

However, Chang'an is more than 600 miles away from Suzhou, and it is also more than [-] miles away from Ganzhou. No matter how careful you are when transporting glassware over such a long distance, the loss will not be small.In the end, the profit from selling glass will be greatly reduced.

Even if the dignitaries in Chang'an are embarrassed to pick peaches, the generals of the border army will consider the losses and gains, right?
The most likely thing is that Marshal Zhou of the Zhenguogong Palace opened his mouth to take over the big food craftsmen, build a workshop in Chang'an, train more craftsmen locally, and do glassware business nationwide, and use the profits earned. to supplement the border troops.If these craftsmen can produce exquisite enough finished products that are no worse than those from the Western Regions, it is estimated that Chang'an can also expand its business to the capital and Jiangnan.By then, the income of this glass workshop will not be comparable to that of this small workshop in Suzhou City, and the northwest frontier army will naturally not have to worry about the supply of food and grass supplies.

Considering the overall situation, Xie Wenzai thinks there is nothing unacceptable about this arrangement, and Haixi Ya also thinks the same.After all, they originally had high hopes for the wine workshop, and the glass workshop was an unexpected surprise. The purpose of burning glass was to make money, and making money was to ensure the supply of food, grass and materials for the Suzhou Guards.As long as this goal can be achieved, it doesn't matter who makes the money or who owns the glass workshop business.

It's just that the commander of Shaanxi's capital and the Suzhou Guard under his command are all the sons of Marshal Zhou. They want to leave a workshop for their territory and make some extra money to supplement their soldiers. They are also human beings. It was only natural that Marshal Zhou could argue with his son?

The workshops in Suzhou are now stepping up the firing of the third batch of glass. On Wednesday, the general also hinted to Haixiya that it is best for the local craftsmen and apprentices to learn as many styles of utensils as possible, so as not to cause trouble after the big food craftsmen leave. The workshop is weak.Before the Chinese New Year, the food craftsmen must send them away.As for how long Dusi can keep people after they arrive in Ganzhou, it depends on the abilities of Dusi's people.

Because of these reasons, Xie Wenzai naturally cannot expect many new styles from the glass workshop. Those apprentices can learn a complete set of methods for firing glass wine vessels, which is already very good. What other things can be fired?At most, they can make some bowls, teacups, etc. that have been burned a little before, and sell them to passing caravans to test the water.If it sells well, it can continue to be sold in the future.

Even though the glass workshops in Suzhou City only produce these simple styles, when the trade routes to the Western Regions are cut off, the glassware from the Western Regions will not be able to be imported smoothly into Dachu. Even if there are caravans that take another route, they will only be trafficked. They will be expensive high-quality products. By then, these high-quality and low-priced glassware will no longer be sold.

The dignitaries look down upon them, but aren’t there many middle-class wealthy families?With such a set of utensils at home, when entertaining relatives and friends, the host's face will look bright, right?This is genuine glassware with good quality.Xie Wenzai told his two old friends and Haitang all this, and said: "I told my cousin that if we want to sell the glassware produced in Suzhou at a good price, we can't just sell it in the border towns. It's best to let us Familiar caravans take them to places closer to the Central Plains, where there are people who can afford such valuables. But in this way, transportation becomes a troublesome matter.

"I tried my best to transport the things, but I found that the things were smashed halfway. Isn't it a waste of effort? This is not gold or silver. It can be taken back and re-melted, but I will lose everything. So, We have to let the people in the workshop make the things thicker and as strong as possible so as not to break easily, otherwise most of the people in the caravan will not be willing to take risks." Then the glassware produced by the Suzhou workshop will be difficult to sell. If I go out, I'm afraid I won't be able to compete with the products from Chang'an Workshop.

Besides, they will have two competitors, Ganzhou Glass Workshop and Chang'an Glass Workshop, in the future. The products they produce must have some characteristics and be different from the products of the other two companies.

"Strong" is also an advantage.

Cao Gengyun and Lu Bainian looked at Xie Wenzai in surprise: "Brother Wenzai, you have thought very carefully!" "Brother Wenzai is right, glassware is both precious and fragile. If you are not a rich and powerful person, Who is willing to spend a lot of money to buy things that are neither food nor clothing, just to show off in front of others? How many rich families like this are there in the northwest? "

Haitang could also agree with her cousin's opinion, but she still felt that glass could not only be made into wine vessels or tea sets.It's not impossible that glassware is stronger when fired, but once it becomes thick and heavy, it will look clumsy and the advantages of glassware will not be reflected.Not to mention, the color of the glass fired in Suzhou is still green?

She asked Xie Wenzai: "Can you make some stationery supplies out of glass? For example, paperweights or something?" She pointed to Lu Bainian's usual Qilian jade ruler placed on the small bookshelf at the end of the kang, "That's made of jade. But it’s also green, right? It doesn’t seem to be difficult if the glass is fired into this shape.”

The three elders all showed surprised expressions.Cao Gengyun immediately took the Qilian jade paperweight. The emerald green background was covered with black spots. In fact, he had never liked it, but Lu Bainian had used it for many years and had developed feelings for it.Imagine if you had a paperweight made of green glass with no black spots on it...

"Isn't this similar to a jade paperweight?" Cao Gengyun looked at Xie Wenzai, "I think the glass paperweight is also quite good. It is made stronger and not easy to break. It looks like flawless jade..."

Xie Wenzai thought for a while, then looked at the round table in the center of the room, where there was a complete set of the study room used by Cao Gengyun: "The paperweight is easy to burn, and it is not troublesome to make it into a pen mountain. Forget about the inkstone, the glass surface is smooth and is not easy to polish. For ink, just use the ready-made Tao inkstone to make up, but you can also make water bowls, pen licks, etc. Add a paperweight to make a complete set, and use cotton brocade to pad the brocade box. Wouldn't it be easier to transport and look good? Decent? It’s the perfect gift to give..."

If you could ask the craftsmen of Da Shi if there is any way to create patterns on the surface of the glassware, and engrave some elegant plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo or famous poems, it would definitely be more popular among scholars, right?
Xie Wenzai looked at his two old friends, and the three of them couldn't help laughing.

(End of this chapter)