Jinyi champion

Chapter 327

Zhu Hao's steam loom has entered the stage of trial production.

Three looms were built at a time, but Zhu Hao was not very satisfied with the effect. He was transformed from a shuttle loom driven by human pedals in later generations.

The pedal loom is composed of the main components such as warp beam, bobbin, horse head, heald, paddle and a machine suitable for operation.Due to the use of the machine table and the tipper, the female textile workers have a better working environment. They can use the pedals to lift the healds, freeing up their hands to pick and pick weft insertion and beating faster, thereby improving the speed and quality of weaving.

Since the water vapor tightness of the steam engine is still not perfect, and the power is limited, this "steam loom" cannot completely replace manpower.

Although the speed of the steam loom is not fast enough, it has definitely achieved outstanding results in liberating human hands. The weaving speed of ordinary looms in Daming cannot compare with the pedal loom studied by Zhu Hao, let alone the steam loom. The machine is ready.A female worker who has undergone simple training can take care of three looms. If she goes through systematic training later, it is absolutely not a problem for one person to look after five or ten looms.

On this day, Zhu Hao took Shopkeeper Ma to visit the weaving workshop he was planning to build.

It is said to be a workshop, but in fact there are only three steam looms and six supporting spinning jenny machines that are also driven by steam power.

The manufacturing of the spinning jenny is not difficult. Zhu Hao just increased the spinning wheel and improved the spindle device, so that the shuttle was driven by steam power instead of manpower, and the production efficiency was greatly improved.

The workshop hadn't officially started production yet, Zhu Hao just tried not to hide the truth from Shopkeeper Ma, which was tantamount to being open to Su Xigui.

"Little boss, these are all made of cotton for spinning and weaving? If such a good textile machine can be used to make silk..."

The horse shopkeeper has a little discernment.

The cloth woven from the thread spun from ordinary cotton is naturally not as valuable as silk and satin.

In the view of Ma Treasurer, since you have such a good craftsmanship, you should use some valuable materials instead of just using them to weave cotton cloth like now.

Zhu Hao said with a smile: "Don't underestimate this weaving. It can change an era. Silk is indeed a good thing...but how can ordinary people afford it? Besides, we are in business, isn't it for profit? Only when the sales volume is large The goods, we mass-produce them to make money..."

"Makes sense."

Regardless of whether Shopkeeper Ma agrees or not, he must agree with Zhu Hao's ideas at this time.

As a shopkeeper under someone else, you can't do everything against the owner, because there is absolutely no good fruit to eat.

He took a closer look at the woven cloth, and then looked at the two women who were taking care of the spinning jenny and loom driven by steam power respectively. Ouyang Fei who passed.

The two seemingly untouched women are like experienced masters in front of the jenny loom and loom, and they are basically able to deal with some emergencies, such as broken threads and stalls, with ease.

"Boss, how many people do you plan to employ in this workshop? If you need more people, I have to hire women from outside the city to enter the city." Shopkeeper Ma volunteered.

To say that the old horse is also selfish.

It is obvious that this workshop may be the main business for the owner and his wife to make a fortune in the future, why don't I hurry up and apply to be the big shopkeeper?
If this job is handed over to someone else by the boss, then I will no longer be the head shopkeeper in front of the boss, but a sub-teacher... There is a big difference in treatment and status.

Zhu Hao saw what the old horse was thinking, and said with a smile: "Weaving is always a woman's job, and I also promised before that the production and sales of new products will rely heavily on Ms. Ouyang. After all, she stayed for Given the chance to revive the family business, I can't break my promise and lose weight."

Shopkeeper Ma gave Ouyang Fei a vigilant look.

For a person like him who signed a contract of sale since he was a child, followed his boss around, and became a shopkeeper step by step from an apprentice, he has a very thorough understanding of the world, and he knows exactly what the world is like. I'm not very capable, and I'm not good at doing business, but she's a woman. In the future, as long as the boss just says a word, he will take over the house and become "his own person". With one heart.

What's more, he is still a slave of two surnames, everyone knows that he has an unclear relationship with Su Xigui.

Zhu Hao's choice seemed to be fine.

"If the people from Su Dongzhu ask about the relevant situation next time, Ma, you can tell the truth, spinning and weaving is hard work. I just try to see if I can produce high-quality fabrics for Daming. Lian's cloth, this does not conflict with the glass mirror business, so we will not hand it over to Su Dongzhu as an agent."

After all, Zhu Hao can't take care of business matters all the time, and usually has to rely on the slick horse shopkeeper to move around, welcome and send.

Shopkeeper Ma smiled and said, "Young master, don't worry. Master Su has rarely been involved in the cloth and silk business in the past. A workshop that makes so much cloth... never seen before."

These days cloth involves the most important "wear" in people's livelihood, and it is regarded as the top priority of people's life.

However, cloth production was mostly done by women. For example, in myths and legends, the seventh daughter of the Emperor of Heaven was good at weaving.

But the speed of hand-woven textiles is not fast. Even if a workshop is set up, it is mostly to save space. It has bargaining power in purchasing materials and selling finished products. In general, the purchase of cloth in local areas is done by monopoly merchants. Even if a big merchant like Su Xigui does it In the cloth business, goods are also purchased from monopolies and then transported to all parts of the country for sale.

Even if the cloth makes more money, most of the profits will be taken by monopoly businessmen. How can it compare with the lucrative business of official salt?

"Okay, I have seen the workshop, and I will build a batch of iron spinning machines and looms later, and the quality of the cloth and the weaving speed will be faster..."

After Zhu Hao finished his visit, he was going to take the shopkeeper Ma out.

The horse shopkeeper was very surprised. In his opinion, the wooden machine was already very heavy, and something like a boiler could drive the rotating shaft and perform actions such as shaking hands and feet, but if it was made of iron... how heavy would it be?
……

……

With doubts, shopkeeper Ma and Zhu Hao walked out of the workshop.

The two walked side by side in the alley, followed by more than a dozen guards from a distance, Zhu Hao asked about the ferry.

Shopkeeper Ma answered one by one.

Zhu Hao suddenly asked: "I wonder how the flood control preparations are going this year? Even if the warehouse is higher than the wharf, if the Han River rises and overflows the embankment, the warehouse will be flooded, right?"

Shopkeeper Ma nodded: "What I am worried about is that you have only taken over this warehouse for half a year. It is said that the ferry was flooded last year, but fortunately, the government managed well at that time, and there was no major disturbance... The local people in charge of the dam It is said that the Han River surges only once in three to five years, and only once in twenty years...the water just rose last year, and it is reasonable to say that there will be no more accidents in the next two years."

Zhu Hao asked with a smile: "Is that so? Can't there be floods year after year?"

"Should... no?" Shopkeeper Ma is not a professional after all, he doesn't even count as a local person, so he can only listen to what others say.

Zhu Hao shook his head and said, "But I think there will definitely be a flood this summer."

"what!?"

The horse shopkeeper turned pale with fright.

"I know astronomy and geography, and I can calculate that the possibility of flooding this year is almost as high as [-]%. Before the summer flood season comes, I plan to move all the goods in the warehouse into the city... and I plan to move the ferry to the city. transfer the warehouse to the Zhu family..."

Zhu Hao stated his biggest purpose for asking Ma Treasurer to come to the city for an interview.

Visiting a workshop?

That's just a incidental thing, whether or not the owner of the horse visits, can't change the fact that the workshop is about to start production, and this workshop will not be handed over to your old horse to take care of it.

It is important to talk about the projects you are responsible for.

Shopkeeper Ma let out a long breath, and said: "Little boss, I understand what you mean. If there is a flood in the Han River this year, and the business of the collapsed houses at the ferry is handed over to the Zhu family, then their goods... will definitely be lost. Serious... But the question is, isn't this flood planned by God? Why do you..."

Speaking of this, Shopkeeper Ma paused for a moment, and then said again: "Besides, if we transport all the goods into the city, it seems that we can avoid being flooded, but the transport of goods in the past few months is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It’s really worth the candle.”

Zhu Hao smiled and said, "Do I care about the transportation cost of a few taels of silver? If there is a flood and the goods are washed away by the flood, wouldn't the loss be even greater?"

Shopkeeper Ma thought about it carefully, nodded first, and then quickly persuaded: "When there are signs of flooding, it will not be too late to relocate the goods. At worst, we will store less goods at the ferry."

"No, I'm afraid that the flood will flood overnight... You don't believe in my ability to look at the sky and make calculations?" Zhu Hao frowned.

The horse shopkeeper was speechless for a while.

If it was his former employer, Su Xigui, he would have spit on the ground and cursed, I believe you, you big-headed ghost!Do you really think of yourself as a half fairy?

Can you predict the river god's flood in advance?

But now he is working for Zhu Hao after all, and at the moment Zhu Hao is looking at him seriously, so he is too embarrassed to make jokes.

"Old Ma, believe me, even if we don't make money, the terrain of our warehouse at the ferry is too low. After all, when Su Dongzhu rented and bought the warehouse, he just wanted to get a cheap deal. He didn't plan to do long-term business, and he felt that he was an official. , the government will give priority to rescue if there is water...

"But the problem is that we are not officials. If the flood floods the river embankment overnight, won't our warehouses in low-lying areas suffer a lot? It's just some lease issues. Even if there are a few houses, it's worth it. For less than a few dollars, I will sell it to the Zhu family later, the Zhu family has an official background, so they are not afraid of it?"

Zhu Hao tried his best to comfort shopkeeper Ma and appease his subordinates, which is also what a superior must do.

It cannot be said that once you say a word, there is no room for discussion and questioning. Yiyantang is indeed better in terms of execution, but the consequence is that you will be alienated from your subordinates.

Shopkeeper Ma nodded: "Let's go back and rent a few more high-lying warehouses at the ferry?"

Zhu Hao said with a smile: "No, I calculated that this year, King Xing's Mansion will cooperate with local officials and people to rebuild the embankment, and then add another layer to the existing embankment, and our warehouse can be built on this basis... yes I have a good relationship with Prince Xing's Mansion, so it would be better to buy a few acres of good land and build a warehouse directly on it?"

When the old horse heard it, his mouth opened wide.

Emotional boss, do you know that the existing dam needs to be rebuilt and the location of the warehouse is low and has no investment value, so you want to raise money to build the warehouse?

"Little boss, I agree with this matter with both hands."

Ma Yan nodded heavily at Zhu Hao, with longing and respect in her eyes.

(End of this chapter)