Republic of China: Guandong Ginseng King

Chapter 376 Damiaogou Gold Mine

Qu Shaoyang, Liu Dongshan, Qu Laokou and others gathered around the machine and watched it work.

Over there, the metalworkers poured baskets of ore onto the ore screening machine.

As the ore screening machine works, a large amount of mud and sand is washed away by water.

The ore sand after rough selection is then transported to the shaking table through the cooperation of water flow and shaking table.

Finally, only the golden gold was left in the bucket of the rocking bed.

The working efficiency of machines is much faster than that of manual labor.

Qu Laokouer stared at the bowl. It seemed that in a short period of time, a lot of gold sand was accumulated in it.

“Oh, this thing is so good, it doesn’t need to eat grass or food, and it doesn’t need to rest.

If you keep working like this, won't you get a lot of gold every day?" Qu Laokou couldn't help but sigh.

"Dad, this thing doesn't eat grass, but needs coal to power it.

And you can't keep working all the time, you have to stop the machine for maintenance every once in a while." Qu Shaoyang explained with a smile after hearing what Qu Laokou said.

The machine cannot run for a long time and needs proper maintenance and repair. Of course, compared to manual work, it is indeed faster and more convenient.

As for coal, that's easy. There is a coal mine on the other side of Badaojiang that produces high-quality coal blocks, and the price is not very expensive.

A wooden shed was built above the sifter and shaker, and many light bulbs were installed around the shed.

The metal workers go down into the mine to dig ore sand during the day and then have special personnel load it onto trucks and transport it to the vicinity of the machines.

It is not easy to start the machine, so it runs day and night, and the people who load the materials and watch the machines work in three shifts.

Then, every five days, the machine stops for inspection and maintenance.

Qu Laokouer, Liu Dongshan and Qu Jiang took turns to look after the gold sand.

Last year, the gold mine's highest monthly output was 180 kilograms of gold sand. This year, with machines and sufficient manpower, the output has increased several times.

Fortunately, the mineral veins here are rich, and Lao Hu and Lao Han have discovered several mineral veins around here.

The two speculated that even if mining continued at this rate, it could last for more than ten or twenty years.

For Qu Shaoyang, the current situation is to collect as much as possible.

Who knows what would happen if the imperial court went crazy one day and banned mining? Or what if they took the mines directly?
It is better to be mined out in a few years than to leave it to others, especially not to the Japanese.

Qu Shaoyang had heard in his previous life that the Japanese had sent people to explore various mineral deposits, including gold mines, and had drawn a map of the mineral veins.

Later, after the Japanese occupied the Northeast, they began to mine gold crazily. It is possible that the Sandaogou gold mine was also occupied and mined by the Japanese.

Instead of leaving it to the Japanese, it would be better to use the gold to buy more guns and recruit more people.

When that day really comes in the future, he will bring his men to give the Japanese a hard time and will not let them get away with it.

In this way, the metalworkers were responsible for the technical mining work, while the bearded captives were responsible for transportation, loading and other work.

These beards were trimmed many times when they were in the mountains.

Many of those troublemakers were killed when the organization was escaping, and now they are all behaving themselves.

Qu Shaoyang said that whoever performs well will be arranged to join the patrol team after the goods from the gold field arrive this season.

With this carrot hanging around, and with Liu Dongshan and the guards keeping a close watch on them, the prisoners worked obediently and nothing went wrong.

The gold mine was gradually getting back on track, with gold production at a gratifying level. With Liu Dongshan and Qu Laokouer guarding the area, Qu Shaoyang could just leave it alone.

Just at this time, County Magistrate Chen sent someone to deliver a message to ask Qu Shaoyang about the opening of the gold mine in Damiaogou.

Damiaogou is the place where Qu Shaoyang told County Magistrate Chen that Lao Han and Lao Hu had found the gold mine. According to Lao Han and Lao Hu, the vein was also very good and the gold seedlings were very abundant.

But the place was too close to the county seat, and it was not easy for Qu Shaoyang to mine alone, so he proposed to cooperate with County Magistrate Chen.

Seeing that the weather was getting warmer, it was time to start preparing, so Qu Shaoyang took Lao Han and others to the county town to meet County Magistrate Chen.

After discussing with County Magistrate Chen, Qu Shaoyang decided that he would fund the construction and mining of the Damiaogou gold mine.

Of the profits from the gold mine, 70% went to County Magistrate Chen and a group of county officials, while Qu Shaoyang took 30%.

This is quite unreasonable. Qu Shaoyang not only invested the money but also arranged for people to manage it, but in the end he only got 30%.

But there was nothing to be done, because Qu Shaoyang’s official position was not as high as that of County Magistrate Chen.

Nowadays, high-ranking officials can crush people to death. What can Qu Shaoyang do?
Fortunately, with the share of the Damiaogou gold mine, the income from Sandaogou no longer needs to be given to County Magistrate Chen.

For the sake of future development, Qu Shaoyang had no choice but to agree.

Qu Shaoyang invested 12,000 taels of silver and found people from Tonghua to start building houses and repairing various facilities in Damiaogou.

Old Han, Ermaozi, and two relatives of County Magistrate Chen were responsible for the specific matters.

"Brother Han, I have a lot of things to do and I really don't have the time to stay here all the time. I'll leave things here to you.

The two relatives of County Magistrate Chen are both laymen, so the matters concerning the gold field mainly depend on you.

County Magistrate Chen and I have already discussed this. Don't worry. Just get along with them normally and don't argue with them about anything. Just give in if you can.

If they are really making trouble, please send a letter to me and I will tell County Magistrate Chen.

Before leaving, Qu Shaoyang drank with Lao Han, Ermaozi and a few others, and gave them some special instructions.

Qu Shaoyang had met the two men arranged by County Magistrate Chen. They seemed quite honest, but it was hard to say how they would perform their duties.

After all, they have County Magistrate Chen backing them up, so Qu Shaoyang can't argue with them.

That's why Qu Shaoyang told Lao Han and others not to confront the two men head-on, and it would be best to negotiate with them.

Of course, if it involves some issues of principle that Lao Han and others cannot handle, they can notify Qu Shaoyang.

Qu Shaoyang went to negotiate with County Magistrate Chen.

“We don’t use any machines here, we just pan for gold manually, and we take whatever we can.

If the amount of gold you get is not satisfactory, don't get angry, I will compensate you later."

Qu Shaoyang's main purpose of mining the Damiaoling gold mine was to improve his relationship with County Magistrate Chen and other officials in the county government.

It doesn’t matter how much or how little you earn here, as long as it’s enough to pay the metalworkers and the county government. The big money is from Sandaogou.

"Okay, we understand all of this, don't worry, we will definitely not cause any trouble for you."

Lao Han and others get along well with Qu Shaoyang. Since Qu Shaoyang assigns them such an important task, they must do a good job.

"Okay, I'll leave it to you guys, everyone please work hard, I will definitely not let you down.

Come on, let me toast to you all, thank you for your hard work." Qu Shaoyang raised his glass to toast Lao Han, Ermaozi and others.

"Oh, no, no, sir, we should respect you, you are the one who makes money for us.

To be honest, I have been to many gold fields, but I have never seen an owner as generous and easy to get along with as Mr. Qu. "

Old Han quickly picked up the wine glass, clinked it with Qu Shaoyang, and then drank the wine in the glass.

Mining in Damiaogou cannot be done for the time being. After arranging various matters, Qu Shaoyang bid farewell to everyone in the county government and returned to Maoer Mountain.

(End of this chapter)