After finding the used carbohydrate and ore, the next step is to determine the location of the iron plant. Chunyu Zhen brought a map. The upper-grade iron ore is located in Yuji County in the western part of Chang'an, and the Wei River flows through the county. It is about 17 miles to transport the iron ore to the Wei River by land. The ships flow downstream, pass by Chang'an, and then head north against the Jushui River, and then arrive at the mine of carbohydrate and lime, Tongguan County. In order to use the hydraulic blower, the iron plant needs to be built next to the Jushui River. In order to make the distance to transport coke by land, Zhao Xingde set out from the point where the charcoal site is located and made a vertical line towards the Jushui River. The intersection with the river is five or six miles away from Tongguan County.

Zhao Xingde pointed at the intersection with a pencil and said, "Build the iron factory in this position."

Chunyu Zhen nodded and said, "I will go to bid for those two mines, and this piece of land along the river is not expensive. However, after buying it, you must first apply to the Cao and the local military government to transfer it into a chamber of commerce area before building a workshop, which will take some time to relocate."

Zhao Xingde said suspiciously: "But why?"

Chunyu Zhen smiled and said, "Our iron factory skills are much better than his family. If we don't build a closed workshop, we're afraid that some villains will find ways to steal the charcoal iron craftsmanship." Seeing Zhao Xingde's face with confusion, he explained, "Mr. Zhao doesn't know that the so-called workshop is to build a wall and establish itself as a yard. Without the permission of the owner, even soldiers and officials are not allowed to enter the house without authorization. However, if it is not designated as a chamber of commerce, the workshop cannot be built."

Zhao Xingdeqi said: "Is the apprentice's money system useless?"

Chunyu Zhen said: "The apprentice money system is only available in the middle school. The profitable merchants in Kanto don't care about these things. They can learn their skills secretly and smelve in Kanto." The Xia Kingdom did not set a ban on salt and iron. Chunyu Zhen considered that the scale of iron smelting may be sold to Kanto after the expansion of the future scale of iron smelves, so he naturally refused to let Kanto merchants steal the smelves.

Zhao Xingde nodded and listened to Chunyu Zhen, "Carbonite ironmaking technique is not a small matter. Apprenticeship money is just a small profit. When the trial production of carbonite ironmaking in other iron plants is about to succeed, we will go to the Prime Minister's Office to register and collect 20 years of apprenticeship money." Zhao Xingde was stunned. Unexpectedly, Chunyu Zhen planned to do so thoroughly in squeezing away technical dividends.

Seeing his face strange, Chunyu Zhen was slightly embarrassed and rubbed his hands and smiled, "At Shangyanshang, Mr. Zhao is a big deal. I will leave these small things to me. It is right to keep them. To prevent secret leakage, I would rather use more than just use coking. I will arrange for different groups of apprentices to do each process of coking and iron refining. All the apprentices below look for refugees in Kanto, first try for one month, and then sign a fifteen-year long contract. If the contract period is not satisfied and leave without authorization, each person will compensate 500 jin."

Zhao Xingde's heart was slightly moved and he said suspiciously: "Does the government and the chamber of commerce not care about such a long contract period and high compensation?" Bianliang workers earn only more than 100 ounces a day. After working for fifteen years, they could not raise a penalty of 500 ounces even if they didn't eat or drink. He didn't know much about the wage market in Guanzhong, but it was not much different. This made it impossible for any worker who signed a contract with the iron factory to switch to other owners within the contract period. Even if other iron factories technically imitate a little bit, it would be difficult to train enough workers and disciples at once, and overwhelm the Chunyu Iron Factory in terms of scale.

Chunyu Zhen was stunned and asked back, "The iron factory pays taxes on time. The government and the chamber of commerce are too happy, so why should we manage it?" Seeing Xingde's expression of disbelief on his face, he smiled, "Don't worry, Mr. Zhao, the autonomy of the chamber of commerce workshops has been in operation for more than a hundred years. Each company has its own way of making money, and the government will definitely not manage it. If not, how could so many Kanto people open the workshop in Guanzhong and make the prices of mines, shops, and workshops expensive. The military government should prohibit the merchants from coming from Guandong." He paused and cursed angrily, "These profiteers!"

Zhao Xingde was a little heavy in his heart. He interrupted him and said in a deep voice: "Although the contract is signed, the workers and disciples should pay a lot of food and clothing for the iron factory. Don't do anything that hurts the good deeds." He thought for a moment and said, "Use charcoal to make a lot of profits. The wages given to the workers and disciples should be temporarily doubled as other families. In addition, the buildings where the workers and disciples live must be spacious. Since there are more counterfeit charcoal, there is no need to save charcoal in winter." He looked at Chunyu Zhen and emphasized, "This group of workers and disciples must not just be used as cattle and horses. The scale of the iron factory will be expanded in the future. They will have great uses and their eyes should be long-term."

Chunyu Zhen nodded and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Zhao is kind-hearted, I understand." He said, "You can start to hire cars and ships to transport cargo and ore. After the business grows in the future, you will build a fleet and fleet of iron plants. In order to prevent other workshops and profiteers from making trouble, the mines and workshops will also invite retired soldiers as guard leaders, and buy some crossbows and fire guns to send them to the guard team. There is no need to buy swords and swords, everyone has..." Chunyu Zhen opened the small notebook he carried with him and said in a nagging manner, as if reporting to the old landlord.

The harvest was like the head of the farm. Although Chunyu Zhen was honest in his face, he was actually a very stubborn person. After he found out that Carbonifer could really refine good iron, he was quite grateful for Zhao Xingde's transfer of 60% of the shares of the iron factory to him. He planned to do a big fight with Zhao Xingde, and then he devoted all the money he earned from casting cannons into the iron factory. He also thought about the construction of the factory. In the past two months, in addition to selecting ore to try coke, the details of opening the factory were carefully considered in his mind for a long time, and all of them were safe.

On this day, Chunyu Zhen discussed with Zhao Xingde that he had left until dusk. He returned to Chang'an the next day to continue preparing for the iron plant.

In the autonomous area of ​​Chang'an City Foreign Chamber of Commerce, many workshops were still working. The lights were dim, and they were all withered and their eyes were turbid. The workers who had just walked off the loom dragged their heavy steps back to the low shed. A few of them could not bear the fatigue and fell on the haystack as if they had fallen apart, and they actually fell asleep.

Bao Qizhang was so hungry that his chest was pressed against his back. He fell into the haystack panting, and smelled a moldy smell at his nose. "When the sun comes out, you have to dry the quilt." Bao Qizhang muttered, holding a handful of hay that was a bit smoky and piled it on himself. The so-called "drying quilt" is just to put the haystack in the place where the sun shines. The night is cold, and it is better than nothing. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and sat up. Just opposite the large row of soil beds, a black scorpion was poking its head out of the crack of the soil, revealing a half-tail hook.

"Treat death!" The worker who was disturbed by him muttered weakly. Guo Hong on the other side turned his head and saw the scorpion in Bao Qizhang's eyes. He also sat up quietly.

Bao Qizhang licked his lips, took off his shirt with his hands and exposed two rows of ribs. He carefully wrapped his sleeves on his left hand, picked up a pair of chopsticks with his right hand, moved his body gently to the wall, held his breath, and suddenly stretched out his hand, and the chopsticks clamped the fat body. The scorpion struggled desperately, and the tail needle was pricked as if it was crazy, but it was only two inches away from Bao Qizhang's right hand. Bao Qizhang pressed the scorpion on the bed with chopsticks, and gently pressed the scorpion's head with his left hand wrapped in clothes, as if he heard a crackling sound. The scorpion's tail that kept shaking stopped moving, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Brother Bao, you really have it!" Guo Hong said in a suppressed voice, with an excited light flashing in his eyes.

"There are shredded meat tonight." Bao Qizhang grinned, carefully avoiding the poisonous tail needle, peeled out the scorpion meat with his fingernails, and handed it to Guo Hong. Seeing that Guo Hong was about to stuff it into his mouth, he grabbed him and said, "Don't eat raw food, soak it in the porridge as a dish later." He wrapped the other half of the scorpion meat in the folds of his clothes.

The workshop workers only eat two meals a day, and eat one meal before work, which is called "big food". This meal lasts for seven or eight hours, and after work, there is a sparse meal called "snack food". After eating this meal, after lying for more than three hours, they have to get up and start work again. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, day after day. Many workers and disciples die of illness due to hunger and hunger. Guo Hong is a man of seven feet, and he is at the age of being able to eat. Although he is hungry, he finally gets caught. Fortunately, Bao Qizhang is a capable man. The shed is crowded, dark, damp and dirty. Many insects, snakes, rats and ants have grown over the years. After falling into Bao Qizhang's hands, he simply packs up and can fill his stomach and also gives some for Guo Hong.

"Brother Bao, when you earn enough money, you will go to Shishan to receive the land in the future. Brother, I will be with you." Guo Hong said gratefully.

"Don't be polite brothers who cross the river together." Bao Qizhang smiled honestly and counted the numbers with his fingers. "In two years, I can earn enough money to get to Shishan." In this dark workshop, Shishan's field teaching is the only sunshine. Although it is as vague as Penglai, the workshop's main accountant wrote clearly in the small notebook, which is 20 cents a year, 100 cents a year, and Bao Qizhang's wife and children in Guandong is enough.

"I'll listen to you, Brother Bao." Guo Hong nodded and carefully hid the piece of meat smaller than his fingernails.

The sound outside was harsh, which was the sound of a large spoon knocking on the clay pot. The workers lying on the soil bed opened their eyes like reflexively, and they all found the bowls with gaps and edges from the hay to make the bed, and rushed out the door. The porridge was not enough every night, and the workers who went late could only drink water for the pot, and the foreman gave the "lazy ghost".

Bao Qizhang and Guo Hong squeezed among the ragged escorts, and soon they grabbed the clay pot for the porridge. Bao Qizhang raised the pottery bowl with both hands, his face full of flattery, and said with a smile: "Brother Qiu, his complexion is getting better." Qiu Liuer, who was holding a large spoon in his hand, looked at him contemptuously, but he still caught the bowl thick, sprinkled it a little, and clanged it into the broken bowl of Bao Qizhang with a bang, and said no more, indicating the next one.

Bao Qizhang thanked him one after another and Guo Hong, who had made the porridge soup, squeezed out of the crowd and squatted in a corner of the courtyard. Guo Hong whispered, "Miscellaneous things are for tigers." Qiu Liu and they crossed the river, and soon licked the foreman's ditch and volunteered to bring more fellow Kanton villagers to this workshop to make cows and horses. Over the past three years, twenty or thirty people have been kidnapped by Qiu Liu, and five died. Qiu Liu is the foreman of these twenty or thirty workers and disciples, and he is in charge of the power of distributing porridge.

Guo Hong dared not speak out too much. Bao Qizhang next to him didn't complain so much. He threw the piece of scorpion meat into the hot porridge. He stirred the porridge with his fingers, stirring two or three rotten vegetable leaves, and said in surprise: "Xiao Guo, have you noticed that the porridge in the meal has become thicker recently and the vegetable leaves are fresher."

"Is that right?" Guo Hong said in confusion. For him, a bowl of porridge could not fill his stomach. He looked at the high walls hard and made a poisonous oath. When the old man had a field and planted crops, he only ate dry food for the rest of his life and did not drink thin ones. The more he thought about it, he became more hungry. He swallowed, took a sip of porridge, closed his eyes and felt the hot food flowing from his throat to his belly. This was the best moment of the day.
Chapter completed!