Xiong Shi was stunned when he heard this, and then asked: "Sir, is the cost of using cotton to make treasure banknotes a little too high?"
Cotton is so expensive, and Han Du bought it at a high price, two hundred coins per pound. Think about the paper they used to make banknotes. What was it made of? It's just some hemp stalks, bark and other things, just like picking up for free.
"It's a bit expensive, but it doesn't matter if it's used to make treasure banknotes." Han Du also admitted that cotton was indeed not cheap, but since he wanted to achieve the effect he wanted, he had to use paper made of cotton.
Seeing that the two of them were still hesitant, they seemed to want to persuade them.
Han Du waved his hand to suppress their plans, "It's decided. Paper made from cotton has many benefits. At least it is more wear-resistant and folding-resistant than the paper you made before. The most important thing is that such paper can withstand Got blisters.”
"Can such paper really withstand blisters?" Mr. Huang was dumbfounded and asked quickly.
Han Du nodded with a smile and explained: "It's okay to just wet it with water or soak it completely in water. Although it will be a little different from the original after drying, it won't rot. .My idea is that since we are going to make a new kind of treasure banknote, we might as well make the best one, which can not only withstand the moisture of sweat, but also be able to withstand short-term blisters. .”
Seeing that what Han Du said seemed true, Xiong Shi temporarily believed Han Du's words. But then, Xiong Shi frowned and said: "However, treasure banknotes need to be printed with ink. Even if the paper can withstand moisture, the ink cannot withstand it. Once it encounters water, it will still be It becomes a blur.”
Han Du smiled, "So we need to find a way on the ink."
After hearing this, Mr. Huang was suddenly excited and said quickly: "My lord, you mean to use ink."
Ink? Is it available at this time? This is impossible, Han Du thought.
Sure enough, what Mr. Huang said about ink was actually not the same thing as what Han Du thought.
Huang Lao turned around and went out, and soon came back with two ink cubes in his hand.
"Sir, please look, this is smoke and ink." Mr. Huang handed one of the ink blocks to Han Du.
This ink block is dark and long in shape, dull and without any luster.
Then he handed another piece to Han Du, "This is ink, sir, please take a look."
Han Du took the piece of ink and compared it carefully. The surface of this ink is indeed brighter than smoke ink, as if it contains some grease.
"Adults should know that smoked ink is made by burning firewood in a kiln, and then scraping off the soot from the top of the kiln. But because firewood is not cheap, the price of high-quality smoked ink is naturally higher than Ink is much more expensive," Huang Lao and Han Du explained.
After hearing this, Han Du raised the ink in his other hand and asked, "What about this piece?"
Mr. Huang pointed to the ink block in Han Du's hand and replied: "Ink like this is collected after burning various oils. There is no need to build a kiln specifically to burn oil, and it is very convenient to collect. It is like clear oil , oil lamps made of lard, cover a bowl above the lamp, and you can collect the oil fumes and make ink blocks. The best is naturally the soot after burning tung oil. After the tung oil is lit, the fire will be bright and the oil smoke will be big. It is known that one pound There is a saying that one or two inks are enough.”
Han Du nodded after hearing this, it was tung oil again. No wonder tung oil can be called the only strictly controlled item in modern times and will not be easily exported to others. This tung oil is very useful. The reason why Han Du is confident that he can come up with a suitable ink is because it has tung oil as the setting agent for the ink.
Han Du smiled and put the ink stick in his hand on the table. He rubbed his fingers back and forth on the table. After thinking about it, he decided: "Just use ink."
Turning to look at Xiong Shi, "You go and buy a large amount of tung oil and come back and give it to everyone in the Baochao Lifting Department. Each person will be given a pound first, but you have to tell them that they must collect the ink back to me. From now on, Let them exchange a pound of tung oil for a pound of ink and go back."
Xiong Shi nodded, indicating that he understood.
Although Xiong Shi lamented in his heart that this was another huge expense, he was used to Han Du spending money like nothing, so he was no longer surprised.
Seeing that Xiong Shi agreed, Han Du turned to Mr. Huang and said, "When the ink is collected, let's think carefully about how to prepare the ink. The one in your banknote bureau won't work right now."
Mr. Huang nodded in agreement.
Han Du waved his hand and said: "Okay, let's leave the matter of ink as it is. Since we want to print treasure banknotes, printing plates are indispensable."
"Please show me, sir." Mr. Huang and Xiong Shi looked at each other and said.
Han Du nodded and said directly: "I will do the content on the printing plate. I think the material of the printing plate should be lead plate. What do you think?"
After hearing this, Mr. Huang frowned and asked in confusion: "Sir, the printing plates in the past have always been made of wooden boards. I don't know why you want to use lead plates?"
Han Du held out two fingers and said, "Two reasons. One is that the lead plate is durable, unlike wooden boards that are soaked in ink after one or two years of use and can only be remade. Secondly, the wooden boards will deteriorate when exposed to water. If it is soaked, there will be a little deformation, and the printed treasure banknotes will have certain differences, but the lead plate does not have this problem at all. Everyone knows that since the treasure banknotes are used as money, they must be prevented from being used by others. Forgery, if the treasure banknotes we print are all different, wouldn’t it be very easy for others to forge them?”
The truth is what Han Du said, but replacing the wooden board with the lead board involves more than simply changing the material.
Mr. Huang did not agree directly, but said: "Sir, if it must be replaced with lead plates, I will have to discuss it with several craftsmen."
"Okay." Han Du nodded in agreement with Mr. Huang and continued: "But Mr. Huang, you can tell them that I must replace the wooden boards with lead boards. Please ask those craftsmen to do their best. There will be no difficulty. You have to make the printing plate for me, even if there are difficulties, you have to make the printing plate for me. This matter cannot be taken lightly."
Mr. Huang nodded, patted his chest and assured: "Don't worry, sir. The craftsmen are thinking of your kindness and will definitely do their best."
Han Du believed that in his previous life, no one would take notice of his small kindness. But at this time, it is a big killer.
Han Du told the two of them what to do, and waved them away to go out and do their work.
Han Du returned home and sorted out the words Lao Zhu wrote to him. After thinking about it, he went straight to his father's place to get the portrait back.
When Hande arrived at the room where Lao Zhu's portrait was enshrined, he didn't see his father. Only Lao Zhu's portrait hung in the center of the hall, with a faint cigarette smoke, making it seem that there was a long distance between Lao Zhu's portrait and the world.
Seeing this, Han Du stepped forward to take down the portrait.
"stop!"
Suddenly there was a loud shout from behind, which frightened Han Du's arms and he couldn't help but shake.
Looking back, he saw his father looking at him angrily. Han Du sighed and said, "Dad, what are you doing? You scared me."
Han De rushed to Han Du angrily and snorted: "What are you doing here?"
"Me?" Han Du pointed at himself and asked in surprise. Then he glanced at the portrait, pointed and said, "I'm here to get the portrait. The money and paper department needs it soon."
Hande gave Han Du a cold look, which made Han Du look a little confused.
Han De stepped forward, respectfully placed a stick of incense on Lao Zhu's portrait, and then said, "Even if you want to use it, you can't just take it off."
Han Du pointed at the portrait, then pointed at himself, and asked inexplicably: "How can I take it down if I don't take it down?"
Han De glared at Han Du and said, "Even if you want to use it, you have to ask for the portrait. And you haven't used it yet? Wait until you want to use it, and then ask for it."
Is it worth asking for a portrait? Han Du looked at his father with straight eyes. Seeing that my father was resolute, I had no choice but to agree angrily: "Okay then."
After saying that, he left here under the pressure of his father's eyes.
The banknote bureau began to distribute tung oil, and the craftsmen lined up and talked happily.
With that young craftsman, he had no scruples in speaking out, "Master Han gave us something again, what is it for? By the way, you are talking about welfare, you are a good man."
The old man on the side rolled his eyes at this person and said, "Since you know that this is the kindness of the adults, you can just keep it in your heart. There is no need to say it out loud."
"Why?" The young craftsman didn't understand what the old man meant.
The old man snorted and said: "Young people, please keep your composure and don't make noises when there is nothing wrong. The adults are naturally very good to us, but do you think other people are not jealous? The adults give us these things, but under pressure .”
The young craftsman was a little unconvinced, "So what if you are jealous? Your Excellency is an official after all. What can those craftsmen do to you?"
"Confused." Lao Zhu shouted angrily, "It's not necessarily the craftsmen who are jealous of your Excellency. Look at how many great things your Excellency has done since he took office. Do you think those officials are not jealous? If not, Your Majesty will come. You have been to our place several times, but apart from Your Majesty, have you seen many officials come here? Why, isn't it just because they don't have the skills of an adult and are jealous of your Majesty? "
"Oh, oh, I understand, I understand." The young craftsman nodded repeatedly. Facing the old man's earnest teachings, I can only listen attentively.
The craftsman who received the tung oil carried a clay jar and swung it back home. He put the jar in his hand on the table and shouted loudly: "My dear, I'm back."
A voice echoed from inside the room, "The boss is back!"
