The next day, at noon, Mrs. Dingyuanbo reserved a table at Tongchunlou, the largest restaurant in Xuanfu Town. A banquet was held for local merchants, workshop owners and landowners.
In the late Ming Dynasty, due to the rise of Xinxue, society was more open than before. It is not unusual for a lady from a wealthy family to go shopping or entertain guests. There are usually many people out and about at temple fairs, spring outings, and even shopping.
Tongchun Building has three floors, and today the Yang Mansion has reserved it. Outside the building are fierce guards and servants.
The first floor is for small and medium-sized businessmen, and the second floor is for large businessmen. There are flowing water seats on these two levels. On the third floor were the two ladies of the Yang Mansion and their female relatives. Here we meet businessmen, mine owners, workshop owners and others who are seeking an audience.
Xiao Niangpi was sitting on the main chair on the third floor, receiving local businessmen. Under the guidance of Huang Erya, these people came to the third floor to see his wife.
Hundreds of businessmen came to the third floor at this time. They do whatever they want, and they all want to transport goods to Beijing and Tianjin for sale by train. There is even hope of transporting it from Tanggu to Hainan.
Among them, the largest dozen or so families are all engaged in leather business. Skin is very famous. The animal skins from the grassland are of excellent quality and are even exported to Jiangnan, Korea and Japan.
Businessmen of a smaller scale than them are mine owners who deal in local minerals. Mainly coal mines, phosphate mines, gold mines, silver mines, copper mines and lead mines. These are also needed by Yang Fan's system.
Those at the end are all small and medium-sized local specialties and workshop owners. Production and operation of local cotton cloth, raw silk, oatmeal noodles, mushrooms, bracken, bitter herbs, tribute rice, apricots, milk grapes, longan grapes, Chaigoubao bacon, Huai'an tofu skin, Yuxian paper-cut, Yingge mung beans, etc. .
Xiao Niangpi did not talk to the most powerful businessmen first, but called out Boss Wu.
"Do you have a bentonite mine at home?" Xiao Niangpi asked, sitting on the Taishi chair.
Wu Xiong was flattered and came out. He was just a small mine owner. He didn't expect Mrs. Dingyuanbo to be the first to call him. He quickly said: "There are more than a dozen metal and non-metal mines in my home, and there are indeed bentonite mines."
Bentonite is of great use in industry, explosives and military industries.
The bentonite used in Yang Fan's system is made from cat litter transferred from modern times. The main ingredient of that thing is bentonite.
This thing is of great use in smelting. Bentonite has good water absorption, dispersion, lubrication, thickening and other properties. It can bind iron fine powder through the action of water. It is the main binder for metallurgical pellets.
This is also needed for the molds used to cast cannons. Sodium bentonite has strong plasticity, good reusability, high wet pressure strength, strong formability, and high cavity strength. It can prevent sand inclusion, scarring, falling pieces, sand mold collapse, etc. in castings, making it convenient for wet or dry casting in the metal industry. Mold is the preferred molding sand binder for precision castings.
This thing can also be used as an antidiarrheal medicine. If the army is on an expedition and the drinking water is not clean and causes diarrhea, this thing can treat diarrhea. It can also be used as a desiccant for medicines. Vegetable oil, sugar, alcohol decolorizing agent.
It can also be used as toothpaste, plasticizer for ceramic raw materials, etc. Many of Yang's industries require bentonite.
"I'll send someone to your mine later to take samples and analyze the taste. If it meets our needs, we can order no less than three thousand taels of silver every year." Xiao Niangpi said crisply.
Wu Xiong was dumbfounded. They just used bentonite as a material for painting walls. You can't sell it for a hundred taels of silver in a year, but you got such a big order all of a sudden. I was stunned with joy all of a sudden.
He was about to introduce his family's other lime mines and other minerals when he saw Mrs. Dingyuan waving her hand and letting him go down.
Xiao Niangpi took another famous thorn and asked, "Is Zhang Hou here?"
A thin businessman hurriedly stepped out of the queue, cupped his hands and said, "The young one is Zhang Hou. I have met Madam."
"Your family is in the copper ore business, right? I want as much copper ore as I want, as long as it's at the market price. You transport it to the railway station and we settle the settlement in cash. We can also sell you gunpowder for blasting mining and mineral processing equipment." From crushed ore, select copper ore.”
Yang Fan's system was seriously short of copper. In fact, the entire Ming Dynasty was short of copper.
Now that railways have facilitated transportation, naturally there is demand for as much as there is. You can even help him increase mining efforts. As long as there are copper mines, no matter how far away they are, the Yang Mansion will purchase all the ores.
Xiao Niangpi then called out several lead mine owners and white phosphate mine owners, and they all placed orders. These are the raw materials needed by military factories. Metallic lead is used to make bullets and shells, and white phosphorus is used in incendiary bombs.
Xiao Niangpi finished her work according to her own needs and said to the dark group of people below: "There are too many people, so I won't talk about them one by one. Your biggest request when you come to see me is to use trains to transport your goods. Yes. Bar."
Hundreds of people gathered together in darkness and said, "Madam, I see you clearly."
An old man came forward and said with cupped hands: "Old man Chen Jingxiu is the head of the Chamber of Commerce in Xuanfu Town. Now that Zhangjiakou is burning, all the businessmen of Xuanda are concentrated in Xuanfu Town. The old man and others came to see my wife because they hope to transport us by train." goods."
Another old man also said: "The old man Li Ziran is the vice president of the Xuanfu Town Chamber of Commerce. Our Xuanda area is rich in minerals and agricultural products. It's just that the roads are not good and can't be transported out. The Beijing-Tianjin area is rich Prosperity is very close at hand, but due to transportation problems, the materials inside cannot be transported out, and the good things from outside cannot be transported in. Now the railway is open. We would like to ask Madam to allow us to use railway transportation."
Xiao Niangpi cupped her hands and said: "Two old gentlemen, we have long admired your name, and it is like thunder in our ears. We have a chance to meet you today, and I am honored to meet you."
All the businessmen bowed and saluted together. "Thank you madam for taking the time to meet me."
Xiao Niangpi said: "The opening of the train was originally prepared for military and national events. It was mainly used to transport soldiers, weapons, grain and other supplies to the northwest front. However, when military supplies are not being transported, some civilian supplies can be transported."
There was another burst of praise from everyone, thanking Madam Dingyuan for her kindness.
Xiao Niangpi waved her hand and said: "Since so many merchants want to use train transportation, let's build a freight yard in Zhangjiakou and Xuanfu Town. They will be built next to the station. You can transport the goods to the freight yard first and handle the procedures. Go through the freight procedures, and then pay the transportation fee. Then you can queue up for loading and transportation according to the order of the transportation contract."
When everyone heard this, they were immediately overjoyed.
They are willing to spend money, but they are afraid that Uncle Dingyuan will not let them play. They all know that this railway was laid by Uncle Dingyuan for the purpose of fighting. Being able to use it for them is a huge advantage.
"I don't know how to calculate the freight. Let me and other merchants calculate the selling price, cost and profit of the goods by ourselves based on the freight." Chen Jingxiu asked with his hands in hand.
Businessmen are always concerned about costs. Because only by controlling costs can we make profits.
Xiao Niangpi frowned, thought for a while and said: "The specific regulations have not been released yet. But generally speaking, it depends on the type of goods. If it is heavy goods such as ore, the freight should be calculated according to the weight. If it is For cotton, a very light and fluffy commodity, freight should be calculated based on volume and weight. At the same time, the distance of transportation must also be considered. Once the cargo yard and freight office are established, we will provide a freight standard for everyone."
When everyone heard this, they all nodded slightly. Mrs. Dingyuan's words are well-founded, and she is someone who obeys the rules. I felt relieved in my heart.
As long as the freight is not too outrageous, they are willing to use rail transportation.
Some people died, but not completely...
