He is loyal to the two brothers Heshen and Helin, and considers everything for the brothers Heshen and Helin.
He can go up mountains of swords and down seas of fire for the two brothers He Shen and He Lin, and he is still capable. He Shen is one of the few people he can trust nowadays.
To be honest, had it not been for the protection of the old housekeeper He Zhong and Aunt Zheng, the two young brothers He Shen and He Lin might not have survived to make a comeback...
He was used to the old housekeeper He Zhong being with him all the time, but he hadn't been able to see him for a week. To be honest, He Shen was really not used to it.
It can be seen that humans are still emotional animals, and no one is immune to vulgarity.
"..."
While He Shen was sighing in his heart, the old housekeeper He Zhong explained to He Shen while leading He Shen towards the yard.
"According to your instructions, young master, our largest stores in Kyoto have been vacated, and this is the largest main store."
Upon hearing this, He Shen nodded first, and then asked: "Have all the kiln workers been invited over?"
When the old housekeeper He Zhong heard this, he responded: "Old slave, I have spent some money to invite some masters who are good at kiln firing."
"However, these old masters are still studying your formulas, little master. At this time, they have not started work yet."
"…………"
Looking at the old butler He Zhong, who frowned and seemed a little dissatisfied with these old masters who only took money but did not work, He Shen said with a smile.
"It's not in a hurry, it's really not in a hurry..."
"It's a good thing to study the recipe first. If they start work rashly, I will be worried about them."
"It's not difficult to make glass rough, but it's difficult to make it delicate."
"Don't be anxious. You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry."
"…………"
Different from the 21st century, in this era, it is rare for a skilled master to change jobs.
The kiln-firing craftsmen hired by the old housekeeper He Zhong are all long-term workers of a business that has been in business for more than a hundred years.
Both the master and the apprentice work for the same employer. Not only is the employer valued, but they themselves are also loyal to the employer. It is naturally extremely difficult to recruit them and it will cost a lot of money.
Without even thinking about it, He Shen knew how much money the old housekeeper He Zhong had to spend to dig out these kiln craftsmen.
"…………"
But no matter how much money you spend, there is no protection, as long as things can be done well.
Whether it's one hundred taels of silver per person or one thousand taels of silver per person, He Shen only needs results and only depends on the results.
"…………"
After looking around and pondering for a moment, He Shen said, "Take me to see the craftsmen who burn the kilns first. I have something to say to them."
The old housekeeper He Zhong replied: "As for the little master, they are now in the backyard, waiting."
………
When he came to the backyard, He Shen saw the middle-aged craftsmen with dark faces and wearing special kiln-making clothes.
I don’t know if it’s because of their professionalism or because the price He Shen gave is too high, they are a little embarrassed...
At this time, they were all carefully studying the glass-burning recipe He Shen gave them, with a very serious attitude. Occasionally, they would discuss and argue with each other.
Seeing the seriousness and hard work of these people with his own eyes, He Shen's originally worried heart was relieved and he nodded with satisfaction.
"..."
"My boss is here, come and see me quickly!"
Following the shout from the old housekeeper He Zhong, the kiln craftsmen who were concentrating on studying the glass prescriptions all noticed He Shen's arrival.
When they saw He Shen's appearance, they all looked panicked and quickly gathered around him.
"…………"
"These masters don't need to be restrained. Just be casual as usual."
When He Shen saw these frightened craftsmen firing the kiln, he felt funny in his heart, and then he opened his mouth to comfort people.
"From today on, I am your boss."
"From now on, as long as you work honestly, I guarantee that your monthly salary will not be less. I will give you double the money!"
“If you have merit, you will be rewarded, if you have mistakes, you will be punished.”
"From now on, you are free to mix and match. You are allowed to bring a few apprentices and divide them into five groups. According to the recipe I gave you, you will carefully sinter the glass. For the first group to make it, I will reward you with three thousand taels of silver. .”
Hearing Heshen's generous reward, the expressions of several kiln craftsmen became much more excited.
The reward of twice the salary and three thousand taels of silver is much better than the verbal pie.
"…………"
"Thank you, boss. I will do my best."
These kiln-burning masters said in unison.
Under heavy rewards, there must be brave men.
These kiln-burning masters, under the heavy reward, responded repeatedly.
"..."
"That's good."
Seeing this, He Shen smiled and nodded without delay. After a few words of warning, he was ready to go back.
In fact, the manufacturing process of glass is not much different from that of colored glaze. It is mainly based on alkali salt, silica sand, sodium carbonate, and lime. The most important change is just changing the firing time and adding pot iron powder.
The craftsmen of these kilns are skilled in craftsmanship. As long as they have enough time, it is not difficult to make them.
"…………"
After seeing with his own eyes the true situation of these kiln-firing craftsmen and giving a few words of advice, He Shen immediately prepared to return home without further delay.
Before leaving, He Shen gave instructions to the old housekeeper He Zhong.
"Send some trustworthy nursing staff here to keep an eye on me. We can't reveal this glass formula that can make us a lot of money."
Hearing He Shen's words, the old butler He Zhong's face became very serious, and he nodded and said, "Don't worry, little master, I will send some reliable people to keep an eye on this place."
"…………"
He Shen heard this, smiled slightly, and said with faith: "Uncle Zhong, I can rest assured that you are doing the work."
………
Half a month later!
On the fifteenth day after the establishment of Qiao Gong Pavilion, the glass He Shen mentioned was already made through the efforts of several kiln masters.
However, Heshen did not rush to implement the "money-making plan". Instead, he asked several kiln masters to continue working hard and strive for perfection.
After all, glass was stuck in backward conditions in ancient times, and it was impossible to make completely transparent glass like later generations.
"…………"
According to Heshen's idea, several glass products with different prices and types can be manufactured according to the transparency of the glass and the amount of impurities.
These kiln-burning masters were very motivated after receiving their rewards.
Another month passed, and several types of glass with different qualities were produced one after another.
"…………"
Now, several glass sheet samples of different qualities were placed in front of Heshen.
The old housekeeper He Zhong, who was in charge of this matter, stood aside and carefully explained these glass sheet samples to He Shen.
"Little Master, look at this thin glass plate that is slightly yellowish and has many impurities."
The old housekeeper He Zhong pointed to the thin glass plate on the far left and said carefully.
"This glass sheet was first made according to your recipe, little master. Although it has the worst quality, it is also the cheapest."
…………
Hearing this, He Shen picked up the piece of glass with more impurities and looked at it carefully under the candlelight.
After observation, He Shen found that it was quite similar to the five-yuan glass commonly used in later generations, with a square shape and a light yellow color overall.
Touching the texture of the glass sheet sample, He Shen frowned and then asked, "How much does this piece of glass cost?"
Hearing this, the old housekeeper He Zhong immediately replied: "Master, it's only twenty copper coins, which is very cheap."
"If it is manufactured on a large scale, the cost can go further. I calculated that it can be cheaper by five copper plates."
"…………"
He Shen nodded, expressing satisfaction.
According to today's prices, twenty copper plates are roughly equivalent to two kilograms of rice. The cost of twenty copper plates is indeed not high, even lower than the cost of burning colored glaze.
Heshen plans to sell this kind of glass to ordinary people. Although the specific pricing has not yet been decided, because the cost is not high, it is expected that ordinary people can still afford it.
After all, this kind of glass is very useful. As long as the price is cheap enough, this kind of daily necessities is still very popular.
"…………"
Seeing He Shen put down the light yellow glass plate, the old housekeeper He Zhong pointed to the second light white glass plate in the middle and said.
"My young master, this kind of glass is much better than the previous one, but the manufacturing price is doubled, about forty copper plates."
"…………"
After hearing this, He Shen picked it up and looked at it. He found that this kind of glass was not only lighter in color, but also had much fewer impurities. He couldn't help but nodded.
After Heshen put down the pale white glass sheet, he said with a smile: "Although the market for this kind of glass sheet is not as big as the previous one, many small officials and wealthy businessmen can still afford it."
After talking for a few words, He Shen picked up the last glass plate and looked at it carefully.
Different from the previous two thin sheets, this glass sheet has very few impurities and is extremely transparent, just like the ordinary transparent glass of later generations.
After seeing a few glass products with his own eyes, He Shen felt confident.
"..."
Here, He Shen quickly arrived at his second destination today.
The main line of the Niu Hulu family, the nephew of the Empress Dowager Xiaoshengxian, the mother of Emperor Qianlong, is Zhen Huan's family and the clan of the Mengyan clan leader.
The capital was not only the largest city in the Qing Dynasty, but also happened to be located in the center of Hebei Province. It was connected in all directions and was the center for national political, economic, and cultural exchanges.
People living in the capital, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, generally have a sense of pride in their hearts. After all, living in the capital is itself a status symbol.
The middlemost place, that is, the central area, is where the Forbidden City is located. Naturally, no one other than the royal family will be allowed to live in it.
