Chapter 59: Not pretentious

"...Ms. Zheng is interested in you..."

While Ying Yi was thinking, Sun Xiucai kept chattering. He suddenly heard this sentence and hurriedly asked: "What did you say?"

Seeing Ying Yi's dumbfounded look, the scholar couldn't help but snickered and said, "Didn't your Excellency ask your subordinates to ask the county magistrate for advice if they don't understand something?"

Ying Yi swallowed a breath and nodded reluctantly.

"Every time my subordinates go back to see the county magistrate, Madam Zheng will secretly ask them what they are doing and how they are doing now... Sir, if I don't have any intention for you, how can Madam Zheng ask my subordinates these questions? Your Excellency is under house arrest. Zheng County Zun!"

Ying Yi was stunned.

These days, little girls are too precocious, right?

He took a long time to say: "That's all, let's leave it like this for now. Anyway, I'm so busy that I'm dizzy, so for the time being..."

Sun Xiucai said: "So your Excellency has accepted this matter?!"

Ying Yi glared at him: "I agree."

Ying Yi is not a hypocritical person. The benefits of this are so great that they can be accomplished in one fell swoop, not to mention that Zi Niang is also quite outstanding. He only cares about Zi Niang's age. If he waits a few more years until Zi Niang is seventeen or eighteen, Ying Yi will not be soft-hearted by then.

"Then your Excellency, you'd better go see the County Lord as soon as possible." Sun Xiucai said while the iron was hot: "The County Lord has a knot in his heart, but Mrs. Li does not. Your Excellency must know better."

Ying Yi pointed at him and shook his head: "You!"

Then he said: "I will go to see the county magistrate later. As for Wang Zhongguan and the Yuan family..."

He paused and said, "I am seeking death myself. I thought the ten days were up, so I let Yuan go when I came back this time. I am seeking death myself, and there is nothing I can do to stop me. You can keep them under guard, and I will take them with you when I leave." take away."

"Yes, sir." Sun Xiucai nodded and said, "What about Dongchang Fanzi?"

"Take them away too." Ying Yi waved his hand, having already decided where these people would go - he had been busy for so many days and not even a single spiritual number was recorded. This time, he just used the waste and brought them to the half On the way, they were all ashes.

Then he said: "When I come back this time, in addition to the things about the gun barrel and the rattan armor, I also have a few things in mind."

When Sun Xiucai heard this, he hurriedly said: "My lord, we have prepared two thousand gun poles. A few days ago, we found a large redwood forest in the mountains. The craftsmen said it was an excellent material for making poles. There is no need to go all over the mountains and fields to find pole materials and make poles." The speed of the rod has been greatly improved, and my subordinates guarantee that they will be able to prepare five thousand in no more than five days."

"Red edge wood?" To be honest, Ying Yi didn't know much about the material used to make gun shafts.

He said: "Call the craftsman and I will ask."

Lian Biao, who was standing next to him, said hurriedly: "Sir, I'll call you right away."

Then he left in a hurry.

Sun Xiucai said: "As for the rattan armor...it should be said that the rattan coat is right." He paused and said, "Sir, several sets of rattan coat have been made. As for the effect, you have to see it before you know."

"You're still pretending." Ying Yi laughed and said, "Let's try it later."

Sun Xiucai smiled and said, "I will never disappoint you."

Then he said: "These days, I have mobilized the strong women to go up the mountain and harvest tens of thousands of kilograms of thorn vines, all of which are soaked in water. But it will probably take a long time to make them all into rattan clothes. In addition, tung oil is not enough, but fortunately it is In the mountains, there has been no rain since the beginning of autumn last year. Last year's tung trees dried as soon as they fell to the ground, so they were just in time to be collected for oil extraction. But my subordinates thought that the Bibo Valley should make some oil extraction tools as soon as possible. "

Ying Yi nodded: "Jiang Xi said that the gun head will be completed in six days. After completion, the workshop will allocate part of its energy to various tools."

Having said this, he said to Sun Xiucai: "If you can satisfy me with rattan armor and rattan garments, they will definitely be woven on a large scale. You have to know how to arrange it and the remuneration involved."

Sun Xiucai nodded: "Don't worry, sir. I have already thought about it. Rattan clothes are no more troublesome and time-consuming than a gun, and weaving is more troublesome and time-consuming. I have also implemented my ideas into my account. This has been done before. I asked women to go up the mountain to harvest thorns." The vines belong to whoever harvests them. Then they are taught the process, including soaking in water and oil, and then setting the standards, with six feet as the minimum, seven feet as the middle, and seven feet five as the top, to weave large, medium, and small sizes. There are three sizes of Tengyi to meet the needs of soldiers of different sizes. After making them, pay directly to them."

Ying Yi smiled when he heard this: "This is a good idea. Then how much do you think a set of rattan clothes should cost?"

Sun Xiucai stretched out his hand and said, "Five taels of silver."

When Ying Yi heard this, he couldn't help but be surprised: "Five taels is not cheap."

Sun Xiucai said: "Armor has always been more valuable than weapons, not without reason. And the people are indeed working hard, and five taels of silver is not much to be honest. If possible, I think twenty taels are worth it. A set of rattan clothes, from It takes at least twenty days to harvest thorn vines in the mountains, soak them in water and oil, and then weave them into garments. A set of five taels of silver is only half a tael a day."

Ying Yi nodded: "I'm very happy that you think so. People must make money so that they can have a successful life and what you and I do will be meaningful."

Sun Xiucai nodded silently.

"I'll try the effect later. If I'm satisfied, I'll set it at five taels for the time being." Ying Yi stroked his palm and said, "We'll see what happens later."

"Yes, sir."

Ying Yi then said: "In addition to the gun barrel and Teng Yi, I have three things to do when I come back this time. First, gunpowder. Long guns are outdated, and firearms are king. These long guns are only for emergency use. If possible, I even want to get them all. The army is immediately equipped with firearms, and the spear is only used as an auxiliary. But now there is no choice but to make do. However, the preparation of gunpowder needs to be put on the agenda. So I want you to find a way to make gunpowder."

Sun Xiucai responded directly: "My subordinates will find a way to complete this matter as soon as possible. It is also necessary to open roads in the mountains."

Ying Yi nodded and warned: "It's good that you know. Gunpowder is very dangerous and must be isolated from residential areas. You have to remember this. As for the talents you need, you can find your own way and recruit them from the valley. It doesn’t matter if you ask the craftsmen of Bibo Valley for help, I only care about the results.”

"My subordinates know." Although Sun Xiucai felt embarrassed, he agreed without hesitation.

"Besides gunpowder, the other thing is to open a shop."

"Shop? Now?" Sun Xiucai was stunned. Ying Yi mentioned it to him at the beginning, but Xiucai didn't expect it to happen so soon.

Ying Yi nodded: "Now the people work for me, and I pay them money, but the money has to be spent to be valuable to the people. Therefore, it is imperative to open a store."

"But sir, we have nothing to sell." Sun Xiucai said tangledly.

"Why not?" Ying Yi laughed: "Can the salt be sold? We have a salt mine. If we don't sell the salt produced, what will we do with it? Not only will it be sold to the people in the valley, but it will also be sold when the production increases in the future. Otherwise Just two million taels of silver, are you sitting on nothing?"

"In addition to salt, there is also food." Ying Yi added: "When the people in the valley moved in, they didn't bring much food. I'm afraid they will be hungry in a few months. We have 200,000 shi of food, so we can take some of it. Come out and sell it, and doing so will also make the people feel at ease."

After hearing this, Sun Xiucai suddenly became enlightened.

Ying Yi also said: "Except for these two items, other commodities can come from the common people. Clothing, food, housing and transportation come from the common people and are used by the common people. The store is a platform."