It took a total of one and a half days to finish moving the porcelain purchased by Hongguang Pavilion.
Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao made fourteen trips and brought back a total of twenty-eight carts of things for Ning Weimin.
But these nearly a thousand pieces of porcelain were all moved into the ice cellar under the rockery in Ma's garden. It only occupied a small corner, less than one-twentieth of the total area.
To be honest, even Ning Weimin just brought all his belongings here.
Including the items stored in the tunnel of the pastry factory and the nearly 10,000 calligraphy and paintings stored in the Chongwenmen Hotel, the ice cellar would probably not be filled enough.
Don’t forget, this ice cellar is four meters high. How many boxes do you need to put there?
If he really wants to make this ice cellar as full as a treasure house, I'm afraid Ning Weimin will have to continue working hard for ten or eight years.
Of course, this also fully shows how wealthy the Ma family was back then.
You should know that most of the government-run ice cellars are semi-underground. It is possible to build a purely underground ice cellar under the rockery. Such a large-scale private ice cellar requires manpower, material resources, financial resources, as well as professional construction knowledge and construction experience.
Probably only the Ma family in the whole capital has the ability to achieve this.
So I have to say that there is still a big gap between Ning Weimin, the richest man in Beijing today, and the richest man in Beijing in the past.
And this gap cannot be easily equaled simply by having more money.
No matter how much money Ning Weimin was willing to spend, he would never be able to build a high-level private garden like Ma's Garden.
As for Dunhua Pavilion, which is open to the public like Hongguang Pavilion, Ning Weimin also wanted to visit it due to the recommendation of the leader of the Cultural Relics Bureau.
However, after all, being too high-spirited can easily lead to trouble.
Therefore, Ning Weimin, who didn't want to stand out too much, had no nerve to spare no effort in raiding other people's high-quality inventory.
I just spent 60,000 yuan so far and bought another 300 or so pieces.
Fortunately, the rest of the matter can be left to Kang Shude, so that the old man can just take it as a daily pastime and change it slowly when he has nothing to do.
As long as you have the money, ant moving is still an effective moving strategy.
After returning to Bao Duo'er, most of the good things in the two stores will still fall into the hands of the master and apprentice.
This is the capital that Ning Weimin is so far ahead of.
It's really not a shame. He thought about it and felt embarrassed sometimes.
Especially when I think of that Ma Dudu, he has obviously robbed someone else, and he will not leave many opportunities for him to squat on the ground and pick bowls.
So if Mr. Ma’s personal collection is seriously affected by him, will there still be a Guanfu Museum in a few decades?
Oops, this feeling is actually quite fucked.
It was a dream that was not too lofty for others, but it was stuck in place because of him...
I love Sao Rui!
…………
He quickly solved the problem of donating cultural relics, and by the way, he also received favors from the Cultural Relics Bureau and thousands of pieces of official kiln porcelain.
Next, Ning Weimin originally planned to go to Tan Gong Restaurant and the New Year Garden Party at the Temple of Heaven.
After all, that is the home base.
What's more, the candidates to go abroad must be confirmed as soon as possible so that they can apply for visas and passports for these people.
However, Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao were like monkeys offering treasures, and wanted Ning Weimin to go with them to see how the small business jointly owned by them was going.
It is said that they listened to Ning Weimin and found a skilled old coppersmith to make two very beautiful tricycles.
I just don’t know if the style of the car meets Ning Weimin’s requirements.
As long as Ning Weimin nods, they will be able to recruit people later, and it is estimated that they will be able to start operations in April.
Therefore, since Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao had worked hard for several days, Ning Weimin could not refute their face.
I can only put my private affairs first and postpone my trip to Tan Palace and Temple of Heaven for another day.
But let’s not talk about it yet, this trip was not a loss.
What Ning Weimin didn't expect was that Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao didn't exaggerate at all. They did it really beautifully.
The master they hired to build the car was named Sun Shiying.
Even though he is already sixty-one years old, he is a real expert in copper decoration skills.
If you ask how they met, it's quite a coincidence.
Originally, this old man retired and had nothing to do at home, so he set up a convenient car repair stall at the market entrance to earn a few small bucks.
One day, Luo Guangliang and his friends got on the road when their car broke down. They were just chatting together like this while they were repairing their bicycles.
This cannot but be said to be their destiny, as well as that of Ning Weimin.
As for how particular the tricycles made by the old masters are, we have to start with the history of the evolution of foreign cars.
Otherwise, there will inevitably be misunderstandings in thinking, and it will be difficult to understand the relationship between this tricycle and copper work.
You know, the reason why foreign cars are called "foreign cars" is because they were passed over from the East.
Shanghai is called a rickshaw, Jinmen is called a rubber cart, and Huacheng is called a rickshaw.
This kind of car originally had hard rubber wheels, painted black, with high wheels and short handlebars.
It's probably because the little Japanese boy is small and can't run fast wearing a wooden pull-up board.
It's similar to the one in the Japanese TV series "Zi Sanshiro" that was broadcast in mainland China in the first two years. Anyway, it's not very comfortable for people to sit on.
Later, pneumatic tires were introduced, and people in Beijing made structural modifications.
The handlebars were specially lengthened, the wheels were lowered, and the cabin was raised. This turned it into the style of a foreign car like in the movie "Camel Xiangzi".
From now on, it saves effort to pull, runs briskly, and sits much more comfortably.
There is a local saying in Beijing - "She is so beautiful that she is so beautiful."
If we follow the origin of Shuo, it was actually born to describe the feeling of riding in a foreign car.
In fact, before 1937, foreign cars pulled by people in front had always been the main means of transportation in the capital.
But after the fall of Peiping, the Japanese gave Jiang Chaozong, the "President of the Peking Security Council", the first human-powered tricycle.
Gradually, step by step, the foreign cars in the capital were replaced by this new form of transportation.
One is because tricycles are faster, more comfortable and less labor-intensive than foreign cars.
Another reason is that the Japanese are interested in promoting it.
Because this thing was modified by the Japanese based on foreign cars and bicycles.
What a bad little devil, look at him. He will launch a military invasion on your front foot, and then he will give you an economic occupation on his back foot.
There is a lot of room for being clever and clever!
It's just that he looks very ugly, and he can never change his despicable philistine mentality.
As for the most famous car manufacturer in Beijing at that time.
One is the "Maoshun Depot" on the south side of Donghuamen Street, and the other is the "Qishun Depot" on Xijiaomin Lane.
It is a pity that although they are car manufacturers, these two are actually car-making workshops composed of carpenters and blacksmiths.
There is no cash for equipment and raw materials.
Except for the wood, painted seat cushions, back cushions, and hood, the car manufacturer makes them themselves.
Even the copper for copper-making work and other items had to be purchased from Japanese companies.
This is especially true for important parts such as inner tubes, outer straps, car bars, balls, bearings, bows, hand bells, foot bells, horns, etc.
Before the fall of Peiping, these two car dealers ordered from the British and Germans.
After the July 7th Incident, they all had to buy from the Japanese.
So, don’t look at just such a foreign car, it costs more than 100 yuan, and sometimes it’s less than 200 yuan.
However, the car manufacturer only earns 7 or 8 yuan, or only 10 or 20 yuan at the best time.
This was the level of our national industry at that time, and it was really shabby.
But it has to be said that our people know how to enjoy things better, even the craftsman's work in the past.
The saved foreign cars and tricycles have been improved several times and are better than those made by foreigners in terms of comfort and appearance.
Like the carriages at that time, the interiors were soft and cushioned, and had an elevation angle, so that you could lean on them comfortably.
The box body must be made of soft wood, and the outside must be sealed with iron sheets.
Starting from the periphery of the car, connect three white copper wires to the dustpan of the car.
A car like this would be stable and shockproof with Dunlop tires.
When people sit inside, even if the road conditions are bad, it will not be unbearable.
In addition, there are copper handrails installed at the back of the carriage, which are used by coachmen and those who specialize in "pushing carriages".
If you really encounter a steep slope, one person can pedal and push the other person, and you can still go up comfortably and come down safely.
Finally, there are some accessories added, which are extremely considerate for various weather conditions.
Just like the strips of the car hood, they need to be covered with copper, and they have elbows (i.e. supports).
A hood covered with water-covered cloth and a large curtain in front.
This can be retracted and retracted at any time to provide shelter from wind and rain.
The left and right fenders and armrests of the car also need to be covered with white copper.
Also install a headlight for night lighting.
The car mats and backrests are made of white cloth edged with red cloth, and the car floor mats are made of rectangular woven patterned rugs.
The most convenient thing is that you also need a Dongyang footbell. If you step on it, you can call the driver to stop at any time.
Think about it then?
This kind of product that combines handicrafts and industrialization is something that ordinary people can save.
You just go to bicycle factories such as Forever, Phoenix, and Feige and recruit senior engineers from these big factories.
Even if they were put together, they still couldn't make such a car.
This kind of human-driven tricycle that attracts passengers must pay attention to beauty, comfort, and historical authenticity.
Then you have to find an old man who used to make cars.
Except for people back then, no one knew how to do such a thing.
But coincidentally, the master Sun whom Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao found was the coppersmith of the "Maoshun Depot" back then.
The old master worked at the "Maoshun Depot" for twenty years from his apprenticeship at the age of fourteen to his graduation.
Moreover, the master who taught him the craft was also the master of "Yongcheng" in Andingmen.
Speaking of which, let me add a few additional words.
The copper work in Beijing is a branch of metalworking art and is quite famous in history.
During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the coppersmiths in the capital had two most prominent works, one was the Reclining Buddha of the Reclining Buddha Temple in the west of Beijing, and the other was the Xuande Furnace of the Ming Dynasty.
Of course, in these two aspects, "Yongcheng", which was founded in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, could not catch up. But "Yongcheng" is not bad either.
This "Bronze Works" run by Shanxi people specializes in handling palace work.
For example, the bronze gate lions of the Forbidden City in modern times and the Baoyun Pavilion of the Summer Palace all had the full participation of "Yongcheng".
Therefore, Master Sun can be regarded as studying under a famous family.
Regardless of the "skills" of casting and hammering, as well as the techniques of inlay, welding, gold plating, carving, filigree, coloring, and polishing, he has learned a relatively high level among the copper craftsmen in the capital.
After liberation, Master Sun was one of the few craftsmen who was directly selected from the car factory to join the "metal craft factory" because of his excellent craftsmanship.
He even had the honor to participate in the creation of the military emblem on the roof of the Military Museum, one of the "Top Ten Buildings" in Beijing in the 1950s.
This was an incredible feat back then.
Because even though the military emblem doesn't look big from the ground, if you "move" it down and look at it, it's ridiculously big.
In fact, the size of this military emblem plus the socket is eight meters high and six meters in diameter.
The whole thing is made of four millimeter-thick copper plates and is made in sections.
There are many wheat grains and wheat awns on the military emblem, and the coppersmiths have to use hammers and steel chisels to knock them bit by bit, then gild them, and then assemble them on the iron frame.
Master Sun and his group had dozens of craftsmen in total, and with just dozens of hands, they made the military emblem so detailed that it looked like relief.
This is a unique skill that is second to none in the world.
Think about it, at this level, it's not a big deal for Master Sun to pick up the small jobs he once did at the car factory.
This is almost the same as Zhang Dashao wanting to make two small cold dishes to go with wine.
Therefore, Master Sun took the lead and brought together some of his old buddies who were colleagues in the car dealership to make several tricycles that were so exquisite and particular.
It is an almost complete restoration of the most high-end car produced by the "Maoshun Depot" in those days, and it does not take away the appearance at all.
Although making this kind of car is labor-intensive, time-consuming and labor-intensive.
The production cycle is long, copper workers, carpenters, painters, and mechanics all need to be used, and it requires the cooperation of several people.
Finally, because I had to buy additional materials, I bought a lot of ready-made accessories to assemble.
This will increase the cost of building one car. I'm afraid it will cost the price of two cars.
In other words, it’s almost eight to nine hundred yuan.
But to be honest, you really don’t have to spend any money.
As soon as Ning Weimin saw the appearance of this car, his eyes immediately couldn't move.
And when he experienced it himself and let Xiao Tao pull him around in a small circle, he became even more elated.
To put it bluntly, the phrase "Pitpian'er, pippian'er" is too vivid.
On the wide road, others leaned on the car and moved forward steadily like a puff of smoke.
A car hood can cover the old sun, and when the breeze blows, it feels wonderful to look at the bustling street scene.
This journey has earned enough returns.
Especially in downtown areas, not only foreigners took photos of this car, but many people even thought it was a prop for filming a movie.
People kept coming over to chat with them, asking them which film studio they were from and what movies they were going to make soon.
Hey, this is enough to prove the appeal of tricycles.
So after returning from the test drive, Ning Weimin immediately decided that that was it, just do it like this and build fifty cars first.
Not for anything else, he mainly considered that old craftsmen like Master Sun were already old.
If he really can't do it anymore, or doesn't want to do it anymore, where can he find such good skills?
To put it bluntly, there might not be a shop like this after passing this village.
If you don’t want to be blinded in the future, you should make a few more vehicles now to prepare for emergencies.
As for having too many cars, it’s okay if you can’t use them for a while.
If something goes wrong with any of the cars, wouldn't it be nice to have a replacement?
But on the other hand, Luo Guangliang, Xiao Tao, and Master Sun, who built the car, were undoubtedly frightened by this formation.
When Ning Weimin reported the amount he wanted, these guys' jaws almost dropped to the floor.
Especially the old master, he always thought that Luo Guangliang and the others just wanted to build a few cars to attract customers and earn a little money.
I didn't expect them to take such a big move, it was completely overwhelming.
Of course, no one thinks money is hot.
To be honest, although Master Sun is a sixth-level craftsman, his retirement life is not rich.
For no other reason than to give birth to too many children.
Although the old man could earn eighty or ninety when he was working, the children's mouths made him poor, and he couldn't save any money for so many years.
The same goes for retirement.
The salary has increased to 70%. Even though the children are married, they still have to provide supplements to their grandchildren, and they cannot favor one over another.
That is to say, the craftsmen in this business have good muscles and bones, and the old man is quite strong. He can also set up a car repair stall outside to earn a few dollars to support his family.
Otherwise, Master Sun's health will suffer from some problems, and his life will be even more miserable.
Then you might as well think about this family situation again.
Now that Ning Weimin wants to buy such a large number of cars, he needs to pay a deposit of 10,000 yuan in advance and settle the bill once for ten cars.
We don’t care about the price, and we don’t insist on being fast, as long as we maintain quality and quantity.
Then what kind of angry person is Master Sun?
A few of their brothers can earn a small 200 per car. Building ten cars a month is 2,000, which is not much better than setting up a stall to repair cars.
Moreover, Ning Weimin said that he would hire Master Sun and others to be responsible for maintenance on a long-term basis in the future.
That must have made the master very happy.
So Master Sun didn't hesitate much. For the sake of great unity, he just slapped his chest cheerfully.
"Come on, don't worry if you leave this job to me. I promise to be extra careful and make every car beautiful for you."
Then he gave Ning Weimin an extra reminder.
"Hey, that's right, young man. It's not enough for you to just spend money to build a car. If you really want to drive a factory, you have to find someone to find a place for me. I'll end up with just two cars here.
It’s not difficult for you to make a car, but the difficulty is that you don’t have a place to store it. From my point of view, if you are not short of money, it is best to buy a larger place that can accommodate these cars. To be honest
, you can only centralize them to make unified deployment and facilitate repair and use. Otherwise, if it is not properly maintained, it will not be worth it to ruin your car."
This certainly makes sense.
Ning Weimin immediately nodded and accepted it humbly.
"You are right, master. I listen to you and I will get it done as soon as possible."
Then he put pressure on Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao and urged them to buy a house and land again.
"Did you see? I asked you to buy a house a long time ago. You didn't take it seriously and didn't buy it. This time it's urgent. I said let's inquire about finding a house as soon as possible. And for future convenience, the closer to the Temple of Heaven, the better.
.By the way, you have to buy one with a larger area. And I don’t think it will work for a small courtyard, so I might as well buy two, you hear me? At worst, one for each of you."
"Brother Ning, can't we put the car in the Temple of Heaven? Then why buy a house?"
Xiao Tao was still making excuses, maybe because he felt sorry for the money in his hand.
They had no idea how much trouble Ning Weimin took to preserve the value of their property for them.
So Ning Weimin was almost laughed out of anger by him, and he made some nonsense on the spot.
"You really don't regard yourself as an outsider. It's convenient, right? Do you really regard the Temple of Heaven as your own home? I don't even dare to think so. Then let's do this. From now on, I will give your share to the Temple of Heaven.
, as the venue fee.”
As soon as he said this, Xiao Tao bowed his head and gave in.
"Don't ask, I'll just look for a room."
This brat still shows grievance and reluctance. He is so blessed that he does not know how to be blessed.