"Yongping Prefecture is quite developed now. I heard that road surveying and land acquisition have started from Lulong via Funing to Yuguan. Although this official road is a bit muddy during the rain and snow season, it is not in need of renovation.
At that time, there were many roads worse than this official road."
Sitting next to the window in the southeast, an old man in his fifties wrapped in an old sheepskin coat said with some confusion: "I heard that they also need to use the stuff called cement slurry that is baked here in Yuguan and Lulong."
Isn't it a sin to pave roads? Those are good things that can be used to build houses."
The old man's words were a bit loud, especially the word "sin" which immediately attracted the attention of many people in the lobby.
Most of the traveling merchants coming and going were from Shuntian Prefecture and Yongping Prefecture, both of which had just been hit by the war. Even the counties to the south and east of Shuntian Prefecture that had not been hit by the war were greatly affected.
Who doesn't have any relatives or friends in the surrounding counties and states? Nowadays, the surrounding counties are in a mess, and many people have to join the refugees. Naturally, when they hear the word "criminal", they become vigilant, fearing that something unexpected will happen again.
"Lao Shuntou, do you know what that cement slurry is?" The companion at the next table was a thick man with a tuft of black hair on his chest. He put one leg on the bench and chewed a pig.
He had eaten most of the leg, and there was a bag next to it. It was bulging inside, but there was also a sharp saber outside.
"Humph, why don't I know? Do the Sanhe Li family know? It's not far from the alley where I live. Before the Mongols came in, they were renovating the house. They built the courtyard walls with blue bricks and this cement mortar.
, I went to see it, and after half a month, it couldn't be knocked down even with a heavy hammer!" Lao Shuntou raised his head proudly, his goatee raised up and down, "A bunch of people who were watching the joke were dumbfounded, it's worse than glutinous rice milk.
It’s strong. I heard that I just brought back a few trucks of cement ash from Lulong and mixed it with water and sand. It’s amazing!”
"The Li family plans to use this to fight against the Mongols?" Another young man next to him sneered, not believing it at all.
"Who said we have to resist the Mongols? The Mongols are really going to invade Sanhe County. You can't resist even an iron house, so why don't you just guard against those rogue soldiers and bandits who take advantage of the situation?"
Lao Shuntou didn't bother to pay attention to the young man next to him. He lowered the corner of his mouth, obviously disdainful of answering such stupid questions, but the people around him listened attentively. This feeling of satisfaction made him have to answer and explain.
"I don't know what the cement ash is made of. It is said that it is ground into powder with steel, which is finer than white flour. But it solidifies when it is put in water. It can be hardened in just one stick of incense. After a day or two of drying, it will be
It can be stepped on without leaving any marks. After ten days, it will be as hard as stone. It is extremely magical. And with a trowel, it will be as flat as the bluestone. This is the first time I have seen it in decades of life.
Such wonderful things.”
Almost everyone around him was attracted by the vivid narration of this old man.
No one here has ever seen this cement, but they have heard of its name.
In fact, the cement fields in Lulong and Yuguan have been in production for nearly half a year. Although there was a delay of one or two months due to the Mongolian invasion, much of the cement ash produced in the early stage was bought by businessmen from Shanxi and Shaanxi.
As an advertising product for promotion, it was given to many dignitaries in Shuntian Prefecture and Jingshi City as test subjects, and many people knew about it.
Feng Ziying of the Sanhe Li family also knows that he is the largest squire in Sanhe County. His family has a Jinshi and a Juren. In addition, he runs the largest oil mill and Nanhuo Company in Sanhe County. He owns a thousand acres of land and is worthy of the title.
It was the first one in Sanhe, so it was naturally the target of publicity among merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi.
"Is it so magical? Isn't it extremely expensive?" Someone immediately questioned, "Using such precious things to build roads? Are the people in Yongping Mansion crazy?"
"I don't know if it's expensive or not. Think about it, some local cities use rice slurry to bond brick joints. This cement slurry is ten times stronger than rice slurry and can also be applied to the outside. I'm afraid the price cannot be lower, but if you say
Expensive, this Yongping Mansion is not considered rich, if you dare to use this thing to build roads, isn't that just throwing copper coins on the ground and letting others pick it up?" Lao Shuntou couldn't help but feel suspicious himself.
"You know nothing!" A businessman with an obvious Yongping Mansion accent at the table across the table couldn't help but interjected in a show-off manner, "I'm still picking up copper coins. Why don't I see you picking up mud in the fields?"
Lao Shuntou was annoyed and stood up, "What does it mean to honor you?"
"What I'm saying is that your half-filled can of water jingles. If you don't know, don't brag about it." The Yongping businessman stood up without showing any signs of weakness.
Lao Shuntou blushed. He had only seen it like this once. He really didn't know the other circumstances, but he refused to soften his mouth: "What do you know? Have you seen how the cement dust came out?"
"Huh, I'm from Lulong. Naturally I can't see the cement factory producing cement. They are very tightly guarded, and I heard that it is made by grinding several kinds of clinker and then calcining it. As for what materials are used
, what is used to burn, how long it is burned, and what to do with it after burning are all people’s secrets. How can outsiders know? Even the craftsmen have signed life-and-death agreements. If the secrets are leaked, the businessmen will kill them.
The whole family.”
This was obviously an exaggeration, and both Feng Ziying and Third Sister You couldn't help laughing.
"Master, are you really so strict?"
Third Sister You's breath was like blue, and the fragrance of powder was fragrant. The body next to Feng Ziying was strong, plump, and full of elasticity, especially the pair of plump breasts that were strangled again and again with a tube top, but those pair of buds were too big.
It was so rich that Third Sister Le Deyou was almost out of breath, but when she got closer, she could still tell at a glance that this was a female disguised as a man.
"Absolutely. That's how businessmen from Shanxi and Shaanxi make money. No matter how strict the precautions are," Feng Ziying smiled and whispered.
"We need to build a cement road from Lulong to Yuguan? Wouldn't it cost a lot?" Wu Yaoqing was also a little confused, "Why did these businessmen suddenly become so charitable?"
"There are various reasons, but at least building this road will allow merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi to gain a foothold in Yongping Prefecture. In addition, it can also be regarded as a propaganda to let everyone know about cement and the experience of merchants traveling from north to south.
How can you bear it if you have this kind of thing? You can naturally sell it everywhere and make a lot of money."
Feng Ziying didn't explain much. There were various thoughts involved, but in any case, at least this matter was done under his own promotion.
They were talking in a low voice, but the Lulong businessman over there was already showing off: "It's true that the cement ash will solidify when it meets water, but it can't be hardened with just one stick of incense. It will take at least half a day to become completely as hard as a stone whisker."
It depends on the situation. If the sun is shining in the summer, it will only take two or three days to heal. If it is rainy season, it will only take ten days. As for after it is hardened, if someone thinks it is valuable, break it with a hammer and pick it out.
, then what’s the use? Even if it is ground into powder, it cannot be used. It is as worthless as gravel..."
"Brother, since you know so much about cement ash, you don't know how this cement ash is sold and how much it is worth?" Someone immediately raised his voice and asked.
"I don't know about this. It seems that not much cement ash was produced in the early days. Many of them were used as gifts by the proprietors and given to wealthy families to repair their own houses. However, it seems that more cement ash has been produced recently, but it is used for
It’s hard to say how much it will cost to build a road, but in my estimation, the price shouldn’t be too expensive. Otherwise, how could it be used to build a road? Our Yongping Prefecture is not rich either.
It was proposed by Mr. Feng, the new colleague, and the businessmen from Shanxi and Shaanxi who are waiting to open mines and set up factories in Yongping may not be able to refuse, so they can only agree..."
The words of the Lulong merchant were quite reasonable, which led others to ask, "Is this Mr. Feng that little Feng Xiuzhan?"
"No wonder that's the case. I asked how those Shanshan businessmen could be so heroic and generous. It turned out to be Xiao Feng Xiuzhan from the capital who spoke..."
"This road construction is just for the use of this group of refugees and solves their livelihood this winter and next spring. It seems that this is the will of the imperial court..."
"What the court means, then who will pay for it? Didn't it mean that merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi paid for road construction? How can the imperial court be so dignified that merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi pay for it in vain?"
There was another round of divergent opinions, and it was difficult for anyone to convince anyone.
"Did you hear that? We are keeping an eye on this group of refugees, and the imperial court is also on guard." Just in the diagonal corner from Feng Ziying and his group, there were several travelers in plain clothes and ordinary looks, muttering.
"What do you mean, brother?" The two of them had similar faces and were obviously brothers. The young man asked in a deep voice.
"Let's follow our established path. I'll take people to Gyeonggi, and you arrange for people to find a way to get deep into the group of refugees who came to Yongping. Senior Sister Zhang heard that some of her disciples are also inside, and they can just get in touch..."
"Senior Brother Beibian Guoyong doesn't seem to pay much attention to it, and I don't know if my father has reminded him. I'm worried..." The young man hesitated for a moment, then brought it up.
The older man shook his head and said, "Second brother, of course my father has arrangements. Senior Brother Guoyong is thoughtful and considerate. My father relies on me very much, so you don't have to worry too much."
The young man was angry in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He just nodded and said, "That's right. Let's just do our own thing. I wish my brother a safe journey."
"Second brother, you also need to be careful. We have someone to make arrangements here, but you also need to communicate well with Senior Sister Zhang, so as not to hurt the harmony." The elder warned his brother.
The young man snorted softly, but turned his eyes to the window, seeming to be thinking about something. The older man didn't care. It would be bad if the relationship between the two brothers was not good. Everyone just listened to the words of the gun and the stick.
This chapter has been completed!