But Hong Yanwu never expected that what he originally thought was a simple matter would actually turn out to be not that simple.
He was actually in big trouble.
If you want to talk about money, he has plenty of it.
He can afford to buy thousands of three-wheelers, let alone twenty three-wheelers.
If you want to talk about power, you are just using your strength on a tricycle.
It's best to apply for such a business license. It's absolutely a piece of cake to follow Song Guofu's path.
But the problem is that I don’t have a car!
It turns out that the passenger tricycles he needed had been discontinued by manufacturers in Beijing since the 1960s.
The revolutionary era destroyed the four olds, but also emphasized class struggle.
At that time, even famous restaurants had switched to serving "popular dishes", so how could they allow an old man to ride in a car and a poor man to pedal?
There are people who really dare to pull, but there are no people who dare to sit?
In addition, bus lines had already been developed at that time, which could meet the needs of urban transportation.
Therefore, the existence of tricycles and passenger tricycles is no longer necessary.
Soon, they were all converted into flatbed three-wheelers for hauling goods.
He never appeared on the streets of the capital again in the next twenty years.
So now, Hong Yanwu suddenly came up with the idea to find this kind of human-powered tricycle that can carry passengers, but found that there was no one anywhere.
This time he was sitting on wax.
If you can’t buy a car, why should you drive it?
Seeing that such an excellent plan had to go to waste before it could be implemented, he was really a little depressed.
However, as the saying goes, if you do good deeds and accumulate good fortune, you will be able to achieve peace and tranquility at home.
Guess this kid Hong Yanwu's good intentions are rewarded.
Because he was afraid that Li Fu would be too hot in the summer, he took the time to buy a fan and gave it to the old man.
As a result, Li Fu saw that he was a little dull and lackluster, so he asked a few questions.
Unexpectedly, it was such a mistake. He really found his way here with Li Fu.
I beg you, Li Fu really deserves to be the long-established "boss" of the Hong family, and he is very knowledgeable about the five elements and eight deeds of old age.
Especially because of his work, he is even more familiar with the rickshaw pullers who often pull people to see off guests at the entrance of "Yanmei Building".
In this way, after understanding Hong Yanwu's dilemma and what he wanted to do.
He discovered that Hong Yanwu, a layman, had a misunderstanding in his thinking, so he opened his mouth and pointed out the direction to solve the problem.
To talk about this matter, we have to start with foreign cars.
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 Japan is small and can't run fast wearing a wooden pull-up board.
It's similar to the one in the TV series "Zi Sanshiro", but it's not very comfortable for people to sit on.
Later, pneumatic tires became available, and people in Beijing made modifications.
The handlebars were specially lengthened, the wheels were lowered, and the carriage was raised, so it looked like the one in the movie "Camel Xiangzi".
This saves effort when pulling, runs briskly, and makes sitting much more comfortable.
There is a saying in the old Beijing city - "It's so beautiful that you are so beautiful."
It was gloriously born to describe the feeling of riding in such 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 1937, it started when the Japanese entered the city and gave the first human-powered tricycle to Jiang Chaozong, the "President of the Peking Vigilante Association".
The foreign cars in the capital were gradually, step by step, 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 on the basis of foreign cars and bicycles.
What a bad guy that little devil is. Look, he will launch a military invasion on his front foot, and then he will give you an economic occupation on his back foot.
His cleverness and wit are all in his place, but his food and appearance are very ugly, and he will never be able to 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 Road, 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 copper for copper-making work and other items was 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, they were ordered from the British and Germans.
After the "July 7th Incident", everything had to be purchased from the Japanese.
So, it’s just such a foreign car.
Don't look at the selling price, which is more than 100 yuan. It can be as low as 200 yuan when it is more expensive.
But the car manufacturer only earns seven or eight yuan, or ten and twenty yuan at its best.
This was the level of national industry at that time, and it was really shabby.
But it must be said that our people know how to enjoy themselves, even the craftsmen's work in the past.
The saved foreign cars and tricycles are better than those made by foreigners in terms of comfort and appearance.
Like the carriages at that time, the interiors were soft-packed with cushions and had an elevation angle, making it comfortable to lean on.
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, the bumps 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.
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 are also 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.
There was so much foreshadowing, and now Li Fu’s truly meaningful guidance came.
Dare the old man say, we must follow Hong Yanwu's ideas.
The car he wants is beautiful, comfortable, and historically authentic.
You have to find an old man from the old car manufacturer.
No one except the people back then knew how to do such a thing.
Even though the production of passenger three-wheelers has not been discontinued, the products mass-produced by the factory are too simple and do not meet his requirements at all.
To put it bluntly, what Hong Yanwu wants is not a standard industrial product, but a product that combines handicrafts and industrialization.
To solve this problem, it is actually difficult to say and easy to say.
The difficult part is that 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 make the cost high, and one car may cost the price of two cars.
The easy part is that as long as you find the right person, let them transform the ready-made tablet into three wheels.
Coincidentally, he knew a coppersmith from "Maoshun Depot" who lived not far away from "Xianyukou".
I guess as long as someone agrees to help, other people will probably be able to find him.
Besides, Nancheng is a gathering place for handicraftsmen. Even if you can't find the old man, it will be easy to find someone who can replace him.
Well, after hearing this, can Hong Yanwu not be excited?
He said in his heart that it was really hard to find anything after wearing iron shoes, and it took no effort to get it.
If it hadn't been for Uncle Li's advice, even if he scratched the back of his head and his eyes were staring, it would be difficult to write the prescription.
And he really didn't expect that a human-powered tricycle would have so many details, which was exciting to hear.
If he really wanted to build such a car, it would be far beyond the level of Shichahai Sanlun in his memory.
Not only is it beautiful and comfortable, it is also impressive when walking on the street. It is so majestic.
Definitely no worse than Mercedes-Benz or Audi.
If a foreigner sees it, he will definitely think that he is doing something wrong.