“Sister Mulan, do you even know what time it is?”
Zhou Jin grabbed Qing Mulan: “Sir hates it most when people disturb him while sleeping, if you go wake him now, you’ll definitely get scolded badly.”
Only then did Qing Mulan remember it was the middle of the night.
Somewhat embarrassed, she stuck out her tongue: “It is quite late, Xiao Jin, you should rest early too, I’m going back.”
Rarely visiting the lab once, when leaving, Qing Mulan conveniently took a jar of strong liquor with her.
These days Qing Mulan had been busy suppressing bandits, extremely tired too, woke up after sleeping, the sky was already bright.
When she ran to Jin Feng’s house, Guan Xiaorou told her Jin Feng had left early in the morning leading a team to Shuangtuofeng.
“Xiaorou, tell sir for me, yesterday I said the wrong words, please don’t hold it against me, when I come back next time, I’ll apologise to him again.”
Qing Mulan came to find Jin Feng, besides apologising, also wanted to discuss salt production and sales with him.
But the bandit suppression team was waiting for her to make decisions, Qing Mulan had no time to run to Shuangtuofeng to find Jin Feng.
After leaving the message, Qing Mulan also took A Mei and left Xihewan.
Walking to the village entrance, found a crowd gathered at the threshing ground.
“A Mei, what’s this about?” Qing Mulan asked.
Now people in Xihewan were very busy, rarely such clustering happened.
“It’s the bridal escort team that came.”
A Mei said: “Now days in Xihewan are better, men are all taking concubines, the county magistrate had yamen runners send over girls from other places who can’t marry out.”
“County Magistrate Zhang sure knows how to think of ways.”
Qing Mulan smiled, led the personal guard team and galloped away.
Actually Jin Feng didn’t pay too much attention to the bridal escort team, after all such things were consensual, he couldn’t interfere well.
But in the following days, bridal escort teams came more frequently, more and more girls sent.
Not only that, some local girls couldn’t wait for the escort team, simply formed groups and came themselves.
Now many men in the village had taken five or six concubines, homes couldn’t even fit them all.
Tang Xiaobei saw if this continued, probably all eligible girls in the county would run over, finally couldn’t sit still.
Jin Feng wasn’t there, Tang Xiaobei discussed with the village head, Zhang Liang and others, required Xihewan men to stop taking concubines, only then stopped this trend.
Bridal escort teams also stopped sending more people.
But those girls who came spontaneously didn’t know, still continuously gathering towards Xihewan.
Many girls’ situations were similar to Guan Xiaorou’s back then, really couldn’t survive, only then came to Xihewan.
As a result, arriving at Xihewan, were told Xihewan would not take concubines this year, many girls despaired.
One girl couldn’t bear the blow, directly hanged herself at the village entrance, luckily discovered by patrolling old soldiers, saved her.
Tang Xiaobei learned of this, could only comfort these girls on one side, on the other send Tang Fei riding to Shuangtuofeng to find Jin Feng to discuss how to handle this.
What is difficult for others is not difficult for those who can.
For Jin Feng, turning rock salt into refined salt wasn’t too difficult.
Shuangtuofeng had dormitories, canteens left by bandits, and several large warehouses for storing grain, clear out a few, slightly modify and they could serve as salt production workshops.
It’s just that Da Kang’s basic conditions were too backward, no way to achieve automated production, to produce salt on a large scale, could only use human wave tactics.
Now Guan Zhuzi had already led people to transport rock salt from ships to Shuangtuofeng, needed equipment Man Cang also brought a group of female apprentices to debug and finish, as long as recruit manpower, could start work.
Jin Feng was considering whether to transfer people from Xihewan or recruit workers locally, Tang Fei came.
Learning of Xihewan’s current situation, Jin Feng was amused and exasperated.
But this also solved the salt factory’s labour problem.
“You go back and tell Brother Liang, have him send people to bring this batch of girls to Shuangtuofeng to produce salt, here just needs people.”
“This…”
Tang Fei hesitated, asked: “Sir, these girls are all outsiders, if they spread the salt production method what to do?”
“No problem, Man Cang made preparations.”
Jin Feng shook his head and said.
The salt factory uses assembly line operations, each workshop responsible for different processes.
Moreover, the containers for filtering are strictly forbidden for workers to touch, they at most see big iron cans, but don’t know what’s inside the iron cans.
Seeing Jin Feng say this, Tang Fei saluted and turned to leave.
He came riding three horses, now setting off could still return to Xihewan before dark.
Tang Fei just left, Guan Zhuzi came.
“Brother-in-law, the rock salt on the ships has all been sent over, I’ll go back to the mine later.”
Since Guan Xiaorou married Jin Feng, the Guan family’s life improved, meat every day.
Originally tall and thin Guan Zhuzi, now gained a circle of weight, appeared even stronger.
Also entrusted with heavy responsibility by Jin Feng, the whole person much more confident than before, voice much louder.
“Be careful on the road, the mine side is entrusted to big brother.”
Jin Feng was very satisfied with Guan Zhuzi’s changes, encouraged: “Need anything directly tell me, need money give money, need people give people.”
“I don’t need people, don’t need money, but if possible, brother-in-law think of a way to buy a few ships.”
Guan Zhuzi said: “Big ships passing our section basically all carrying cargo, finding an empty ship is too hard, this time waited several days on the shore, only then met one, and they thought the distance too short, unwilling to take our job, I finally added thirty taels, they agreed.
In the future when our salt factory grows, will need ships a lot, always hiring others, too uneconomical.”
“This is indeed a problem.” Jin Feng nodded slightly: “Alright, I know about this, I’ll think of a way to arrange.”
“Then good, brother-in-law I’m leaving.”
Guan Zhuzi waved, led a group of Guan family village men down the mountain.
Jin Feng then turned and instructed: “Da Liu, Old Tang probably hasn’t gone down the mountain yet, quickly send someone to catch up with him, have him tell Brother Liang, let the escort masters and chamber of commerce side inquire, where there are shipyards, the kind that can custom-make big ships.”
What Guan Zhuzi said earlier made sense, for the salt factory to develop, couldn’t do without ships.
This was something Jin Feng hadn’t considered before.
“Good!”
Da Liu agreed, ran down the mountain.
Tang Fei hurried back to Xihewan that night, early next morning, Zhang Liang sent people to escort the girls gathered outside Xihewan village on the road.
Xihewan was west of Jinchuan, Shuangtuofeng east near the Jialing River, the girls walked two days to arrive.
Coming with the girls, there were also cart after cart of factory uniforms, shoes and other basic supplies.
As soon as the girls went up the mountain, each was given a set of brand new clothes and shoes.
Many girls were anxious before coming, but after receiving clothes and shoes, finally slowly settled down.
After a few days of simple training, the female workers successively entered work positions.
Xihewan Salt Factory was officially established and put into production.
