A human-operated cart carrying briquettes slowly drove in from the city gate, and a man beside it was beating gongs along the street to promote it.
"Hey, honeycomb briquettes, honeycomb briquettes, they're cheaper than firewood, they're used in the palace!"
"Honeycomb coal..."
As Nanjing's population continues to grow, firewood is becoming more and more expensive, and fewer and fewer trees are being cut down. Although Nanjing is mountainous and tree-filled, this is not an option in the long run.
Historically, in the mid-Qing Dynasty, Nanjing's firewood gradually failed to keep up with the city's development needs. The government was too lazy to take care of this, and the people had to find their own solutions. So the first domestic coal store appeared, and Nanjing entered the era of mixed use of firewood and coal.
.
Now Zhao Han has to take charge of it. Counting residents registered in other places, the population inside and outside Nanjing has reached 1.2 million. This is caused by his decision to make Nanjing the capital. He must find ways to solve people's livelihood problems.
So people were asked to develop briquettes and build coal stoves using briquettes.
There is no need to worry about the source of coal. Anhui in the late Ming Dynasty was already full of coal mines, and it could be transported to Nanjing by water.
In the Ming Dynasty, coking coal was even refined and natural gas was used. Fang Yizhi's "Little Knowledge of Physics" described the refining process of coking coal and pointed out that coking coal can be used to smelt ore.
Natural gas is used to boil salt in Sichuan, which is called "well fire".
As early as the Song Dynasty, Sichuan's salt mines began to utilize natural gas. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, many mines ran out of natural gas and forest resources were severely damaged, so coal became the main fuel for salt production.
In fact, if you think about it carefully, you will know that in areas where firewood is used on a large scale, coal will replace firewood sooner or later.
Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, already had "millions of households, all relying on charcoal, and not one of them burned firewood." They all burned coal, and not one of them burned firewood!
Zhu Yurao had already finished the painting of the Bodhisattva and brought it to her employer to pay the polishing fee. When she came back, she happened to meet someone promoting briquettes. A lot of people had gathered there, and Zhu Yurao curiously walked over to watch.
"What kind of briquettes are you talking about? How much does it cost per pound?" Some people asked curiously.
The waiter smiled and replied: "It doesn't matter the pound, it depends on the number. Five for a penny!"
One penny for five honeycombs is actually not cheap. The price of rice in Nanjing this year is only 4 penny per pound.
But compared with firewood, it is not expensive.
More than ten years ago, the price of firewood in Nanjing was 1 tael of silver for 30 dan of firewood. At this time, it had risen to 1 tael of silver for 25 dan of firewood. According to the adjustment of the silver and copper price ratio, the Datong court finally fixed 1 tael of silver to 800 Wenqian. In other words,
, a load of large firewood costs 32 Wen, which can buy 8 kilograms of rice. (Big firewood is wood blocks, branches, etc., while small firewood is rice straw, corn stalks, etc.)
"How expensive is this? Can it be cheaper?"
"It's not expensive, it's not expensive, I'll burn it for everyone to see."
The man unloaded the coal stove from the cart, first started the fire with firewood, and then put in the briquettes.
While lighting the fire, the clerk introduced: "Don't be in a hurry when burning the briquettes. You have to wait slowly so that the fire will get stronger and stronger. It is the most cost-effective to use it to boil water, boil soup, and make porridge. Once the fire is strong, it can also
Used for cooking. In the past, when charcoal was burned, half of the rice was cooked, and the unburned charcoal was wasted. With this kind of coal stove, you can cover the air cover, and only the yin fire is left in the stove. This yin fire cooking
Dejiu, the briquettes from the first night can be burned until the next day..."
Some people couldn't wait any longer and left as they watched.
Zhu Aao thought the stove was quite interesting and stood there waiting for the charcoal fire to get hot.
The clerk continued to introduce: "This charcoal has charcoal poison, so it needs ventilation. Some Beijingers in the previous dynasty forgot to open the windows, and many people were poisoned to death by charcoal poison. Everyone must remember clearly, whether it is burning
When burning briquettes or other charcoal, windows must be opened for ventilation. We won't care if people are poisoned to death."
Some people came and some left, and there were always thirty or forty people surrounding him.
When the briquettes were burning, someone finally wanted to buy them. The clerk said: "Our coal shop is outside the city, and we also sell coal stoves..."
The would-be buyer found a good address and went outside the city to buy a stove and briquettes.
As the price of firewood gets higher and higher, briquettes will definitely spread rapidly. In the future, Nanjing people will probably use a mixture of firewood and coal to boil water and cook. When they are not in a hurry, they will burn briquettes, and when they are in a hurry, they will still use firewood.
As for coal stoves, some people are buying them now, but most of them will imitate them in the future.
As more people use briquettes in the future and market sales increase, the price will definitely drop further. Six to ten briquettes per penny is more reasonable. Clay is also added to this thing, which can be made from coal powder. It is suitable for coal mines and factories.
Coal powder is a leftover material.
Zhu Aolao went to the coal store outside the city, bought a coal stove for twelve cents, and asked for 50 briquettes.
The store clerk asked: "Should the customer move it back by himself, or should we send someone to deliver it to his door?"
"How much does it cost to deliver it to your door?" Zhu Aao asked.
"It depends on the distance and whether there are many people buying briquettes nearby," the shop assistant said. "Send it to the Gulou area. If you buy these briquettes and stove, you will be charged two cents for travel expenses. If you are a customer over there,
If there are more, we can load them all in a big truck and charge you half a penny."
Zhu Aao said: "I live over Fucheng Bridge."
The shop clerk thought about it: "Fucheng Bridge is further away than the Drum Tower, so let's charge you two cents and give you an extra briquette. It has opened in the past two days, and the owner said that he must lose money and make a profit in order to attract more customers."
Immediately some workers were called, packed the briquettes and the coal stove into baskets, and followed Zhu Aolao home on their shoulders.
In the future, if there are more customers using coal, it won't be so troublesome. We can just drive a truck into the city and deliver it door to door. If business competition is fierce, stores may waive delivery fees in order to grab customers.
Fucheng Bridge is located in the west of the Forbidden City. It crosses a street, then crosses an alley, and you can follow the street directly to Xihua Gate.
Many officials live here, and it is convenient for going to court and going to work.
"Miss Ninth is back?" a middle-aged woman said hello in the alley.
Zhu Ailao glanced at the boy behind her, nodded and smiled: "Where is Aunt Song shopping?"
The middle-aged woman said: "There are some things in the house that are not enough. Madam asked me to buy some. What did Miss Ninth buy? It's dark and has holes."
Zhu Aelao said: "Behousing briquettes, also called briquettes, looked very convenient to use, so I bought it and tried it at home."
"This is the best, the best," the middle-aged woman said repeatedly.
Zhu Yusao said: "The Song family's aunt's hairpin is beautiful, golden, and inlaid with precious jade."
The middle-aged woman suddenly became happy, tilted her head to show her hairpin, and said with a smile: "My little son bought it for me. He graduated from elementary school a few years ago and got a job as a leather goods apprentice through connections. This little brat, study
He was not very useful, but he was very efficient at work, and his master praised him for his cleverness. After only three years of service, he left as an apprentice. With the first month's wages, he bought me a hairpin, and I didn't know how to save the copper to get a wife.
Medicine jade is worthless!"
"That's not cheap. My son is filial," Zhu Aao said.
The middle-aged woman smiled even more happily: "My little son is very stupid and can only be filial. I will work in this house for a few more years, save more money, find a wife for him, and then build the old house."
Renovate it. If you can live to be sixty, then stop working and go back to have your grandchildren and enjoy your life."
"My aunt has a strong body and can live to be a hundred years old," Zhu Auao said.
The middle-aged woman smiled from ear to ear: "Miss Jiu can still talk. Not to mention living to be a hundred years old, if she can live to be seventy years old, she will wake up laughing even if she falls asleep."
"Dang Dang Dang!"
"Grind scissors, sharpen kitchen knives..."
A middle-aged man was walking along the alley carrying a bamboo basket, shouting.
Zhu Aolao said goodbye to the woman and said, "I'll sharpen the knife and cut it."
Pushing open the courtyard door, the maid in charge of cleaning came over and said, "Didn't Miss Ninth give you a painting? Why did you buy so many black balls to take home?"
"It's used for burning," Zhu Aolao said. "Grandma Qiu complained that the kitchen knife was blunt and difficult to cut. Here comes the knife sharpener. You can take out all the knives and scissors at home."
"Okay." The maid jumped up and ran to get something.
Zhu Cizheng's wife also heard the sound and came over, and called the cook together to study how to use honeycomb briquettes to boil water.
After being busy for a while, Zhu Ainao sat on the swing. This swing was made by Zhu Cihong.
The weather is a little hot, but there is wind in the yard, and Zhu Aona is leisurely swinging on the swing, which makes this early summer time more pleasant.
"Miss, let me recommend you." The maid came to her side at some unknown time.
Zhu Aona smiled and said: "Don't push me. I'll just sit there by myself. You'll definitely be sweating all over when you push me."
The maid's name was Zheng Shuhui, and Zhu Ainao called her Hui'er. She was from a small family in the city. She dropped out of elementary school before finishing elementary school. After helping with housework at home for several years, she applied to be a maid here.
"Miss, my wedding date has been set, it's the second day of September." Hui'er said as she gently rocked the swing.
Zhu Ainao said: "Congratulations, I will give you a gift when the time comes."
Hui'er said: "My husband's family has agreed that after we get married, we will still work here, but we cannot live here at night. I come here early every day and go back to my husband's house when it gets dark."
"It's not a problem," Zhu Yurao joked, "I can also save some food money. By the way, your fiancé is the one you mentioned last year?"
Hui'er nodded: "Yes, he works in the glasses shop. He may be patient, he can write and do math, and has a primary school diploma. There is a gentleman in Qintianyuan who wrote a book "History of Mirrors", specializing in teaching how to make glasses. I
He learned from the book and made glasses quickly and well, which saved his boss a lot of money. Both the boss and the shopkeeper praised him and made him a master. The sixteen-year-old master made him a master in Nanjing City.
It’s rare.”
"You haven't married yet, so you're the one who's the one?" Zhu Ayao teased.
Hui'er blushed and said, "Anyway, we'll get married in two or three months."
"Dong dong dong dong!"
Hui'er let go of the swing and ran, saying, "I'll open the door."
The courtyard door opened, and there were men and women.
A female official, accompanied by several guards, an official from the Ministry of Etiquette, and even a matchmaker.
Zhu Aao looked at the two big geese as gifts and was stunned for a moment. She quickly realized that these were the royal family coming to propose marriage.
