Chapter Thirty: Not a Small Number
Even a slightly smaller fire burning branch.
It's almost impossible to find much.
The Fujian-Guangzhou area developed through the Song and Yuan Dynasties.
By the mid-Ming Dynasty, it was considered a province with a relatively large population.
Small mountain forests have been cultivated into horizontal fields.
Unsuitable place for planting.
During the Hongwu period, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered mulberry trees to be planted.
Mulberry trees are important resources in Fujian.
It cannot be cut down and used at will.
Fortunately, the winter in Fujian is not too cold.
No need for excessive heating supplies.
This is also the main reason why the southern economy has gradually become stronger than the northern economy since the Song Dynasty.
After many dynasties deforestation and consumption in the Central Plains area.
The cost of heating gradually increases in winter.
After food is replenished in the south.
It is even more difficult to survive in the northern region.
Zhang Luo thought for a while.
The modern industrial revolution in the West not only improved the role of machines.
The point is that efficient machines have changed the way humans live.
The discovery of coal, stone, and natural gas.
Let the energy hidden in the ground replace traditional trees.
This resulted in rapid development of productivity.
Therefore, industrial machines have functions hundreds of times stronger than the human body.
I want to go back to the stifling furnace method of making salt.
The biggest flaw of the Ming Dynasty's muffled furnace method was its high consumption of materials.
This is why the saltsmiths in the saltworks are also called furnace households.
The main job of a saltsmith is to burn the furnace.
It started from the design of Zaoluo household registration during the Hongwu period.
Furnace households were allowed to use nearby farmland and reed fields.
A small number of salt fields also allow furnace owners to go up the mountain to mine trees.
But during the Jiajing period.
The mountains and forests surrounding the salt fields have been over-exploited.
Some reed fields are slowly drying up due to over-exploitation.
At this point, furnace owners need to request material support from surrounding governments.
Salt can only be produced with fuel for fire.
After installing the refined salt.
Zhang Luo thought of a flaw in the salt-drying method again.
The southeastern coastal areas will enter a typhoon-prone period in the next few months.
By that time, the sun was often out of sight and the salt was no longer available.
Zhang Luo still needs to hurry up and make more salt.
Chise out more of the stone plate.
Take advantage of spring to make a lot of money.
After a few days of busy work, it’s the end of the month.
Zhang Luo called over the little fool Zhang Wangsheng and said:
"The ghost market should be open today, right?"
Zhang Wangsheng saw Zhang Luo these days.
Busy at the beach in the morning.
In the afternoon, we organized things in the wing room.
I don’t understand what Zhang Luo is doing for a pound of coarse salt worth more than ten cents.
It’s been a busy ten days.
The amount of coarse salt produced is only seventy or eighty pounds.
The total amount is only seven or eight hundred words.
It was far from the more than 30 taels of silver fine that the county government had to pay.
Coarse salt from Fujian is inherently difficult to sell.
Official salt produced at the county salt farm.
It's only ten cents a pound.
It's very possible that they won't be sold out at all.
There are several sellers of coarse salt in the ghost market.
Someone has already sold it.
Why do you have to buy Zhang Luo’s?
But I saw that Zhang Luo, a scholar, was so interested.
Zhang Wangsheng himself has no ability to make money.
The little fool could only take the children and follow Zhang Luo around.
I heard that Zhang Luo planned to go to the ghost market again.
Zhang Wangsheng rubbed his eyes and said:
"The ghost market is open today. Is Brother Zhang Luo going to sell salt?"
"I'm going to give it a try. What are the rules of the ghost market here?"
"Is there anyone in the health center with experience in ghost market trading?"
Zhang Wangsheng said with a puzzled look:
"When selling things in the ghost market, you just have to make arrangements with the market official on that day."
"Someone will come to collect taxes when the stall collection is over."
"If we set up a stall in Houyin Street."
"Just pay a few dozen yuan in fixed taxes overnight."
"Grandpa Zhang said this before."
"For experienced people, can't we just go and set up a stall?"
Zhang Luo explained:
"You are a little baby, and my figure is too ostentatious."
"It's not suitable to set up a stall directly in the ghost market."
"Are there any normal people in the guardhouse?"
"The more ordinary the better."
Zhang Wangsheng didn't understand why Zhang Luo was so careful.
But he still said:
"Grandpa Zhang's eldest grandson and brother went to the ghost market."
"How about we try to ask him for help?"
Zhang Luo nodded in agreement.
Immediately ask Zhang Wangsheng to find Zhang Bing.
Ask him to go with Zhang Luo.
Now Zhang Luo's reputation in Zhenhaiwei is very high.
Everyone knows that Zhang Luo is a capable scholar.
Zhang Bing naturally agreed on the spot.
Zhang Luo brought several kilograms of refined salt with him.
Head to the ghost market with Zhang Wangsheng and Zhang Bing.
Along the way, Zhang didn't ask a word.
Walking by the side honestly.
Zhang Luo heard that Third Master mentioned the eldest grandson of Grandpa Zhang’s family.
Zhang Bing is in his early twenties this year.
But still not married.
In the feudal era, I didn't have a family at the age of twenty.
He is considered an older leftover man.
There are bachelors like Zhang Bing on Zhenhai Guards.
Basically every house has one.
It is difficult for military households to get married.
This situation became the norm by the mid-Ming Dynasty.
The military household system established at the founding of the Ming Dynasty.
It can be regarded as an invisible chain.
This yoke does not only exist on soldiers.
It is also locked on the soldiers’ families.
Grandpa Zhang's family is a military household.
The one currently serving as a soldier is Grandpa Zhang’s eldest son.
He is also Zhang Bing's uncle.
But this does not mean that Zhang Bing will just sleep peacefully.
If Grandpa Zhang’s eldest son had an accident.
That does not put you at risk of joining the army.
Became the daughter-in-law of a military household.
This means that the son born will be likely to join the army.
My own grandchildren and great-grandsons cannot escape the status of military households.
He may be drafted into the army at any time.
Dare you ask an ordinary woman from that family?
Would you risk your heirs to marry into a military household?
Someone suggested that they could marry the daughter of a military family and digest it internally.
The idea of favoring boys over girls has long existed in Fujian in ancient times.
The ratio of men to women is extremely imbalanced.
If a woman from a military family has a chance.
I would not be willing to marry a military householder from the same guard station.
Instead, he wanted to marry outside the family and break away from the shackles of the military household.
This is an important reason for the large number of bachelors in Zhenhaiwei.
Getting married is becoming increasingly difficult.
Without a wife, Zhang Bing's character became increasingly withdrawn.
In addition to learning farming from my grandfather.
Hardly leaving the house.
Wait until the three of them arrive at the ghost market.
Zhang Luo handed the six boxes of refined salt behind him to Zhang and said:
"Brother Bing, this is six pounds of refined salt."
"Set up a stall on Houyin Street."
"You can sell it at eighty cents per catty."
What? Refined salt!
I heard the word refined salt.
Zhang Wangsheng and Zhang Bing were both surprised.
Zhang Luo makes salt on the tidal flats.
The whole health center knows this.
But everyone in Weili said that Zhang Luo made coarse salt.
Why did coarse salt become refined salt?
Zhang Wangsheng quickly opened a wooden box.
I dipped a little in my hand and tasted it.
There is no bitter taste in the mouth at all.
It’s really refined salt!
Oh my god, how did Zhang Luo do it?
Obviously the salt I saw on the beach was bitter.
Only then did Zhang Wangsheng react.
Zhang Luo has been working in the wing these afternoons.
Sure enough, Zhang Luo was familiar with hundreds of books.
There is a secret recipe that can turn coarse salt into refined salt!
Six boxes of refined salt cost more than 500 cents.
Earn 500 Wen a day.
This is a huge amount of money!
This chapter has been completed!