Shopkeeper Ma looked confused: "Does the boss really want to share 10% of the profits with her? Are he going to let her redeem the property?"
Zhu Hao smiled and said: "Lao Ma, since when have you been so honest? You can't even draw a picture?"
"Painting?"
Shopkeeper Ma didn't react for a while.
"I drew a cake for her to make her think it was edible, but can it really be eaten?" Zhu Hao was persuasive.
Shopkeeper Ma smiled bitterly: "How can the painted cakes be used to satisfy hunger? I understand, you are trying to give her hope, so that she is willing to sell herself without spending more money... Then, little boss, do you want to continue to find someone to guard her to the death?
, to prevent her from escaping?"
"What do you think?"
Zhu Hao looked at Shopkeeper Ma with a smile.
"Well, it's useless for me to ask. She goes wherever she likes. Even if the little boss gives her only painted cakes, they are still cakes. It is better than her being caught by her creditor and sold into a brothel..."
Shopkeeper Ma finally understood.
There is no better choice for Ouyang women today.
Perhaps Zhu Hao did not expect Ouyang Nu to agree, and it would be a good thing to leave, especially for his shopkeeper Ma or Dongzhu Su.
…
…
Zhu Hao went home to have a celebration banquet with his family.
Zhu Hao had no intention of mentioning the matter of recruiting Ouyang Nu to his mother.
Zhu Hao thought about it, if Ouyang Nu was willing to stay, it would not be to serve my mother, but to work for him.
That girl wants to directly get involved in the glass mirror business?
Beautiful thought!
Starting with basic accounting and helping to manage the girls' school, Zhu Hao later planned to open some weaving workshops that specifically use female workers, and let Ouyang Nu take over.
There are many things Zhu Hao wants to do right now, but since he has successfully opened a women's school, the best way to make rational use of idle women in the city as female workers is to open a weaving workshop.
Ordinary looms are inefficient, and even the improved spinning jenny is not enough to support industrial production. Water-powered looms are greatly affected by seasonal differences in river water volume. It is best to use steam, which has been studied for some time.
sewing machine.
Steam engines are actually not difficult for Ming Dynasty's metallurgical technology. The important thing is to create a theory from scratch and apply it to practice.
The advantage Zhuhao had over Hero, Papin, Newcomen and other scientists was that they did not have to observe the steam pushing the kettle lid in boiling water and think of the huge power contained therein.
The steam engine flourished for nearly two hundred years during the Industrial Revolution until the emergence of the internal combustion engine. It could be used in everything from trains and ships to an ordinary loom. Its principle is not complicated.
The difficulty in converting the energy of steam into reciprocating power of mechanical work is how to seal the cylinder so that the steam expands and pushes the piston to do work.
These are all things that Zhu Hao has been tinkering with in the laboratory.
Even when he was most busy preparing for the county examination, Zhu Hao did not relax and did experiments again and again. He successively conquered the separation condenser, set up an insulation layer outside the cylinder, used oil to lubricate the piston, planetary gear, and parallel motion connecting rod mechanism.
, centrifugal speed regulator, throttle valve, pressure gauge and other technical difficulties are only one step away from practicality.
If steam looms can be used to produce cloth in large quantities and the ex-factory price be reduced to a very low level, luxury goods dealers like Su Xigui will have little use value. It is estimated that if these industrially produced cloths are sold to Su Xigui, the other party will still think the profit is low.
Well, this can effectively avoid Su Xigui's resistance to establishing his own sales channels.
Of course, it’s not certain what the other party will think at that time. After all, no one would mind making a lot of money. Wouldn’t Su Xigui continue to engage in the official salt and grain business? But Zhu Hao can’t tie his own interests to Su Xigui forever. Why?
Everyone should try to take the first step.
After dinner, Zhu Niang was very happy and took out Wenquxing's tablet as well as celery, garlic, onions and other things from the box.
Aunt Li asked curiously: "Madam, what is this?"
Zhu Niang said: "Xiao Hao has been admitted to heaven and passed the county examination. Everyone said that he passed the government examination and the college examination without any problems. The students are already in the bag... We need to offer Wenquxing. This
That’s what he said.”
In Zhu Niang's view, since her son had received God's favor and passed the county chief examination at a young age and was about to become a student member, she should reciprocate the favor.
Zhu Hao thought to himself, I am too feudal and superstitious.
This kind of thing is unacceptable.
But the question is...how to make a woman who was born in the feudal and conservative era believe in science?
Feudal superstition is such a thing, but for peace of mind, it doesn't have a big impact on Zhu Hao, so he won't interfere too much and just let nature take its course.
…
…
On the second day, Zhu Hao was supposed to go back to the palace early in the morning. He would go back to the palace for classes on the first day after passing the county examination. A group of children would definitely surround him and ask questions.
But Zhu Hao still has one important thing to do, which is to conquer Ouyang Nu.
On the way to the inn in a carriage with the yawning shopkeeper Ma, Zhu Hao asked curiously: "Old Ma, were you tired last night?"
Shopkeeper Ma smiled bitterly and said: "All the family records have been moved to Anlu."
"Oh, no wonder. You said you had a son before, but you seem to have a daughter, right? How are the other people in the family doing?" Zhu Hao asked with a smile.
Shopkeeper Ma sighed: "Both of my parents died when I was young. I followed the head of the family around the country and started a family. My wife was a maid in the Su Mansion. Later I was promoted to the shopkeeper and took in my concubines. I have a son and a daughter...
Not even old."
Zhu Hao smiled.
Otherwise, Shopkeeper Ma rarely works with Su Xigui, so he is really not treated badly.
When he was an apprentice, he signed a contract of sale and was arranged for a marriage. Later, when he was promoted to shopkeeper, he had the financial resources to take on concubines... Tsk, tsk, this is really not something that a master with mediocre treatment can give him.
"No, last night, the boss...Dongzhu Su sent shopkeeper Jin to take over some business and had two more drinks with him..."
Zhu Hao originally thought that he was the wife and concubines of shopkeeper Ma who had settled in Anlu and needed to find a house to settle down, so he was busy late at night. It turned out that he was drinking with shopkeeper Jin.
Shopkeeper Jin was Su Xigui's earliest contact in Anlu, and was later replaced by Shopkeeper Ma. Although the new man and the old man no longer work under the same boss, they are still good friends.
"Shopkeeper Jin came with your family?" Zhu Hao asked.
"Yes." Shopkeeper Ma replied, "I have been friends with Lao Jin for many years. When I first came out to work on my own, it was thanks to his advice."
Zhu Hao asked: "What is he here for?"
Shopkeeper Ma hurriedly said: "Don't misunderstand me, little boss. Mr. Su has no intention of sending anyone to supervise or interfere with your business. It's just that there are deviations in business in some prefectures and counties in the north of Huguang and Jiangbei. They are all caused by bandits who have been roaming around recently.
Lao Jin actually passed by here and asked how the business with Prince Xing's Mansion was going, and then took a boat to Xiangyang."
"oh."
Zhu Hao didn't ask any more questions.
After all, Zhu Hao's current house collapse business was all taken over from Su Xigui. It is impossible for him to ignore it completely. It is reasonable to send someone to check it out occasionally.
…
…
Arrive at the inn.
Zhu Hao took Shopkeeper Ma directly into Ouyang Nu's room.
Ouyang Nu's dark circles were very serious. It seemed that she didn't sleep as well as Shopkeeper Ma last night. As for the beeping woman, she was not present.
"Lao Ma, you go to the door and wait first. I want to talk to Mr. Ouyang alone."
Zhu Hao dismissed Shopkeeper Ma.
Soon, only he and Ouyang were left in the room.
Ouyang Nv said: "I have thought carefully about the conditions offered by Master Zhu last night, and I feel that there are some things that are wrong... If I want to restore the family business, how can I sell myself as a slave? Wouldn't this mean a complete loss of independence?"
Zhu Hao sneered, did not answer the other party's question, and asked instead: "Your Excellency, I want to ask you something. When you first came to Anlu, you wanted to take over Su Dongzhu's glass mirror business, but you were not willing to spend more money. What is this?
Whose idea was it?”
"this……"
Ouyang Nu would not communicate humbly with Zhu Hao before, but now she faces this problem head-on.
"The mirrors I produce are sold to Mr. Su, because my family has been doing business with him for many years. He helped my family when they were in trouble. He has a strong background, but he has never been mean to us. He does not rely on his background as a government official to bully us...
...Why do you think I would give up cooperating with him and instead cooperate with your Ouyang family?"
Zhu Hao continued to torture Ouyang Nu from the depths of his soul.
Do you, the Ouyang family, really think that making money in this world is easy?
If you want to cooperate with others, you must first ask yourself what you have and what you can give others. Otherwise, why should others choose you?
"Of course, I admit that your Ouyang family has been in the Jiangnan business community for decades and has a wide network of contacts, which can sometimes work wonders. But connections are illusory and far less tangible than government background. I sent people to Nanjing myself to establish sales from scratch.
The results obtained through various channels may not be worse than working with you. It is more practical to make money directly into your own pocket...
"So I have made it clear here that unless you are willing to sign a contract of sale and work for me, I will not have any further dealings with you."
Zhu Hao said this to explain, don't negotiate terms with me. I don't even bother to negotiate terms with you. Even though we've fallen into this situation, you still want to gain benefits from negotiating with me. You are really overestimating your capabilities.
"I promise you, but I want you to give me fifteen taels of silver so that I can send my old servant who has been with me for many years back to his hometown." Ouyang Nu's beautiful face was miserable and she said pitifully, "Just think of it as my money for selling myself.
Bar."
Ten taels became fifteen taels...
"Reasonable."
Zhu Hao greeted loudly, "Old Ma, come in!"
After repeating it, the sound of Shopkeeper Ma's footsteps came from far outside the door, indicating that Shopkeeper Ma knew the rules and did not hide outside the door to eavesdrop.
…
…
When shopkeeper Ma came in again, he thought the deal had broken down. He had never seen someone forced to sell themselves without paying, and they would agree to it.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Hao once said that the other party was willing to sell himself for fifteen taels of silver...
Shopkeeper Ma looked at Ouyang Nu with strange eyes.
When we first met a year ago, the boss brought five ships to Anlu. She was a hero among women, and she was cheered by everyone. But in just two months, she was selling herself for free?
Actually selling yourself to your own little boss?
This contrast...
"Let's make an agreement first. After five years, you can't interfere with my freedom..."
Ouyang Nu still wants to make a final struggle.
Zhu Hao smiled and shook his head: "This is not a choice you can make, but I promise to give you a chance to redeem your freedom in five years. I am expected to be almost an adult by then, uh... you can figure it out for yourself."
Since I have to sign a deed of betrayal and have so many things to do, do you really think I am a philanthropist?
It seems like you suffered a loss when you signed the deed of sale, but in fact you got a big advantage, okay?
You sell yourself to me, so that others can't buy you away again, and you won't end up in the streets, and your safety will be guaranteed.
Shopkeeper Ma said with a hint of disdain: "Master Ouyang, please don't underestimate the little boss in front of you. He will also be our joint master from now on. He has just passed the county examination in the local county examination. As usual, he will be qualified after the college examination."
After entering school, he is already a scholar.
"The father of the little boss is a royal guard of hundreds of families. He is loyal to the country. Now he is studying in the prince's palace and has a famous teacher... Although it can't be compared to the Duke of Cheng's palace for a while, are you entering the Duke's palace to be a wife? Haha, stay in Anlu.
, you have the hope of reviving the Ouyang family, you must cherish it!"