Struggle in the early Tang Dynasty

Guo Ye smiled and said: "It's not inappropriate. You just need to tell them that the wages will be increased by ten times. I think they will be so happy to rush to do it. Don't be naughty, go find me quickly. "

When the servants heard that the wages were increased by ten times, they naturally nodded and said yes. Of course, individuals would rush to come for this kind of wages.

Guo Ye did not forget to add a sentence: "Hurry up and find someone for me, and I will give you a new year's red envelope each and every one of you."

As soon as the voice fell, several servants rushed out of the door in an instant, rushing out of Fushun Lane.

At this time, Wu Xiuxiu felt a little tired from staying up all night, Guo Ye hurriedly asked the maid to send her back to the bedroom to catch up on sleep.

But he held on for the time being, waiting for the carpenter and engraver to come to his door.

After a while, several servants left and returned, followed by three ordinary people, an old carpenter, a middle-aged man, and a young man.

After some questioning, Guo Ye found out that the old carpenter's surname was Lu, known as "Lu Yishou", and he was well-known in Longxi County.It is said that his ancestor was Lu Ban, the patriarch of the carpentry industry, and his craftsmanship is absolutely top-notch, while the young man is the apprentice of the old carpenter.

Naturally, Guo Ye couldn't believe that the old carpenter Lu Yishou was a descendant of Lu Ban, otherwise he wouldn't be living in Longxi in central Shu.If it was true, he would have been conscripted into the palace long ago to become an imperial craftsman.

Maybe it's just that the people in the city think that Lu Yishou's carpenter's craftsmanship is amazing, and Lu Yishou happens to have the surname of Lu, so they spread rumors and gave him a gimmick that Lu Ban was a master and descendant.

As for the middle-aged man, his surname is Yandan and his first name is nine characters. He is a craftsman who specializes in carving seals for people in the west of the city, and occasionally does some work on carving landscape patterns for furniture.

Guo Ye was very satisfied after hearing the history of the three of them, and he was looking for the right person to make mahjong for him.

Immediately, Guo Ye told the three people about making mahjong. The three were amazed after hearing it. Is it a new gadget? Or is this a newly popular pastime for the nobles and lords of the imperial capital? Horse crane, this is the first time the old man has heard of this thing."

The engraving master Yan Jiu also felt a bit embarrassed: "Mr. Guo, it's not that we don't want to earn your wages, and it's not that we want to get rid of your thoughts. But this so-called horse hanging is really unheard of, and I've never seen it before. I'm afraid." , I'm afraid I'm going to let down Mr. Guo..."

"Don't rush to refuse!"

Guo Ye interrupted Yan Jiu's embarrassing refusal, and said: "You just need to follow my instructions to rush to make it. I will tell you the method and process of making the horse crane in detail. You only need to Find wood for me, preferably high-quality mahogany wood, and follow the process and methods I gave you, I believe you will be successful.

In this way, as long as you can make horses and hang them out for me, and it meets my wishes, I will give each of you a big red envelope on top of ten times the salary.New Year's Eve, I can't let you all work hard for me, can I? "

"Not only tell us the process and method, but also get red envelopes?"

The first one to speak out was the apprentice of the old carpenter Lu Yishou. After the kid screamed fiercely, he rushed to Lu Yishou and shouted: "Master, you should be a member of Mr. Guo. I took the wages and red envelopes, just right Buy a pair of jewelry for Xiaocui, and then cut off a leg for their family."

Lu Yishou ignored his second-rate apprentice, but looked at each other with Yan Jiu, thinking secretly, since Mr. Guo can announce the craftsmanship and process of the horse crane, then this matter should not be difficult to do, and it will be successful. .

Immediately, the two nodded their heads and expressed their willingness to cooperate to take over the work of rushing to make the horse crane.

Guo Ye smiled, and generously told how to make mahjong embryos with high-quality mahogany, how many mahjong pieces were made in total, and what to seal on the mahjong embryos, without any concealment.

Just in case, he asked his servants to bring pens and paper, and specially asked Yan Jiu, a sculptor, to write down the making method of mahjong.

After explaining the instructions, Guo Ye became a little sleepy. Before going to bed, he ordered: "You follow my method, and if you need to withdraw money, feel free to talk to my servants. Uh... Ben Hou watched the year last night. After a whole night, I’m really too sleepy, so I’ll go catch up on my sleep first. If you can present the finished horse hanging in front of me after I wake up, hehe, there will be a lot of rewards in addition!”

It is just that there must be a brave man under a heavy reward. After hearing the words, Yan Jiu and Lu Yishou were greatly encouraged, and rushed out of Guo's mansion to find high-quality mahogany materials for Guo Ye.

Guo Ye explained a few more words to the servants next to him, and then returned to Xiuxiu's bedroom to catch up on sleep.

……

……

Endless drowsiness struck, and he fell asleep in bed as soon as he closed his eyes. He didn't wake up until the old matriarch asked someone to knock on the door to wake him up for dinner.

And Xiuxiu woke up long before.

I hurriedly woke up from the bed, got up, put on my clothes and left the bedroom. There were already servants waiting outside, and reported: "Mr. Made by horse crane."

"Oh? So fast? Isn't this too efficient?"

Guo Ye asked in surprise: "Where are the three of them now? Where is that horse crane now?"

The servant said: "It's placed on the four-corner table in the flower hall, and the three of them are also waiting for your inspection in the flower hall!"

Guo Ye had a happy face, applauded again and again, and ordered: "Go and tell the old lady and the three wives, let them have dinner first, and I will go there later."

After explaining, he raised his legs and ran towards the flower hall, in a hurry.

When they came to the flower hall, Lu Yishou and Yan Jiu were looking forward to the door, and when they saw Guo Ye's appearance, they rushed forward excitedly.

Now that the horse crane has been successfully produced, as long as Guo Ye passes the inspection, it means ten times the wages and red envelopes. Can the three of them not be excited?

Immediately, Lu led Guo Ye to the four-corner table with one hand, and urged: "Master, take a look, they are all alive, a total of 140 four horse tags. According to your instructions, all horse tags are the same length. Width and height, the same high-quality mahogany material. You touch the back of this horse tag, it is polished smooth and transparent, and it feels very good."

Lu Yishou's apprentice repeatedly echoed: "Well, Mr. Guo, my master and I are extra careful and particular. We will never pretend to be inferior, and we guarantee that we are all first-class."

Yan Jiu stepped forward, pointed to the neatly stacked horse tags on the octagonal table, and said, "Mr. Guo, 140, the four horse tags are all engraved as you ordered, except for the four white boards. They have their own symbols. Spring, summer, autumn and winter, plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, east, west, east, and west..."

"Okay, there's no need to say anything!"

Guo Ye stopped Yan Jiu's elaboration, grabbed a mahjong tile made of mahogany from the table, tried it out, and thought to himself, although it is not as good as the mahjong tiles of later generations, the difference is not very far.

The horse tags made by the three of them are ingenious in terms of feel, shape, color, and carving.Under the current conditions of pure handwork, it is already a skill of the gods to be able to make such a mahjong tile.

He held the redwood mahjong tiles in the palm of his hand, felt the delicateness and smoothness, nodded, and praised: "Very good, I am very satisfied. Next time I have a chance, I will get some ivory from a businessman from a foreign country in Chang'an, and you can help me." I got a horse tag made of ivory. Then I presented it to the emperor, reckoning it would win the emperor's favor."

The three of them were shocked for a moment. Hearing what Mr. Guo said, dare they still have a chance to make a horse tag for the emperor?

All of a sudden, the cheeks of the three of them were flushed, their lips were trembling with excitement, and they kept repeating the words of their ancestors' good deeds and eyes-opening words.

Guo Ye could understand why the three of them were so excited, and it was a great honor to be able to personally create a horse tag for the emperor.

If the emperor likes this horse tag, if it is spread all over the world, then the three of them will really double their worth, and it may not take long for them to become famous all over the world and become leaders in the circle of craftsmen.

At that time, the customers will be like a cloud, and the crowd will be like a crowd. If by chance, the emperor summons them into the palace, eats the emperor's food and becomes a royal craftsman, it will be even more extraordinary.

Old carpenter Lu Yishou's apprentice is already salivating to get into Feifei, wondering if Xiaocui from Butcher Zhang's family is a good match for him.In the future, if he becomes an imperial craftsman, then Xiaocui's grade will be too low.

Seeing the strange behavior of the three of them, Guo Ye couldn't help but smile knowingly, and then shouted to the outside of the flower hall, "Come here!"

After the voice fell, a servant rushed in and asked, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"Take a look!!"

After Guo Ye laughed and drank, he waved his hand and pointed at Lu Yi and said to the three of them: "You take the three masters to the accountant to collect their wages, tell the accountant that they will pay him ten times the wages, and give each of them a big red envelope. In addition, ask the back kitchen to carry a piece of pork home for each of the three masters, so that they can have a good New Year."

"Got it!"

The servant looked enviously at the three of Lu Yishou and led them out of the flower hall.

Master Lu Yishou and Yan Jiu were naturally full of joy, and they did not forget to bow and thank Guo Ye.

The three of them secretly praised in their hearts, Lord Guo is faithful in his words, brother Guo is generous in his actions, he really deserves his reputation.

After the three of them left, Guo Ye looked at the horse tags on the table, smiled, and said to himself: "It seems that I can teach Xiuxiu, Zhenniang, Zhiru and others tonight, and put them on the horse tags." It’s been a night of mahjong. Fortunately, I married three women, otherwise it would not be enough to make a table of mahjong, and it would be too unsuitable if one of the three is missing.”