North and South groceries

This time, on the road from Lishi County to Xipo Village, the two sections at the beginning and end of the best location are all pledged by people with deep roots in the county. However, these people had no choice but to choose another section of the road.

Although the good location was taken away by others, the road for the two of them to pledge was very long, and the pledge process on that day almost showed the local status of each of their families in Lishi County.

The real foundation is too weak to speak of, and at that time there was no utterance, just as if I went to watch the excitement and had a full meal, and went back happily. I didn't spend any money, but I grew up and learned a lot They are also willing to talk about it, and they are also helpless if they are not willing. This kind of money is not something that anyone can spend if they want to.

Some people in Xipo Village rushed to build the road, and several villages along the road followed suit, while people in other places were only greedy, such as Xiaohe Village not far from Xipo Village.

Luo Yong told them that if Xiaohe Village wanted to build roads, they would also come to Xipo Village to buy cement, and Luo Yong would sell them to them for five cents a load. The prices of merchants and wealthy households on the road.

This year is no different from the mechanical age of the later generations. Everything is done by manpower. To produce a load of cement, you have to dig the yellow mud first, add some lime gypsum to mix it evenly, and then smash it into square pieces of mud. When they are piled up in an earthen kiln and fired, there must be a special person in charge of watching the fire. Not everyone can do this job.

After calcination and cooling, the workers have to move them out of the earthen kiln, smash them with a hammer first, and then put them on a stone mill to grind them into powder. The first time is not fine enough, so at least two times of grinding are needed. If the fire is not well controlled, or if the mud was not reconciled before, the subsequent crushing work will become very difficult, and they will be run over three or four times.

Luo Yong and his disciples calculated that the cost of a load of cement is about less than two yuan for materials plus two yuan for labor costs. If the selling price is six yuan, then it can be worth two yuan. Luo used some of the profits, and his disciples also got some.

If it is sold for five cents, theoretically there should be a profit of one penny, but Luo Yong can't let his disciples do idle work, so he doesn't make much money himself, and it doesn't matter if he doesn't make money, anyway, cement He didn't need to worry much about the affairs of the factory.

What Luo Yong is most concerned about now is the production and application of Eucommia gum.

If efficiency is not considered, the extraction of eucommia gum is not difficult. When everyone was busily building roads, the first batch of eucommia gum shoe soles from the Luo family finally came out smoothly.

Then Luo Yong went to Lishi County to invite the craftsman who could make leather boots, and brought some leather boots from his family back to Xipo Village.

He was placed in the yard on the slope, and every day when it was time for meals, the children from the Xu's guest house would come over with a covered basket to deliver the meals to him. If he wanted to go for a walk by himself, he would go to the Xu's guest house to eat by himself. It's okay, the meal money will be recorded on the account, and then Luo Yong will settle the settlement with the Xu family brothers.

This is also an unprecedented treatment. When this cobbler used to go to the homes of merchants and rich families to help people process fur and make leather goods, he mostly ate with the servants and slaves in the mansion. If he met a generous one, he could give him one or two alone Small dishes, some delicate food like cooking cakes and hutos are considered to be very good, but there is no such thing as Luo Sanlang, it is simply treating him as a distinguished guest.

He didn't know that for someone like Luo who had lived in the 21st century for 30 years, a craftsman like him who knew both tanning and tanning, and could make saddles and leather boots, could basically be regarded as a craftsman. He is a senior technician, and he deserves good treatment.

It's just that in this era, the status of craftsmen is really low. Scholars, farmers, businessmen, theoretically speaking, they are still ahead of businessmen, but in fact they often still have to work for businessmen.

This Feng cobbler is also a handicraft handed down from his family. His ancestors fled to Lishi County back then, and earned a little money and food by helping people make saddles and nitrate fur. settle down.

There are also rumors in the city that his ancestors were originally barbarians outside the pass. Feng Cobbler himself thinks there is some truth to this statement, but he will definitely not admit it to the outside world. Besides, his grandparents and fathers all married wives and had children here, and they have already integrated into it. He lives locally and has no problems with his household registration, so he is naturally from Lishi County now.

Since his father and grandparents did not tell him that they were barbarians outside the pass, they must not be barbarians outside the pass. His father hoped that he could live and work in peace and contentment in the local area. Happy to live a stable life.

In the past few years, I often heard that there were snow disasters outside the pass, countless cattle and sheep died, and the Hu people were afraid that they would commit crimes again.For the vast majority of Central Plains people, they only care about the safety of the border. They don't care much about how well the Hu people live or whether many people starve to death.

Life outside the customs is not easy, and it is not that there are no barbarians who have thought of entering the customs to make a living, but how do they get in?

Without household registration, it is difficult to move an inch in the Central Plains. Some people are really forced to have no choice, and some people accept the protection of some wealthy merchants in the customs, and then willing to be sent by others, they become slaves.

These Hu people who served as slaves were usually called Hu Nu, and many of them were sold out, not voluntarily.

However, in the Central Plains, groups like the Hunu and Kunlun slaves did not have much rights as human beings. The Tang law also said that a slut and a slave are better than livestock.

So Feng Cobbler's family is lucky. Although the social status of the craftsmen is relatively low, they still have official household registration and are protected by the laws of the Tang Dynasty.

After finishing the job at hand, he must burn a stick of incense to his ancestors when he goes back. He has a hunch that the good days of their Feng family are coming soon.

"Did my sister's boots go well?" On this day, Luo Yong came over again to check the progress.

In the past few days, Cobbler Feng has already finished the boots for Du Gou and Ma Feiyang, as well as the boots for Luo Siniang and Luo Wulang, and now they are making the boots for Aunt Luo and Erniang Luo.

Both Du Gou and Ma Feiyang made riding boots. The boots of Luo Siniang and Luo Wulang were filled with cotton. This cotton was not the kind of cotton cotton in later generations, but silk fabrics, similar to silk quilts. People use it to make winter clothes.

Si Niang and Wu Lang either stay on the kang without wearing boots, or go out for activities, the amount of exercise is relatively large. They are at the age that loves to run and dance. If you make fur boots for them, it will probably take a few days to get rid of their fur. It was trampled down, and there was a thin layer of cotton inside the leather boots, which should be enough to keep the child warm.

Da Niang and Er Niang made these two pairs of fur boots, using two broken wolf skins.

Last year, a few wolves came down from the mountains in the northwest of Lishi County, and they were beaten away by the villagers together. Two of them were killed and sold in the city. The wolf meat was not tasty, and the wolf skin was damaged by them. It couldn't be sold for a good price, so Feng Cobbler finally accepted it at a relatively low price.

These two pieces of wolf skins are not in good condition, they were smashed out by the villagers with hoes and poles, and the fur color is not very beautiful, so no one cares about them all the time. Now it is suitable for making boots. No defects can be seen, and the fur is thick enough, so it should keep warm.

"This is about to be done." Feng Cobbler straightened his body and said to Luo Yong with a smile.

For him, these fur-integrated boots are much easier than the riding boots made a few days ago. He only needs to cut and sew the boots into the shape of the boots with the wolf fur facing inward, and then fix them on the Eucommia rubber soles. .

"Is this the base made of the fur under the stomach of a wolf?" Luo Yong picked up a finished shoe on the kang table, reached in and touched it, and it felt quite soft.

"That's where the fur is the softest." Girls have small feet, so they can't use up the two wolf skins to make these two pairs of boots that are more than half a foot high. Naturally, they choose the best and softest material for use.

"It's very warm." Luo Yong said happily.

"It's not a good thing, but it's not as fine as the previous pairs." Especially the two pairs of boots of Luo Siniang and Luo Wulang, which are made of deerskin on the outside and thin cotton on the inside. The two pairs of small boots are exquisite and beautiful. , keep warm and easy to walk.

"It's enough to be warm enough, and I will make other shoes for them in the spring of next year." Luo Yong doesn't think there is any lack of fineness in these fur-integrated boots. You can't buy wolf skins either.

However, the concept was different at this time. After all, people in the Central Plains still used relatively few leather goods, and they did not penetrate into people's lives in all aspects like later generations. Luo Yong has never seen anyone wearing such fur-integrated boots.

"If it is dyed with more colors, it should look better." Feng Cobbler suggested.

"It just so happens that I have dyes there." Luo Yong sat on the kang and felt a little cold, so he went down to the kang to light a fire, and then picked out the ashes in the stove.

"Hey, hey, just leave it alone, I'll do it." Feng Cobbler said hastily, he is a cobbler, how can he ask Luo Sanlang to help him burn the kang.

"It's okay, you're busy with your work." Luo Yong also knew that craftsmen like them didn't even know how to drink water when they were busy, and they often forgot to burn the kang.

"Feng Aweng, what do you think of my shoe soles?" Luo Yong talked to Feng Cobbler while lighting the fire.

"Of course it's very good." Facing the light coming in from the oiled paper window, Feng Cobbler carefully inspected the boot he had just finished. After a look, he made sure that there was nothing wrong with it, and then he combined it with another boot. Together with a boot, put them on the wooden cabinet at the end of the kang.

"We used to make boots with others, and we often worried about the sole. Using a single layer of leather to make the sole is too thin. Using a few more layers and stitching it with thread is thick enough, but we are afraid of water in the middle. The leather is too thin. The soles of the shoes are no better than sackcloth soles, if water gets in the middle, it will be difficult to get out, if it accumulates inside, the leather will be soaked, if a few holes are pierced for water, it will be difficult to wear in rainy and snowy weather.”

"The soles of your shoes are good, they are not afraid of water accumulation inside, they can insulate moisture, and they are also wear-resistant. Those soles made of twine, if the twine is worn off, the soles will not be strong. Your soles are fine. If I hide the thread on the sole of the shoe, it won’t be worn any more.”

Speaking of the shoe sole of the Luo family, the more Feng Cobbler thought about it, the more he liked it. It's a pity that this thing is really rare. Luo Sanlang mobilized his teachers to mobilize so many Du species trees from the south, planted them for a whole year, and hired people to pick many of them. After the leaves fall, they are fermented and washed, and I am afraid that there will not be many soles in the end.

"The soles of my shoes are old and can be recycled." Luo Yong proudly said: "Save a few broken soles and melt them in a pot, then pour them into molds, let them cool, and then there will be a new pair of soles."

"It's nothing to waste." Feng Cobbler was amused by the scene he told.

"I still have a lot of eucommia leaves in the fermentation tank over there. When they are all out, I can get about a hundred pairs of shoe soles. Feng Aweng, you can help me make boots in the future." Determine the employment relationship between them.

"Of course the little old man is willing." Feng Cobbler has done most of his life's work for others, and this is the first time he has met such a good employer, so why would he be unwilling.

"Feng Aweng's family still has young children who can work, so why not call one or two over to help." Since he has to work for a long time, relying on such an old man alone must be quite hard.

"Although my son is not good enough, it's no problem to help me." Hearing that Luo Yong asked him to call one or two more family members over, Feng Cobbler was even happier.

Not to mention anything else about the salary, just relying on the food for three meals a day, it would not be a loss to call his son over.

Besides, the craftsmanship of making rubber-soled leather boots, he has figured it out a bit these days, and he will continue to spend his time improving it. If his son can watch and learn by his side, it will be the best. There are shoes like this for him to see and touch.

"So, your father and son will make boots with me, and your monthly salary will be counted as two hundred Wen, and you will still eat three meals a day in Xu's inn, and you can have someone bring it over or you can go there yourself, how about it?"

For this kind of technical talent, Luo Yong is also willing to pay more, but he also has to consider the market situation.

Because Feng cobbler's son was basically only counted as an apprentice, Luo Yong didn't consider his wages. Giving him three meals a day, plus the opportunity to learn how to make rubber-soled leather boots, was not treating him badly.

In the future, when everyone discovers the benefits of eucommia rubber soles, more and more people will plant eucommia trees and get eucommia glue. In this trend, Feng Cobbler and his son are already at the forefront. Grasp it well, and there will naturally be many opportunities to make money in the future.

Therefore, the two hundred coins can be said to be only the salary of Feng Cobbler alone, plus three meals a day for two people. The configuration of these three meals is also relatively high. In this era, not ordinary people can afford it.

Such treatment, in Feng Cobbler's opinion, is naturally the best. He thanked Luo Yong again and again, and said that the wages were much higher, but Luo Yong told him to just help him make boots, as long as the boots were good. , he can naturally earn these wages from other places.

·

On the sixth day of October, Du Gou was finally about to leave. Luo Yong drove the donkey cart and sent him all the way out of the village entrance.

"Sanlang don't want to send it off anymore, let's go back now." When he got near the sheepfold, Du Gou reined in his horse and stopped, and advised Luo Yong to go back quickly. Although it didn't snow that day, the temperature was already very low.

"Da Lang, go all the way." Luo Yong handed him a small bag, which contained the date bean cake that he asked Mrs. Luo to make early this morning.

"Farewell!" After staying in Xipo Village for so long, Du Gou felt a little bit reluctant to leave at this time. He has gained a lot of knowledge here. He has been living in the yard on the slope, and Luo Use is also frequent.

"If Da Lang is not afraid of the wind and snow, he might as well buy some seeds of the Du planting tree first, and then return to Laizhou soon." Luo Yong said to him.

"I also have the same intention." Du Gou also saw the benefits of this Eucommia gum. He was wearing a pair of leather boots with Eucommia gum as the sole under his feet at this time. Luo Yong also told him that this Eucommia gum was not There is only one use for making shoe soles.

Going south to buy seeds at this time, the price should not be very high. After all, the news here has not had time to spread. After the rubber-soled leather boots become famous, it will be more difficult to buy seeds, not to mention the high price. .

Watching Du Gou's back on his horse drifting away, Luo Yong slowly reversed the donkey cart and let the five couples take him back to the village.

Counting the time, there are still seven or eight years before the rebellion case of Prince Li Chengqian in the 17th year of Zhenguan. I don't know if history can be rewritten this time.Luo Yong didn't know or understand other people, so he didn't have much idea, but for this Dugu, Luo Yong hoped that he could live a good life, and not just die because of some things that have nothing to do with him. What happened to Heno.

Du Gou came in summer and brought Champa rice seeds to Luo Yong, and also helped him make a batch of very delicate peony cushions. Luo Yong planned to use these cushions to flatter the emperor.

When leaving, Du Gou took away a suit of cashmere sweater and trousers, a pair of rubber-soled leather boots, and a few skills learned from Luo Yong, but he didn't know whether these skills could change his fate a little bit.