Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 52: I’m in trouble! I’m in trouble!

A few hours ago.

Li Ming has been extremely busy these days.

By deepening institutional reforms and breaking the old production model, his printing workshop has exploded with astonishing production capacity.

Took over most of the flyer printing business.

Moreover, after this cost internalization, the overall expenditure has actually dropped significantly.

But on the other hand, the development of movable type printing encountered many twists and turns.

Li Ming obviously underestimated the difficulty of transforming a new technology from PPT to exe.

Although he had the foresight to point out the future development direction of printing technology.

However, technological progress does not happen overnight.

It is not something that can be achieved by a liberal arts student just talking nonsense or making some chicken soup.

There are still many technical details that need to be polished before the new printing technology can be put into practice.

These days, he has been spending every day in the workshop, eating and working with the workers, and can squeeze out several kilograms of water every day.

Because of this, my butt was covered with calluses from being beaten by my mother.

But even so, progress is still slow.

Unlike woodblock printing, the type molds for movable type printing must be firmly fixed on the iron plate to ensure that they do not move during printing.

However, it must be able to be easily removed when workers adjust the layout or change the content.

After countless exhausting experiments, the problem was finally solved by the R&D team leader Zhang Heng.

His method was to apply rosin, wax and paper ash on the iron plate.

When solidified, it can stick firmly to the type mold. When heated, the adhesive melts and the type mold can fall off automatically.

The problem of font layout has been basically solved, but the problems with the fonts themselves are becoming more and more serious.

Initially, craftsmen treated the type molds as small-scale carving blocks, also made of clay.

But it was soon discovered that clay was not wear-resistant.

It was ok to make disposable engravings, but as movable type that could be used repeatedly, it would be too easy to wear out, so the technical director Zhang Heng rejected it.

Since clay didn't work, the craftsmen experimented with wood.

However, wooden movable type is not wear-resistant enough, and its texture is uneven, so it will swell up and down when it comes into contact with ink.

In addition, wood is prone to mildew and rot, and it is difficult to remove the rosin that sticks to it.

After careful consideration by production and R&D manager Zhang Heng, wooden movable type was temporarily shelved.

"What do you think about using metal to make the fonts?" Li Ming and the workers squatted on the ground and came up with ideas together.

Zhang Heng, who had been promoted to factory director, did not say much about the controlling shareholder's opinion.

Instead, he took out a copper coin, dipped it in ink, and then slammed it hard on the paper.

The four characters "Kaiyuan Tongbao" cannot be said to be clearly visible, or it can be said that they have passed by without leaving any trace.

"Metal doesn't absorb ink." The science and engineering man didn't waste any time and went straight to the point.

"Oh."

Li Ming was very receptive to advice.

Then everyone stopped talking.

Not wood, not clay, not metal.

What materials should be used?
Can't use plastic?
Everyone was at a loss when an old printer with a southern accent interrupted and said:
"You can try the wood of the annatto tree."

"Wood won't work." Zhang Heng said without even raising his head.

"You don't understand this. Different woods have different qualities."

When it comes to technical issues, the old engineering guy is not polite at all and confronts his boss face to face:

"Rouge is moisture-resistant and wear-resistant. People in my hometown use it to make door hinges. Why can't it be used to make fonts?"

Making door hinges in the humid south does sound like a very suitable raw material for movable type.

Zhang Heng tilted his head, thought for a moment, and said only one word:

"it is good!"

New ideas are immediately put into practice.

The first question is:

What is annatto?
"It is a tree that is unique to my hometown. The wood is very hard and has a uniform texture. It is not afraid of mold and insects."

"Where are you from?"

"Jiaozhou."

Everyone fell silent immediately.

Jiaozhou, also known as Jiaozhi of the Annan Protectorate.

It is not far from Chang'an, only six or seven hours by plane.

Where can I find tropical trees in Guanzhong?

"Ming Ge, Ming Ge, what are you busy with recently?"

Yuchi Xunyu came to visit.

This place was not far from the porridge stall. Li Ming spent the whole day in the workshop, while the children of the nobles were working on their manuscripts in the store.

In their spare time, they also formed "helping pairs" with the poor children who distributed flyers and taught them literacy one-on-one.

Needless to say, this was also His Highness Li Ming's idea.

Ever since he acquired the printing house, he has been deliberately trying to bring everyone closer together.

Children are pure and should not be polluted by adults' prejudices or class barriers.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all serve as comrades of the 14th Party and unite around His Highness Li Ming?
"It's not easy to choose the materials for movable type." Li Ming sighed and asked:
"How come you have time to come here? Aren't you teaching them how to write?"

"Oh, don't mention it!"

Little Charcoal Head sullenly drank cold water, while casually greeting the craftsmen who hurriedly passed by.

"The kid I was in charge of was a monkey. He actually jumped out of the window and ran away in the middle of class!"

Li Ming also got angry:
"Damn it, you actually dare to skip class?! If I catch you, I'll have to interrupt him... that...

"toenail?"

The two teachers were halfway through swearing when they suddenly realized that they were the ones who should have their legs broken.

They tacitly skipped over this topic.

"Do you know the annatto tree?" Li Ming asked.

Yuchi Xunyu nodded:
"Yes, our family is building a pavilion, and we are using rouge wood, which is moisture-resistant and insect-resistant."

There is a pavilion at home. Listen to what people say.
Xiao Xunyu felt the dangerous gaze and shook his head repeatedly:
"No, no, if you demolish the pavilion, my grandfather will kill me.

"But I know where to buy this wood..."

At this moment, a little monkey head popped in from the window:

"What are you waiting for? Come on, let's go buy it together!"

Yuchi Xunyu's eyes widened in anger:

"Lou—Shi—De! You dare to come back after skipping my class?!"

The little fellow named Lou Shide retorted:

"You can't compare to me in calligraphy, but I'm more knowledgeable than you in scholarship. Why should I waste my time listening to you?"

Oh?
These words caught Li Ming's attention, and he couldn't help but look at the child carefully.

He was as thin as a monkey, and looked no different from other poor kids.

Yuchi Xunyu's face immediately turned red:

"Are you the teacher or am I the teacher?"

As he said this, he rolled up his sleeves and was about to beat him.

Whoa!

Behind the kid named Lou Shide who skipped classes, many little heads popped out at the same time.

Even Yuchi Xunyu was shocked.

From those heads, Li Ming accurately identified a fellow with shifty eyes:

"Come—Jun—Chen!"

Lai Junchen smiled awkwardly:

"Hey, hey, break, break."

At the same time, outside the workshop, shouts and footsteps were heard coming from far away.

They were another group of children, Li Ming’s elementary school classmates.

They were holding rolling pins, feather dusters, brooms and other weapons in their hands, and they rushed over aggressively.

"Don't run! Come back to study!"

The corners of Li Ming's mouth couldn't stop twitching.

Lai Junchen's smile became even more flattering:

"Ming...Mr. Ming, don't be angry, we are here to help you move the wood."…………

All the wise men have arrived, and they have gathered together.

Except for Wei Daijia who went to buy ink, the core members of the Fourteen Parties were basically present.

Half is a brat, and the other half is also a brat.

"Alas..." Li Ming was tired:
"Let's go, let's go buy some wood. Little Black Charcoal, lead the way."

Who said Heitan is so interesting... Yuchi Xunyu looked around curiously.

Then he noticed that everyone's eyes were on him.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Along the way, both groups of children wore masks of pain.

Even the usually elegant Chang Sunyan couldn't help but raise his voice:

"It's so simple, how come you don't know it? It's so simple, how come you don't know it?"

The thin kid sitting opposite him looked aggrieved:
"I don't know, why is '三' three horizontal lines, but '四' can't be '亖' horizontal line?"

"You're trying to make me mad!"

Chang Sunyan pulled his hair in despair.

“Well taught.”

Seeing that his classmates had avoided decades of detours and were experiencing the joy of teaching children in advance, Li Ming nodded with satisfaction.

Led by the depressed little black charcoal Yuchi Xunyu, everyone walked out of the gate of West Market.

Li Ming asked doubtfully:

"Huh? The merchant who sells rouge wood isn't in the West Market. Could it be in the East Market?"

Yuchi Xunyu quickly stepped out of the shadow of being called "Little Black Charcoal" and smiled mysteriously:
"Not here either."

"Oh?"

Li Ming's expression suddenly became meaningful.

According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, all shops must be concentrated in the East and West markets.

No business is allowed in other places.

Otherwise, if you are caught by the city supervisor (that is, the urban management), you will be fined and spanked.

But as we all know, setting up stalls anywhere is more difficult to control than spitting anywhere.

In the Tang Dynasty, when there was neither surveillance nor patrol cars, street vendors often occupied the roads, which was called "street encroachment."

The space in the East and West Markets is limited, the stall fees are too expensive, and transportation is inconvenient for residents living in the South City.

As a result, the invisible hand of the market allocated resources to the streets.

Hayek is so great.

Walking south along the streets between the neighborhoods, we came to a large area where stalls were set up privately.

The place is crowded with people and the sounds of hawking are endless, making it a third market besides the East and West Markets.

It is also the largest black market in Chang'an.

"Rouge wood is bought here." Yuchi Xunyu pointed to a Turkic vendor in the corner.

The guy was sitting on a pile of wood, looking pale and doubtful, with his hands in his pockets, looking like his body and wallet were empty.

It's obvious that the business is losing money.

Li Ming narrowed his eyes and found that it was still an old face.

"Zhi Shi Bu Zhen? Why did you switch to selling wood? And why are you so thin?"

That Turkic merchant was the guy who sold the stolen goods for Li Ming before.

This guy used to sell cloth and run seafood business.

Basically, whatever you buy goes up, and whatever you sell goes down. It has become the industry's doomsday light and a reverse indicator of the market.

Seeing Boss Li Ming coming, poor Zhishi almost cried:

"Brother Ming..."

…………

"Oh, so this is the rouge tree—

"Actually, it's the 'teak' used in modern home decoration."

Li Ming studied the texture of the wood.

Very evenly firm indeed.

It is a good material for making movable type molds.

"But Brother Zhishi, why did you come all the way from Jiaozhou to Chang'an to sell the wood?"

Li Ming didn't know what to say to this business genius.

Is Chang'an short of wood?

The city is next to Mount Zhongnan (Qinling Mountains) and is connected to the Weishui River (Weihe River). Are you short of some wood?
Even if there is a real shortage, there is no need to transport it all the way from Southeast Asia to Guanzhong, right?

The shipping cost is sky-high!
"Rouge wood is strong and insect-resistant. I thought people in Chang'an would like it..."

Zhi Shi Buzhen's voice was low, like a statue.

Li Ming covered his face.

No wonder I haven’t seen him for a few months. It turns out he went to Southeast Asia to do transportation.

No wonder he is not in Xishi. It turns out that he has lost so much that he can't even afford the stall fee.

He patted his old friend on the shoulder:

"I have all this wood wrapped."

Zhi Shibuzhen said nothing, just shrugged his shoulders.

"Friendly wholesale price, 40% off." Li Ming gave a quote very generously.

The Turks finally couldn't control their surging emotions and shed tears of regret.

I'm so stupid, really.

Why do I always get slaughtered by this little bastard...

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing here? Get out of here!"

Someone on the street was shouting and yelling, causing the vendors to panic.

Damn, the urban management is here... Li Ming subconsciously ran away.

Suddenly I had a second thought.

its not right.

Why am I running?
My father is Li Shimin!
Li Ming looked carefully and found that the person shouting was not wearing a white robe and did not look like a market supervisor.

And like a servant in some mansion.

The servant acted in a tyrannical manner, overturning stalls, trampling fruits and vegetables, and pushing vendors and customers to the sides.

Everyone was angry but dared not speak out.

Seeing that the guy was really arrogant, Li Ming's temper flared up.

He stood on the wood and asked condescendingly:

"who are you?"

The servant looked up and saw a child with his hands on his hips. He snorted disdainfully:
"Who are you to make trouble in front of the mansion?"

"In front of the mansion? Which mansion?"

Li Ming looked around in confusion.

This is the road between the various neighborhoods, and behind the stalls are the towering neighborhood walls.

Where did the palace come from?
At this moment, there was a sudden bang.

Just behind him, a big hole was smashed in the wall.

The servant grinned:
“It is now.

"From now on, this is the main gate of the Imperial Censorate. No one is allowed to get within ten feet of this gate. Violators will be punished with caning!"

"Bah bah bah!"

Li Ming spat out a mouthful of dust, and he seemed to have understood.

My goodness, the street vendors are just occupying the road to do business.

And this unknown "Imperial Censor" built his own house illegally on the road!

Damn it, this is intolerable!
Li Ming didn't waste any more time and asked his children:
"Whose dog is this? Come and claim it?"

"You...?!" The servant rolled up his sleeves in anger:
"I am a servant of the Imperial Censorate, how dare you insult me?"

Everyone shook their heads, saying they didn't know this guy and that they didn't live here.

"That's good."

Li Ming pointed at the bully who was taking advantage of his master:

"Fuck him for me!"

(End of this chapter)