Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

Lin Ping's entire face was pressed against the crude oil, his slightly pursed lips almost touching it.

Shen Kuo first mentioned this black liquid in his "Dream Pool Essays" and predicted its importance.

As a modern time traveler, Lin Ping knew better than anyone how important crude oil was; it was definitely liquid gold.

In this way, he became a man with a mine in his family, and a very desirable one at that.

Not getting rich? You must be joking. At least Lin Ping doesn't believe it.

Seeing his crazy behavior and that foolish smile, the three of them couldn't help but start to worry.

"Go find a big pot, and then cut a thick bamboo pole," Lin Ping said excitedly, eager to verify the value of the crude oil immediately.

Crude oil is a mixture of various components, which can be separated into gasoline, kerosene, diesel and heavy oil according to their different boiling points.

Gasoline, used as fuel for private cars, has become an important strategic resource.

Kerosene is of extraordinary significance as a dye for aircraft and various aerospace applications.

Diesel fuel is the fuel for various large machinery vehicles and holds an irreplaceable position.

Heavy oil can be refined into asphalt, which is used to pave roads.

Lin Ping lacked advanced chemical distillation technology and could barely separate the two substances by relying on the different boiling points of their components.

These two substances are enough for Lin Ping. He has no plans to produce internal combustion engines for the time being, and besides, this is a gradual process.

Without advanced casting technology, how could the internal combustion engine have come into being?

For him, liquid fuel and asphalt are enough; at the very least, he can achieve his goal of making money.

Before long, the workers brought over a large pot and several thick bamboo poles.

Lin Ping placed large chunks of crude oil in the pot, covered it with a lid, sealed the edges with mud, and made a hole in the middle of the lid to attach a bamboo pole.

Then, Lin Ping ordered his men to light firewood under the pot, and soon the pot began to boil.

He then ordered people to continuously pour cold water onto the bamboo poles to condense the gas inside.

A porcelain basin was placed at the other end of the bamboo pole. Liquid dripped continuously down the bamboo pole. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the porcelain basin was half full, and the liquid in the bamboo pole began to decrease.

He immediately removed the firewood from under the pot, opened the lid, and the originally viscous crude oil turned into a shiny black solid.

"Haha! It's done!" Lin Ping jumped high in the air.

Although no one knew why he was happy, they found it very strange.

"What is this?" Zhu Xiaoji asked, pointing to something. Even if he was going to lose everything, he wanted to know the truth.

"Bring me an oil lamp and a piece of cloth," Lin Ping said excitedly.

It's time to show the real technology!

The worker was quite quick and efficient, soon bringing him what he wanted and handing it to Lin Ping with a puzzled look.

Lin Ping casually lit the oil lamp, and immediately a small, dark yellow flame appeared, along with completely black smoke.

"How is it?" Lin Ping asked.

"Not at all..."

The group was completely baffled. Why was Lin Ping lighting an oil lamp in broad daylight?

What are your circumstances? Are you rich?

amount……

Lin Ping was speechless. He took a deep breath and blew out the flickering flame instantly.

This type of oil lamp, made with vegetable oil, is not only dark in color and produces a lot of smoke, but also has a weak flame.

He emptied the vegetable oil from the lamp, then filled it with kerosene and relit the wick.

The whole world seemed brighter, and even the sun's brilliance paled in comparison.

Is this yellowish-white light for real?

Moreover, there was almost no smoke above the lamp wick.

Zhu Xiaoji sucked hard on the top a few times, feeling refreshed.

All three were sons of wealthy merchants and possessed a keen business sense. They exclaimed almost in unison, "This is truly a treasure trove. I'm afraid all the people of Jiangcheng Prefecture will buy this kind of lamp oil."

Jiangcheng Prefecture? Is that all the ambition they have? It should be the entire Wu Kingdom, and even the entire Great Cause!

Kerosene is of far superior quality to vegetable oil, and as long as they don't set the price too high, it will definitely become a hot-selling product.

Seeing this, the three began to wonder what function that shiny black solid could have.

Lin Ping is practically a god-like figure; he can tinker with things that don't make money.

As expected, Lin Ping's gaze fell on the asphalt, and he continued to heat the iron pot. The solid asphalt quickly turned into a liquid.

He put the felt cloth in the pot, coated it evenly with asphalt, and then took it out. It solidified in no time.

"Bring a bucket of water," Lin Ping continued to instruct.

While everyone was puzzled, he had already raised the tarpaulin over Zhu Xiaoji's head.

Wow...

A bucket of water fell mercilessly from above Zhu Xiaoji, who was caught off guard and thought he was going to get soaked.

To everyone's surprise, all the water dripped down the edge of the tarpaulin without soaking through.

"An oiled paper umbrella? This cloth can be used to make oiled paper umbrellas?" The three were astonished, as if they had found a treasure.

Do you wear a tarpaulin on your head when you go out? Can you really see the road clearly?

Furthermore, oil-paper umbrellas are a symbol of talented men and women; wouldn't a dark, unsightly object diminish one's status?

"This is called tarpaulin. It can be laid on thatched houses to keep out the rain," Lin Ping explained helplessly.

The three nodded repeatedly, reassessing the value of the tarpaulin.

The three men were immediately unsettled as their thoughts raced. If tarpaulin was indeed used to make oil-paper umbrellas, the consumer group would only be wealthy young men, and the demand would be small.

However, if it is used to cover thatched houses to keep out the rain, the consumer group becomes all ordinary people, and the usage is extremely large.

Everyone says that it's easy to make money from the rich, but actually it's easiest to make money from ordinary people because the base is so large, and tarpaulin will soon become a necessity of life.

"How much silver does this piece of tarpaulin cost?" Zhu Xiaoji asked tentatively, genuinely worried that the common people couldn't afford it.

If the price is outrageously high, ordinary people might as well buy some bricks and tiles, which would be much better than tarpaulins.

"It only costs one or two taels of silver," Lin Ping said with a faint smile.

It's too cheap for ordinary people to get rid of the problem of leaky roofs for just one or two taels of silver.

It's less of a sale and more of a giveaway.

Lin Ping's words truly evoke the image of a benevolent ruler who shelters all the poor and brings joy to the world.

Just as Zhu Xiaoji was about to retort, Lin Ping continued, "Our cost is only five hundred coins, and the profit can almost double. We can make money while also benefiting the people. Why not?"

If the city lord had said this, Zhu Xiaoji would probably have believed it.

You, Lin Ping, are nothing but a spoiled brat. When did you ever have the thought of benefiting the people?

Lin Ping was somewhat displeased and said with a gloomy face, "If Brother Zhu is unwilling, he can withdraw his investment."

Withdraw your investment? Are you out of your mind?!

Zhu Xiaoji immediately put on a smiling face and didn't dare to say a word more.

Lin Ping's actions were not without ulterior motives. By winning over the hearts of the people, he could pave the way for his own future. If he were to have a falling out with the monarch in the future, these people might be able to save him.

Moreover, he also wanted to rely on the broad masses of people to rescue Jiang Yunying from the Lotus Palace.