The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 50

Xu Tian went outside and saw two people, an old man and a young man, both carrying bundles. The old man had a sallow complexion and was carrying a cloth bag containing a blacksmith's hammer. Xu Tian was slightly pleased; it seemed that the people Old Man Yu had introduced had finally arrived.

"You two must have been introduced by Elder Yu, right? Come, please come in and have a seat."

“Indeed, you must be Xu Lang. My surname is Chai, and everyone calls me Chai the Blacksmith. You may call me that too. I told you this place is a good place, so I came to take a look,” the old man said directly.

"Yes, please sit down. My workshop is just starting out and we need experienced workers. A few days ago, Old Yu helped me build two iron furnaces, and we worked very well together. He recommended you to me."

I certainly trust Elder Yu's judgment. Let's go take a look at the ironworks first. If we don't mind the environment here, we can discuss the monthly salary later. What do you think?"

"Yes, I was just thinking of taking a look at the iron furnace that Old Man Yu built. The matter of the monthly salary is easy to discuss."

So, Xu Tian led the two on a tour of the factory, giving a brief introduction to the living area, canteen, and several planned parts of the factory.

"Your workshop may not be very big, and it can't compare to other places, but it's quite well-equipped, and you've clearly put a lot of effort into it," the blacksmith commented, looking at the living quarters.

"That's true, for now, it can't compare to the government's factories and other large factories," Xu Tian could only admit. He had heard Old Man Yu say that the government's factories had hundreds of workers, and some even had thousands.

"Hmm, these two furnaces are quite good, they look no worse than those in the army. Although they're not very big, they're enough for this place. Why don't we see the blacksmith's forge?"

The blacksmith carefully examined the iron furnace inside and out, even touching it from time to time, indicating that he was knowledgeable in this area. After glancing around, he asked a question.

"There are no blacksmith furnaces yet, because the initial plan here is mainly for iron casting, so no blacksmith furnaces have been built yet. However, if needed in the future, we can build our own," Xu Tian explained.

The requirements for a blacksmith's furnace are much lower than those for an iron smelting furnace. After studying it for the past few days, he was confident that he could make one himself.

“No, whether it’s casting iron or forging iron, you need a blacksmith’s furnace. But this is much simpler than a smelting furnace. I can make one too. Once I’m all set up, we can build one first,” the blacksmith instructed.

Chai the blacksmith walked around a bit more, taking a look at the space and layout of the iron workshop.

"The ground here is different from the others; it's paved very firmly."

Of course, Xu Tian put a lot of effort into making this paved road with cement, and many areas that needed to be leveled were paved.

The blacksmith didn't say much, then turned back.

"Well, Chai the blacksmith, if you have no objections to these matters, let's discuss your future monthly salary now."

Here's what I'm thinking: since the ironworks is just starting out and we don't have any other manpower right now, we can only rely on you, Chai the blacksmith, to oversee it. When we recruit new people, we'll need you to be responsible for their training and instruction. I hope you can demonstrate your true skills, Chai the blacksmith.

The starting monthly salary is set at four centimeters, with a double salary at the end of the year, and a holiday bonus of 500 yuan for each major festival. Room and board are also provided; the food is no worse than other places, and you'll have your own private dormitory room. What do you think?

Xu Tian explained in detail, emphasizing that things should only proceed if both parties are willing.

After listening, Chai the blacksmith thought for a moment, then pointed to the seventeen or eighteen-year-old young man who had come with him and said, “This man is my grand-nephew, Chai Ning. He will be my apprentice from now on. You can reduce my monthly salary by two strings of cash and transfer it to him.”