"Speaking of the use of sugar mi. Actually, it's a bit of a waste to make alcohol, and it's completely okay to make sake. Xu Wen has many wineries here that use this. ”

Bei Wei said: "Xue Ziliang in my team, he can make a lot of foreign wine. Last time he mentioned to me that the sugar mime from the sugar cane mill could be used to make rum—"

"This is good," Wen Tong hurriedly said, "the economic benefits of rum are much better than alcohol." ”

Bei Wei doesn't see it that way: "Is alcohol more useful in industry?" ”

"Yes, but alcohol can be made as long as it contains sugar and starch, and rum has to be sugary." Wen Tong said, "I've also thought about making wine with sugar mi, but I don't know how to start, it's great if you have jishu personnel." ”

Bei Wei said: "Then I'll send him when I go back." ”

Chang Shide said with a smile: "As soon as the rum comes out, it will not be a problem to sell it back to Europe." When I talked to them, I heard that Cuba and Batavia were the main exporters of rum back then. ”

"What you save after making rum can be used to refine other by-products." Wen Tong said, "It's better than making alcohol alone." ”

So the matter of preparing to build a rum distillery in Xu Wen was settled, after all, it was too inconvenient to transport the sugar to Lingao to deal with it.

In the evening, Wen Tong drafted a report to the Executive Committee, applied for a still to be shipped, and at the same time temporarily seconded Xue Ziliang to the South China Sugar Factory to guide the work.

The few people who talked about the use of sugarcane by-products with great interest did not realize the huge impact of the commissioning of the South China Sugar Factory, and in a sense it even surpassed the various constructions carried out by the Crossing Group in Lingao. This is a factory completely open to the ordinary people of the Ming Dynasty, and the convenience, efficiency and cheapness brought by mechanized and industrialized mass production have left a deep impression on everyone who comes into contact with this factory. And the consequences of it came to them sooner than anyone expected.

Hai On Street. Sugar Association Hall - Haiyi Hall.

This bluestone gatehouse, with a strong Cantonese style building, occupies a prominent position on Hai'an Street. Hai'an Street is famous for its "sweet port", and it is the merchants in this hall who have mastered this "sweet port" and almost completely monopolized the export of Leizhou sugar, and most of them come from Chaozhou and Guangzhou areas in Guangdong. There are more than 20 sugar shops on the street, without exception. The geographical proximity and the connection of interests make the sugar merchants here very united and jointly maintain this hard-won country.

Ever since the black smoke billowed from the chimneys of the South China sugar mills, these sensitive businessmen seem to have smelled a hint of impending social change. They began to feel uneasy, and there was always a whisper in the teahouse, in the restaurant, in the cabinet of every sugar store.

Everyone thinks that something should be done, but no one knows what to do, even if it is a person who is determined to respond to all changes with the same, he is a little lost in his heart, and he always feels that someone should come out and affirm his countermeasures.

Now, the shopkeepers and principals of these sugar shops are gathered in the flower hall of this hall. This tall and bright hall is made of exquisite materials and fine workmanship, and the second one cannot be found in the whole Leizhou Mansion. Originally, at this time of year, the shopkeepers gathered here, drinking famous teas, eating fine snacks, and sometimes singing in the low voice of singers. Talking about the price of sugar this year. How much reward for the hard work and blood and sweat of many people in a year is decided at such a gathering.

At this moment, there was a strange sense of panic in the hall, and as in the usual gatherings, six tables of eight immortals were placed in the hall, which were filled with all kinds of small dishes, famous teas and wines. But today, none of these people who are extremely particular about food and daily life have an appetite. The shopkeepers and stewards of each family sat silently one by one, some people's eyes turned quickly, as if they were thinking about something, and some people sat firmly on the Diaoyutai and looked unfazed. Someone suddenly stood up, walked a few steps, sat down again, opened the Sichuan fan in his hand and instigated vigorously.

"It's spring now, so it's not so hot." A fat man couldn't stand the strong wind of the people around him, and said.

"The heart is hot, and it can't be cool if you don't fan." The fan-fanners look younger.

"Hot fart, there are many people who sell sugar at your place, why don't you feel anxious?" The fat man dissatisfied.

"It's a lot now, but what about in the future?" The person who fanned the fan was the young proprietor of the "Japanese Association". His family's sugar store is one of the top 10 largest sugar stores on Hai On Street.

"There will be no less in the future." The fat man still said unhurriedly, "If he doesn't sell it to your bank, he sells it to my bank, it's all a market, what's there to toss?" The fat man is the shopkeeper of "Riyuelai".

"I'm afraid of the South China Sugar Factory!" The young owner swallowed and spitted, "Didn't you go to see their factory?" It's like a nightmare! That big iron mill, if you go in alone, you have to crush it to pieces! And the chimney that burned at night and smoked during the day, like a ghost tree! ”

The fat man said: "He makes sugar, and we sell sugar." We don't care what he does. Besides, no matter how much sugar he makes, we have to sell it. What are you afraid of? Besides, if he makes more sugar, the price will fall, which is a good thing for us-"

"If only that were the case." The old man sitting next to him sighed, "What if they also want to do the sugar business?" ”

"It can't be, right? Interlaced like mountains—"

"It's hard to say." The old man sighed, "I heard that the proprietors in South China are all from Guangzhou, this business is so profitable, how can they let it go easily?" What if they want to do business directly here? ”

This caused a whisper, and then someone shouted to the man who had been sitting in the middle, staring at him:

"I wish the third master, you are our backbone, take an idea to take care of this matter!"

This person who is called the third master is over fifty years old, with a short figure, and there is no sense of decadence of wine and wealth on his body, revealing a shrewd and capable strength. His real name is Zhu An, and he ranks third in the family, and everyone respectfully calls him "Zhu Sanye", but he has covered up his real name. He runs a "Riyicheng" sugar store at home, and has more than 10 large ships with more than 200 materials, specializing in carrying sugar goods for distribution to various places. Since the sugar profits are very substantial, it is easy to cash out. At sea, there is a group of pirates who hijack sugar ships. Zhu Sanye, as the owner of the local sugar store and a big shipowner, specially organized various sugar stores to jointly fund the establishment of a "Haiyitang" industry organization, to discuss the annual sugar price, and then allocate a sum of money from the profits according to the size of the bank, which was used to hand over the government and entertain all parties. In addition, a lot of fugitives from the navy division were recruited to escort the ship, and since then, the loss of sugar has been greatly reduced, and the nearby sea has calmed down a lot. This man is resourceful and resolute, maintains good public and private aspects, has a great reputation in the local area, and is the leading figure here. The sugar shops are even more promising.

This Zhu Sanye has not spoken since just now, and this meeting was asked by name before he spoke: "Idea? What do I have in mind? People are serious sugar cane farms and sugar squatters. Do not break the law at the top, and do not disturb the people at the bottom. Why should we care? ”

Zhu Sanye took a sip of the teacup: "Ladies and gentlemen, what are you thinking in your hearts, I wish Sanye to know: it is nothing more than that he is afraid that people will be rich and powerful, and when the time comes, they will come to squeeze us, which will damage everyone's income." ”

Someone said: "I'm not afraid of this, I always feel that there is a problem with the sugar in the South China factory!" He looked worried about the country and the people, "Now more than half of the sugarcane farmers in the county are asking them to make sugar, and there are also boats from Haikang and Suixi." In case there is something greasy in it, it smashes the signboard of Leizhou Sugar. We won't be able to eat this meal! ”

"Not bad!" The young owner of "Day Xiecheng" came to the spirit, "There must be something strange about their sugar!" I have also been to the sugar liao, there is always a fixed number of how much sugar can be produced from an acre of sugarcane, removing the master's craftsmanship, zuihou is always only a little, how can he get more when he arrives? And so much more? It's either adulterated or sorcery! ”

The word "witchcraft" startled everyone. Speaking of which, it turned fast, and I didn't see a cow's big iron roller, which did look a little crooked. After a while, the fat shopkeeper of "Riyuelai" said: "No, how can there be such magic in the world." ”

"It's not witchcraft, how did this sugar come out of thin air?"

"How do I know! If there really is this hexery, I want to learn it too! ”

I wish the third master to stop the noise. He only asked, "Have all the sugar collected by the shopkeepers have been tested recently?" ”

Everyone said that they had tested it, and there was nothing special about it. Because the South China factory is cooking sugar for the first time this year, it also takes special care of the work, as long as it is said that the sugar boiled in the South China factory must be carefully checked. In the last half month, the sugar in South China has been more than all other local sugar liao, especially in terms of cleanliness - it does not contain any impurities.

After listening to everyone's words, Zhu Sanye stared for a long time and didn't speak. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he said: "How does the South China Factory make sugar, we can't control this matter, and there is no need to care." I inquired in the county, and his own name has nearly 3,000 acres of sugarcane fields in Xuwen and Haikang, and now there are so many generations of cooking shares, and he has at least 120,000 stones of goods in his hand. He changed his words, "Why didn't you see it for sale?" ”

"yes, we think it's weird too!" Everyone said one after another. As long as you are not blind, everyone can see that the South China factory will definitely be a big sugar hoarder, and each family has sent a "running out" shopkeeper to ask for peace, wanting to explore the meaning of this big deal, but I didn't expect that although the other party's words were very polite, there was no intention to sell.

Other sugar houses under his family's name are also sending sugar to South China, which seems to have no intention of selling. It means that they are hoarding goods for export."

"They have big ships, maybe it's possible."

"It's hard to say—"

was discussing the instructions, and suddenly a small guy ran in and said a few words in Zhu Sanye's ear, and Zhu Sanye's face suddenly changed. He whispered, "Really?!" ”

"That's right, the county is talking about this, the cabinet is almost finished, and it will open in a few days." Although the little guy's words were very soft, the people nearby still heard a little.

"What? It's ......"

Zhu Sanye's face was gloomy: "Sure enough, I said it to you - the South China factory will open the scale in a few days!" ”

This news was like a blip of cold water poured into an oil pot, and the originally lifeless hall suddenly boiled:

"What's going on! It's so unbelievable. ”

"If you want to eat this bowl of rice, you don't even have the etiquette to come and inform you. What kind of lawless people are in the South China factory! ”

"I wish the third master, this is not good, this sugar in Leizhou. For decades, it has been underwritten by twenty-one of our Haiyi Tang peers, if they break the rules, how will we mix rice on the territory in the future?! ”

"Yes, I wish you a word, we have twenty-one sugar stores, we have money to contribute, and we must not let this South China factory mess up our situation!"

The young owner of "Day Xiecheng" shook his fan lightly and said proudly: "Don't work hard to wish the third master, I have a way to keep it so that they will hurt their muscles and bones." ”

"What's the method?"

"Hmph, find a few ways to dump the corpse, and send it to his door in the middle of the night. Talk to Li and Chen Touer in the yamen and wait early in the morning. If he didn't report to the official, he would be questioned on the spot for the crime of "hiding the corpse", and if he did, he would have to take the shopkeeper inside. Get into the yamen and make some money, so that they can suffer a little in it......"

"Don't show off your bad idea!" Zhu Sanye shouted, "Do you think people come empty-handed? Can you get the post of the praise painting in the yamen of the governor of Liangguang? When the time comes, as soon as his post is taken out, not to mention the county master, even the Lord of Futai will have to be politely sent out of the door. ”

Everyone is a little discouraged, and the so-called singles are not all shili. But all the common people, unless it is the day of the rebellion, are afraid of being officials in any profession. Not to mention the rich old wealth. What's more, the biggest official they can contact is only the prefect of Leizhou, and when they heard that the other party has connections in the yamen of the governor of Liangguang, they have been a little timid, and their original enthusiasm has dropped a lot.

"Besides, after such a trouble, the enmity with the South China factory will be resolved! Do you know where they are coming from? Zhu Sanye said, "This iron roller alone is not like something that ordinary big households can prepare." ”

Everyone's eyes were on Zhu Sanye, knowing that he had a plan in his heart.

Zhu Sanye smiled: "This matter, we can only do it softly, not hard." In my opinion, it is good to find out their bottom line first, what is the origin of them, who is their proprietor, and what is the relationship between the praise paintings in the yamen of the governor of Liangguang and them, we must make it clear. ”

"The third master is right!" The fat shopkeeper of "Riyuelai" slapped the table, "Shili is big, let's be soft; Shili is small, and we will come to the big one. Third master, am I right? ”

"Almost." Zhu Sanye said vaguely, "Do you know yourself and your opponent?" ”

Those who are anxious are already shouting: "Third master, just say what to do!" ”(！ )