On Xiguan Street in Dezhou, Shandong, Yang Yexing sat in a carriage and drove unhurriedly to his iron shop.

The Yang family is engaged in iron trading, relying on the convenience of Cao Yun, specializing in the southern Guangzhou Railway and Fujian Railway, there are seven cargo ships of the light railway, there is a large warehouse and an iron shop near the Xiguan Wharf, and there is also an iron shop on Dongmen Street.

In addition to Dezhou, the Yang family also has branches in Zhendingfu, Baodingfu, Hejian and Jinghai, and can also rank in the top five among the private ironware firms in Shandong, Hebei and Shuntianfu.

On this day, the iron shop at Xiguan Wharf suddenly came to a son-in-law, from Jingle County, Taiyuan Prefecture, Shanxi, saying that he had a large amount of raw and wrought iron in his hands, and wanted to find a buyer who could not only eat three or four hundred thousand catties of iron, but also be a long-term cooperation.

Yang Yexing didn't think so, there were mine owners in Shanxi who came to him at two ends in three days, and wanted to do business with him, and the fire source was sufficient, but the reputation of his Yang firm was made by Fujian Iron and Guangzhou Railway, and he was naturally not interested in Shanxi Iron.

Compared with Guangzhou Railway and Fujian Iron, the iron material in Shanxi is too bad, and iron pots, farm tools and other iron tools are not as good as Guangzhou Railway and Fujian Iron.

You must know that the canton pot is a royal tribute, and even the emperor's imperial kitchen uses the canton pot, that is, the Japanese and the Francois people are used back from Guangdong to sell the pot, and they are not worried about selling it in the north.

Yang Yexing originally wanted to be sent away, but the person who came to report the news said that the shopkeeper of the Xiguan Iron Shop specially explained, saying that there was something in the iron material brought by the son.

Yang Yexing pondered for a moment, then changed his mind, the shopkeeper of his Yang family firm is naturally not a mediocre person, since the shopkeeper said that there are some things in those iron materials, it doesn't hurt to go and take a look.

After reviewing the accounts on Dongmen Street, he took a carriage and walked unhurriedly towards the iron shop at Xiguan Wharf.

When I arrived at the shop, I saw a boy sitting inside, who looked ...... With just one glance, Yang Yexing couldn't help but "tsk" and praised several times in a row, this son is so handsome.

Behind the boy, there are two sturdy men with sharp eyes, who should be the entourage of the boy.

"I've seen the owner."

When the shopkeeper and the guy in the shop saw Yang Yexing coming, they hurriedly saluted respectfully.

When the handsome boy heard the prestige, the impatience on his original face was swept away, a faint smile was revealed, and he bowed in a measured manner, and said, "This is Mr. Yang, student Luo Wentian, I have seen Mr. Yang." ”

"Mr. Luo is exempt, exempt." Yang Yexing smiled, "Let Luo Gongzi wait for a long time, Yang is ashamed, ashamed." ”

"Mr. Yang is polite."

"Luo Gongzi, please sit down, come, watch tea."

The two sat down, waited for the little girl to make two cups of tea, and then chatted about inconsequential topics.

For example, where did Luo Wentiangongzi come from, what is the customs and customs over there, what kind of things have been done by local celebrities, what is the weather, what is the current situation of thieves and hungry people, how is the grain harvest, etc.

This is the habit of large merchants, through nonsense, try to understand as much as possible about the other party, judge the habits of the other party, and so on.

After chatting for nearly two quarters of an hour, Yang Yexing turned to the topic and asked: "I heard that Luo Gongzi came here to find a buyer of iron materials, and he also brought some samples, can you let Yang take a look at it?" ”

"Well said, well said."

Luo Wentian smiled and nodded to the entourage behind, and the two entourages carried two heavy sacks in front of Yang Yexing, and opened the sacks, revealing the raw and cooked iron inside.

Yang Yexing took out two pieces of broken pig iron from the sack, took a piece of diorama from the shopkeeper next to him, and looked carefully at the broken hole of the iron through the mirror.

After only a brief moment, he looked up in disbelief and glanced at the shopkeeper next to him.

The shopkeeper nodded: "The owner, the guys in the backyard workshop have already taken a few pieces of pig iron into it for smelting, and it should be almost finished by this time." ”

"Okay."

Yang Yexing also nodded, and asked Luo Wentian again: "Young Master Luo, can someone Yang break a few more pieces of iron and see a few more?" ”

"Just a few pieces of pig iron, Mr. Yang can take it."

"Thank you, Master Luo."

Yang Yexing hurriedly called the two guys over, picked up three pieces of pig iron from the sack, walked to the anvil not far away, and smashed the three pieces of pig iron one by one with a hammer.

Then, Yang Yexing took the diorama and carefully inspected the fracture surface of the pig iron.

The ancestors of the Yang family have all dealt with copper, iron, lead and tin, and he has been touching iron since he was a child, and he has been touching iron for 30 years, and he knows how good the pig iron is at a glance.

The iron in the south is smelted with charcoal, the iron is uniform and tight, and there are fewer impurities and holes, while the iron in the north is smelted with coal, and the iron contains more impurities that can be seen by the naked eye, and the iron is loose and uneven.

Ke Luo Gongzi brought these pieces of iron, although the fracture is grayish-white like other iron, but the color is very uniform, there are few holes, the iron is evenly arranged and tight, and the impurities are much less than other northern irons.

This kind of iron is better than Fujian Iron and Guangzhou Railway.

After looking at those pieces of iron, Yang Yexing's face was already filled with uncontrollable excitement, and he took out two pieces of wrought iron from another sack, and took the diorama again to examine it carefully.

"The owner ,-->>

I also took a few pieces of wrought iron into the backyard, put it in the stove and burned it, and waited for the owner to come before starting. ”

"Let's go to the backyard, Master Luo, please."

"Mr. Yang, please."

Yang Yexing couldn't wait, and quickly took Luo Wentian into the wide backyard.

In the backyard is the ironsmith workshop, with eight furnaces, and a group of blacksmiths or apprentices tinkling ironware or pouring molten iron into various molds.

Under the guidance of the shopkeeper, Yang Yexing and Luo Wentian walked to a stove, and the blacksmith next to them took out a piece of red-hot iron from it, put it on the anvil and began to beat it.

Wrought iron knocks constantly, so you can't see the section, it is not easy to distinguish the quality with the naked eye, the best way is to forge, skilled blacksmiths can distinguish the quality of wrought iron in forging, Yang Yexing can naturally also.

In the jingle of iron stars flying, Yang Yexing's face became more and more excited.

Luo Wentian's face became more and more proud, and his chin curled higher and higher.

He waited for a full hour to wait for Yang Yexing, and he was already very unhappy, but for the sake of business, he just behaved with the surname Yang.

"The owner, the pig iron brought by Luo Gongzi has been cast." The shopkeeper next to him suddenly reminded.

"Oh?"

Yang Yexing was in good spirits, and hurriedly followed the shopkeeper towards a few blacksmiths who were dismantling the mold not far away.

Luo Wentian also followed, curiously looking at a peculiarly shaped low furnace next to him.

Yang Yexing's guy seems to be imitating the cantonese pot.

Seeing his eyes fluttering, Yang Yexing smiled a little embarrassedly, and said: "Yang has studied for many years, but he has not been able to figure out the method of making the canton pot, obviously using the canton iron, but the cast pot is far less than the canton pot, and the supply of the canton pot in Guangdong is tight, and the canton pot is in short supply, so I have to use these four different methods to make some and sell them at a low price." ”

"Mr. Yang has a wide range of business and wealth, and the students admire and admire."

Luo Wentian said haha, but he thought in his heart that after he went back, he had to let the adults hurry up to make a pot, a five-pound small pot can be sold for more than one and a half cents of silver in Shuntian Mansion, and only seven cents to one dollar for selling five catties of pig iron, a difference of several points in the middle.

It is not difficult to make a pot, make a good mold, pour molten iron into it, and polish it after getting the iron pot, and install the pot ears.

Yang Yexing took a closer look at the iron pot that had just dropped in color, and asked excitedly: "Master Luo, these raw wrought irons are really from Shanxi Lou Fu?" ”

"Of course, do students have to transport the iron from the south to Shanxi, and then transport it from Shanxi to Texas to sell?"

"Don't get me wrong, the quality of these iron materials is almost the same as that of Guangzhou Railway, Shanxi has never produced such good iron, Yang is just a little unbelievable."

"Mr. Yang, Lou Futie is no worse than Guangtie."

"Aha......" Yang Yexing snorted, "Master Luo, how much inventory does Lou Fu have now?" How much can you produce per month? ”

"There are 300,000 catties of pig iron in stock, 200,000 catties of wrought iron, and now it can produce about 200,000 catties per month, and now it is expanding a few furnaces, and in another month or two, it will be able to produce about 340,000 catties per month, and if you can find a big buyer, it is no problem to produce more than 500,000 catties."

"Hmm."

Yang Yexing nodded, this amount is not much, as long as the iron is good enough, he can eat it if it is doubled.

He can completely sell it to the commercial houses in Shandong Province, which are better than Guangzhou Iron and Fujian Railway, and it is enough to make two percent of the profits.

Thinking of this, he smiled again and said, "Young Master Luo, tea is used in the front hall." ”

"Mr. Yang, please."

The two returned to the front hall, and after filling two cups of new tea, Yang Yexing got straight to the point and said: "Master Luo, if the price is right, Lou Annoying Tie Yang will ask for it all, and Yang will also cover all the iron materials produced every month in the future." ”

"Oh? What price does Mr. Yang want. ”

"If Luo Gongzi sends the goods to Texas, pig iron will be 100 catties of 123 yuan, wrought iron will be 225 yuan, and if Yang goes to pick up the goods, 3 yuan will be deducted for every 100 catties."

As soon as the words fell, Luo Wentian's hand holding the teacup froze, and the expression on his face gradually changed.

Yang Yexing frowned: "Mo Fei Luo Gongzi is not satisfied with this price?" ”

Luo Wentian put the teacup back on the coffee table, and then slowly spoke: "Mr. Yang, today's Guangzhou Railway still costs one or two or two dollars to pick up pig iron, Lou Fu Iron is better than Guangzhou Railway Fujian Railway, and this is not only three thousand miles to Guangzhou, and Lou Fu is only eight hundred miles to Texas, how is Lou Fu Iron worth this price?" ”

"This ......"

Yang Yexing was speechless for a while, it seems that this Luo Gongzi has already figured out the market, and he has also compared with Guangtie and Fujian Tie.

"Mr. Yang, I only need a fair price, you go to Lou to pick up the goods, pig iron is one or two and a half yuan, wrought iron is three taels, no two prices."

"If you can pay half of the silver taels, and the other half can be used for the grain to pay for the goods, I can provide for you only in Shandong and Shuntianfu."

"Moreover, these goods are not allowed to be sold to any Shanxi commercial house."

"If Mr. Yang can accept this price, let's continue to talk, if not, the students will not bother."