After the first tip was forged, the blacksmiths began the next round of forging while the grinding and cutting process was still in progress. Chen Kai sat in the office room, roughly estimated the approximate time when the sound of iron stopped, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

Time flew by, and in a blink of an eye, it was lunchtime, Chen Kai inspected the room as usual, and watched the craftsmen receive the food. Today it is still multigrain rice, still pickled vegetables, and still green vegetables and shrimp skin soup, but the other dish is no longer yesterday's fried sesame leaves in Puning bean sauce, but replaced with hot braised tofu. It is said that the house has just reached a "strategic partnership" with a tofu factory in the city, so it is estimated that the dishes made with tofu will come every three or five times in the future.

Chen Kai inspected on the side, and the craftsmen and handymen who received the meal saluted him one after another. Miscellaneous labor is okay, it is nothing more than the manual work that is carried and carried, and the amount of labor has not changed much, but those craftsmen are much more tired than usual under Chen Kai's new working methods. It's just that in this exhaustion, there is also a faint trace of excitement.

According to Wang Fugui's report, in the morning, three blacksmith teams each forged three gun heads, six of which were polished and sharpened, and handed over to the carpenter to install the gun barrel and red tassel. The remaining three were all hurriedly typed near lunchtime, and the grinding and cutting processes were left in the afternoon.

Seeing that the craftsmen received the food, and even the early ones had already started to refill the bowls, Chen Kai confirmed the effective implementation of the refill bowl system, and then returned to the office to eat his lunch that was already a little cold.

After lunch and a short rest, the symphony of the factory area sounded again. Chen Kai walked out of the official room, turned around and entered the arsenal of the Rat Whisker's office, and then asked him: "Mr. Cai, last month's monthly money should be distributed today." ”

"When I returned to join the army, I sent it yesterday as usual, and I checked my personal work last month, and deducted some as appropriate, and it should be distributed today."

The deduction in the mouth of the rat's whiskers, in addition to the fact that the work is not completed, damage to the tools, etc., is also indispensable for corruption.

"Bring me the penalty record."

Hearing this, the mouse beard took out a copy from the bookcase and handed it to Chen Kai with both hands. Chen Kai looked through it carefully, and then said to the rat beard: "Last month's fine was all waived. ”

"Yes, the villain will go to the silver dumping shop and exchange every piece of silver."

Silver two different metal currencies and banknotes have an indication of the amount, the ancients often look for money, often either with copper coins or cut out the silver out of the appropriate weight. Because of this, there is room for silver dumping shops that smelt and cast silver ingots, and they also melt and cast large ingots into smaller ingots that are easier to spend, collecting fire consumption and labor to make a living. Of course, there are also some methods, such as adding lead, copper and other metals to silver, and it is even said that there are counterfeit ingots, which can be said to be similar to the counterfeiting of counterfeit money in later generations.

As he spoke, the rat beard was about to take the ingot of silver that he sent down and walked out, Chen Kai glanced at him, so he called him.

"Mr. Cai."

"The villain is here."

The rat beard turned around and saluted, Chen Kai looked at the account room, and then said to him: "Mr. Cai not only has to manage the accounts, but also bears part of the responsibility of care, and he is also half a family in this arsenal workshop, and the monthly money of an account room is indeed less. The official pondered, and when the manufacturing of these weapons was completed, he proposed to Mr. Cai that he would give Mr. Cai a few monthly increases, as a compendium. ”

The carrot that fell from the sky directly smashed the mouse's whiskers, only to see this person quickly bow to the ground, and with a mouthful of gratitude and compassion, Chen Kai said as if he was his reborn parent. However, Chen Kai's move was not just about wooing, at least before he decided to do so, he didn't even think about wooing this guy who was used to looking at the direction of the wind.

"The support of this official is one of them, and Mr. Cai must also clean himself and do his best. Now that the country is at the beginning of the year, there will be more lost land to be recovered in the future, and it is always necessary to promote some old people who have been following for a long time. ”

After saying that, Chen Kai left the arsenal with a smile, leaving only the rat whiskers stunned for a long time, and finally relied on a big mouth to relieve himself.

What Chen Kai just said is human nature, although he is just an account room, but he is also literate and can count, compared with those illiterate people who don't know a single big word, he has a natural advantage. What's more, this time is also very good for him, if Zheng Chenggong can really rise, there will always be opportunities, and the difference is nothing more than his own efforts and the appreciation of his boss.

The pair of small eyes of the mouse whiskers were dripping around, and he quickly realized what Chen Kai meant by his words, even if he was in a cold sweat.

At this time, Chen Kai had already left the small courtyard. The rat whiskers wiped his sweat, and hurriedly packed up the big ingots of silver, and asked Ke Chenmei to send someone to "escort" him to the silver dumping shop to exchange the silver into a weight suitable for distribution, and always get things done before Chen Kai paid his wages.

For an afternoon, Chen Kai was still sitting alone in the office. The sound in the factory area is the same as in the morning, if it is not for the fact that the weather is getting cooler and the sky is getting darker, I am afraid that some people will think that it is the morning again.

As in the morning, the forged iron spear heads were still three for each group, the fastest was the group that originally consisted of two blacksmiths, and the slowest group of Tang Quanyou was also completed before the late roll call. However, because the grinding and cutting work is different from before, it starts after lunch, so a total of nine tips are sharpened and sharpened before and after, and the efficiency has been greatly improved.

The task of 18 spears a day is still not completed, and even taking 18 spears is not completely completed, but the number of 18 has been achieved. When it was time for the roll call, the first thing I did was to speak highly of these craftsmen.

"We have passed it down from generation to generation, and we have never thought of using a division of labor. It's all good ways to join the army, otherwise I'm afraid we won't even want to dream. ”

The craftsmanship of ancient craftsmen has been handed down, and it may be carried forward in the middle, but it is still inseparable from the category of handicraft. It is the most normal thing for a craftsman to complete all the processes alone. In Chen Kai's era, China had the nickname of the world's factory, what large-scale industrial production, what division of labor, what standardization, what assembly line operation, etc., that was the most normal situation. This is just a decomposition process and division of labor, if it weren't for the fact that the threshold is not as much as the other is the basis for requiring certain technology and mechanical production, there are only 18 guns a day, Chen Kai will feel embarrassed.

But in any case, relying on this limited number of blacksmiths, the big word of producing 18 guns a day has been achieved, and it is not forced out by overtime, but it can be copied completely!

"You don't need to be arrogant, if it weren't for your efforts, the official would have a good way, and it would be difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice, and she would not be able to succeed."

In the past, the common officials all used them as cattle to call, how could there be such a Chen Kai. At this moment, the praise made their eyes red, and when Chen Kai sent the ICBC down, these craftsmen took the ICBC from last month, and they fell to the ground, and they kept saying their gratitude to Chen Kai.

The rat's whiskers were specially mentioned by Chen Kai, and he was interested, so he simply found Ke Chenmei to send someone named Escort, which was actually corroborating evidence - to prove to Chen Kai that he did not do anything with the silver taels, even if it was mixed with other metals, it was also a problem on the side of the treasury of the town government, and it had nothing to do with it.

The silver content of this batch of ICBC is within the normal range, and it has not been deducted, not to mention the small scale specially brought by the mouse whiskers to weigh it, even if it is weighed in the hand, you can feel how much Chen Kai put into it.

"No official has ever treated me and other untouchables as human beings, exploiting and bullying them everywhere. However, it has only been a few days since I joined the army and took over the workshop, and the days I have been waiting for are far better than before. This kindness, we are really difficult to repay in case of emergency, only hard work, to repay the deep kindness of joining the army. ”

The craftsmen were grateful, but Chen Kai sighed, since ancient times, the efficiency of the government is lower than that of the private sector, the efficiency of the government is lower than that of the commercial office, and even the efficiency of the official supervision and business office. In the final analysis, the officials could not control the costs, could not find the market, could not mobilize the production enthusiasm of the workers, and even more exploited and bullied, and the workers were treated as animals. If this is the case, the workers are still willing to work hard for the officials, then it is the real "cheap".

Although Chen Kai's current identity is Zheng Chenggong's recruitment of the general Xingyuan to join the army, he is an official, but he is the same as his fabricated background, and he does not have a sense of identity. lacks class consciousness, and more importantly, he has been impregnated in the society of later generations, and this time he is different.

From the first time he entered the workshop, Chen Kai saw the problem with the management of the overseer's leather whip. When he cleaned up You Er, it was Buda in the morning and then there was a fuss at noon, which really took a lot of time. But when it was about to get off work, the craftsmen still completed the day's tasks, if they didn't deliberately be lazy on weekdays, Chen Kai would never believe it.

Because of this, Chen Kai further determined that the means of "coercion and inducement" can increase the output, even from 3 to 4 per group per day, in fact, it is not without the factors that the craftsmen are not suitable for changing the frequency on the first day.

And now, relying on the means of decomposing the process and division of labor, the goal has finally been achieved, Chen Kai previously insisted that they could do it, and at this moment, looking at those spears and spear heads, these craftsmen feel that Chen Kai's ability is extraordinary, and they will have Zheng Chenggong's credit, and they have further made up their minds to follow Chen Kai to do it well, and they can always live a better life.

"As the official has said, you don't need to be presumptuous. The ancestral system of the national dynasty, craftsmen can be officials, untouchables or something, don't mention it again. ”

"Huh?"

Chen Kai's statement frightened them a lot, in fact, it was not said that they were rural villagers, in the era of information explosion in later generations, the vast majority of people also insisted that the status of craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty was low, even worse than military households. This is a common phenomenon, but there are many exceptions that are not well known.

"The monarchs may think that this is a fantasy, but the official remembers that during the Yongle period, even the Chun Emperor and the Su Emperor, there were craftsmen who sat in the high position of the Ministry of Works, and one of them even made the Ministry of Works. (Note)"

Chen Kai can achieve a multiple leap in output, even if it is absurd, the credibility of his words will naturally become absolutely credible. Hearing this, Tang Quanyou swallowed his saliva, and then said cautiously, as if he was afraid that his mouth would insult those high-ranking officials.

"Then, even if it is a master at the level of a grandmaster, the villain really doesn't dare to ...... such skills."

However, the people in front of him were like this, but Chen Kai picked up a spear head, shook his head and said: "Skills are like this spear head, which is tempered and polished, and if you think more and think well, you will always gain something." In fact, even if you can't do what your predecessors are, the officials of the Ministry of Industry, the local officials in charge of construction, and even just the head of the craftsman and the head of this ordnance workshop, it is also a kind of promotion. The future of craftsmen is not, and should not be, bleak. ”

Not to mention winning people's hearts and brainwashing by promotion, the spirit of craftsmanship must also be well cared for. Chen Kai's generous speech ushered in an enthusiastic response from everyone, from the oldest Lin Zhengzhong to the youngest Tang Ming, whether it was a master or an apprentice, the excitement of the spirit was all beyond the fatigue of the body, and the whole person became energetic.

At this moment, an existence called hope illuminates the originally dark armory workshop.

Note: The social status of craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty was relatively low, which was a common phenomenon, but those who had the opportunity and ability were not without a way out.

According to Xie Zhaoqian's "Five Miscellaneous Works", Wang Shizhen's "Yishan Tang Collection", Jiao Hong's "Records of the National Dynasty", Gu Zhentao's "Wumen Biaoyin", Shen Defu's "Wanli Ye Obtained" and other historical records, the Ming Dynasty produced many craftsmen who relied on their craftsmanship to obtain officials. For example, the stonemason Lu Xiang, the carpenter Kuai Fu, Kuai Xiang, Kuai Gang, Kuai Yi, Guo Wenying, these people have all done the Ministry of Works. There is also Xu Gao, a carpenter of the Jiajing Dynasty, and even did the Ministry of Works, if it wasn't for Xu Jie's blocking, Emperor Jiajing also planned to give him the crown prince's protection.

As for Shaoqing, Yushi, and even officials at the prefectural and county levels, there are quite a few. Later, because Xu Gao was too popular, he was hit by the civil official group and the eunuch group, and it was difficult for craftsmen to get officials.