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Manure is used to fertilize the fields, which is the most basic common sense of farmers. Not to mention the human and animal feces at home, I have to go to the roads and forests to pick up the feces left by people and animals on weekdays. As for the densely populated cities and towns, where there is little land reclamation, they have become "production areas" for dung, where there are goods, there are buyers, and naturally there are merchants who make profits from them, so that the goods can be moved, and everyone can take what he needs.

The merchants who run this business and the men they employ, speaking of which, at the end of the day, the work is not clean, but the income is also very much, and there are also those who make a fortune from it, and even in the early Qing Dynasty, the owner of the Yuan Pavilion has a vivid description of the story of the murder caused by the robbery of the manure pit business in the Jiangnan area at that time.

"A bloody case caused by a mess of stool, no, it's a bloody case caused by a bunch of stool."

Thinking of this, Chen Kai couldn't help but smile. Tai Shi Gong said well, the world is bustling, all for profit; The world is crowded, all for profit. Driven by profits, as long as it is profitable, people in this world, whether ancient or modern, Chinese or foreign, even if it is dirty and smelly dung, can still play a thousand tricks.

"What was the original price of manure?"

What Chen Kaikou said originally was before he had returned this business to the government. Wang Jiang had been prepared for this for a long time, and even broke the price of one penny per load.

“…… There are also barterers, such as grain, oil, firewood, etc. ”

One penny of silver is one-tenth of a tael, a figure that Chen Kai vaguely had an impression when he decided to restructure earlier. Hearing this moment, he nodded, and then asked Wang Jiang about the current price.

"Now it's up to seven cents a penny."

One penny and seven cents of silver is 1.7 coins of silver, Chen Kai listened to this answer, and even if he was stunned, he blurted out in surprise: "Pork is only two cents per catty, one or two, which is a bit too exaggerated!" ”

Two coins and two are the price of the current period, for example, as recorded in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, each catty of pork is only about one and a half cents. Longqing switched, the large inflow of silver caused the price of silver to fall, coupled with the current troubled times, this price has long been different from what it used to be.

"It's done, and now the pork has risen to two dollars and five or six cents."

Wang Jiang sighed, but Chen Kai was stunned and speechless. The government's governance has a tremendous impact on people's livelihood. Not only pork, but also grain, vegetables and vegetables are rising in price, in the final analysis, it is nothing more than a chain reaction of rising fertilizer prices. This has been going on for a long time, starting not long after Chen Kai began to restructure. In terms of increases, they are different, but according to Wang Jiang, the price increase is still continuing, and the root cause is still feces.

"The government-run business."

Chen Kai shook his head, but Wang Jiang didn't say anything. In the final analysis, the root cause of Chen Kai's move is the self-production of nitrate, which is an indispensable raw material for the manufacture of gunpowder.

Restoring the status quo ante is not possible, and there are no solutions, such as locking up production and imposing a mandatory requirement for the amount of nitrate that the manure accumulation site must hand over to the gunpowder manufacturing workshop every month. In fact, there is something that can be used to get up and down, but the decline in production can be suppressed. However, this can only curb the decline in nitrate production, but not the growth of grain prices and vegetable prices.

During this time, Chen Kai's mind kept imagining a solution, raised his eyes to Wang Jiang, a feudal bureaucrat, and thought that if someone else did it, the most brainless way would be nothing more than to kill people, catch a few Manchu Qing spies who "raised the price of dung", and execute them in public, so as to deter the masses.

However, Chen Kai knows very well that this is only a temporary relief, ancient and modern Chinese and foreign officials are tax thieves, once the power is in hand, they will carry out the order, and the abuse of power for personal gain cannot be stopped. Moreover, the root cause of the problem is also caused by the market competition mechanism, because the feces have one more available way to cause the price rise, is the increase in demand caused by the rise in prices, the root cause of the solution is to increase production, with the increase in output to stabilize the market price. Suppose that if the market price is imposed, then it is likely to empty the official market and encourage the development of the black market, because demand is not exempt.

The development of the government market can increase taxes, but the development of the black market will only increase gray income, which is not beneficial to the government. The problem can't be dealt with like this, and after a while, Chen Kai had a flash of inspiration in his mind, and as a result, he snorted and laughed.

"Hard and fast rules, the people of Chaozhou capital city defecate once a day?"

Such a joke popped up in his head, and Chen Kai didn't know how his brain came up with such a thing. Speaking of which, this is even more nonsensical than forcibly suppressing the market price, not to say that it is not in line with scientific logic, only to say that the organizational power of this feudal government, Chen Kai can't reach it when he asks himself, and he almost laughs back and forth.

"Actually, what's wrong?"

Wang Jiang was puzzled, and Chen Kai also said, "It's nothing, it's nothing", but he just remembered a joke suddenly, so he didn't explain, but asked Wang Jiang's opinion on it.

"Actually, you already have a plan, so why bother about it?"

Speaking of which, Wang Jiang's puzzlement was not only in the sudden laughter, he actually had an idea here, but he didn't have time to mention it. Sure enough, as soon as Wang Jiang's words came out, Chen Kai was stunned at first, and then suddenly realized. It's just that after this sudden realization, he still shook his head.

"Far water can't quench your thirst."

"But if you don't draw this water now, you can only be so thirsty."

In fact, what Wang Jiang mentioned was nothing more than the matter of compound agriculture that Chen Kai had discussed with him earlier. Mulberry fish ponds, rice fields and fish farming, which can use fish manure, silkworm sand, insect pests to improve production and items, reduce the amount of manure is a good way, nothing more than the early operation to spend more financial, material and human resources.

However, these things can only be done when the farm is not working, and the first results can be achieved after a cycle of animal and plant growth in the next year. Right now, it's not enough to see at all.

"How's that going?"

Wang Jiang is in charge of Tuntian affairs, and this aspect has been prepared for a long time, and it can even be said that Wang Jiang has been busy with these things in the past few months when Chen Kai has been out on the expedition. At this moment, Chen Kai asked, Wang Jiang also immediately said that he had thoroughly understood the preliminary preparations required for these things, at least at the knowledge level, there were enough reserves, and the difference was nothing more than promotion.

"I will send some students from the Quality Testing Academy to help you measure and plan."

When he said this, Chen Kai agreed. The next thing is nothing more than Wang Jiang trying to popularize technology, as for the construction of large-scale construction or something, it is still necessary to wait until the time of agricultural slack, at least summer planting, autumn harvest or something can not be delayed.

Last year, when Chen Kai and Wang Jiang discussed these things, it was already too late, and it was better to delay it for a year than to delay spring ploughing, which affected the people's livelihood and the military's use, and was a matter of principle, and it could not be tossed. Now that Wang Jiang mentioned it, Chen Kai also responded without hesitation. In addition, Chen Kai also mentioned another thing he talked about at that time - about sweet potatoes, for which Wang Jiang also said that he had contacted some sweet potato farmers, as long as Chen Kai decided, he would buy them directly, and at the same time teach planting skills to interested farmers.

"That's it, I'll be the shopkeeper for a while."

Saying this with a smile, Chen Kai knew that even if there was one more way to increase the output of food crops, it would also take next year to see results. As for this year, at least there is no need to count on it.

"Since this is the case, then let Hai Duong County approve a piece of official land. This time, I'm going to have to do something disgusting. ”

………………

The matter of training technicians and warming up for compound agriculture was handed over to Wang Jiang to do.

Early the next morning, the governor's yamen issued an order, but Chen Kai still decided to lock up the output. The stipulation is that the production capacity of the manure accumulation site can only be increased, not decreased, otherwise the responsible officials should be punished.

This is a hard and fast rule, Chen Kai's will is resolute and does not allow the slightest doubt. In this regard, of course, the side of the manure accumulation field also understands the severity, saltpeter is used to produce gunpowder, this thing is a raw material for military supplies, not only Chen Kai, the general of the army, Feng Shenjun of the Ordnance Bureau, and even Zheng Chenggong are watching, no matter what kind of characters they can't afford to provoke.

The pressure of the manure accumulation site is naturally passed on to the manure pickers, and the latter have no choice, their performance appraisal is responsible for the manure accumulation field, which annoys these masters, and they are the ones who suffer. After all, they are just servants subordinate to the Haiyang County Ya, and their identities are similar to helpers. The manure accumulation site is directly controlled by Chen Kai, as long as a word of adding water to the dung bucket reaches Chen Kai's ears, it is a matter of losing his head.

The dung pickers were under pressure, and the officials who shared the profits behind them did not dare to carry it, so they had to continue to transfer the pressure to the farmers. The price increase is less to make up, and the trick of "people in the city drink more water, so they urinate more" is applied to those farmers, who are also full of complaints, and the price of vegetables and grain continues to increase.

Prices are still growing, and Chen Kai is not in a hurry to find a scapegoat. To put it bluntly, it's nothing more than a killer trick when the handicap is about to be untenable, and it can't be used yet. What's more, Chen Kai also wanted to see what else he could do with such a thing.

The official land in Haiyang County was approved without even half an hour, and Chen Kai sent people from the governor's yamen to build a factory, and at the same time conducted experiments in the governor's yamen himself.

In this regard, the subordinates of the government were full of surprise and incomprehension one by one, only Zheng Xiyuan not only did not say much about the things and things of those disgusting people in front of him, but did his best to create convenient conditions for Chen Kai, and took care of Chen Kai's life after work, which was completely a virtuous helper.

Things are still going on here, and Chen Kai is not willing to delay any time. With a paper order, the Qing army captured in the two earlier battles for the defense of Lufengleng Fort was directly transferred to 3,000 people and loaded and transported to Qiongzhou Mansion.

At the same time, Chen Kai also issued an order to Du Hui to hand over a part of the soldiers who had undergone basic training to Cai Yuan to strengthen the strength of the Ming army in Changhua County, so as to defend the city and mining areas, deter coolies and other people with ulterior motives, and even suppress riots.

For the mining of Shilu Mine, Chen Kai's will is extremely resolute, even if the iron ore has become a copper mine. After the order was issued, Chen Kai made a special trip to the workshop of the Manufacturing Bureau, and after the inspection, he issued an order to dispatch technicians to Qiongzhou Mansion to manufacture relevant hydraulic machinery.

"Fujun, why don't you transport the iron ore to Chaozhou, there are ready-made hydraulic machinery to use here."

The convenience of Chaozhou is not only hydraulic machinery, but also a large number of local iron factories, some of which are government-run and some of which are privately owned, which is far more cost-effective than starting over in Qiongzhou.

At this moment, as the manager of the Chaozhou Manufacturing Bureau, Ding Youyi also asked Chen Kai on behalf of the officials, craftsmen and students of the Quality Testing School behind him. Because, when producing in Chaozhou, the political achievements will be clearly written in their credit book, which will be of great benefit in the future. And in Chaozhou, it has little to do with them.

This is a bit of a trick, Chen Kai couldn't understand it very well, and immediately pointed out the matter of freight and directly blocked the mouths of these people. In other words, Chen Kai's determination has been issued, and they have no other way.

After leaving the manufacturing bureau, Chen Kai thought about it carefully, and couldn't help but smile.

From the cost point of view, the location of large iron and steel enterprises is either in the production area of iron ore or coal. There are also counter-examples, such as the Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant in the late Qing Dynasty, which used Daye's iron ore for iron and coal from Pingxiang. The former is more than 200 miles, and the latter is more than 800 miles apart, and as a result, the production of both places has to be transported to Hanyang, which leads to an increase in transportation costs.

The reason for this situation is actually due to the political considerations of Zhang Zhidong, the principal - as the governor of Huguang, the seat of governance in Wuchang, whether it is Daye or Pingxiang, is far less than the chimney of the iron factory with black smoke in front of his eyes, producing steel. Because this is a political achievement!

Chen Kai doesn't need this kind of flashy political achievements, now is the time when every penny must be used in practice, and there is no risk of increasing costs or even losses for this. However, the existence of the Chaozhou Manufacturing Bureau is not useless, as a large number of hydraulic machinery has been developed here, and raw materials are also being processed from Zuojinfu County, such as Fujian, and even more so in Chengxiang on the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River.

"What does Hao Shangjiu mean?"

Speaking of which, these two places cannot be compared with the future Shiroku iron mine, but they are the most indispensable raw material sources at present. There is also an Ordnance Bureau in Fujian, and the Chaozhou Manufacturing Bureau still relies more on trade with Hao Shangjiu. However, Hao Shangjiu inevitably found that the Qing court, or perhaps Shang Keg, found that the trade volume had always been restricted, which made the increasing number of hydraulic machinery of the Chaozhou Manufacturing Bureau more and more useless.

"If you go back to the Fu army, the lower official has already sent someone to urge you a few times, but the new Taibo seems to have some scruples. In addition, there are many squires and mine owners in Chengxiang and even Xingning and Changle counties who have expressed dissatisfaction with this. ”

Of course, they had reason to express their dissatisfaction, because their silver was in place, not only to make Hao Shangjiu make a lot of money, but also to tie up the officials of these three counties, and everyone hid it from the Qing court. However, the restriction of the volume of trade made their profits and profit margins far lower than expected, and if it were not for the fact that this thing could only be done in secret, they would have complained to the Qing court through various connections.

"It's really a bunch of small businessmen, and they don't have the slightest courage." Once Chen Kai thought of the cowering faces of those guys who only dared to send money behind their backs, he hated iron but not steel.

"Since they don't dare, then I'm the only one who can do it. Chen Song sent someone to Guangzhou to create rumors, saying that Hao Shangjiu had received Li Dingguo's letter and conspired against the Qing Dynasty, and now he was secretly communicating with me Chen Kai, exploiting the people, and making the people miserable. Well, that's it! ”...

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