Hu Changan couldn't help but be a little confused when he heard it.

A hundred books in India, it takes half a year?

This timeline is inevitably too long!

Hu Changan hurriedly asked the printer: "Why does it take so long for these hundred books to be printed?" ”

When the printing master heard this, he also vomited bitterness at Hu Changan: "Hu Shilang, it's not that we don't have to work, but the book you gave us is really difficult to print!" ”

"Hu Shilang, your two books add up to hundreds of pages, and it will take us a lot of time just to carve the template of this book."

"Coupled with the time of subsequent printing, it will take at least half a year."

"Hu Shilang, the time I reported to you is quite short."

"If something unexpected happens along the way, I'm afraid that these 100 books may be printed for a year."

When Hu Changan heard this, he was also stunned: "Why are you still using engraving printing?" Wasn't this movable type printing a long time ago? ”

No wonder Hu Changan was surprised.

This movable type printing was invented as early as the Northern Song Dynasty.

How, according to this craftsman, they are still using block printing?

When the printing master heard this, he also smiled: "Hu Shilang, you don't know something." ”

"Although this movable type printing technique is good, the cost in the early stage is not small!"

"The copper needed to make movable type templates alone is not a small amount."

"Not to mention the process of making copper movable type, which is extremely complicated."

"It will take a few years to make this set of characters, to say the least."

"Our Ming Dynasty is not rich enough to this extent."

What this printer said is actually not unreasonable.

Although movable type printing had been invented as early as the Song Dynasty, it was still not the mainstream technology of the printing industry until the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty.

On the contrary, engraving printing is used more.

There is no other reason than this ear.

Nowadays, movable type is made of copper.

In ancient times, the price of copper remained high due to the underdeveloped smelting technology.

What's more, this method of making fonts is also quite cumbersome.

As the craftsman said, in a few years, it was not possible to cast a version of movable type.

However, when Hu Changan heard this, he smiled slightly and said: "Since the cost of making movable type from copper is high, isn't it enough to make it with wood?" ”

When the printer heard this, he couldn't help but be stunned.

What?

Can you make movable type out of wood?

At that moment, the printing master put forward a disagreeing opinion: "Master Hu, how can this wood be made of movable type?" ”

"I've been a printer for so long, and I've never heard that wood can make movable type!"

"How can this wood be carved into words because the grain is dense and uneven?"

However, when Hu Changan heard this, he smiled slightly and said: "You haven't tried it, why do you say that this wood can't be carved into movable type?" ”

"Although some wood is not good in texture, as long as you choose high-quality wood with better density, isn't it over?"

At this time, the printing master was not happy: "Hu Shilang, I told you, why don't you believe it?" ”

"It's easy to talk about it, but when you actually do it, you'll find a problem."

"I think you're still waiting honestly, it's only been half a year anyway, and it's gone in a flash."

People like the printing master are most annoyed by these people who don't know how to pretend to understand, and rely on the power and power to blindly point out the country.

Every time such people come to the printing workshop, their progress is greatly slowed down.

Basically, none of these fanciful ideas can be realized.

After tossing around, they can only honestly let go of the workers to do it.

However, when Hu Changan heard this, he just waved his hand and said, "It's okay, you can try it first according to what I said." ”

"If you don't succeed, you will follow your methods."

"If the experiment is not successful, then all this wasted time will be counted on my head, and I will not take you out to the pot."

Now that Hu Changan has said this, the craftsmen have nothing to say.

Anyway, Hu Changan is a superior, if he must try, these craftsmen can only try according to Hu Changan's ideas.

So, the craftsmen had to take out the wood and carve the movable type.

And Hu Changan saw that everyone had started work, and he left satisfied.

However, as soon as Hu Changan left on the front foot, the workers on the back foot exploded.

Everyone was working on their hands, but they were complaining about Hu Changan.

"This Hu Shilang's face is really big! He must have never been in the printing room for a single day when he was so big. This kind of layman also wants to guide us? He's ridiculous! ”

"I bet that Hu Shilang's method will definitely not work 100%. Movable type out of wood? It's simply unheard of! I've been working in this printing room for more than 20 years, and I've never heard of it possible to make movable type out of wood! ”

"People like Hu Shilang should suffer the beatings of life. Later, because of the delay in the experiment of movable type, he definitely had no place to cry! ”

Except for Hu Chang'an, no one believed that movable type could be made out of wood for printing.

In the eyes of these craftsmen, what they are doing now is useless!

But even if it's useless, they have to do it.

Who called Hu Changan their immediate boss?

Can't be provoked, can't be provoked.

In this way, the production of movable type proceeded slowly.

Finally, after a month, the commonly used movable type was ready.

On the day when movable type was made, Hu Changan specially took the time to come to the printing room to prepare to verify the birth of the first version of wooden movable type printing.

Under Hu Chang'an's supervision, the workers typeset out the plates with movable wooden type, dipped them in ink, and prepared them for printing.

Soon, the first piece of paper was about to be removed.

Everyone was holding their breath and waiting to see the results of this printing.

Of course, except for Hu Changan himself, no one thought that this printing would be successful.

Everyone was waiting to see Hu Changan's jokes.

Finally, the time has come.

With the unanimous attention of everyone, the paper was removed.

But what everyone expected did not happen.

I saw that on this piece of paper, it was neatly printed with words?

The craftsmen couldn't help but be confused.

How can this wood really be made into movable type printing?

One of the old craftsmen was the first not to believe.

Taking the paper, he looked at it carefully.

He didn't believe that this wood could be printed.

There's definitely something wrong with that!

But to the disappointment of the old craftsman, he looked at it for a long time, but he couldn't see anything wrong.

It's just a normal piece of paper.

It is not much different from the finished product of ordinary engraving printing.