Limestone is a good thing, not only can be processed into stone as a building material, but also can be fired into quicklime, used for disinfection and epidemic prevention to strengthen hygiene, farms need a large amount of quicklime every year, to keep the pigsty-sheepfold and some feeding sites dry, quicklime can effectively prevent the hooves of livestock from festering, so as to get a large number of deaths caused by plague or infectious diseases

Quicklime will become mature after touching water, the raw ash can play a role in killing insects in the roots, and the raw ash can also be used as an insecticide in the field, after sprinkling lime in the field before spring sowing, release water - turn the soil - soak the lime water in the field for a day or two, the pests or eggs hiding in the soil for the winter will be eliminated, and the appropriate sprinkled with some lime in the latrine can effectively prevent the spread of disease

If you want to expand the business of the Alan Chamber of Commerce to Pengxi County, you must first obtain the support and support of the local government, so two days later, Yuan Kui took me to the county government of Pengxi County, and visited the county magistrate of Pengxi County - Wen Quan, and listened to Yuan Kui - this Wen county magistrate is a native of Pengxi County, Xingyuan passed the Xiucai in the government examination in 1513, and was only allowed to be appointed as the county magistrate of Pengxi County after two years of leisure at home

Xingyuan served as the county magistrate of Pengxi County in 1515, this year is 1526, then he has been working in the position of the county magistrate for 11 years, according to the Zhejiang official system, a county magistrate for three years, at most two terms can go up, but the Wen county magistrate has indeed done almost 4 terms in this position, in terms of his qualifications, it should not be, even if there is no political achievement, it should be mixed with a six-grade false position

After arriving at the county ya's inner hall, I saw a middle-aged man dressed in a green silk official robe, about forty-one or twelve years old, sitting on a chair in the hall, Yuan Kui arched his hands at the middle-aged man and said hello, "Brother Wen, you are busy."

Wen Quan looked up and stood up from the chair, he raised his hand and made a gesture to the chair next to him: Yuan Guard is here—come and sit down

After Yuan Kui took his seat, Wen Quan looked at Li Yang: Yuan Shou is here

Yuan Kui: Brother Wen, let me introduce you, this is my sworn brother, Li Yang, the head of the Li family in Alan County

Out of courtesy, Li Yang bowed to Wen County: The grass people have seen Lord Wen

I saw Wen Quan's eyebrows furrowed: Li Yang's name sounds familiar, why is it so familiar

Yuan Kui: Brother Wen, my sworn brother, is the northern garrison of Qiantai Prefecture

Wen Quan suddenly realized, and his attitude became enthusiastic: It turned out to be the head of the Li family-come-please take a seat

Li Yang: Thank you

Wen Quan: I have heard of the name of the head of the Li family for a long time, and when I saw it today, he was really a talent

Li Yang showed a smile on his face: Don't dare to be - don't dare to be

Wen Quan: I don't know what the two of you are visiting about

Li Yang: My lord, I would like to ask you about something

Wen Quan: Hmm-you say

Li Yang: I heard that there was a limestone mine and a lime workshop under Peng Xi's rule, and I wanted to ask who owned these two properties

Wen Quan: The limestone mine and the lime workshop are Wang Yuanwai's industries, and those two industries have been shut down for more than four years

Li Yang: I'm interested, but I don't know if Wang Yuanwai has any intention of changing hands in these two industries

Wen Quan: In the first few years, Wang Yuanwai really had plans to change hands, and there were several waves of people who came to see it, but the price was not high

Li Yang: Then there is a county order from Laowen

"Well said"

Wen County sent someone to invite Wang Yuanwai to the county office, after a brief introduction, Li Yang said that he wanted to buy limestone mines and lime workshops, as long as the price is reasonable, you can deliver cash this afternoon, I really don't want Wang Yuanwai's mouth is 10,000 taels of silver, this is really a lion's big mouth, Li Yang is not used to him directly cut the price to 5,000 taels, after several rounds of fierce verbal battles, finally Li Yang with three inches of incorruptible tongue, with a price of 6,000 taels of silver limestone mine and lime workshop into the pocket

After the payment of the silver and the completion of the relevant procedures, this Wang Yuanwai was quite trustworthy, and asked me what business he wanted to do when he bought the lime workshop, after all, when he ran the lime workshop, the business was booming, or he would not have closed down in less than a year

Wang Yuanwai immediately became interested when he heard it, and said that he was willing to work in partnership with Li Yang, and when the brothers and brothers partnered to do business and quarrel, not to mention that there was no need for outsiders to say, but the first time they met, they had to talk too hard to gain face, so Li Yang found an excuse, saying that something similar to lime was still in the process of exploring and testing, and he couldn't say when it would be successfully mass-produced

The news of Li Yang's purchase of the limestone mine and lime workshop soon spread in Pengxi County and nearby villages, and not long after lunch on the third day, the family came to report that "a group of people from the Young Master's Manor want to see you, saying that they are mining workers in Pengxi County"

As soon as Li Yang heard that the miners and a group of people had come to the door, his first reaction was that he had newly acquired the two properties, and he might have had some money disputes with the miners before, but that had nothing to do with me and should not come to me, so he asked the family to invite the group of miners to the main room, and after a while, the family brought in an old man with white hair and looking like he could be fifty-six or seventeen years old

Li Yang: Isn't it a group of people, why did you bring one in?

Before the family could answer, the old man took the words first: This must be the head of the Li family, our group of miners are all rough people, and I am afraid that we will disturb you and your family by coming in together, so I will let them wait outside

Li Yang stretched out his hand to the chair next to him and motioned: Old man, please take a seat

Then he asked the old man to bring him a cup of tea, and the old man happily picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat

Li Yang: Is there anything wrong with your visit, old man?

The old man bowed his hand to me: The little old man of the Li family is named Tian Feng, and he came to the door today to ask you for something

Li Yang also bowed his hand to the old man to show respect: Please speak

Tian Feng: Family Master Li, we came here to ask if you have any plans to recruit miners for the two new properties you have acquired

Li Yang: Yes, I have this plan, and I have just taken over a lot of things and am still in preparation

Tian Feng: The people we came here today were former workers in limestone mines and lime kilns, and they are very familiar with mining ore and burning lime

Li Yang: Then tell me first, how do you mine ore?

Tian Feng: Our mining is to first burn the ore deposit, and then pour cold water on the ore deposit to make the ore burst before mining, and the mining method is nothing more than three kinds of cone chisel, hammer hammer and axe splitting

Li Yang: You are using the fiery method

Tian Feng: That's right

Li Yang: Then how did you burn lime before?

Tian Feng: Before burning lime, you have to spread a layer of grass in the kiln, spread a layer of coal on the grass, and then lay a layer of limestone on the coal seam, the limestone is a coal seam, and the coal seam is limestone to fill the kiln in this way, and you have to use straw to weave some ropes, which are divided into several lines from the bottom to the top layer, as a porous cavity for ventilation up and down after combustion

After being ready, you can ignite the fire, generally the lime of a kiln should be burned for three days and three nights before it can be burned into quicklime, the color of the limestone will gradually change from the original blue-brown to white in these three days, at this time the kiln is sealed with stone and mud, and you can go out of the kiln after it is cool, because of the continuous work, usually the workers will build a straw shed next to the lime kiln to facilitate rest

You said that this is not a coincidence, in the past two days I was trying to find a person who knows both mining and lime burning to help me take care of the cement factory, but I didn't expect someone to take the initiative to come to the door today, then I can start to burn cement in the next few days, and strive to burn the cement before I go out

Li Yang: I am lacking now, old man, a person like you who knows both mining and lime burning

Tian Feng: The head of the Li family really doesn't hide it, I used to be the head craftsman of the workers, so I know more than others

Li Yang: Then how much was your monthly salary for a month in the mine?

Tian Feng: One tael of silver a month, I have 200 more money per month than others

Li Yang: How many people came with you, old man?

Tian Feng picked his fingers: there were 36 people

After Li Yang heard this, he muttered a sentence "36 people" Tian Feng thought that I was disgusted with them, so Tian Feng knelt on the ground with a puff: Li family master, we have been at home for more than four years, we have long heard of your name Li family master, your family is one of the few rich families in the north, please reward our brothers for a mouthful of food, little old man, I am here to kowtow to you and thank you

Saying that, Tian Feng was about to kowtow to Li Yang to thank him, and when Li Yang saw this, he greeted Tian Feng and helped Tian Feng up: Old man, get up, I use these people you came today, but these people are not enough, I need 100 workers in the limestone mine and lime workshop

Tian Feng stood up excitedly when he heard this: There were still a lot of miners in the mine before the Li family master, and if the Li family master needed Xiao Lao'er, he could invite them

Li Yang: Okay-old man, then I'll give you this matter, and I'll give each of you two taels of silver per month for the workers' month, and you take care of the limestone mine and lime workshop for me, and you'll get 200 more than their monthly salary as before

Tian Feng couldn't believe his ears a little: I heard you right, the head of the Li family, Xiao Lao'er, there are two taels of silver in the monthly salary

Li Yang: That's right, mining and lime burning are tiring and dirty work, so the wages are set higher, in my work the workers can rest four days a month, at the end of each year the workers can also receive an extra month's salary, and when the spring begins next year, I will build a green brick house for the workers to live in, not only three meals a day but also meat every day

Tian Feng: Master Li, when do you need us to go to work?

Li Yang: Let everyone go to the mine tomorrow to prepare, and the day after tomorrow - the day after tomorrow will officially start work

Tian Feng: Luggage master-then I'll go back and prepare

Li Yang: By the way, do you have any tools that you need to use?

Tian Feng: We have all the tools

Although Tian Feng said that they had tools, Li Yang still prepared some hammers, chisels, axes and carts for the workers to push ore, and in the cold winter he also asked the garment factory to make 100 sets of cotton clothes, cotton shoes, gloves and cotton hats for the workers, and he did not expect the workers to mine much ore in winter, mainly to let the workers have something to do and get to know each other and get used to it

The next morning, Li Yang went to the limestone mine with the prepared materials, and on the way to the limestone mine, he saw a big mountain in front of him with bursts of white smoke, and he also wondered that there were many people living in this barren mountain and wild range, in fact, the mountain with bursts of white smoke was the limestone mine, but Li Yang saw that the back side of the mountain was not mined, and it looked like the white smoke rising from a village fire for cooking from a distance

After walking along the mountain road to the end, there was a half-mined mine at the foot of the mountain, at the foot of the mountain there was a group of people burning the mountain wall, while the other group was cleaning up the gravel and debris on the ground, and the remaining part of the people were cleaning up the shed not far away, and there was a large pot in the open space at the foot of the mountain, and a strong fragrance was coming to my nose, and I knew that the pot was cooking meat as soon as I smelled it

Five carriages and more than a dozen strangers appeared in the deep mountains and old forests, and the workers stopped what they were doing when they saw this, and looked at us, Li Yang was wearing a black brocade cloak, which was more gorgeous than the other people who came with him, and with his majestic temperament, the workers had already guessed that the man in the black cloak was the new owner of their group

Although Li Yang knew that these people in front of him were miners in the mine, none of these people he knew, and at this time, Tian Feng walked quickly towards us from the side of the shed, "Boss, you are here, it's cold outside, and it's warm inside the house."

Li Yang: It's okay today, it's not too cold outside, I look at these people you found well, and they have a lot of strength to do their work

Tian Feng: We farmers in the owner don't have other skills, but we have the strength to work, and when the little old man sees that you haven't come yet, let them find some work first

Li Yang: Isn't this very good - after the field foreman, you will be the director of the limestone mine and the lime factory, and I will explain the specific matters to you, and you will arrange what the workers should do

Tian Feng: The owner Tian Feng will never disappoint your high expectations

Li Yang: Are all the 100 workers here?

Tian Feng: These workers are only part of the owner, and I asked them to clean up the lime kiln, the lime kiln has been abandoned for several years, and they have to be baked with fire after cleaning up, when do you want to start burning lime

Li Yang: The sooner the better, what else is needed to burn the lime mine

Tian Feng: As long as the coal is transported, you can start burning lime

Li Yang: But this time we're not going to burn lime

Tian Feng was puzzled: The owner doesn't burn lime, so what does it burn

Li Yang: It's not lime but it's similar to lime, and it's much stronger than lime and yellow mud to build a house

Tian Feng looked like he didn't understand: That's okay

Li Yang: By the way, on the carriage of the director of the Tian factory, I brought cotton clothes, tools, and gloves to the workers, and you can give everyone a set in a while, and you can tell me if you need anything

Tian Feng: If the limestone mine and lime kiln are handed over to me, you can rest assured

Li Yang: Director Tian, you ask people to clean up the cooking and eating places first, and tomorrow I will send you a cook over, and the workers will have the strength to work only when they are full

Tian Feng: I'll send someone to clean it up immediately

Li Yang: By the way, Director Tian, I have one request for the door workers, you must not be sloppy

Tian Feng: You said, the owner

Li Yang: When the workers work, they must be safe, and they must be allowed to come safely and go home safely, and we will earn the money safely, all of whom are old and young, and we must be responsible for their families

Tian Feng: Remember, the three Ping'an Antian Feng, you just said, tomorrow I will have people carve these three Ping'an into a plaque, and put it at the entrance of the mine so that the workers can remember it

Li Yang: Okay, I'll send the materials over tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow we'll burn a kiln and try it

Tian Feng: The owner of the line

Li Yang: Then I'll go back first, the workers should rest when they are tired from work, and I don't pay so much attention to working as long as I work sincerely

Two days later, the raw materials needed for firing cement limestone-coal-clay-iron slag have been prepared, the formula ratio used for the first firing cement is per 100 catties, 40 catties of limestone - 40 catties of clay - 20 catties of iron slag, the first test only prepared 500 catties of cement, put it in the kiln and burned it with coal for three days and three nights, and the first batch of cement was baked in this way

As for whether the first batch of cement is compatible, we have to speak with facts, so the workers in a shed, with a square mold on the ground with a wooden square, pour the cement into the mold to dry it, and then use a hammer to smash the cement to break like powder, a little cement should have the strength, so the second firing of cement will readjust the ingredient ratio, reduce the clay by five catties - limestone by five catties

The strength of the cement fired this time is harder than the cement before, it seems that the strength of the cement is related to how much limestone is obtained, grasp this law and adjust the ingredients of the cement, in order to save time, the workers will be according to different ratios at a time, prepare a number of groups of cement samples for testing, and record each group of samples on the marked batching ratio

After more than a month of unremitting efforts and countless failures, the Pengxi County Cement Plant finally fired the first batch of qualified cement, which will play a cross-era significance for the construction field of Taizhou Mansion - people's livelihood projects - military field, and also played a role in boosting the economic development of Taizhou Prefecture, but Li Yang was not satisfied with this, he asked the workers to be satisfied with the status quo, to keep improving and firing the best and stronger cement

Li Yang is a person who can't be idle, and as soon as this cement is made, he is thinking about building roads for the north and the Manjiang Autonomous Region at home, and this year will be another year of construction in the north of Taizhou