Early the next morning, there were not many pedestrians on the street, so Cheng Nuo came to Fan Xudong's door with a gift.

Coincidentally, before Cheng Nuo knocked on the door, he only heard a squeak.

The door was opened automatically.

Poking out a head, the housekeeper looked Cheng Nuo up and down carefully, mixed with hesitation in politeness:

"You're Professor Cheng Nuocheng from Beijing, right?"

Cheng Nuo arched his hand: "It's here, may I ask Mr. Fan Xudong if Mr. Fan is at home, I have already agreed in advance to come to visit him today." ”

The housekeeper opened the door and returned the salute: "I'm really sorry for you, my husband is not at home now, and he has been out a long time ago." ”

Li Laosan, who was following behind, suddenly became angry, rolled up his sleeves and took a big step forward, and said unceremoniously: "This is your husband's, it's just a matter of making an appointment in advance, we have already handed over the post."

It's hard to agree on the day of the visit, how can you say that if you're not at home, you're not at home, isn't it funny? ”

Although Cheng Nuo was also faintly angry in his heart, out of politeness, he still pulled Li Laosan back.

In case someone is really in a hurry, this is not impossible.

It's really impossible to tie the knot for such a trivial matter.

Sure enough, the housekeeper's next explanation instantly washed away the unhappiness in Cheng Nuo's heart.

"Actually, my husband has been ready to entertain you a long time ago, and the dishes, wine, and cook have been packed up and are waiting for you to come. But no one thought that something happened to my factory, and others couldn't deal with it, so I could only deal with it if my husband came forward.

However, my husband also said that as long as you are willing to come, this door is open for you at any time, good wine and good food are waiting for you, you can live as long as you want, you don't have to wait outside for him to come back, this is your new home in Tianjin. ”

After saying this, the housekeeper beckoned back directly, and then a bunch of servants poured out, inviting Cheng Nuo to come in.

Rao has been traveling south and north for so long, and he has seen a lot of customs and customs, and it is the first time to be so enthusiastic.

No, Cheng Nuo always remembered that he came here this time not just to visit the door, but to develop the acid and alkali industry, the chemical industry and even the heavy industry.

At present, Fan Xudong's visit to the factory is not a bad thing for Cheng Nuo.

I just took this opportunity to take a good look at what the chemical factories of this era were like.

After thinking about it, Cheng Nuo squeezed out of the pile of people, knocked on the side from the housekeeper's mouth, and after asking for the address, he rushed straight to the factory.

As the father of modern chemistry in China, Fan Xudong gave China soda ash, caustic soda, sulfuric acid and nitric acid.

He established China's first chemical research institute and laid the foundation for China's chemical industry.

After his death, the great man wrote down the elegiac couplet: "Industrial leader, merit in China".

Most of his first thirty years were spent in hardship.

Lost his father at a young age, his family life was very poor, not only had no money to study, but it was also difficult to make ends meet.

Fortunately, his brother Fan Yuanlian is very powerful, he once worshiped under Liang Qichao with Cai Yi, and later worked and studied part-time in the school, supporting this stormy home.

It was because of the help of his brother that Fan Xudong was able to go to Japan to study, and gradually became interested in the chemical industry.

Under his insight, he successfully tapped Hou Debang, a great talent, and changed the domestic chemical industry pattern since then.

At the same time, Fan Xudong is also very good at dealing with the Beiyang and Nanjing governments.

When he established Wynn Soda Company, he was directly exempted from taxes for 30 years by the government for industrial salt, and the government's support policy was opened, known as "a precedent in the history of the salt industry for 2,000 years".

At the same time, the government also granted Wynn another privilege - no one else is allowed to set up an alkali factory within 100 miles of Tanggu, and even he is the only one in the whole of the north.

During the period of the Nanjing government, the Ministry of Finance allowed Yongli Chemical Industry Company to exempt five kinds of products such as bibium sulfate from export re-export tax for 30 years, the domestic sulfur raw materials used for 30 years, the raw materials, important application materials and products produced for 30 years to be exempt from tax, and the shareholding of 2 million yuan, and the state-owned transportation agencies to reduce freight costs.

With such a preferential policy, even if Cheng Nuo himself is allowed to deal with those "official masters" in person, he may not be able to get it.

If you don't slaughter a knife, it's already polite.

Imagine that Fan Xudong has won the monopoly support of the government, coupled with Cheng Nuo's high and new technology, the acid and alkali industry is promising, and the future of domestic heavy industry can be expected.

Thinking of this, Cheng Nuo's steps became a little brisker.

However, the road to the Tanggu factory was not easy, and it was desolate as far as the eye could see.

Originally, Cheng Nuo went by tricycle, but the road conditions were really poor, and the car was more shaky than going out on the boat.

For safety reasons, I had to get out of the car and walk forward.

What catches your eye is the saline-alkali land with white flowers, no grass, dilapidated fishing villages, sparsely populated, and salt drying sites everywhere. When you first come here, you can smell the sea breeze and smell a little salty.

Here, the sea breeze can be used as an energy source, the sea breeze turns the sail car, and the seawater is drawn from the salt barge ditch to the brine storage pond to dry salt, and the stove households who survive by salt are boiling seawater in pots for salt in the early years, and now they are changing to boiling for drying, which can be regarded as a little progress.

It was really uncomfortable to walk on the barren beach, so Cheng Nuo simply changed his direction and walked along the Haihe River, so that he could still see some different scenery.

Sure enough, when I came to the river, the breath of life suddenly became a lot stronger.

There are fishing boats and cargo ships in the river, and there are fresh fish, live shrimp, fat crabs on board at any time, and you can negotiate the price with the owner of the boat when you stand on the shore, buy it and cook it at home.

From time to time, there are warships of Japan, Britain, France, the United States and other countries, showing off their military might, as if occupying this place as the master.

Coming and going is very casual, think about it carefully, where is China's land, China's water, China's Tanggu.

At this moment, a small boat came slowly on the shore, and in the bow of the boat was sitting a bewitching fat woman with eyebrows and lips, and she could smell the pungent rouge on her body from a long distance.

According to Cheng Nuo's temperament, he didn't look at it anymore, covered his nose and turned around and left.

However, the ensuing dispute attracted his attention.

"Yo...... Mr. upload quickly, here is a young girl to play with you, a solution to your worries~"

It happened that a young man with glasses passed by, and he was fascinated and asked stupidly, "Can you girls help me make alkali?" ”

"That's definitely possible, isn't it just a ...... What is it made of? Halfway through the words, the fat woman reacted, her face was red and white, and she was so angry: "Damn X, don't you have anything to play in front of the old lady's boat?" You wait, I'm going to have to peel you off when I get ashore!" ”

The young man woke up in an instant, and was so frightened by the other party's appearance that he turned around and ran, leaving foul words all over the ground.

Seeing this scene in his eyes, combined with what the young man said, Cheng Nuo instantly reacted that this person was the Fan Xudong he was looking for.

It's just that right now, shouldn't he be in the Jiuda Refined Salt Factory that he founded single-handedly, how could he come here?

Following the direction that Fan Xudong left, Cheng Nuo hurriedly caught up.

It didn't take much effort for him to come to the other party.

Stretching out his hand, Cheng Nuo took the initiative to introduce himself: "Mr. Fan, hello, my name is Cheng Nuo, it's a pleasure to meet you." ”

Fan Xudong was obviously stunned when he heard this, and then quickly stretched out his hands to hold Cheng Nuo's hand: "You...... Hello, Professor Cheng, I am also very happy to meet you, I didn't expect that the first time we met was on the shore of this Haihe River, we all blame me for something suddenly in the factory, otherwise I would have to entertain you at home. ”

Feeling the sincerity in his hand, Cheng Nuo said enthusiastically: "Where, as long as it is a like-minded friend, it doesn't affect anywhere, but something happened to the factory, do you need my help?"

Fan Xudong shook his head: "Hey, it's a long story, let's talk about it when we have a chance in the future." ”

After a pause, Fan Xudong's words suddenly hesitated: "What happened just now ......"

Cheng Nuo had a mysterious smile on his face: "I just arrived here, did anything happen before?" ”

Fan Xudong was relieved, and the smile on his face became more natural: "It's okay, it's okay, by the way, it's not the place for us to chat right now, let's go to where I live first, you have walked so far, it's time to rest." ”

Originally, Cheng Nuo felt that he had tried his best to evaluate Fan Xudong, but he didn't expect to really arrive at Fan Xudong's residence, only to find that it was very different.

It's not that it's luxurious, but it's so simple that even the word shabby isn't enough to describe it.

I didn't live directly in the factory, but in a small mud house in a nearby fishing village.

Inside, in addition to the piles of labeled bottles and jars containing various chemical agents, all that was left was a table and a worn-out bench.

One of the legs was broken, and another one was attached, which was very funny.

"I'm sorry, that's the situation at home, I didn't expect Professor Cheng to come here in person, the hospitality was not good, and we will treat you well when we return to the city." Brought two bowls and poured water into them, Fan Xudong said politely.

The hut was too small to accommodate two or three adults at the same time.

Li Laosan simply stood outside the door and let the wind go, and muttered carefully:

"It's too small, it's not as big as the broken grass house I lived in before, and it's still humid, isn't it uncomfortable to sleep here all the time......?"

Of course, the voice was too small, and the two people in the room naturally couldn't hear it.

Cheng Nuo looked at it a little, but he was also puzzled: "Mr. Fan, do you usually live here?" ”

Fan Xudong put down the kettle and said a little embarrassed: "If the salt factory is busy, I will live here, and I usually go back to the city." ”

"It's such a small room, there is not even a bed, how can you live here." Cheng Nuo was puzzled.

"This table is dual-purpose, I can use it for experiments during the day, and I can just fold it at night and use it as a bed to sleep."

Patting the table, Fan Xudong was going to demonstrate on the spot how to turn the table into a bed.

Cheng Nuo just asked casually in distress, why do you really want to trouble the other party, not to mention that the roof of this house is also low, and it is uncomfortable to stay in it all the time, it is better to go out and blow the sea breeze.

"Don't, don't, the world is vast outside, you don't have to stay inside."

"Also, I definitely won't stay in this place unless I have to do something."

Tianjin's sea has almost no sandy beaches, and most of them are muddy.

But even so, the two people strolling on the beach are more excited than ever.

Topics range from study experience, to overseas life, to career development, and everything is said.

With the determination to serve the country, the relationship between the two has become invisibly and rapidly closer.

Especially Fan Xudong's brother Fan Yuanlian, as the former chief of education, was the introducer of Cheng Nuo's entry into Peking University, and he helped a lot in the front, and his personal relationship was also good.

Fan Xudong's teacher, Liang Qichao, planned to join the Academy of Sciences after his political career failed, and the relationship between them went to a higher level.

Picking up a stone, Cheng Nuo took it and threw it into the depths of the sea as best he could: "Xudong, why did you choose the salt industry instead of any other industry?" For example, steel and coal, are also important weapons of the country. ”

Pinching his waist, Fan Xudong looked at the splash that was hit out by the stone and said: "Because salt is a necessity for people's lives, they can't leave from leaving mother's milk until they die of old age, and China's domestic salt production technology is extremely backward.

Originally, this was nothing, but it's been thousands of years, haven't we all come here like this? ”

felt a little depressed, Fan Xudong also picked up a stone, and flew away in the distance: "But after studying later, I learned that even the salt fed to livestock contains less than 85% sodium chloride, which is considered harmful and expressly forbidden."

Isn't it sad that some parts of China use salt containing less than 50% sodium chloride to eat? ”

Cheng Nuo sighed and asked again, "So you came up with the idea of opening a salt factory?" ”

Fan Xudong nodded: "Originally, this matter was impossible to rely on the strength of one person, but fortunately, many comrades tried their best to help, more than 2,000 yuan, less than 100 yuan, to express their expectations for me."

Mr. Liang Rengong lives in Tianjin, and every time he meets, he asks, 'How many shares have you recruited?' Sometimes with the help of the pen and paper, personally count the calculations, this kind of enthusiasm, vivid, with these people, the salt factory is today. ”

Of course, it was also because of Liang Qichao's help that during his tenure as chief financial officer, Fan Xudong's salt was able to expand its sales area to the four banks of Huainan.

Just in time for the salt shortage in the Two Lakes area, the salt completely took root in the south.

Cheng Nuo nodded: "The national turmoil and the chaos of the salt administration have given the "imported salt" an opportunity to take advantage of, and the salt profits are all based on outsiders, the price of salt is one price a day, and the people's lives are high. Nowadays, there is such refined salt that can strengthen the muscles and bones of the nation, with high quality and low price, and Mr. Fan has made great contributions. ”

Fan Xudong did not indulge in his past achievements, and shook his head with a wry smile: "Now the problem of salt has been solved temporarily, but the people are still suffering from alkali, and I am also worried." ”

Cheng Nuo raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "I have a trick for this!" ”