In the city of Tokyo in the Northern Song Dynasty, the location was still determined by "a certain square", but the Li Fang system had actually been canceled, and the official documents were all recorded as "a certain box".

The official charcoal field contracted by Zhu Ming is located in the left military compartment in the south of the city.

In the past, there were military camps here, but now only civilian houses remain, and the soldiers of the forbidden army are no different from ordinary people.

The area of Zuojunxiang in the south of the city, with the local plus foreign population, is estimated to be more than 30,000 people, and they are Zhu Ming's main customers.

When Dean Zhu was about to arrive in the capital, Zhu Ming's shop opened.

The students also moved to the Chengnan Campus, which is only 10 minutes away from the "Tanhua Coal Tour".

Today happens to be a holiday, and dozens of students such as Chen Dong, Zhu Song, and Gou Long Ruyuan came to cheer...... Although they don't have anything to buy.

I saw a plaque hanging at the main entrance: Tanhua Coal Company.

There are a few signs outside, with words such as "honeycomb briquettes, cheap and burn-resistant" and "all kinds of coal stoves are also sold".

Early in the morning, people who had already bought coal began to line up.

This is not Zhu Ming's promotional activities, but the Carboniferous Division has rectified the market, auctioned off many government-run stores, and reached a verbal agreement with Tokyo Charcoal Co., Ltd., and today all coal shops will reduce the price together.

In the inner city, the uniform price of coal is 7 wen per catty.

In the outer urban areas, the uniform price of coal is 6 wen per catty.

Outside the city and suburbs, the uniform price is 5 wen per catty.

Where the people buy coal, the government and the charcoal industry have no control. However, if it is a store distribution, it must not exceed the scope of business, otherwise it will be suppressed by the government and the charcoal industry.

In other words, if Zhu Ming delivers to his home, he can only deliver it in the left military compartment in the south of the city.

"What does the sign say?"

"Tanhua Coal Shop, the official store has been changed to a private store, I heard that Tanhualang bought it."

"Hey, what's the honeycomb briquette?"

"Where are the honeycomb briquettes?"

"It's written on the sign."

“……”

The people who buy coal are chatting while waiting.

Coal is an absolute seller's market in Tokyo, and the government and charcoal companies are all dependent on the government to maintain commercial order. For the small people of Shengdou, they will laugh if they can reduce the price, and if they want to sell it at a high price, they can only grit their teeth and buy it.

It's okay now, even if you only buy a catty, the store can't refuse to sell it.

Changing to a few decades ago, you had to buy at least one scale (15 catties).

A piece of the door panel was removed from the inside, and the two guys came out and dismantled the door panel.

Coal stoves and briquettes were moved to the door and placed neatly.

Zhu Ming came over on horseback, and Bai Chongyan and Min Zishun also came to cheer on a donkey cart.

Bai Sheng was holding a wooden plank, and Shi Biao was holding a hammer and firecrackers in his hand.

There was a crackling sound of firecrackers, and Zhu Ming ordered: "Nailing the plank!" ”

A poem was written on the wooden board, and Zhu Ming's calligraphy level was limited, so he asked Chen Yuan to write it for free.

Bai Sheng nailed the wooden plank to the wall of the door, and Chen Dong said: "Chisel through the chaos to get black gold, and hide the deepest meaning of yang and harmony." The bonfire burns to rejuvenate the vast spring, and the furnace shines through the night. Ding Yi Yuan relies on generating power, and the iron and stone still exist after death. I hope that the people will be full of warmth and work hard to get out of the mountains and forests. ”

Zhu Song clapped his hands and praised: "I hope that the people are full of warmth and work hard to get out of the mountains and forests." Good poems, good sentences, worthy of Mr. Zhu's handwriting! ”

The common people don't care about that much, and they squeeze forward.

They came to buy loose coal, and most of them bought one scale directly, and some simply bought two or three scales, for fear that the price would rise again one day.

"Buy a scale of charcoal, and benefit seventy-five Wen!"

When the man finished weighing the charcoal, he opened his throat and shouted, and the shopkeeper began to collect the money and register.

The shopkeeper and his partner of the coal shop are all recruited in this compartment and sign contracts through intermediaries.

You must be a permanent resident of a family, and you must ask your neighbors to guarantee that they will not steal their property and run away.

Today's first customer, carrying 15 catties of coal, came out, but saw Tanhualang lighting a fire at the door, and he couldn't help but stand by and watch.

After igniting it with shavings, a few pieces of wood were put in, and then a strange briquette was stuffed in.

The briquettes were full of holes, and I waited for a while, but nothing seemed to happen.

Zhu Ming put a clay pot and mixed well water in the pot.

The people who had something to do at home watched for a moment and then turned away. More people gathered around, wondering what Tanhualang was doing.

"The water is boiling, the water is boiling!"

Someone shouted.

Zhu Ming picked up the iron lid and closed the furnace mouth.

There was no air inside the coal stove, and the charcoal fire immediately became smaller, but the water in the pot was still boiling, but not as much as before.

There is no need to explain too much at all, many people can see that this kind of stove can control the heat!

Finally, someone couldn't help asking: "Tanhualang, how did this stove sell?" ”

Zhu Ming said: "The one-core furnace is 80 Wen, the two-core furnace is 100 Wen, and the three-core furnace is 150 Wen. Ordinary people can make a fire to cook, and they can buy a stove. The two-core and three-core coal stoves are sold to restaurants and restaurants, and the charcoal fire can burn more vigorously. ”

"How do you sell these briquettes?" Someone asked again.

Zhu Ming said: "8 yuan a piece, each weighing two catties. ”

On the side of the charcoal shop, there is no price for briquettes, after all, they are all made of leftovers, and the small quantity does not affect the market.

"Dada-da-da!"

Hou Xuan rode over, and said with a smile: "Brother Chenggong, I heard that your store is open, and I came to give you a congratulatory gift!" ”

His father, Hou Meng, is the Zhongshu Shilang (deputy prime minister), although it is difficult to exercise actual power under the constraints of the traitorous party, but the noble status is still there.

The thief in the family is rich!

The gifts are also very valuable.

The two servants of the Hou family actually brought a bonsai, and the small pines and cypresses were coiled on the strange stones.

Because of Song Huizong's flower stone gang, the price of strange stones in the south of the Yangtze River has soared, and the price of this small stone in front of him is more than 100 yuan. It was also made into a bonsai, and I didn't want to buy it without two or three hundred!

Zhu Ming couldn't cry or laugh when he saw it: "I'm a coal shop, I put it in the store, and it will be blackened in ten days and a half months." ”

"Then take it home and put it on the table," Hou Xuan squeezed over, stared at the stove and said, "This thing is interesting, how much does it cost to sell?" ”

Someone else just gave a valuable gift, Zhu Ming was embarrassed to accept the money, and said: "Even if you take it, it's not worth a few." Just remember that when you have a stove in your house, you have to leave the doors and windows open. ”

Hou Xuan smiled: "Who in Tokyo doesn't know? If the doors and windows are closed, the charcoal poison will not disperse. ”

Zhu Ming began to explain the usage again: "The lid of this coal stove has a small window, which can change the size of the window. If the lid is closed, the cover window is sealed, and the holes of the briquettes are staggered, it can be burned all night without extinguishing. Open the window hole slightly and cook the food over low heat. If the hole is small, the fire is small, and if the hole is large, the fire is big. If you want the maximum flame, remove the lid entirely. ”

Hou Xuan felt more and more surprised: "You can still control the size of the flames?" When it comes to making tea, it's bound to come in handy. ”

After observing for a while, Hou Xuan picked a stove and picked twenty honeycomb coals for the servants to take home and use.

Seeing that someone was going to use this thing, one of the onlookers asked, "Can the stove be credited?" I sell food at the night market, and this coal stove is easy to use, but I don't know how long the briquettes can burn. I bought 10 briquettes and went back, and if it was more economical than coal, I bought a coal stove as well. If you don't save it, return the coal stove. ”

In and around Tokyo, most of the customers of shops selling daily necessities are neighbors, and it is very common to take credit payments.

Although Zhu Ming didn't know this person, in order to open up sales, he still said: "Even if you go on credit, within three days, the coal stove can be returned." After three days, there is no way to return it. ”

In a short time, nearly 100 briquettes were sold, and the stove was tried on credit, and the customers were all small vendors selling food.

It is estimated that such vendors will be the main consumers of honeycomb coal within half a month.

At the same time, they are also free of advertising.

People who come and go, seeing them using honeycomb coal, can't help but inquire about the situation, and the number of customers gradually rises.

"Dangdang, dang!"

A gong sounded, and Guirou, the first car of the charcoal line, brought several charcoal shop bosses to congratulate Zhu Ming on his opening.

These people, who are both competitors and collaborators, must join forces against the government, and their relationship is usually quite harmonious.

"Zhu Xianggong, it's good to open!" Che Guirou smiled and arched her hand.

Zhu Ming smiled: "Same joy, same joy." ”

Che Guirou also contracted the official shop this time, which can be regarded as opening another branch.

The coal shop owners exchanged pleasantries and eventually focused on the coal stove and honeycomb coal.

These guys have a keen sense of smell and quickly realize that something is wrong.

They carefully observed the usage, and each of them bought a stove and a lot of honeycomb coal, intending to take it back to study imitations.

When the honeycomb coal market matures, it is estimated that it will have to be repriced.

was busy until noon, Zhu Ming paid for a treat, and ate in the restaurant in the south of the city, and of course Chen Dong and other students also had a share.

Everyone has gifts, and they don't let Zhu Ming break the bank.

Towards the end of the evening, Zhu Ming watched the coal shop close, and his heart was indescribably happy, this was his first industry in Tokyo.

I don't expect this business to make me a rich man, at least to meet my daily expenses, this is where the confidence of the official is to be honest!

A few days later, the sales of honeycomb coal increased significantly.

The small vendors in the left military compartment in the south of the city, who needed to make a fire, switched to honeycomb coal.

Because the small vendors found this stove too convenient.

When there are many customers, a large fire is opened, and when there are few customers, a small fire is opened. There are no customers for the time being, just put the lid on it, and the fire can be lit for several hours.

They don't call honeycomb coal, and they praise "Tanhua coal" when they meet people.

In and around Tokyo, other coal shops have also launched imitation products. In order to open up sales as soon as possible, "Tanhua" is also used as a prefix.

For a time, Tanhua furnace and Tanhua coal swept the city, and Zhu Ming could not sue his peers for trademark infringement.

Following the small vendors, more and more people also use honeycomb coal for boiling water and cooking, because they can really save money.

Even the coal poem copied by Zhu Ming has been widely spread, and Zhu Jiu has become Zhu Shi.

Zhu Ming occasionally rode a horse and saw several teahouses in the city at the door, all of which were honeycomb coal stoves. Just grind the tea into powder in advance, and you can always carry the cooking pot on the stove to order tea.

This scene made Zhu Ming quite happy, and he changed the way of daily life of the people of Tokyo.

"The people's daily use is the way!"

It was another holiday, and Chen Yuan was lecturing in the courtyard: "This Tanhua furnace and Tanhua coal are the embodiment of turning the Tao into use." If firewood wants to burn, it must have vitality circulation, and the bellows used for striking iron are to pour vitality into the furnace. The pores of Tanhua Coal are for aeration. The lid of the flower exploration furnace is also gas-controlled fire...... With this thing, it can save money for the people. If you study these kinds of things, you will save the people a lot! ”

Zhu Ming sat next to him and listened, unable to correct his mistakes, because he didn't know how to introduce the concept of oxygen.

Chen Yuan believes that it is a kind of "anger".

Air circulation is vitality, which can ignite and support combustion.

If it does not circulate, it is dead gas and cannot be burned. For example, if you cover a candle with a lid, the candle will go out, because the air flow is cut off, and the anger becomes dead.

If the wind blows out the flames, it is too angry and the flames cannot withstand it.

People live by breathing, and they also rely on anger.

Well...... It is a very naïve cognition, similar to the Western phlogiston concept.

"Bang bang bang!"

There was a sudden knock on the door, and it was very urgent.

Min Zishun's servants went to open the door, and Hou Xuan stood outside the door, followed Zheng Fatzi and Zheng Yuanyi.

"Da Lang, Zhu Xianggong has entered Beijing!" Zheng Hong shouted.

Zhu Ming hurriedly rushed out: "Where is it?" ”

Zheng Hong said: "Outside the Donghua Gate, Zhu Xianggong asked us to come to you first. It just so happened that this Hou brother was watching the excitement, and the Hou brother was very enthusiastic, so he brought us here. ”

(End of chapter)