mtl008 Chapter 404: Moisture-proofing for Ships: Lime Powder
Chapter 404: Moisture-proofing for Ships: Lime Powder
"impossible!"
Wei Que stood up suddenly and said angrily: "You are planning to make me work for you for nothing? Why do we have to stick to Tong'an County instead of other places?"
His voice was deep and loud, which startled the birds in the yard and made them fly away. Shen Zheng was so startled that she couldn't help but pick her ears.
"Master Wei, please be patient." Shen Xingjian motioned him to sit down, and then said, "I only said that I can't pay the return fee, but I didn't say what Tongan County can give you."
Wei Que panted angrily, sat down hesitantly, and stared at Shen Xingjian fiercely: "What can Tongan County give to the Caoyun Division?"
Shen Xingjian picked up the pen and wrote the two big words "cotton cloth" on the paper.
"Tong'an County will give full authority to your Canal Transport Bureau to transport cotton cloth along the river. Whether the transportation fee is paid by Tong'an County or the buyer, it will be a considerable income for your Canal Transport Bureau."
Wei Que suddenly became quiet.
The profits he made from inland shipping were not as much as those from the Governor of the Grand Canal's sea voyages. Many of the things he brought back from the sea were new things that were not available in the Great Zhou.
This is also the reason why he refused to give in just now.
If he gave in, inland waterway transportation would be much more difficult than sea transportation.
Shen Xingjian patiently persuaded: "You also know that once cotton cloth comes out, it will be a long-term business. It will not last for one or two years, nor for eight or ten years. As long as the people of Da Zhou want to wear clothes, this business will continue."
He paused, and said something that hit Wei Que's heart: "Besides, how can cotton cloth not be shipped out to sea? As far as I know, the surrounding small countries don't even have cotton, let alone cotton clothes. But my Tongan County will only give the transportation rights to you, think about it..."
Wei Que's breathing became rapid again.
This time I wasn't angry, but excited.
Yes! If he could hold the cotton cloth tightly and stand on the same front with Tongan County, could the governor still put a knife on Tongan County's neck to threaten them?
Even if he cannot directly obtain the right to go to sea through this, it is still a very useful bargaining chip for him!
Wei Que was shaken. When he raised his head, he looked into Shen Xingjian's bottomless eyes.
Shen Xingjian did not force him, and said gently: "Master Wei, think about it again. If we want to cooperate for a long time in the future, both sides must be satisfied."
His tactic of retreating in order to advance made Wei Que even more itchy, and he almost agreed directly.
A gust of wind blew by, picking up the rice ash that had just fallen to the ground and choking Wei Que's nose.
After he coughed twice, he realized that he had overlooked a very serious fact!
That's cotton! It absorbs moisture!
It's not just a little bit sucking, it's quite sucking!
They sailed for ten days or half a month. The cotton on the ship became heavier and heavier, the draft of the ship became deeper and deeper, and it became more difficult to sail.
But the weight of the cotton must be determined according to the shipping weight. After all, Tongan County has to pay for the cotton according to that weight. As for the extra fees, Shen Xingjian will definitely not recognize them.
What to do?
Wei Que wavered again.
Shen Zheng saw that the situation was not good, so she struck while the iron was hot: "Master Wei, I think what Master Shen said makes sense. In fact, cooperation between our two sides is a mutually beneficial thing. Do you have any concerns?"
Wei Que looked at Shen Zheng's "sincere" face and expressed his concerns: "Cotton absorbs water, and so does cotton cloth. There are many ways to prevent moisture on the ship, but they cost money and effort."
He was reluctant to give up the profit of cotton cloth, but he couldn't let go of the shipping fee. He gritted his teeth and said, "Sir Shen, do you think this is feasible? The initial cost of the cargo ship will be covered by the Canal Transport Bureau as you said. I will arrange to carry the goods along the way, and you will not have to pay a penny for Tong'an County. When we start shipping cotton cloth in the future, we will discuss the cost of cotton cloth."
"As for the cost of the cargo ship carrying the cotton back, I won't ask you for more. I'll just charge you half a ship."
He was afraid that Shen Xingjian would refuse, so he said bitterly, "Cotton is light, but it takes up space. It will take a lot of effort for you brothers to move the other goods up. And the cotton will get heavier as time goes by. I have to take all these into consideration."
Wei Que felt that what he said made a lot of sense. He had already backed down, so Shen Xingjian couldn't just refuse to give up a cent, right?
But he didn't expect that Shen Xingjian would not give up a cent. "No. Lord Wei, I think that if we pay the return freight based on the weight, Tongan County will actually lose money."
Hmm? Did I lose money?
Shen Zheng and Yu Shizhang looked at each other.
Who cares? Shen Xingjian said it was a loss, so it’s a loss.
If you don’t make money, you will lose money!
Wei Que was as strong as a bear, but he was almost driven to tears by Shen Xingjian, and he almost staged a macho tearful scene in front of everyone.
"Sir Shen, why don't you reconsider this? Cotton absorbs water, and it costs a lot to store it on the road. My brothers and I also need to eat, and the National Treasury and the Ministry of Revenue are also looking forward to our inland river transportation..."
Shen Zheng's eyes lit up as she listened to his crying.
The opportunity is here!
She coughed and looked at Wei Que: "Master Wei, there should be more than just cotton that needs to be moisture-proof, right?"
Wei Que directly misinterpreted her meaning.
But he didn't have the habit of speaking loudly to the girl, so he just said, "Master Shen, although there are many goods that need to be protected from moisture during transportation, the ones that go with the cotton are mostly fragile items. This way, the goods can be preserved and the remaining weight can be used."
Shen Zheng nodded, "Lord Wei has misunderstood. I am not trying to push the cost of moisture-proofing onto other goods, but I, perhaps, have a way to prevent moisture."
Wei Que's pupils shrank slightly, and he asked in disbelief, "What method is it?"
"dolomite."
"Dolomite?" Wei Que smiled and shook his head. "Master Shen, you mean that the surface of dolomite can absorb water? The Canal Transport Bureau has tried it before, and it is only the surface layer that can absorb water. Once that layer is used up, it is gone."
"Dolomite is too heavy to be used as a water absorber for cargo ships," he added in retrospect.
Yu Shizhang imitated him and shook his head, "That's because you haven't seen good things. Of course, a whole piece of dolomite cannot absorb water."
"Grinding?"
"Wei Que, who has never seen good things," laughed, "I have also tried to grind it into powder, and the dolomite inside cannot absorb water."
"Who told you to grind it directly into powder?"
Yu Shizhang took a handful of Qiao and said, "This is the method Shen Zheng has developed with us these past two days. Grind the refined dolomite into powder and absorb the water on your boat? It's a piece of cake!"
"Refining dolomite?" Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, Wei Que began to believe it.
He moved towards Yu Shizhang, his eyes shining, "Master Lao, tell me in detail."
Yu Shizhang took a sip of tea and said, "I don't know as much as Shen Zheng. Let her talk to you."
Shen Zheng knew that he was giving her a chance to show off.
She tilted her head and asked Wei Que: "Master Wei, if I can come up with a way to prevent moisture, will you agree to Master Shen's previous condition?"