Chapter 669: Return of the Wanderer (Please vote and subscribe)

Niu Wei and Luo Chong came to Weishan County by boat. Niu Wei's heart was complicated. Although he had only been in the Han tribe for a year, what he saw and heard in this year made him feel scared. The Han tribe developed too fast.

When he first came a year ago, Niu Wei was still studying in the school in Hanyang City. Every day when he returned home, he could only light tung oil lamps for lighting. At that time, he was thinking, this thing is really advanced, and he didn't know where the oil came from. Anyway, it couldn't be the animal oil he had seen. If it was in his own tribe, who would be willing to use animal oil to light a lamp? The oil and water for people to eat are not enough, not to mention that they never thought of such a thing as a lamp. Usually, they would light a torch at night, or just make a bonfire, but now.

Looking at the beams of light that were constantly being blasted out from the towering lighthouse in front of him, Niu Wei felt a deep sense of inferiority and powerlessness. His oil lamps were not yet popular, but people here had already replaced them with more advanced calcium carbide lamps. He didn't know how those things were made. He just threw some broken stones in and added some cold water to use them as lamps, and they were still so bright.

The calcium carbide lamps brought more than just a technological gap. There were some things that even the local tribesmen of the Han tribe couldn't think of, but Niu Wei thought of them. Just a calcium carbide lamp gave the Han tribe more time to develop.

The different positions you are in, the different levels you see.

Let's put it this way, in the past, you couldn't do anything when it got dark at night, but now with the calcium carbide lamps, the Han tribe has four more hours of activities at night, four hours a day, which is equivalent to half a day more than the Xin tribe.

Although four hours is not much, and the Han tribe will not use it to organize collective work, it is very useful for every household. Women can make two more pairs of shoes and two more sets of clothes at night, and men can make more brooms and weave more bamboo baskets. The couple can increase their income by selling snacks at the night market, and the children who go to school can at least learn one more hour than usual. Taken together, the overall development of the Han tribe is accelerating, and this speed makes Niu Wei's scalp numb.

"See, this is the lighthouse. At the latest by next year, we will build one at the northeast corner of Zhudao. If your Xin tribe needs to build one at the dark bridge, you can ask your commander-in-chief to tell the delegation, and we will definitely help." Luo Chong stood on the watchtower of the city wall of Weishan County and said to Niu Wei beside him.

Niu Wei certainly knew that the Han tribe would not be so kind. Even if they really helped them build a lighthouse, they would not be willing to pay. The cost must be very high. Besides, their Xin tribe did not have a ship, so there was no use for the lighthouse. It was built for the Han tribe, and he was not stupid.

"Chief Han, our Xin tribe doesn't have any ships yet, so even if we build a lighthouse it will be of no use. But if you can sell us those civilian calcium carbide lamps, our commander-in-chief will be very happy. It would be even better if the Han tribe can sell us the technology to make lamps." Niu Wei said tentatively. He knew very well in his heart that civilian calcium carbide lamps were much more useful than lighthouses. If the Xin tribe could also popularize calcium carbide lamps, at least its development speed would not be too far behind the Han tribe.

"Of course there is no problem with selling the lamp, but the manufacturing technology is not good. It's not that I don't want to give it to you, but the technology here is very high. With the level of your Xin tribe, even if I tell you, you can't make it. Let alone other things, you don't have the iron sheet of the lamp body

. You don't even have the ability to smelt iron. What's the point of me telling you." Luo Chong glanced at Niu Wei and saw that he wanted to refute, and hurriedly continued to make up the knife, "Don't talk about you being able to smelt copper. Copper can't make calcium carbide lamps at all. We have tried it. It's because copper sheet is not good that we use iron. Calcium carbide will explode when placed in a container made of copper sheet."

Luo Chong opened his mouth and started talking nonsense, obviously bullying Niu Wei for not understanding.

Niu Wei felt very aggrieved. This was nakedly despised by others, but he couldn't refute what Luo Chong said. After all, it was a fact that the Xin tribe couldn't smelt iron. They didn't even have the raw materials. Even if I told them the technology, they couldn't do it.

Importing materials from the Han tribe and processing and assembling them by themselves? Isn't that nonsense? With the temper of the Han tribe, it is estimated that selling materials is more expensive than selling the whole lamp.

After being directly rejected by Luo Chong, Niu Wei had no choice but to settle for the next best thing and asked Luo Chong again.

"Han leader, since we can't make calcium carbide lamps, we can buy them directly from the Han tribe, but the calcium carbide used in it is a consumable. Isn't it too troublesome to buy it from the Han tribe? It takes several months to make a trip. Can you sell us the technology to make calcium carbide? We are willing to pay a suitable price for it."

Luo Chong smiled and did not answer directly, but asked in return, "This is not impossible, but making calcium carbide requires a lot of coal. Do you have coal in Zhudao? If so, I don't mind selling you the technology to make calcium carbide."

"Coal?" Niu Wei was stunned. He didn't know what coal was yet.

"It's something similar to charcoal. It can be used as firewood, but it is a natural black stone that can be burned after being dug out. You can think of it as natural stone charcoal." Luo Chong explained.

Niu Wei frowned and thought. He really didn't know if Zhudao had this thing. At least it definitely didn't have it before, otherwise the Xin tribe would have used it long ago.

"I don't know whether there is coal or not, but I hope that Chief Han can help pass a message to our commander-in-chief and ask him to send someone to look for it. If there is coal on Zhudao Island, I hope that Chief Han can really sell us the production method of calcium carbide."

"Of course, I keep my word and will definitely not lie to you." Luo Chong said nonchalantly. It would be a miracle if Zhudao Island had coal. Even if there was, they would not be able to mine it within three or two years. After three or two years, it would be uncertain whether Zhudao Island was named Han or Xin, so it would be okay to agree to them.

The two finished talking about calcium carbide lamps, and Niu Wei asked Luo Chong if he could exchange it for the oil pressing technology of the Han tribe. Luo Chong agreed, but when Niu Wei asked what he needed to exchange, Luo Chong said that he needed to exchange it with a large amount of wheat and white salt.

White salt is nothing to the Xin tribe, but wheat has become a big problem. The staple food of the Xin tribe is corn, and there is no wheat at all. It can only be imported from the Han tribe, and the Xin tribe has to grow it before selling it to the Han tribe. On the surface, there seems to be no problem, but Niu Wei always feels that something is wrong, but he really can't tell what the problem is.

"Why must we use wheat? Can't we use corn?" Niu Wei asked curiously and puzzled.

Luo Chong shook his head and said, "Corn is not good. First, the people of our Han tribe are not used to eating it. Second, the storage time is too short. I want wheat just to store more food for the tribe. Unhulled wheat can be stored for five or six years. You can also promote it in large quantities in Zhudao. Even if you don't sell it to us, you can store it for yourself."

Niu Wei nodded thoughtfully, and didn't think there was anything wrong. Luo Chong was the leader of the Han tribe. It was normal for him to want to store food. This reason was very reasonable. Niu Wei agreed after letting down his guard a little.

Luo Chong's words were half true and half false. It was true that he wanted to store food, but it was a bit nonsense to insist on wheat. The rice produced by the Han tribe every year could not be eaten up, and that thing could be stored for several years, which was not shorter than the storage time of wheat. The purpose of doing so was actually to create a food crisis for the Xin tribe, because wheat had the lowest yield among the several staple foods available in the Han tribe. When the corn on Zhudao was replaced with wheat, let alone selling it to the Han tribe, it was not certain whether it was enough for them to eat.

"Han leader, we need to buy too many things from the Han tribe, both food and white salt. I am worried that our Xin tribe cannot afford it. Can you see if you can add something else?" Niu Wei thought about it and asked again. In fact, all transactions were made with food and white salt, which put too much pressure on the Xin tribe.

"This is easy to do. We will also buy paper at a high price. Don't you have a lot of bamboo in your Xin tribe? I can let the delegation pass on the technology of making bamboo paper to you. You use the local bamboo to make paper and then sell it to us. We will take as much as you have. This should be fine." Luo Chong continued to deceive Niu Wei.

Niu Wei was overjoyed at Luo Chong's proposal. Bamboo paper is a good thing. The raw materials are everywhere. The more you cut, the faster it grows. Moreover, the price of paper in the Han tribe has always been high. If the Xin tribe can really mass-produce bamboo paper, then maybe it can really achieve a balance between imports and exports.

Niu Wei thought so because the current trade between the Han and Xin tribes is too unfair. The Han tribe is the party that has mastered high technology and has formed a comprehensive technical crushing over the Xin tribe. This situation has caused the Han tribe to often only need to take out a little advanced things to exchange for a large amount of basic resources from the Xin tribe. Whether it is food or white salt, they are the most basic things with low value. They can only rely on quantity to exchange for a little good stuff from the Han tribe.

But if it has been like this, the Xin tribe can't bear it, so Niu Wei will think, can the Xin tribe also produce some high-value things and make an equal exchange with the Han tribe, and bamboo paper is the best choice. Niu Wei, who has studied in the Han tribe, knows how much the Han tribe needs paper, and knows the value of paper, so he has no doubt that Luo Chong is cheating him.

The reason why Luo Chong proposed such a condition seems to be for the sake of the Xin tribe. In fact, this transaction will benefit the Han tribe more.

First of all, the Han tribe's own paper production capacity is insufficient, and the demand for paper is very large. If the Xin tribe can produce a large amount of paper, it can alleviate the shortage of paper in the Han tribe.

On the other hand, from a technical point of view, the traditional papermaking process is a time-consuming and labor-intensive industry. If the Xin tribe really wants to popularize papermaking, it will consume a lot of labor and spend a lot of time on it. This is Luo Chong's consumption policy. After spending so much manpower, material resources and time, the paper produced is neither edible nor useful. It will only seriously slow down the development of the Xin tribe and even affect their normal production and life. In this way, Luo Chong's goal is achieved.

The two stood on the city wall and looked at the lighthouse not far away. They counted their own little nines in their hearts, thinking about how to get more benefits from each other.

A few days passed in a flash, and You Fu did not let Luo Chong and his team wait any longer. On the third day of September, the pioneering fleet led by You Fu finally arrived at the end of this trip, Weishan County Pier.

Looking at the lighthouse standing next to the dock, You Fu was also quite surprised. He didn't expect that the leader had already built a lighthouse before he came back, and the busyness of the Weishan County dock also surprised him.

At the dock, coke and coal shipped from the lake island were being transported to the shore continuously. A special ore loading and unloading berth was very eye-catching. On the ordinary wooden trestle, there was a very exaggerated wooden gantry crane equipment. This crane was equipped with two hoppers. When operating, the empty hopper was first lowered to the ship with pulleys and ropes, and then the hopper was hoisted to the side of the shore with the opposite operation. A four-wheeled freight carriage was parked there. At this time, as long as a switch at the bottom of the hopper was turned on, the coke inside would automatically leak into the bucket. The loading and unloading efficiency was really too fast.

On the other side, there is a similar gantry crane on the ordinary cargo ship, but the one below is not a hopper, but a four-claw hook that can automatically grab. No matter it is a barrel, a box, or a sack, as long as the hook is placed on the cargo, the claws will automatically tighten when it is lifted, and when it lands on the other side, the claws will automatically loosen. It is too convenient to load and unload materials on the ship. The only disadvantage is that it cannot grab bulk goods. It must be packaged in a box, barrel or sack. However, this is obviously not a problem for the Han tribe.

These things were still not available when Youfu left, and he couldn't help but be surprised.

"Youfu greets the leader. The pioneering group has fulfilled its mission and finally completed the task of opening up the sea route. We also brought a lot of good things from the seaside, which are not available in our Han tribe. We specially bring them to the leader to taste."

Seeing Luo Chong and a group of people coming to greet him, Youfu was proud but did not dare to be too presumptuous. He took the initiative to salute Luo Chong.

"Hurry up, you have been through the wind and rain all the way, and it has taken you nearly half a year. It is really hard. Soldiers, don't worry, everyone will have made contributions when you return. Later, your captain will report your achievements and you can receive your rewards. Everyone, get up, the city has prepared a welcoming banquet for you." Luo Chong first pulled You Fu up by hand, and then gave a virtual hand to the people who landed. It is still necessary to maintain the dignity of the leader. After all, Han Li was written by him.

"Thank you, leader, for the reward and banquet." After speaking, You Fu, as the captain, led everyone to salute again, and this simple triumphal ceremony was completed.

(End of this chapter)