Shen Qing looked down at her hands.
Although it was wrapped in gauze and couldn't get wet, it wasn't to the point where it needed someone to take care of it all night.
Remembering that Cheng Zhiwen's own hands were also blistered and it wasn't convenient for her to take care of her, Shen Qing said politely, "Actually, I'm fine. I can skip washing my hands, and I don't eat anything in the middle of the night, so I don't need anyone to take care of me."
After saying that, she tapped his hand with her chin and said gently, "Come, let me see your hand."
He was somewhat surprised, as if she had never spoken to him in such a gentle tone before, and immediately walked up to her.
She sat up, her hands, wrapped in bandages, reached for his, pulled him to her face, and turned him over to look—
All the blisters have burst; some skin is hanging on the palm, and some skin has fallen off, revealing red flesh.
Shen Qing dared not touch the red meat, and said with heartache, "Why didn't you put on some medicine? You just fed me porridge and went to the bathroom to wash something..."
Speaking of the bathroom, Cheng Zhiwen suddenly withdrew her hand, coughed lightly, and turned her face to the side: "I'll apply some ointment later, it's fine."
After saying that, he walked to the sofa, rearranged the cushions, and then lay down on it fully clothed.
The sofa was at a 90-degree angle to the headboard, so Shen Qing couldn't see anything moving on the sofa. He had no choice but to lie back down on the bed, staring at the bed curtains, and mentally organizing his work.
The problem of fiber has been solved, but there is one issue – the drawing machine requires electricity.
Currently, Jiangzhou has no electricity. Only some areas in Shanghai have electricity, and the Li Cha Hotel was one of the first hotels to have electricity.
Therefore, the wire drawing machine can only be used in Shanghai.
Right now, it's just one machine, so renting a place with electricity isn't difficult. But as down jackets go into mass production, dozens or even hundreds of drawing machines will be needed. Even if we could rent such a large space in Shanghai, the electricity supply wouldn't be enough.
The simultaneous startup and operation of dozens of machines will inevitably cause a large-scale power outage.
Thinking of all this, Shen Qing sighed again.
She didn't expect that after solving the most difficult problem—the wire drawing machine—new challenges would arise.
And this problem seems unsolvable.
Changing the electrical load is something neither she nor Cheng Zhiwen can solve.
Thinking of this, Shen Qing turned over in frustration, making a noise.
"Are you considering the electricity issue?" Cheng Zhiwen suddenly asked.
Shen Qing stood up in surprise, turning her head to look at him: "How did you know I was worried about the electricity problem?"
He had already taken off his shoes, crossed his legs, and was lying comfortably on the sofa with one arm behind his head.
He glanced at Shen Qing and said, "When you see that the wire drawing machine needs electricity, you will naturally think about how to solve this electricity problem."
Shen Qing sighed.
Since he guessed it, then it's no wonder she passed on her negative energy to him.
So he voiced his concerns: "The problem now is the power load after mass production begins. Although Shanghai has electricity now, it can't handle dozens of wire drawing machines operating at the same time. But if the wire drawing machines need to work off-peak, it will inevitably affect production capacity."
“It definitely wouldn’t work in Shanghai… Shanghai’s current power load is only suitable for turning on the lights.”
He spoke casually, as if he didn't think it was a problem.
But Shen Qing was extremely anxious. She threw off the covers, got out of bed, and paced back and forth in the room.
"I finally solved the problem of the wire drawing machine and thought that the production of down jackets was no longer a problem, but I didn't expect that there were still big problems to come. Before I came to Shanghai this time, I confidently told Sulan that my business would be successful and that I could send her to study abroad in the future."
Cheng Zhiwen smiled: "It's not like there's no way."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qing turned around and looked at him with surprise: "You have a solution?"
"Set up the factory in Europe."
Shen Qing was shocked: "What?"
She instinctively felt that this was simply impossible.
Even in modern times with advanced communication and networks, it is not easy for a Chinese person to go to Europe alone to open a factory, let alone in the late Qing Dynasty!
The era of the impending First World War is here!
Cheng Zhiwen stopped smiling, sat up, rested her elbows on her knees, and placed her hands in a tower shape, touching the tip of her nose.
After considering for a while, he said, "The wire drawing machine will be manufactured in Germany and then shipped to Shanghai. After the down jackets are finished, they will need to be shipped to Europe again."
This would involve two voyages, one to the other. It would be better to place the wire drawing machine in Europe, then ship the raw amber and wool from China to Europe for production. This way, only one voyage is needed.
Shen Qing felt that what he said had some feasibility, but the problem was, what would happen to Jiangzhou if she went to Europe?
She was worried about Su Lan and Gao Liu Shi.
Master Zhao has his eyes on the house, and he might start causing trouble for Lady Gao to seize it as soon as she leaves.
As for Su Lan, she might be taken back by Er Hong and his wife because of her absence. If she goes back, she'll undoubtedly face all sorts of beatings and abuse.
Ultimately, Jiangzhou was still a concern for Shen Qing, and she instinctively resisted setting up a factory in Europe.
She sat back on the bed and whispered, "Setting up a factory in Europe also requires money. Where am I going to get so much money to set up a factory in Europe right now?"
“You can outsource some processes, such as the weaving process. You don’t need to buy your own looms; you can outsource the work to local European weavers. European weaving technology is all electric, which is much more efficient than ours.”
Shen Qing followed the same logic—
The chemical treatment of the fabric after weaving, as well as the sewing process after filling, can all be outsourced.
"For outsourced parts, a small deposit can be paid first, and after the goods are delivered, the payment period may be delayed for three or six months."
When the payment period arrived, I delivered all the down jackets to the customers, received payment smoothly, and then used that money to pay for the outsourcing fees.
This way, I only need to invest in purchasing duck and goose down! All other expenses can be covered by using payment terms to free up cash!
By the time she finished speaking, she had screamed out loud, her whole body radiating with intelligence.
Cheng Zhiwen looked at her with admiration in his eyes.
After this analysis, Shen Qing was no longer so resistant to opening a factory in Europe. She began to focus on reality and carefully consider the feasibility of the plan.
Cheng Zhiwen was quite familiar with everything in Europe and gave her a lot of advice.
She had initially considered his staying here to take care of her a burden, but unexpectedly, the two ended up talking about business until midnight.
In the latter half of the night, Shen Qing finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell into a deep sleep leaning against the headboard.
Cheng Zhiwen wasn't asleep, but when she heard her fall silent, she assumed she had.
He got up from the sofa, walked to the bedside, laid her down comfortably, and covered her with the blanket.
The room was dimly lit. In her sleep, she let down all her guard and put away her sharp edges, her slightly chubby face making her look endearing.
Cheng Zhiwen leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"good evening."
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