Swish—crash!
As the shuttle quickly shuttles back and forth, the yarn gradually takes shape as it interweaves.
Under the astonished eyes of the merchants, a wide and smooth piece of cloth was woven.
After the weaving stopped, a group of merchants came to the loom.
Merchant Dong Ju held the cloth in his hands and examined it carefully. "The fabric is compact and full."
Another businessman looked at it and said, "It's smooth and wrinkle-free."
The third merchant took a closer look and said, "The gaps between the threads are very small, just like the cloth woven on other looms."
"From the perspective of quality alone, it can be considered a mid-range product. Considering that this cloth is much wider than ordinary cloth, the wider the cloth, the more expensive it is, so it can be called a top-range product!" A cloth merchant named Song finally concluded.
Zhang Tongchang, a captain of the Imperial Guard, came up to the crowd with a smile and asked, "Are you sure this is top-grade cloth?"
"Sure."
“Absolutely top quality!”
"The cloth that can be bought for more money than ordinary cloth is high-quality cloth."
Zhang Tongchang smiled and asked again: "What do you think of this flying shuttle loom?"
"Good, very good, the woven cloth is wide, flat and strong."
"Is Mr. Zhang's loom for sale? If so, I'll buy it!"
"I'll give you one hundred taels."
"I'll give you two hundred taels!"
The businessmen gathered around Zhang Tongchang to express their opinions.
Zhang Tongchang sneered in his heart.
Not to mention one hundred taels, even ten thousand taels cannot be sold.
The secret of this flying shuttle loom lies in the springs at both ends of the shuttle. Merchants only need to buy one and ask skilled craftsmen to copy it.
So no matter how much it sells for, it’s not appropriate.
He shook his head slightly and said, "You guys chat first, I have something to do and will be back soon."
"Master Zhang, please do as you please."
Zhang Tongchang ordered his men to carry the loom away and leave the front yard for the back yard.
After watching Zhang Tongchang leave, the merchants gathered together and whispered, "Everyone, this loom is a good thing!"
"It's really a good thing, but I don't understand the tricks behind it. Brother Song is an expert, do you understand it?"
"Alas, I have been in the weaving business for decades, but I still don't understand how the shuttle moves back and forth by itself."
"What about you?"
"If Brother Song can't understand it, then we can understand it even less."
The businessmen looked regretful and unwilling.
"How about..." businessman Dong Ju suggested in a low voice: "We can pool our money to buy this loom, and then find a skilled craftsman to copy it?"
"That's fine, but how much money is appropriate?" someone asked.
"How about ten thousand taels of silver?"
"It's too little. To put it bluntly, this thing is a one-time deal. Moreover, Mr. Zhang is a captain of the Jinyiwei. Ten thousand taels is really not enough."
"Fifty thousand!" said the businessman named Song, gritting his teeth.
"Brother Song, are you crazy..." The merchants widened their eyes, "How much cloth do we need to sell to make back the money?"
The merchant surnamed Song coughed lightly and said, "Everyone, this thing is just like a field. It requires a one-time investment and produces continuous output! This loom only requires one person to weave cloth. The weaving speed is twice that of an ordinary loom, and it can weave wide cloth that is not available on the market!"
"With the same number of looms and weavers, others weave one bolt of cloth, while we weave two bolts!"
"As long as the price is right, you can get your money back quickly!"
"If it doesn't work, we can unite and set a monopoly price, and the payback time will be faster!"
The merchants turned around and began to calculate carefully according to their financial resources.
Zhang Tongchang, hiding in the dark, folded his arms across his chest and looked at them quietly.
A quarter of an hour later, he walked out slowly, exchanging glances with the businessman named Song.
After getting the response from the businessman surnamed Song, Zhang Tongkai asked, "Have you all thought about it?"
"I've made up my mind," Dong Ju stepped forward and bowed, "We are willing to invest 50,000 taels of silver together to buy this loom."
"Not for sale!" Zhang Tongchang answered decisively.
"Ah?" The businessmen were stunned.
They exchanged glances, each showing shock and embarrassment.
Compared with their family property, fifty thousand taels of silver is indeed not a lot.
But from a business perspective, fifty thousand taels of silver is already a lot of money.
Sheep follow grass, merchants follow profit.
They will be cautious about transactions that will result in a loss or in which the cost cannot be recovered in a short period of time.
Merchant Dong Ju asked hesitantly, "Master Zhang... do you think 50,000 taels of silver is too little?"
"No," Zhang Tongchang shook his head, "too many."
call--
The merchants breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
"Then may I ask how much is appropriate, Lord Zhang?" Dong Ju asked again.
Zhang Tongchang smiled and replied, "Not a penny!"
"Ah?" The businessmen were stunned again, and the shock in their hearts was even more intense than before.
“Master Zhang, what is this…?” The merchants were afraid that this was a trick and they all looked alert.
Zhang Tongchang stopped playing tricks and said directly: "You can copy the new loom for free, but there are two prerequisites."
"First, the work of imitation should be handed over to the local manufacturing bureau to generate income for the government."
The businessmen nodded one after another, indicating that they had no objection.
Although the wages of the craftsmen in the manufacturing bureau are slightly higher, the products they make are much better than those made by private craftsmen, and overall they are worth the money.
What's more, the Jinyiwei allowed them to copy it for free, so there was no need to worry about the wages.
"Secondly, you will accompany me to Fujian in three months."
“Fujian?”
"Yes, go to Fujian to do business and make money!" Zhang Tongchang answered without hesitation.
Businessmen’s brains are no longer enough.
They were allowed to imitate the loom for free, on the condition that they go to Fujian to do business and earn money.
What kind of condition is this?
"May I ask what business Lord Zhang plans to take us to do?"
Zhang Tongchang thought for a moment and said, "Tea, grain, and cloth."
The merchants changed their previous excited state and began to hesitate.
When doing business, you can't just go wherever you want.
Most of their businesses are concentrated in the southern Zhili area, where they have formed a small-scale monopoly.
That is what is often called a local tyrant.
Fujian has its own local tyrants.
There is only so much rice in the bowl, and competition will form among peers.
After they go to Fujian, they will be targeted and suppressed by their Fujian counterparts.
As the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake. It is difficult for them to get the upper hand over Fujian businessmen, which leads to losses.
No one will do business at a loss.
Zhang Tongchang did not force it, and said in a mocking tone: "I don't force you to do this. If you want to make money, come and register with me, then take the loom away to study, and leave for Fujian in three months."
"If you don't want to make money, leave on your own. I will never stop you."
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