open sea

Chapter 626 Kerosene
There were three oil lamps in front of Chen Mu, and the oil-soaked cotton thread was dragging a faint flame. In Chen Mu's bewildered eyes, the flame was the color of silver.

Two bulky pocket watches were wound up alternately, and they were placed in front of the desk lamp to record the time. Even now, pocket watches are still a rarity.

The structure of the escapement can be found in ancient astronomical machinery, not to mention the ready-made structure imported from the West. It is not difficult to make, but it is difficult to make it in large quantities. Due to the limitation of materials, it has not been able to be produced in large quantities.

It was not until the Annan and Burma wars ended that a large amount of Burmese iron was imported into Nanyang. In addition to supporting the military supplies of flintlocks, some still flowed into the people for various crafts.

Only then did Nanyang have a watch shop, which produced table clocks the size of half a table, and occasionally made a few expensive pocket watches to sell to high-ranking officials and dignitaries, but their bulky discus-like shape was not popular with people.

Not to mention others, even Chen Mu never puts a pocket watch on his body. Even if he takes it with him in battle, he always puts it in the backpack of a soldier—it weighs more than two catties, which can prevent any nobleman from carrying it in his heart. thought.

Not to mention that there is still something wrong with the watch these days, and it will not go away after walking, and it needs to be worked hard before it is used.

"I haven't opened the window for a long time. It is ventilated. The kerosene can't be burned cleanly. The dirty things inside will make people sick."

Juniper didn't have Chen Mu's firm will to stare at the flames for half an hour. When he heard the order, he hurried to open the window to breathe, but Yang Fan and other merchants under the Beiyang military government were very excited to see the oil lamp, and they kept talking. Say which fire is prosperous and which smoke is clean.

The window was opened to let the merchants in the house breathe. Chen Mu walked directly to the corridor outside the side hall and stood for a while before re-entering the hall. He knew in his heart that the burning of kerosene would produce carbon monoxide, but at this time the oil lamp The amount of kerosene used is very small, and it will not be poisoned.

What he told Xu Jue a few days ago was the truth. Now the God of Wealth is about to run out of food. So far, he has spent all the silver that Nanyang shipped to him, and the shipping to Nanyang in the new year has not yet been delivered. He realized that even if it was sent there, it would be included in the Beiyang Military Mansion, and then escorted to the household department, and he had no right to control the money.

If he didn't make a special trip to write an official document to Gao Gong to transfer money, the help Nanyang could provide him would only be a part of the rations of tens of thousands of soldiers, and rice would be enough.

At the beginning of April, the silver, lead, tin and a small amount of gold shipped by two lucky ships from Japan only passed through his Beiyang warehouse, and then was sent by the household secretary Wang Guoguang who was preparing for banking affairs. More than 3 recruits opened their mouths, and there was only [-] taels of silver on the books.

The expedition is imminent, food and salary have not yet been paid, and it is impossible to save money. Chen Mu only has one way to increase income. The oil lamp burning on the table is the product he is going to put on the market-kerosene, kerosene lamp.

What he is most proud of is that there is a lot of land in Beiyang. The military government was first established. He submitted to the cabinet a five-year plan focusing on military and economics, and won a large area of ​​wasteland and coast along the Bohai Sea, except for the horse farms, pastures, ordnance bureaus and shipyards directly under the military government. In addition, local merchants were also summoned to open timber factories, oil mills, oil refineries, pottery factories, and brick factories.

In this area right now, apart from Changlu government-run saltworks and Zunhua’s fast-closing ironworks, there are [-]% of the state-owned shares in the new and unopened large factories, which will be the biggest income for the Beiyang Army in the future.

Just as Chen Mu was breathing in the corridor outside the side hall, Zhao Shizhen entered the yamen from outside, disbanded a group of soldiers following him at the gate of the yamen, and asked where Chen Mu was walking quickly, and arched him from a distance. hand over.

Chen Mu asked: "Have you delivered the ship to His Majesty?"

"Return to Commander-in-Chief, send them to Tianjin for loading, four small boat models, Water Transport and Jinyi will take over, Mr. Xu will bring a small banner soldier to escort." Zhao Shizhen sent four small boats to travel dozens of miles on land and water, physically and mentally exhausted, hand in hand against each other Chen Mu asked: "Why did the Beiyang Shipyard open and build four small boats that are eight feet long!"

Chen Mu didn't dare to send the old lunatic to deliver the boat to the emperor. It was Zhao Shizhenyue's old man Xu Zhenming who led the troops to escort the boat.

"Don't underestimate the eight-foot boats. They are Wanli, Taiyue, Nantang, and Shuanglin. There are many shipyards in the world. Only Beiyang Nanyang can build these four ships." Of course Chen Mu knew that Beiyang Shipyard built them. It's a model ship, and said with a smile: "Let the Beiyang shipbuilders get familiar with the shape of the ship. The size is different but the construction process is the same. They will be more proficient in building new ships."

Chen Mu was talking in the corridor, when he heard Juniper shouting from behind the window: "Handsome, it's finally gone, the oil lamp is gone."

"Oh?"

Chen Mu raised his hand towards Zhao Shizhen, ignored him and walked quickly into the hall, several merchants made way for him, motioned him to look at the oil lamp, picked up the porcelain lamp pot and looked at the bottom of the pot, leaving a thick layer of burning Endless stains.

A businessman surnamed Liu from Jinghai said with a smile to Chen Mu: "Marshal, this kerosene can't help burning. It's not lamp oil. Everyone knows that it's not good to burn."

As he said that, he looked at another lamp. The lamp oil burned in that lamp was the lamp oil normally used in this era. It was vegetable oil, that is, the oil extracted from sesame and other plants. They had this in their business. Naturally, the oil is also from their company, so they are most concerned about it.

"I know it's a waste of kerosene to light a lamp, but I just want to see how much it is wasted." As he spoke, Chen Mu looked at the pocket watch on the table, took a pen and paper to write down the time, and then pointed to another kerosene after distillation. The kerosene lamp said: "This one burns well. How much is the lamp oil of shopkeeper Liu worth in the market?"

"Five cents to six cents of silver per catty, depending on the distance, the value is slightly different."

"Five cents per catty, five taels per catty." Chen Mu nodded slowly, then turned to Yang Fan and asked, "How much kerosene can the refinery produce in a day?"

Yang Fan was a mine owner who was almost forced to become a traitor in Qingyuan in his early years. Later, he sold private salt and went to sea to do business. He made some money and wanted to go to Beiyang to repay his kindness. Ben Chen Mu stayed in the military mansion and suspended his official position. , specializing in the management of commercial affairs from Zunhua Iron Works to the coast of Dagukou under the Beiyang rule. At the same time, it also has a sea fleet composed of seven Fuchuan, which shuttles between the Bohai Sea to buy commercial goods.

"If there is enough kerosene, more than a thousand catties can be baked in a day. At present, there are two main routes for kerosene, one is from Sichuan by canal, and the other is by sea from Sumatra. As long as the shipping volume increases, the output will also increase.”

Yang Fan had already memorized the situation by heart, and at this moment he came at his fingertips and said: "If the amount is sufficient, it will be three thousand catties a day."

Regardless of whether Sumatra is still an oil field in Sichuan, kerosene has no other use except as military supplies.

Chen Mu made up his mind, this is a low-cost, low-yield business in itself.

Calculating the loss and foot money of ships that have no chance of drifting by going to the sea, and then subtracting seven points from the oil factory, the amount that will eventually flow into the military government is less than a hundred catties. The remaining two entries.

"It's not bad, shopkeeper Liu. Vegetarian oil is edible, but the cost is high. This kerosene is inedible, and the cost is also low. Are you interested in selling this in Tianjin and Beijing? I also have kerosene lamps and kerosene for burning it. Both lighters and various types of oil bottles of various sizes are good deals."

　Good morning!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)