Chapter 24: Repairing Warships (Seeking Bookmarks)

  To mass-produce matches, a large quantity of medicine must be prepared first. After Zhang Lei and Bai Yang signed the contract, this work had already begun.

  In order to store as many of these flammable and odorous medicines as possible in a safe place, Zhang Lei thought of a solution, which was to dig an underground cellar in the courtyard. The cellar occupied an area of about two mu, almost hollowing out the entire underground space of the courtyard. The top of the cellar was more than six feet away from the ground surface, and the surrounding walls were all built with stone slabs, exceptionally solid, like an underground fortress. The only entrance was in Zhang Lei's room, very secretive.

  Due to the design of many hidden passages and ventilation holes, the entire basement is dry and well-ventilated, making it ideal for storing prepared medicines.

  After solving the storage problem, Zhang Lei felt at ease and bought raw materials to produce potassium chlorate on his own. Meanwhile, Zhang Baosheng followed the formula ratio he provided to make the match head medicine suitable for production, put it in a large jar, sealed it tightly, and then carried it to the cellar.

  As the days go by, when there are enough medicines next year, the production of matches can be launched, and then cigarettes, a rough industrial chain will unfold.

  On this day, Zhang Chen got up early, washed and went to the county school. This was a learning opportunity that Zhang Lei had spent a lot of money on through the influence of Old White. It is said that the old masters in this college are retired from Guozijian, their strength and connections are unquestionable, and those who enter here will pass the exam with a probability of eight or nine out of ten.

  After finishing breakfast, Zhang Lei and Zhang Baosheng started their day's work.

  After about an hour, a knock at the door came from outside. The two people in the room hurriedly stopped what they were doing, went out to lock the door, washed their hands and changed their clothes. Zhang Lei even lit a cigarette, covering up the smell of the medicine completely. Only then did Zhang Baosheng go to open the door.

  "Ah, my Master Zhang, I almost broke my hand knocking on the door. You finally opened it, come on, let's go...!" The person standing outside was dressed in a dark red uniform with a black scabbard hanging from his waist, and when he saw Zhang Baosheng opening the door, his face immediately turned gloomy.

  Zhang Baosheng tidied up his clothes while asking, "Hmmm... I was just changing my clothes and delayed for a bit. Captain Zhao, please forgive me. What brings you here so early?"

  "What's the point of asking? You're not unaware that every year when winter comes, ships have to dock for repairs. Isn't it you people who go to fix them? This time is tight, don't say more, bring your things and follow me. Oh right, I remember your eldest brother has also returned, call him along too." said Zhao the captain.

  In the third year of Hongwu (1370), Zhu Yuanzhang ordered a nationwide census. In the 14th year of Hongwu, the Li Jia system was implemented. On this basis, the national population was registered in three categories: civilians, military personnel, and artisans, according to their occupations. Each household was listed with detailed information on native place, name, age, number of able-bodied men, land and property, assets, etc., all recorded in a register. Because one copy of the register was submitted to the Ministry of Revenue with a yellow cover, it was called the Yellow Register. According to regulations, the Yellow Register was compiled every ten years, with four copies of each register submitted to the central Ministry of Revenue and provincial, prefectural, and county authorities.

  Apart from the household registration, there is also a craftsman registration. One family engages in this industry, and their descendants mostly engage in this industry too, unless someone with exceptional talent studies hard and becomes a scholar or official, thus promoting their social status and leaving behind the occupation required by their household registration. If they become officials, then they belong to the military registration.

  The common people, either farmers or merchants, are self-employed and responsible for their own profits and losses. They organize their own production and business activities. Military personnel and artisans, on the other hand, are paid a salary by the state and belong to the "public household". For example, Zhang Baosheng, as a yamen runner, can receive a salary when he is sent to work at the dock. Although the salary is not high, he has no choice but to go, as it is compulsory. Zhang Lei's small-scale business is also allowed, but if his business expands, problems will arise. This is why Zhang Lei wants to send Zhang Chen to school and sign a contract with Yu Laoban and Bai Yang for cooperation.

  Since the catcher had come to fetch him and specifically asked for Zhang Lei, as the eldest son, he couldn't refuse. He could only go with Zhang Baosheng to the dock, carrying their belongings.

  On their way, they met Chen Laochui and Chen Dayong, who were also recruited as craftsmen.

  Not far away, they also saw other people, such as the coffin shop owner who invited Zhang Lei to sit in his house when he went home.

  "It seems that this time is not simple, how did everyone go? In the past, it was enough to go to one or two houses, after all, there are professionals on the dock, those are professional shops." On the way, Zhang Baosheng muttered while walking.

  Zhang Lei heard this and became even more curious.

  Arriving at the dock, Zhang Lei was instantly shocked. On the vast lake surface, dozens of ships were densely arranged, with high masts and sails that had been lowered and stacked up to half a person's height, all indicating the scale of these ships. The dark cannon mouths on the ship's side seemed like the gates of hell, and even a close look made one's heart tremble with fear.

  These are all warships!

  Chaohu is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, from here you can go straight to Nanjing. Since ancient times, the Yangtze River water system has been a must-fight place for soldiers, and it was even more so during the Ming Dynasty. Zhang Lei saw these many warships here, and only one idea remained in his mind.

  The peaceful Xujia Camp is about to be thrown into turmoil!

  "You, get on the boat and go, and you, go over there..."

  Upon arrival at the dock, after a headcount, a man dressed in official attire began directing with an air of superiority. Ordinary people like Zhang Lei dared not utter a word, and could only follow his instructions to report to their designated workstations.

  As a carpenter, he naturally went to make some woodworking works, such as making the broken mast and damaged deck of the ship. Although the workload is larger, the requirements are not so fine, Zhang Baosheng did this faster than making cigarette boxes.

  "Come, give me a hand with this. This wood is good material, the imperial court really spared no expense in war, hundred-year-old cypress trees, so dense." Arriving at the place where the lumber was piled up, Zhang Baosheng looked around and finally selected a large section of cypress, preparing to saw it into planks for repairing the deck.

  Zhang Lei suddenly sat down on the wooden log, looking at the diameter of the large wooden log that was about three feet in diameter, and then looked at Zhang Baosheng's hand holding a two-foot-long steel saw, Zhang Lei didn't know how big this workload would be.

  "If I can make a wooden board before dark, I will write 'Zhang Lei' in reverse." Zhang Lei said to himself.

  Watching Zhang Baosheng tapping the ink line on the wood and then struggling to pull the big saw, Zhang Lei had a flash of inspiration, and the machine tool used to cut wooden boards in later generations immediately appeared in his mind. If he could have that thing, not to mention this hundred-year-old cypress tree, even a thousand-year-old tree demon would be able to disintegrate quickly for him.

  Zhang Baosheng was working hard to saw, and in a short while he was already sweating profusely. He had no choice but to take off his outer jacket. Zhang Lei suddenly jumped down from the wood and said, "Okay, okay, Dad, I'll do it. You rest for a while."

  "Alright, you come." Zhang Baosheng handed the saw to Zhang Lei and sat down to rest. Zhang Lei pulled the saw while talking to Zhang Baosheng.

  "Dad, look at this sawing, it's so tiring. Even if we work till nightfall, we won't be able to saw this wood into planks."

  Zhang Baosheng didn't know where to go, so he fetched a bucket of water to clean himself. Hearing Zhang Lei say this, he replied, "What can be done? It's just fate. Some people are born to hold high positions and get rich."

  "Then, Father, are you destined to pull a rickshaw?"

  Zhang Baosheng was taken aback, then asked in return: "What else could it be?"

  Zhang Lei pointed at himself and said: "Then I am also born to be a carpenter?"

  "This... " Thinking back to what Zhang Lei had done during this period of time, it could be said that except for being a carpenter, merchant, Taoist priest, and farmer, he had been everything else. This counter-question actually left him speechless.

  "Everyone has thoughts, and the world is changing. As the saying goes, plans can never keep up with changes. This means that one should never give up. Thousands of years ago, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rebelled, saying 'Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers born to be so?' People can change their circumstances through their own efforts. I'm sure Father has seen it too - if I didn't change, I would have been just like you, a carpenter. But now? Just one year ago, could you imagine me taking out thousands of taels of silver at once? Now I can do that. That's what changing means. Change yourself, change the present, change everything you want to change - as long as you work hard, nothing is impossible."

  Zhang Baosheng was stunned, and after a very long time, he said: "Who taught you all this? How can you say such things?"

  "Alright, I won't say anything else then. Whatever." Zhang Lei only then came to realize that his father, Zhang Baosheng, was a product of the slave culture that had been cultivated over thousands of years. Telling him these things would be like playing music to a cow - if others were to find out, they might even accuse him of spreading rumors and lock him up for it. So he simply shut his mouth.

  The two of them fell silent for a long time, taking turns to pull the big saw, and an entire morning passed by. Zhang Lei was so exhausted that his waist and back ached, and he could barely walk.

  "You must be tired, I'll come over this afternoon, you rest at home," said Zhang Baosheng.

  "Are you kidding me? You're my father, can't I just stay at home and rest while you work? Do you know what I was thinking about earlier? I was thinking of creating something to replace us doing these tasks. Just like Zhuge Kongming from the Three Kingdoms era, didn't he invent the wooden oxen and flowing horses to transport goods? And look at this unicycle, this boat, aren't they all invented by people to make life easier and increase efficiency? So I'll just create something that can replace us pulling these big saws, and we won't have to work so hard. The ultimate goal of any invention or creation is to free humans from labor."

  "What are you thinking of now?" Zhang Baosheng asked.

  Since Zhang Lei built the smokehouse, he has successively made cigarettes and matchsticks, and now he has improved matches. For Zhang Lei's new idea, Zhang Baosheng already had a certain degree of immunity.