Once the weather turned cold, it was difficult to get hot again. There was a piercing cold wind for several days. You could see a large area of whiteness on the land every morning when you awoke, not to mention the mountains, which were colder than Yanzhou. Even if it was freezing, there was no other option.
The grain had to be carried back because otherwise it would have frozen and broken on the mountain. Aside from the fact that it couldn't be eaten, it would be a calamity if the seeds failed to germinate the following year.
The gloves that Xu Ran had asked Liu Tong to make last year could be used at this time. Everyone who went up the hill to pick up the corn got a pair of gloves from him. Because it was not so cold, everyone got to work quickly.
When he observed everyone in the field hurriedly plucking up the corn with gloves, Xu Ran was overjoyed since he always had the impression that he had foresight. Of course, this was purely imagination. They wouldn't have to pick up the corn with gloves if he truly had foresight.
The corn was transferred in five or six days, and a large number of personnel were deployed. The corns were all placed within the mansion, and they were unobtrusively brought in through the back door.
Despite the fact that the maize had been delivered to the mansion, it still needed to be processed. It had to be peeled and hung out to dry in the sun. Peeling the grain was still their responsibility. Everyone arrived in the morning and left in the evening. It took three or four days for them to start peeling the fish.
When it came to drying, drying in the sun was virtually impossible; however, being blown dry by the wind was more feasible, albeit the impact was not the same as drying in the sun. Nobody knows when the wind will die and the sun will shine again. They could only set the corn on the ground and wait for the water vapor to evaporate before planting it.
Xu Ran was also concerned about the corn, but there was nothing he could do about it no matter how concerned he was. The term "technology" has not yet been used in this context. All he could do was wait and wait for God to bless him and allow the sun to shine.
According to King Yan, even in September, there were still a few days of hot weather each year, so all they had to do was wait for those few days and not be concerned. Xu Ran, who had been apprehensive, was happy to see that King Yan was not in a rush. If he couldn't make it, he'd write to Zhuo Yun and the others and request that they give them some seeds. Yamen runners could, after all, send bags as well as letters in this era. As a result, Xu Ran assumed he had not received a response from Zhuo Yun and others. Is it possible that the Yamen runners are sending the letter as slowly as they were when they arrived in Yanzhou? Going back and forth would take over a year.
Xu Ran seemed a little concerned at this point. Although the plague in the south had been healed in a matter of months, it was difficult to predict what would happen next. He was in Yanzhou and had no idea if Zhuo Yun and the rest were still alive. Xu Ran was unknowingly thinking about the response he didn't get, and that what he was worried about would actually happen.
King Yan was just passing by and saw Xu Ran in a daze, he patted him and sked, "Xu Ran, didn't I tell you not to worry about it? Why do you still look so worried? "
Xu Ran shook his head. "No, I'm not worried about this. I'm worried about something else."
"Oh, what is it? Tell me, maybe I can help you."
Xu Ran looked at King Yan and said in his heart, "What I need was really your help."
The two of them entered the living room, where a brazier was placed in the living room. They sat face to face, then Xu Ran said, "I still have relatives and friends in Xu Village, as you are aware. I wrote them a letter when I first arrived in Yanzhou and had it forwarded to them, but I have yet to receive a response. It'll be a year in November, and I'm concerned that something has happened to Xu Village; are you aware of this?"
King Yan really knew a lot of things. He had been aware of these news for several months, but he was very busy and Xu Ran was also very busy. Plus, this was not good news, so King Yan had never told him.
However, Xu Ran was not a childe after all. He was not that weak. If he asked, King Yan would still say it.
King Yan cleared his throat and said, "I'm familiar with Xu Village, but I'm not sure what the situation is there. I only discovered in my letter that the time's epidemic had spread to Xu Village. According to what I've heard, a large number of people died in the village. I'm not sure if your friends and family members are safe."
Xu Ran looked solemn, and then thought about the preparations they had made when they left. He felt a little relieved.
He said, "We were worried that the plague might spread to Xu Village before we left, so Lu Qi left a plague prescription and they sought a spot to dwell on the mountain. They should be fine as long as there isn't a bloodbath."
Xu ran was more like to say to himself, to let him believe that Zhuo Yun and the others were fine.
After hearing this, King Yan said, "I have faith in Lu Qi's medical abilities. It's all because of his father. You also mentioned that they located a location to hide on the mountain before you departed. Your buddies should be alright as long as they have enough food to withstand the plague. Regarding the letter you wrote previously, I don't believe it was ever delivered to your friend. You'll have to come up with a new one."
Xu Ran nodded. "That was my thought as well. We didn't dare to say we were coming for you when we arrived. We just stated that we were searching for Tongtong's brother. They have no idea about the details of our trip to Yanzhou. Even if they wanted to, they presumably had no idea who they could write to."
King Yan said, "If that's the case, you should compose a new one, or a couple more, and deliver them separately. They will always be able to receive one. By the way, you can inquire about it with Lu Qi. If he has acquaintances in the area, they can visit your friends in Xu Village."
After a brief moment of reflection, Xu Ran realized that all he knew was Mr. Hu's village chief and Du Xin's family. He wasn't sure if the village chief was still alive after all these years. Xu Ran was not interested in bothering Du Xin. He didn't know if Du Xin had personally contacted his family.
Xu Ran said, "Well, let me ask him! I will continue to write, and I hope God keeps them safe."
King Yan didn't answer because he didn't know what to say. After all, this kind of thing was not his decision. Natural and man-made disasters.
In King Yan's residence, Xu Ran penned three letters. He delivered them to Yan Chuan and urged him to help him find someone to deliver them to Xu Village because they were all the same. Not only Zhuo Yun, but also Wu Mei and her family were affected.
These names hadn't been uttered in a long time, and he suddenly mourned the strawberry fields, home's orchards, and the dogs he'd raised for so many years.
Xu Ran became emotional out of nowhere. Xu Ran pushed the door wide and walked out with a sour expression on his face. It was only then that he saw that it was raining lightly outside. He suddenly realized why he was sad. It was due to the rain.
He could only wait for the corn to dry now that it had been properly managed. Because he missed Liu Tong, Xu Ran did not stay in the mansion any longer and returned home in the rain. Xu Ran patted his chest and gazed out the window as he walked. With emotion, he sighed.
Xu Ran didn't tell Liu Tong about Xu Village, but when they slept at night, Liu Tong mentioned it himself.
"Ran, have you received Zhuo Yun's reply? It has been so long, and there should be some news."
Xu Ran shook his head and said. "No, I guess that there was too chaotic at the time. This letter was not sent to them at all. I wrote another one today and asked Yan Chuan to send it for me."
Liu Tong held Xu Ran's hands and said, "I miss Shu Wen and the others. Baozi also missed Qing Shu. He's still saying this to me today."
Xu Ran held Liu Tong's hands and understood why Liu Tong suddenly mentioned people in Xu Village . It turned out that it was because of Baozi.
They were used to Baozi's talking about Qing Shu from time to time. Even when he was eating something that he had never eaten before, he would say that if only Qing Shu were here.
Probably because of the rain today, the rain was drifting, making people sentimental.
Xu Ran said to Liu Tong, "Don't worry, didn't we prepare everything for them when we left? They'll be alright as long as the plague doesn't kill them. The plague has been gone for a few months now. This time, the letter I composed will undoubtedly be sent to them. By the New Year, we should know what's going on in Xu Village."
Liu Tong nodded and didn't ask much. He closed his eyes to sleep.
Xu Ran guessed that Liu Tong was sentimental as well, so he kissed him. He was still sexually primed, so having another child was no problem.
It was up to Liu Tong's cooperation to make it happen. Even if you were no longer young, it would be lovely to have a child.
Baozi could potentially have a younger sibling, whom he could bring out for entertainment. Of course, everything that happened when Xu Ran was stroking Liu Tong was all in his head. Liu Tong would not reject Xu Ran, even when he was in a bad mood.
Because of the collaboration of Liu Tong, Xu Ran became more and more motivated, clearly indicating that he was going for a child.
Then, he said it out probably because he was too excited. Liu Tong said with a smile, "It was not that easy to conceive. I'm afraid that my last miscarriage will hurt my body, and I'll never get pre..."
Xu Ran bit his mouth without waiting for him to finish, not letting him continue. The child was their forbidden area and hadn't been mentioned by them for a long time.
Liu Tong also understood what Xu Ran meant. He kept his mouth shut and responded enthusiastically when Xu Ran kissed him.
What a beautiful night!
September was the begining of winter for others, and it was time to add clothes and prepare food, but for Xu Ran, it was time to get busy.
The factory had been built and and could be put into official production of honeycomb coal. The name of the factory was Yanzhou Coal Factory, which was unusually simple and rough.
Beggars from Yanzhou and a group of outlanders worked in the coal industry. King Yan summoned the people of Yanzhou to see the opening of the coal factory. He further emphasized that in the coming winter, they would not have to worry about being cold because they would have nothing to keep them warm.
It would be solved as long as they purchased a furnace and honeycomb coal. Because the honeycomb coal was produced in Yanzhou, the price would be lower for Yan Zhou residents.
Most significantly, workers in the coal factory were in high demand. It was open to everyone who had no work, was willing to put up with trials, and was obedient.
The salary would be paid on a monthly basis, with bonuses for excellent performance. His statements sparked a frenzy in the audience, with several people rushing to apply for the job right once. This, however, was not King Yan's business.
After King Yan mentioned this, he added another crucial point: when burning Honeycomb coal, it must be vented, otherwise people may perish. He made a point of emphasizing how important it is for everyone to pay attention to it.
Everything in the coal factory was overseen by a director. This person was chosen from among the beggars by Xu Ran. In the wrecked temple, he was the one who spoke to Xu Ran. Xu Ran chose the person. He believed he was capable, and King Yan had a favorable view of him, so he did not resist.
He was also given the surname Yan and the name Yang by King Yan. This was the highest honor bestowed upon Yan Yang by King Yan. Some things didn't need to be said by King Yan directly; what came from others was more likely to inspire trust.
On the first day of the coal factory's operation, many firecrackers were fired off. Xu Ran and Lu Qi, in addition to King Yan, gave a few speeches.
The first was concerning the future direction of the coal factory, and the second was about human recruitment. Xu Ran's meaning was straightforward. They had to develop sales teams in addition to the employees who stayed in the coal factory and were in charge of production. Then, modern knowledge would be required.
Xu Ran has prior experience in this industry and was well-versed in sales. He wrote Lu Qi a lengthy report and instructed him to read it carefully and contact him if he had any questions. He wasn't going to get in the way of anything else.
He would just be a handsome man in the background who was in charge of planning.
Xu Ran also saw the other side of Lu Qi in these things. As a military counsellor, he was really impressive. He gave advice and suggestions and plotted like everything was under his control.
Xu Ran had a hunch he'd found his long-lost friend. He told him all he'd never said to anyone else right away. They spoke about it for a long time before ultimately smiling with delight and getting ready to do it.
They were the only ones who knew about these things, and no one else was aware of them. When it was done, Xu Ran trusted Lu Qi and didn't care who the reputation belonged to. He didn't seem to mind in any case.
All he asked was that Lu Qi not betray King Yan and the Yanzhou people. He didn't want Liu Tong to feel upset, after all.
This day's opening ceremony was very successful. After all, with King Yan's attendance, no one dared to cause trouble.
The coal factory also made stoves in addition to coal. The men who built the stove were also the ones who built stoves for Xu Ran back then. They were hired by King Yan. People in this town had never burned honeycomb before, and they didn't have a stove, so they had to buy one.
As it turned out, the first customers who purchased a stove were also given some complimentary coals. Even if the free coal was not well used, no one would protest. However, if it was well-used, there would be no shortage of repeat customers.
Lu Qi had always been worried that this would be too much of a loss. After all, they started sending coals out before they had even made money, and they didn't know when they would get their money back.
This was referred to as publicity, according to Xu Ran. The money had been invested by Xu Ran and King Yan. King Yan was devoid of opinion, and Lu Qi, understandably, was speechless.
He immediately witnessed the consequences, as all of the people who had purchased stoves at the time returned to purchase new stoves and honeycomb coals.
After all, one stove was clearly insufficient. A shop dubbed the Honeycomb Coal Store appeared on Yanzhou's main street five days after the coal factory opened. Inside the store, there were only Honeycomb briquettes and stoves, yet there were a lot of people.
Xu Ran stood on the opposite side of the street, with his hands around his chest, and said, "You see, that's not always how the advantages arrive. Even if your products aren't very nice, if your publicity is good and there are a lot of people who know about it, people will still buy them, not to mention good stuff, so you don't have to worry."
Lu Qi was deafeningly quiet. He just stood there staring at the stores where people were coming and departing, pondering why Xu Ran's plan was so successful. He was virtually always correct and rarely made a mistake, which forced him to think about it.
Xu Ran had no idea what Lu Qi was contemplating. He ignored him after noticing he didn't respond. He simply held his hands in front of him to observe the commotion. In his heart, he was filled with pride.
Success here would mean he hadn't squandered his time as a traveler, and he might be able to return and brag about it one day.
The corner of Xu Ran's mouth turned higher and the smile on his face grew bigger.
However, the doubts in Lu Qi's heart were getting bigger and bigger. He had a feeling that these things were somehow contrived by Xu Ran. Of course he had done this himself before, but he had not always succeeded, so he began to wonder.
Lu Qi looked at the smile on Xu Ran's face and couldn't help asking, "Xu Ran, Why are you acting like you knew this was going to happen?"
Lu Qi's words called Xu Ran back to reality. Xu Ran looked at Lu Qi strangely and asked, "Why do you ask this? Isn't this a matter of course? Because the initial preparation was done well enough, the means of promotion was good enough, the things were good enough, plus we still have the backing of Yan King. Isn't that normal? Don't you believe in King Yan's influence?"
After hearing what Xu Ran said, Lu Qi was stunned. wasn't this normal? Why did he find it strange?
Lu Qi considered it again and again, but he couldn't come up with anything. Because Xu Ran's argument was plausible, he simply didn't think about it.
When Xu Ran noticed that Lu Qi had stopped asking questions, he privately exhaled a sigh of relief and realized that he couldn't be too reckless.
However, as Lu Qi made no mention of it, the situation may be resolved. He could get rid of these things as long as the sales team was coordinated and everything was on track.
He wouldn't have to think of something new all day to provoke suspicion. He just told Liu Tong about his true identity and promised to keep it to himself. He would not reveal his secret to the others, especially since King Yan had threatened him with something concerning Liu Tong.
His eyes became cold and Xu Ran firmed his thoughts even more.
Xu Ran decided to take a vigorous action.
He stepped out of the door the next morning after greeting Liu Tong and headed straight to the coal factory. Xu Ran gathered everyone in the room, whether they were new or old employees. He then chose 20 people and led them to a little yard that belonged to King Yan.
This way, they wouldn't stand out as much. Xu Ran made the decision to train people at this location. Fifteen of them were beggars who didn't speak a word.
Three of the other five were members of the outside group of refugees, while the other two were later recruited.
Xu Ran chose these two people since they were the only ones who could read out of everyone else. In any way, the two gentlemen were able to complete the task. The others, on the other hand, were either bold, forceful, or eloquent.
After all, one of the three must be needed somewhere else. Xu Ran learned the training approach on his own. It was very broad in scope.
Nothing was really significant, but it could be useful. Every day, Xu Ran would speak to them in a brainwashing manner. A final product, according to Xu Ran, would take seven to eight days to make.
This group had had seven days of training.
After seven days, Xu Ran could tell the two were different. Xu Ran's first impression was confidence, because what he had instilled in them was the belief that their goods were the greatest.
Even if you didn't sell the best, you had to claim that they were the best, which was a complete ruse that appeared to be quite effective. This was the case with the majority of modern sales models.
If you didn't believe in your own things, then you could go find another job.
Xu Ran spoke everything he needed to say, as well as a few things he shouldn't have.
Xu Ran also promised that if they performed well, they would be paid as much as or more than those who worked as coolies in the coal factory.
The most essential thing was that they were a team, as a whole, with one victory, all wins, and one defeat, all defeats. Even if he was the captain, nothing could be decided by one person. Xu Ran wanted a way of binding that was based on a shared sense of honor.
The best thing was that this kind of consciousness of the ancient was very strong. Xu Ran didn't need to say much and they could do it themselves.
This was what Xu Ran saw from the training these days.
When Xu Ran left the yard with his men on the eighth day, he looked confident.
He had brought them out, and the rest of the situation was unrelated to him. How to assign jobs, where to go, if someone was available to take over, and what to do next.
These things would be impossible for Xu Ran to handle. These individuals were now under Lu Qi's command.
Xu Ran took these people to Lu Qi and said to him "I have brought them here, The rest will depend on you."
Xu Ran turned around and left after saying that, without giving Lu Qi a chance to ask him to stay.
He took a deep breath after walking a long distance. It had been seven days since he had returned home.
He hadn't seen his Tongtong and Baozi in seven days. He really missed them.
09.09.21