Chapter 440 - 440 These workshops were very good!
440 These workshops were very good!
The next day, a strong fragrance wafted out from several officials’ rooms.
All the other officials who were having lunch at the yamen lost their appetites.
“Where did such a fragrant smell come from?” Someone could not help but ask.
“Old Duke Liang is having lunch. He brought a few cans of meat from his grandson gave him and shared with the officials.” Those who knew the situation replied.
Everyone was speechless.
They were wondering why Old Duke Liang, who had been taking leave from home because it was too hot, had come to the court today.
It seemed like he was here to show off some canned meat.
“What’s canned meat? Why does it smell so good?”
“I heard that it’s something from the northern border. They make the meat into many flavors, then seal it in a clay jar. It can be preserved for more than half a year without going bad.”
This was what he had heard from Old Duke Liang when he passed by.
“Ah, really? What kind of meat could last for more than half a year without going bad? And the weather is so hot.”
“That’s right, are they just rumors?”
“No, the canned meat that Old Duke Liang brought for lunch today was shipped over from the northern border more than a month ago.”
“Does it smell rotten?”
The crowd shook their heads.
“It doesn’t look like it. It smells so good!”
“That’s right. I heard that after lunch, there will be delicious frozen canned fruits.”
“It’s his fortune to have a grandson who followed Mdm Shi to the northern border. He sends all the good things to the capital.”
“That’s right, this must be something that Mdm Shi made.”
“After smelling this, I also want to taste this jug of canned meat. I don’t know when the capital will sell it.
“I just want to see if the meat and fruits that haven’t gone bad after so long can still be eaten.”
“When it’s sold in the capital, let’s go buy a few jars to try.”
“We still have to wait. After all, we’ve been waiting for so long and haven’t been able to buy a pair of rubber-soled leather shoes.”
Everyone remained silent.
Mentioning this made them feel like crying.
On the other hand, Old Master Liang was eating with a few colleagues.
They praised the canned food multiple times.
“This tasted too amazing.”
“This red braised meat is fat but not greasy. It melts in my mouth. It’s simply too delicious.”
“I like this braised chicken. I’ve had three bowls of rice after using its gravity to soak the rice.”
“The canned fruit is delicious too, I’ve already taken three bowls…”
Originally, everyone had a bitter summer and their appetites were not that good.
They didn’t expect to become so full today.
Old Master Liang was also full, but he still smiled and said, “Of course. If it isn’t tasty, my grandson will not have sent it to the capital from the northern border.”
“Old duke, your grandson is really too filial. Whatever good things he has, he will send them all the way to the capital.”
“That’s right. My unfilial son also went to the northern border, but he didn’t show me any filial piety.”
Instead, he sent two letters asking for money and things. Without comparing, he wouldn’t be hurt.
“Old duke, when will such canned food be sold in the capital?” Someone asked immediately.
Old Master Liang shook his head. “I’m not sure about that. It should still take some time.”
His grandson did not mention this.
“But there should be jars of canned fruits with various flavors available for sale soon,” he said after thinking for a moment.
His grandson’s workshop in the South had already been opened.
With the help of Xi Rui’s mother’s relative who was a magistrate, it saved him a lot of trouble.
His grandson had sent a letter to the workshop, and had already started to collect fruits to make canned food.
He had also written to his subordinates in the South and asked them to help oversee it.
Therefore, he took the opportunity to help his grandson promote it.
When canned fruit was sold in the capital in the future, everyone would know what it was.
“It’s good to buy canned fruit. It tastes really good when it’s frozen. My wife and daughter will probably like canned fruit.”
“I’ll buy some for my family to try.”
“I still prefer canned meat.”
“Old duke, do you still have any extra canned meat? Can you share a few jars with me?”
Such delicious canned meat, he wanted to bring a few back for his family to try.
When the others heard this, they all turned to look at Old Master Liang.
If he agreed, the others would also want a few cans.
Old Master Liang was speechless.
Eat your ass.
He had only brought a few jars to show off today, it wasn’t even enough for himself, so how could he spare any more?
“I don’t have much left,” he said. “There’s not enough at home. It’s good enough that I brought it out for you to try.”
Someone suggested, “Why don’t you ask your grandson to send some more to Beijing? We’ll pay for it. ”
Old Master Liang looked helpless. “There’s nothing I can do about it. I heard that there’s not enough in Heyang County. For example, they only sell 30 cans of red braised pork every day, and each person is limited to one. The people there can’t even get their hands on it.
“It’s already very good that my grandson can send a few dozen cans for each flavor.”
Everyone was speechless.
His grandson was in the limelight again.
Other people could only buy one serving in the queue every day, and they might not even be able to get it.
It was amazing that the old duke’s grandson could bring back dozens of canned food with various flavors at once.
No wonder Old Duke Liang didn’t mind the heat and came to the court today.
He was here to show off his canned food and his grandson.
But they had to admit that they were really jealous!
The other officials also performed a similar scene.
This time, even Old Master Fei had brought canned food to the court for lunch, and many civil officials liked the taste of canned meat and fruit.
They wanted to ask the old master to help let their grandsons transport some canned food to the capital.
They wanted to buy some.
The few old master were in the limelight again, so they were in an extremely good mood all day.
As a result, many people in the capital knew about canned food.
However, there were still many people who did not believe that canned meat and fruit could be kept in a jar for more than half a year without going bad.
As a result, the number of people who were curious about canned food continued to increase.
What Shi Qingluo did not know was that the canned food sent to the capital had been advertised for free by the old masters, and the effect was great.
The next day, the emperor proposed to go to the northern border to build a few large canned food, soap, and wool workshops in the morning court.
He also asked Prince Yi (King Yi) to do it personally.
The courtiers were all shocked.
They didn’t expect the emperor to send Prince Yi to do this.
It seemed that this would be a really grand project.
The canned meat and other things were definitely profitable, otherwise the emperor would not do this.
The Minister of Revenue really wanted to cry, not because he was sad, but because he was excited.
Their national treasury had been unable to make ends meet in recent years, but things had improved a lot since the cement and rubber were introduced.
However, they were still short of money, very short of money.
Now that the emperor was going to the border to open a big workshop, it simply touched his heart.
He could almost see a lot of gold and silver entering the warehouse.
When the Minister of War and the military officials heard the emperor say that he would arrange for the families of the soldiers who had died on the battlefield and the injured and retired soldiers to work in the workshops, they were both excited and gratified.
The emperor was wise, and Xiao Hanzheng and his wife were also very good.
This time, there were only a few people who didn’t object to the implementation of this measure.
Everyone felt that these workshops were very good!