Seeing Pei Yaoqing, Li Yi was not surprised at all. He smiled and asked, "Ming Residence?"
"Brother Yi, how have you been?" Pei Yaoqing replied.
Li Yi understood and said, "Brother Pei has some free time today. It's almost noon, let's talk while we eat."
"Good!" Pei Yaoqing smiled and nodded. He then introduced his colleague, "This is Minister Fan."
"It's Minister Fan. Sorry for the inconvenience." Li Yi clasped his hands.
Fan Ai was still thinking about the series of events that had just happened. He paused for a while before he reacted, "You are indeed an impressive young man."
"Minister Fan, you flatter me." Li Yi said modestly.
He did not know why Pei Yaoqing brought a Minister here.
He had heard of Fan Ai's name. Shopkeeper Yu had invited Fan Ai to Pyong Kang Square to play. The group then abandoned the shopkeeper and ran away.
The next morning, shopkeeper Yu collapsed and was sent to Zhuangzi for emergency treatment.
This was the first time Fan Ai had seen the legendary young man, Dongzhu. He thought about all the stories he had heard and looked at him carefully.
This young man looked delicate and pretty, but did not give off a weak feeling.
His clear eyes carried a kind of indifference, as if nothing could confuse him.
"Brother Yi, what are we eating today?" Pei Yaoqing did not want to keep standing.
"Pig Slaughter Dish!" Li Yi said three words.
It was indeed pig slaughter dish. To entertain the workers, they killed a few extra pigs.
There was also a lot of blood sausages. They could ask the yamen to help them eat.
The group of people went to the canteen. The yamen runners were familiar with it. They heard that there was pig slaughter dish and found the place by smelling it.
The few of them had a small pot and some garlic sauce. They relaxed and ate.
"Brother Yi, if I didn't come today, I wouldn't know that you had made a new item. In the future, if you have something useful like this, you must take the initiative to bring it out." Pei Yaoqing said with a grumbling look.
Li Yi thought for a while and nodded, "To prevent slippage, more people should know about it. But the tools used to drill ice are of better quality. I'm afraid it can't be promoted."
"Don't be afraid. We'll still make ice lanterns next year. Moreover, the rich families have stored a lot of ice this year. Next year's summer will be more comfortable, so they'll definitely store more ice in winter."
Pei Yaoqing looked at the problem from the perspective of development.
Fan Ai, who was standing at the side, was a little anxious. She and the others had come to ask about the craftsmen. How did they end up talking about making things?
He coughed and reminded Pei Yaoqing to get to the point.
Thus, Pei Yaoqing continued to complain, "Little Brother Yi, you're making me suffer with this recruitment!"
Li Yi blinked, as if asking: What are you talking about? What does it have to do with you that I'm looking for someone?
"Li Dongzhu is like this," Fan Ai explained, "Chang 'an's recruitment process is a selection process. Those who are good will be promoted, and those who are not good will be demoted."
Li Yi understood after hearing his words. So that was how it was.
But the salary you give to the best is too low. Ice sculptors are only paid five feet of silk a day.
One of the rentals was to make people work for free. If a person didn't go, they would have to hand in three feet of silk every day.
Usually, when hiring people, these three feet of silk would be a day's salary.
In the middle of winter, looking for someone to carve ice, five feet of silk, how can you negotiate the price?
I'll take your people away with just ten feet of silk? I'll even provide food.
That's what I want, but I have to solve this problem.
"Minister of Finance, are the good craftsmen leaving, and the slightly worse ones waiting?" Li Yi asked.
"Yes, a few have already come here." Fan Ai was helpless.
"Easy, raise the price," Li Yi said casually.
He picked up a blood sausage, dipped it in the garlic sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth. The sausage's casing had been cooked for a long time.
Pei Yaoqing said, "If the price is high this year, won't it be impossible to lower it next year?"
"Why should it be lowered? This year, the ice sculptures and lanterns were successful. Those who sponsored the project realized the benefits. Next year, there will be more people who want to pay. "
Li Yi gave another set of reasons. The ice lanterns were beautiful, and there was no curfew.
This was called promoting economic development. Unfortunately, business taxes were not collected. Otherwise, they would earn more.
However, it was not bad for the rich to pay and the workers to earn money.
In winter, people would come out for a stroll and look at the beautiful ice lanterns. It could ease their mood.
Pei Yaoqing and Fan Ai looked at each other and felt that it was reasonable, but …
"Brother Yi, pay more. If the experts come here, the city will not have enough time to rush the work." Pei Yaoqing pointed out the crux of the problem.
"The craftsmen in Zhuangzi already have apprentices. When it comes to carpentry, the apprentices will do the initial processing, and then the craftsmen will take over."
Li Yi casually gave a solution.
"Yes, Huanzhi, ask the craftsmen who were eliminated before to do the work in front of the ice sculptures."
Fan Ai's mood instantly improved. Simple, she would go back and do it.
Li Yi also felt that it was simple and said, "This way, we can make more ice sculptures. Deliberately make it rough and reduce the price to those who were hesitant to pay."
Fan Ai heard and put down her chopsticks. She looked at Li Yi again and secretly thought, This young man is bad. How did you pretend to be so pure?
Seeing that you are so good to others and willing to spend money, I thought you were a kind person.
Who would have thought that you have so many tricks up your sleeves and deliberately make it rough and cheap.
"Okay!" Pei Yaoqing was tempted.
Li Yi continued to add, "Actually, you don't have to force people to pay. If there are merchants who are not willing to buy ice sculptures, you can give them to them."
"For free?" Pei Yaoqing asked.
"Yes, for free. If you don't dig out the place for the lanterns, it will look good during the day.
If they have the ability to dig out the place for the lanterns, we don't have to care. Our lanterns are mass-produced and cheap.
Moreover, candles are better than oil lamps. The candles made in Zhuangzi basically do not emit black smoke. "
After Li Yi finished speaking, Pei Yaoqing's eyes lit up and Fan Ai trembled.
Fan Ai quickly drank the soup in the pig slaughtered dish to warm herself up.
"Brother Yi, last time you said that it is not good to use silk as the wick for the candles. What exactly do you use?" Pei Yaoqing wanted to know.
"I can't keep it a secret. Here are the candles. You will know once you open them. In fact, I use reeds and silk as the wick." Li Yi revealed the secret.
But what he did not say was that the reeds were straight and then dipped in melted oil layer by layer.
It was not a vessel that was placed there and the oil was poured in before the wick was inserted and cooled.
The process was complicated, so the oil would not drip out when the candle was burned.
His paraffin wax also did not drip out because there was a layer of plastic on the outside. Without the plastic, the wax would still drip out.
Pei Yaoqing did not know the trick. He gave Fan Ai a look: See? Li Yi was so kind that he would answer any question.
Fan Ai was a little confused. He always felt that he could not see through Li Yi.
He picked up a piece of pork belly with his chopsticks and dipped it in the soy sauce. He ate it with a satisfied expression. It was delicious and not greasy at all.
He smiled and asked Li Yi: "Li Dongzhu, do you want to buy a few ice sculptures next to the main road in the city?"
Li Yi raised his head to look at him and smiled, "Sure, can you introduce me to a few places?"
"Just kidding." Fan Ai quickly refused. He always felt that if he really sold the location, there would be big trouble.
"I do want to buy it." Li Yi looked sincere.
"I am not selling it." Fan Ai said firmly.
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