Glass in Chinese history first appeared in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, but it was not called glass at that time, but glaze, Poli, Langxuan, etc., and the title of glass did not appear until the Wei and Jin dynasties. But before the Tang Dynasty, the glass was still very rough, gray in color, loose in texture, until the Tang Dynasty introduced the Persian style, the glassware began to be gorgeous and colorful, and the shape is beautiful, very ornamental, known as water jade, or medicinal jade.

During the Ming Dynasty, the manufacturing technology of glass has made great progress, but the problem of glass breaking when it is heated has not been solved, so glassware can only be used for ornamental purposes, and the price is expensive, generally used for royal use, and only the rich and noble families can afford it.

Although the glass-burning technology of the Ming Dynasty was very mature, the glass produced was colored, and pure transparent glass could not be fired at all. Without pure transparent glass, it is impossible to make glass mirrors!

Some time ago, Zhu Houxi specially sent a eunuch in the palace to catch up with Pires, the Franc Jigong envoy who was sent back to Guangzhou, to ask for a way to make glass mirrors, but in the end he returned in vain. As Xu Jin expected, Pires had no idea how to make a glass mirror.

In fact, glass mirrors are currently a new thing in Europe in the past ten years, accidentally invented by Italian glass craftsmen, the technology was closely protected by the local aristocracy, and even the craftsmen who made glass mirrors were transferred to isolated islands, glass craftsmen could not leave the island throughout their lives, and outsiders could not steal the technology of making glass mirrors.

Therefore, Xu Jin has to rely on his own slow research and exploration to make glass mirrors, but unfortunately he is not a science and engineering man, otherwise with modern and developed glass-making technology, it is not easy to catch.

During this time, Xu Jin had asked Dabao to buy a house in the outer city as a workshop for developing glass, and now everything is ready, and there is only an experienced glass-burning craftsman. And today, Dabao made an appointment with an old glass craftsman to come to the door to talk.

Xu Jin and Zhang Xuan had lunch in the courtyard and returned to the house in Mingshifang, and Dabao had already waited in the living room of the front yard with the old craftsman for a long time.

In the Ming Dynasty, craftsmen were generally craftsmen, just like military households, which were hereditary, that is, Lao Tzu was a craftsman, so at least one son must be a craftsman, from generation to generation.

No matter what kind of craftsman he was, his social status in the Ming Dynasty was not high, so although this old glass craftsman named Kang Bo had been waiting for nearly an hour, he did not dare to be dissatisfied in the slightest, and cautiously stepped forward to salute Xu Jin after seeing him.

"Comber doesn't have to be polite, sit down!" Xu Jin smiled and beckoned the old craftsman to sit down, and asked, "Dabao, have you arranged lunch?" ”

Dabao said that he had arranged to eat, Xu Jin nodded, and saw that Kang Bo's little half ass was sitting on the chair, obviously a little nervous, so he asked with a pleasant face: "Kang Bo is Gui Geng today, how many years have you been burning glass?" ”

Speaking of his old profession, the old craftsman was obviously relaxed and replied: "The old man is fifty-five years old this year, and he began to learn to burn glass at the age of five. ”

Xu Jin said: "I started learning at the age of five, wouldn't it be more than 50 years of experience, and Comber's glass-burning skills must be very high." ”

The old craftsman grinned and said with a little pride: "As long as you can think of a shape, the old man can blow it." ”

At present, the Ming Dynasty was popular to blow glass, just like the street blowing candy doll vendors, blowing liquid glass into various beautiful shapes, and after cooling, it became a variety of exquisite glassware.

Xu Jin gave a thumbs up and said with a smile: "Comber, but I don't have to blow what I want to do!" After speaking, he took out the glass mirror and handed it over, and continued: "Is this kind of thing sure to be made?" ”

Comber took the mirror and looked at it, his face suddenly changed, and he asked, "My lord, forgive the old man's clumsiness, this is a mirror made of glass?" ”

Xu Jin nodded and said, "This is a glass mirror made by Westerners!" ”

"No wonder, tsk, Yangfan can make such a good thing, strange!" Comber sighed, but his contempt for foreigners could be heard in his tone.

Xu Jin asked, "Do you think Comber can make it?" ”

Comber didn't answer, but turned the mirror over, carefully observed the coating behind it, and then said with a difficult face: "Such a crystal clear glass, the old man has never seen it...... However, since Yangbo can make something, why can't we make it. The old man is willing to try, but it will take some time. ”

Xu Jin's original intention was to find an experienced craftsman to develop transparent glass, and this kind of early "scientific research" investment was necessary, so he smiled and said: "Naturally, there is no problem, the salary is four taels of silver per month, and Comber is still satisfied?" ”

Comber's eyebrows jumped sharply, and he hurriedly said: "Satisfied, the old man can go to work tomorrow." ”

In the Ming Dynasty, the monthly income of ordinary workers was between one or two taels and two taels, and the level of four taels was almost the level of "gold collar".

Xu Jin instructed: "Dabao, you will bring Comber to the workshop tomorrow to try work!" ”

"That...... My lord, the old man is getting old, and he still needs a helper to do the rough work! Comber rubbed his hands and said, "The old man's five-burner glass is a good hand. ”

Xu Jin said happily: "Then call him, the salary is two taels of silver!" ”

Old man Kang was overjoyed, thanked him again and again, and almost didn't kneel down and kowtow.

After sending Comber away, Dabao couldn't help but say: "Isn't the treatment given by the master too high, and there is no time limit for the construction period, if they don't get things out for a few months, then we won't be a loss!" ”

Xu Jin smiled: "If you want the horse to run fast, how can you not eat grass." If this glass mirror can be made, it will be worth a few months, even a year or two. ”

"A year or two?" Dabao couldn't help but smash his tongue, with his thinking, he naturally couldn't understand the way Xu Jin did business.

Xu Jin patted Dabao on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Technology is priceless, take a long-term view, don't just stare at the gains and losses in front of you." ”

Compared with those large companies in later generations, spending tens of billions of dollars every year to develop patented technologies, Xu Jin's monthly investment of a few taels of silver is really nothing, as long as he can make a glass mirror, even if he throws the eight thousand taels of silver in the cellar, Xu Jin will not be heartbroken.

After arranging the mirror, Xu Jin returned to the back house and hugged his mother to take a nap, but as a result, Mr. Xu, who had drunk too much tonic recently, was very happy, and it was absurd in the daytime, so he fell asleep heartily and slept until more than four o'clock in the afternoon.

"Okay, you Xu Jin, I guessed that you were cheating and lazy, don't want it this month!"

As soon as Xu Jin got up and washed up, drinking sour plum soup in the hall to quench his thirst, he saw the little emperor Zhu Houxi, who was wearing a casual suit, walking in angrily, accompanied by the eunuch Huang Jin and his attendant Lu Bing cautiously behind him.

"Wechen see the emperor's ......"

"See, huh, what are you drinking?"

"Sour plum soup!"

"Sister Xiaowan, bring me a bowl of sour plum soup, I want a big bowl, this ghost is dying of hot weather!" Zhu Houxi said as he fanned the wind with his hands, and his collar was wet with sweat.

Xie Xiaowan instructed the waiter to get sour plum soup in the early spring on the side, and she used a fan to fan Zhu Houxi, while saying in a slightly reproachful tone: "The emperor is so hot that he has to run out of the palace to suffer." ”

Zhu Houxi said stupidly: "I don't want to, this palace really can't stay, and I feel upset when I see those old guys in the cabinet!" ”

Xu Jin glanced at Zhu Houxi, who was full of indignation, it was obvious that this kid was "beaten" by the courtiers again today, and he was angry and ran to complain in front of him, this is the second time this month, poor baby!

Zhu Houxi saw Xu Jin calmly singing sugar water spoonful by spoonful, and suddenly became even more unhappy, and said angrily: "What eyes, I was besieged by those old guys, you guy is good, leave his post without permission, and run home to be happy." No, I want to punish you for half a year, which is called being in trouble! ”

"Come slowly, it's easy to get hot in hot weather, first drink a bowl of sugar water to reduce the fire, and the minister made an appointment with a glass-burning craftsman today to talk about things before skipping work. This is a loyal errand for the emperor! ”

Zhu Houxi heard that his psychology was a little more balanced, and he snorted coldly: "This is about the same, and the profit of the mirror will be sixty percent in the future." ”

Xu Jin said calmly: "There are not even a few paintings in the ten paintings, and it is too early to make a profit." ”

At this time, Chuxia finally brought a bowl of sour plum soup, Zhu Houxi thanked him and drank it with a grunt, drank it all in one go, took a long breath of comfort, and said impatiently: "Xu Jin, you have a lot of ideas, hurry up and help think of a way to make those civil officials stop, I can't hold it anymore!" ”