Before I reached the door of the food processing factory, I could smell the aroma of various foods wafting from afar.

Walking outside the factory gate, the two guards guarding the gate saluted Wang Xinyu and them, and opened the heavy wooden gate to put Wang Xinyu and them into the factory.

Inside the gate, there is a smooth stone path with small trees planted on both sides. After a few years, the tree grows taller, and this is a boulevard.

Zhao Changhui took Wang Xinyu to walk about 100 steps and walked to the door of the food factory's cured meat factory.

"Borneo farmers cultivated sweet potatoes in large quantities, which not only provided a large amount of food for slaves and captives, but also were processed into flour for consumption. The sweet potato leaves are sold cheaply to farmers to raise pigs, and the pigs can't eat them all. Farmers have a surplus of pork every day, which is sent here for processing and pickling. Zhao Changhui pointed to the busy workers inside and introduced to Wang Xinyu.

The hot climate in the South Seas means that farmers cannot dry bacon at home, so they can only sell it to food for processing to make bacon and sausages.

Workers in the factory are busy, cutting large pieces of pork into strips and soaking them in a sauce made with salt, soy sauce, brown sugar and rice wine. It takes about three days to soak, then scoop it up, send it to the drying room and dry it for a few days, then it can be completed, and then it is packed and sent out of the factory.

The drying room was invented by a group of craftsmen themselves, and people from Fujian, Guangdong, Zhejiang and other places like to eat naturally dried bacon, and do not like to smoke and dry it with smoke. However, the climate of Nanyang is humid and hot, and it cannot be dried naturally, so I got inspiration from Wang Xinyu's cigarette factory and thought of the method of drying room from the method of flue-cured tobacco. This kind of drying room is fully enclosed, and charcoal is heated underneath to make the temperature rise inside, and the meat can be dried quickly.

In addition to meat products, the drying room also produces dried fish and a variety of dried seafood.

Manufacture of dry products. These are not unusual, and the real highlight of the food factory is the manufacturing and production of various cans.

Since Wang Xinyu came here more than two years ago, he has thought of a way to produce canned food. However, due to technical limitations, craftsmen have tried to make cans many times before, but they have not succeeded. Because Wang Xinyu just put forward the idea and really put it into practice. When the ceramic can seal is heated, there is an air leak or breakage, resulting in a poor sealing of the can, and the resulting food will fail after a few days.

Later, someone wanted to publish the law, and the canned food was filled in a small jar and sealed with clay on the outside. However, when it is heated, the air inside the jar expands due to heat, and the soil seal is broken, and the canned food can only be stored for a few days. Then some people experimented with the method of heating first and then sealing after heating. However, this method is due to the entry of bacteria during the sealing process. The cans produced will not last long and will be damaged.

In the end, a sake brewer named Lin Wanggen came up with a good solution, and he made cans that could be stored for a long time. But his method of making the cans was known only to him, his son, and an apprentice who was about to become his son-in-law, and no one else knew how the craftsman used to seal the mouth of the cans without damaging them.

"Where is this craftsman who makes cans?" Wang Xinyu asked.

"He is now a senior craftsman in our factory, and he can receive sixteen taels of silver every month." Zhang Erwa, the director of the factory, replied.

This Zhang Erwa was originally a hero of the Qiongzhou Army. From following Wang Xinyu to attack Yunxiao, Zhao'an and other places, to later attacking Qiongzhou Island. and then to King Qin of Burma, all of whom have made great achievements. He was also promoted from a small soldier to a general. However, during the battle with Wu Sangui's Qing army, Zhang Erwa was injured and disabled, so she was forced to retire and return to the local area.

Wang Xinyu has a good arrangement for every retired hero, and this second baby was assigned to work in Nanyang Company. When he came to Borneo Island, he first worked as a bank clerk, and then Nanyang Company expanded the food factory, and Zhang Erwa became the director here.

"Let's go, take us to see the craftsman named Lin Wanggen." Wang Xinyu said.

Walk to the door of the canning plant. The two workers outside saw that the general manager and the king of Nanyang County came in person, and hurriedly knelt down and saluted: "The grass people knock to see the prince!" ”

"Get up!" Wang Xinyu greeted.

Two workers standing guard at the door stood up, and Wang Xinyu asked again: "Can this king go in and have a look?" ”

"Go back to the prince!" The two workers' faces were nervous and hesitant, "Our master has explained that no one is allowed to enter when he is working. ”

"Won't even this king be allowed to enter?" Wang Xinyu's face changed.

The two workers hurriedly knelt down: "Go back to the prince!" The grass people don't dare! But the grass people did not dare to disobey the Master's teachings! ”

Lin Wanggen, who was inside, heard the movement outside, and hurriedly walked out with his son and prospective son-in-law, knelt in front of Wang Xinyu and bowed: "The grass people don't know that the prince is coming, and they are disappointed, so I hope the prince will punish the crime!" ”

"Punishment?" Wang Xinyu sneered, "This king will punish you for your crimes!" Punish you for taking out your way of making cans so that everyone can learn! Otherwise, just the three of you will do this, when will the output of this canning factory increase? ”

"The prince wants to cure the sins of the grass people, and the grass people admit their guilt!" Hearing Wang Xinyu say that he wanted people to hand over the way to make canned food, Lin Wanggen kowtowed again and again to confess, but he cried and mourned, looking like his dead father. Asking him to hand over this method is indeed as uncomfortable as cutting the flesh of his heart.

Lin Wanggen was originally a winemaker in Zhejiang, but after the Qing army entered the south of the Yangtze River, he fled to Zhoushan and lived under Zhang Huangyan for a while. Later, the Qing army occupied Zhoushan again, and Lin Wanggen fled with his family on a small boat. As a result, I drifted to Luzon for some reason. Later, he heard that the island of Borneo had a small population and a lot of land, so he came to settle here. When Wang Xinyu's Nanyang Company established a food factory, Lin Wanggen wanted to mix well in the food factory with his own wine-making process, so he entered the food factory to work.

At the beginning, Lin Wanggen made rice wine in a food factory, and the salary of three taels of silver a month was very good, but he was still not satisfied. Later, I heard that Zhang Erwa, the director of the factory, convened people to experiment with the manufacture of canned food, so he also went to try it. After many trials, his method finally succeeded, and he became a high-level craftsman, receiving a high salary of sixteen taels of silver every month. Such a salary is already a very high salary. Everyone knows the purchasing power of silver back then. The monthly salary is sixteen taels, which is enough for the family to live a good life. You must know that in the Ming Dynasty, the year of a Shangshu was only equivalent to one hundred and forty-six taels of silver! He is a craftsman, but he can get such a high salary, which is already very good.

Lin Wanggen planned to make enough money, and in the future, he could return to his hometown with a large amount of money and return to Jiangnan, which was re-controlled by the Ming army, to glorify his ancestors. But at this time, Wang Xinyu came out halfway. If you want him to show his craft, isn't it killing him?

"Hahaha!" Wang Xinyu looked at Lin Wanggen's crying face, and laughed: "Lin Craftsman, this king asked you to take out this canned technology, and he didn't let you take it out for nothing!" This king has decided to promulgate the patent law of Nanyang Company! Whoever has an ancestral process, or who has an innovative process, can apply for a patent! As long as he applies for a patent, his method will be used by others in the future. No matter how much someone else produces, those who have patents can get a certain commission! Of course, it is also possible to buy out the patent. For example, if you sell a patent to Nanyang Company, you will receive a large sum of money for yourself. Lin Gongtou, if you take out your patent, this king will buy it from you for three thousand taels of silver! ”

"Three thousand taels of silver?" Lin Wanggen's eyes widened. Although I don't understand what a patent is, I still understand a little bit when I hear Wang Xinyu say this.

At his current salary. To earn three thousand taels of silver, it would take more than ten years without eating or drinking to earn that much. And you have to do it yourself. Now as long as you hand over this method, you can get three thousand taels of silver at once, and you don't have to work, in this world, there is such a good thing?

"Dad (Master), hurry up and promise the prince!" Lin Wanggen's son and prospective son-in-law were a little impatient.

Who knew that Lin Wanggen asked unhurriedly: "Lord Wang." You just said that there is a way to divide it. If the grass farmers don't want to sell the patents, but keep the patents themselves, and just hand over the methods, then what kind of share? ”

Wang Xinyu thought about it for a moment and replied: "If you don't sell the patent, then divide it." Now there is a factory that uses your patent, which is one or two silver a month, and you don't have to do any work, and the patent term is 20 years. If a second factory uses your patent, then you will be two taels of silver a month. And so on, how many factories use your patents, you are how many taels of silver you earn every month. ”

"That's a good idea!" Lin Wanggen saw at a glance that the method of sharing was actually better than the method of buying out, "Lord Wang, the grass people are still willing to take the share!" Because the grass people believe that this kind of canned food will definitely be used in many factories! As long as there are fifteen factories, it is more cost-effective than a one-time buyout! Caomin believes that more than fifteen factories will definitely use this method! ”

At this time, Lin Wanggen's son asked thoughtlessly: "Lord Wang, if there is any accident in my father during these twenty years, how can it be calculated?" ”

Lin Wanggen glared at his son fiercely: Unfilial son! Where is there a curse for the early death of the father!

Wang Xinyu said with a smile: "If it is within the time limit, the patent can be passed on to his son." ”

Seeing that the father and son of the Lin family were still a little incredible, Wang Xinyu asked people to bring paper and pencils: "There is no evidence, if the Lin craftsman is willing to take out the patent to share, set up this word as proof!" This is my first patent for Nanyang! ”

The contract was signed, with the name signed by Wang Xinyu on it, as well as the double seal of the county king seal and the seal of the Nanyang Company, how could Lin Wanggen not hand over the method of making this can.

After Lin Wanggen's explanation, Wang Xinyu suddenly realized that the original method was very simple: put the food into the clay pot, put it in the pot of boiling water and stew it over the water, and after heating for half an hour, the clay pot would expand, and then stuff the cork into it while it was hot. Then take out the clay pot and place it in cold water. The clay pot shrinks when it is cold, and the cork is pressed tightly at once. The food inside the clay pot is still hot, and because it is relatively full, there is no air, so bacteria cannot invade. Finally, after it has cooled completely, a layer of wax is sealed over the outside of the cork, so that the sealed can is finished and can be stored for a long time.

"Let's go, see how you guys do it!" Wang Xinyu said.

Walking into the canning factory, I saw a basket of braised pork, braised fish, braised beef, plum cabbage and other dishes that had been processed in advance. Lin Wanggen picked up the clay pot, sandwiched the dishes into the clay pot, and filled the clay pot as much as possible, so that no air would enter when it was sealed for a while. Then put the clay pot in the hot water pot and heat it with water. Wait until it has been heated for a while and seal it with a cork.

The method of making canned fruits and vegetables is similar. Blanch fresh fruits and vegetables with boiling water, put them in water, put them in a clay pot with water, and then stew them in water, and seal them after heating.

"That's a great idea! With this method of processing canned food, our army will no longer have to drive live pigs and sheep in the future! It can reduce a lot of logistical stress! Especially for the navy, with canned food, naval officers and sailors can eat meat, fruits and vegetables at any time! In addition, this kind of canned food can be sold in large quantities and sold to the Qing Kingdom, so that the common people under the rule of the Qing court can see how good our Ming people's life is! Wang Xinyu laughed.

"That's a great idea! We're going to buy more canned food to put on the boat! Zheng Xi and Zheng Jing proposed to buy a batch of canned food at the same time.

"Here, let's try these cans that have been cooled." Wang Xinyu beckoned the two to taste all kinds of canned food.

After Zheng Jing and Zheng Xi tasted the canned fruit in sugar water, they were full of praise for the taste, the taste of this canned fruit is even better than fresh fruit! As for canned vegetables, it is completely fresh, and the taste is a little worse than fresh vegetables, but it is very good to be able to eat fresh vegetables after being at sea for a long time. The taste of canned meat is much worse than that of fresh meat, but compared to eating cured meat all day long, the taste of this canned meat is much better. Moreover, this canned meat is of great military significance.

In addition to canned food, the food factory began to produce a variety of dry food and compressed biscuits, which were important military foods.

Leaving the food factory, Wang Xinyu said to Zhao Changhui: "Nanyang Company should promote the patent law as soon as possible!" Because the craftsmen do not want to pass on their ancestral skills and their own innovative skills! It's their rice bowl, and everyone keeps their own secrets. How could such an industry develop? After the patent law, they will hand over their craft! In exchange for a large sum of silver, or in exchange for an annual share, this can also increase the enthusiasm of craftsmen to innovate! ”

"Back to my lord! It's a good idea! After returning from his humble position, he will report the matter to the chairman of the board, and this method must be promoted! In this way, the craftsmen have a higher income, and with enthusiasm, our income is also higher! Zhao Changhui arched his hand.

"This will definitely need to be approved by a board meeting, so that the king will go to Manila in a few days anyway, and we will have a meeting together when the time comes." (To be continued.) )