Chapter 58

"Let's do as Brother Hong said! The Luo family has a piece of land in Wan Ning. How about we set up the glass workshop there?" Luo Youde had been silent all along, his left index finger tapping continuously on the back of his right hand, probably pondering the pros and cons of the shareholding model Hong Tao mentioned. In the end, he compromised.

"Not a good idea! The glass workshop needs to fire kilns, which produces a lot of smoke and dust, and it needs to be kept secret. Putting it in Wan Ning would make it hard to keep things under wraps. I asked the local Tanka people, and the Ximei Island is quite suitable. It's large enough, not too far from the mainland, and it's hard for others to spy on. Transporting goods and raw materials is also convenient, and it's less likely to attract attention. Currently, no one lives there; only some Tanka people's boats are moored for shelter. They are all my clansmen and can help us guard the workshop." Hong Tao had observed this small island up close while racing boats with Luo Youde. The island was covered with dense forests and had a small mountain, making it very secluded and quiet. He also asked Wen Laoer, and it turned out that the island was uninhabited, with no fresh water, and the Tanka people only went there to cut firewood and moor their boats.

"That island has no fresh water, but we can transport water in barrels by boat. I wonder how big the kiln for glass production needs to be?" Luo Youde, who lived in Zhenzhou, was well-informed about the local area.

"Speaking of kilns, it's actually just a crucible for melting gold and silver, and it doesn't need to be too large. It just needs high-quality smokeless coal... the black stones that can burn!" After mentioning smokeless coal, Hong Tao realized that Luo Youde and Luo Dacai didn't understand, so he explained further.

"Coal?" This time, Luo Dacai reacted quickly and even answered.

"Right! Coal! We also need to make a few large bellows. If the temperature isn't high enough, we can't produce glass. Building this kiln will be a bit of a hassle, Brother Luo. I don't know how to build kilns." Hong Tao used his hand to dip in the wine and roughly drew the shape of a crucible kiln on the table. He thought that since the Song Dynasty had already started producing Ru ware, finding someone who could build a kiln shouldn't be too difficult. This crucible kiln was not much different from a porcelain kiln; it just needed a well-prepared crucible base.

"That's simple. Why don't we start right away?" Luo Youde was always eager, or perhaps he was too eager to make money.

"That might be too rushed. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fishing season will start, and the Tanka people will go out to sea. I am, after all, part of the Tanka, and I must go with them. I also want to test the new ship in the Black Water Ocean. Without raw materials and a kiln, I can't do anything. How about you, Brother Luo, start building the kiln, workshops, and warehouses on Ximei Island, and prepare a small amount of raw materials. Then I can start the experiments?" Hong Tao didn't have time to be a foreman. If they thought they could take advantage of him, they were not good enough! For rough work, don't come to me; I'm an engineer, not a laborer.

"Ai, Acai, let's go back and pack up. Tell the ship to set sail for Mingzhou tomorrow." Luo Youde, having no more questions, got up to take his leave.

"Hey, hey... Brother Luo, don't be in such a hurry. I still have some questions for you! Since we are partners, we need to understand each other. You already know a lot about me, but I know nothing about you. Isn't that a bit unfair? You're so eager to make glass, but it's not just for business, right? Why don't you tell me the whole story? That way, I can feel more at ease. What do you think?" Hong Tao had long suspected that Luo Youde was not quite normal. He was easy-going and curious, but he hadn't been asking much about Australia lately. Yet, he still clung to Hong Tao and was extremely eager about making glass. Hong Tao couldn't convince himself that Luo Youde had no other plans. Whether he could help or not, since they were partners, they needed to understand each other. He couldn't just ignore it if Luo Youde was a smuggler and work with him blindly.

"Actually, it's not a secret. I thought Brother Hong already knew. Since Brother Hong is a gentleman and doesn't pry into others' backgrounds, I'll tell you the truth. My surname is Luo, and I am a member of the Luo family, but I am a concubine-born son. These industries belong to the family. In recent years, my father's health has been declining, and my brothers are more interested in poetry and literature and look down on businessmen. If anything happens to my father, I will likely be kicked out. Therefore, I have to plan for the future. The spice and textile industries in Qiongzhou are all controlled by the family, and I can't get involved. Silk and porcelain are controlled by the guilds in Guangzhou, Quanzhou, and Mingzhou, and outsiders can't break in. If I can produce glass, it will solve my urgent problem." Luo Youde fell silent for a moment after hearing Hong Tao's question and then clearly answered.

"I see. Let me ask one more thing. Can't concubine-born children inherit the family business at all?" Hong Tao had no issue with Luo Youde being a concubine-born son. He was a competent businessman who knew how to give and respect others, which was enough. However, to understand all the rules of the Song Dynasty, he still needed to ask.

"What belongs to my mother and me can be retained, but the family business is out of reach!" Luo Youde felt a bit helpless when talking about this. His brothers spent a lot of money socializing with literati. His father, a former vice-magistrate who had been demoted and retired, wouldn't have saved the Luo family in Qiongzhou if he hadn't started the business from a young age. But in the end, he became an outsider. Although he had saved some private money over the years, the business didn't belong to him. Seeing his father grow old and ill, he knew that his brothers, who always treated him as an outsider and a lowly person, would not let him keep control of the business. The thought of the business he built being destroyed made him sleepless.

"Alright, I have no more questions. This doesn't affect our cooperation at all. As long as you don't betray me, I won't betray you. At the very least, I'll give you a substantial family business. Look, your steward is frowning again. You can doubt me, but we'll see!" Hong Tao was satisfied with his curiosity and knowledge. He was about to boast a bit when he noticed Luo Dacai frowning in the corner, clearly unhappy.

"Since Brother Hong is no longer an outsider and we are partners, I won't hide anything from you. Acai is not my steward, and he doesn't even have the surname Luo. He is my maternal uncle. The business can operate because my uncle used to run trade with the South Sea and is familiar with the sea routes and merchants there. To avoid suspicion, he had to change his surname to Luo and become my steward. Not many people know this, so please keep it a secret, Brother Hong!" Luo Youde also felt that it wasn't good for Hong Tao and Luo Dacai to argue all the time. If they really got into a serious argument, it would be troublesome. It was better to be honest.

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