Chapter 4, Ways to Make Money

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After this banquet, Zhang Chao truly became the son of Zhang Laodie, became a member of the Zhang family in Zhangjiagou, and would also become a citizen of the Tang Empire

Zhang Chao was somewhat dumbfounded

From a structural perspective, traditional stoves are quite unreasonable, with incomplete combustion, poor insulation, and significant heat loss, resulting in relatively low efficiency. The biggest drawbacks are the large stove door and the spacious firebox, along with the absence of a stove grate, and in some cases, even a chimney, with the fire being positioned too high.

The setting of the stove grate also allows the ash from the firewood to fall into the ash chamber in a timely manner, ensuring good ventilation within the stove chamber and increasing the oxygen supply

The old man continued to toss the noodles into the pot, laughing and scolding, "You don't seem like a monk; you look more like a businessman, too shrewd for your own good. Charging for it is quite clever. When the folks in the village are willing to change their stoves, just go help them out. After all, during the winter, there's nothing much to do anyway. Helping others with their stoves, you can get two meals a day without much trouble. Why charge anything? We're all from the same village; we shouldn't be too focused on making money."

Zhang Chao realized that this so-called Tang Dynasty noodle dish was actually just a noodle soup

Of course, I am willing to use it

Zhang Chao wants to change the stove, not only to make it more convenient for himself to cook in the future, but also because he sees it as a business opportunity. The family has to borrow food as they have no surplus, and life is not easy. Moreover, there is only this one cave dwelling; now Zhang Chao is also a part of this family. He hopes that life at home can improve, allowing them to eat fine flour and live in a larger house

Father smiled happily

The old man tore the wide noodles, which had been cut into strips, into small pieces, tossing them into the pot as he went along.

If there are good things, everyone is certainly willing to use them. The old man nodded, noting that in this day and age, cooking does not involve gas stoves or electric rice cookers; everything must be done using a wood-burning stove. Throughout the year, a considerable amount of firewood must be burned. Rural people spend a lot of time each year going up the mountains to gather firewood, while those in the city can only buy it. Rural residents can gather materials locally to chop firewood or burn straw, but for city dwellers, this represents a significant expense. In fact, many rural people often take firewood gathering as a side job, chopping wood in their spare time and then selling it in the city. Rural residents can gather materials locally to chop firewood or burn straw, but for city dwellers, this represents a significant expense. In fact, many rural people often take firewood gathering as a side job, chopping wood in their spare time and then selling it in the city.

Old man Zhang became increasingly astonished as he listened

"Stoves are not all like this; there is no need to change them. Just let them burn as they are." Old Zhang is a man of martial prowess and now a widower; he does not pay much attention to these matters, as he usually uses them this way.

Zhang Chao chuckled and scratched his head

Zhang Chao explained the various features of the new stove in terms that his father could easily understand

Yes. Zhang Chao is not afraid

"Zuiwa, what you said is indeed the case. I never expected that even a stove would have so many intricacies. Your master must be an extraordinary person"

It is still exclusive technology, and once the stove is improved, it will greatly save firewood and time

How can this be called squeezing money out of others? This is a reasonable compensation for labor

Dad, if you say the stove is really good to use, how much would it be appropriate to charge for replacing a stove

Is there really such a convenient fuel-saving stove, and can you build it?

Why are you bringing up those useless things when I am telling you this

The new type of fuel-efficient stove has been transformed into a smaller stove door and combustion chamber, incorporating a grate and a chimney, with the hanging fire also lowered. This structure is more rational, featuring a complete ventilation system that allows the firewood to burn more fully. Notably, it has also added an insulation layer and a fire barrier, significantly extending the circulation path and time of high-temperature flue gas within the combustion chamber, thereby reducing heat loss

Father, it is winter now, the fields are idle, and the mountains are closed off. Everyone is idle and has no income. You said we have this skill to help others renovate their stoves; this could earn us some money. Moreover, once others have their new stoves, they will save a lot of firewood and time in the future. Isn't this a win-win situation

Well said, mastering one method leads to mastery of a hundred methods, truly a person of great wisdom

"Old man, it is fine to help the villagers without charging, but we do not know the outsiders. If they also want to change, we should charge them. I am not greedy for money; I just want to earn a little to repair our cave. If I can also find you a suitable woman to keep you company, wouldn't that be even better"

The common people of the self-sufficient classical agricultural era were simple, lacking shrewd considerations of profit, and did not prioritize money above all else. One cannot say that their views were backward; rather, it should be said that they were simple yet more humane.

Just muddling through a day with two meals? Father, you are being a bit too simplistic, aren't you? Changing the stove involves more than just doing some physical labor; it encompasses a level of skill as well.

The old man was adding water from the water tank into the iron pot, and upon hearing this, he smiled and looked at him, "Is this the method you used when you were with your master in the mountains?" The old man seemed to truly believe what Zhang Chao had said about living in seclusion with his master in the deep mountains.

In the afternoon, I went to the military office, as I have not yet received the subsidy for this expedition. It is also a good opportunity to buy some fish and meat, as well as some clothes to bring back. Tomorrow, I will host a few banquet tables, inviting the villagers and the village officials to come over. We will formally acknowledge each other as father and son, and also report to the authorities for official registration.

Old Zhang is an outsider, and there are no other members of the Zhang family here. Originally, Old Zhang intended to adopt Zhang Chao as his son, which required the permission of the Zong family and ultimately needed to be registered in the family genealogy. However, due to the turmoil at the end of the Sui dynasty, many matters were disrupted. Old Zhang is here alone, but some formalities cannot be avoided.

"Alright, I will call Ke Wu and a few others over later to modify this stove according to your method. If the new stove truly works as you say, then this could indeed become a significant matter"

"Do you want to make money from this?" Old Zhang was somewhat surprised, and the speed at which he was pulling the noodles slowed down.

Hosting several banquet tables and inviting the neighbors serves as a form of witness. Inviting the officials is to facilitate Zhang Chao's registration for household registration.

"One method is universal, a hundred methods are universal; the master has studied the principles of things." Zhang Chao found it difficult to explain how a monk living in seclusion in the deep mountains could engage in the study of improving stoves, so he could only resort to such pretentious terminology to justify it

Zhang Chao chuckled softly

However, relying solely on farming is not very realistic given the production technology of this era

Then you say there is such a good energy-saving stove, would other families be willing to switch to it

Zhang Chao does not hide his thoughts; he wants to make money, improve his life, and live a better life

Father, you said that if we improve the stove, it will really burn well and save fuel. Would you be willing to use it?

The energy-saving stove primarily achieves energy efficiency from three aspects: ensuring more complete combustion of fuel, improving heat transfer and insulation, and making better use of waste heat

Well, the stove was made by my master himself, and it is indeed very effective. It burns well, saves firewood, produces no smoke, and the fire hardly goes out, allowing for more than half the firewood to be saved. Zhang Chao was not exaggerating; before the stove was modified, it took about 15 to 18 minutes to boil a pot of water at Zhang Chao's home. However, after the stove was upgraded to a fuel-efficient model, it only takes 12 minutes to boil a pot of water, while saving more than half the firewood.

Is firewood not money, and is time not money