On the morning of July 2, 1654, the ship Agnelli and others had to dock on the Heyang Township Wharf for maintenance as soon as it entered Xiayihe County.

The helpless Agnelli had to go ashore for some breathing again. Heyang Township was abolished a few years ago and was located in the northeast corner of Xiayihe County. It is mainly agriculture and animal husbandry, with a population of more than 5,000. The economy can only be said to be sloppy, a typical inland agricultural town. The only industrial facility in the town may be the boat repair workshop on the wharf. Perhaps the small distillery next to the wharf can be barely considered an "industrial enterprise".

There are many such small distilled distilleries in Agnelli. Almost every township dominated by agriculture (which means relatively surplus of grain and a large number of idle labor in winter) has one or two such workshops. These workshops are not started all year round. In fact, they usually only start work during the slack season in winter, because their workers are often the villagers nearby, which is considered a side job. This is the case with this distillery in Heyang Township. After harvesting and stopping work before spring plowing, it generally employs four or five people (mostly employed more than a dozen people), and produces about a few thousand liters of distilled liquor every year. The market is mainly in nearby rural areas, and is a typical self-sufficiency small workshop-style enterprise.

Agnelli once wondered why this small winery that was opened for half a year and closed for half a year did not go bankrupt in the fierce market competition? You should know that in their mechanism flour industry, almost every county has a large-scale flour mill. In some areas with fierce competition, such as the Nanyazihu ​​area, their rabbit cave flour mill has unified the markets of Zhenhai and Zhongshan counties, and then penetrated into Fengguo Township, Xiaoxi Township and other places to the south. Why has the flour industry not been able to spread to the soju industry? It's so strange. Is it because the production cost of these small workshops is extremely low? It seems that this is the only explanation.

Of course, there is another thing Agnelli didn't realize, that is, such small businesses (usually remote or underdeveloped commercial areas) that exist in rural areas are often directly targeted to their final consumers, and their customer base is relatively stable. However, the large wineries, such as the Dafeng Food Factory brewing workshop in Xihu County, use industrial brewing methods differently. They rely on a large number of agents or distributors in the sales process, and coupled with the long-distance transportation costs, this undoubtedly makes their wine less advantageous in price. This is a fact, because the operators of these small wineries that only open in winter generally do not count their labor in the cost. In addition, their equipment is relatively primitive and simple, so the cost is often surprisingly low, which undoubtedly gives them strong competitiveness.

The winemaking industry is actually just a microcosm. If you expand it, and look at other industries, it is most likely the same. The game between small enterprises, private small workshops and large enterprises is an eternal topic. Large enterprises have the benefits of large enterprises, and small workshops have the advantages of small workshops. Of course, perhaps with the progress of the times and the deepening of industrialization and commercialization, such small workshops will eventually disappear into the historical tide. But at least in the early days of industrialization, in the current where the market is relatively not broad enough, and in the current where the transportation and communication conditions are not advanced enough, these small enterprises seem to have existed for a long time.

The rabbit hole flour mill of Agnelli and others developed from small businesses, but some small flour mills that grew up with them did not withstand the cruel market competition. They gradually fell into trouble for various reasons. Then they were first controlled by the merchants responsible for distributing their flour (the merchants provided them with loans), and then completely swallowed by these merchants. In this way, the merchants became the new owners of the business, and the initial entrepreneurs became the migrant workers of the merchants due to the recession, such as the Linhu Flour Factory in Xihu County.

"It is incredible that agricultural counties like Xiayihe County do not have large-scale mechanism flour mills. However, this situation will not last long. There are too many rich people in the coastal areas, and there will definitely be people here to invest in the next place. If our factory products want to enter this place in the future, they will probably face fierce competition." Agnelli ordered a pipe for himself and thought with some concern. The "economic colonization" of western inland counties in developed coastal industries and commerce has existed objectively from the beginning, and there is nothing that cannot be said to people. For counties like Xiayihe County, which are mainly agriculture, do not have a large machine flour mill. This is not only because of underdeveloped business, but also because of the lack of technology and capital accumulation. However, this situation will obviously not continue. Sooner or later, people will come to invest in it and then take advantage of the unique advantages here, and foreign flour may be swept out.

The ship was repaired in the evening. The master of the ship repair yard stretched out seven dirty fingers and asked Agnelli for 70 yuan, which was so angry that he almost cursed on the spot. However, the master of the ship repair yard was obviously well-educated. He reported Agnelli the details of the charges, and his "big and thick" daughter kept echoing next to him (she usually works part-time to make marine iron nails, using simple mechanical tools, and can make a thousand a day). This made Agnelli extremely big and had to pay the bill in the end. He was still cursing the Industrial and Commercial Office in Heyang Township, it would be better to check more bad companies, and maybe it can increase its tax amount next year.

"As sooner or later, you will drive away all the customers because of your bad intentions. Other ship repairmen will also be worried about your shameless behavior, because you have destroyed the soil for survival in the entire industry." Agnelli said angrily. He knew in his heart that this sentence had no effect on the other party, but he was still angry after being slaughtered. Now there are chaos in private workshops in China, and most business owners (usually run by craftsmen) are like many trees that grow tall, just like many trees that are blindly growing, only to grow towards the wealth and respectful sun, without any concern for the life and death of the jungle that raises them. This is simply unethical and unconscience! Agnelli never thinks that the law can manage everything well, so necessary morality is the key to maintaining the healthy operation of society. Their rabbit hole flour mill has never been short of both weight, but now it seems that they can only represent a part of the people and far from all business owners.

"Forget it, let's start the ship." After adding coal water to the ship, Agnelli waved his hand and ordered the ship to start. He could no longer delay. He had to rush to Xiayihe Port as soon as possible, hand over the special flour on the ship to the buyer on schedule, and then look for an opportunity to buy twenty or thirty tons of wheat back. The factory in Zhenhai County is waiting for it.

Just as they set off, a team of militiamen also drove up the dock in Heyang Township. Under the leadership of two horse-riding officers, they held up flags and lined up on the dock, as if waiting for ships.

Agnelli didn't know what these people were doing, but he keenly felt the unusualness of this militia unit: first of all, there were a large number of them, with about 300 people; secondly, they were all carrying guns and all other equipment were complete, which was completely different from going out to train. In fact, the militia on the east coast have always been trained in their hometowns and rarely went out to train. Thirdly, there seemed to be many people who saw off the fare behind the dock, which was even more strange. It was simply the rhythm of sending their relatives to the battlefield. When did our east coast declare war on other countries again?

A 72-ton inland steamer (affiliated with the state-owned inland transport company) slowly drove out of the small river bank (affiliated by the state-owned inland transport company). The side of the small steamer was pressed very low, and it seemed that the cabin was full of cargo. Agnelli stood on the deck of his own ship and looked at it. He felt that the cargo on the small steamer was packed with all kinds of goods. The things in the cabin should be very complicated. Could it be military supplies? Agnelli's brain started to move instantly. Where are they going? Are they fighting? Is it an isolated incident or other towns also dispatched?

The wind on the river is relatively strong and the ship is driving very fast, but Agnelli is in a hot heart: if the country is really planning a war (or battle?), then it must be necessary to purchase a large amount of military supplies, and flour is undoubtedly the top priority, which is definitely a big business opportunity!

On the evening of July 3, Agnelli and others' ships encountered several steamers again on the surface of the I River. These steamers were either carrying a large number of armed militias or were loaded with supplies and passed by them, which further confirmed some of Agnelli's speculations.

"They must have set out from Xiayihe Town! It must be!" Agnelli said excitedly with boxing and a trembling voice: "The country must be planning a big action! Maybe it's in the northern Yazi Lake basin! Xiao Li, when the boat stops in Xiayihe Town, you immediately take the nearest boat you can take back to the county, report it to Lao Gao and the others, and ask them to find the county's army procurement manager. If the country uses troops in the north, it will definitely purchase supplies from several counties in northern Yazi Lake, so that they will seize this opportunity! Damn, I don't know if Xiayihe County has a wired telegram (Zhenhai County just connected to Meilin County in the first half of this year). If it is connected, it will be much more convenient. Alas, it's so anxious!"

At three o'clock in the morning on July 4, the ship was docked at Xiayihe Port Pier. When he landed, Agnelli received good news that Xiayihe County actually had a wired telegram from Meilin County, which surprised him and was very happy. Therefore, he rushed to the telegraph room next to the train station overnight and waited until 7 o'clock in the morning to come to work.

After spending a lot of money to send a telegram to Zhenhai County, Agnelli suddenly relaxed and then grinned.

Agnelli didn't know what these people were doing, but he keenly felt the unusualness of this militia unit: first of all, there were a large number of them, with about 300 people; secondly, they were all carrying guns and all other equipment were complete, which was completely different from going out to train. In fact, the militia on the east coast have always been trained in their hometowns and rarely went out to train. Thirdly, there seemed to be many people who saw off the fare behind the dock, which was even more strange. It was simply the rhythm of sending their relatives to the battlefield. When did our east coast declare war on other countries again?

A 72-ton inland steamer (affiliated with the state-owned inland transport company) slowly drove out of the small river bank (affiliated by the state-owned inland transport company). The side of the small steamer was pressed very low, and it seemed that the cabin was full of cargo. Agnelli stood on the deck of his own ship and looked at it. He felt that the cargo on the small steamer was packed with all kinds of goods. The things in the cabin should be very complicated. Could it be military supplies? Agnelli's brain started to move instantly. Where are they going? Are they fighting? Is it an isolated incident or other towns also dispatched?

The wind on the river is relatively strong and the ship is driving very fast, but Agnelli is in a hot heart: if the country is really planning a war (or battle?), then it must be necessary to purchase a large amount of military supplies, and flour is undoubtedly the top priority, which is definitely a big business opportunity!

On the evening of July 3, Agnelli and others' ships encountered several steamers again on the surface of the I River. These steamers were either carrying a large number of armed militias or were loaded with supplies and passed by them, which further confirmed some of Agnelli's speculations.

"They must have set out from Xiayihe Town! It must be!" Agnelli said excitedly with boxing and a trembling voice: "The country must be planning a big action! Maybe it is in the northern Yazi Lake basin! Xiao Li, when the boat stops in Xiayihe Town, you immediately take the nearest boat you can take back to the county, report it to Lao Gao and the others, and ask them to find the county's army procurement manager. If the country uses troops in the north, it will definitely purchase in several counties in northern Yuzi Lake.

Materials, let them seize this opportunity! Damn it, I don’t know if there is any cable telegram in Xiayihe County (Zhenhai County just connected to Meilin County in the first half of this year). If it is connected, it will be much more convenient. Alas, it will be so anxious!" If it is connected, it will be much more convenient. Alas, it will be so anxious!" If it is connected, it will be so anxious, it will be so anxious!" Alas, it will be so anxious!"

At three o'clock in the morning on July 4, the ship was docked at Xiayihe Port Pier. When he landed, Agnelli received good news that Xiayihe County actually had a wired telegram from Meilin County, which surprised him and was very happy. Therefore, he rushed to the telegraph room next to the train station overnight and waited until 7 o'clock in the morning to come to work.
Chapter completed!