After bidding farewell to Prefect Shang, Zhu Ping'an returned to a courtyard house on Fulu Street in Lumenli. The main gate was a golden-pillar gate style, with two stone lions guarding the gate, and a plaque with the words "Zhu Mansion" hung on the house.
That’s right, this is the house that Li Shu settled in Suzhou.
Li Shu sent someone to buy and decorate the house the day before yesterday. The previous owner of the house was a local official in Suzhou. He had just been transferred from Suzhou and moved to his new post with his family. He put the house up for sale through a broker. Because he was in a hurry to sell it, the price was 20% off the market price, but the full payment was required on the day of the transaction. This was a large sum of money, and many people were interested, but no one took out money to buy it. Perhaps they were waiting to lower the price. In short, it had been listed for nearly half a month, and no transaction had been made.
Then he was captured by people sent by Li Shu.
Li Shu has never been one to compromise herself. Although the house was purchased the day before yesterday, it has been redecorated and decorated in an elegant, warm and comfortable way.
Fortunately, if paint was not used in ancient times, there would be basically no formaldehyde and other pollution. Moreover, Li Shu remembered Zhu Ping'an's reminder and specifically told the people below not to use paint when decorating the house.
So, there is no problem with checking in so quickly.
Li Shu arrived half a day later than Zhu Ping'an, arriving in Suzhou in the evening, and had just moved into Zhu's house not long ago.
In the evening, the wind was as sharp as a knife, and the cold was biting. No doubt, Suzhou's winter is also very cold and wet.
But compared to the damp and cold Suzhou, this house is much warmer, especially the indoors, it seems like it is not in the same season.
One in winter and one in summer.
If you look from the outside and the angle is right, you can see that many rooms in this house are emitting white hot air. That is the result of the cold air outside coming into contact with the hot air coming out of the house and liquefying.
"Wow, wow, miss, why is the room so warm? We were freezing outside all the way and our noses were almost running, but the room is so warm, as warm as summer? I took off my fox fur coat and my vest, but I'm still hot and want to sweat."
As soon as Hua'er opened the door curtain, a wave of hot air hit her face. As she stepped into the room, it was as if she had walked from winter into summer. She was so hot that she had to take off her fox fur coat, and then her vest.
At first, Huaer thought that there were many braziers in the room to make it so warm, but after looking around she didn't find any. She couldn't help but open her mouth in surprise and said with an unbelievable look on her face.
"Hua'er, do you see those iron pipes on the wall? That's why the room is so warm. This is the heating device that Brother Zhu mentioned. Someone was sent to install it yesterday. When Brother Zhu told me that it could make the room as warm as early summer, I thought he was exaggerating. I didn't expect that it could actually make the room so warm."
Li Shu took off her mink coat and put on a single layer of clothes. She looked at the heating pipes in the room with a happy and excited look on her face and said to Huaer.
"Heating equipment? Just these pipes?" Hua'er widened her eyes in curiosity. She couldn't believe that the pipes on the wall could make the room so warm. She couldn't help but stretch out her little hand and touch it out of curiosity.
"Be careful of the heat." Li Shu had just finished speaking when Huaer's little hand had already touched it.
“It’s hot…” Huaer cried out in pain, blew her hands aggrievedly, and looked at Li Shu pitifully.
"Stupid girl, it can make the room so warm, how can it not be hot?" Li Shu felt distressed and amused at the same time.
Fortunately, although the heating pipe was very hot, Huaer's little hand was not burned, it was just a little red.
"It's clean, warm, and there's no need to worry about fire. Now the young lady can prepare for the birth of her baby in comfort. The son-in-law really cares about and loves the young lady." Qin'er walked around the room twice and said happily.
"Yes, when Brother Zhu comes, I will ask him for the design drawings of the heating equipment. The north is much colder than here. If the rich people in the north can enjoy the warmth of summer in winter, they will definitely be crazy about it."
Li Shu's big eyes narrowed into crescent shapes as she looked at the pipes in the room, which were full of golden light.
This is not just a heating device, it is clearly a glittering gold mine.
It is the coldest time of winter, and this year's winter is colder than in previous years, which is a good opportunity to sell heating equipment. In the freezing cold, being able to enjoy the warmth of summer is simply a heavenly day. Even if the price of a set is one hundred taels of silver, or even higher, it will be snapped up by people.
Brother Zhu needs money to train his troops, and he would be doing himself a disservice if he didn't sell the heating equipment at a high price.
Well, let's build a heating model house in the capital and invite some stewards and maids from wealthy families to visit it. It will definitely attract their masters.
If the restaurants and shops in the capital are retrofitted with heating, people who can afford to shop in the shops will naturally notice the heating.
Forget it, let's install heating equipment in the mansion to avoid being gossiped about behind our backs. Besides, they love to show off, and often hold handkerchief parties, tea parties, garden parties and the like. They have frequent contacts with many women from noble and official families, so we can use them to promote heating equipment... Based on my knowledge of them, after installing heating for them, within a few days, most of the noble families in the capital will know about heating.
Nobles and officials like to enjoy themselves and also like to compare themselves with others. The Linhuai Marquis’s family has heating, and winter is as warm as summer. So we should also install heating in the Duke of Wei’s mansion. Otherwise, wouldn’t our status be lower than that of the Linhuai Marquis’s family
Brother Zhu once said a word, what was it, Oh, I remember it, advertising, yes, it is advertising.
Once the heating equipment became popular in Beijing, it was no problem for it to spread to the north. Beijing naturally led the national trend.
There are so many rich people in the north that no one can refuse to enjoy the warmth of summer in the freezing winter, no matter whether they are men or women, old or young.
This is a huge market, like a gold mine. As long as you master the key technologies, it will be inexhaustible.
I want to open a business, specializing in the sale and installation of heating equipment. Hmm, what should I call it? Let's call it "Zhu Rong Business". It specializes in selling heating equipment. Brother Zhu won't have to worry about lack of money in the future...
Li Shu narrowed her eyes happily.
"Miss, Miss, your son-in-law is back." The maid's report outside made Li Shu even happier.
Zhu Ping'an did not stay overnight at the Zhu Mansion. He had dinner with Li Shu, took a walk, drew a heating design for Li Shu, and carefully explained the key technologies involved, such as installing water tanks, height differences, pressure reduction, exhaust, etc. Zhu Ping'an then returned to the Zhejiang Army's Fengqiao Camp overnight and took charge of military affairs.