Chapter Fifty-Six: The Assembly Line

"Will anyone really buy these things once they're made?" Master He suddenly asked after studying them for a long time. "Some of these items are quite simple, while others are extremely complex. Take this mat made out of individual bamboo slats, for example—compared to those made with bamboo strips, each slat must be exactly the same size, and then holes have to be drilled in them. Even if you spent an entire year making a single mat, it still might not be possible!"

Qin Hao also found the mat made of bamboo slats rather odd at first glance; it reminded him somewhat of the legendary jade burial suit. Though the materials differed, the method of assembly was strikingly similar.

Master Lu smiled amiably. "Chief Qin is absolutely right. The process for crafting this new kind of bamboo mat does resemble the making of a jade burial suit. As Master He just said, for an ordinary craftsman, creating such a mat would take more than a year, and even then, ensuring each slat is identical would be impossible. But after seeing the tool diagrams that Mr. Zhen drew, I suspect he has more to say on the matter?"

Zhen Qian regarded Master Lu with newfound respect. Clearly, Lu was not only skilled but also sharp-eyed and thoughtful. In comparison, the two other craftsmen Qin Hao had brought—Master Yan and Master He—were out of their league.

Zhen Qian gently cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. Unhurriedly, he explained, "Master Yan was correct earlier. The technique for the bamboo slat mat is indeed similar to that of the jade burial suit. Even a skilled artisan would need at least half a year, if not more, to complete one such mat. With that kind of output, how could we price it? A high-quality mat in the market sells for only a couple of strings of cash. Even if we sold ours for four or five, it likely wouldn't even cover the cost of labor. So your concerns are not unfounded..."

None of those present were mere scholars who couldn't tell wheat from chives; they all understood this logic clearly.

Zhen Qian smiled faintly, took the two sheets of paper from Master He, and waved them before the group. "These show two simple tools I call machines: one is a bamboo slat shaper, the other a drilling machine. The shaper processes bamboo into uniformly sized slats, while the drilling machine bores holes in them. Of course, these tools alone aren't enough. From harvesting the right bamboo to finishing a mat ready for sale, there are at least seven or eight major steps. How could a single craftsman possibly accomplish all of this with precision?"

Master Yan immediately agreed, "That's true, Mr. Zhen. From harvesting the bamboo to the finished product, there must be over twenty or thirty steps. One person could never do it all!"

Zhen Qian nodded approvingly. "Not that it's impossible, but the efficiency would be far too low. Has anyone here seen the process of firing porcelain in a kiln?"

Master Lu began to understand. "I see your meaning, Mr. Zhen. You want the production of bamboo mats to resemble kiln work—each person responsible for just one step. Someone shapes the slats, another drills the holes, and another threads them together. This way, each person focuses on the simplest tasks, rather than one person doing everything from start to finish. A brilliant idea!"

Zhen Qian hadn't expected Master Lu to blurt it all out so quickly—he had intended to build some suspense.

"Master Lu is right," Zhen Qian continued. "The most complex and time-consuming parts are cutting, grinding, shaping, drilling, and sewing the slats together. The other steps—harvesting, drying, sorting—require less manpower. Each step varies in time and difficulty, but the sequence is crucial. What we need is a seamless assembly line from start to finish. That way, we can reduce both time and cost, and increase profits."

After he finished, Zhen Qian glanced at the others, sensing that his explanation hadn’t fully registered. Was his communication lacking, or were they slow to grasp it?

Suddenly, Master Lu slapped his thigh. "Ingenious! Truly a stroke of genius—few in the world could come up with such an idea!"

"Oh? You think so?" asked Master He, also a carpenter, looking up at Lu.

"It’s wonderful," Master Lu replied. "When Mr. Zhen mentioned the kiln, I started thinking about division of labor. But Mr. Zhen has also considered time, quantity, and difficulty, taking the idea further. This method could be applied to many crafts—tables, chairs, benches. Anyone who devises such a method is a true talent!"

Zhen Qian felt slightly embarrassed by the praise. After all, the assembly line wasn't his own invention; modern factories all use such methods. He would have to be a fool not to know about mass production.

Given Qin’s current situation, centralized production was the best choice. Hunting required crossing dozens of mountains, foraging was seasonal, and there was little arable land. The newly planted tea trees wouldn’t become a large-scale industry for at least three years, not to mention regional tastes for tea. Every new venture brought endless difficulties—a simple solution existed only in words.

"Master Lu flatters me. I simply thought of the kiln process. These slat mats are more comfortable than ordinary ones, but harder to make. If we turn the slats into narrow strips, the difficulty drops, which also gives apprentices a chance to practice. Such mats will be our main product for now..."

"As for tables and chairs, the materials can be bamboo, wood, or even wild vines and strange roots—all of which the Qin family has in abundance. What we lack is technique and fresh ideas. So, Chief Qin, gather your people to learn from the masters. Once the clan is skilled, we can start small-scale production. The process we discussed may sound simple, but applying it in practice will reveal unforeseen issues—those can only be resolved through experience. Achieving ideal results immediately is impossible."

Qin Hao wished they could start manufacturing today, but he knew the family's foundation was weak. The first batch of bamboo tubes sold to the Drunken Immortal Tavern had nearly driven them mad just smoothing out the edges—let alone producing fine bamboo wares.

"Mr. Zhen is right. Each step requires different skills. Without training a workforce, we can’t talk about these products. But since Mr. Zhen explained that every step can be separated, we can tackle them one by one and sort things out," Master Yan said.

At first, Master Yan worried about how long it would take to make a mat himself, but now that Zhen Qian had broken the process into steps, all he needed to do was teach each part to the right craftsman and supervise. He’d never worked this way before, but it sounded promising.

Zhen Qian turned to Qin Hao. "Chief Qin, my ideas are best suited for mass production. Why not have people investigate which styles of tables and chairs sell best? We can use this method to dominate the local market."

By this point, Qin Hao and the others were numb from the barrage of new terms—assembly lines, mass production, and so on. Still, they understood the gist, even if Zhen Qian’s ideas outpaced them.

"Very well," Qin Hao said. "As you suggest, our first priority is gathering materials. As for the machines you described, I’ll leave it to Master He and Master Lu. I’ll arrange for our clansmen to follow your instructions. Is that satisfactory, Mr. Zhen?"

Master He, having finally grasped the idea, felt a bit embarrassed. His skills were solid, but his mind was rigid and slow to accept new things. Now that he understood, and with tasks being assigned, he complained, "Chief Qin, Mr. Zhen has thrown out so many ideas at once, yet we can’t immediately start production. Isn’t this making a mountain out of a molehill?"

Qin Hao was even more anxious than Master He, but what could he do? With no craftsmen of their own, the Qin family had to rely on Zhen Qian’s guidance.

Catching the sour note in Master He’s voice, Zhen Qian smiled to himself. What did it matter how skilled one man was? Could he feed and clothe the entire Qin family?

"Master He, perhaps you’re not aware of the family’s situation. If one or two craftsmen could solve all our problems, do you think Chief Qin would be so anxious now?"

Master He snorted, unconvinced. "How do you know we only have one or two craftsmen—" Halfway through, his face changed, and he shrank back, nervously glancing at Qin Hao. "I mean, the Qin family’s survived for years—why worry about a little hardship now..."

"Ahem." Qin Hao quickly cut him off, forcing a smile. "Mr. Zhen, the Qin family’s fate is in your hands. Whatever you need, just say the word. We have no money, but plenty of people and endless raw materials in these mountains. Make use of whatever you wish."