“Refine fine salt?”
Yu Qingwan froze in surprise.
When had her lord learned such a skill?
“First, light the stove and boil water. Dissolve the salt.”
As Li Chen spoke, he brought over the salt sack, poured all 2.5 kilograms of salt into the pot, and added half a pot of water.
He dissolved the coarse salt twice, brought it to a boil, filtered out some impurities, then poured the brine into a large clay basin.
“My lord, when my family was in Liangjing, we once tried this method, but the results were minimal,” Yu Qingwan reminded him timidly.
“Of course, it doesn’t stop there.”
Li Chen smiled faintly.
He then found another large clay basin and filled it with clean water.
Under Yu Qingwan’s astonished gaze, he scooped a large shovel of plant ash from the stove and dumped it into the basin, stirring it thoroughly.
After letting it sit to settle, he filtered out the residue and used a ladle to scoop out the clear liquid from the top into another basin. He then carried that half basin of ash water and poured it directly into the large basin of brine.
“Ah…”
The young wife gasped in alarm. Wasn’t that wasting an entire pot of saltwater?
Yet the brine did not become murky as she feared. Instead, the clear ash liquid reacted quickly with the brine, forming a cloudy layer of impurities.
After letting it settle again for a short while, the top layer became clear brine, while a layer of insoluble residue sank to the bottom.
“Go find a piece of cloth. Larger and clean.”
Li Chen instructed her.
Yu Qingwan, still confused about what he intended, fetched a cloth. It was not very large but fairly clean.
Li Chen spread the cloth over the pot and slowly poured the brine through it.
Once the basin of brine had filtered into the pot, a dark layer of impurities remained on the cloth.
“Wash the cloth clean and keep it for next time,” Li Chen said, crouching down to continue boiling the salt.
Yu Qingwan went to wash the cloth thoroughly and hung it outside to dry.
When she returned, she saw Li Chen holding a bowl.
Inside the bowl was a pile of white powder.
It was white as clouds and fine as sand, like a small mound of winter snow.
“Ah? This… this is the fine salt you made, my lord?” Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Yu Qingwan’s bright eyes widened in shock.
It was unbelievable.
“Try it.”
Li Chen beckoned to her.
She walked over and cautiously pinched a small amount with her fingers, placing it on her tongue.
There was no bitterness at all. Instead, it tasted purely salty and fragrant.
“This… this is the best salt I’ve ever tasted. It’s almost comparable to the fine salt supplied to the imperial court.”
She stared at it in disbelief.
Her lord had simply used leftover ash from the stove and, with a few simple steps, produced fine salt? It was incredible.
Li Chen also tasted a pinch but was not entirely satisfied.
Compared to salt from later generations, this could only be considered harmless and serviceable.
In his view, the method still needed improvement.
However, even this basic refined salt was enough to make money. Later, when there was an opportunity, he could adjust the ratio of ash water to brine or develop a better purification method.
For now, it was not suitable to perfect the process.
A man is innocent, but the possession of treasure invites danger. Before he had real strength, possessing a technique far ahead of its time would be courting death.
Moreover, the yield was quite low. From 2.5 kilograms of coarse salt, he obtained just a little over 0.5 kilograms of fine salt.
If he were to sell it, he would have to ask for a higher price.
Lost in thought, he turned his head and found Yu Qingwan staring at him with eyes full of admiration.
He cleared his throat and said solemnly, “Remember, this is the Li family’s exclusive secret. We’ll rely on it to make money in the future. It must never be passed on.”
“Mm!” Yu Qingwan nodded vigorously, engraving his words in her heart.
No matter who asked, she would not tell. Even if beaten to death, she would not speak.
“Cook the meal now. Use this salt.”
Li Chen let out a long breath.
“My lord, please rest. I’ll prepare the meal right away.”
Yu Qingwan quickly responded, rolling up her sleeves to reveal her fair, slender arms as she began cooking.
There was still a large bird left from before, which she stewed into soup. She steamed half a pot of brown rice and stir-fried cabbage with chili and vinegar.
Sitting in the courtyard drinking water, Li Chen glanced up inadvertently and saw her bustling about with her back to him.
Straight legs, rounded hips, slender waist…
The graceful curves of the young girl made his gaze linger.
He had not noticed before, but from behind, her figure was equally lovely. Though she was not as boldly voluptuous as Xu Xiu’er, she possessed a gentle, supple charm like the soft waters of the south.
A flame ignited in his heart. Suddenly, he no longer felt hungry. He stood up and strode over.
Seeing him approach, Yu Qingwan thought he was impatient. “My lord, don’t worry. The food will be ready soon.”
“Forget the meal. I’ll have you first.”
Li Chen pressed down the hand she was using to dish out food, set aside the spatula, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, lifted her up, and carried her toward the inner room.
“Ah? My lord… it’s only early afternoon…”
Yu Qingwan instantly understood his intention.
Her face flushed crimson as she murmured shyly, yet her arms had already looped around his neck.
Before, even as recently as yesterday, she would have felt nothing but fear at such behavior.
But now, for reasons she could not explain, a wave of happiness rose within her. Blushing, she boldly wrapped her arms around Li Chen’s neck, closed her eyes, puckered her lips, and clumsily but earnestly responded to him.
That only fanned the fire in Li Chen’s heart. Holding her tightly, he carried her onto the heated kang bed in the inner room…
After passion subsided, the two finally sat down to eat.
Afternoon sunlight streamed into the room, bathing everything in golden light. The young wife, freshly touched by love, had flushed cheeks like blooming peach blossoms, stunningly beautiful.
Li Chen could not help but marvel at his fortune.
With delicious salt, fragrant rice, and tasty dishes, the meal felt especially satisfying. Even Yu Qingwan ate a large bowl of rice and was so full she let out several small burps.
Thinking that, because of her lord, she would be able to eat this fine salt for the rest of her life, Yu Qingwan felt so happy she nearly cried.
Her lord was truly remarkable.
After the meal, the diligent young wife cleaned the house, then fetched needle and thread to carefully mend the tear in her jacket.
Li Chen, meanwhile, went into the workshop to begin his work.
He started by shaving wooden sticks.
Before long, he had sharpened more than a dozen sticks, each with both ends honed to razor-sharp points.