Chapter 54

In ancient times, there was fine salt, which was made by grinding salt into a fine powder. This was what was called fine salt, but it was definitely not refined salt. In fact, whether it was boiled salt, lake salt, or well salt, they all belonged to the category of coarse salt.

Even many types of salt contained some toxic substances.

Additionally, some salts contained potassium and magnesium salts, which made them taste bitter. The different minerals they contained also gave them different flavors, which is why green salt was considered to have a good taste.

Professor Wang Ju's method was very simple: he would melt the coarse salt, add soda ash to remove excess calcium chloride and magnesium chloride, filter it through multiple layers of gauze to remove trace amounts of mud and sediment, and then evaporate and crystallize it to produce what was called refined salt.

Of course, this method was not standard. First, the soda ash used was not pure sodium carbonate. Even if it were pure, barium hydroxide would still need to be added to precipitate sulfate ions and residual magnesium ions, and finally, dilute hydrochloric acid would be added to adjust the pH to neutral, to produce a refined salt that was closer to the standard.

Or, barium chloride could be added to remove sulfate ions, followed by barium hydroxide to remove magnesium ions, then sodium carbonate to remove excess barium chloride, and finally, dilute hydrochloric acid to neutralize the solution, followed by filtration and evaporation to crystallize.

But under the current conditions, how could this be achieved?

Only this simple and rough method could be used to improve the quality of the salt, and if necessary, the process of dissolving, filtering, and evaporating could be repeated several times. There might be better methods, but Wang Ju really didn't know them.

It wasn't just a few strings of cash. To finally develop the method and obtain the best solution, the Zhu family spent over fifty strings of cash.

Zhu Huan dipped a bit of the salt powder on his finger and tasted it: "Good salt, it tastes great."

What exactly made it taste great? People with a light palate might be shocked by certain dishes in Cantonese cuisine, while Cantonese people might avoid the dark soy sauce in Anhui cuisine, and people from Jiangsu and Zhejiang might view the spicy and numbing flavors of Sichuan cuisine as a heavenly fire, while Sichuanese might find the heavy sweetness in Jiangsu and Zhejiang dishes unbearable...

In fact, coarse salt should be saltier and more stimulating to the taste buds than fine salt.

But it was fine, like powder, melting in the mouth instantly. After repeated filtration, even though it was mainly boiled salt, the repeated filtration and evaporation made it look extremely appealing.

Snow-white, as clean and lovely as snow.

The cost was a bit high, but it was worth it. Zhu Qing stared at this lovely salt powder and asked, "How much would it be worth per pound?"

Heaven knows.

"Remember, do not leak the formula."

In fact, the high cost and the not-so-difficult production method meant that the proportions could be figured out. Rarity makes things valuable, and once the formula was leaked, it would lose its value.

Zhu Huan looked at the pile of salt in deep thought.

Luxury items began to appear in the Song Dynasty, not just pearls and jade, but also daily necessities. For example, a meal at Fan Tower could cost several hundred to several thousand taels of silver. A sword from the Western Xia and a high-quality crossbow from the Western Xia were also priced in the hundreds of strings of cash.

"How much could this salt sell for per pound?"

Clearly, it was a huge source of wealth. Zhu Huan thought for a long time, then suddenly stood up and rushed to the Li family with some fine salt.

"Mr. Li, take a look." Zhu Huan opened the salt package.

"What is this?" Li Feier's father couldn't recognize it as salt.

"Try it."

"Salt." Mr. Li stood up: "Where did you get it from?"

Being businessmen, they immediately saw its value.

"Ordinary salt can be processed into this."

"How much does it cost?" Mr. Li looked at Zhu Huan eagerly, clearly asking if he could join in the business.

"Let's not talk about the cost. It was taught to me by your son-in-law."

"Mr. Zhu, are you joking... You mean that boy?"

"Pretty impressive, right? I can tell you about what happened over the past year." Zhu Huan roughly recounted the events of the past year, but he changed the private goods from Heao Ling to medicinal herbs and furs, and he absolutely did not mention the private salt, in case Wang Ju's name was called at the Donghua Gate, which would ruin his reputation.

"Mr. Zhu, why are you so enthusiastic?"

"Would you be enthusiastic if you were in my position?"

Mr. Li smiled bitterly. The nature of the two situations was different. The Zhu family only paid some money, and it seemed they had already received a return on their investment, not to mention the enlightenment of their second son. What he was paying was his daughter's lifelong happiness.

After thinking for a long time, he said, "I'll ask Feier."

...

Uncle Two was still in a daze, and the distance between the Li family and the Wang family in Yanzhou City was no less than the distance between Emperor Renzong and Wang Ju in Wang Ju's heart.

Moreover, the Zhu family had not leaked any information beforehand, so he was stunned for several days after hearing the news.

Mrs. Li smiled and shook her head.

Different people, different minds.

One was an uncle, the other a nephew, but now it seemed they were reversed.

She looked at Wang Ju and asked, "Young man, why do you have three conditions?"

The three conditions were not excessive, but they still made the Li family somewhat unhappy. No matter how successful you become in the future, right now, the Li family is higher than the Wang family.

Wang Ju answered calmly, "I have younger siblings, so it's inappropriate for me to become a son-in-law. I am currently poor, and although the Zhu family is willing to help, I am a scholar and don't need to, nor do I want to, accept their favors. As for delaying the marriage, there are two main reasons. First, my younger siblings are still young, and in a few years, they will grow up. Moreover, my goal is to succeed in the imperial examinations, but it is very difficult to achieve. I need to focus on my studies. Second, both boys and girls change a lot as they grow up. If I become unworthy in the future, your family can break the engagement without harming Miss Li."

"What if you are called at the Donghua Gate?" Mrs. Li pressed.

Catching a son-in-law from the imperial examination list was fierce. As long as they could catch someone, whether old or unmarried, they would drag them home.

At least one-third of the successful candidates were caught by wealthy families in the Central Plains.

What role would a marriage contract play then?

"That won't happen. It's too difficult to be called at the Donghua Gate. At least before I turn twenty, I doubt I will have the knowledge or the unrealistic ambition. My goal is to become a candidate before I turn twenty, and then to study like other scholars, taking the exams one by one..."

Mr. Li chuckled.

"What are your plans for the next few years?"

He didn't lecture Wang Ju on grand principles, but it was close. Whether it was the first, second, or third exam, if he passed, the Wang family's ancestors would be proud, and even Yanzhou would be stirred. Poor Yanzhou, which still had no successful candidates.

But they had to live in the present.

"Mr. Li, about the salt..." Zhu Huan whispered from the side. If they could make a profit, would the Li family really ignore this son-in-law? With three sources of income, wouldn't Wang Ju and his siblings be well-provided for? Wouldn't your daughter be well-cared for? Besides, Wang Ju was growing rapidly, and who knew what he would become by the time he was twenty.

Wang Ju was not angry. As parents, they had to think long-term. Would they let their daughter marry a beggar or a bad person just because of her whims?

This was not being materialistic, but caring for their children. If they were purely materialistic, he wouldn't be sitting here today.

Wang Ju answered calmly, "I have said in the village that they should control the production of the Western Xia swords. It's about matching the effort to the task. I am still young, and being well-fed and clothed is enough for now. I can't think too far ahead; studying is my key focus right now."

He planned to become a disciple of Zhang Zai, but he didn't say that.

He wasn't planning to be a regular student of Zhang Zai; if that were the case, Zhang Zai would have too many disciples.

But to become a personal disciple of Zhang Zai, he needed to have something to offer, not the knowledge from his past life, but knowledge in classics and poetry.

In this area, his foundation was still quite weak, but the Song Dynasty officials were mostly appointed through the examination system. Zhang Zai would likely stay in Yunyan County for at most three years before moving to Weizhou. Could he go to Weizhou to study? So, this had to be achieved by the end of this year or early next year, the sooner the better. But to achieve it sooner, he had to study hard.

This was the "inserting the hairpin" ceremony.

After the initial and detailed betrothal letters, the parents of both the man and the woman would meet, and the man and woman themselves would also be present. It was essentially a meeting for mutual approval. If the man was unsatisfied, he would give the woman two bolts of silk to comfort her. If he was satisfied, he would insert a gold hairpin into the woman's hair, marking her as his. There were many more formalities to follow, but this could be negotiated and adjusted.

Before the "inserting the hairpin" ceremony, the parents of both sides would also communicate.

Wang Ju had a guardian, but the Jiang family could not come, so Uncle Two had to take his place. Then there were Mr. and Mrs. Li, Li Feier, Zhu Huan, and the matchmaker.

Mr. and Mrs. Li exchanged glances. Wang Ju spoke confidently and was generally satisfactory. Moreover, Wang Ju had said that they still had six years, and if he turned out to be unsuitable, they could break the engagement. This was a sign of Wang Ju's confidence. What else was there to say?

They nodded.

Zhu Huan immediately said, "Young Master, why don't you insert the hairpin?"

Wang Ju took out a gold hairpin and inserted it into Li Feier's hair. Looking at her joyful face, he felt a bit guilty, and his hand trembled.