Chapter 38

"Are you going to sell contraband salt?"

The old lady, who was usually calm and composed, finally showed a hint of surprise on her face. She took the bag of white granules that Yueyang handed her, hesitated for a moment, then dipped her finger into the powder and put it in her mouth. Immediately, a salty taste spread across her taste buds.

This time, the old lady could no longer remain calm. She almost shouted, "This... this is green salt? No, this isn't green salt, is it well salt? No, what kind of salt is this?"

Yueyang, standing beside her, unraveled the mystery, "Grandma, don't guess anymore, this is sea salt!"

"Sea salt... that's impossible! The taste of sea salt can't be so delicate and pure!" The old lady shook her head.

In China, there are generally three types of salt: green salt, well salt, and sea salt. Green salt, also known as lake salt, is directly extracted from salt lakes or produced by drying brine from salt lakes in salt fields, mostly produced in Qinghai and other areas. Well salt is made by extracting underground brine (naturally formed or generated by injecting water into salt mines) through wells. Sea salt, as the name suggests, is obtained by drying seawater.

Among these three types of salt, green salt and well salt, due to their low production and high price, are only available to the wealthy and the gentry. Sea salt, on the other hand, has a much larger production, as seawater is abundant and can be easily processed. However, sea salt has a significant drawback: due to the backward purification and drying techniques in ancient times, the sea salt produced contained a lot of impurities. This salt, mixed with small stones and dirt, tasted bitter and astringent, but because of its low price, it was the main type of salt used by the common people. Now, Yueyang had brought out a bag of white, fine salt and claimed it was sea salt, which was hard for the old lady to believe. This was simply a颠覆 of common sense!

"Grandma, this is real, this is really sea salt." Yueyang laughed. This salt was bought from the modern era, and in terms of appearance and nutritional value, it was far superior to the salt in this era.

"Grandma, I've been thinking about this for a while. Since we started the militia, our operations have grown larger, and our expenses have increased. We need a stable source of silver. So, I thought about the path of selling contraband salt. Since the Wang family has already become our mortal enemy, we might as well take their business. I want to see what Wang Shoucheng can do to us!"

"Are you really going to sell contraband salt?" The old lady was once again stunned by her grandson's bold idea. She laughed bitterly, knowing that her grandson was determined to push the Wang family to the brink.

The old lady looked at Yueyang with a serious expression and said, "Grandson, Grandma knows you are capable, and I won't ask where you got this salt from. But you must think carefully. If you really decide to do this, there will be no room for reconciliation between our family and the Wang family."

Yueyang sneered, "Grandma, ever since Wang Chenglin tried to kill me at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, there has been no room for reconciliation between our families."

Hearing Yueyang bring up the past, the old lady's eyes narrowed, shooting a cold glare. Yes, since the Wang family tried to cut off the roots of the Yue family, there has been no room for reconciliation between the two families.

"Grandson, since you've made your decision, go ahead. But remember, once you've made up your mind, don't be hesitant. If you don't burn the weeds completely, they will come back to haunt you!" The old lady's voice was dark, startling Yueyang. Even as he bid her farewell, he marveled at how this old lady, who had kept the Yue family safe for so many years, was ruthless when it came to taking action.

When Yueyang left, his resolve was even stronger...

On the 21st of October, Chongzhen 5th year, Yingzhou City.

Old Jiang was a local of Yingzhou City. He ran a small restaurant in the western part of the city. Although the restaurant was small, it had a long history, having existed since the Zhengde era. Old Jiang took over the restaurant from his father and operated it diligently for nearly twenty years, earning a good reputation in the western part of the city.

However, these days, Old Jiang had some troubles.

It was noon, and Old Jiang's wife entered the restaurant with a basket on her arm, shouting, "Husband, the salt price has gone up again. How can we afford this?"

Old Jiang's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "What? The salt price has gone up again? How much is it now?"

Old Jiang's wife, with a look of indignation, replied, "The salt price has risen to 300 wen per catty, and they say it will go up even more. Husband, how can we live like this?"

"Let me see!" Old Jiang's expression turned serious. He lifted the coarse cloth covering the basket, revealing the yellowish-white coarse salt inside. He grabbed a handful of the salt, his brows furrowing, and asked, "Why is there more sand and dirt in this sea salt than last time?"

"I'm not sure!" Old Jiang's wife replied, somewhat embarrassed, "I asked the salt vendor, Ershun, and he said that due to the bandits surrounding the city, the salt supply has been cut off, so the price has risen. He also said he saw the shop owner secretly adding sand to the salt at night."

"Rubbish!" Old Jiang slammed his hand on the table, furious. "The Wang family has no conscience! This sea salt already has a lot of sand, and every time we buy it, we have to filter it. We always filter out about 10% of sand and dirt. Now they not only raise the price but also add more sand. Are they even human?"

"That's what I said too," Old Jiang's wife, with a look of indignation, added, "But Ershun said that due to the bandits attacking the city, the Wang family has lost a lot of money, so the head of the family ordered this."

Old Jiang knew that Ershun, the salt shop's assistant, was a distant nephew of his, so his words were reliable. He was furious. His restaurant was a small business, and he usually only made a living wage. Now, with the salt price rising so much, his costs would increase, making his life even harder.

Just as Old Jiang and many other citizens were feeling both angry and helpless about the rising salt prices, a shocking piece of news spread throughout the city in just half a day!

"Hey, guys, did you hear? Three new salt shops opened in the city this morning. The salt there is both cheap and of high quality. I've seen it, and it's amazing! I can't describe it to you, you should go and see for yourself!"

"Really? How much is it per catty?"

"Only 300 wen per catty!"

"Tch... I thought it would be cheaper. It's the same price as Wang's salt!"

"I'm not lying, even though they sell it for 300 wen, the salt is as refined as green salt and well salt, even better than green salt. If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself!"

"What? Is that true? I have to go and check it out!"

The news spread quickly, and soon the entire city knew. Some brave people tried buying some of the salt, and after trying it, they all went crazy. The quality of the salt was so excellent that it was indescribable. Not only was it white and fine, but it was also packed in transparent bags, each bag containing one catty, which were waterproof and moisture-proof. This kind of salt was something ordinary people had only heard about, but now they could see it with their own eyes.

Soon, the citizens of Yingzhou City went crazy. Countless people with baskets rushed to the three shops, surrounding them so tightly that no one could get through. Everyone was frantically waving copper coins and silver to buy salt, creating a scene even more lively than the temple fairs during the New Year. The crowd almost overwhelmed the shops!

Such a big event could not be hidden from the city's wealthy and influential families. Within an hour of the three new salt shops opening, a new bag of salt appeared in Wang Shoucheng's study. Looking at the white, fine salt on the table, Wang Shoucheng's brows furrowed.

He looked at his son, Wang Chenglin, with a serious expression and asked, "Lin'er, is this refined salt really only 300 wen per catty?"

Wang Chenglin, with a look of fear, quickly replied, "Yes, Father. I have confirmed it clearly. It is indeed only 300 wen, the same price as our sea salt."

Wang Shoucheng's face showed a hint of anger, and he muttered, "Good... good, Yueyang, I didn't expect you to strike back so quickly. This is a severe blow, aiming to destroy the foundation of the Wang family!"

"Father, this can't go on. If this continues, who will buy our salt? Yue's move is clearly aimed at cutting off the roots of our Wang family!" Wang Chenglin was also panicking. Even he, who only knew how to fight and play, understood that the Wang family's foundation was contraband salt. If this path was cut off, the decline of the Wang family was not far off.

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