Chapter 21

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Such a minor incident did not weigh heavily on Wang Shouzhe’s mind. Instead, he shifted the topic to the main issue: "By the way, Second Brother, the live fish in your fish stall are the most valuable, right?"

"Yes, apart from the spirit fish, the most valuable are the high-quality live fish. Perches, pike, mandarin fish, sea bass, silver carp, and pomfrets are all known for their tenderness and are quite popular among noble families and wealthy merchants. The only requirement is that they must be fresh and alive," Wang Shouyi said with a frown. "Uncle Six’s fishing fleet has a live water tank. After the fish are brought ashore from the live water tank, they need to be transported to Changning Garrison City using a special horse-drawn carriage overnight. We also need to deliver them to the buyers as quickly as possible. Even with such a short time, many mistakes can occur, and about 60-70% of the fish will die. Once they die, their value drops by half, and they can only be sold as fresh fish."

After a moment of thought, Wang Shouzhe said, "In that case, the cost of transportation and the mortality rate of live fish are the two key issues. Solving these problems could significantly increase our profits even if the fishing yield doesn’t increase."

The reason he was inspecting the family’s various businesses was to examine every production process. If he could apply his modern Earth knowledge to optimize them, it would boost the family’s output.

"Fourth Brother, if you can find a way to reduce the mortality of live fish, we could conservatively estimate an additional 70 to 80 gold pieces in profit each year," Wang Shouyi said, his face showing his concern. "Those dead fish are pure profit."

"It’s hard to say right now. I need to see your existing methods."

"Fourth Brother, follow me." Wang Shouyi led Wang Shouzhe to the back courtyard of the annex, where two horse-drawn carriages were parked. Unlike ordinary carriages, these did not have passenger compartments but instead had large round wooden barrels. "One carriage carries live water and fish, while the other carries only live water. Every hour, part of the water in the fish barrel needs to be replaced. Even so, when the number of live fish increases, many still die. I’m considering adding another carriage for live water, but that would significantly increase costs."

Seeing Wang Shouyi’s method of transporting live fish, Wang Shouzhe’s eyes twitched. The number of valuable live fish Uncle Six’s fleet could catch each day was not large, at most a couple of thousand pounds.

To transport them, such an astonishing method was used? The fish barrels were surprisingly rudimentary, with no oxygenation or filtration, just the two words: water change!

To change the water, they even used a carriage to carry water. This was not enough; Wang Shouyi was even considering adding another carriage?

However, Wang Shouzhe understood that this was not Wang Shouyi’s fault. In this world of Xuanwu, everyone was focused on improving their cultivation and martial prowess.

Of course, not all human elites ignored natural sciences. However, those who did research kept their findings secret, making it difficult for knowledge to spread.

This was not their fault. Even if Wang Shouzhe developed knowledge, he would only use it secretly for the family, not allowing it to benefit other families.

In his previous life, Wang Shouzhe was a laid-back person who often went fishing with friends during holidays. When he caught a lot of fish, he bought an oxygen pump to try to keep them alive, but found that even with oxygenation, the fish still died quickly. After some research, he understood some basic principles.

To keep fish alive, the water tank must meet three conditions:

1. Dissolved oxygen: Fish need oxygen to survive, and the oxygen in the water is limited. The more fish in a tank, the more oxygen is consumed. This can be addressed by oxygenation.

2. Water quality: Fish waste and leftover food produce ammonia and nitrites, which are harmful to fish. These can be managed through water changes and filtration.

3. Temperature: Higher temperatures increase fish activity, which increases oxygen consumption and the production of harmful substances. Keeping the water at a lower temperature is effective.

After explaining these points, the two entered Wang Shouyi’s study. Wang Shouzhe drew a simple diagram on a piece of paper, showing a round wooden barrel with a filtration layer at the top, where filtered water would drip into the barrel, using the principle of drip oxygenation.

He also explained the principles of oxygen and toxic substances in simple terms.

Wang Shouyi, who had been running the fish stall for over a decade, quickly understood. "Hearing Fourth Brother’s explanation, I suddenly understand a lot. In the past, the elders only said to change the live water because the fish need the ‘living qi’ in the water. If the ‘living qi’ is insufficient, the water becomes ‘dead water,’ and the fish die. Fourth Brother means that the drip method can increase the ‘living qi’ in the water. I never thought of that."

"This is from ancient texts. Whether it works or not, Second Brother needs to conduct several tests," Wang Shouzhe nodded, thinking that ‘living qi’ was easier to understand than ‘oxygen.’

"The fish consume ‘living qi’ and expel ‘dead qi.’ The waste in the water produces toxic gases. By filtering the water through layers of cotton, charcoal, and gravel, the toxic gases can be removed, making the water non-toxic, and the fish won’t die. Why didn’t I think of that?"

Wang Shouyi became increasingly excited: "And the temperature conditions Fourth Brother mentioned also make sense. The colder it is, the fewer fish die during transport, and more die in the summer. It’s because the fish are more active in the heat, so they need more ‘living qi’... No wonder transporting at night is better than during the day! If we add some ice from the cellar to the water..."

Wang Shouzhe’s theories were like opening a new world for Wang Shouyi. Many things he had puzzled over for years suddenly made sense.

"Second Brother, as long as you understand, you can have the craftsmen make some small devices for testing," Wang Shouzhe looked at the sky. "It’s getting late, and I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave."

As the clan leader, Wang Shouzhe was not there to invent things. Moreover, it was easier said than done, and he might not be able to do it well himself.

As long as Wang Shouyi understood the principles, he could handle the rest.

"Fourth Brother, don’t leave yet." Wang Shouyi held him back. "It’s rare for you to visit the fish stall, and Second Brother hasn’t had a chance to properly entertain you. Let’s have lunch at [Baiwei Xuan]. The live fish there are supplied by us, and the dishes are excellent. Second Brother still has several things I don’t understand, like the siphon effect and the principle of using a pump to add ‘living qi’ to the water tank, and how to use the pump principle to move water uphill..."

Alright!

Wang Shouzhe listened to his “ten thousand whys,” feeling a bit overwhelmed but also knowing it was a good thing. Wang Shouyi had been running the fish stall for years, and if he could master these techniques, the business would thrive, contributing significantly to the family.

In Changning Garrison, there were more than ten noble families operating fish stalls, with the Liu and Zhao families being larger than the Wang family.

The better their fish stall performed, the more wealth it would create, and the more it would squeeze out their competitors.

Therefore, Wang Shouzhe spent more time giving Wang Shouyi a “basic education.” The siphon effect and manual pumps both required pipes, which were quite rudimentary in this world, with only bamboo, ceramic, and copper pipes available. However, they were sufficient for the task.

It didn’t matter if they couldn’t make manual pumps immediately. Using a simple siphon principle to draw water from the bottom and having the workers manually pour it into the filtration layer would increase the carriage’s capacity and significantly reduce the mortality rate of live fish.

Wang Shouyi listened intently, even during lunch at [Baiwei Xuan], where he kept asking Wang Shouzhe questions.

"Second Brother, is [Baiwei Xuan] really one of the best restaurants in Changning Garrison?" Wang Shouzhe found the dishes at [Baiwei Xuan] to be average, with only the quality of the ingredients standing out.

Of course, the seasoning was better than what the family’s cooks could do, but it still fell short of what he was used to on Earth.

"Fourth Brother, this meal cost 32 large copper coins and 73 small coins..." Wang Shouyi’s face turned dark, feeling wronged. "This is the money I’ve saved up with hard work. You’re not satisfied with such delicious dishes?"

Wang Shouzhe rubbed his chin, thinking that the difference in taste was probably due to the lack of monosodium glutamate (MSG). In his previous life on Earth, MSG and chicken essence were ubiquitous, raising his threshold for deliciousness.

If he could produce MSG, could it become a new industry?

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