Chapter 31

Salt is an essential commodity after childbirth, and in ancient times, it was one of the lifelines of a nation. Therefore, salt has always been controlled by the government, from mining to transportation to sales, with the government's involvement throughout. Although there were those who sold private salt, it was a serious crime, and if caught, they would face legal punishment. In ancient times, the main source of salt was sea salt, which was produced by drying salt on the coast and then transported inland through canals and other natural waterways. However, due to the underdeveloped technology of the time, the production of sea salt was limited, and transportation was slow, leading to a shortage of salt in the inland areas. Because of the high costs of mining and transportation, as well as the salt tax, the price of official salt naturally increased. Official salt was also divided into different grades, with the best being green salt, which was not for eating but for the nobles and wealthy to use to clean their mouths in the morning with willow branches dipped in it. Next was refined salt, which was used for cooking by those with money and power. However, most ordinary families could not afford even this refined salt. If the human body goes without salt for a long time, it can lead to edema, varying degrees of cerebral edema, impaired consciousness, blurred vision, and in severe cases, coma, shock, and even death. Without salt, it was impossible to survive, but official salt was too expensive, and private salt was scarce and risky to buy. Even if they were desperate, they did not have the money. What could they do? Therefore, most of the poor families in the inland areas of the Tang Dynasty ate this kind of salt soil, which was ground-up salt ore.

Xia Hongsheng had seen those salt mines before; his family used to eat this kind of salt soil. Recently, things had improved, and his sister-in-law had bought some official salt. The salt ore contained many impurities, forming yellow-brown crystals the size of walnuts. They could be crushed easily by hand. Xia Hongsheng had tasted it once, and the memory was still vivid. Besides the saltiness, there were all kinds of strange flavors—sour, astringent, bitter... It was almost unbearable. Eating this salt ore was not just consuming salt but poisoning oneself, a slow suicide!

Xia Hongsheng looked at the bucket of turbid, slightly yellow and white brine, resembling lime water, and sighed, shaking his head. He remembered the words of the middle-aged scholar at noon: the suffering of the people!

"Hongsheng, come and eat! What are you doing there?" His sister-in-law called him, having cooked the porridge.

Xia Hongsheng did not go to eat but turned his head and said to his sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, do you believe I can make official refined salt from this bucket of brine made from salt ore?"

"What?" The woman was surprised. Official refined salt was always transported from the coast. Could salt ore be turned into refined salt? It sounded like a joke. They had eaten salt ore for a long time, and it had never turned into refined salt.

"Sister-in-law, crush the salt ore and dissolve it in water, then filter the brine to remove the impurities. Finally, boil it in a pot to crystallize the salt for human consumption." Xia Hongsheng said, "Sister-in-law, where is the hemp cloth? Bring two pieces."

Although his sister-in-law did not understand what Xia Hongsheng needed the hemp cloth for, she quickly brought two pieces. The family was poor, and they did not have silk or brocade, but hemp cloth was essential. Xia Hongsheng also fetched an empty bucket and some leftover charcoal from the hearth. He stirred the brine in the bucket, then covered the bucket with hemp cloth and slowly poured the brine into another empty bucket.

After a while, when the brine was poured out, the hemp cloth was full of gray-black ore residue. Removing the hemp cloth, the solution in the bucket turned brown, lighter in color, but still contained many impurities. The filtration process was simple, and the woman understood it after one demonstration. She helped Xia Hongsheng filter the brine several times between the two buckets, leaving a light red solution in the bucket.

Filtering out the impurities was not enough; the solution also needed to be detoxified before it could be consumed. Xia Hongsheng wrapped the charcoal in hemp cloth, rinsed it with water until the black water was gone, and then asked his sister-in-law to bring a funnel. He stuffed the charcoal-wrapped hemp cloth into the funnel, secured it on a stand, and poured the solution into the funnel.

Xia Hongsheng watched the funnel nervously. Although he had seen the villagers do it near the school, this was his first time practicing. Fortunately, a light green solution soon began to flow out. Xia Hongsheng quickly tasted a few drops. It was good, only salty, without any bitterness or astringency. Now the salt was safe to eat.

"Ha, that's it. Sister-in-law, set up the pot and pour this solution into it. Boil it over a low flame until all the water evaporates, and the crystals that form will be good salt." After a while, Xia Hongsheng, seeing the solution filtered clean, picked up the half-bucket of salt solution and stood up to tell his sister-in-law.

The woman followed his instructions, using the remaining low flame to place an iron pot on the fire. She then poured the half-bucket of solution into the pot and covered it.

The solution gradually boiled, and the water evaporated. Xia Hongsheng's sister-in-law watched the solution bubble and steam nervously.

The water in the pot gradually dried up, leaving white, snow-like salt crystals, finely spread at the bottom of the pot.

Xia Hongsheng dipped his finger in and tasted it. Yes, it was good, indeed good salt.

Turning around, he saw his sister-in-law standing there, trembling, pointing at him, blinking, unable to speak. After a long while, she asked in disbelief, "Hong... Hongsheng, you really made good salt from the salt ore! You... you tell your sister-in-law, where did you learn to make scallion oil pancakes, oil-splashed noodles, those wooden tools, and this salt-making method? Does the academy teach these things?"

"This... well, remember the old man I told you about in Laojun Mountain? He taught me all of this." Xia Hongsheng said without caring whether his sister-in-law believed him, then turned and left. But he poked his head back in, "Sister-in-law, bring more salt soil back tomorrow. We'll make it into good salt. The government prohibits the sale of private salt, so we won't sell it. We'll just keep it for ourselves and eat it secretly, ha ha!"

Xia Hongsheng ran back to the room, and the woman hurriedly followed him. She entered the room and, with a serious face, said to Xia Hongsheng, "Hongsheng, sit down. Sister-in-law has something to say to you."

Seeing his sister-in-law's serious expression, Xia Hongsheng obediently sat down at the table. The woman also sat down and said, "Hongsheng, Sister-in-law doesn't know where you learned these things. If you don't want to tell Sister-in-law, I won't ask. We have been supporting each other in this family for so many years, and you have grown so much without Sister-in-law noticing. Hongsheng, you have been trying your best to help the family and support Sister-in-law, and I know it. But Hongsheng, as long as Sister-in-law is here, I will do my best to keep the family from falling apart. You just focus on your studies and listen carefully. Sister-in-law has heard that the headmaster of the academy is a great figure from Chang'an. If you can get his recommendation and take the imperial exams, enter the government, your father and brother would be very proud. If our family had a scholar in the past, your father and brother would not have been drafted into the army and died on the battlefield. Sister-in-law can only maintain the household, but our family ultimately needs you to revive it. Hongsheng, Sister-in-law is grateful for all your efforts for our family, but I still want to tell you to focus more on your studies. It is the best path. Sister-in-law is not afraid of hardship. As long as you succeed, Sister-in-law will be content and happy, even if she dies. Hongsheng, listen to Sister-in-law and study hard. Don't let your mind wander."

As she spoke, the woman looked at Xia Hongsheng, making him feel guilty. He had never planned to take the imperial exams; he had no interest or ability. The exams were not something that could be passed by plagiarizing a few ancient poems or essays. Even if he managed to pass, he would still have to face an interview with Emperor Taizong, who was not easy to fool. Originally, Xia Hongsheng's top priority was to make money, to earn enough capital to support his other ambitions. But now, with his sister-in-law's words, which were so touching, he was hesitant.

"Yes, Hongsheng will follow Sister-in-law's advice." Xia Hongsheng, feeling a bit lost, stood up and bowed to the woman, then returned to his room.

Xia Hongsheng came from the future and did not take reading and exams seriously. In the future, he had gone from kindergarten to university, worked for a few years, and ended up as a village teacher. Many people who did not study or take exams had also achieved great success. There were many paths to success, and success in any field could earn respect. But in ancient times, reading and taking the imperial exams to enter the government was almost the only way to achieve success. Being an official was a collective ideal for society, especially for scholars, so his sister-in-law's thoughts were understandable. However, Xia Hongsheng did not agree. Educating the people and benefiting the masses was beyond his capabilities. He relied on his knowledge and experience from the future to make a comfortable living. If he could become a wealthy and carefree person, that would be even better. Ha ha, with money in his pocket, traveling around, carrying a folding fan, and teasing the maids at home, living a peaceful and easy life. Unfortunately, this ideal could not be shared with his sister-in-law, or she would probably beat him with a stick.

Xia Hongsheng did not change his mind because of his sister-in-law's words. He lay down in his clothes and chuckled. The future was long!