"Brother Cheng, have someone bring some rock salt over. I'll give it a try, but I can't guarantee success."
Fang Er didn't understand chemistry, but he knew a bit about minerals. For things like salt mines, it was mainly about controlling purity during extraction. As for Cheng Yaojin's concern about excessive consumption leading to poisoning, it was likely due to heavy metal exceeding the standard.
Although Fang Er only said he would try, Cheng Yaojin was already very pleased. The high price of salt was due not only to monopoly but also to low production.
Seawater salt production was the current main source of salt. Based on later generations' output, one ton of seawater could only produce 27 kilograms of salt. Even with current low production conditions and many impurities, even if impurities were accounted for, fifty kilograms at most was a generous estimate, which would already be half salt and half sand.
"Alright, I'll go back and find someone to get it. Brother Fang, you just wait at home. I'll have it delivered by this afternoon at the latest."
Cheng Yaojin, seeing that Fang Er had agreed to help solve the salt problem, quickly said his piece and left.
Fang Er watched him go, feeling quite speechless.
Was there really such a hurry?
He didn't know that salt was the most important commodity, especially for soldiers in the army. Without sufficient salt supply, they would become weak and frail over time. It wasn't just about marching and fighting; problems could easily arise even without a battle.
Cheng Yaojin left, and Fang Er felt bored.
So he had Xiao Qing bring him paper and charcoal sticks and began to draw.
Speaking of which, Fang Er was quite frustrated. He had refreshed seven or eight times that day but hadn't managed to get any paper and brushes.
He really couldn't get the hang of using a writing brush.
Using charcoal sticks always made him dirty.
The wine in the kitchen was still being distilled.
The wine Zhang Bo had bought before was finished. This was what Zhang Bo had just bought that morning – three large cartloads of wine.
This was all in preparation for the opening of the restaurant.
Xiao Huan was in the backyard, watching some newly bought maids wash clothes.
In the entire Fang Manor, only Xiao Huan and Xiao Qing were the least busy.
Xiao Qing watched Fang Er write and draw on the paper, throwing it away whenever he was dissatisfied.
All morning, Fang Er had a pile of crumpled paper at his feet.
Xiao Qing felt heartbroken seeing it.
This was all purchased with hard-earned money!
After all, paper was not cheap at this time.
A ream of paper cost three taels of silver!
How much was a ream? One hundred sheets!
Each sheet cost thirty copper coins! That was enough to buy a large basket of steamed buns!
But seeing their young master so focused was really handsome!
Forget it, let him spend. The family had money. Just a few days ago, the young master had brought back a cartload of gold and silver!
It wasn't until Fang Er felt a little hungry that he stopped his charcoal pen.
A thick stack of drawings had accumulated on the corner of the table.
With their neat lines, it was estimated that only he could understand what was being drawn.
Fang Er was drawing some tools he commonly used when he learned metalworking. This was his old trade, something he couldn't abandon. Although he couldn't use them now, it was good to be prepared. Perhaps one day, he would have the materials to make them.
Fang Er looked up, rubbed his sore neck, and checked the sky. It was already noon.
He raised his hand and slapped Xiao Qing on the backside: "You lazy girl, what time is it? Go and cook!"
Xiao Qing was startled and retreated, covering her rear.
After taking two steps back, she looked at Fang Er with a flushed face: "My lord, I saw you drawing so intently that I forgot to cook. Please don't be angry, my lord. I'll go now."
With that, Xiao Qing ran towards the kitchen.
Fang Er stood up, stretched, and twisted his body.
This body was too weak. Just sitting for a morning made him feel exhausted. No wonder a fever could kill him.
It seemed he needed to prioritize exercise. He was only fifteen, so there was still time for everything.
He stealthily walked to the kitchen door and watched Xiao Qing busily preparing the ingredients. Her slender figure, heh heh, this was his own, and it felt great!
As Xiao Qing was busy, she felt something was amiss. She turned around and saw her young master standing at the door with a wicked grin, her face immediately flushing red again: "My lord, why are you here in the kitchen instead of resting in the courtyard?"
"Can't I come to the kitchen? What, was the food I cooked yesterday not good?"
Fang Er teased Xiao Qing with a roguish smile.
"Not at all, my lord's cooking is delicious, but you can't cook every day. What would be the use of us servants then? Besides, I've learned everything you cooked yesterday. My lord, please wait a moment, it will be ready soon."
Xiao Qing cracked a few eggs into a bowl, threw in some chopped scallions, and rapidly stirred them with chopsticks.
It was indeed scallion and egg.
"Alright, you stir-fry this, and I'll make something else to broaden your horizons."
With that, Fang Er stood at the door, watching Xiao Qing busy herself.
Stir-fried eggs were indeed the easiest dish to learn. Xiao Qing learned it after watching just once.
Fang Er picked up a piece of the freshly served egg with his hand, tasted it, and nodded with satisfaction: "Hmm, not bad. You've got some of my skills. A few more times and you'll catch up to me."
After saying that, he provocatively lifted Xiao Qing's chin with his oily hand and said lecherously.
Xiao Qing dared not move away. She was standing by the stove, with flames still licking from the stove behind her.
Xiao Qing blushed again from shame, her eyes almost welling up with tears.
What was wrong with her young lord? Ever since he recovered from his fever, he had become increasingly lecherous.
What if one day...
Xiao Qing dared not think further.
Fang Er found her expression even more amusing.
However, seeing Xiao Qing on the verge of tears from shame, he felt he shouldn't tease her further: "Alright, clean the pot. I'll teach you another dish."
Xiao Qing quickly moved away, fetched water, cleaned the pot, and then watched Fang Er's every move.
Fang Er picked up a piece of meat from the cutting board, sniffed it, and confirmed it was authentic mutton.
After a moment of thought, he had an idea.
"Qing'er, watch me make you a scallion-fried mutton!"
Fang Er washed the mutton, then cut it into cubes, the scallions into segments, the ginger into slices, and the garlic into slices. The cleaver danced in his hands, almost like a performance.
Xiao Qing watched, dumbfounded. Where had her young lord learned these skills?
Ever since he recovered from his illness, he had changed completely. He was glib-tongued, touchy-feely, yet he somehow obtained so much gold and silver, could do carpentry, and was even this skilled at cooking. Had her young lord encountered an immortal?
"Qing'er, boil some water!"
Fang Er wiped the sweat from his brow and said to Xiao Qing, who was still in a daze.
Well, he was quite satisfied with being able to make the knife dance. In his previous life, as a fitter, he was very adept with knives, pliers, boards, and files! It seemed his skills hadn't faded.
Xiao Qing hadn't paid attention earlier. This time, she heard clearly that her young lord had called her Qing'er, which felt so intimate!
"Bah! Shameless!"
She stamped her foot and hurried to boil water.
Fang Er looked at her inexplicably. Why was she blushing again for no reason?
Speaking of which, this girl blushed too easily. How many times had she blushed today?