Shen Yun had just savored the taste and was unwilling to let her go.
With his other hand ready, he embraced her slender waist, pulling her into his arms.
He deliberately whispered into her ear, "Has my wife finished the sachet I asked for?"
Su Xiaoqi's heart trembled. She thought, "Uh, I forgot."
Of course, she couldn't tell Shen Yun the truth. She pretended to be calm and said, "No rush, no rush, there are still several days before you leave."
"My wife doesn't need to worry about forgetting; I will remind you every day from now on."
Su Xiaoqi quickly waved her hand, "That's not necessary, really not necessary."
Her needlework was truly poor; she'd procrastinate for as long as possible.
However, judging by Shen Yun's demeanor, he was determined to have her make the sachet and tassel.
She had no choice but to comply.
She used the excuse of making the sachet to push Shen Yun out.
As soon as she picked up the needle and thread, her mind filled with melancholy.
After some thought, she propped herself up on the desk and wrote a reform plan for the manor, then filed it away.
Time flowed like water, and July passed in the blink of an eye.
During these days, Su Xiaoqi rarely went into the city, but news from the city reached her ears without fail.
They said the business for the new grain varieties was booming, selling several hundred to a thousand catties daily.
This didn't particularly excite her.
The selling period for corn and potatoes was almost over; after selling them, they would need to be planted.
However, Chen Jinji's pastry business gave Su Xiaoqi much anticipation.
Especially the mooncakes.
Since she had helped sell that batch that day, the mooncakes' reputation had skyrocketed.
Now, people not only from Mianzhou City came to buy them.
Even people from the neighboring Guangwen City and Yizhou Prefecture came to purchase them.
Fortunately, Su Xiaoqi had hired three more helpers for Chen Jinniang and the others; otherwise, with just the four of them, they wouldn't be able to keep up.
Chen Jinniang had also bought a new shop, but it was yet to be renovated. She was waiting for Su Xiaoqi's advice or even a renovation blueprint.
It was a place where she held a thirty percent stake, so Su Xiaoqi naturally paid close attention to it.
She stayed up all night to draw a renovation blueprint inspired by modern cake shops and had Zhao Ye deliver it.
At other times, she would review the account books sent from the three shops and count the money.
Good heavens, she had spent sixteen hundred taels to buy the manor, which had almost emptied her purse.
Now, she had saved another thousand taels.
This speed was astonishing.
Su Xiaoqi was filled with excitement.
She truly enjoyed this moment.
Sitting at home, money came pouring in.
While happy, Su Xiaoqi didn't idle.
She stayed home to research the method of making lotus root starch.
Lotus root starch did exist in this era.
However, it was extremely rare, and its value was as expensive as snow fungus or bird's nest.
It was said that only the Sanjia Village area in Yu Hang, Jiangnan, could produce it.
When Su Xiaoqi mentioned making lotus root starch to Shen Yun, Shen Yun pondered for a moment and said:
"Lotus root starch is made by shredding lotus root juice. Elsewhere, there are many imitations, mixed with genuine and fake ingredients. Only those who specialize in this in Sanjia Village, Tangxi, can make it without faking it due to the cheapness of lotus roots."
Su Xiaoqi blinked at him and moved her lips, asking, "Speak human language."
She couldn't stand these elaborate and pedantic phrases.
Shen Yun said, "The 'Tangxi Chronicle' in the 'Records of the Great Liang Dynasty' states that the area around Sanjia Village in Yu Hang has low-lying terrain, crisscrossed by canals and with numerous ponds. The soil is fertile and rich.
It is particularly suitable for the growth of lotus roots, and the resulting starch is fine and delicate, hence it can produce tribute lotus root starch. Other places mostly produce fakes."
Sanjia Village lotus root starch, Su Xiaoqi's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. She was familiar with this.
Lotus root starch is highly nutritious. In traditional Chinese medicine, it has effects such as promoting fluid production, stimulating appetite, clearing heat, tonifying the lungs, nourishing blood, and enriching qi. It is also easily digestible and an excellent tonic.
In modern times, she loved eating lotus root starch and had even made it herself.
For this purpose, she had specifically visited Sanjia Village, a historically renowned place for lotus root starch production, for research.
However, that place was no longer called Sanjia Village, but Chongxian Town.
In fact, the best lotus roots for making starch are harvested around October in autumn.
The Hongxiu lotus roots from Mr. Gu's household from the autumn harvest were a bit less ideal, but they could still be used.
Speaking of these things, Su Xiaoqi was as familiar as if recounting her own belongings.
Shen Yun liked to see her eyes shining with confidence.
He also said that if she could succeed, not only she, but also Zhaojia Village would rise to a higher level.
Because the output was limited, it could command a high price.
This remark made Su Xiaoqi smile with curved eyebrows. It would be foolish not to make money.
As soon as she decided, Su Xiaoqi began experimenting at home based on her past experience of making lotus root starch.
Zhao Xiaozhu and Shen Xiaomei heard that she was going to make lotus root starch, so they each asked for leave and came back to help her.
Chen Jinniang knew that Su Xiaoqi was about to dabble in something new and was naturally happy to see it happen.
Granny Wen saw that Zhao Xiaozhu's embroidery skills had improved rapidly recently, and she was willing to let her take a few days off.
Moreover, she knew about the lotus root starch, even if others didn't.
It was a rare delicacy that only the noble families in the capital could afford.
If Su Xiaoqi could make it, it would be remarkable.
With helpers, Su Xiaoqi was full of confidence.
She explained the steps of making lotus root starch to them.
There were five steps in total.
First, "Washing": Wash the lotus roots clean, cut off the nodes and rotten ends, and even clean the muddy holes in the lotus root segments with chopsticks.
The second step is "Grating": Use a washboard inside a wooden basin to grate the lotus roots into a paste, then grind it into a slurry with a stone mill. While grinding, add water while lifting the lotus root fibers to ensure the slurry is uniform and delicate.
The third step is "Filtering": This is essentially the same as making tofu.
Separate the lotus root slurry from the lotus root residue, and then press it with stones.
After several repetitions, remove the lotus root residue from the bag.
The fourth step is "Settling": After thoroughly stirring the lotus root slurry, let it sit for more than three hours. Remove the clear liquid slurry from the top. The settled paste is the wet lotus root starch.
This is still not enough; there is the final step, "Drying": Scrape off the scum from the surface of the wet lotus root starch, then cut the wet lotus root starch blocks into slices or shred them and spread them on bamboo to dry in the sun until they shatter into powder at the slightest touch.
"Wow, that's amazing! So that's how lotus root starch is made," Shen Xiaomei exclaimed in surprise.
She had only heard of this item before.
Su Xiaoqi said, "This is the final step, but it's particularly important to prevent sand and impurities from getting in."
"Is it done once it's dried?" Zhao Xiaozhu was thinking about what her master had told her about bringing some back to taste once it was made.
"Almost. I've added some sugar, making this pure lotus root starch."
Su Xiaoqi pointed to the white lotus root starch, her face beaming with joy.
It took them three days, the three of them processing a cartload of five hundred catties of lotus root segments into lotus root starch.
One catty of lotus roots yielded less than one liang of lotus root starch. Calculated, five hundred catties yielded only forty catties in total.
"Tsk, tsk, no wonder Aunt Chen says this thing is as precious as silver. One tael of silver can't buy an ounce of starch.
It's laborious and requires great care, not easy," Shen Xiaomei sighed.
Zhao Xiaozhu also sighed repeatedly.
This was much harder than embroidery, and only Sister Xiaoqi could have thought of how to do it.
"Come, everyone has worked hard these past two days. Here are a total of forty catties. I want to give ten catties to Mr. Gu, and keep ten catties.
Each of you take two catties, give one catty to your maternal grandfather, keep a few catties for your mother-in-law and maternal grandmother to eat, and take ten catties to sell at the shops."
"How should this be sold?" Shen Xiaomei asked tentatively.
"Ten taels of silver per catty?" Su Xiaoqi wasn't quite sure about the price of lotus root starch in this era, so she tentatively offered a price.
After giving it, she wasn't confident.
Shen Xiaomei and Zhao Xiaozhu had expressions that were hard to describe.
Needless to say, they thought it was expensive, outrageously expensive.
Ten taels of silver was a concept; it was a common peasant family's annual income, the price of a courtyard house with four rooms.
Everyone fell silent. Shen Yun, who had been reading in the courtyard, spoke, "Tribute lotus root starch at ten taels is also cheap."
This remark was brilliant and had a double meaning. Su Xiaoqi understood and, filled with excitement, hurried to Shen Yun.
She asked him to draw a pattern so she could create a beautiful packaging box for it.
When it was like mooncakes, it wouldn't be ten taels, but a hundred taels could be sold.
She had already thought of a buyer.
It was Shen Yun who reminded her.
In Mianzhou City, a small place secluded in a corner, who would know about this tribute lotus root starch? Naturally, it would be the wife of Marquis Yong'an from the capital, Huang Lian.
She just needed to find a way to present this lotus root starch to her, and she was guaranteed to sell it at a good price.