"Salting? How do we salt it?" Zhao Liangcai asked Qin Junyao, rubbing his temples.
He had been sleep-deprived and suffering from headaches recently, trying to finish his military duties quickly so he could return to accompany Qin Junyao for the New Year.
Qin Junyao found a cotton jacket belonging to Zhao Liangcai and handed it to him. "Dig shallow pits in the desert. The bottoms of the pits should be flat. Pour the salt and saltwater dug from the salt lake into the pits. What dries out first under the sun should be fine salt."
Zhao Liangcai put on the jacket and sat up straight. "Explain it in detail."
"Let me think."
Qin Junyao paced back and forth in the room, recalling where she had read about sun-drying sea salt. The author had mentioned that salt lakes in the desert could also be utilized in this manner.
She had only a general idea after reading it, and when Zhao Liangcai asked for details, she couldn't quite remember.
Seeing Qin Junyao frown and pace, Zhao Liangcai stood up and scooped her into his arms, sitting down on a chair with her. "Pacing is tiring. Sit down and think."
"I can think anywhere. I don't want to sit on your lap," Qin Junyao struggled to get down.
"Oh no, your wound hurts. If you struggle, it will hurt even more."
"Just pretend," Qin Junyao was genuinely worried about Zhao Liangcai re-injuring his freshly bandaged wound. She adjusted her posture and continued to recall.
"The pits should be about half a foot deep. Two pits next to each other, one higher and one lower, to facilitate water flow. The pit bottom must be compacted."
"That's it. I can't remember anymore."
Zhao Liangcai rhythmically patted Qin Junyao's leg. "If you can't remember, don't force it. When the weather gets warmer next year, I'll have someone try what you've described."
"If it's truly feasible, you'll be the one to accomplish it first."
Actually, Qin Junyao had misremembered. Sun-drying salt produces coarse salt. Fortunately, the fine salt in the Qing Kingdom was simply coarse salt ground into finer particles.
The salt harvesters from the salt lake also dried the salt dug from the lakebed, but they simply loaded it into baskets to dry.
This kind of salt contained impurities like sand, and some of it was yellow or red. Besides being salty, it had a bitter taste.
Common people could tolerate this kind of salt, but officials and wealthy merchants could not. Both the Northwest Army and various factions were interested in the refined salt.
Refining salt was a technical skill, and the experienced salt refiners were all under Zhao Liangcai's command. Otherwise, there wouldn't be just one salt lake in the desert, and they wouldn't all be targeting Zhao Liangcai. Suduan Novel Network.
Because Zhao Liangcai had returned, dinner was a feast. Zhao Liangcai watched Qin Junyao with a smile as he ate.
The rice and preserved vegetables on the table were special food items with specific uses. It seemed his little wife had brought quite a few things home during his absence.
After dinner, Qin Junyao went to the kitchen and asked Granny Ma and the others to soak the ingredients for the Laba porridge the next day.
Zhao Liangcai, wearing a single layer of clothing, read the letters that had just arrived indoors. The more he read, the more he felt fortunate that he had married Qin Junyao this year.
"What are you reading? Have some chestnuts. Liu Rong stir-fried them beautifully," Qin Junyao returned, holding a small basin.
Zhao Liangcai put down the letters he was reading and got up to take the basin. "Why did you carry it yourself?"
"They are still busy in the kitchen, so I brought it back on the way. It's a bit hot."
"It's fine. Are these wild chestnuts from the mountains?" Zhao Liangcai placed the basin on the table and took out a chestnut from it, asking Qin Junyao.
Qin Junyao also took one and squeezed it hard to crack the skin. "Yes. They're delicious in cooking too. My mother stir-fries some every day and takes them to the noodle shop to sell."
Zhao Liangcai first peeled the chestnut in his hand and handed it to Qin Junyao. He then took the half-peeled chestnut from Qin Junyao's hand.
"Have you decided when your shop will open?" Zhao Liangcai was referring to Qin Junyao's second-floor establishment.
"It opens on the sixth. Sister Manshuang wants to prepare more stock. Sheng Daifu and I are not involved in the shop's operation. Eat them yourself."
Zhao Liangcai popped a chestnut into his mouth. It was sweet and had a special flavor. "Are you preparing the hemostatic medicine you used just now?"
Qin Junyao shook her head. "No, what you used just now was Sheng Ji San. Sheng Daifu has a formula for a hemostatic medicine with a particularly low cost. We are preparing that, and also things like decaying poultice, detoxifying ointment, and frostbite cream."
"Low cost? What about the efficacy?"
"The efficacy is exceptional."
The low-cost hemostatic powder Qin Junyao mentioned was the first formula Sheng Daifu chose when Ling Manshuang proposed cooperating to open a pharmacy.
This hemostatic powder required a small dosage, was effective, and simple to produce. The challenge was that the main ingredient was not produced in the Northwest. If it had to be transported from other regions, the cost would be very high.
The main ingredient not produced in the Northwest was available from Qin Junyao's spatial dimension.
The hemostatic grass she had stored earlier hadn't gone to waste. She sold these to their jointly owned pharmacy at a price that didn't include transportation costs. Once the shop opened, Qin Junyao would also receive profit dividends.
Zhao Liangcai's mind raced. "Do you have the hemostatic powder you mentioned at home?"
"Yes, I'll get it for you," Qin Junyao clapped her hands and took out a small porcelain bottle from the cabinet.
"Let me tell you, this is incredibly effective. For a cut an inch long, a spoonful the size of an ear-cleaning spoon is enough. What are you doing?"
As Qin Junyao opened the stopper, she saw Zhao Liangcai draw a cut on the tip of his index finger with a dagger. Blood immediately gushed out.
"Quick, press it. I'll apply the medicine."
Zhao Liangcai did not press the bleeding wound; he wanted to test the hemostatic effect of the medicine.
He was pleasantly surprised when a small amount of hemostatic powder was used on his finger and successfully stopped the bleeding.
This was truly a timely blessing.
"Yaoyao, I want to buy a lot of this medicine. Can the price be lower? I want two hundred jin first. Yaoyao?"
Zhao Liangcai, excitedly wanting to order some hemostatic powder, turned to find Qin Junyao looking calm but unresponsive.
He first felt remorse, then joy.
Glancing at Qin Junyao, who was peeling chestnuts, Zhao Liangcai used a medicinal liquid to remove his beard.
"Wife? My dear? Yaoyao? My sweetie?"
"Must you be so mushy?" Qin Junyao tried to break free from Zhao Liangcai's embrace from behind her, but failed.
"Ouch, wife, my wound hurts."
Qin Junyao stopped struggling and let out a soft hum. "You didn't even blink when you cut yourself with the dagger just now. I thought you weren't in pain."
"I'm talking about the wound on my body hurting," Zhao Liangcai's tone was full of grievance.
Qin Junyao turned halfway on the stool to look at Zhao Liangcai. "Then why are you bending over? Stand up."
Zhao Liangcai exerted force with his hands and pulled Qin Junyao up, moving to her original seat. Then, he had Qin Junyao sit on his lap.
"Wife, thank you for caring about me. There definitely won't be a next time. Please don't be angry."
"It's not impossible for me not to be angry. If you let go and sit properly, I won't be angry."
Zhao Liangcai tightened his embrace with both hands. "No, you'd better stay angry."
Qin Junyao had never known that Zhao Liangcai, a military general, could be so clingy in private.
Was Zhao Liangcai really this clingy?
Certainly not.
If he didn't persistently pester her like this, he feared he wouldn't be able to keep Qin Junyao.
Before they were married, he had spoken with Grandma Qin. If not for that, Grandma Qin wouldn't have made the decision to set a wedding date at a time that violated the usual calendar customs.
Zhao Liangcai had a persistent feeling that even marriage and children couldn't hold onto Qin Junyao. Only sincerity could.