To The Land of Nevernight

Tang Shen and Yao San came to Blacksmith Wang's shop together.

The sound of hammering iron came from the shop. Blacksmith Wang was bare-chested and holding a sledgehammer in one hand to forge iron.Seeing Tang Shen and Yao San, he said: "Little Tang Lang and Yao San, why do you have time to find me today?"

Tang Shen: "Uncle Wang, there is something I would like to ask you to take a look at, can you type it out?"

"Let me see."

Tang Shen handed over the sketch of "Essential Oil Distiller" he had drawn.

That's right, after making the crude ancient soap, the second thing Tang Shen wanted to do was essential oils.

Blacksmith Wang has been blacksmithing all his life, and he has seen many drawings of weapons and decorations, so Yao San is naturally not comparable.Tang Shen drew a simple version of an alembic using modern perspective drawings. Blacksmith Wang was also a little puzzled at first. After studying for a while, he pointed to two lines on a drawing and said, "What is this?"

"This is called a condensation tube. Uncle Wang, let me tell you, I want to make a big tank. You can make a sieve plate at the bottom to separate the water and plants. The whole tank is almost closed, and the gas in it will be completely closed to me." It's going to come out of these two pipes. I'm going to put cold water in the compartment around the pipes."

Blacksmith Wang thought for a while: "Xiao Tanglang, this thing can be made, but it takes a little effort."

Tang Shen didn't have any hope at all, his eyes lit up when he heard this: "How long will it take?"

"Half a month. If you hurry up, you need to pay extra money. I don't want to talk nonsense with you. I still have a few things to do, and I promised others. If I rush to work, I will give you an extra five slings, and I can give it to you in three days."

"it is good!"

Blacksmith Wang kept his promise, and three days later, he delivered a black and heavy iron bump to Tang Shen's home.

Normally, the distiller must ensure gas tightness, but the conditions are limited, and Tang Shen can't take care of that much.He sent Aunt Yao and Tang Juan to pick some chrysanthemums, roses, and sweet-scented osmanthus outside the city, and picked off all the petals and put them in pots.Two large pots of petals smelled fragrant in the yard.

With the distiller, Tang Shen started to make essential oils.

Essential oils may sound grand, but they are actually very easy to make.In later generations, as long as you buy a distiller in the market, you can make essential oils at home.Tang Shen looked at himself as a big black hunk of iron, and thought: Although we are a bit crude, you are also a distiller, give me some face.

Whether the essential oil can be successfully made depends on whether the original distiller can work.

Among the three kinds of petals, Tang Shen picked out the osmanthus with the strongest flavor, grabbed a handful and put it in the center of the still.The distiller is divided into three parts. At the bottom is a sink dedicated to draining water. A sieve plate is used to rest on the water surface, with flower petals placed on it.

Tang Shen put the distiller on the stove to heat it up. After the water in the stove was heated, the water vapor was mixed with the scent of flowers, and hot steam surged upwards.But the still is sealed, and only two small tubes are opened.

These are two crooked small iron pipes. If they were straightened, each would be at least two meters long.

Blacksmith Wang was also curious about what Tang Shen wanted to do with such a strange thing, so he stayed and watched in the yard.He said to Yao San and the others: "I've never seen such a weird object. What's wrong with Xiao Tanglang, let these pipes twist crookedly around the side of the iron tank, spared several times, and then soaked these two pipes in In the water."

Yao San was also surprised: "We have never understood what the little master makes. That's for scholars."

Blacksmith Wang couldn't figure it out: "The things in this pipe haven't been in contact with the water, so what's the use?"

Tang Shen: "It's very useful, just wait and see."

The steam flows down the two pipes.Tang Shen kept adding water to the large compartment next to the pipe.The gas passes through the condenser tube of the nine-snap ileum and comes to the outlet.Tang Shen quickly caught it.He held his breath, looking expectantly at what came out of the tube.However, after waiting for a long time, the water in the distiller was almost boiled dry, and only half a cup of essential oil flowed out.

As soon as the dark yellow essential oil flows out, it exudes a strange aroma.

Among the flowers that can be found in this season, osmanthus is the most fragrant.Don Juan sniffed the smell, and said pleasantly, "Brother, this is what you want to make? It smells so good!"

Tang Shen was not very satisfied.

So many sweet-scented osmanthus, in the end only such a little essential oil came out.

Essential oils are aromatic substances extracted from the roots, stems, leaves and fruits of plants, and can be said to be the most essential spices.In later generations, no factory will extravagantly extract essential oils only from flower petals and stamens, which is too wasteful.Because the distiller was too crude, Tang Shen extravagantly used only flower petals, but he didn't expect that he could only extract this essential oil in the end.

If the cost is so high, it will be very difficult to mass-produce essential oils.

Blacksmith Wang suddenly said: "I understand, little Tang Lang, you are quenching the fire!"

Tang Shen was taken aback: "Uncle Wang, what did you say, quenching?"

"Do you want to pour the steamed aroma down with molten iron? Hey, I can't tell, but yours is a bit similar to the quenching when we forge iron. Don't you have to pour cold water over and over again when you forge iron?" The hot red iron is poured out, and then continue to heat up and strike the iron? Then you can’t do this, just pouring cold water is useless, you have to improve this thing. You can’t keep the hot air rolling down, it’s too fast, you have to let the hot air stop For a while, pour cold water for a while, and quench slowly!"

Tang Shen thought for a while, and quickly drew a sketch in his mind. "You're right!"

Blacksmith Wang moved the iron lump back, beat it for another three or four days, and then moved it back again.

This time Tang Shen got nearly a cup of essential oil.

“This portion is enough!”

Tang Shen made a pot of soap, poured the essential oil into it, stirred it evenly, and waited for it to cool.

After everything was done, Tang Shen pressed the soap mixed with essential oils into hard lumps, and this was the soap.

The next day, Tang Shen and Yao San brought two pieces of ordinary soap and two pieces of scented soap to Tang Mansion.

On the way to the Tang Mansion, Yao San was puzzled and said, "Little Boss, you have been making this soap for half a month, and I thought it was going to be sold, so why haven't you sold it?"

Tang Shen smiled and said, "Brother Yao, we have been in Gusu Mansion for two months, have you calculated how much you have earned?"

Yao San hurriedly said: "Don't talk nonsense, my little boss, it's your and Ah Huang's money, and it has nothing to do with me."

"Don't worry, I'm not saying you're greedy for money. I can trust Big Brother Yao's character. But Ah Huang is still young. You guys are making pancakes these days. It's thanks to you and Aunt Yao. She's a nine-year-old little girl. Can't take care of it."

Yao San heaved a sigh of relief, and then said, "I made a lot of money."

"Is it enough to buy a shop on Brocade Street?"

"Of course not, it's a long way off!"

"Is that enough to buy a workshop in Gusu Mansion and make more soaps and essential oils?"

"Neither."

Gusu Mansion is no better than Zhaojia Village.In Zhaojia Village, one tael of silver is enough for a family of three to live well for a year.But in Gusu Mansion, one tael of silver is useless at all, and at most one person can be supported.

After Tang Shen came to Gusu Mansion, the pancakes sold well, but they could only be said to be well-off, far from being rich.

"If you can't buy a workshop, then we can only make this soap and essential oil at home. Even if you don't make pancakes every morning, Brother Yao, you, me, Ah Huang, and Aunt Yao, add up to 50 pancakes a day at most. Soaps, a bottle or two of essential oils. That's not a problem, the problem is, where do we sell these things?"

Yao San was stopped by the question.

Tang Shen: "Soap is not pancakes. Pancakes are gone every day. They are cheap and anyone can buy them. Soap can be used for a long time after buying, not to mention essential oils. You also know how expensive those things are. It’s not that if you put it on the stall casually, someone will buy it. If we really want to do this, within half a year, we will have to drink the northwest wind.”

Yao San said ashamedly: "I'm just a housekeeper, I don't understand the twists and turns here, please don't laugh at me, Xiaodong."

Tang Shen didn't mean to laugh at him, he stopped in his tracks and said, "We're here."

This is Yao San's first visit to the Tang Mansion.

Maybe Mrs. Tang had disciplined her servants before, but this time the housekeeper of the Tang residence didn't neglect after taking Tang Shen and the two inside.He led Tang Shen to the side hall, and ordered the servant girl to serve a pot of hot tea and two plates of snacks.After waiting for a while, Mrs. Tang arrived.

Tang Shen thought he would meet Tang Juren, but unexpectedly it was Madam Tang.Turning his mind, he thought it would be better this way.He stood up and said, "Auntie, I haven't seen you for a long time, and my nephew has come to bother me again. This is my nursing home, brother Yao San Yao. Brother Yao, this is my auntie, Mrs. Tang."

"Hi Ma'am." Yao San cupped his hands.

Mrs. Tang said: "Sit down." As soon as Mrs. Tang entered the room, she saw two small boxes Tang Shen was carrying. She glanced at these two boxes calmly, then looked away, and said to Tang Shen : "The last time we met was at Brocade Street. Now that I think about it, it seems like it's been a month, and you seem to have lost weight again."

Tang Shen said: "Yes, that was before the Double Ninth Festival."

Mrs. Tang thought that Tang Shen came to give the gift because he wanted to study in the Tang family's private school.She took the initiative to pass a step to Tang Shen: "Your two older brothers were talking about you a few days ago. They really wanted to see you, but they were afraid that being abrupt would offend you."

In his previous life, Tang Shen was a purebred man of science and engineering, and he was not born with the ability to engage in human relations.However, he has been a graduate student for three years and a doctoral student for three years.No matter how you don't understand it, you can still hone it in the university environment.She didn't dare to be tactful, but she understood Mrs. Tang's meaning.

Tang Shen smiled and said, "I also really want to see my two brothers."

Mrs. Tang was about to talk about letting Tang Shen study, only to hear Tang Shen say again: "Auntie, the reason you are bothering me today is because when my nephew first came to Gusu Mansion, the two boxes of things that my aunt gave me were rescued. I’ve always kept it in mind. It happened that I made something at home, so I wanted to send it to my aunt.”

"Oh, did you make something at home?"

Tang Shen said: "Yes, I did it myself."

Mrs. Tang: "Can you still cook?"

When she said this, Mrs. Tang didn't mean to be contemptuous.

There is a saying in the first chapter of "Mencius" "Liang Huiwang Chapters and Sentences": A gentleman stays away from the kitchen. A thousand years later, this sentence was misinterpreted by later generations as "a gentleman with high moral character will not enter the kitchen, let alone cook."In fact, the original text of this sentence is "A gentleman is like a beast. Seeing its life, he can't bear to see it die; hearing its sound, he can't bear to eat its meat. So a gentleman stays away from the kitchen."

For birds and beasts, the gentleman cannot bear to see them die alive; when he hears their voices, he cannot bear to eat their flesh.So the gentleman always stays away from the kitchen.

That is to say, a gentleman does not enter the kitchen, not because he thinks that cooking is an inferior thing, which a gentleman cannot do, but because he has kindness in his heart.

The ancients did not extend so much meaning to this sentence, but they did not value the so-called "a gentleman stays away from the kitchen".

What's more, everyone has to eat. Even the sage Confucius once said, "I don't know the taste of meat in three months", so "I don't want to take it as a pleasure."How could Mencius say that a gentleman cannot go to the kitchen?

Of course, Tang Shen explained: "It's not a dish."

Mrs. Tang asked, "What is that?"

"Auntie will know it at a glance."

The two chatted for a while, Tang Shen asked Yao San to give Mrs. Tang a box, and the two left Tang's mansion and went to Liang's mansion.

Yes, Tang Shen brought two boxes today, and each box contained a piece of soap and a piece of scented soap, which were to be given to Mrs. Tang and Liang Daru respectively.

After Tang Shen left, Mrs. Tang asked the housekeeper to deliver the box.

This box was not a valuable item, but the workmanship was very new and very careful. She knew that even if it was a box, Tang Shen chose it with care.

"My nephew, although he is small, looks handsome and simple, but he is not a simple person."

The housekeeper said: "Madam, what is this gift?"

Madam Tang opened the lid of the box, and saw a light yellow thing on the first layer of the box, which was smooth and greasy to the touch.She opened the second layer again, only to see an identical yellow object, which was also greasy to the touch, but with a sweet-scented sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance.

One thing Tang Shen didn't know was that an osmanthus tree was planted in front of Mrs. Tang's natal family's boudoir.Smelling this smell, Mrs. Tang was in a good mood, as if she had returned to her mother's house.

These two things are very strange. Mrs. Tang found a letter written by Tang Shen in the box.

Mrs. Tang said with a smile: "This handwriting is average, but it is not as smart as my nephew looks. He will fail in the county examination." How did she know that Tang Shen had never written a brush in his previous life? For the current writing skills, I would like to thank the original owner, who has written big characters for two years.

After opening the letter, Mrs. Tang read it. The more she read, the brighter her eyes became.

"Haitang, go to the kitchen and get a bowl of oil and a basin of water."

The maid nodded yes, and quickly took a bowl of rapeseed oil and a basin of water.Mrs. Tang said: "Try this oil." After she finished speaking, she felt that something was wrong, "Forget it, I will do it myself." After speaking, Mrs. Tang did it herself, and her hands were covered with oil.Then she rubbed the yellow soap and put her hands in the basin to wash her hands.

Mrs. Tang was surprised: "The effect is so good?"

Then she tried a second bar of "soap."

"A strange thing, this is really a strange thing!"

The butler asked curiously, "Ma'am, what is this?"

Mrs. Tang said: "You have a try too, use these two things to wash the rapeseed oil."

The butler did so, and after washing his hands, he also exclaimed repeatedly: "What is this? It's much easier to use than that soap!"

Mrs. Tang said: "My nephew wrote in the letter that the first thing with a strange smell is called soap, and the second one with the smell of osmanthus is called scented soap." As soon as the words fell, Mrs. Tang's nose moved, her eyes lit up, and Tang Shen put the letter in front of his nose and sniffed it.

When Mrs. Tang read the letter at first, she didn't notice the smell on the letter paper.When you are far away, you only feel a faint fragrance.But if you get closer, it's no longer a penny.The strong scent of sweet-scented osmanthus came to the nostrils, one after another poured into the nose.

Mrs. Tang was stunned for a moment, she read the letter carefully for a long time, and suddenly said in surprise: "Could it be that this fragrance can be dyed on any object at will?"