The Ming Dynasty started with caution

The techniques for mining salt in different parts of the Ming Dynasty were different.

There are two salt producing areas inland, one is the salt land in Ningxia and the other is Jiezhou in Shanxi.

There is a salt pond with extremely high salt content in Jiezhou. Shanxi merchants extracted it through layers of filtration. In coastal areas such as Shandong, salt was extracted through copying and drying.

It is said to be refined salt, but the extraction is not pure.

Comparing the weight, we can see that some salt weighs ten taels per liter, while some salt only weighs seven taels per liter.

There are historical records from the Ming Dynasty that people who eat too much salt will suffer from leukemia, perhaps because it is not purified enough.

Yan Chengjin told He Neng: "Get a copper basin, charcoal, fine cloth and a wooden barrel."

He Neng didn't know what the young master wanted to do, so he quickly went to find the things. Sister Chunxiao brought thin gauze.

Yan Chengjin poured a bag of salt into the barrel and dissolved it completely.

"Master... it's a waste!" He Neng shouted heartbrokenly.

Salt is already more expensive than rice, but when the city is closed due to heavy snowfall, salt becomes even more expensive.

"Take a knife and drill a small hole under the barrel, not too big." Of course, such a dangerous thing as taking a knife must be left to He Neng.

Why not just turn out the small hole and come back with the barrel?

But Yan Chengjin was still not satisfied, so he asked him to drill a few more barrels. Six of the eight barrels at home were drilled empty.

There were two more filled with salt water, so they were not drilled.

Yan Chengjin was not idle either. He ordered people to take the charcoal to the kitchen, pour it all into the pot, and boil it with water.

He wanted to make activated charcoal and asked the chef and He Neng to come over and take a look.

"This pot can't be used. Do you understand what I mean, right?"

He Neng nodded aggrievedly: "Buy a new one!"

He quickly ordered his servants to buy two new pots and came back.

After boiling, Yan Chengjin ordered people to pick up the charcoal. This step was somewhat dangerous, so he did not do it himself.

After washing the charcoal with clean water, place it on the pot cover and bake it dry.

After drying, change to a new pot, pour it into the pot again, continue to boil, then pick it up, and bake again.

Repeat this three times and use up three pots before picking up the dried activated carbon.

On the bottom of the barrel with small holes, lay five layers of gauze, pour in plant ash, and then lay five layers of gauze.

This is done in all three buckets to remove the magnesium chloride from the salt and remove the bitterness.

Finally, put five layers of gauze under the two wooden barrels with small holes, pour in activated carbon, and put another 50% gauze on top.

Do this for both barrels with holes.

Yan Chengjin poured the salt water into the wooden barrel and filtered it through gauze → plant ash → activated carbon → gauze.

Salt water drips out of the holes.

Finally, a bucket of clear salt water comes out.

When talking to the chef, cook it in a big pot and get a pot of snow-white salt powder.

Compared with the yellow salt just now, it has shrunk by nearly one-eighth.

"Do you see clearly? From now on, the salt for my young master must be refined like this."

How can one be stunned.

It took nearly two hours to get this bucket of salt. Yan Chengjin sat next to the stove, turning the roasted lamb slightly. Next to him was half a bucket of nearly snow-white salt powder.

"Go and call Wang Busui."

Xie Yu returned to Jiangnan for the New Year, and Yan Chengjin went to see Wang Busui.

After a while, Wang Busui came to Yan's house and brought a painting and calligraphy to Yan Chengjin as a new year's gift.

"Young Master is looking for a villain. What are your orders?"

"In the future, the chamber of commerce in Liangxiang will also sell salt." Yan Chengjin said.

Wang Busui's complexion turned green and white. There was a natural salt pond in Jiezhou, with a radius of more than 120 miles, and it was inexhaustible.

Shanxi merchants are almost the largest salt merchants in Northern Zhili. I don’t know where to find the salt in Liangxiang.

"Master, our good hometown has no salt ponds and no salt soil."

Liangxiang is far away from the sea. No matter where you go to get salt, you can't compete with Shanxi merchants. Their channels are all over the world, and they are even present in some horse and tea markets on the border.

“Let’s buy their salt and make refined salt.”

Yan Chengjin lifted the gauze, revealing a bucket of nearly snow-white salt. Wang Busui dipped his finger into a little bit, put it in his mouth, and stared wide-eyed. Is this...salt? Not even bitter!

"Master, how was this refined?" Wang Busui had never seen such fine salt.

"Let the trading houses in Liangxiang sell refined salt."

Shanxi merchants mostly sold coarse salt to the common people and fine salt to the gentry, but the market for refined salt was completely blank.

The cost of extracting refined salt was high and could only be sold to the gentry.

He Neng followed Yan Chengjin's example and demonstrated it again. Sure enough, what came out in the end was fine, almost snow-white salt powder.

During the Chinese New Year, Wang Busui rushed to Liangxiang, recruited some women, and started refining salt in the empty straw shed of the shipyard.

Members of the Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce were recruited to invest money in the salt business.

The gentry are not stupid. Can they sell salt better than Shanxi merchants?

Wang Busui simply took out the small jar of refined salt and said, "Try it."

"Isn't this... bitter?"

“It tastes really good!”

There is no such fine salt on the market at all. This is an artifact of the rise of the Chamber of Commerce!

"Dr. Wang, where did you come from?"

Wang Bu Sui smiled and said nothing.

Early the next morning, on the streets of Liangxiang, a shop selling miso was renamed Liangxiang Salt Book by Wang Busui.

It was time to give gifts during the New Year. Yan Chengjin didn't want to give too expensive gifts, so he ordered someone to refine another bucket of refined salt, put it in small jars, and sent it to Wang Yue, Dai Shan, Liu Jian and others.

Yan Chengjin ordered someone to pack a jar of refined salt and bring it to Li Dongyang's house.

The housekeeper of Li Mansion said politely: "Master Yan, please wait a moment. I went to Xie Mansion to play chess. I'm afraid I won't be able to come back until later."

"It doesn't matter, you can see the lady first."

Yan Chengjin came to the back hall of Li Mansion and waited for a while. Li Qing'e came out hand in hand with another pretty girl. Her face was slightly inferior to Li Qing'e's, but her figure was better.

Xie Xiangling met Yan Chengjin and smiled playfully at Li Qing'e: "Sister will meet her lover today, and sister will come back another day."

"Xiang Ling, don't talk nonsense..."

Yan Chengjin looked at the girl and smelled the gossip. This girl looked a bit like Xie Qian. Could she be Xie Qian's daughter?

Xie Qian has two daughters who, according to time calculation, are yet to be married off.

After Xie Xiangling left, Li Qing'e said softly: "Xiang Ling is Mr. Xie's daughter. She likes to come to the house to talk to me when there is nothing to do. She has a straightforward temper and no bad intentions."

"Miss, I'm too worried. I don't take it to heart. I brought you a special gift for the New Year." Yan Chengjin took out a rouge box from his sleeves and said, "The cold wind is biting. Apply this cream to your face and hands." , it won’t dry out.”

Li Qing'e took it and smelled it. There was a faint fragrance of plum blossoms, and she nodded and said, "Thank you, Master Yan."

At this time, outside the mansion, Li Dongyang walked back with his hands on his back. He defeated Xie Qian in two games and was in a good mood.

When I saw the broken sedan chair, I suddenly felt bad.

He Neng quickly stepped forward to say hello: "Master Li is back."

Li Dongyang knew that this was a servant of Yan's house, so he hummed slightly, walked into the house and saw his wife holding the rouge box, and said quietly: "Where is Yan Chengjin?"

"In the back hall with Qing'e." Mrs. Liu smiled: "What do you think of Uncle Anding's son?"

Li Dongyang ignored her and strode towards the back hall, but was pulled back by Mrs. Liu, who scolded her: "Which young master do you want to see Qing'e alone? She is obviously interested in Yan Chengjin."

"I'm just afraid that Qing'e is interested in him!"

Ms. Liu frowned and said, "I'm so thoughtful that I sent a jar of refined salt to my house."

Li Dongyang didn't take it seriously. Salt was not a valuable thing. "I bought you with a jar of salt?"

Mr. Liu complained: "I don't know how to make firewood, rice, oil and salt. I can't even buy such fine salt."

The servant brought the salt shaker from the kitchen and put the two salt shakers on the table together.

When Li Dongyang saw the salt shaker, he was a little shocked. Why is the salt so white?

After tasting the salt at home, it had a bitter taste. Then he tasted the new jar of salt. His eyes lit up and he ordered Yan Chengjin to come out.

“Where does the refined salt come from?”

"It's refined at home."

Yan Chengjin saw the jar of yellowed salt. The salt was not refined and had low toxicity. Li Dongyang's son might not even be able to feed him. This had something to do with it.