Chapter 111 Saltpeter

Zhu Tao sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her clothes in a daze, thinking about her days at Old Zhu's house.

Wen Zhenyi came today and saw her in a daze: "Xiao Taozi, have you packed your things?"

Zhu Tao came back to his senses and looked at her: "Okay, I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Come back after you've dealt with the matter. There's no rush."

Old Man Wen also wanted to go back to help. Although he didn't like the Zhu family, he felt sorry to see them in this state. "Yi Yi, put the mop in the warehouse. When the guests come, give it to them."

"Okay, Grandpa, otherwise Dad and Mom will go back to help."

"We've all gone back, how can you handle the store alone?"

"It's okay, I'll just make some simple food."

"Let's not do that. We're not the only ones in the village going to help. Everyone is going, so you don't have to worry."

Wen Chengwen and Ma Yinghe bought a lot of vegetables and meat and put them on the ox cart: "Dad, we have to prepare food for the funeral. Take these back with you."

"good."

Ma Yinghe pulled Zhu Tao over and took out three taels of silver from her bosom and handed it to her: "Xiao Taozi, take this money. Go buy some thin coffins and some gold ingot candles later."

Zhu Tao quickly declined: "Aunt Wen, I can't take your money anymore."

"You kid, just take it if I tell you to. Just think of it as a loan from your aunt. Remember to pay it back when you have money in the future."

Zhu Tao looked at the silver in her palm, feeling mixed emotions: "Okay, I will definitely pay it back."

"Go quickly, it's so hot."

Old Man Wen took Zhu Tao out of the shop.

Ma Yinghe looked at the two people leaving and sighed: "Do you think Xiao Taozi has a good fate or a bad fate?"

Wen Chengwen didn't know what to say: "It will be difficult for this child to find a marriage in the future."

Wen Zhenyi turned to look at the two of them: "Why?"

"Little Taozi is considered to be a family without a family. If she were an ordinary family, they would probably look down on her for her tough life."

Wen Zhenyi frowned: "What does this have to do with her."

Ma Yinghe touched Wen Zhenyi's head and said, "Yiyi, some things cannot be determined by our words."

Wen Zhenyi didn't say anything else. Some things are deeply rooted and cannot be changed or overturned just by saying so.

"Don't think about it. Let's go clean a few tables so that more guests can have a place to sit tomorrow." Wen Chengwen shook his head and went to the hall.

Wen Zhenyi and his team rearranged the tables in the hall so that they would not block the way and still provide comfortable seating.

She counted and found that all eight tables were now neatly arranged, and the hall seemed quite spacious. "Dad, why don't we go buy two more tables and chairs instead of asking the villagers to make them. They should have two ready-made ones for sale."

"Okay, I'll go out and take a look later. The plaque should be ready by now. I didn't go to check it out because it was raining."

Ma Yinghe also gave the remaining two taels of silver to Wen Chengwen: "Buy it if you find something suitable."

Wen Chengwen took the silver and went out.

Wen Zhenyi looked at Ma Yinghe and said, "Mom, are we completely out of money?"

"It's not that I don't have money, but you haven't bought the ingredients for tomorrow, have you?"

Wen Zhenyi then remembered something even more serious: they would have nothing to sell tomorrow. This was really a headache.

I have to find a way to make some money, otherwise I won’t be able to open the store in the next few days.

"Aunt Wen, the younger sister of the Wen family."

Wen Zhenyi and Ma Yinghe looked towards the backyard: "Why are you here?"

There was another person following behind Shen Hanxing, holding a bag in his hand: "I'm here to bring you something."

Wen Zhenyi looked at the bag in the man's hand behind him: "Saltpeter."

Shen Hanxing smiled and nodded: "We should have arrived a long time ago, but the rain delayed us a little."

Wen Zhenyi was so happy that she almost gave him a hug, but when she realized something was wrong, she quickly withdrew her hand: "Brother Shen, you have helped me a lot."

Shen Hanxing was stunned by her actions, then laughed: "Are you in a hurry?"

"I wasn't anxious before, but now I'm really anxious."

Shen Hanxing nodded to the man behind him: "Please put it under the eaves."

"Yes." After putting down his things, the man bowed and left the yard.

Wen Zhenyi looked at the person leaving curiously: "Who is he?"

"He's the one who's responsible for delivering the saltpeter this time. He's the servant of a former classmate of mine."

"Brother Shen's classmate's family runs a fireworks business?"

"How do you know?"

"I smell sulfur on him."

"You have a really good nose."

Wen Zhenyi brought out two wooden basins, one large and one small, from the kitchen, then poured saltpeter into the large basin and added well water.

Pour well water into the small basin, and then place the small basin into the large basin.

Chen Hanxing and Ma Yinghe watched her strange actions and didn't understand them for a moment.

Ma Yinghe looked at the two basins of water and asked, "Yiyi, what are you doing?"

"Mom, you'll understand if you sit here for a while." As she said that, she went back to the room and took out the medicinal herbs she had bought earlier.

It just so happens that she can sell herbal tea now, so there should be still time.

She mixed flour and water into a batter, wrapped the tsaoko in the batter, and baked it over a low flame until the batter was charred. She then peeled the tsaoko and used only the tsaoko fruit.

Soak the white lentils in boiling water for half a cup of tea, then remove them from the boiling water and put them in cold water, then rub off the skin.

Chop the dried black plum meat into pieces and smash the Amomum villosum.

There are also rock sugar, roasted licorice, etc.

Wen Zhenyi put all the ingredients into the pot, brought to a boil, then simmered over low heat for a quarter of an hour.

"Yi Yi, come here." Ma Yinghe's surprised voice came from outside the kitchen.

Wen Zhenyi knew what was going on without having to guess. She came out of the kitchen and saw that the water in the small basin had quickly frozen. She could feel the cool air even when she stood next to it.

Shen Hanxing looked at the ice in the basin in disbelief, stretched out his fingers and touched it gently with his hand, feeling the biting cold: “This is really ice.”

Wen Zhenyi saw that the two of them had widened their eyes and were staring at the two basins on the ground. "This is ice. Saltpeter can absorb heat, so it's very suitable for making ice cubes."

Ma Yinghe looked at the small basin and said, "Yiyi, is this the method you mentioned for making ice?"

Wen Zhenyi smiled and nodded: "Yes, this method is very low cost, and ordinary people can afford it."

“It’s amazing.”

"Mom, come and help us, we can sell herbal tea this afternoon."

"Okay, okay, I'll come."

Shen Hanxing also came back to her senses from her shock: "Sister Wen, can this recipe be used by other people?"

"Of course, please tell the mayor and the county magistrate so that more people can feel the coolness in the summer."

"Okay, do you need my help?"

"No, you can go about your business."

"I need to take some saltpeter with me."