Chapter 58 Set a small goal first
Chu pursed his cracked lips, clenched his fists, and whispered, "But I don't really know how to do business."
"Aren't you doing great now?"
If Chu were to run a small business on his own, or operate it as a family workshop, Zhao Yuanxi wouldn't think he could achieve much.
But Chu is doing this with the villagers, and it would be difficult to do it without some skills. He has some entrepreneurial ability, and it is not an exaggeration to even call him talented.
Zhao Yuanxi said, "Don't be nervous. You can set a small goal for yourself first and take over the nearest Yongcheng."
Chu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Mrs. Zhao was overthinking it. Although he was indeed tempted, he knew his own limitations better.
He was afraid of disappointing his fellow villagers, afraid of bringing trouble to his family, and worried about making Mrs. Zhao disappointed in him.
It’s just Yongcheng, but he has some confidence about it.
"Father, are you thirsty? I picked some mulberry trees on the way. Would you like to have one?" Lian climbed down from the cow's back and noticed his father's chapped lips. He held up a skinny emerald green "bamboo pole" and handed it to Chu.
Chu licked his lips and swallowed, only then realizing that his throat was indeed a little dry, but it would be too rude for him to eat here.
"Father is not thirsty." Chu did not answer.
Zhao Yuanxi became interested and said to the little guy with a smile, "Can I have one?"
Lian knew this lady. His father and mother both liked her very much and always praised her in front of him.
He blinked his eyes, his face slightly red as he picked up the largest and thickest mulberry from the cow's back and gave it to Zhao Yuanxi.
Chu explained, "These are all grown in the fields. They taste sweet when chewed. Usually, we farmers pick some of them to quench our thirst."
Isn’t this sugarcane?
Zhao Yuanxi broke off a small half of it, not caring about the white powder covering it. He wiped it casually and stuffed it into his mouth.
There were no pesticides in ancient times, it was so dirty, so dirty!
She took a bite and it was a little hard, but not too sweet!
The sugarcane at that time was called Zhe, which originated from the Chu State and Baiyue region. It had a low juice yield and was far less sweet than modern sugarcane. As for the technology for making cane sugar, it did not appear until hundreds of years later.
The sugars used in Qin State now were honey and malt sugar made from grains, which were things that ordinary people could not afford. Instead, the mulberry trees grown in the fields became the cheapest sweetness that ordinary people could get.
"You can try it too!" Zhao Yuanxi gave the remaining half to the guards behind him.
A few people hid under a tree to rest, chewing sugarcane and chatting.
Zhao Yuanxi's cheeks felt sore from chewing. This sugarcane can be used to make candy, but it is indeed a bit hard on the teeth if eaten directly.
Before leaving, she specially asked someone to collect some sugarcane and take it back, preparing to study how to make sugar.
The first step in making sugar is to squeeze the sugarcane into juice. Using a stone mill is obviously not enough, so it can only be crushed with a stone mortar or a wooden mallet.
Zhao Yuanxi didn't have enough strength, so he could only order Zhang Han to do this job.
Only then did she remember the powerful pill that the system promised to give her. If she could get it now, it would save her a lot of trouble.
Soon, she collected a large bucket of filtered sugarcane juice. Ziying, who was standing by, looked at the turbid juice with some disdain, "Grandmother, is this really drinkable?"
"You can try it."
Zhao Yuanxi scooped him a small spoonful of light green liquid with bubbles, and made Ziying swallow his saliva.
Everything his grandmother made before was always delicious, but what she made today really scared him.
The little guy closed his eyes, pinched his nose and poured the sugarcane juice into his mouth.
Sweet!
He licked the corner of his mouth, his eyes shining. He didn't mind the ugly taste of the juice. He held the ladle and gulped it down. "It tastes good!"
Zhao Yuanxi also filled a small bowl for Fusu.
The two little guys rarely get to drink something so sweet, and their faces are filled with satisfaction, and they are so happy that they seem to be bubbling.
Zhao Yuanxi smiled and continued her sugar-making experiment.
She poured the sugar water into a large pot and simmered it over low heat, stirring it constantly with a wooden stick. As the water evaporated, a rich sweet aroma wafted out, and the sugar in the pot became thicker and thicker.
Finally, the residual heat from the bottom of the pot is used to boil away the moisture in the sugar, and after cooling, it becomes crude brown sugar.
Compared with brown sugar and malt sugar, the taste is much richer. In addition to the sweetness, it also has a light burnt aroma.
Fusu and Ziying, who had been waiting for a long time, were almost falling asleep until a piece of candy was stuffed into their mouths, and they woke up.
"Two greedy cats, how does it taste?"
"tasty!"
"tasty."
The two said in unison.
After verifying that the method was feasible, Zhao Yuanxi had an idea in mind.
Sugar making is a big business, but the sugar content of sugarcane in Qin State is too low, so she has no plans to develop her own sugar making business here.
Zhao Yuanxi chose the State of Chu as his target. The climate in Chu was humid and the average annual temperature was relatively high. It was the origin of sugarcane, and the sugarcane there was definitely more suitable for sugar production.
Although the Chu State was plagued by internal strife, the lives of ordinary people were not greatly affected.
She could take this opportunity to buy land in Chu and plant a sugarcane forest, then she would have an endless supply of sugar.
Alas, if Ying Zheng could have conquered the State of Chu earlier, she might not have had so much trouble.
And the land of Qi State——
Zhao Yuanxi looked at it with envy.
What a great place to grow crops!
A month later.
The corn in the fields is finally ready to be harvested.
Zhao Yuanxi asked for leave for the two little ones today, and planned to take them to pick corn and experience the joy of the harvest.
The two little guys wore special small hats, coarse cloth clothes, and two long gloves on their arms, protecting themselves tightly.
Fusu pulled here and there, feeling a little uncomfortable. He tried to hide his little hands in his sleeves, not knowing what to do.
Seeing his embarrassment, Zhao Yuanxi couldn't help but laugh. "This is what clothes are for work. You'll get used to it. Everyone wears this way."
Fusu turned his head and stared at Ziying, who was dressed in the same strange way, and smiled secretly.
When they arrived at the place, they opened the curtain of the carriage and looked at the large cornfield in front of them, their eyes full of admiration.
Even Jang Geum, who had always been calm, couldn't help but be surprised when she saw the huge corn fruits.
Is this the corn that the Queen Mother was talking about?
Zhao Yuanxi came out first. Looking at the corn cobs in front of him, the smile on his face grew brighter and brighter. He felt that victory was in sight.
Chu was already waiting here. Seeing Zhao Yuanxi come out, he said excitedly, "Madam Zhao, you are really amazing!"
Unlike others, Chu watched the corn grow little by little with his own eyes.
I thought it was amazing if it was as big as a fist, but now the corn is half as long as his arm. How much food is that!
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