Since everyone trusted him and entrusted Shuofang County to him, Qin Mu did not intend to disappoint him! After the New Year, as the relocated people arrived one after another, the salt lake officially entered the development process.
Winter lingers, spring has not yet arrived, and nestled amidst the snow lies a lake; sparse, withered yellow grasses grow along its edge. Not far from the shore, firelight flickers, and a group of people are busily at work. Further away, an arrow tower stands, and near it, a wall is under construction.
This is the Salt Lake Town, where a thousand relocated households live. It will one day become a massive salt production base. Those thousand wounded soldiers are its guards, protecting it from any future malicious individuals.
Along the salt lake, there are many snow-like deposits clinging to the soil, which animals often come to lick. Now, people are collecting these deposits, along with some soil, and pouring them into a large wooden bucket filled with water.
Beside them was a bucket of very murky, viscous water. Several people lifted the bucket and poured it diagonally into a long wooden trough. Inside the trough were bundles of straw, and the water flowed down through the straw. At the bottom of the trough was a cloth; and beneath the cloth was another large wooden bucket.
After the wooden bucket was filled with water, it was moved aside and poured into a large iron pot. The iron pot, as big as a round table for ten people, had coal burning underneath it and emitted a slightly foul smell.
Everyone wore a scarf over their face. At first, it was thought to be for warmth, but Qin Mu insisted that they wear it even in summer. Qin Mu didn't know if there were any poisonous fumes during the salt-making process, but coal was indeed toxic, so wearing a scarf as a mask was better than nothing.
These jobs are busy, but not strenuous, so women can do them all, including some older women who are doing what they can.
The people of Yanzhen all moved here as a family, so there are quite a few children, more than two hundred of whom are under the age of twelve. Now that they have settled here, there are men in every family, so the population will probably be even larger in a couple of years.
Qin Mu promised to build a private school for them here so that all the children could read and write. This made everyone extremely grateful, and many of their last doubts were dispelled.
However, one thing still made them uneasy: the area around the salt lake didn't seem suitable for farming, and the government hadn't offered them any land. As traditional commoners, they felt insecure without land; if it weren't for family members working there, they probably would have made a scene.
"This...this..." The onlookers pointed at the large iron pot in astonishment, speechless.
The water in the iron pot was rapidly decreasing, and rings of white substance were appearing on its surface, increasing in number. They never imagined that the filtered water could actually be used to cook something.
Ignoring the still-boiling water, Feng Duan reached into the pot, dipped his finger into the water, looked at the snow-white, delicate substance on his finger, then put it in his mouth and sucked hard.
Feng Duan smacked his lips, savoring the taste for a moment. His eyes lit up, and he said with delight, "It really is salt! It's even better than the finest green salt; it doesn't have a bitter taste at all!"
"What!"
"It's true!"
"Of course it's true! It's rare that you can't see it!"
The onlookers excitedly discussed the scene before them, realizing that there was hope for the future. Especially the wounded and disabled soldiers, who were reminded once again of the saying, "Only our own people can be trusted!"
Given Qin Mu's generosity, he wouldn't mistreat his disabled relatives. After all, Qin Mu had better options; ordinary people or able-bodied soldiers would likely not refuse his orders, given his high prestige in Shuofang.
“Make more wooden buckets. Let the remaining water sit for half a day. Only use the bottom 30% of the water, and use the top water to wash away the salt soil. This process can be repeated twice. For example, after the water has sat for half a day, keep 30% of the water, then pour it into one bucket from three buckets and let it sit again. The resulting brine will be more concentrated, and it will also save time on boiling.” Qin Mu offered this new suggestion while keeping watch.
He only had a rudimentary understanding of salt production, so he could only learn as he went along. Several respected individuals nearby diligently memorized Qin Mu's words.
"If you find any good methods, you can try them. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. I haven't set a daily production quota, especially in winter when it's cold. Don't let anyone get frostbite. Keep an eye on the children too, and make sure they don't fall into the lake! People going to the lake should go in pairs to avoid getting stuck in the mud," Qin Mu patiently instructed. These are basic common sense facts, although most people know them, but usually no one pays attention to them. By the time something goes wrong, it's too late.
“We have limited tools and manpower. When we have some free time, we’ll dig a ditch by the lake to bring the water over. This will make it easier to use, and we can also build a few salt fields nearby,” Qin Mu continued.
"What is a salt field?" Feng Duan asked, puzzled.
"This salt is boiled from the lake water. We can pour the lake water into the ground in advance, and when the water dries up, those things on the ground will be there. This way, the collection speed will be much faster! The crystals you see on the shore are what was left behind when the lake water level dropped in winter," Qin Mu explained, pointing into the distance.
"Pouring water into the ground will just let the salt seep into the soil. Isn't that such a waste?" Wang Erhu asked, scratching his head. This guy used to be a lieutenant general, the highest-ranking among those who stayed behind to relocate. During the grassland war, he lost an arm and went blind in one eye, but luckily survived. He is currently the town's commander.
"You're good at using your brain! That's excellent. Just as you said, water seeping into the ground will bring some salt with it, but what does it matter? That water will still flow into the lake. If we turn the land into fields, the water won't seep in so easily," Qin Mu said with a smile.
Wang Erhu did not disobey Qin Mu just because he was young. He respected Qin Mu very much. After listening, he slapped his forehead and said, "Oh! Yes! It can be like this. No wonder you called it a salt field, Prefect."
“That’s right. Salt fields are used to produce brine year-round, and the mud can be dug up and filtered every year. This is much better than simply boiling lake water. The crystals on the shore will eventually be collected, so we need to prepare in advance. I’m not sure how to do it, but you can try it out slowly.” Qin Mu nodded and said.
"Yes, yes! So, can we also dig out and filter the mud on the shore?" Wang Erhu nodded repeatedly and asked.
"Of course! The reason I haven't let you dig is because there are ready-made salt crystals." Qin Mu said, giving Wang Erhu an approving look.
"I understand! In other words, we need to find a way to make the salt in the lake water as concentrated and abundant as possible! That way, each pot of salt will yield more salt." Wang Erhu said, his one eye gleaming.
"Yes! As you all saw, making salt is actually that simple, so you must make sure to tell everyone that if outsiders ask, you can't say a word, and at the same time, you can't let outsiders step into this place!" Qin Mu instructed.
"Rest assured, Prefect, I will teach everyone properly and will not divulge a single word! As for those who try to break in, I can kill them with one hand," Wang Erhu said menacingly.
"Don't be too nervous, just do your best! This is our territory after all, and all future transactions will take place in Shuofang City. Outsiders won't know where the salt comes from. As for manpower, this is all we have for now. We'll relocate the families of any injured brothers later," Qin Mu said, gently patting Wang Erhu's shoulder.
"Understood, sir." Wang Erhu nodded again.
This was Qin Mu's second visit to the salt lake. Although he had commissioned its construction, there were still many shortcomings. After looking around, he made many new plans.
70
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