Chapter 94
Therefore, the prices are vastly different because they are completely different approaches.
In those days, people had not yet mastered the techniques of refining, crystallizing, filtering, and distilling.
Therefore, I believe that although coarse salt blocks and refined salt are both salt, they are worlds apart.
Just like jade and marble are both stones, but they are not comparable.
They didn't know that these coarse salt blocks could actually be processed into refined salt.
Seeing everyone shaking their heads in confusion, Sun Jian turned to ask his three wives.
"Qingcheng, Zijian, Wan'er, have you ever eaten fine salt?"
None of the three women answered, but they all nodded in unison.
have to!
I was asking a completely pointless question.
A royal princess, a general's daughter, and a young lady from Jiangnan—they must have all eaten it.
"My lord, you asked Old Cao to buy coarse salt blocks. What does that have to do with eating refined salt?" Gu Zijian asked, puzzled.
“Yes, my lord, if you want to eat food made with fine salt, Qingcheng can go and buy some, but we have just arrived in the capital, so it’s best not to be extravagant…”
Zhou Wan'er chimed in, "Yes, a thousand catties of coarse salt would take ten years to finish."
Sun Jian was both amused and exasperated.
But it's understandable.
He calmly replied, "What if I told you I could turn this coarse salt into fine salt?"
What?
What?
Oh my god!
He's not joking, is he?
Everyone was stunned, even Gu Zijian, Chu Qingcheng, and Zhou Wan'er were dumbfounded.
Turning coarse salt into fine salt is equivalent to turning marble into jade.
They all looked at Sun Jian with disbelief.
"What? You don't believe me again?"
Sun Jian shrugged helplessly.
"Husband, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just that it feels a bit unbelievable." Gu Zijian's mouth was slightly open, his face full of shock.
"Yes, Sun Jian, we just find it hard to accept right now..."
Old Cao swallowed hard, his expression blank.
If someone who can develop super potatoes, super fish catchers, or even hand grenades says they can turn coarse salt into fine salt, they will naturally believe it, but they will still be deeply impressed.
Sun Jian smiled. These people were now brothers who had risked their lives for him, so there was nothing he couldn't say.
"Haha, don't be surprised, I'm telling the truth."
"I can use technology to turn coarse salt blocks into refined salt. To be precise, it should be more refined than any refined salt currently on the market."
“I have seen refined salt today. Their particles are still relatively large and have not undergone technical processing. They still contain harmful components and are toxic with long-term use.”
Sun Jian is right. Even the refined salt on the market today is not purified; it is just ground. It still contains a toxic component called barium chloride. Long-term or excessive use can lead to facial paralysis, muscle spasms, and in severe cases, even respiratory paralysis.
"The refined salt I developed is completely non-toxic, harmless, and safe for consumption."
Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard this.
Old Jiang stammered, "Then... Sun Jian... how many kilograms of coarse salt blocks would it take to develop... develop one kilogram of the safe salt you mentioned?"
Sun Jian stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and said to Old Jiang, "I haven't tried it specifically, but I guess about 20 catties of edible salt can be extracted from 100 catties of coarse salt blocks?"
Everyone gasped in shock.
Oh my god!
One hundred pounds of coarse salt blocks can be refined into twenty pounds of fine salt?
This is absolutely incredible!
If this thing were actually made, wouldn't we be rolling in money?
The three women admired Sun Jian immensely. If it weren't for the group of men watching them, they would have rushed forward and pinned him to the ground for a good kiss.
Seeing everyone's reaction, Sun Jian was not surprised, and instead began to do the math.
"Look, a hundred catties of coarse salt blocks would cost about four or five hundred copper coins. Let's calculate it a bit more, adding in labor costs and all sorts of miscellaneous expenses, and say a thousand copper coins, which is one tael of silver."
"The cost of developing refined salt is equivalent to one tael of silver, which yielded twenty catties of refined salt."
“Right now, a pound of fine salt costs a little over one tael of silver. Our salt is finer, more flavorful, and tastes better than theirs, so we sell it for one pound of silver!”
No sooner had Sun Jian finished speaking than Zhou Wan'er, who was standing to the side, started counting on her fingers and chimed in, "This...this is equivalent to turning one tael of silver into twenty taels of silver, a twentyfold increase!"
"Oh my god!"
"And this is after doubling the cost..."
After Zhou Wan'er finished calculating, she covered her mouth and stared blankly at Sun Jian.
Everyone gasped again.
This is absolutely outrageous!
"My... my husband, how long will the research and development take?" Chu Qingcheng asked from the side.
Sun Jian replied directly: "It won't take long. Once you learn the technique, a few people working together can easily process a thousand catties of coarse salt blocks in a day."
Seriously...
The entire room fell silent.
If you can produce 200 catties of refined salt a day, that's equivalent to earning 200 taels of silver a day!
A farmer might not earn 100 taels of silver in his entire life, but they accomplished it in a single day…
That's outrageous!
A wonderful life was waving at them, damn it!
If that were the case, the fine salt produced each day would probably be snapped up immediately.
Let alone the seventy-nine prefectures, even all the merchants in the world would tremble and be shaken!
Sun Jian then explained his plan to everyone.
"I asked Lao Cao to take over a shop, just for the purpose of selling it."
"To ensure that the secrets are not leaked, the processing is done at our Sun residence. Every day, after processing, the goods are transported to the shops for sale."
"Including the wounded brothers, we have exactly thirty men. My plan is to initially divide them into groups of ten: one group will brew high-proof distilled liquor, another will purify fine salt, and the third group will be responsible for purchasing, selling, accounting, and transporting goods."
"The profit margin for highly distilled spirits is still unclear, but I estimate it's more profitable than refined salt?"
Damn it!
Everyone gasped again.
Earn more?
Wouldn't that mean this small workshop makes a net profit of four or five hundred taels a day?
"Old Cao, do you understand now?"
Old Cao nodded firmly.
Sun Jian said irritably, "Then you understand? Now get on with your business!"
"I'm still waiting for your salt to come back so I can teach everyone the techniques!"
"Hehe, I'm going right now, I'm going right now!"
Old Cao was as happy as a child at this moment. He had made the right choice in his life to follow Sun Jian!
Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, Sun Jian pretended to scold them: "Stop grinning like an idiot. Tidy up the house, put everything away, check it several times, and make room in the backyard to use as a workshop in the future."
Everyone responded in unison and began to pack up the things they had brought all the way from Sunjiazhuang.
"My lord, you are truly the most amazing person in the world... Trojan horse!"
Gu Zijian was so enamored with Sun Jian that she excitedly offered him a kiss.
Chu Qingcheng blushed and followed closely behind, giving him another kiss as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water.
Sun Jian was overjoyed and turned his gaze to Zhou Wan'er on the other side.
"Wan'er, it's your turn."
"What about me..."
Zhou Wan'er pretended not to understand, her little hands shyly clutching the hem of her clothes.
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