It was already mid-June, and Aunt Fan hadn't come back yet. If Aunt Fan's hometown was far away, Yang Haiyan might not have sent anyone there, but Aunt Fan's hometown was in the next county. After all, Aunt Fan had lived with them for two years, and she performed very well during her work, so Yang Haiyan still cared about her, so she sent Meng Ping to the neighboring county
to check on the situation. Meng Ping, who went to check on the situation, didn't come back so quickly. Manager Chi from the capital had already left, and Wei Ting and the people from the Ministry of Works moved into the Shoushan Taoist Temple. The Shoushan Taoist Temple was already very dilapidated, but it was not small, and the design inside was carefully thought out. When King Liang built the Taoist temple, he also spent a lot of time and effort, after all, this was where he was going to live.
The Shoushan Taoist Temple had been repaired, so Wei Ting moved there with the Ministry of Works because they were going to study gunpowder.
The entire Shoushan was sealed by Qin Fang, and all the thousand soldiers of the East Suburbs Military Camp moved there, not only a thousand soldiers, but also the county government officials. After all, the East Suburbs Military Camp is relatively large, and it is not enough to surround it with just a few hundred soldiers.
At the same time, Qin Fang was at the Shoushan Taoist Temple almost every day. In the private letter of the emperor, he was ordered to monitor the people of the Ministry of Works to prevent them from leaking the news of gunpowder.
Therefore, although Qin Fang was not busy at the Shoushan Taoist Temple every day, he had to patrol every day.
It was the Tielian people who moved out of the Shoushan Taoist Temple and moved to the General's Mansion. The general's mansion is so big that it is convenient to just clear out a yard and settle the iron chain people.
Because Chief Steward Chi left, Wei Ting also moved to the Beast Mountain Taoist Temple. As for the children at home, Qin Shoucheng went to the academy every day, Qin Siya and Meng Qiu went to learn needlework every day, and even if they wanted to embroider things, they would go to the master's teaching workshop, so Yang Haiyan was still very free for a while. She just embroidered things every day to improve her embroidery skills, and then made underwear and trousers for Qin Fang, especially close-fitting trousers, which Qin Fang wore the least. Ancient cloth was not as strong as modern cloth, so it was the easiest to tear.
But she did have something to do these two days. Sweet potatoes and potatoes had been purchased in large quantities. She called Lian Mama to join her, and the two began to think about potato flour and sweet potato flour in their own yard. Yang Haiyan has never made potato flour or sweet potato flour, but she still has some common sense.
Whether it is potato flour or sweet potato flour, the potatoes and sweet potatoes are cut into pieces, and then ground with a stone mill. The starch that flows out is potato starch and sweet potato flour. However, this light flour needs to be mixed with water and then the starch needs to settle.
This morning, Nanny Lian went to observe the potato starch and sweet potato starch that they secretly made. When she saw that a bucket of potato starch and a bucket of sweet potato starch really sank, Nanny Lian hurried to find Yang Haiyan: "Xiangjun, Xiangjun...success..."
Yang Haiyan was eating breakfast. When she heard Nanny Lian's words, she immediately put down her bowl and chopsticks and became quite interested: "Go and have a look."
The master and servant went to the room where the potato starch and sweet potato starch were stored, and saw that the potato starch and sweet potato starch had already sunk, with water on top. Yang Haiyan said: "Nanny Lian, let's pour out the water, and then take this outside to dry it. When it is half dry, pour it out. When it is completely dry, crush it, and it will be powder. I just don't know how it tastes." Of course she knew it tasted good, but could she say it?
After hearing this, Nanny Lian praised him, "My Lord, you are really smart. My Lord, how did you come up with the idea that potatoes and sweet potatoes can be made into flour?"
Yang Haiyan said, "It wasn't that I suddenly thought of it. I just thought that barley and corn can be ground into flour, and potatoes and sweet potatoes also taste like flour, so they should also be ground into flour. After we ground them into flour, I saw that it was sticky, so I remembered that saltpeter can be reused in making ice. The emperor sent a letter and rewarded us with 200 kilograms of saltpeter. Stone, and also told the general that saltpeter can be reused. As long as the water is boiled dry, the saltpeter dissolved in water will be boiled out. So I thought, if the powder and water are mixed together, can the powder and water be separated? So I thought of trying it this way. "
This credit cannot be said to be what you think. It happened that the emperor was grateful for Qin Fang's contribution, and he also knew that the imperial edict to confer the title of Qin's mother and Qin's grandmother was not equal to Qin Fang's contribution, so the emperor asked Chief Steward Chi to send a letter, in which he wrote that saltpeter can be reused.
Then, it is reasonable for her to attribute the inspiration of the production of potato flour and sweet potato flour to the emperor.
However, through this incident, Yang Haiyan once again realized the wisdom of the ancients. Gunpowder and saltpeter can be reused repeatedly. The ancients thought of it within a few days. No wonder the ancients wrote poems at the age of three. It is simply impossible in modern times.
Nanny Lian didn't know that saltpeter can be used to make ice repeatedly. When Yang Haiyan said it, and it was the emperor who said it, she immediately felt that the master's family was extraordinary. She thought that the general must be favored by the emperor, otherwise the emperor would not tell him about it.
The emperor only told Qin Fang about this matter. He really had no intention of telling others. Now the treasury of Qi State is a little short of money. The emperor plans to do business, that is, sell ice, so this matter will not be made public to others. Moreover, if it is made public that saltpeter can be used to make ice, the noble families and the people will look for saltpeter. Saltpeter is very important to the court, and the emperor does not want the noble families and the people to look for saltpeter.
However, if the emperor sells ice, the price will naturally be cheap, and it will be set at a price that ordinary people can afford. Anyway, saltpeter can be reused, and the emperor can make money even at the lowest price. If a country wants to develop, silver is indispensable. The emperor is not even thirty yet, so he is naturally ambitious.
The emperor can tell Qin Fang that, firstly, the saltpeter mine was discovered by Qin Fang, and secondly, saltpeter ice was discovered by Yang Haiyan. He is also worried that the Qin family will use saltpeter to make ice and then waste saltpeter, so he tells them that the best way to reuse saltpeter is to use it repeatedly. Two days
later, the potato flour and sweet potato flour were half dry, and Yang Haiyan asked Nanny Lian and Aunt Yu to pour out the potato flour and sweet potato flour from the wooden barrel and dry them outside. The weather in June was very hot, and the potato flour and sweet potato flour dried up within two days of exposure. It took about seven days to make the potato flour and sweet potato flour.
Seeing the white potato flour and sweet potato flour, Nanny Lian and Aunt Yu were very excited. After all, it was made by Nanny Lian herself, and Aunt Yu had been guarding the gate of the courtyard to prevent others from coming in.
Nanny Lian: "Xiangjun, this is really flour." With the arrival of the imperial edict to canonize Yang Haiyan, Nanny Lian led everyone to change their name from Madam Yang Haiyan to Xiangjun. However, in the eyes of those who don't know, they don't think that Xiangjun is her title, but think it is her name.
Yang Haiyan smiled and said, "Isn't it just flour? Crush the flour and we will make vermicelli today."
Nanny Lian said, "Then ask Kun Zhang to do it?"
Yang Haiyan said, "No need, we will do it in the small kitchen in the yard. I will tell you what you want and I will make it."
Nanny Lian said hurriedly, "No, no, no, let this old servant do it. The county lady is of noble status, how can you ask her to cook?"
Speaking of noble status, Yang Haiyan didn't think so, but being a third-rank county lady has a more realistic advantage. Her current salary is two hundred and eighty-five taels of silver per month, which is the salary of a third-rank official in Qi State. And because it is her own title, not an imperial decree from her husband, she does not have to take half of the official's salary. This is really good.
Yang Haiyan said, "I only make it once in a while, mainly because the potato flour and sweet potato flour are just right. I want to wait for the general to come back from get off work and make it for him myself, but I have never made this before, so I have to learn it first."
Speaking of this, Nanny Lian was really happy because the relationship between the master and his wife was good. Now that Xiangjun wanted to make this for the general, she naturally would not object: "Then the old slave will prepare the necessary things."
Yang Haiyan: "It's ready, Nanny and Yu Auntie, help me taste it. If it doesn't taste good, you have to tell me the truth."
Nanny Lian joked: "Xiangjun is the smartest person I have ever seen, he will definitely do it well."
Yang Haiyan: "You just flatter me as much as you can."
Nanny Lian smiled and went out to prepare things.
Yang Haiyan made a fried potato noodle and a sweet potato cold vermicelli. This was not the first time she made it in real life, so she was quite stable when she arrived in the kitchen. After it was done, she, Nanny Lian, and Aunt Yu all had a small bowl. Because there were two kinds of noodles, one small bowl for each, so two small bowls in total were enough.
Nanny Lian ate the fried potato noodles first. When Xiangjun was making it just now, she thought it was fragrant. Now that she had it in her mouth, it was really fragrant. Moreover, the taste of potato noodles and noodles is completely different. She took a bite of fried potato noodles and then a bite of sweet potato cold noodles, and couldn't help but say, "Xiangjun, your cooking skills are really great."
Even Aunt Yu, who always did things and didn't talk much, couldn't help but say, "Xiangjun's cooking is delicious."
Yang Haiyan still had some confidence in her cooking skills. After all, she had lived alone for more than ten years. If she didn't have basic cooking skills, how could she take care of herself? It's just that it can't compare with good chefs, but she was still happy to be praised by Nanny Lian and Aunt Yu.
Yang Haiyan said, "It's because she put a lot of ingredients, so the taste is good. When the general comes back in the evening, I will cook for her, so that the main kitchen doesn't have to prepare our meals at night."
Nanny Lian: "I'll go and tell her later."
Because the general's mansion has many courtyards, and the outer and inner courtyards are clearly divided, Qin Siya and Qin Shoucheng didn't eat with them anymore. Qin Shoucheng is already thirteen years old, and it's not good to always eat in his sister-in-law's courtyard. Qin Siya is also ten years old. Yang Haiyan assigned her a woman to look after the courtyard and a little girl to serve her, so on weekdays, the little girl would go to the main kitchen to get her meals.
Therefore, Yang Haiyan and Qin Fang had dinner together. Qin Fang came back at the usual time, entered the yard, and saw Aunt Yu guarding the gate. He asked, "What did Yanyan do today?" He was not asking questions, but wanted to understand his wife and care about her.
Aunt Yu's answers in the past were taking a walk, embroidering, etc., but today Aunt Yu was a little mysterious: "You can't tell the general what the lady did today. The general will know later." Even the matter of making potato flour and sweet potato flour was kept secret by Yang Haiyan from Qin Fang, wanting to give him a surprise.
This aroused Qin Fang's curiosity. You know, Aunt Yu is a very serious person. She usually speaks less than ten sentences, and she only speaks when it is necessary. Words like this are really surprising. Qin Fang wondered what Yan Yan had done today to make Aunt Yu say that.
Since Qin Fang was curious, he did not ask Aunt Yu and went in to look for Yang Haiyan, but he did not find her in the yard. There were no other servants in Yang Haiyan's yard, only Aunt Lian and Aunt Yu. Aunt Yu was in charge of hygiene, and Aunt Lian was in charge of the rest. There was not much work, so she did not buy servants. Moreover, she did not like too many people walking around in her private space.
After not finding Yang Haiyan, Qin Fang went to look for Aunt Yu: "Aunt Yu, where is Yanyan?"
Aunt Yu said: "Xiangjun is in the small kitchen."
Even if there is a small kitchen in the yard, it is relatively corner, so that some smells will not spread everywhere, so Qin Fang looked for Yang Haiyan in the right place but did not find her, and did not think that she was in the small kitchen.
Hearing Aunt Yu say that Yang Haiyan was in the small kitchen, Qin Fang thought that she might be cooking something, after all, his wife would occasionally make snacks. However, Aunt Yu said that his wife would give him a surprise, and Qin Fang immediately understood that it turned out that his wife would cook for him herself.
This was not a surprise, but Qin Fang was still very happy that she could cook for herself.
Qin Fang came to the kitchen and saw Yang Haiyan busy inside, with Nanny Lian helping her. Qin Fang walked in lightly, probably because Yang Haiyan and Nanny Lian were too absorbed in their work and didn't notice Qin Fang coming in. Nanny Lian was about to check the fire and turned around to see Qin Fang. She hurriedly said, "Meet the general."
Yang Haiyan turned around and saw Qin Fang and smiled, "You're back?" It was different from the feeling he had when she called him husband tenderly before. Now, even with just four simple words, he could feel her tenderness.
Qin Fang couldn't help but smile: "Well, you're back, what are you doing?"
Yang Haiyan said: "Making noodles, noodles with different flavors made of two kinds of flour. I thought you have a big appetite and you can eat two plates."
Qin Fang hurriedly said: "Indeed, you can eat it. You really surprise me." Aunt Yu said that she wanted to give her a surprise, so she should be happy when she said that. Qin Fang thought very cooperatively. Yang
Haiyan smiled again after hearing this: "Then you go to the hall and wait. I'll bring it over when you're ready."
Qin Fang said: "No, is there anything I can help you with here?" They usually get along only at night. Because of the sulfur mine and saltpeter mine, even if he has a day off every month, he is at the Taoist temple in Shoushan. He was also happy to be alone for a while.
Yang Haiyan said, "I'll be there soon. Nanny Lian will help me. I don't need you."
Qin Fang looked at Nanny Lian.
Nanny Lian hurriedly said, "My lord, my stomach is a little uncomfortable. I want to go to the bathroom."
Qin Fang gave Nanny Lian an admiring look and said, "Go ahead. Take your time. Don't be anxious. I'm here."
Nanny Lian bowed to Qin Fang and left without waiting for Yang Haiyan to speak.
Yang Haiyan was really at a loss for words: "What's so good about staying in this kitchen? You've been busy all day, why don't you take a rest? We'll have dinner soon."
Qin Fang: "With you, it doesn't matter where we are."
Yang Haiyan's lips curled up unconsciously: "You are so good at talking, I should eat more today."
Qin Fang couldn't help laughing, and he was happy to see her happy.
Nanny Lian didn't go anywhere, she was just outside. The male host wanted to be alone with the female host, so she naturally left with good sense. When Yang Haiyan's noodles were ready, Nanny Lian went in to help.
There were only Qin Fang and Yang Haiyan in the dining hall, and they didn't need to be served when they ate, they just ate by themselves. In addition to fried potato noodles and sweet potato cold noodles, there are several side dishes. The noodles and dishes are fragrant and make people's appetites open.
Qin Fang is absolutely focused when eating, and when you see him eating, your appetite will be particularly good, because he eats in big mouthfuls and eats a lot. When they were at the border before, they had a lot of training and they did eat a lot, but now, he still eats a lot, and climbing up and down the mountains every day is also a lot of exercise.
After eating a few bites, Qin Fang found something peculiar: "This noodle is different from the noodles I usually eat."
Yang Haiyan thought to herself, this is the point. "Is this noodle delicious?"
Even if Qin Fang has no requirements for food, he has eaten a lot of delicious food in the past two years, and his mouth is a bit picky. But no matter whether it is delicious or not, as long as it can fill his stomach, he will eat it. "Delicious, a little chewy, more..."
Yang Haiyan continued his words: "More chewy, right?"
Qin Fang blinked his eyes and didn't understand. But even if he didn't understand, it didn't affect his speed in eating.
Yang Haiyan explained: "It means a little elastic." Qin Fang
nodded: "Yes, yes, it's delicious, wife, the food you make is better than the chef's." And then there was nothing else.
Yang Haiyan knew that he didn't understand the ingredients, so she asked him: "What do you think of the flour used to make this noodle? This is not made of the old flour, but the new flour that Aunt Lian and I have researched."
Qin Fang paused. He always only cared about eating and didn't ask about the ingredients of the food. Anyway, he wouldn't understand it even if he was told. However, when he heard his wife say that this was the new flour she had researched, he was stunned. "Is this made of new flour?" Then, he thought of Aunt Yu's words. It turned out that Aunt Yu was talking about this surprise. "Wife, can you also research flour? Isn't flour directly ground from corn kernels and barley?"
Yang Haiyan said: "The flour we ate before was ground from barley and corn kernels, but the noodles you eat now are made from potatoes and sweet potatoes."
Potatoes and sweet potatoes can be used to make flour? Qin Fang couldn't help but think: "Can potatoes and sweet potatoes be made into flour? I see you haven't done anything these days, so it shouldn't be difficult to make flour from potatoes and sweet potatoes?" At this point, Qin Fang remembered something, "Yunxiang County has a lot of land and a small population, so there is too much food to eat. In this way, if there is more land to plant potatoes and sweet potatoes, then the potatoes and sweet potatoes can be made into flour and sold elsewhere. Isn't the problem of excess food in Yunxiang County solved?"
Among the food, sweet potatoes and potatoes are cheap and are eaten by the people. Therefore, the people of Yunxiang County will not sell them, because the round-trip cost is expensive, and they are heavy, and they don't know if they can be sold. Therefore, many people have more and more dried sweet potatoes at home, which is the reason. But now, if potatoes and sweet potatoes could be made into flour, it would be different. Both ordinary people and wealthy families would buy flour, and it would be expensive, more expensive than rice. Moreover, flour was lighter than potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Yang Haiyan didn't expect Qin Fang to think of this right away: "It can indeed be solved. I originally thought that since potatoes and sweet potatoes can really be made into flour, then we can buy potatoes and sweet potatoes ourselves and make flour to sell. But now think about it, this is not appropriate. The country is so big, if we are the only ones who can do it, the quantity we can sell is limited, and the space is also limited. If it can be promoted nationwide, it would be even better. So, I thought of someone."
Qin Fang understood: "Lord Du?"
Yang Haiyan said: "No, if the matter of potatoes and sweet potatoes being able to be made into flour is promoted to the whole country, it may not be a good thing for Lord Du. I thought of someone who is more powerful."
Qin Fang was startled: "You are not talking about the emperor, are you?" Qin Fang thought it was too incredible. His wife was too bold, right? She actually set her sights on the emperor.
Yang Haiyan knew the script. Putting aside the matter of establishing a crown prince, the current emperor is a good emperor for the country and the people. Moreover, if she mentioned the emperor, she intended to have a patent on potato flour and sweet potato flour like in modern times. In other words, people in other places are prohibited from making potato flour and sweet potato flour, whether they are ordinary people, businessmen, or powerful people.
Potato flour and sweet potato flour are easy to make. If others imitate them, how can they make money? Therefore, her idea is to make potato flour in each state, like Renzhou here, which is in charge of them, and they purchase potatoes and sweet potatoes from the people. In this way, the people can make money, and they can also make money. For example, in Yongzhou, you can choose Yonghe Houfu. For example, in other states, choose a family with excellent character.
However, no matter whether it is the Yonghe Marquisate or the noble families in other states, they all entered by franchising. To put it bluntly, let them pay the franchise fee, and then allow them to make potato flour and sweet potato flour. But she is not capable of doing this, and it seems that she cannot control other people to make potato flour and sweet potato flour, but the emperor can.
The emperor issued a royal decree to attract investment, and the franchise fee was paid to the national treasury. Each state only allowed one potato flour merchant and sweet potato merchant. In this way, who dares to disobey the emperor?
Yang Haiyan smiled: "Yes, the emperor told us that saltpeter can be reused, and we have to report something back to the emperor."
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