When he got home, He Zhiyuan found the housekeeper Ji Tao and asked him to go to Zhu Chen's shop to buy a few catties of saltpeter. Steward Ji didn't ask what the use of buying saltpeter was, so he went directly.

Ji Tao is the housekeeper hired after moving to the new house, he is thirty-five or sixteen years old, and he has attended a private school for a few years before. Later, due to changes in the family, he could not continue to go to school, so he went to a large family to become a servant, because of his literacy, honesty, never said much, so He Shaoyun invited him to be a housekeeper.

Next, He Zhiyuan returned to his study, and Yueji was fanning on the side. He began to plan the town of the future. Only by planning well can you talk to Liang Wensheng about the specific operation method.

In less than an hour, Steward Ji bought saltpeter. He Zhiyuan put down the pen in his hand and instructed Yueji: "Yueji, go and get two large and small basins." ”

After Yueji brought two pots, he asked He Zhiyuan: "Young master, what do you want pots for?" ”

"I'm going to make ice cubes today."

"Ice cubes? This ice is only available in winter, how do you make ice cubes on such a hot day? Yueji didn't believe he could make ice.

"You go and bring me half a bucket of well water, and I'll be able to conjure up ice cubes in no time." He Zhiyuan said mysteriously.

After a while, Yueji brought half a bucket of cold well water, He Zhiyuan put the small basin in the big basin, and scooped half a basin of water into both basins. Then put the saltpeter I bought and put half a catty. Then he used a wooden lid to cover the mouth of the basin, and in order to prevent the heat from the outside from entering the basin, he asked Yueji to find a quilt to cover it. Then he said to Yueji: "Wait for half an hour for the water in these two basins to freeze, don't touch it now." ”

At this time, it happened to be lunch time, and after sorting out the things here, He Zhiyuan went to eat.

During the break after dinner, his father said to He Zhiyuan: "In the morning, Mr. Wang told me that the new school hall is ready, and it will start after the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, now that the village has a large population, there are twice as many children enrolled in school as we expected, estimated at four or five hundred students. ”

"At that time, I was fortunate to listen to my suggestion and build a big venue, otherwise I would not have been able to accept so many students." He Zhiyuan said.

"Yes, at the beginning of this year, your mother and I couldn't imagine that we could live such a good life." He Shaoyun said to his son.

Chen took over at this time and said, "You are living a good life, give the key to your son, but you don't care about anything, you don't have to worry about anything." But our son is so busy every day that his feet don't touch the ground, and he will have autumn next year! If you want me to say, you still have to worry more about the affairs of this village school. ”

He Shaoyun was not happy to hear Chen say this: "Why don't I care about anything?" Isn't it all about me worrying about the grain requisition? Our son is a person who does big things, such as collecting taxes and grains, building a school hall, and other small things, where does my son worry about it? You think about your daughter-in-law all day long. Yesterday, you asked Mrs. Wang to tell me how about matchmaking? Why is there no follow-up? ”

"Mrs. Wang told me yesterday that Mrs. Zhou was very happy when she heard that her uncle was our son, and said that this matter would be settled when Boss Zhou came back as long as he agreed." Chen said happily.

Then she said: "Later, I heard the news from their subordinates, Miss Zhou and her mother said that it was okay to marry, but she didn't want vanilla to go over with her as a dowry girl." Because of this, Vanilla and Miss Huanzhou had an awkward relationship. Their master and servant are like sisters, and Vanilla doesn't treat herself as a girl at all in front of the young lady. ”

He Zhiyuan heard his mother say this, and understood that Zhou Fuliu didn't say anything about the reason why Vanilla was angry yesterday afternoon, and it turned out that Vanilla also wanted to marry her. Thinking about Zhou Fuliu's vinegar jar, it seems that he really doesn't allow me to marry the second room.

"And such a thing? What do you say if a big family doesn't have a dowry girl? He Shaoyun said.

"yes, who's to say it isn't! Miss Zhou has a big idea and is very smart, and I'm really worried that she will hinder Yueji's affairs in the future. You said that if Miss Zhou was like me again, she would be unable to give birth due to her confinement problems, and we would have such a big family business and a thin ......," Chen said.

"When will your crow's beak get better!" He Shaoyun saw that Chen was speechless again, and immediately interrupted her.

He Zhiyuan was also stunned when he heard his mother say this, it was the first time he heard about it, and he had always wondered why he only had himself when other people's families almost had three or five children. It turned out to be because of this!

For a while, the atmosphere was a little awkward.

At this time, I heard Yueji come over and say to He Zhiyuan: "Young master, it's frozen, the water is frozen." ”

"Are you dizzy from the heat in the moon season? How can water freeze on a hot day? Chen suddenly found the words to ease the embarrassment.

"Really, ma'am. It was the young master who cast a spell. Yueji looked at He Zhiyuan with admiration and said, "Young master, let's see if this is the case, so you don't need to cover it anymore?" ”

Several of them came to He Zhiyuan's study, and Yueji lifted the wooden cover. A cool air hit, and Chen touched it with his hand and immediately said, "It's really ice." Zhiyuan: How did you get the water to freeze? ”

"It's actually very simple, put saltpeter in the water, and the water will freeze." He Zhiyuan replied. He didn't want to explain clearly, and besides, if he explained too much, the old lady might not be able to understand.

At this time, He Shaoyun said with admiration: "I used to read in the book that saltpeter froze when it met water, but it turned out to be like this. ”

"Zhiyuan, it would be great if there were ice cubes this summer, you can make ice porridge." Chen said happily.

He Zhiyuan hurriedly reminded: "The ice in this small basin can be eaten, but the ice in the big basin cannot be eaten." It can only be put in the room city to cool off. Don't pour it out when the ice in this big basin turns into water, put it in the pot and boil the water dry, and the rest is saltpeter, which can be used again. ”

"Zhiyuan, is this method of making ice cubes profitable again?" Chan then asked.

"Well, this method of making ice can make money, but the main thing is to use ice to make better food to cool off." He remembered the ice cream he had eaten in his previous life, but the summer horse was over, so it was better to get it next year.

"What a delicious summer food, let's make it and try it now." Yueji asked.

"It's not difficult to make, you go and prepare the materials first. Mainly milk, eggs, sugar, salt these four ingredients can be. ”

"Sugar? Is it white sugar? I've never heard of it. You're talking about brown sugar, right? Chan asked rhetorically.

Nani? There is no white sugar in this era? In his impression, the Ming Dynasty had already had sugar. But they don't even know, or is there really no white sugar now?

"Zhiyuan, you're talking about frosting, right?" He Shaoyun asked: "The price of this frosting is extremely high, one tael of silver and one or two of icing, and you can't buy it with money." ”

So expensive? Frosting he had never heard of. Is it another way of saying white sugar? So he asked his father, "Has your father ever eaten frosting?" Why can't you buy it even if you have money? ”

"I've never seen it, but I've heard your grandfather talk about it. I heard that the frosting is as white as snow, and it is a thin layer of white frost that is clear on the surface of brown sugar during the boiling process. It should be gently scraped off with a very thin bamboo strip. Only one or two catties of brown sugar can be produced by one or two catties of brown sugar, and there are only four or five hundred white frostings a year in the entire Ming Dynasty, where can it be sold to the countryside. ”

After listening to his father's words, He Zhiyuan knew that there was indeed no "yellow mud water sugar drenching method" to decolorize sucrose during this period. In the Ming Dynasty, Song Yingxing's "Tiangong Kaiwu" recorded in detail the "yellow mud water sugar decolorization technology". It's a great way to make money! The market is larger than soap, and one of the commodities that has been recorded in the relevant materials of the Ming Dynasty is white sugar.

At this time, He Zhiyuan no longer cared about ice cream, and he said to his father: "Since icing is so expensive, let's find a craftsman to start making sugar, this is a good way to make a fortune." I have a lot of things to do in the future, and I can't be busy alone. You teach you the art of making sugar, and then you supervise the workers to make it. ”

"Okay, I'm used to being busy, and it's really boring to be idle all of a sudden." He Shaoyun replied.

After the matter was settled, no one mentioned the matter of letting him make ice cream, after all, it was still a small matter compared to making money.

After that, He Shaoyun went out to find a craftsman who could make sugar. Ho continued his town planning scheme.

About an hour later, Yulian, who was waiting for the Chen family, came to He Zhiyuan's study and said, "Madame, please come over for a while." ”

He Zhiyuan put down the pen and came to his mother's room, thinking that it would not be for my marriage again.

But this time he guessed wrong, and this time it was completely unexpected......