Xu He shook his head, Chen Hua This is a typical Zhang Guan Li Dai, then the situation in Fujian is applied to the situation of Lianghuai.

But Lao Zheng Tou didn't understand what the reason was: "That's how our ancestors came over for generations!" ”

"Ahem!" Xu He coughed lightly and said, "I'll explain this!" ”

"The sea water of Huaibei, the sea water of the Heiyang River, is extremely salty in nature, no different from the marinade, in the high place a little far from the sea, it is easier to become a brine without being affected by the dampness of the ground! So, you have to carry water and walk a long way to the brine pond! Therefore, the two Huai salt farms are irrigated with water, and the water is dried into brine, which is a famous raw salt! ”

"In Zhangquan, Fujian Province and other prefectures in Lord Chen's hometown, the sea water is a little light, so it basically has no impact on the brine, and finally chose to dry the brine by the sea!"

To put it bluntly, why does two-thirds of the world's salt come from Lianghuai?

First, the saltiness of the seawater is high, and it is also transported to the high brine pond to dry the marinade, so there is a lot of salt and good quality!

After hearing this, Lao Zheng Tou and Chen Hua looked at Xu He in surprise.

In this era, people who read books basically only read the four books and the five classics, and those who don't read miscellaneous books are even more pitiful.

A person like Xu He, who knows so much about the situation in the salt farm, can't say much, only no.

Even if the officials of the Salt Division came, most of them were confused.

Everyone's understanding of salt making is passed down by word of mouth and the experience left by our ancestors.

Who could have known that the salinity of the East China Sea and the salt content of the seawater in Fujian Province were different?

"Childe, this is the first time you've come to the salt farm?" Lao Zheng Tou was still a little skeptical.

Of course, Xu He came to the salt field for the first time, and his understanding of the operation of the salt field came from Xu Guangqi's note to Emperor Chongzhen, called "Qin Feng Ming Decree Delineating Tuntian Shu", which clearly wrote what Xu He had just said.

Chen Hua said at this time: "Young Master Xu, since you know so much about the method of frying salt, is there any way to improve it?" The cooks are so bitter! ”

When Lao Zheng heard this, he also looked at him expectantly.

Xu He nodded, in fact, Xu Guangqi had already named the problem of the salt frying method in the song, the salt frying method wasted countless firewood, and the large reeds that were originally used as salt boiling firewood can be reclaimed as fields, which not only reduces the price of salt, but also eliminates private salt.

So what's the solution?

To put it bluntly, it's actually very simple, it's to dry salt.

In fact, the salt drying method has begun to be used.

For example, after the reed is directly poured with marinade, the salt will crystallize on the reed stalk, and when the time comes, the salt crystals on the reed stalk will naturally fall off.

But this is still a consumption of reeds after all, and can only be used as a supplement to the salt frying method.

"I really have three ways to improve the salt production method!" Xu He nodded and said.

Chen Hua and Lao Zheng Tou were overjoyed, and Chen Hua said excitedly: "Let's hear it!" ”

Xu He said: "It is very good that the two Huai brine ponds are built at a high place and are easier to become brine, but it is too low to take seawater and need manpower to go back and forth, and the efficiency is too low, it is better to build a tidal waterwheel, when the tide is high, the seawater will be introduced into the seaside ditch, and then a manpower water truck will be built on the seaside to introduce the seawater to a high place!" ”

Water wheels and water trucks have long been used in the Jiangnan area, although they are not popular, but Chen Hua and Lao Zheng Tou have obviously heard of it, and they nodded again and again after listening to it.

Especially Lao Zheng Tou, while patting his thigh, said with annoyance: "Why didn't we think of such a light way before!" ”

Xu He snickered in his heart, in fact, even if they knew, what could they do? Anyway, they are all working for people, and the salary is not high, even if there is a smart stove Ding who thinks of this festival, he will not talk much, and more sea water will mean more boiling, and no matter how much money he makes, he will be stripped away by the salt tyrant, who is happy about this?

Therefore, emancipating the mind is also improving productivity, and this is the truth.

Lao Zheng Tou saw Chen Hua and Xu He's reform of the Gangyun Law, and in the future, the stove Ding salt production will make money, of course they are willing to improve the production method!

"Second, change boiling to exposure to the sun, and change frying salt to drying salt!"

Chen Hua's eyes lit up: "Let's talk about it!" ”

"First use the three-fold soil that is not easy to seep water to build the salt pond and the brine well, the well is covered, the pool is set up with a shed, the sun is rainy, the sunrise will put the brine into the salt pond, and the two or three days will become a salt! In case of rain, there is a shed and cover to shelter it, so that the brine will not be diluted! ”

Xu He borrowed Xu Guangqi's words to conclude: "There is no sunshine and it cannot be done!" ”

This is the result of this big bull's personal experiment in his hometown, and after scientific demonstration, Xu He is of course confident.

Chen Hua looked at Lao Zheng Tou, a senior cook, and Lao Zheng Tou nodded and said, "It seems that you can give it a try!" ”

Xu He continued: "This is a way to dry coarse salt, in fact, there is also a way to dry refined salt!" ”

"Refined salt!" Old Zheng Tou exclaimed.

Modern people may not know what coarse salt is, but today's cigarettes look very clean when they tear open the bag.

But in fact, the salt grains after salt making in ancient times are of different sizes, the color is muddy, and the taste is bitter and astringent.

Xu He said: "In the middle of May, when there is a drought, take two buckets of water, throw a bucket of salt into the water, make it clear, and throw it with salt, and the salt will not melt if the water is salty. ”

"Change the utensils and continue to heal, the sand in the salt is precipitated, the dirt is cleared, the juice is poured out in a clean container, and when the sun is good and the wind is not blowing, it is exposed to the sun, and the one that emerges is the flower salt, which is thick and shiny like stalactites."

"If you leave it for a long time, it will become Indian salt, as big as a bean grain, square shape!"

"The flower print is salty, white as snow, and its taste is particularly beautiful."

Xu He said that the method of making refined salt, in fact, also comes from the big cow Xu Guangqi's "Agricultural Administration", his method of exquisite salt, its principle is completely consistent with the recrystallization purification method widely used in later generations, the salt produced, less impurities, high purity, natural taste is extremely beautiful.

Chen Hua and Lao Zheng Tou were all stupid after listening to it.

I didn't expect that there is so much knowledge in a little salt.

Especially Lao Zheng Tou, his gaze when he looked at Xu He changed, as if he was looking at a mortal Wenqu star in the sky.

After a while, he knelt on the ground with a grunt and kowtowed to Xu He and said, "If these three methods are useful, Xu Gongzi is the benefactor of our world!" ”

Xu He was startled, and quickly helped him up, he said earnestly: "Uncle, now that the officials and soldiers of the imperial court have gone to exterminate the thieves and bandits, take advantage of this opportunity, you should hurry up and try these methods, after all, the big guy still has to eat!" After the delay of the day, even if the army retreats, everyone will have no salt to sell and no food to eat! ”

When Lao Zheng heard this, he nodded again and again, he now almost regarded Xu He as an omniscient immortal, so he naturally obeyed him, and after he confessed to Chen Hua and Xu He, he hurriedly arranged to go.

Chen Hua looked at the back of Lao Zheng Tou and sighed: "Actually, these stove and salt households are all good people, but if there is a stutter, they will never make trouble, it is the court that is sorry for them!" ”

Yes, the hardships endured by the two Huai to make salt are unimaginable to ordinary people.

Cloudy day rain brine pond water, often the results of half a month of hard work overnight into nothing, all under the brine pond are barefoot, under the cold, often fistula, so the household of frying salt is more blind, the household of drying brine is more lame.

Xu He heard the sound of the gong in the distance, and the stoves were running for their livelihood again, and he couldn't help but say in his heart:

"What are the people of the boiling sea? Women have no silkworms, weavers have no ploughing.

The source of food and clothing is too scarce, and you will lose if you cook in a prison basin.

Every year in spring and summer, the tide rises and falls, and the mud is scraped into an island.

The salt flavor is added to the air-dried day, and the tide is poured into a halogen.

The brine is light and the salt is idle, and the wood is harvested deep into the infinite mountain;

The leopard trail and the tiger dare not avoid, and the morning sun goes out and the sunset returns

……

The white-headed stove is a low grass house, next to the salt fire in June;

In the hot day before walking out of the door, a moment of leisure is to enjoy the coolness.

The small house boils salt and flames, and the brine boils and smokes,

The body of the Si people is also human, how different is the chicken boiled in the kettle,

This year's spring and summer rain is endless, and the sand and soft mud are faint and the marinade,

Sitting on the fire and the scorching sun, it is impossible to suffer this! ”

"In the hot day before walking out of the door, a moment of leisure is to enjoy the cold." Chen Hua muttered, "Sitting and thinking about the fire and the scorching sun, you can't get this suffering!" ”

Suddenly, a layer of mist welled up in his eyes, as if he remembered the difficulties at home before the township examination.

He let out a long sigh to hide his trembling lips and Adam's apple, and closed his eyes to the sky.

Xu He looked at the endless beach and there were stoves coming densely, and he didn't have the idea of opening his mouth!