Is this salt?
This person named Ying was stunned.
As he grows up, he has experienced more salt than food in his life.
But this was the first time he saw such white salt, just like flour.
Could it be that you used flour to fool me?
Tiji Yinglu was puzzled and rubbed it with his fingers. It had a grainy texture. Although it was very delicate, it didn't feel like flour.
He dipped it in the salt again and then licked it.
hiss.
Ying Lu took a breath and looked at this batch of salt in disbelief.
It's too exaggerated and incredible!
This is really salt, extremely pure salt, without any impurities or bitterness!
More than any salt ever!
"This is the salt you made???"
Ying Lu's voice was trembling as he pointed at the batch of salt.
"Yes." Li Xiao nodded.
Ying Lu shouted excitedly: "How was this made? What salt production method was used? Mine method or sun salt method?"
He has been in this business for a long time and is familiar with various methods of making salt.
But I have never heard of any salt production method that can produce such high quality salt! !
How could he not be excited?
"Well." Li Xiao said with a smile: "There shouldn't be any need to disclose this method of making salt, right?"
"Ah, right, right. Sorry."
Ying Lu apologized and smiled, realizing that he had been rash.
Each salt-making household has its own techniques and secrets, which they hide like treasures.
This salt-making method can produce such high-quality salt, how could it be disclosed to others casually?
"I would like to ask, how much is your production?"
Ying Lu asked excitedly.
The official level is overwhelming, the time is tight and the tasks are heavy.
The prefect above didn't know why he suddenly fell ill.
They actually asked their Salt Transportation Department to collect an additional five thousand shi of salt in a short period of time in addition to the usual purchases.
Isn't this embarrassing?
There is only so much salt production in Shuntianfu. Where can I find so much salt?
I don't know which high-ranking official patted his head and came up with the idea of posting notices.
Even if there is a notice posted, it is useless. How can making salt be so simple?
It is true that a new salt farmer brought salt, but the quality of the salt was unsatisfactory.
If it were the past, I would never accept it.
But these are extraordinary times.
It can only be collected and mixed with salt to make up the number.
Therefore, the Salt Transportation Department has no other good solution except forcing previous salt households to increase production.
But the young man in front of me not only brought salt, but the quality of the salt was so good!
This gave Ying Lu a glimmer of hope.
"Current production"
Li Xiao calculated it: "It can produce five hundred rock salts a month."
Five hundred rock salt is almost fifty thousand kilograms.
"Five hundred stones is a bit small."
Ying Lu secretly thought it was a pity, but it could solve an urgent need.
"The quality of your salt is so good that I can't even put a price on it."
Ying Lu frowned, thought for a long time, and then discussed, "How about seventy cents per pound?"
They collected salt for twenty cents per catty, and seventy cents was almost three times the amount.
It's like paying for quality.
Generally speaking, the salt collected for twenty cents can be sold for two cents and two silvers, and the profit is still huge.
A batch of the fine salt collected was given to dignitaries.
The rest can be divided among some wealthy merchants. In addition to the salt tax, good-quality salt charges an additional half a tael of silver, or even one tael per catty.
Pick the remaining ordinary salt and distribute it to ordinary people.
The silver earned is naturally turned over to the national treasury.
But for the salt handled in the inner box, the Salt Transportation Department can get a lot of extra silver, and everyone in the yamen will share the account.
Therefore, the Yanyun Department is a very well-oiled yamen, and ordinary people cannot get in.
Of course, outsiders don’t know these things.
The quality of Li Xiao's salt is very high. If it were sold exclusively to rich people, it would be sold at a high price of at least two taels, or even three taels. It is estimated that the supply exceeds demand.
Therefore, after collecting seventy cents of silver, it is still very profitable.
However, Li Xiao didn't know the secret behind this at all.
He only knows that the purchase price of a pound of ordinary salt is forty cents. Seventy cents should be fair, right?
"Okay, that's it."
Li Xiao nodded.
He didn't bother to bargain or anything like that, after all, the mine would be given to his father-in-law in a few days.
"However, the notice says that the price will be increased by 30% in the near future. Is it worth a penny?"
Li Xiao glanced at Bai Yan.
"That's natural."
Ying Lu nodded and asked again: "This batch of salt of yours was purchased for a pound of silver. How many pounds do you have?"
"Five thousand kilograms. The next batch will be delivered in three days. Making salt takes time."
"Okay, then wait a moment."
That's it.
Ying Lu immediately arranged for the yamen servant who was still on duty to start weighing.
After weighing, the total amount was 5,200 kilograms of white salt.
Afterwards, he registered and issued a pass worth five hundred and two hundred taels.
"The value has been released in the warehouse today. You can get cash tomorrow with this pass."
"Also, you can ask the officer on duty to issue a permit for you tomorrow."
Ying Lu handed the pass to Li Xiao.
"Okay, the money and goods have been cleared, let's say goodbye."
Li Xiao took the pass.
The two of them left the government office.
In the blink of an eye, five hundred taels of silver were obtained!
Five hundred taels is not a small amount!
In the Ming Dynasty, the monthly salary of a first-grade official, the largest official position, was 87 taels, which was equivalent to 43 taels of silver. The total annual salary was only 500 taels.
Of course this is on the surface,
Secretly, first-grade officials also had extra income from land and titles.
But even so, five hundred taels is still a lot.
Ordinary people may not earn so much money in their lifetime.
Li Xiao directly handed the pass to Li Xiongzhi and said: "You can change the money yourself tomorrow, and you can also make a trip later to convert the money into silver notes."
Li Xiongzhi took the pass worth five hundred and twenty taels with trembling hands.
I didn't expect that Li Xiao valued and trusted him so much. He gave him the five hundred taels as soon as he asked for it, and he was not afraid that he would change the money and run away.
But Li Xiongzhi wouldn't do this either, he had already been completely devoted to Li Xiao.
"Brother Xiao, I promise to do whatever you tell me."
Li Xiongzhi carefully put the pass on his chest for personal protection, for fear of losing it.
"Brother Xiao, our business is too profitable. We have made five hundred taels of silver in just a few days!"
Li Xiongzhi said excitedly: "I also went to inquire about it during this period, and I heard that other salt households' costs for space, labor, materials, etc. are very high, and their efficiency is far less than ours."
Li Xiao smiled and said: "That's natural. My method of making salt is not comparable to those old methods."
"Yes Yes Yes."
Li Xiongzhi was completely impressed by Li Xiao.
It has to be Brother Xiao!
That's it.
Li Xiao returned to Prince Yan's Mansion.
The next day, Li Xiongzhi went to the warehouse of the Salt Transportation Department early in the morning and exchanged the pass for silver taels, which was directly exchanged for 500 taels of silver notes.
After he put it away, he hurried back to the salt field and carefully put away the banknote.
Then at the salt field, the workers were asked to work overtime to continue making salt.
at the same time.
The salt transport envoy from the Salt Transport Department, the highest official of the yamen, came to inspect the work.
soon,
He discovered a batch of white salt that looked like snowflakes.
(End of chapter)
