Chapter 38: Collaborative Factory Construction

The negotiation went very well. However, Ye Xiu still did not purchase brown sugar from Tongji Grocery. Instead, he took Zhao Yide to a shop a few miles away, where he bought fifty catties of brown sugar along with funnels and other tools for producing white sugar.

Zhao Yide was the kind of person who never asked why Ye Xiu did anything. In his heart, whatever Ye Xiu did was always right.

After summoning Qi Santai and the old village head, Ye Xiu got straight to the point. To make restaurant dishes taste delicious, white sugar was essential for enhancing flavor, but the sugar frost available on the market was too expensive. Ye Xiu intended to open another sugar-refining workshop. He left the site selection and similar matters to the old village head.

Ye Xiu passed on the method for refining sugar frost to Qi Santai without any reservations.

They set up a pot and boiled water, leaving the task of tending the stove to Zhao Yide. Ye Xiu placed a hollowed-out wooden bucket over a large basin, then filled a funnel with straw and set it atop the bucket. Once the brown sugar had melted, he poured it into the funnel. As Ye Xiu observed the solidification, Qi Santai brought over a bowl of yellow mud water. Without a second thought, Ye Xiu poured the yellow mud water into the funnel.

Qi Santai and Zhao Yide winced as they watched, their hearts aching at the perceived waste, but Ye Xiu stared at the funnel without blinking. After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, black liquid began to drip slowly from the funnel. Ye Xiu let out a long breath, a smile finally appearing on his face.

This was the "Yellow Mud Sugar-Leaching Method" recorded in the *Tiangong Kaiwu* (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature) from his previous life. The white sugar obtained through this method could not compare to that of his past life, but in terms of appearance and taste, it was far superior to the sugar frost produced in this era. As the black liquid continued to drip, the brown sugar paste inside the funnel gradually turned pure white. Soon, the brownish-red color vanished, and a layer of glistening, snowy-white sugar was revealed.

Qi Santai and Zhao Yide stared with wide eyes, looking at the scene before them in disbelief, at a loss for words.

"Try it, both of you."

At Ye Xiu’s prompt, Qi Santai and Zhao Yide couldn't help but dip their fingers in and taste the sugar, each giving Ye Xiu a thumbs-up. Having lived for so many years, they had never tasted such delicious sugar.

Looking at the quality, it was several grades better than the sugar frost on the market. After an afternoon of work, Qi Santai had become quite proficient. From fifty catties of brown sugar, they produced twenty-five catties of white sugar—a ratio of about two to one. Qi Santai had been to the winery and understood the brewing process, so he naturally grasped Ye Xiu’s intention.

"Young Master, from now on, we will just buy brown and black sugar and use the yellow mud water to produce white sugar, repeating the process?"

"Exactly," Ye Xiu nodded. "We don't need to boil the sugar ourselves, which will save a lot on costs."

As the sun set, Ye Wuji returned. Ye Xiu wrapped two packages of white sugar and gave them to him. "Father, please give these to Master Wang and Master Liu tomorrow."

"What is this?" Ye Wuji asked, puzzled.

"Sugar frost," Ye Xiu said earnestly. "It’s good to show proper concern for one's elders."

"Indeed," Ye Wuji nodded meaningfully. "Master Wang helped me return to my studies, and Master Liu is set to take you as his closed-door disciple. It is only right to show them some care."

After dinner, Li Weishan grabbed Zhao Yide, wanting to learn a few self-defense moves. Zhao Yide pondered for a moment, then fashioned a scarecrow and wrapped up a bag of lime powder. "Your build isn't suited for martial arts; I'll teach you something else instead."

Ye Xiu watched from the sidelines and frowned slightly: *Is my brother-in-law a cunning veteran of the battlefield?*

That night, Ye Xiu had a dream. He dreamt he had become the richest man in the Great Qian Dynasty... so wealthy that gold bricks weighing a hundred catties were not even worthy of his treasury. He only woke from his pleasant dream when he was struck by a blinding light. Wiping the drool from his mouth, he saw the sun was already high in the sky.

Ye Wuji had taken Li Weishan to Jinling Academy, leaving only him and Zhao Yide at home. After eating, Zhao Yide carried a shoulder pole, and they headed to Tongji Grocery. Passing by a wonton stall, Ye Xiu handed a package of white sugar to Zhao Youyou. When she opened it and saw the pure white sugar frost, she immediately tried to decline. This stuff was incredibly precious—an ounce of white sugar cost an ounce of silver, and that was no exaggeration.

"Eat all you want, there's plenty," Ye Xiu said, pinching Zhao Youyou's delicate cheek.

"Oh! Brother You'an... there are so many people here..." Zhao Youyou’s face turned bright red with shyness, and she lowered her head, scuffing the ground with her toes. Madam Zhao and Zhao Yide looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, resolutely choosing to ignore them.

Following their agreement, Ye Xiu and Zhao Yide arrived at Tongji Grocery.

Shopkeeper Wei’s eyes widened as he stared at the white sugar in disbelief. He had assumed that if Ye Xiu managed to bring two or three catties, it would already be impressive. He never expected him to produce over twenty catties at once. He knew that even the combined leftovers from the Imperial Palace in Jinling City would not amount to a hundred catties. Compared to the sugar frost in his own shop, the quality and presentation of what Ye Xiu brought were far superior. Dipping his finger in, he tasted the sugar—it was sweet with a hint of cooling freshness. This made Shopkeeper Wei’s eyes light up.

"Shopkeeper Wei, what do you think?" Ye Xiu pursed his lips, smiling at him.

"Scarcity makes things valuable; this is perfect for selling to high-ranking officials and nobles." Shopkeeper Wei wiped his hands. "But, I cannot accept this."

"Why is that?" Ye Xiu asked, full of confusion. "People would be lining up to snatch up white sugar of this quality!"

"Young Master Ye, please don't misunderstand." Shopkeeper Wei paused. "The appearance, sweetness, and quality are all top-notch. But if you produce this yourself, the secret recipe will be leaked in less than a month."

"So, Shopkeeper Wei, are you suggesting... a joint venture?"

"Not just a joint venture, but a collaborative factory." Shopkeeper Wei was confident. "I can guarantee that my people will not leak the recipe within a year. After a year, even if the recipe becomes common knowledge, we will still be making money. After all, Heshengyuan’s scale and reputation are established. You may not trust me, but you can unconditionally trust the golden brand of Heshengyuan."

After half an hour of deliberation, Ye Xiu finally chose to cooperate with Shopkeeper Wei to build a factory.

"Then please arrange a meeting with the old village head of Wulong Lane and Qi Santai," Ye Xiu said lightly. "I am leaving this matter to them."

"I will arrange to discuss the factory construction with them tomorrow." Shopkeeper Wei began to cozy up to him. "Let me introduce myself: my name is Wei Liren, a native of the capital and a distant relative of Lady Wei. In the future, I will rely on Young Master Ye for your support."

Ye Xiu didn't catch the subtext of Shopkeeper Wei’s words and replied politely, "Certainly. If there are good business opportunities, I will prioritize working with you, Shopkeeper Wei."

The shop clerk finished checking the goods. There were twenty-three catties in total—not a bit more, not a bit less. At the standard price, it would have been 368 taels of silver, but Shopkeeper Wei offered 400 taels. Although it seemed like he was taking advantage, Ye Xiu accepted it gladly. After all, the road of cooperation ahead was still long.

After Ye Xiu left, Shopkeeper Wei immediately wrote a letter to Lady Wei and sent it by fast horse to the capital.

Counting the days, it was time to go collect the tea. There were many treacherous people in the mountains, and it was always better to be safe than sorry. Upon returning to Wulong Lane, Ye Xiu had Zhao Yide gather a group of sturdy men to serve as guards for the cargo fleet.

The tea-collecting expedition had officially begun.