Fishing nets were cast one by one.
Many of the water army on the wooden boat were locals who had fished since they were young. Previously, they could catch dozens of fish with one net, but now they were catching hundreds!
This was an entirely different concept…
Hundreds of large yellow croakers were caught in the fishing nets. The group on the wooden boat was panting, unable to haul them in. The boat was almost tilting, and it took several boats working together, pulling and dragging, to complete this grand undertaking.
Baskets of large yellow croakers were transported to the large building ships!
At first, everyone accepted anything that came their way, but later, there were so many large yellow croakers that the water army no longer cared for those about a foot long and weighing one to two pounds. They were too small; perhaps they should be raised for a while longer?
Several building ships, several stories high, were filled with large yellow croakers. Everyone stared at the scene in stunned silence.
They were going mad…
It was utterly insane. This coastal fishing trip had probably yielded tens of thousands of fish!
It took a full day and night, day and night, to "catch all" these large yellow croakers with one net…
And this was just one school of fish. According to Young Master Lu's so-called "gu-beating fishing" method, as long as they wanted to fish, it was simply… inexhaustible!
"This…"
Looking at the mountains of large yellow croakers, Hou Cheng couldn't stop smacking his lips. He turned to Wei Xu, Song Xian, Cheng Lian, and the others beside him and said, "How come it feels like our cunning schemes for making money… are compared to Marquis Baima's…"
Before Hou Cheng could finish speaking…
The three people beside him nodded repeatedly.
Speaking of which, they had also found ways to profit from their positions.
The specific method was to conceal local household registration. For example… Donghai Commandery had over 300,000 people, requiring a head tax for over 300,000 people. But… if there were actually 500,000 people in Donghai Commandery?
These additional "head taxes" would be embezzled by the local prefect.
This phenomenon was quite common in the Han Dynasty…
However…
Now, in the eyes of Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and the others, embezzling head taxes and risking their lives… the speed of earning money and supplies was not as good as Marquis Lu's mere tap of a wooden mallet!
These tens of thousands of jin of large yellow croakers were all meat. Meat and grains were not priced the same. How much would these large yellow croakers sell for? Who knew!
"People say that Yinlin sees through all things and knows the hearts of men…" Wei Xu opened his mouth and said, "In past rumors, it was always said that he was good at scheming against people, but seeing it today, it's the 'seeing through all things' that is even more terrifying… terrifying!"
Silence…
After Wei Xu's words escaped his lips, the four people present fell into a long silence.
They suddenly felt that their ill-gotten gains were no longer as appealing!
What's more, they worried… that their own… ill-gotten gains? Would they also be seen through by Yinlin?
"But…" Cheng Lian raised a question. "Marquis Baima's current effort to gather grain is to supply the front lines, but… once these large fish dehydrate, they are difficult to preserve. They will spoil in a few days. How can they be transported to Guandu!"
It was not Cheng Lian's fault for raising such a question.
Gu-beating fishing, in fact, appeared as early as the Ming Dynasty.
According to the local history of Chaoshan, gu-beating fishing originated in Raoping County's Dacheng Township during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, and was later introduced to Nan'ao, Chenghai, Chaoyang, Huilai, and other counties.
However… these hundreds of years of "gu-beating fishing" had not led to the extinction of the large yellow croaker!
There were two key reasons. Firstly, ancient productivity was low, fishing boats were smaller, and the scale was smaller. Refrigeration was poor. Even if large quantities were caught, preservation was not easy! Fishermen were unwilling to do thankless tasks… Even with "gu-beating fishing," it did not pose a significant threat to the large yellow croaker.
Secondly, the inheritance group for this gu-beating fishing method was not large. One must know that ancient inheritance had strict requirements, testing the character of the inheritor. Therefore… gu-beating fishing only spread in a small area at most, and the impact on the Sciaenidae family was not significant!
Based on these two points… Wei Xu raised this question? So many fish were caught? How to preserve them? How to refrigerate them?
If this problem could not be solved, the issue of food for 600,000 people at Guandu would still remain unresolved!
"You're worrying about things you shouldn't be worrying about…" Hou Cheng waved his hand. "Who is Marquis Baima? Since he could think of this method of fishing, he must have thought of a way to transport them. At worst… he could sell these fish and then buy grain with the money, right?"
…Sell them? And then exchange them for grain?
This…
While Hou Cheng and the four were still discussing, Lu Yu had already waved his hand on the building ship.
"Return to port…"
Yes, they had to return to port as soon as possible, otherwise… these salvaged large yellow croakers would die quickly after losing water, and after death, they would rot!
As for how to deal with them after landing…
Lu Yu had already thought of it. In fact, it was Zhuge Jun, Huang Xu, and He Yan on the coast.
Thinking of them, Lu Yu's eyes narrowed slightly. He wondered… had these three good disciples managed to sun-dry the first batch of salt in those pools?
He was looking forward to it!
…
…
Just as dawn broke, in Donghai Commandery… dozens of salt pans along the coast began their work.
Dozens of mu of land were arranged in terraces, concentrating seawater according to the terrain's drop. The height difference between each group of squares was the distance of two palms.
This was designed by Zhuge Jun, Huang Xu, and He Yan according to Lu Yu's requirements. From the sedimentation pond to the final evaporation pond and crystallization pond, there was a difference of seven chi!
Fortunately, there were already many ponds in this area, and by further processing these ponds, it saved a lot of effort…
The specific method…
First, seawater was pumped into the sedimentation pond. After about a day of settling impurities, it flowed from the sedimentation pond to the salt evaporation area. As long as the temperature was sufficient, the sea salt would begin to crystallize in two to three days.
It was now August, the best season for sun-drying salt. According to Lu Yu's plan, the first batch of sea salt could be extracted from seawater in four days.
Of course… as it was the first time, the purity level would definitely not reach the ideal state.
However…
Lu Yu didn't plan to sell it anyway!
He intended to salt these sea salts.
Just like how readers intended to pickle the author!
Lu Yu wanted to pickle large yellow croakers…
Therefore, the requirements for the purity of sea salt were not high. Some impurities would not affect it!
According to Lu Yu's plan, a portion of the caught large yellow croakers would be sun-dried into dried fish, and another portion would be salted into salted fish.
The dried fish could be smoked with cypress branches… In Lu Yu's memory, smoked fish of this kind of large yellow croaker would sell for thousands of yuan each in later generations!
Of course, during the process of sun-drying salt and salting fish, due to the reduction in water content, the rich nutrients in the large yellow croaker would be further concentrated, with a large portion lost!
These were all acceptable.
In this era, filling one's stomach was far more important than food diversity and nutritional health.
Moreover, the dried fish contained protein, which was very beneficial to the human body!
"Chief Executive Lu said that the evaporation rate depends on the wind force and the intensity of sunlight, both of which determine the evaporation rate of seawater, and thus determine the salt output!"
He Yan was very good at researching these "powders."
Whether it was "white phosphorus" or sea salt, he seemed to be destined to be associated with these white powders!
"There's already crystallized part!" Zhuge Jun looked at the white block-like substances. Indeed… as Lu Yu had said, on the fourth day, he could already see blocks of "crystals" in the crystallization pond!
It should be known that sea salt was naturally produced physically and did not require secondary processing. Therefore… after seeing these crystals, they could start harvesting the salt!
However…
"It's so heavy…" Huang Xu, who was beside him, tried to scoop it himself, but he didn't expect these "crystals" to be exceptionally heavy.
His small arms and legs were clearly not strong enough to lift them!
Salt fields had always been called "scooping silver from clear water," but… purely manual salt harvesting was a strenuous task!
The salt that had just crystallized in the seawater was wet and heavy. According to the traditional method, a basket could hold 200 to 300 jin, and two people with less strength couldn't lift it at all.
"Let's do it together! Everyone go and scoop salt! Chief Executive Lu has been at sea for two or three days, so he should be back soon. Let's all put in our best effort!"
…
…
In just three days, several large building ships carrying tens of thousands of large yellow croakers, totaling hundreds of thousands of jin, arrived at the coast of Donghai Commandery!
Coincidentally, on this day, a group of merchants led by Steward Zhao from Xiapi City also arrived.
Upon inquiring, they learned that Chief Executive Lu had taken a fleet to the near seas.
They hurried to the coast.
They had originally planned to wait here for a few days, but unexpectedly…
When they reached the coast, Steward Zhao and his companions were stunned!
—Fish… large yellow croakers!
Baskets of large yellow croakers were being unloaded, countless, inexhaustible… perhaps thousands, tens of thousands!
This was meat, baskets and baskets of meat…
It should be known that in this day and age, with grain prices soaring, let alone rare sea fish, even the most common fish cost nearly a hundred coins!
And the sheer quantity before them was probably immeasurable by money!
And these fish…
It seemed that local merchants had already heard the news. Baskets of fish were unloaded directly. As soon as they were brought down, they were weighed by the jin. They didn't even bother to clean them, just weighing a few jin per fish, recording it… and then calculating the total, how many jin of fish for how many jin of grain, all of which had been pre-arranged!
Of course, this was also carefully calculated by Lu Yu. With so many fish, if they were all sun-dried or salted, the current output of sea salt would not be enough. So, some were salted and sun-dried, and some were directly exchanged for grains and cereals, which were easier to store!
After all, fish, unlike grains, were prone to spoilage. In this era, there was no cold chain transportation, so they had to be processed quickly!
It didn't matter if the price was a bit lower… as long as the sea was here, large yellow croakers would be inexhaustible for several years!
After a day of rest…
They would set sail again the day after tomorrow, but… they would need larger and stronger fishing nets, more small boats, and more fishing tools. All of these were urgent matters!
Hiss…
Baskets of large yellow croakers were unloaded. The shouts and calls, this scene had truly shocked the merchants who had rushed here.
In fact…
The merchants who came were not only from Xiapi City. Merchants from Langya Commandery, Dongguan Commandery, Pengcheng, Guangling City… all merchants had keen senses. Who wouldn't want to get a piece of this "Han Dynasty Welfare Lottery"!
They came with this idea in mind, but… the scene before them shocked them.
It seemed…
The profit from these large yellow croakers was even greater and more lucrative than the "Han Dynasty Welfare Lottery"!
It was utterly unbelievable.
It should be known that sea fish were much more cunning than freshwater fish. In the past, fishermen could be happy all day if they caught even a small amount of sea fish. Now, it wasn't a small amount, but an "infinite" amount!
If the previous "Han Dynasty Welfare Lottery" was about manipulating human hearts, then this… sea fish seemed to be a gift from heaven.
"Steward Zhao, there… there are so many fish here!"
"Steward Zhao? Aren't we… going to seek cooperation with Marquis Baima for the Welfare Lottery?"
"Steward Zhao, say something…"
The repeated inquiries…
All the merchants were a bit dazed.
"Ahem…" Even Steward Zhao coughed. He mumbled softly, "How come I think that catching fish is more profitable than the Welfare Lottery! More lucrative!"
Thinking of this…
His eyes narrowed. "Quick… quick… first, find a way to submit a name card and request an audience… request an audience with Marquis Baima!"
Yes…
Merchants from various prefectures and counties were gathered around!
Quickly go and request an audience, otherwise, who knows if this "good thing" would be snatched by others first!
…
…
Tonight, countless bonfires were lit along the entire coastline. Many soldiers from the Dragon Cavalry Camp, local water forces, and fishermen began to cook large yellow croakers!
After all, with so many large yellow croakers, and they were still fresh. Apart from those exchanged for grains and cereals, and those attempted to be sun-dried into dried fish or salted into salted fish, there were still a lot left!
And the most authentic way to cook these large yellow croakers was actually steaming!
The fish head was cut open and rinsed clean, and the scales were scraped clean repeatedly. Then, yellow wine or clear wine was used to coat the yellow croaker and marinated for a while.
At this time, salt, soy sauce, and sugar could be added… The sugar here was maltose, not cane sugar!
(Cane sugar production was introduced from "Azan" to China only during the Tang Dynasty!)
Of course, if conditions permitted, scallions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, eucommia, fish paste, roe, garlic, cinnamon, lemongrass, etc., would be needed later!
Unfortunately…
Donghai Commandery was still very poor in this era, and there were not so many rich seasonings!
However, Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and the others managed to find some "ball ginger" unique to the southern mountains for Lu Yu, along with scallions… sliced into slivers. A tray was used to place ginger slices underneath, and the fish's back was cut open so that the large yellow croaker could lie flat on its head. White scallions were added. Once this was done, the water in the pot could be boiled. Once boiling, the fish could be steamed!
The people in the coastal prefectures and counties were good at cooking fish and understood fish!
This time… whether steamed or in soup, the continuous stoves along the coast were already fragrant with fish… a feast for the senses on the beach!
The first bowl was naturally served and handed to Lu Yu.
"It smells so good…"
Lu Yu exclaimed and after chewing, his raised eyebrows were enough to prove the freshness and deliciousness of the fish!
He was so moved that tears were almost flowing from the corners of his mouth!
With a slight smile… finally, the hard work of the past few days was not in vain.
Lu Yu beckoned to his brothers and told them to eat fish, as much as they wanted…
As everyone began to devour the food, Lu Yu sighed, "The soldiers of our Cao camp are so poor that they can only eat large yellow croakers!"
This statement… seemed a bit boastful!
Of course…
It was not Lu Yu's fault for being boastful. If it were in later generations… the cheapest wild large yellow croaker would cost 2,000 soft sister coins per jin, and if it were seven jin or more, it could reach a high price of 8,000 soft sister coins per jin…
Lu Yu was a pauper before he crossed over, so he couldn't afford it!
But it was undeniable that today, he had achieved freedom from large yellow croakers!
"Young Master Lu…" Just then, Zhuge Jun walked up to Lu Yu and whispered, "The first batch of refined salt has been purified, but… the amount of salt produced is still insufficient to pickle the large yellow croakers!"
Uh…
Hearing this, Lu Yu paused slightly. It seemed that turning a large yellow croaker into a salted fish… was not such an easy task!
"Increase the scale. If more ponds and terraces need to be dug, directly tell Prefect Hou Cheng… he will arrange it!"
Lu Yu immediately ordered…
Speaking of which, Hou Cheng and Wei Xu were very cooperative with his grain-gathering endeavors!
This greatly increased Lu Yu's favor towards them. These guys seemed… not as unbearable as they were described in history, not stealing horses, or stealing Fangtian Huaji, or stealing armor… utterly despicable!
"Yes…" Zhuge Jun nodded.
With Chief Executive Lu's words, everything became easier…
Zhuge Jun slowly retreated. Unexpectedly, Cao Xiu walked up next. He leaned his mouth to Lu Yu's ear.
— "Commander Lu, as expected, all the merchants in Xuzhou are now gathered in Donghai Commandery, all submitting name cards and wanting to pay a visit to Commander Lu!"
Hearing this, Lu Yu's eyes narrowed, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
He pondered for a moment…
Then he waved his hand.
"No rush. The catching of large yellow croakers, the refining of sea salt, and the salting of salted fish have just begun. Besides, hasn't the 'Han Dynasty Welfare Lottery' just begun to be promoted outside Xiapi City to other prefectures? Let's wait a few more days. The more patient we are, the more urgent they will become!"
This…
Cao Xiu paused, then said truthfully, "These merchants are very generous. As long as they are our brothers, they give them a lot of money upon meeting. Their only goal is to meet Commander Lu. If you don't see them, I'm afraid they will continue to give money…"
Cao Xiu didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
When you eat someone's food, you are soft-handed. When you take someone's money, you are soft-handed.
The merchants were not short of money. They were literally showering them with money. Wasn't this testing cadres? No… wasn't this testing the brothers?
It was not a good thing in any case!
Unexpectedly, Lu Yu was unconcerned.
"Our brothers have also worked hard. Pass down the order that all the money and grain given by these merchants should be accepted in full, as a reward for the brothers!"
Whoa…
Cao Xiu's eyes suddenly widened.
Lu Yu continued to order, "In addition, Wen Lie, secretly spread the word in Xuzhou these few days, saying that in ten days… I, Lu Yu, plan to host a banquet for the major merchants of Xuzhou in Donghai Commandery!"
Uh…
A banquet? For the major merchants of Xuzhou?
Cao Xiu was a bit dazed. What was the meaning of this? Major merchants of Xuzhou? Why invite them?
Besides… wasn't there a guest list? How to determine… which merchants were invited?
While Cao Xiu was still confused…
Lu Yu's words followed one after another. "Just spread the news like this. The rest… you don't need to worry about!"
As he spoke, Lu Yu handed Cao Xiu a bowl of fresh fish soup.
"Here, drink the soup. Drink more fish soup… it's good for your health!"
As Lu Yu said.
Legend had it that the best fish soup was milky white, rich but not greasy. If a drop fell on the table, it would condense into a pearl, and if blown with the mouth, it could roll from one side of the table to the other! Da Feng Novel Network
However, while Lu Yu was talking about fish soup, he was already calculating in his mind how to harvest this wave of "leeks."
This year's "leeks" seemed to be growing vigorously…
…
…