The ancestor of the apocalypse is so cool after being reborn!

Chapter 164 The Unashamed Girl
"The princess is here, the princess is here!"

As soon as Xia Jing's carriage drove to the gate of the sugar factory in the north of the city, she heard the gate of the factory boiling.

Hongmei lifted the curtain and took a look outside, said with a smile: "Princess, all the workers in the factory have come out to welcome you."

Xia Jing helped Hongmei's men get off the carriage, and a group of people headed by Ding Daqiang stepped forward to salute at the gate of the sugar factory.

"Everyone came early, let's go, let's go in and talk if we have anything to say." There were many passers-by at the gate of the factory, and Xia Jing didn't want people to watch.

Ding Daqiang responded with a smile: "The princess is right, please."

The two brothers Feng Jin and Feng Mu looked at Xia Jing who was walking in the front, and followed the team back into the factory nervously and excitedly.

This time they had the opportunity to work in the sugar factory only through recruitment. Manager Ding took care of them because of their brother Feng Tu's face.

In the future, working in the sugar factory will receive a fixed salary every month, which makes them not excited, and they are even more nervous when they see the princess.

In fact, it is a sugar factory, and there is no high-tech in the factory. At this time, the ancients used the ancient sugar production method.

There are more than a dozen large iron pots lined up in the factory building, and at the other end of the factory building is a stone mill for pressing sugar cane.

The workers in each process are already in place, and they are waiting for Xia Jing to order everyone to start work.

The sugar master invited by Ding Daqiang is an authentic Lingnan native. He is not tall and thin, and he is in his forties. But from his sad face, Xia Jing can see the bitterness of the middle-aged and the elderly, and the hardships of life. Full of helplessness.

Even so, when he saw Xia Jing looking at him, he managed to force a smile, "Little Tang Zhong has seen the princess!"

"Don't be rude, Mr. Tang. From now on, you will be the backbone of our factory, and you can be regarded as one of us. There is no need to be so alien." After Xia Jing finished speaking, she glanced at Hongmei next to her.

Hongmei understood immediately and stepped forward to help Tang Zhong up.

"Thank you, princess." Tang Zhong stood up straighter with his stooped body, and it was an honor for him as a craftsman to be respected by the princess.

Xia Jing smiled and nodded, and glanced at the humble factory building. Seeing that everyone was staring at her, she clapped her hands, raised her voice and said, "Today is the auspicious day for our sugar factory to officially start operation. As a sign, everyone in the factory will have a red seal!"

When everyone heard it, they were naturally surprised, and everyone applauded excitedly.

How could they not be happy when they came to work in the sugar factory and got a red envelope before the work was done?

Affected by their emotions, Xia Jing shouted excitedly: "Hongmei!"

Hongmei came out, holding a bag of red seals in her hand, and first gave Ding Daqiang and Tang Zhong a big red seal.

They were so happy that they said auspicious words without money.

It is said that the red seal is the real red seal. According to Hongmei, it means to simply sew some purses with red silk cloth, but Xia Jing thinks that using red silk is slow and wasteful, so she ordered someone to dye some red silk. Paper.

Then wrap the silver beans in red paper, and the silver beans cost one penny. The red envelopes of the two leaders contained 28 silver beans.

The other two assistants were given red seals containing eighteen silver beans, and the other ordinary workers each received a red seal containing eight silver beans.

For ordinary workers, it is a pleasant surprise to get eight coins as soon as they start work!
Everyone was gearing up, waiting for the order from the princess to work hard. To get such a generous red seal, no matter what, they had to work hard to be worthy of the generous reward from the princess.

Xia Jing looked at the excited workers, took the small wooden hammer handed over by Ye Fei, and struck rhythmically on the small gong that Ye Fei was carrying a few times.

She announced: "Xia Kee Sugar Factory will start working on an auspicious day today! Let's move!"

"Okay! Start working!"

The workers replied loudly, then turned around and started their work.

Seeing that the factory was busy, Xia Jing handed the small wooden hammer to Ye Fei and checked their procedures.

In fact, there are only five steps in the local method of sugar production. First, the sugarcane is squeezed out of the sugarcane with a stone roller.

The second step is to pour it into a large pot and boil it. Of course, the sugarcane juice must be filtered before it is put into the pot to filter out the residue mixed in the sugarcane juice.

During the heating process of sugarcane juice, there will be continuous foaming. These foams should be skimmed in time, so that the sugar produced is clean and beautiful.

The third step is to add an appropriate amount of lime to the boiled sucrose. The purpose of course is to neutralize the acidity in the sucrose until the sugar smells sweet and has no sour or lime flavor, and the sugar color is light yellow.

This step is a test of the skill of the sugar maker. If too much lime is added, the sucrose will become brown or caramel, with a darker color.If too little lime is added, the sucrose will be lighter and not beautiful enough.

The fourth step is to test the professional level of the sugar maker. According to the production method recorded in Xia Jing’s notebook, when the sucrose is heated to 110 degrees, in order to prevent the sucrose from foaming and overflowing, it is necessary to add a few spoonfuls of peanut oil. , Stir the sugar juice in the pot constantly to prevent coking.The pot can be started when it is more than 120 degrees, and the sucrose will be caramelized if it exceeds one hundred and three sucrose.

In this era when there is no thermometer, the sugar maker relies entirely on past experience to do this step, so it is a test of the master's professional level.

The last step, of course, is to make sugar.

Xia Jing looked at Tang Zhong standing next to him, instructing his deputy or apprentice, instructing them what to do when and what to do. Fortunately, his deputy are all quick-witted people.

Whenever Tang Zhong proposed which step to take, they could complete it proficiently.

Xia Jing saw that the massecuite in the pot had cooled down a bit, so some workers began to knead it.

"Is this temperature still hot?"

Tang Zhong said with a smile: "It's all right, it's mainly rubbing with a shovel. Occasionally touching the sugar paste with your hands is hot, but it won't burn you. This is the last step. If it is made into powdered sugar, it can be done like this now. If you want to make it into tablets The sugar still needs to be poured on the bamboo mat and pushed away, cooled and solidified, and then cut into cubes.”

Xia Jing nodded, "Well, I want powdered sugar and sliced ​​sugar. Make some of them, and the vendors who come to buy will have more choices."

Sugar in this era is a luxury, and ordinary people rarely buy sugar, unless they have to buy sugar to nourish their bodies, but middle-class families and wealthy families always buy sugar.

Due to the small amount, sugar is not worried about selling at any time.

Tang Zhong pointed to the finished granulated sugar and asked, "Would you like to taste it, Princess?"

Xia Jing laughed and told Hongmei: "Go and make a pot of sugar water, let everyone taste the first batch of powdered sugar produced by your own sugar factory, and see if it's as sweet as you think!"

Hongmei accepted the order with a smile, "Yes, I'm going now, I must put more sugar to sweeten everyone's hearts."

"Ha ha."

Everyone smiled knowingly, and the candy made by themselves will be sweet to the heart after a taste.

According to the progress of the sugar factory, the sugar cane brought back by the team from Annan is enough for the sugar factory to last until the season when the sugar cane is actually harvested.

Hongmei soaked the sugar water back, Xia Jing tasted it, it tasted good.

Ding Daqiang drank a cup, and was very satisfied with the sugar that was brewed today, "Princess, work hard for a day today, and tomorrow I can put the finished sugar powder and sliced ​​sugar in the salt shop, so that the guests from all over the world can see me." Xia Ji's new product."

Xia Jing nodded with a smile, glanced at the workers who were busy again, and said to Ding Daqiang: "From now on, as long as they enter the factory, the workers must wear clean work clothes. If they don't wear work clothes, they are not allowed to enter the factory. No outsiders are allowed inside, including the workers' family members."

Sugar is a food that must be imported. In terms of hygiene, we must not be careless. As a manager, we must strictly implement this regulation.

Ding Daqiang responded: "Princess, don't worry, I will let everyone remember this matter."

The sun outside was getting stronger and stronger, and it was already noon, Xia Jing didn't stay at the sugar factory, and after explaining the matter, she took her maids and guards to the palace in a carriage.

Walking on the hot street at noon, you can hardly see a few people walking on the street. Everyone hides in the house to rest in the hot noon.

Ye Fei glanced at the shadow of the shop, which was already to the west, rode his horse to the carriage, and asked the window: "Princess, it's almost noon, should we go to the restaurant to have something to eat first?"

Ice basins were placed in the carriage, and due to staying in the sugar factory for a long time, only a little bit of ice in the several basins had not yet melted, and the rest of the ice had all turned into water.

At this moment, the temperature in the carriage was rising. Xia Jing shook her fan and listened to Ye Fei's words, and refused: "Everyone hold on for a while, we'd better go home and eat, it's too hot outside."

Besides, she wanted to rush back to the palace before the ice basin in the carriage melted. If she stayed outside until the ice basin in the carriage melted completely, the carriage would definitely look like a steamer when it walked under the sun.

It's stuffy and hot!

After listening to her words, Ye Fei wiped off his sweat: "Okay, then this subordinate will arrange for everyone to speed up and return to the palace as soon as possible."

They were not the only ones shuttling through the various streets, and there was also a carriage driving fast without slowing down on another street.

When crossing the intersection, the two teams almost collided.

After evading, the two teams panicked for a while, and then dispersed separately.

After all, standing under the sun and reasoning, neither side wants to experience this kind of pain, so they can only admit their bad luck and separate.

Hongmei sat in the carriage with Xia Jing, and just after shaking for a while, she asked Ye Fei outside the window, "Who was that team just now? It looks like there are dogs chasing after them."

Ye Fei turned his head and glanced at the convoy that had gone away, "The carriage followed a steward, and I looked familiar, as if he was the steward of Mr. Niu's family."

"Master Niu? Which Master Niu?" Hongmei glanced at Xia Jing, knowing that she was serious, so she continued to ask.

Ye Fei: "It's Mr. Niu Debao, the chief soldier of Jieyang Guards. I just noticed that the carriage was also tied with pink silk flowers."

Speaking of this, he still didn't forget to tease: "Don't tell me that Mr. Niu is always strong, which family are you going to take care of?"

"Na Xiao?" Hongmei looked at Xia Jing, "It can't be the last time, is there a follow-up?"

Xia Jing knew what she was talking about last time was about the unhappiness that happened at the last banquet, and it was about Mou Guangzhen trying to plot against King Qian.

"Don't tell me, it might really be a follow-up to that incident." The more Xia Jing thought about it, the more she felt that it was the Niu family who sent someone to the Mou family to pick up the bride.

It is precisely because I am a concubine that I choose the afternoon, because it is afternoon after noon.

If it weren't for the hot weather, Xia Jing really wanted to go to Mou's house to see the excitement, because she had never seen how a concubine should behave.

When the team reached the main street of Wangfu, the sun in the sky had already hidden in the clouds.

Ye Fei looked up at the dark clouds drifting over from the sky, and the driver speeded up.

Back at the palace, Xia Jing just returned to her courtyard covered in hot sweat. The sky outside became even more gloomy, accompanied by the sound of thunder.

"Oh, the rain has finally blown down. It's been so hot and stuffy these days. It's going to be cool for a few days after it rains."

Baimei came up to meet her, "Princess, this servant is going to prepare water right now, you can take a shower to cool off."

It’s just that before the bath was finished, heavy raindrops began to fall outside, and the density increased after a while, and the whole world seemed to be shrouded in rain. It seemed that it was evening, and people could not be seen clearly in the house without lights.

Xia Jing asked the maid to help her wipe her hair, looked at the rain curtain outside the window, and asked, "Do you think this torrential rain will affect the autumn harvest? The crops in the field are already mature and will be harvested soon, and they will fall down." Heavy rain, I am really worried that the crops in the field will fall."

The two maidservants looked at each other, and they could see the deep worry in each other's eyes, "When the rain stops, I will send the steward to the farm to find out. I think everything will be fine, princess, don't worry. There are stewards in charge of the farm, and they will take care of the arrangements."

The torrential rain lasted for half an hour before it stopped slowly. Fortunately, it didn't last long. Apart from the severe water accumulation on the road, it should have little impact.

"Princess, Miss Yuzhu is here." Baimei led Li Yuzhu in from the outside.

Xia Jing was a little surprised, and looked at Yuzhu who walked in with a normal expression, and then asked wonderingly: "Why is Zhu'er free to come to grandma today?"

Li Yuzhu stepped forward and bowed to Xia Jing, "Zhu'er has seen grandma, are you all right?"

Xia Jing chuckled: "It's all good, how can my family have so much courtesy, come and sit quickly."

After hearing her words, Li Yuzhu had a slight smile on her face, walked briskly to the next seat and sat down.

"It's raining now, and the weather is much cooler. Zhu'er thought she was bored anyway, so she came to disturb grandma."

"What kind of interruption is this? Zhu'er is willing to come and talk to me. I'm too happy." Xia Jing tapped her lightly from the air.

Li Yuzhu covered her mouth and smiled, "Grandmother just doesn't dislike Zhu'er."

"A girl who is about to get married, she is still so naughty." Xia Jing smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

Speaking of marrying, Li Yuzhu asked without any shyness: "The mansion has arranged a marriage for me. The man is the youngest son of the governor of Jingzhou. Does grandma know about this person?"

Xia Jing listened to what he said, and to be honest, she admired her boldness. Women in this era dare not ask their elders about the man's situation. The average girl is whoever the family says.

Otherwise, how did the parents' orders come from?

"Yuan Rujiang's youngest son, if it was a few days ago, I might not have heard of it. If you want to know him, you have to wait for a while until the caravan returns from Jingzhou to find out."

Since the little girl wanted to know what kind of person her future husband would be, Xia Jing didn't make any trouble, and promised her that if she wanted to know the details, she would have to wait for the caravan to come back.

Anyway, she had already ordered her to go down a few days ago, and it would be a matter of convenience when she was notified of the news.

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(End of this chapter)