“Little brother, come on, tell us quickly, how much is this salt per catty?”
The surrounding commoners jeered and asked.
“Everyone, listen up!”
The shop assistant cleared his throat and announced, “Our refined salt costs ten wen per catty!”
“Ten wen per catty, that’s way too expensive… wh, what? How much per catty?”
Some commoners instinctively wanted to criticise the black-hearted Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce, but before they could finish, they changed their tune.
With an expression as if they had seen a ghost, they stared wide-eyed at the assistant. “Did you say it wrong?”
“Little brother, is this your first time selling goods? How come you can’t even remember your own prices? Be careful or the shopkeeper will whip you!”
There were also commoners who thought the assistant had misspoken or remembered the price incorrectly.
“I didn’t say it wrong, nor did I misremember the price. Our Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce’s salt is sold at ten wen per catty!”
The assistant confirmed again.
“How is that possible?”
“What they’re selling can’t be rock salt, right?”
“It shouldn’t be. Privately selling rock salt could get you beheaded. The Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce is making a fortune selling soap, there’s no need for them to take the risk for this ill-gotten gain!”
“This salt is so white and fine, it can’t possibly be rock salt!”
“Has this waiter gone mad?”
The commoners completely refused to believe the assistant’s words. Some with vivid imaginations were already playing out a drama in their minds of the shopkeeper making things difficult for the assistant, and the assistant deliberately underselling the goods in revenge.
“Everyone, quiet down!”
The assistant struck the bronze gong a few more times and pointed at the salt bags. “Hasn’t anyone noticed that our salt is called Xihe Bay Refined Salt?”
“What’s wrong with it being called Xihe Bay Refined Salt?” a hunter carrying a bow and arrows asked.
This time, without needing the assistant to answer, the hunter’s companion said, “Haven’t you heard of Xihe Bay? Haven’t you heard of Mr Jin?”
“Of course I’ve heard… it can’t be, this salt is sold by Mr Jin from Xihe Bay?”
“This big brother is right. The Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce is opened by Mr Jin, so the salt we sell is naturally made by Mr Jin too.”
The assistant said, “That’s why it’s called Xihe Bay Refined Salt!”
Nowadays in Jinchuan County, the most famous person is not the county magistrate, but Jin Feng.
The Xihe Bay bandit suppression team wiped out all the bandits in the county. Farmers no longer have to pay annual tribute, hunters entering the mountains and merchants travelling the roads no longer fear encountering bandits.
Almost all the commoners in Jinchuan County feel grateful towards Jin Feng.
Hearing that the salt was made by Jin Feng, even if they found it unbelievable, the doubts in the commoners’ hearts dissipated by more than half.
How could a great benefactor like Mr Jin produce poisonous salt to harm the people?
“Everyone knows that Mr Jin hates to see the commoners suffer the most. He knows that the people cannot afford salt and lack the strength to work, which pains him greatly.”
Following the shopkeeper’s instructions, the assistant said, “For this reason, Mr Jin asked Marquis Qing for help and found the governor of our Xichuan Road.
Mr Jin, who never speaks kindly to others, said who knows how many good words to the governor just so the commoners could eat salt. Finally, he obtained the salt-making permit and the salt sales rights in our Guangyuan.
Then Mr Jin immediately established the Xihe Bay Salt Factory, determined to let the commoners of Guangyuan eat affordable, safe salt!”
“Let the commoners eat affordable, safe salt. Those words are too well said! Mr Jin is truly a great benefactor!”
“Yes, not only did he help us commoners suppress bandits, he also made such cheap salt!”
“Little brother, such good salt sold at only ten wen per catty, won’t Mr Jin lose money?”
…
“He will definitely lose money, but the gentleman said that money is not brought into the world at birth nor taken away at death. He has no interest in money. As long as it benefits the commoners, even if it means losing money, he will continue doing it.”
The assistant began to stir emotions directly. “Actually, to be honest with everyone, a lot of the money our Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce earned from selling soap has been subsidised into the salt factory.”
The concept that rock salt is poisonous has long been deeply ingrained, so Jin Feng instructed not to reveal for now that refined salt is made from rock salt.
It would not be too late to say it after the commoners accept refined salt in the future.
“Mr Jin is truly the great benefactor of our entire Jinchuan!”
“When I go back later, I must kowtow to Mr Jin’s memorial tablet again!”
The people of Da Kang are very simple and have been tormented by salt merchants for too long. Many people were moved to wipe away tears on the spot upon hearing the assistant say this.
The bandit suppression team led by Qing Munlan first took action in the five county seats of Guangyuan Prefecture.
The bandit suppression team fought under the banners of Zhenyuan Escort Bureau and Jin Feng, so now the commoners in several surrounding counties are also extremely grateful to Jin Feng.
The same scene played out in various county seats of Guangyuan over the next few days.
Then, as ground promotion began, it spread to every village.
With salt, people have the strength to work. Now the commoners call Xihe Bay Refined Salt “ten wen salt”, and some call it “life-saving salt”.
Jin Feng’s reputation in various parts of Guangyuan reached a new peak.
After the initial adjustment period, the salt factory entered a stable development mode. Jin Feng supervised it for a few more days, then handed the salt factory over to a workshop director trained by Tang Dongdong, and returned to Xihe Bay with his personal guard.
The current Xihe Bay changes every day. Jin Feng had only stayed at Double Camel Peak for less than a month, and on the way into the village, several more rows of neat brick and tile houses had appeared.
The open space between Xihe Bay and Guanjia Village was basically all connected by houses.
Just as he was about to enter the village, he encountered Wei Wuya and several elders at the village entrance.
Before Jin Feng could greet them, he saw Wei Wuya bow deeply to him.
The elders even knelt directly on the ground and kowtowed to Jin Feng.
“Mr Wei, what are you all doing?”
Jin Feng quickly dismounted from his war horse and helped Wei Wuya and the elders up. “You are all elderly, and Mr Wei is a highly respected famous doctor. Performing such a grand gesture to me, isn’t this shortening my lifespan?”
“Now who in the entire Guangyuan doesn’t know that Mr Jin is selling refined salt at a loss, saving countless commoners? Many commoners now treat the gentleman as a bodhisattva and enshrine him at home.”
Wei Wuya said, “Let alone this old man just bowing, even kowtowing, the gentleman deserves it.”
Although Jin Feng had heard about this and felt quite pleased, after all, his efforts had been recognised.
But being praised like this to his face still made him a bit embarrassed. He waved his hand and said, “I just did my small bit.
By the way, Mr Wei, how is the disaster situation in Fengshui Town?”
Jin Feng had been worried about Fengshui Town. He did not understand medicine, so all he could do was tell Wei Wuya the transmission routes of malaria and provide some mosquito nets and such.
Actually, Jin Feng knew there was a tree called the cinchona tree, also known as the quinine tree, which was the best natural medicine for treating malaria before artemisinin could be synthesised.
Unfortunately, like high-yield crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and maize, the cinchona tree originated in the Americas, separated from Da Kang by the vast Pacific Ocean. Even if Jin Feng knew about it, there was nothing he could do.
“We still need to develop industry and build ships as soon as possible.”
