"Father, it's my ignorance!" Lu Xunguang said.
The big boss pulled Lu Xunguang up. Father and son looked into each other's eyes, both filled with endless emotions.
Finally, it was Li Ying who broke the silence with a smiling face. "Big boss, as long as you recover your health, you two will have plenty of time to catch up in the future."
The big boss nodded and then got down to business.
"Since Commissioner Lin has sent people to buy over the spies in Xikang and the Hu regions, he must know the wonders of the Red Water Spiritual Spring. I'm afraid we won't be able to hide the news that we've refined the Nine - Dynasty Tribute Gelatin from him."
Commissioner Lin was a scheming man who spared no effort to collect rare treasures from all over the world and present them to the emperor in order to secure his official career. Now that he knew about such a rare and nourishing item, he would surely stop at nothing to obtain it.
Rather than waiting for Commissioner Lin to come and bully them, they might as well strike first!
Moreover, the root of the Ping'an Bank was in the capital. After being away for so many years, it was time to regroup and make a comeback.
After a brief discussion, the three of them unanimously decided that they would set off for the capital after the big boss had recovered a bit.
Leaving Lu Xunguang and the big boss to catch up, Li Ying walked out of the room. She had another important matter to attend to.
Since they had decided on the transactions along the Ancient Tea - Horse Road, they had to get the seaweed farm up and running before leaving the village.
Coincidentally, Zhu'er came to report the latest progress of the pearl cultivation. Li Ying immediately taught her the technique of cultivating kelp.
She arranged for the villagers to sort out all kinds of seaweeds in the coastal waters, select the suitable seedlings, and tightly twist them between two strands of hemp ropes.
Kelp prefers a low - light environment and usually grows in clear water. Its roots are deeply embedded in the muddy and rocky seabed. When harvesting, one has to dive deep underwater, which is extremely dangerous.
Although Zhu'er and the villagers were good divers and were familiar with the water, and their physiques were different from ordinary people, Li Ying really didn't want to see them take such risks.
Coconut shells were light, fibrous, and strong, not easily decaying. Tied together with hemp ropes, they became natural floating balls.
These floating balls were connected to bamboo rafts. The roots of the kelp seedlings were clamped between the hemp ropes and couldn't move. The seedlings were like inverted arrows, plunging into the deep sea, allowing the roots and the seedlings to fully soak up the sunlight.
When it came time to harvest, one only needed to stand on the boat and pull the ropes. With little effort, they could safely drag the entire string of kelp, which could be several meters long, out of the water.
This "single - clamping and flat - cultivation" method only required manpower when separating and clamping the seedlings. During the growth period, one only needed to regularly adjust the water layer and water quality, and check whether the floating ropes and pile ropes were worn out. It was really easy.
For Sargassum fusiforme and Sargassum thunbergii, the "cluster - clamping" method was used. Five or six small seedlings were clamped on a raft - type soft frame with appropriate gaps and then sunk into the sea together.
Several large, smooth pools were built. Seawater was introduced, and the cute little sea grape seedlings were tied to hollow honeycomb - shaped bamboo mats and gently sunk into the pools.
In the cold winter, it would take two months to harvest. In summer, it only took twenty days to get a large number of plump and crystal - clear sea grapes.
Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, Li Ying secretly cheated. She took a few seaweeds, rinsed them repeatedly, shook off the spores attached to the leaves, and quietly put them into her space for cultivation.
The space had a constant temperature and humidity, just like a natural laboratory. The invisible seaweed spores germinated here, grew into delicate seedlings, and were then secretly thrown onto the beach by Li Ying, pretending to be "accidentally" washed up by the waves. The villagers happily picked them up and tied them to the frames for cultivation.
When the first batch of seaweeds matured, only the mature algae were cut off during the harvest, and the rhizoids on the frames were retained. The seaweed spores could then continue to grow and reproduce in the sea, providing a continuous supply.
The harvested kelp was pickled on - site with sea salt. Sargassum fusiforme and laver were washed to remove the sea sand, sun - dried, and packaged separately, and then could be sold to mountain villages along the "Ancient Tea - Horse Road".
The kelp seedlings were as thin as cicada wings. They only needed to be blanched in a boiling spicy oil hot - pot base for a few seconds before they were cooked. When served in hot - pot restaurants, they immediately became a must - order dish for every table of diners.
Sea grapes had a crispy texture and a round and cute appearance, like small green jade beads. When made into a cold salad, the young ladies in the boudoir ate them as a "weight - loss meal" and enjoyed them very much.
The slender sea hairweed, after being washed to remove impurities and briefly boiled, could produce a layer of red oil. Its quality was truly excellent.
Soaked dried oysters and sea cucumbers were stewed with large chunks of pig's trotters. After they became soft and flavorful, hairweed was added, and the soup was thickened. This dish, "Stewed Pig's Trotters with Dried Oysters and Hairweed", was full of delicious gelatin in every bite and also had the auspicious meaning of "Good things will come and fortune will follow". Businessmen who dined at Li's Restaurant all praised it.
With her extensive publicity, within a few days, the seaweed farm received a thick stack of orders.
Li Ying looked at the tens of thousands of straight bamboo poles on the tidal flat from afar, forming square net frames that stretched for miles. Although this ten - thousand - mu "marine ranch" for seaweed cultivation was ultimately her idea, she still couldn't help but be in awe.
She secretly planned to prepare a few more appetizers. She must "trick" Yan Lianzhi over to paint a couple of freehand paintings of this magnificent seaweed pond.
In this way, the "tourists" who came from afar would surely add this place as a "check - in spot" to their itinerary and would definitely take some various seaweeds as souvenirs.
Li Ying was full of enthusiasm and told this plan to several stewards in the village. But they just looked at each other, looking hesitant to speak.
After a long time, Zhu'er carefully said, "Sister Ying, your idea is really great, but... you once said that if the seawater has excessive nutrients, it will form that so - called 'red tide', and the fish and shrimp will be poisoned and inedible..."
"Our village has already been cultivating a lot of pearl oysters. If we start this seaweed farm... will it..."
She stammered and secretly glanced at Li Ying's expression as she spoke.
Li Ying didn't expect that this girl actually had a bit of "environmental awareness" and a sense of preparedness. She secretly admired her and smiled indifferently.
"You're right. Coastal aquaculture may indeed increase the eutrophication of seawater. That's why we need to plant seaweeds."
These seaweeds could not only purify the water quality but also provide nutrients for shellfish, which was beneficial for the growth of pearl oysters and fish. They could also be fermented into compost for the cultivation of various crops in the village. They could even be made into seaweed paper for packaging and sent to various places, becoming a calling card for the fishing village.
In this way, it would not only do no harm but also truly make the best use of everything, achieving two goals at once.
After hearing her so confidently, the few villagers finally put aside their last bit of worry and sincerely bowed to Li Ying.
"Boss Li, you're really resourceful! We'll do whatever you say and work hard!"