Lu Xunguang had always been a man of decisive action. Now that the Lu family's unjust grievances had been cleared and they had gained favor in front of the emperor, the shop assistants were all filled with enthusiasm. The planning of the salt field was carried out in an orderly manner.
Li Ying accompanied Lu Xunguang onto the hot - air balloon. Looking down from the sky, the volcanic island was dotted with salt lakes of various sizes. They were like a bright yellow crescent moon, surrounded by scattered stars, presenting a dazzling and breathtaking beauty.
In the capital, the weather was still cold and warm at odds, making it the most difficult time to get through. Hot springs were still a rare and wonderful place to visit.
Looking at the ever - changing colors of the salt lakes and marveling at the magical craftsmanship of nature, the hot - air balloon journey on this volcanic island was sure to make tourists linger.
Li Ying personally instructed the craftsmen to ensure the safety of the hot - air balloons. Since human lives were at stake, everyone was extremely cautious and did not dare to be the least bit careless.
She also had to personally arrange the souvenirs for the volcanic trip.
Just then, Lu Xunguang sent the first batch of refined lake salt for her to taste. Li Ying frowned slightly, and an idea immediately came to her mind.
Although this lake salt was rich in various minerals, how could ordinary people tell the subtle differences between different kinds of salt with the naked eye?
If they wanted the volcanic lake salt to make a splash, they had to spend more time on seasoning.
Fresh dark red roses were carefully washed, and their petals were picked and dried.
Mao Mao brought a bunch of small red fruits, about the size of peppercorns. When the crispy outer shell was crushed, there was a faint fruit aroma with a hint of sweetness and a bit of spiciness, but it was not pungent. The smell was mild and pleasant.
Li Ying recognized that this pink pepper was most suitable to be eaten with mild - flavored white fish, so that the spice and the meat would complement each other.
The rose petals and pink pepper were ground finely in a mortar and then mixed with the unique red volcanic salt from the volcanic island. This rose salt with a unique flower - fruit aroma, when sprinkled on the rock - grilled fish that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, instantly added a complex fragrance.
Dried tangerine peels were crushed together with lake salt to make golden orange - peel salt. When roasting chicken wings, the unique aroma of citrus gave a special flavor.
Peeled garlic was crushed with lake salt and mixed with dried coriander leaves. After drying, it was sprinkled on bread slices that had been coated with a thick layer of garlic butter and roasted. The salt grains melted in the mouth, leaving a salty, crispy taste.
Li Ying took a few slices of pre - cured streaky pork that had been aged to perfection. She called it "bacon", which was A Man's favorite breakfast.
The bacon was fried until crispy. After it cooled slightly, it was simply crushed into large pieces with a rolling pin.
The crushed bacon was mixed with black pepper and crushed dried chili in lake salt. Whether it was sprinkled on hot white rice or eaten with toasted bread, the rich aroma would whet people's appetites. Or it could be used with sour cream to garnish a salad, giving the bland fruits and vegetables a rich and oily taste.
Following the same idea, Li Ying also made black - sesame salt, matcha salt, and curry salt. Each kind was stored in a delicate small glass bottle, neatly lined up. The bright red of pink pepper and rose, the vivid yellow of turmeric, and the green of tea powder and dried spices were all like a rainbow, colorful and dazzling.
Even a girl like A Man, who had little interest in cooking, couldn't help but be fond of these delicate small jars and play with them over and over again.
"Sister, you're amazing! I was worried that since there was only lake salt on the volcanic island, those high - ranking officials and nobles who came from afar would never have the interest to buy anything. But with these colorful flavored salts, we don't have to worry anymore!"
A Man showed her joy without any concealment, while Li Ying just smiled faintly.
The souvenirs from the volcanic island were not limited to flavored salts.
"A Man, are you interested in making some handicrafts with me?"
A Man naturally nodded repeatedly. Lu Xunguang had already sent the untreated raw salt from the salt lake as she had instructed.
Li Ying prepared various essential oils and mixed them into the lake salt according to different effects such as soothing the nerves, calming the mind, and refreshing the spirit.
The molds were carved by Lu Xunguang and her together. They carefully engraved patterns on the mahogany, then tightly joined the two parts together, leaving only a small hole for pouring in the lake salt.
The lake salt soaked in essential oil was carefully stuffed into the mold and tapped repeatedly to ensure that every detail was tightly packed.
The salt crystals that had been dampened would condense into large, solid chunks even after being dried again.
Taking advantage of this natural property of lake salt, after demolding and brushing a layer of boiled fish glue, a flawless salt sculpture could be made.
These salt sculptures were vivid and emitted a faint fragrance of essential oil. Placed in the bedroom, they were extremely elegant.
If a more obvious nerve - soothing effect was desired, different Chinese herbal medicine powders could be added when preparing the salt paste. After drying, the salt sculptures would also take on different elegant colors, adding a special charm.
A Man was still a young and inexperienced girl. This work was not very complicated. She followed Li Ying, selected essential oils with her favorite scents, and prepared different salt pastes. She was very busy and happy.
Before long, there were several salt sculptures of different sizes in front of them, including statues of the solemn Avalokitesvara and Maitreya Buddha, as well as cute cat and dog statues.
"Sister, these salt sculptures are really interesting!"
A Man looked at her own masterpiece happily. With her sister's help, every business could be well - managed.
However, there was not much relaxation on Li Ying's face.
She turned around and met Lu Xunguang's gloomy eyes.
Their eyes met, and they understood each other without words.
Whether it was the colorful flavored salts or the salt sculptures, in the final analysis, they were just gimmicks to attract the ladies in the inner chambers.
If they really wanted the lake salt from the volcanic island to make a big splash, they had to show some real skills.
This was the key for the Lu family, as a newly - emerged salt merchant, to stand out from the long - established and powerful aristocratic families.
It sounded easy to say, but it was actually very difficult to achieve.
Lu Xunguang looked thoughtful, while Li Ying just smiled indifferently.
"Brother Lu, take a look at the 'colorful lake salt' just now. Isn't there something missing?"
She pushed the bottles in front of her.
Red, orange, yellow, and green.
Yes.
There was only one color missing, the most mysterious imperial purple.
"A Ying...?"
Lu Xunguang raised his eyebrows and looked at her. Li Ying smiled confidently.
"Brother Lu, how can the revival of the Lu family rely on you alone? Have you forgotten the vast bamboo forests left by Lady Lu for your comeback?"
"Perhaps, have you ever heard of the nine - roasted bamboo salt?"