Previously, Søren's understanding of Stony Island was only superficial.
Now that he was here, he realized that the natural environment was better than he had imagined. There was not much rain throughout the year, and the conditions for sunbathing were very good.
Although it was the end of summer, it was located in the southeast. Even at the end of autumn, the temperature was still around 20 to 30 degrees Celsius.
Moreover, the sea breeze was endless, and the salt could be sunned almost all year round.
Therefore, it was the best place to start a saltworks.
Søren was a liberal arts student, and did not know much about science and engineering. As for the saltworks, it was only by chance that he learned about them.
Because he was an art student, he had to go around sketching. Perhaps because he felt that he was not broad-minded enough, he especially liked grasslands and open places like the sea.
Once, he accidentally passed by a large saltworks. Looking at the white salt on the surface, like snow, he was instantly moved.
Therefore, he not only painted in the saltworks, but also shot many short films.
However, at that time, his attention was focused on the visual impact. For example, the spectacular view of the saltworks, the white salt that looked like snow, and the wonderful moment of salt crystallization.
As for the structure of the saltworks, he really did not pay much attention to the theory of salt drying.
Even now, when he was planning the saltworks, he still had to recall the situation at that time, and even had to imagine it.
However, the so-called salt drying was more of a breakthrough in concept, and did not have a very profound theory.
It was nothing more than leading the seawater into the ponds, and then one pond after another, divided into evaporation ponds and crystallization ponds. The later the ponds, the thicker the brine. At the end of the crystallization, it seemed that he had to wait for the salt to settle, the brine to rise, and then the water to be drained?
He also could not remember how to purify the coarse salt, or how to turn it snow-white. It seemed that for crystallization, he needed to use alkali?
And finally, the crystallization ponds had to be waterproof, and the bottom had to be waterproof.
In short, Søren wrote down everything he could think of, and arranged a reasonable construction schedule for the entire saltworks.
As for the production of salt pans, Søren roughly understood that the annual production of ten thousand mu of salt pans on modern Earth was more than ten thousand tons. Even in the nineteenth century, it was more than a few thousand tons.
How many salt pans could be developed in the northern part of Stony Island? More than a hundred thousand mu!
Therefore, even with the most backward method, the final production would be more than ten thousand tons.
…
When the salt slave leaders heard Søren suggest changing the method of boiling salt to sun-drying salt, they didn't say anything, but they couldn't believe it.
The master in front of him was indulging in the wildest fantasy. For thousands of years, from the time of the ancestors, salt had been boiled. No one had ever heard of sun-dried salt. Besides, how could the sun dry up seawater? How could it produce salt?
It wasn't just the salt slaves who didn't believe it, even Suo Mu and the other clan leaders didn't dare to believe it.
However, their master had already performed too many miracles, so even if they didn't dare to believe it, they didn't dare to doubt it.
However, they would think, if salt could be produced from the sun, why had no one done it before?
However, Søren didn't need them to believe him now. He was the supreme master. Even if he didn't gain anything, as long as he gave the order, the one hundred family warriors and more than a thousand salt slaves would unconditionally obey him.
"I know you don't understand and are full of doubt, but it doesn't matter. You only need to obey orders." Søren said, "Do you hear me?"
"Yes!" Whether it was the family warrior leaders or the salt people leaders, they all shouted in unison.
"I order that starting today, the first batch of experimental salt pans will be opened. The total area will be five hundred mu, and it must be completed within twenty days." Søren straightforwardly ordered, "Can it be completed?"
The family warrior leaders and salt people leaders had no concept of the so-called five hundred mu of salt pans.
But as long as their master gave the order, even if it couldn't be completed, they had to complete it.
"Yes!" Everyone shouted in unison.
Of course, five hundred mu of salt pans sounded like a lot, but most of the salt pans only needed to dig a flat pit.
The most difficult part was the crystallization pond. To prevent salt from seeping in, they needed to lay flat stone slabs.
Next, Søren began the detailed division of labor.
Right now, there were a total of one hundred family warriors and more than one thousand five hundred salt people on the island. Thus, Søren divided them into one hundred small groups and ten large groups.
Each warrior led fifteen salt people in a small group. Every middle and high level warrior was in charge of ten small groups.
The construction tasks were specifically assigned to each small group.
Some were responsible for digging ditches, some for digging salt pans, some for transporting soil, and some for cutting stone slabs.
In short, the division of labor for each group was very clear, and the tasks were also very clear. Whoever could not complete the tasks would be punished.
This kind of division of labor meeting lasted for a full day and night.
Luckily, these family warriors had received high level education from a young age and were skilled in both the pen and the sword. Managing a dozen salt people was a piece of cake.
And these salt people were slaves. Although they were not smart, they obeyed orders unconditionally.
Thus, this kind of team was the most logical and perfect combination.
… …
On the third day, these one thousand salt people who were injured from hunger were allowed to rest for a day, and a small portion of them were given strength recovery training.
On the fourth day, even though these salt people had not fully recovered, under Søren's orders, the entire rocky island entered a high tide of construction.
Everyone went to work. More than a hundred family warriors and more than a thousand adult salt people.
The rest of the old and weak salt people were in charge of logistics and cooking.
The entire northern part of the rocky island had become a bustling primitive construction site. Everyone was sweating profusely as they worked with all their might.
Also, under the command of more than a hundred high-quality warriors, everything was in order.
These family warriors had an almost perverted pursuit of honor. Even though they did not know why their master was digging the salt pans. They did not know if the so-called method of drying salt would work.
But they only knew one thing. Their master's orders had to be completed. Even if they did not understand, they had to complete it.
If they could not complete it, they would have to reflect on it in front of everyone and be punished by their master. That was completely unacceptable.
On that lonely mountain on the south bank of the Nu River, they were even willing to die to clear their names. Now, for the honor of the warriors, they drove every salt person like crazy. They were also in charge of the most difficult parts of the work.
And these one thousand salt people had long been tamed to the extreme. They only knew how to obey orders. And with the temptation of three meals a day, every one of them worked like their lives depended on it.
Also, this was saline-alkali land with loose soil. Digging ponds was the easiest thing to do.
The most difficult part was the crystallization pond. They had to lay stone slabs under the pond to prevent it from seeping through. But the Rocky Peninsula did not have anything else, but it had plenty of stones.
At this time, the chance for the Dragon Power-type warriors to perform came. They took out black-gilded swords that were worth hundreds of gold coins and slashed at the stones. It was a complete and smooth stone slab.
…
Under this almost crazy state of work, the first batch of five hundred mu of experimental salt pans was dug out in just thirteen days with more than one thousand and six hundred people.
Even though it was very simple, it had all the functions and all the ponds.
The last crystallization pond was paved with smooth stone slabs. The stone slabs were all tightly sewn together.
This was the power of a group. Everyone present did not know what their master wanted to do. They did not dare to believe that this so-called salt pans could produce salt.
But they still completed the task that Søren had given them in advance.
After the first batch of salt pans was dug out, most of them immediately went to dig the second batch.
A hundred people were left behind to start the first drying of salt on this batch of salt pans.
Under Søren's orders, while the tide was rising, dozens of people dug ditches and diverted seawater into the evaporation pond.
Looking at the seawater surging into the evaporation pond, Søren muttered to himself, "My gold coins, my foundation, all of it will come from here."
Just like that, the first batch of salt drying in Søren's territory officially began!
Everyone on the Rocky Island paid attention to it 24/7. This was because the success of the salt drying was completely related to the survival of the Suo Family.
…
Time passed day by day. These hundreds of salt men completely followed Søren's orders and diverted the brine into the new salt pond. They continuously filtered, evaporated, and brought in new seawater.
There were many mistakes in the process, most of which were due to Søren's wrong orders. However, everything was progressing in an orderly manner.
In less than ten days, the brine with the highest concentration finally entered the crystallization pond.
These crystallization ponds took everyone's efforts. They were all paved with flat stones.
Whether they could succeed or not depended on the next two days.
Even Søren couldn't help but secretly pray that it wouldn't rain. Because he didn't even prepare a lot of defensive tarpaulins. Once it rained, all the previous efforts would be in vain.
Maybe it was God's blessing, or maybe it didn't rain even if it wanted to. The following days were cloudless and there wasn't even a drop of rain.
These days, the conditions of the sun were really good. Not to mention the fact that there was no rain at all.
The sun was blazing, the sea breeze was blowing, and the daily temperature was at least 30 or 40 degrees.
Every night, the temperature was the lowest, and it was also the best time for the brine to crystallize. The salt pond gradually sank, and the brine gradually rose.
"Drain." Under Søren's orders, dozens of salt men immediately used bamboo pipes to drain the floating brine into the ditches dug next to them.
Could they successfully produce salt and crystallize? It was completely related to the survival of the Suo Family. So, at this time, the whole salt pan was full of suffocating tension.
But Suo Ningbing and Ye Jingyu were too nervous to sleep. They ignored Søren's urging and sat by the crystallization pond overnight.
It was as if the heavens would appreciate their sincerity and allow Sauron to succeed.
And not only Suo Ningbing and Ye Jingyu, but also other family warrior leaders and salt men leaders were all waiting by the crystallization pond regardless of the early work tomorrow.
Waiting, it was a completely anxious wait.
"I'm going to sleep first. Wake me up when the salt crystallizes." Søren said, and then walked towards the small castle.
As for Suo Ningbing, her beautiful eyes stared at the crystallization pond. She refused to go back to sleep.
…
Søren was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly woken up by Ye Jingyu's voice. He looked up and saw that the sky was just beginning to brighten.
"Salt, salt really came out." Ye Jingyu's voice was filled with excitement and ecstasy.
Søren immediately got up and ran towards the salt pan.
At this time, the crystallization pond was already surrounded by people. There were already dozens of people in the pond, constantly pushing the salt.
Under the pushing of wooden boards, only the snow-white salt could be seen piling up layer by layer, more and more and more.
Everyone around the salt pan was completely stunned.
It turned out that the sun could really produce salt. It turned out that this was the way to do it.
Immediately, the warriors of the Suo Clan and the salt people looked at Sauron with eyes filled with boundless enthusiasm.
Once again, once again, their master had created a miracle.
Dozens of people began to harvest the sea salt on the crystallization field with crazy joy.
Four hours later, the final output was out. Immediately, everyone was completely stunned. This, this was too incredible!
This wasn't salt at all, it was gold coins.
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