Traveling through ancient times, I led my family to prosperity

Xiao Lan was worrying about where to get quicklime, and when she sighed, Zhang Qingfeng happened to hear her. "Why are you sighing, little kid?"

Xiao Lan told Zhang Qingfeng that she was currently short of clam shells.

Zhang Qingfeng laughed and said, "It's not that difficult. There are plenty of these in Xishan. I'll take you to the river to pick them up later."

It was then that Xiao Lan learned that there was a river on the mountain of Xishan Village where the Zhang family lived. In the summer, many clams could be fished out of the river, and the children often went to the river to pick up clams. The clams that died naturally in the river were piled up by the river. They were useless, so they just stayed there.

Xiao Lan was overjoyed after hearing this and nodded immediately in agreement.

Collect the wood ash in the kitchen stove, put the ash into the pot, and slowly add water to the ash. The ratio of wood ash to water is about one to two. After the two are mixed, they need to be stirred continuously until a thick wood ash aqueous solution is formed. Then slowly boil it over a fire. This is the process of making alkali. Then filter out the alkali water with gauze.

Put the clam shells in a garlic mortar and crush them into powder. Pour the powder into alkaline water, stir well and filter again with gauze. This will minimize the impurities in the alkaline solution.

After the lye solution is left to stand overnight, the impurities sink to the bottom of the water, and the top layer becomes clear lye water.

Xiao Lan had seen Zhang make lard several times, and now she was very familiar with it. The last time she and Sheng Xuan went to the town to sell deer, they bought a set of lard that they hadn't made yet. Now that the weather is so cold, the lard will not go bad if it is frozen outside. Xiao Lan took the lard back to the kitchen yesterday to wait.

Xiao Lan first washed the lard with clean water, and cut the lard into pieces with a knife. The pieces should not be too big, otherwise it will be difficult to boil out the oil, nor should they be cut too thin, otherwise the oil will burn easily. After the lard is cut, put it into a hot iron pot. The heat for boiling oil is very particular. It should not be too small, otherwise the oil will be slow to come out, nor should it be too strong, otherwise the oil will burn easily and the whole pot of oil will not be fragrant.

Xiaowen was responsible for making fire, while Xiaolan and Xiaoting were responsible for boiling oil.

Zhang heard a few days ago that Xiaolan was thinking about how to make soap, which is said to be a kind of soap that can be used to wash hands and clothes. Xiaolan had mentioned this idea before, but she had never put it into practice. Now she may have thought of it again when she saw her family washing clothes. Zhang was deeply comforted by the fact that the child sympathized with her mother's hard work in washing clothes. Although she felt sad that lard was needed to make soap, it was bought with money. Isn't it a waste to use it to make soap?

Although she felt distressed, she still supported Xiaolan's experiment as always. Her family was able to earn this fortune because of Xiaolan's constant efforts. If it weren't for Xiaolan, in this famine, her family would probably be like other families, not only living a hard life, but even worse off than them. It is very likely that the whole family would need to flee the famine.

After the oil was refined, Xiao Lan prepared a large jar in advance and scooped the boiled oil into the jar to cool.

Pour the lye solution into the cooled lard, add salt, and stir continuously in one direction. Then a magical thing happens: the lye water and lard turn into a creamy paste.

The Zhang family did not participate in Xiaolan's soap making process because they knew the importance of the secret recipe. The so-called secret recipe is generally not passed on to others. Although they live in Xiaolan's house, they are surnamed Zhang after all. Now is a bad year, and when the year is good, they will still move out. However, Xiaolan did not think too much, and she did the whole process by herself. Xiaoting and Xiaowen witnessed the whole process of stirring.

"Second sister, this is too magical, right? Is this soap?" Xiao Wen asked.

"It's not ready yet, it still needs to be shaped." Xiao Lan said as she put the paste into the bamboo tube. "After three days, the paste will be almost solidified. Then open the bamboo tube, cut the soap and dry it in the sun for about a month, and then you can use it to wash hands and clothes."

Xiaowen and Xiaoting's eyes lit up when they heard this, and they were full of anticipation for the soap.

After the paste was poured into the bamboo tube, the oil shuttle made from refining oil had also cooled down. Xiao Lan took out a spoonful of sugar and poured it in and stirred it evenly.

"Second sister, can you eat fried dough sticks like this? Didn't we always season them with salt before?" Xiao Wen asked.

"Yes." Xiao Lan picked up a piece with chopsticks and put it in her mouth to taste it. "It's very delicious."

After the three siblings had eaten a piece each, Xiaolan asked Xiaowen to bring a bowl to Xiaoyan, Xiaohu, Xiaoqiang and Xiaocheng.

Yousuozi and white sugar are both rare delicacies in rural areas. It was the first time for everyone to try eating them together. Xiaolan and Xiaoting waited until Xiaowen came back before they started to share the food. Xiaowen ate especially slowly, chewing his food slowly with great care.

"It's so delicious." Xiaowen narrowed his eyes at the double happiness of oil sticks and white sugar.

Xiaoting also nodded and said it was delicious. Zhang and Shengxuan saw the children eating happily, and they felt sad and happy. They felt sad because Xiaolan was the one who made money for the family. The child started to earn money for the family at such a young age. They felt sorry for the child, and they were happy because they were happy to have such a daughter.

When the New Year comes, the Sheng family is particularly lively.

Every year when washing clothes, sheets and quilts, Shen would be scolded. She originally thought that since Xiaoyuan had married this year, she would have an easier time as a mother-in-law. However, when Pang Xiu'e went to her parents' home to have some free time, Cui scolded her again. She used the same old words, which made her ears calloused. "There are so many holes in your body. Do you have teeth? You are a spendthrift. After washing, sew up the broken parts for me."

Shen grumbled with resentment, "I am already a mother-in-law, and I expected her to help with some housework, but I never expected that she would have a headache or backache every day, and I still have to serve her in the end. What kind of person did I marry?"

When Pang Xiu'e first came into the family, Shen was extremely happy. She thought that in the future someone would finally take care of the laundry and cooking for her. However, she never expected that her daughter-in-law seldom worked, and when she had to work, she felt pain here and there, and had to run back to her parents' home every few days. Shen was so angry that she complained to Xiaoyuan several times, but it was of no use.