Chapter 120: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 120: Let’s Make Charcoal Together
Xu Yueyao had suspected for a while that some things were no longer as she remembered. Last night, many things were confirmed.
Among them, Xu Yuannong's mother was the mistress kept by the Marquis of Jinyang in the capital, who was quite favored by him. It was said that she was currently pregnant.
Thus, she could frequently visit Xu Yuannong.
The caretaker aunt pretended not to notice, allowing it to happen. Therefore, Xu Yueyao was aware of the news that came from her.
She learned that the explosion at the Grand Princess's villa happened yesterday, but fortunately, no one was injured.
Neither the Grand Princess nor her attendants had been harmed.
The more Xu Yueyao heard, the more unsettled she became, fearing others might suspect her and not daring to ask too many questions.
Something felt off. This shouldn’t be happening!
The Grand Princess and her beloved grandchildren should have all perished in the explosion!
The two sons of the Grand Princess should be feeling guilty and anxious because of this incident.
Moreover, both households would be left with fewer people.
But now everyone was alive?
This didn’t make sense!
Also...
The sixth son of the Qi Prince had indeed returned safely.
He was whole and unharmed.
These tidings left Xu Yueyao extremely uneasy.
Meanwhile, little Suisui was filled with joy!
Although Qi Wangfei thought playing with charcoal was too dirty and could easily ruin their clothes and faces, the happiness of children was what mattered most.
So, she gritted her teeth and brought Suisui along.
Making charcoal wasn’t a simple task.
If the proportions weren’t right, it could affect the quality of the final product significantly.
Suisui remembered the proportions but didn’t quite understand them.
She knew how to divide them, but when it came to actually making it, she was at a loss.
“What about this way?”
“What if we do it like this?”
“Is this okay?”
...
At first, Suisui was puzzled about what to do.
Being a clever yet naïve girl, she didn't grasp the concept behind the proportions.
So, she thought, if unsure of what to do, why not try every possible ratio?
After all, one of them must be correct, right?
She started with a small amount of yellow mud, then added charcoal residue, and finally some water, and began to mix.
The water ratio was also important, but she managed that part well.
As she got into the rhythm, Suisui lost track of how she initially divided the materials.
Once focused, she forgot the time and her surroundings.
After creating a large batch of charcoal, her face itched, and she rubbed it; her head itched, so she rubbed it again.
She ended up with smudges of dirt and water all over her.
Watching Suisui transform into a muddy little creature, Qi Wangfei couldn’t help but laugh.
Initially reluctant to get dirty, seeing Suisui enjoy herself so much, she felt her own childishness stir within.
After glancing back and forth, she finally rolled up her sleeves and joined in.
Seeing this, Aunt Qiu’s brows twitched as she started planning for Qi Wangfei's spare clothes.
With clothes in mind, Aunt Qiu felt more at ease.
Meanwhile, Nuan Dong and Nuan Xia squatted nearby, watching the little girl play.
Noticing Qi Wangfei joining in, the two girls exchanged glances, their eyes filled with longing.
However, they hesitated to join.
Qi Wangfei, understanding their intentions, smiled and encouraged, “You can join her! The most important thing is that she has fun.”
With Qi Wangfei's permission, the two girls timidly approached the yellow mud and charcoal residue.
This looked fun!
Though messy, it seemed quite entertaining.
As Qi Wangfei played with Suisui, she observed the little girl’s final charcoal creations.
The little rounds had small holes poked in them.
Curious, Qi Wangfei asked, “Why so many little holes? Are they for stuffing spices?”
Qi Wangfei had arranged for spices that could be added to the charcoal.
But Suisui declined, saying she wasn’t sure she could get it right and didn’t want to waste them.
Qi Wangfei guessed the holes might serve to hold spices.
After all, once added, they would have the same burning effect, right?
However, the charcoal they were making had very little yellow mud.
It merely acted as a binder.
In contrast, Suisui had added quite a lot of it.
Though the proportions were designed for her enjoyment, Suisui seemed genuinely interested in those mixtures.
She was meticulous in her work, constantly adjusting the size of the charcoal pieces and the holes.
Each hole was poked in with the same finger.
When Qi Wangfei inquired about the holes, Suisui tilted her head and explained, “They help it burn better.”
The holes allowed better air circulation, making it easier and more efficient to ignite.
That’s why this type of charcoal had the best cost-performance ratio.
Noble families might not mind the cost, as evidenced by their willingness to add spices.
However, for poorer families...
Having a piece of charcoal that burned longer and more thoroughly would be immensely valuable!
By adding a certain proportion of yellow mud, the charcoal’s cost decreased, and its longevity increased, making it affordable for many families to stock up for the winter.
Though summer was approaching, winter always followed.
In some areas with limited firewood, families began stocking up on winter charcoal as early as spring.
Qi Wangfei didn’t need to understand the technicalities of burning better; she just needed to know the charcoal price and how much to purchase each winter.
Hearing Suisui’s explanation made her want to pat the little girl’s head, but seeing her fingers covered in soot, she had to give up for now: “My Suisui is so clever!”
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