I'm surprised when suddenly someone tugged me from behind when I turn my head, it's my uncle Jason who tugged me.
"What makes you smile so wide like that Henry? Share some of your happiness to your uncle"
"Don't tease me like that uncle. I just calculate how much salt I can bring back to the castle when I return"
"Oh? How much?
"Twenty kilos!"
I saw my uncle Jason's jaw was open wide and his eyes look at me with disbelief expression.
"You're joking, right? Henry, do you know the price of salt right now?"
"One silver coin for a sack with weight about 100 grams, right?"
"That would be more at places that far away from salt mine. One silver coin enough to feed two people for one month, twenty kilos enough to support 400 people for one month, and you'll get it only in several days?"
In this country currency, most common currency is copper, bronze, silver, and gold. 100 copper coins equal one bronze coin, 100 bronze coin equal one silver coin, and 100 silver coins equal with one gold coin. But gold coins only circulated in Capital, so the most common currency is copper, bronze, and silver coins.
"That's only rough calculation uncle, this also depends on how fast the evaporation time for each pot. My calculation based on assumption need one day to evaporated the whole pot using firewood, but if it can be done faster, the more salt will we gain"
Hearing my explanation, my uncle also starts to grin from ear to ear. Looking at how my uncle grinning, I can help but tease him.
"Now you're grinning like me just now. Don't say I'm not sharing my happiness with you, uncle"
"You brat! Hahaha….my sister will proud to have a son like you"
Uncle Jason let loose a loud laugh before his expression became serious again.
"I understand now, why you ask party member that can be trusted for this journey. If this method leaked to the outsider, those with large beach territory will become the richest person in the country"
"Uncle, this method sooner or later will reveal. If outsider can't get it from our people mouth, they will send spies to search places which made this salt. Because of that, while the iron still hot, I want to fill the market that still desperate need of salt"
"Henry…you already thought that far? If the salt process method is no longer secret what will you do?"
"Don't worry uncle, in the future, salt is not only our commodity to trade. There will be other products that can be sold at a high price"
I already have a grand design of what will Harvard territory going to sell after salt, but I haven't tell anyone about it because I need to make experiment first before this thing can be made.
"Henry, what is the plan for tomorrow?"
"We clear some space near the beach to make salt pool uncle, not just one pool but at least two pools. We also should make a barrack for the workers, they can't sleep in a tent for too long. That hut near pier seems good to make a barrack, just tear it down and build a barrack over it. Also, that old pier, if possible repaired, we can make a boat for fishing in the sea"
"No problem, leave that to me. But it all takes times"
"It's okay uncle, I don't expect those can be done in one night thou"
"Hahaha….if the second batch of worker arrived, we can do it faster. I had arranged for them to arrive one week later with more logistic and supply. With more men, we can make more salt pool here"
"Ah right, let me explain the salt pool system uncle. The first pool called condensation pool, that to make the seawater condensate and have higher salt content. After the seawater condensates, it water drained to the second pool, called crystallization pool. In this pool, the water will fully evaporate until leave only salt crystal. After condensation pool finishes drained, new seawater batch flowed again into the pool and wait until condensate again before drained again into crystallization pool. This circle is repetitious until the salt crystal in crystallization pool ready to harvest.
I explain it by making some drawing in the sand. My uncle watches the drawing while nodded as understanding.
"Henry, since this beach is not wide enough, we will make it in the forest near beach right?"
"Yes uncle, that's what our lumberjack for. Besides, we can use the lumber to build a temporary settlement here"
"Why not make a village here, Henry? It more feasible and easier to do"
"If the worker doesn't mind live here is no problem uncle, but they must endure hardship during the village building"
"Hmmp. Who's afraid a little hardship for a bright future. Don't worry Henry, within a month, this desolate place will turn into a lively village"
"Ah, I will entrust uncle for this job then"
"Hahaha. Leave that to me, maybe this not end just become a village but can grow into a town later"
"Um. I also expect that uncle"
"Alright, it's already late, why don't you take a rest, Henry. You must be tired from a long journey"
"Okay uncle, I'll take a rest for a while in my tent"
We parting this way, I go to my tent to rest while my uncle keeps patrolling around the camp to prevent the unwanted incident.