Chapter 71: Sugar Making

The wind roared outside.

After purchasing a servant, Cao Xi had even less to do. Xing’er spent the entire day with her, and Cao Xi didn’t know what Qin Zhao had discussed with Xing’er.

Cao Xi instructed Banli to buy some sweet potatoes. She planned to make a complete sweet potato feast that night for Qin Zhao to try.

In the morning, with time to spare, Cao Xi directed the maids to peel and cut the sweet potatoes, then boil them in water until cooked. She continued to heat the remaining sweet potato water.

Xing’er stayed by Cao Xi’s side the whole time, fanning her diligently.

“Madam, it’s too hot. Your health isn’t great—why don’t you rest? I’ll handle this.”

Cao Xi smiled and said, “You don’t understand. I’m making sugar. Once it’s ready, I’ll let you have some.”

Xing’er blushed at Cao Xi’s words and stopped trying to dissuade her. However, her gaze remained fixed on Cao Xi, worried something might go wrong.

Meanwhile, one of the older maids whispered to another, “What sugar-making? Isn’t this just wasting food?”

She had never heard of making sugar from sweet potatoes before.

“Do what you’re told and stop talking so much,” Zhang Po snapped. She increasingly disliked Zhang Po, who was far too chatty. A servant should know better than to meddle in the master’s affairs and speak without consideration.

Hearing their murmurs, Cao Xi didn’t pay them any mind. After all, what she was doing probably did seem like nonsense to them.

“Keep the fire going so the water stays boiling,” Cao Xi instructed, ignoring the others’ opinions.

Despite her chattiness, Zhang Po worked hard. As time passed, the sweet potato water thickened.

“It’s ready now. You can stop the fire and scoop out the sugar while it’s hot,” Cao Xi announced.

The two maids’ eyes widened in shock. They had never expected that sweet potatoes could indeed be boiled into sugar.

At first, they thought Cao Xi was just messing around, but it turned out they were the ignorant ones. The sweet potato sugar was set aside in a cool, shaded spot.

“Once it’s fully cooled, it’ll be ready to eat,” Cao Xi said, looking at the sugar cooling in the corner, satisfaction written all over her face.

She then instructed Zhang Po to mash the remaining sweet potatoes into a paste, mix them with flour, and make sweet potato pancakes.

Cao Xi also prepared a few simple dishes and kept them warm in the pot, ready for Qin Zhao to enjoy when he returned.

After helping Cao Xi into the room, Xing’er finally let out a long sigh of relief.

“Madam, would you like some water?”

Leaning against the bedframe, Cao Xi replied, “Bring me a cup.”

When she saw the plain water in the cup, she was puzzled. “Is there no tea in the house?”

Xing’er explained, “Master said that tea isn’t good for the baby, so starting today, you can’t drink tea anymore.”

“What? I can’t even drink tea now?” Cao Xi was stunned.

“If you really want to, I’ll go ask the master,” Xing’er offered.

Qin Zhao entered wearing a deep maroon official robe. His posture was upright, exuding an air of elegance and grandeur. Although his eyes carried a hint of a smile, his overall demeanor was so commanding that it was impossible to ignore.

“You’re back.”

Just as Cao Xi attempted to rise, Qin Zhao approached her, helping her up and naturally wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Let’s eat.”

Cao Xi instructed Xing’er to set the table, then turned to Qin Zhao with a smile. “I made sweet potato cakes today, and there’s also some sweet potato sugar in the kitchen for you to try.”

Feigning mild reproach, Qin Zhao replied, “You’ve been working again.”

“No, I wasn’t. I just sat on the side and gave some instructions. All I did was taste-test a little—no work at all,” Cao Xi said with a mischievous grin, her gaze full of playful obedience, silently pleading for praise.

With no choice but to humor her, Qin Zhao gently tugged her ear and said, “Be mindful of your safety.”

Cao Xi instructed Banli and Xing’er to finish setting up the dishes before letting them go rest.

“Quick, try the sweet potato cake I made,” she said, offering Qin Zhao a piece.

A small smile graced Qin Zhao’s lips as he leaned down to take a bite. “Mmm, sweet and soft. It’s delicious.”

Cao Xi beamed. “Hehe, glad you like it. I’ve also come up with lots of sweet potato recipes!”

Qin Zhao raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Like what?”

“Well,” Cao Xi began, her eyes sparkling with excitement, “Luzhou City is famous for its sweet potatoes, right? We can collect them from the locals and make sweet potato fries, sweet potato starch, sweet potato noodles, and sweet potato sugar!”

“Hmm, not a bad idea. It’s worth trying, especially the sweet potato sugar,” Qin Zhao said thoughtfully. Sweet potato sugar always reminded him of the first time Cao Xi made it—its sweet taste was unforgettable.

Cao Xi continued enthusiastically, “If we sell sweet potato sugar, noodles, and other products to different places, we can generate revenue for Luzhou City. With money, we can repair the city walls, strengthen the army, and ensure the people can live better lives.”

Her words left Qin Zhao in deep thought. After a moment, he abruptly stood up, grabbed a piece of sweet potato cake, and started heading out.

“You eat first. I’m going to the government office. I’ll take a bowl of the sugar with me and discuss this with Zhang Meng.”

Cao Xi blinked in confusion. “Isn’t Zhang Meng a general? Since when does he manage economic matters?” She couldn’t make sense of it.

Since Qin Zhao was still new here, Zhang Meng was one of the few people he could fully trust. For something as significant as the livelihood of the people, he believed only Zhang Meng could handle it reliably.

After finishing her meal, Cao Xi went to Qin Zhao’s study and carefully documented all the sweet potato recipes she had thought of. These included dishes, sweet potato chips, starch, noodles, and sugar—everything was written down in meticulous detail to maximize potential profits.

“Try this,” Qin Zhao said, placing a bowl of sweet potato sugar in front of Zhang Meng.

Zhang Meng, who hadn’t even finished his meal, had been dragged over by Qin Zhao. He stared skeptically at the bowl of sticky, reddish substance in front of him. Reluctant but unable to resist Qin Zhao’s expectant gaze, he reluctantly picked up a bit with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth.

“It’s… sweet?”

Zhang Meng’s eyes widened in shock, his face full of disbelief. He had never expected something so unappealing to look at would actually be sugar.

As he reached for a second bite, Qin Zhao swiftly took the bowl back.

“Once is enough.”

Zhang Meng was dumbfounded. “Is this how you share food with someone?”

Qin Zhao rolled his eyes. “Who said I’d let you eat the whole thing? This sugar was made especially for me by my wife. At best, I’ll let you have a taste.”

Zhang Meng: …speechless.

Qin Zhao added, “The current production of sweet potato sugar is very low. If we promote this on a larger scale, it can significantly enrich the people, and you’ll have enough money to fund your troops.”

Zhang Meng felt both convinced and intrigued.

“This sugar is made from sweet potatoes?” Zhang Meng asked. Having lived in Luzhou City for so many years, he had never heard of anyone turning sweet potatoes into sugar.

“Indeed,” Qin Zhao replied calmly, his steady gaze awaiting Zhang Meng’s decision.

With a loud smack on the table, Zhang Meng nearly sent the bowl of sugar flying. Qin Zhao hurriedly steadied it, protecting the precious bowl as if it were a treasure.

“This sugar was made by my wife. No way am I letting it spill!” Qin Zhao declared.

“Done! I’ll take out my dowry savings and let you use it to buy supplies. Make the sugar, and I’ll have my grandfather sell it!” Zhang Meng exclaimed.

Qin Zhao looked at him skeptically. Your grandfather? Isn’t he a bookseller?

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Luzhou City’s defenses underwent significant restructuring. The city layout was re-planned, the guards were redeployed, and soldiers were stationed on watchtowers to monitor the surroundings. Some soldiers even patrolled outside the city to prevent infiltrators from sneaking in.

As a result, Luzhou City became much more secure.

Qin Zhao took Zhang Meng’s dowry savings and combined them with his own family funds to begin purchasing sweet potatoes from the local farmers. With a reliable market for their crops, the farmers’ lives gradually improved.

The sugar workshop was set up in the barracks courtyard, guarded tightly by soldiers. Not even a fly could sneak in.

Inside the barracks courtyard, fifteen large pots were placed over roaring fires. Some workers were responsible for stoking the flames, while others stirred the pots. The operation was bustling but orderly.

Cao Xi, invited by Qin Zhao to oversee the process, arrived at the barracks. However, as her belly grew rounder with pregnancy, standing for extended periods became increasingly tiring.

She led Zhang Po to supervise the operations for two full days before Qin Zhao forcibly sent her back to the prefecture to rest, leaving Zhang Po to stay behind as the technical advisor.

Cao Xi, unwilling to return, argued for half the day but to no avail.

Frustrated, she pointed at Qin Zhao and shouted, “You’re abandoning me after using me! It’s like killing the donkey when the millstone is done, or dismantling the bridge after crossing the river, or firing the chef after the meal! You… you…” She struggled to finish her sentence, too angry to find the right words.

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but chuckle. “Go on, keep thinking of more sayings.”

Seeing that Qin Zhao was unmoved by her protests, Cao Xi finally gave up and allowed herself to be escorted back to rest, though she did so grudgingly.

As she left, she issued a final warning: “You’re sleeping in the study tonight!”